Summer is in full swing and that means lots of outdoor entertaining! Every year, it seems like the Fourth of July comes so quickly and I am scrambling to find or make something cute for outdoor entertaining. Last year, I had fun with estate sale and curbside finds and turning them into Fourth of July decor. Check these out for some inspo! Beverage Station I found this wash tub at an estate sale for $10 and had no idea what I was going to do with it. This was during the phase when I was experimenting with “blue” paint and...
DIY Projects
Graduation Gift Idea | Sweatshirt Quilt
Spring is finally here and that means there may be a graduation celebration around the corner. If you want create a special gift and keepsake for your graduate, consider a t-shirt or sweatshirt quilt. This is a special gift for any occasion – a birthday, Christmas, graduation, etc. — but, at this time of the year, I thought thought this would be a great idea for a special graduate. I made a quilt for each of my kids and both have really appreciated having memories of their high school/college days wrapped in a keepsake quilt. The quilt featured in this...
Three Tips To Manage Project Overwhelm
You are not alone in having some nerves around starting a new project — especially if the project is big or involved or requires new or different tools and skills. Believe me, I have been there many times and have managed through the overwhelm using these strategies. Chunking If project-size has moved you into overwhelm, chuck the project into several smaller phases and tackle these one at a time. For example, a bathroom renovation could be chunked into (1) demo; (2) plumbing (3) tile; (4) painting; (5) vanity installation; and, (6) lighting. The individual phases are not likely as daunting....
Roman Shades | Affordable Solution for a Custom Look
These Roman Shades are a great way to add pattern, color and texture in a sleek and simple design. I have to say, I was procrastinating on this project and only because I had never done it before. I searched Pinterest for ideas and essentially followed the instructions from Remodelaholic’s blogpost (which was inspired by 33 Shades of Green). This project was not difficult, it was time consuming and somewhat involved. In the end, I save more than $300 in labor cost by doing it myself. Supplies Fabric ( I had this fabric from when I covered my kitchen chairs....
Marquee Letter Wall Art in Two Simple Steps
If you are anything like me, you have picked up something at a garage/estate sale or Facebook Marketplace thinking “I can do something with this” and then time goes by and you never get to it. Well, this project started out like that and when I finally got to it, the end result was a unique feature in my kitchen. What I Used Marquee Letters (I found these at an antique shop, but these are at Hobby Lobby, JoAnn’s etc.) Spray Paint (because everything gets pretty with a can of spray paint) Painter’s Tape Rub and Buff STEP ONE Spray...
Bathroom Makeover on a Budget
Bathroom makeovers can be daunting and expensive but totally doable with some diligence in sourcing materials and some elbow grease. My rental property was built in the late 1990’s and the bathroom was original, builder grade and in need of an update — on a budget. Here is a “before” photo. Materials Tile There are so many affordable tile choices nowadays, it was easy to find options that were well-suited for a rental and resale, meaning a classic tile. I found a marble-look 9 x 11 wall tile at Menards for $.99/ square foot for the bathoom shower and installed...
TV Tray Refresh
Ever find yourself needing extra table space? Take those plain-Jane TV trays and give them some color, fun and function! This DIY was so easy that I made a few pairs of trays and gave them as gifts. SUPPLIES TV Trays (I found mine on Facebook Marketplace, estate sales, Craigslist – average price was $5/tray.) TSP Cleaner All Surface Enamel Latex Primer All Surface Enamel Latex Paint (2 colors, one for base and another for lettering) MinWax Polycrylic Protective Finish Paint roller (small, foam) Paint brush Make up sponge Stencil Paint tape STEPS 1. Clean the TV Trays with TSP...
Personalized DIY Gifts Ideas
Gift giving is one of my favorite things to do and thoughtful gifts are my favorites to give! Over the years, I’ve made some several gifts for family and friends that were so fun to give and receive. Below are some of my favorite gifts put together with love! T SHIRT QUILT My son, Kevin, was an avid baseball player from a young age through college. He had a large collection of t-shirts from his baseball teams sitting in his closet. Last Christmas, I pieced together the t-shirts and had it quilted. For more details, here is the T Shirt Quilt...
Christmas Cookie Plate for Santa!
For all of you with little ones and love Christmas traditions, this Christmas cookie plate ticks the box! I made this plate more than 25 years ago for my sister and she still puts it under her tree even though her boys are old enough to have children of their own. The markings on the plate have faded over the years and she asked me to freshen it up for her. It is just as simple to make a new one as well SUPPLIES Corelle dinner plate (should be available at stores like, Walmart, Target, Meijer, Dollar Stores) Paint Pens,...
Laundry Room Refresh
Tile, paint and molding are the key updates taking this laundry room from dated and dull to current and fresh. This laundry room is from my daughter, Kelly’s, townhouse and it was one of several rooms that needed updating. This is the room “before” the update – builder basic with white walls, linoleum flooring and 2 inch molding. TILE The floor tile is Montalcino Dimarmi Bianco Stone Look Porcelain Tile from Floor and Decor. This tile is super affordable at $1.99/square foot. The tile has hints of taupe and grey with some movement to add interest and it affords flexibility in carpeting...
Christmas Scrabble Letters
I decided to plan a “sister, cousin, daughter, niece” get together and thought it would be fun to make a Christmas craft together. For some reason, I forgot no one is really crafty. Hmmm. I wasn’t going to let that get me distracted! Some how I landed on large Scrabble letters with Christmas-y words for the craft project. Pinterest and YouTube are always good resources to me started and I improvised along the way. Supplies: Wood: 1 x 5 (back); 1 x 4 (bottom); 1 x 2 (front); 1 x 6 (letters). I purchased 8 ft boards as I was...
Sewing Machine | Refinished
This little beauty was a great $50 find at an estate sale. It was a solid piece and the wood was in good condition. It really just needed a new finish. I just don’t have the heart to paint over pretty wood, especially antiques – so, I stripped and stained it. No new or fancy techniques. I just used stripper, denatured alcohol, a palm sander and went to work. Not a fun job – but, always so satisfying when it’s done.