Baby shower decor! It’s so fun to create! This welcome sign was my DIY contribution to my niece’s baby shower. I was so sorry to miss it, but happy to add to the decor! The sign stand was originally made for my son’s wedding shower a couple of weeks earlier. This blogpost has the details on how that was made. Acrylic I purchased the 24 x 36 frosted acrylic at Menards for ~ $40. It was $7 less than the piece I got at Home Depot for the last sign. I am still looking for a better source for the...
DIY Projects
MacKenzie Childs Inspired Courtly Check |Upcycled Spice Rack
I found this vintage spice rack at an estate sale and the size was perfect for a small space in my kitchen to hold essential oils. So, if you are looking for something vintage for your oils, the spice rack was perfect! I added some decorative trim to the shelves for interest and to prevent the oils from falling from the shelf. I primed and painted the spice rack in SW Alabaster. (My go-to white.) I really wanted to try the new MacKenzie Childs Courtly Check pattern on something (see below) and thought this was a great project to give...
Wedding Welcome Sign
I’ve been working on lots of wedding decor items and it’s been so fun! Last week, I finished up this welcome sign that pulled inspiration from lots of places. Acrylic My future daughter-in-law wanted an acrylic sign, so that’s where we started! I ordered this frosted piece of acrylic from Home Depot. It is 24” x 36” and was the most expensive material in the project ($47), but not too bad! I have heard you can get clear acrylic and sand it to get the same effect as the frosted acrylic. The frosted is more expensive than clear. I’ll will...
Affordable DIY barn doors!
If you have some decent DIY skills, making barn doors from a slab is an affordable approach. I had the opportunity to help out a family friend who is making some updates to her Chicago condo. One of the updates was to replace french doors that open into the room with barn doors. Essentially, trading space in the room with space along the wall. This is a picture of how the area started out. Check out that view! Five panel doors at the size needed were a custom order or available on Wayfair for about $310/door. This is without the...
Kitchen Cabinet Refresh | Key Tips!
Painting kitchen cabinets is a great refresh to update tired, wood cabinets. It is an undertaking, but the results are worth it! This client kitchen had dark, ’90s oak cabinets and the client was getting the property ready to rent. The appliances and countertop were also replaced. I have painted several kitchen and bathroom cabinets for my own investment properties and I continue to learn! Here are some tried and true strategies that continue to work well for me! Surface Preparation Preparing the painting surface is everything! This sounds basic, but, taking short cuts on this step may lead to...
Cabinet Doors as a Project Feature!
If you are anything like me, you spy an interesting element on marketplace and see how you can use use it! I’ve done this a number of time with cabinet doors! Here are some of my favorites! Linen Closet This door was from a salvaged bookcase. I used it as the basis for a linen closet. I built shelves on the inside and the face frame was built around this door to fill the opening. The doors on the bottom were built from the shelves of this same bookcase. I just love it! Free Little Library This stained glass door...
Board & Batten Feature Wall Round Up | A Few Tips
I love a good feature wall! The texture, design and color can make all the difference in the world. There are tons of blogposts detailing how to install board and batten (mostly batten) so, in this blogpost, I am sharing the feature walls I have done so far and a few learnings. Here is a round up of my board and batten feature walls! Learned so much along the way! Master Bedroom, Investment Property
Master Closet Update
Replacing the wire shelving in my closet was on my list of updates to make to the house. It’s a small closet and I wanted to add some warmth. This is a “before” photo. The wire shelves were removed; walls patched with drywall compound; and, painted. I found a door from a cabinet at an estate sale. I love the design and the wood tone. We used 3/4 plywood to build a cabinet. The cabinet was sanded, primed and painted (SW March Wind) The shelves were 1/2 inch plywood, capped with a 1 x 2 stained, pine board. The door...
Spiderman and Frozen inspired gumball machines!
I am a big fan of Tracey’s Fancy and there have been a few of her projects that made me say “I want to make that!” These gumball machines are one of those projects. And, I thought they would make a great Easter gift for some young ones! We have all seen these red gumball machines. They are easy enough to purchase from Amazon, but, in my case, I found two on Facebook Marketplace and saved a bit of money. I disassembled the gumball machine (taking pictures along the way), scuff sanded and primed it with primer I had on...
Framing Puzzles and Games
Puzzles are so fun to work on this time of the year! (Winter!) Cavallini Papers makes fun vintage themed puzzles and these are some of our favorites. I framed the vintage ”Travel” and ”National Parks” puzzles. The colors look great the other game boards I framed. (Below) Building the Frame Building the frame is relatively simple, requires a few tools (miter and table saws) and an extra set of hands are useful! Using a table saw, I cut a 1/4 plywood or backer board to fit the size of the puzzle and allowing for the width of the trim. I...
Fun Child’s Gifts | T-Shirt, Jet Pack & Puzzle
Looking for some gift ideas for children? I stumbled upon these cute t-shirts and wanted to pair a little toy to go along with them! These are the t-shirts I purchased from Rivet Apparel Co. Link for the ”Kindness” and the ”Rainbow” t-shirts! Jet Pack This little jet pack was really simple and affordable to make. I followed the instructions on Natalie Shaw’s Doodlecraft.blog. These are the simple steps. Note: Modifications can be made on materials used. Puzzle I got this cute little, rainbow puzzle from Amazon. I thought was a great toy to go with the t-shirt. Can’t wait...
Repurposed Display Cabinet into Closet System
I seem to be on a roll with closet organization this year. This last project is my second one! TV/display cabinets and bookshelves are a great starting point from which to build closet storage. These pieces frequently have a wood face frame which is more solid than particle board components in closet systems. Habitat for Humanity is a great source for these type of furniture pieces, affordable and supports a great cause. The piece I used for this project was $35. This is where the closet started. (This was before demo at a foreclosed property.) The closet is square and...