Thrifty

Pallet Letter Sign {tutorial}

September 24, 2012 7 Comments

Hanging on the wall in our den is this fun pallet letter sign:

The Hubs ~~took~~ beat the pallet apart and I lined up 4 boards and used two smaller pieces that Ross cut for me to hold it all together.

I flipped the sign over and got out my awesome DecoArt Designer Series White paint that my friends at DecoArt sent me a pencil, and a few paint brushes.

Next I drew a big ‘’P” on the sign with the pencil.
Can you see part of it?!

Then I took a smaller paint brush and painted over the pencil line.

I used the big paint brush to fill the “P” in.

Once the “P” was all painted, I let the paint dry well then sanded it down to give it a distressed look.

Now we have a fun Pallet Letter Sign hanging in our den!

The best part, it was FREE!

Gotta love a free piece of custom art hanging on the wall that most people assume cost a fortune!

Filed Under: Crafting, Crafts, Decorating, Distressing, Inspiration, Johnny In A Dress, KnockOff, Make Your Own..., My House, Revamping, Thrifty, Tutorial

{baby Hollis} The Nursery

July 16, 2012 63 Comments

I am sooooo super excited to FINALLY reveal Hollis’s nursery!

I am super bummed because as most of you know, our house was broken into and my laptop was stolen… with all of the step by step pictures and tutorials for the nursery.
Booo-hoo-hoo…
..that seriously stinks because I was soooo excited to share every.single.teeny.tiny.detail with you and literally walk you through every step of decorating this nursery.

Anywho,
we must move on…
…so I will try my best to share as many tips and tutorials as I can!

Now for the BIG REVEAL!!!

One of my favorite things in the nursery is this light fixture.
I found it a Goodwill for $5!
It was brass (not a “good” brass) and seriously AWFUL!
With the help of Krylon’s Watermelon spray paint, this light fixture went from drab to FAB!
One thing I loved about this light fixture right away was the sweet flower detail on the frosted globes!

I painted the ceiling medallion with a “dry” paint brush to give it a weathered look.
I used the same paint as I did on the walls (Valspar Aqua Glow) and love the way it turned out!

I decided to hang the chevron pennant banner I made for Harper’s Bow Tie & TuTu Birthday Party above the closet in the nursery!

This sweet pink dresser was a side of the road find from about 6 years ago.

With a little Valspar Sweet Pink paint, some Krylon Ivy Leaf Spray Paint on the handles and some glass knobs, this dresser turned into the perfect dresser for a sweet little baby girl’s nursery!

I am really loving the way the dresser pops against the aqua walls!

{tutorial on the HOLLIS letters coming soon}

I decided to use everyday baby items as décor in her nursery as well!
These burps add a fun pop of color on top of the dresser and are easily accessible at the same time!

{Burp Cloth Tutorial coming soon!}

Above Hollis’s crib are her giant monogram!
You can purchase it here at an awesome price!
I spray painted this one using Krylon Watermelon.
I also made the crib shirt using this tutorial!

When I walk into the nursery,
I instantly become happy!
I love the pops of pink, green and aqua!

Above the daybed hangs two old windows that display our favorite ultrasound pictures of Hollis!
Ross removed (more like beat) the glass with a hammer then added chicken wire to the back of the window panes securing it in place with a staple gun.
I used little tiny clothes pins to display the ultrasound pictures!

The “changing table” is an old super heavy oversized chest that I painted and distressed years ago!
Love it!

I used a shutter that I found on the side of the road to hold Hollis’s bows!
I was surprised to find that it works GREAT!
(and just incase you are wondering… this is not even half of the bows Hollis has waiting to be worn!)

Of course, this is a nursery,
so I wanted to make sure to keep it fun!
I saved these fun little sock animals that were in Cliff’s nursery and decided they were perfect to hang out in Hollis’s nursery!

I made this super fun, scrappy lamp using this tutorial.

Did you notice this guy?!

The mobile that hangs in the nursery had a seriously fabulous tutorial ready to go!…
…on the laptop that was stolen…
Don’t worry, I am trying to recreate the tutorial for you!

{Mobile tutorial/details coming soon}

There is a local artist here called “The Chicken Man” and I knew that I wanted to use his awesome work in Hollis’s nursery!
(This one was in my room when I was in highschool!)

I love this happy little corner of the nursery!
See the other Chicken Man painting?!
The pink bamboo table used to be green and would you believe me if I told you it is actually a planter with a stacked basket on top?!

This pom pom banner was super simple to make and added the perfect element of fun to the crib!

{Pom Pom Banner tutorial coming soon}

Apparently crib bumpers are a BIG no no now…
(It’s amazing Cliff and Harper survived with their fabulously thick bumpers in their cribs…Ha!… seriously these “baby safety” rules change so fast that I am out of the loop even though I had a baby 2 years ago…)
So, I decided to forgo a bumper and applique Hollis’s monogram in the center of her crib sheet!

I love the way it turned out!

The cornice board was created using this tutorial.
I decided to keep this one straight since the window is so large and I added pom poms to the bottom edge too!
Would you believe me if I told you it is made out of foam board?!

I can’t wait to show Hollis her nursery!
(…she better stay put for about three more weeks though!)

Paint Colors:
Wall: Valspar Aqua Glow
Dresser: Valspar Sweet Pink
Monogram, light fixture, bamboo side table: Krylon Watermelon Spray Paint
Lamp base, drawer pulls, hoop for mobile: Krylon Ivy Leaf Spray Paint

Fabrics:
Cornice board window treatment: Kumari Garden Jeevan Pink
Circle on crib sheet: Kumari Garden Tarika Moss
Crib skirt: Kumari Garden Tarika Blue

Yay for a finished nursery!
…Now what am I going to do to pass the time?!…

Filed Under: baby, Decorating, Inspiration, My House, Pregnancy, Spray Paint, Thrifty

{Giant Ruffle Lampshade Tutorial}

July 2, 2012 21 Comments

Remember this fun lamp that sports a giant ruffle in our bedroom?!

Today, I am going to share with you how you can make your own!
Yippy!
Ok, so start by measuring the circumference around your lamp shade and multiply that by 3 or 4, depending on how “ruffily” you want your ruffle to be.
This will be your length.
For the width, measure the width of your lampshade and visualize how much of the actual shade you want to peek out.
I wanted my shade to show few inches on either side, but if you want to cover the entire shade then make sure you add at least 1 1/2 inches to the width of your fabric for seam allowance, etc.

Fold your long sides down 1/4 inch then 1/4 inch again.
Iron in place and pin, then stitch.
Make sure you backstitch at both ends!
(Do this for both long sides!)

Next set your machine to the longest stitch setting and stitch about 1 or so inch away from the edge. DO NOT BACK STITCH!!!!
(Do this for both long sides)

Next pull ONE thread at the end of the long stitch to create your ruffle at one of the sides then repeat for the other long side.
Use your shade as a guide to see how much or little you need to ruffle and adjust accordingly. You need to make sure to leave about an inch overlap.

Plug your hot glue gun in and lay your shade on it’s side.
Then lay the ruffle on top of the shade with the end on top of the seam.
This is where you will begin.
Run a long line of hot glue along the end of the ruffle and press into place.

Next begin by running a strip of hot glue along the stitch that created the ruffle and press into place. I found that it works best to run a strip a few inches long at a time, press into place and repeat on the other side.

Fold your fabric back and continue to run strips of hot glue along where the ruffle stitch will touch the lampshade then press into place…
Make sure your ruffle is straight!
And remember to glue a few inches along one side then a few inches along the other side working your way around the lampshade.

Continue this until your ends overlap and run hot glue the end into place.

Once your ruffle is all glued to the lampshade,
you can go back and “tack” any places that may stick out funny, etc.

Now you have a super fun lampshade for your home!

Isn’t it fun?!

Yay for giant ruffles!
(and little ruffles too!)

Filed Under: Crafting, Decorating, Hot Glue, Inspiration, Make Your Own..., My House, Sewing, Thrifty, Tutorial

DIY Monogram Lampshade {Tutorial}

June 4, 2012 12 Comments

In our new master bedroom is this fun lamp with our monogram on it!
If you have shopped around, then you know these are NOT cheap!
Actually, I was shocked when I found out how much just a monogrammed lampshade can cost!
But I LOVE the look of it, so I got to thinking and created this:

I found this super cute lamp at Target for less than half the price of a monogrammed lampshade, but knew it needed a little something!

Using my black vinyl from Expressions Vinyl and my Silhouette,
I created and cut out our monogram.

Then I applied the vinyl directly to the lampshade and…

Now we have a super fun,
semi-custom lamp in our bedroom!
And it cost WAY less than those fancy monogrammed lampshades!
The best part – it took me about 10 minutes make!

Gotta love achieving an “expensive” look without spending the big bucks!
Oh yea,

and because we love YOU,
tune in tomorrow for a fun Expressions Vinyl giveaway!

Happy Monday!

Filed Under: Crafting, Crafts, Decorating, Inspiration, Make Your Own..., My House, Silhouette, Sponsors, Thrifty, Tutorial

DIY Master Bedroom Makeover!

May 28, 2012 41 Comments

I decided to redecorate our master bedroom on a Friday morning.
Three days later our bedroom looked like this:
(You can see what it used to look like here)

Ross and I LOVE our new “getaway!”

{Tutorial on this 5 minute monogram a lamp shade coming soon and maybe a fun giveaway from our friends at Expressions Vinyl!}

When decorating our “new” room,
I wanted to keep it simple and uncluttered.
I carefully chose a few of my favorite pieces décor that we already had in our house and with a little rearranging, everything has a new purpose.

I ran across this lamp shade at Target and HAD to have them for our bedroom!
Then I noticed that these glass bases were PERFECT for these shades!
Gotta LOVE the mix and match options at Target!
(This is what spurred the three day redecorating frenzy!)

I whipped up these pillows during naptime.
I fell in love with the Premier Print Twill Collection and instantly chose to mix yellow with black and white.

{DIY monogram pillow tutorial coming soon!}

I also added the stripes to the bottom of the window treatments because the panels were a little short.
It adds a fun, unexpected pop of interest in the room!

{Tutorial on how to make a simple, inexpensive curtain rod is coming soon!}

These fun frames used to be GOLD and have mirrors in them…
EWWWW!
With a little paint and sprucing up, they became a fun way to display pictures of the littles!

{A tutorial on using this lacquer paint and how to create these frames coming soon!}

This fun chair I found on the side of the road also has a new look!
Love it!

And this buffet was an awesome thrift store score!

Get ready to see the full transformation!

These signs were inspired by these that I fell in love with on Pinterest.
And yes, I will share how I made them so you can create your own!

Don’t you love the stencil on the wall?!
Well, if your are lucky, you can win your very own Cutting Edge Stencil soon right here on JIAD!

Did you notice the giant ruffle lamp?!

Remember The Mummy Lamp?
Yep, it has a new look too!

{Tutorial coming soon!}

The walls were painted with Valspar Montpelier Ashlar Gray.
The stencil was painted using Aspen Gray (see above).

I could sit and just BE in our bedroom all day.

It is so peaceful, simple and fun!

Stay tuned for a ton of easy tutorials and a few giveaways!

Happy Monday!

Filed Under: Decorating, Distressing, Inspiration, My House, Sewing, Sponsors, Spray Paint, Thrifty

Coffee Table {Redo}

April 16, 2012 6 Comments

Every time I walk through our den past the coffee table,

I smile!

Our coffee table wasn’t always this fun…

I scored this at an estate sale for $20:

After a little sanding, a few coats of Kilz, a few coats of Krylon Jade and two coats of wipe on poly, we ended up with this fabulous coffee table!

Aren’t the legs on it awesome?!

It never ceases to amaze me what a little paint can do!

Yay for an awesome furniture transformation under $40!

Filed Under: Decorating, My House, Spray Paint, Thrifty

Sweet Silhouettes!

March 12, 2012 7 Comments

In our den hangs Cliff and Harper’s silhouettes!
And I am completely in LOVE!

Holly from Life As A Thrifter lives about 30 minutes away from me!
(Yes, she is just as fabulous in real life!)
I walked into her beautiful home and completely fell in love with this:

I just HAD to make a few for our house!

Since I am now obsessed with cutting wood…
and painting signs…
this project was perfect!

I love how they POP in our den!

Love!

Filed Under: Crafting, Decorating, Inspiration, My House, Spray Paint, Thrifty

Little {naked} Lamp!

November 1, 2011 4 Comments

A while ago I found this little lamp on clearance at Hobby Lobby!

Loved the lamp, but the shade was a little TOO green…

So, I ripped the fabric off of the shade.

Then gave the frame a coat of metallic spray paint!

I grabbed some silver acrylic paint and started painting the base of the lamp.

Just a thin, messy coat like this…

Then I took a damp paper towel and wiped some of the silver paint off…

…until I got the “glazed” look I wanted!

And now I have a super cute Little {Naked} Lamp on my cutting table!

Love it!

Filed Under: Crafting, Decorating, Distressing, Make Your Own..., My Craft Room, My House, Refashion, Thrifty, Tutorial

Framed Drying Rack How-To!

October 24, 2011 10 Comments

A few weeks ago, the theme of American Crafter was “House of Organization.”

Thanks to all of your fabulous support, I won Round 2!

Yay!

I decided to organize our laundry room and one thing we desperately needed was a drying rack.

I had a vision and the hubs brought it to life!

This is how we made our very own drying rack!

I had this not so cute long rectangular frame…

I took the picture out of the frame and gave the frame a good coat of white!

(Wait! Do NOT do this… You can paint the whole thing later.. The frame got beat up during the transformation and I had to repaint it!)

Ross then cut a piece of peg board so that it would fit perfectly inside the frame.

Then he measured the inside of the frame and cut pieces of 1in x 1in wood and created a “frame” inside of the frame. Do NOT nail it together yet, leave the pieces apart until later…

I wanted 5 rods to hang clothes on, so the hubs measured the long pieces of the 1 x 1 wood, did some math, then drilled 5 holes through both pieces of wood for the dow rods to go through.

He stacked the long pieces of wood on top of each other and clamped them together before he drilled the holes. That way the holes would line up perfectly.

He placed the inside “frame” back inside the frame (are you super confused or what?!) and we measured to determine how long each dow rod needed to be.

Then he started cutting the dow rods!

The hubs then hammered the rods into place.

Once the rods were sandwiched between the two long sides, he nailed the short ends on.

Then we had something like a little ladder!

We attached the bottom of the rack to the peg board with little hinges.

After a few coats of spray paint, we drilled a hole in the top center of the actual frame and added a decorative knob. Then we screwed a little hook onto the top, center of the rack making sure that it will “hook” behind the knob to hold the rack up when it is not in use.

I tied two pieces of twine to the top corners of the rack and ran the twine through the holes of the peg board then secured it to the back of the frame.

That way the rack will only open as wide as you want it to!

Now we have the perfect place to air dry our delicate clothes!

Happy Laundry!

Filed Under: Make Your Own..., Spray Paint, Thrifty, Tutorial

BOO {to you} Wreath Tutorial!

October 10, 2011 27 Comments

Thank you to everyone who voted for my BOO {to you} Halloween Wreath in American Crafter Round 1!

I am so amazed at all of the support!

Thank you TONS AND TONS!

The competition is fierce this season!

All of these ladies are super talented!

I am honored to have made it to round 2!

Ok, so, Want to make a BOO {to you} Wreath for your house?!?

Well, today I will show you how!

Yay!

I wanted to use things I already had on hand, so I grabbed a grapevine wreath that was in a closet and some Krylon Primer. I gave it a good coat of primer then a coat of Krylon Metallic Silver.

I had these wooden plaques that I grabbed at Hobby Lobby a while back.

(They go on sale for 50% off often – just fyi!)

I sprayed them with Krylon White.

I also had these wooden balls.

(Ok, I have an entire drawer dedicated to wood items that are just waiting for the perfect project!)

So I gave them a good sprayin’ of Krylon White too!

While the plaques and balls were drying I gathered up my ribbon scraps.

Any of them that were black, white and orange!

See, scraps come in handy!

(yes, there was some ricrac in there as well!)

I began tying the ribbons in knots all around the wreath.

Like this:

I kept tying and tying until the wreath was covered in scrappy goodness:

I had two strips of this fun black and white fabric left over from another project.

They measured about 9 inches x 24 inches.

I laid the fabrics right sides together and stitched down one of the short ends to create one long strip of fabric.

Next I ironed the seam and then folded the long edges in about half an inch then ironed flat.

It should look something like this:

I sloppily (is that a word?!) folded the edges in then laid the wreath in it like this:

Pull the fabric and line to short edges up like this:

My handy dandy Silhouette cut out the “BOO {to you}”

and I applied it onto the large wooden plaque!

Next I took the big square wooden plaque and hot glued one end of ribbon onto the back.

I looped the ribbon around the fabric like this:

Then hot glued the other end of the ribbon to the back of the plaque making sure that it was not twisted because that would not be cute…

I wanted polka dots for the white balls, so I gathered up some left over vinyl and my hole punch.

Then punched out little holes…

And stuck them onto the balls!

How easy is that?!

I used my Silhouette to cut out a vinyl crow and stuck it onto the small wooden plaque then decided to place it on the left bottom side of the wreath.