These tags make great personal touches for gifts, or, if you're a crafty, use them in altered art and scrapbooking projects. If you sell your work, use these as jewelry cards or hang tags for your handcrafted items, as I have done above. Supplies needed: Manila hang tags 'available at office supply stores, or if you prefer you can cut your own from cardstock. I prefer to use the purchased ones, just because it is more time efficient for me.
Teabags and hot water to brew some strong tea (or you can use coffee)
Other Optional supplies & embellishments: Spray bottle (optional) Ribbon scraps Carnival tickets (office supply stores, Walmart, and Party supply stores) Misc. ephemera Glue stick
STEP 1 Brew a strong pot of tea and when cooled, pour it into a medium pot (I keep the teabags in). You can brew the teabags right in the pot on the stovetop. I use about 6 teabags per every 4 cups of water. If you prefer you can use coffee instead of tea. STEP 2 Submerge and soak the manila tags in the cooled tea until stained and saturated. They do not have to be evenly stained. The less-even the stains are, the better. You can either just dip them for a lighter look, or you can allow them to soak for a while for a deeper shade. Experiment until you achieve the look you like. STEP 3 When the tags are the color you like, remove them from the tea soak and lightly blot them on an old tea towel. Next, arrange them on a cookie sheet and bake in a warm oven (about 200-250 degrees F) until they begin to dry. Watch them carefully so that you do not burn them. Then remove them from the oven.
when dry, your tags should look like this
STEP 4 This step is optional, but I like to go the extra mile for the look: spritz the tags with a spray bottle filled with tea or coffee to add some extra, darker stain marks. If you don't want to use a spray bottle you can just randomly drip the tea on your tags. This step helps them look old and worn or grungy: that is the look we are going for. Bake again for just a few minutes until dry and remove from oven.
I love drip stains on my tags! STEP 5 Embellishing: Once your tags are completely dry you can rubber stamp them with designs. Using the rubber stamp and stamp pad, stamp your tags with whatever designs you desire. Some nice stamps that I like to use are seasonal designs and nature designs. You can stop here and use your tags as-is, or read on for more embellishment ideas. For Those Who Want More* Thread a few scraps of ribbon through the hole in the tag and tie for a colorful look (see below).
Just thread the ribbon through the hole...
....and then tie in a simple knot
I coordinated these earrings to the ribbons to complete the look! Getting Fancy * Use rubber stamps to decorate carnival tickets, punch a hole in each with a hole-punch and then attach these with ribbon through the hole on the tag (as shown above). Or, if you prefer, use a glue stick and glue the carnival ticket directly to the tag.
You can buy carnival tickets by the roll
use a simple, small stamp on the carnival tickets
a colorful, whimsical look A Few Other Ideas * Distress the edges of your tags by running the edge of the tag along the stamp pad or by tracing along the edge of the tag with a marker. * Add some color to your rubber stamp designs by coloring with colored pencil. * Add vintage ephemera to your tags with a glue stick for an altered art look. * Good idea: If you're using these as tags for items you are going to sell or as jewelry cards, use the reverse side to write pertinent info about your item (such as materials used, etc), or, stamp the reverse side with a sticker or personalized rubber stamp to advertise your business name and/or website. I had a custom rubber stamp made by Etsy seller terbearco, and I love it!
The other day I mentioned that my favorite decoration from Charlie's All-American boy party was this super easy paper table runner. It's almost laughable how easy this thing was to make, but I figured that some of you like a simple DIY as much as I do, right? In less than 15 minutes, you can make a completely custom table runner for any occasion- the possibilities are endless with this thing! Plus, a paper runner is perfect for something like a kid's birthday party or an outdoor BBQ because it adds some color to your table, but can be thrown out if it gets messy.
Last week I bought a huge roll of drawing paper from Ikea for $4.99. I measured 7 feet of paper, grabbed red and navy paint that I had on hand (I used regular latex paint, but you could easily use acrylic paint-actually that would be easier!), and then used a chalk line to create a straight line on either side of the paper for my stripes. We didn't worry at all about painting a crisp line, because I was going for a rustic feel (that's imperfect, in layman's terms: ).
I also bought a wooden star at Michael's for about 50 cents. Buying an actual stamp that was the right size would have been expensive, and I knew this would work just as well. I hot-glued a stone onto the back for a handle- it's all about using stuff you have! You can find these wooden things in any shape you want so making a runner that fits your theme is easy!
I painted one side of the star…
…and rocked the stamp all around to get full coverage…
…and when I lifted my stamp, this is what I had:
I love the wood grain affect this created!
That's it! I love my paper table runner, and the fact that it took me less than 15 minutes to make allowed me to not feel bad at all to throw it out without batting an eye!
I thought it would be fun to see some other paper table runners people have created around blogland. Some of these things put my little table runner to shame!: )
Pinwheel table runner from Green Wedding Shoes
Crepe Paper runner from Good Housekeeping
DIY Wrapping Paper Runner fromMartha Stewart Weddings Cheap and cute- just my style!; ) Have a great weekend!
Okay, so two years ago Vista Print entered my life… yes, it sounds dramatic, but man, it Rocked My World! Maybe you've heard of Vista, and maybe you know you can get FREE pens and oodles of business cards, but that really doesn't excite nor apply to you. Well, I'm hoping that some of these ideas will get you almost as sold on Vista as I am (and no, I don't get commission- lol.) Ok, so with Vista Print, you sign up for their emails (and yes, you'll get a lot, so don't use your everyday email address unless you want to. I have one email account for all my"junk" emails I subscribe to and one"real" account that I use daily) Every few days, Vista will send you FREE products you can order- you only pay shipping. There are 3 shipping options, so the price is decent and totally worth all the products you'll be getting for free!
Now onto the fun part… what you can create in Vista! The suggestions I'm giving in this post were all made without using Photoshop or any professional design programs. Vista has designs to choose from or you can create your own and upload a completed design. I do a lot of both. Idea # 1- Mommy Cards These little cards are perfect for the playdate lovin' mom. Keep them in your purse and when your child makes a friend at the local park, you can give new friend's mommy one of your super-cool cards so that you can meet up again. If you're like me, you've jotted down a mom's cell number on a scrap of paper, only to completely lose it and then feel awful that you never called. 250 Mommy Cards Printed as business cards = FREE!
Idea # 2- Shower Invitations You don't need to pay insane prices for cool, trendy invitations. Get ideas online and then design your own! Baby Lucas (after Luke Skywalker) was due to arrive last summer and of course we needed fabulous Star Wars invitations for our Star Wars themed Shower. The pictures were simply pulled from Google Images and the font was free online. 50 Invites Printed as Oversized Postcards = FREE!
(sorry for the blurry parts, but I wanted to get rid of the personal info) Have I mentioned I have the best, most super-fun friends ever?
Idea # 3- Children's Birthday Parties I haven't bought an invitation in two years. Small postcards, large postcards, notecards, or invitations can all be used to create your invites in Vista. This is Kenzie's Spa Party invite. She had so much fun helping me design it! This one was one-sided, but the back can be personalized as well. We put them in 5x 7 envelopes and voila! I only needed 10 invites, but 100 were Free, so we have lots to use as scrap cardstock. 100 Party Invitations = FREE!
Idea # 4- Christmas Cards Can you believe how much Christmas cards have changed in the last few years? Gone are the days of the painted, snowy scene cards and in are awesome photo cards and more! The only problem is that it can cost a small fortune to send the nice photo cards to everyone. These were our Christmas Cards from 2009. I used Picnik (free editing software) to edit our pics, create a collage, and add some bling; and then I uploaded it onto the oversized 5 x 7 postcards.
I think my favorite part was that I could fully customize the back and had plenty of space to say exactly what we wanted to share. Another bonus was that I could mail them as postcards and didn't need envelopes. Score! 100 Christmas Cards (2 orders of 50) = FREE!
Idea # 5- Kids Pretend Supplies Last Christmas I used Vista to put together a Vet Kit for Kenzie. She loves animals and loved playing vet, but she was getting a little"old" for typical pretend play. So, we made pretend"cool" again by giving her a present of real vet supplies. Her vet supplies included: a Pet Vet Poster, a personal stamp, business cards, a personalized pen, a tote bag, stationary and printed forms (I went online and grabbed a basic vet form.) She LOVED it and had so much fun playing vet again, since now it seemed a bit more grown up. You could do this for anything your child is into… Doctor, Builder, Photographer, Ballerina, etc. Oodles of Pretend Play Supplies = FREE! Pet Vet Poster
Personal Stamp
Idea # 6- Totes for Everything I mean everything! Every time I put in an order I add a tote (umm they're free, why not!) Here are some ideas: Library Book Tote, Sports Tote (the one below was for Kenzie's cleats, shinguards, and water bottle for soccer.) Books for the Car, Snacks for on-the-go, Sleepover Bag (sized just right for one night and you could write something cute on it), Pretend Shopping Bag. What ideas do you have? Share them and I'm sure I'll order one! Everything Tote Bag = FREE!
Idea # 7- Gift Tags These are just business cards repurposed into gift tags. I used these for Christmas presents and they matched so well. I used a hole punch in the corner and attached them with coordinating ribbon. You could also make some non-holiday tags to have on hand. You could even make a set from each child for all the class birthday parties. My kids love when I have things personalized. To: _____ From: Kaden. I haven't done that yet, but I will be soon! 250 Gift Tags printed as Business Cards = FREE!
Idea # 8- Teacher Gifts Want a great, personal gift for a teacher? How about giving them a collection of coordinating, personalized supplies? Hit up Target's dollar bin for a cute container and your gift will be the talk of the teacher's lounge! Here are some items that you could include: notepads, sticky notes, pens, postcards, notecards, and more! I plan to do this for my kids' teachers this spring, so I won't give all my ideas away, but stay tuned for some inspiration! Personal, Thoughtful Teacher Gifts = FREE Notepad with magnet on the back
Matching sticky notes
Phew… that was a long post, but hopefully at least one of these ideas made you ready to jump in and give VistaPrint a try. I promise you'll be hooked! Use this link to sign up for Vista today and be sure to share your creations with us!
I'll admit it. I'm having one of those nights where my thoughts are running in a million different directions and trying to reign them in is no small task. This happens quite often to me, so for today, just humor me, ok? Go ahead and grab a cup of coffee and try to follow along.: ) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- They say it's all in the details, right? Well, I've got my plan of attack for gift wrapping all set, and have begun planning my annual Christmas party, and I would agree that the details are very important!
Source: thinkgarnish.com via Jessica on Pinterest Have you heard of this cute little shop? Garnish is a dream-come-true for DIYer's like us. They sell totally customizable products that will make your event or gift memorable and spectacular. Take, for instance, these disposable wooden demi-tasse spoons:
Source: thinkgarnish.com via Jessica on Pinterest Stamp them, dip them, roll them in yummyness and you've got an instant Christmas gift for your neighbors, teachers etc. Or how about these lidded paper bowls and brown square kraft labels?
Source: thinkgarnishblog.com via Jessica on Pinterest I mean, seriously, the possibilities are endless. I just bought the red & white bakers twine as part of my gift wrap plans. Wheeeeee! Can't wait to get it!
Source: thinkgarnish.com via Jessica on Pinterest Check out the Garnish blog for more inspiration! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today I went to Lowe's to scout out their faux wood paneling.
Why would anyone want to look at faux wood paneling, you ask? I am scheming up a way to hang them horizontally in our living/dining room. Sort of like Shauna, from Perfectly Imperfect, did on one wall in their dining room (see there in the back? Except hers is hung vertically):
Source: perfectlyimperfectblog.com via Meg on Pinterest ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I think I'm pretty much finished my Christmas mantel, but it's sooo not how I typically decorate so I'm trying to decide whether or not to keep it. Don't get me wrong, it looks nice, but I don't know… It really would be a pain to re-do so most likely I'll be keeping it. Here's a sneak peek:
Ha! That is one wierd angle, but I was too lazy to get up from the chair I was sitting in to take another picture! More to come on my mantel decor soon… ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Look at this picture our friend Stacy took:
I have to say, she made us look gooooood. She deserves loads of credit for that. ( PS. It helps having a gorgeous best friend to help up the quality of a picture.) I just received a CD of all of our family photos and they are priceless. I came across this one and just smiled:
All week my girl has been saying that her best friend is in Disney and she misses her so much. Cam is sending you love, Kira! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to tune in to The Nate Show tomorrow to see us busting our rears to decorate for Christmas in 24 hours using only the stuff in Nate's Crate!
We're still kind of in shock that Nate called us his best DIYer's. Pinch me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's it for now. Have a GREAT Wednesday!
Hey Everyone! I'm so excited that I can finally share my Christmas Countdown with all of you! I had to wait until P&G was ready for it on their pgtryit.com site, so I'm sure you've already created yours for 2012, but hey, Pin it for next year! Tomorrow is Jess' Christmas home tour and I don't know about you, but I'm really super excited (okay, yes I've seen it all, but not in pictures!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hope your Thanksgiving was awesome and you're ready for the crazy holiday marathon that is the next few weeks! I don't know about you, but the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is probably the most exciting time of the year for my family. It's also really easy to get so busy that we miss taking time to do some of the things we love! As the Trend Trio Home Expert from P&G’s Have You Tried This Yet? I'm going to share with you a fun craft that you can make to ensure the month doesn't pass you by!
Christmas Countdown Tutorial Christmas Countdown Tutorial This is not yo mama's countdown where you just get a little piece of candy that most likely was packaged last year… This is an interactive family activity that I know your family will love. The best part is that it will ensure that none of the special activities and traditions slip through the cracks. Step 1- Start with a plain Jane piece of plywood. I'd recommend looking for one that has really cool patterns in the grain like this one does!
Step 2- Lightly spray paint. I gave the wood the lightest possible coat of white spray paint. Keep the can far back and move it back and forth very quickly. The spray paint got rid of the warm brown tones and began to highlight the grain. Step 3- Paint the grain to highlight the details. I used about 1 part paint to 3 parts water to paint over the awesome grain! I dipped my brush in the mixture and then dabbed it dry on some paper towels. I used a really light hand and tried to feather the paint on, so that it looked natural.
Step4- Use Stencils to title your board. I used a simple, industrial font and stencils that are adhesive backed. They make my crafting life so much easier.
Step 5- Spray paint 25 wooden clothes pins. I picked a cool-toned grey blue color that would pop on the white-washed plywood.
One tip about spray painting- have an old drop cloth handy. I use this piece of plastic when I need to paint in my garage so that I don't get it all over the floor.
Step 6- Choose some washi tape colors. Washi tape comes in almost every pattern imaginable these days. You can order from a huge selection online, but I actually got these colors at my local craft store. Washi tape is really versatile and can be used on all kinds of surfaces.
Accent each mini envelope with your washi tape and then either hand write or stamp your countdown numbers.
Step 7- Measure, Place & Hot Glue your clothes pins. The easiest way to do this is to just lay it out on the wood and then measure your spacing to keep it consistent in each row.
I just love the end result!
Step 8-Plan 25 Awesome Family Activities. Write down 25 things that you want to do. Each day you will open an envelope and do what's written inside. I recommend using a calendar to plan out your activities before putting one inside each envelope.
Our activities range from something as simple as reading a holiday story as a family to going out to see all the Christmas lights in our neighborhood.
I hope your 2012 holiday season is super special and that your family enjoys all the awesome activities you plan for them!
The countdown is on! What kinds of activities will you choose for your family to do this month?
Make sure you check back to keep up with all of the Trend Trio videos, blog posts, and product tips to help make this holiday season the best one yet!
I made these pysanky last year HOW TO MAKE PYSANKY (Ukrainian Easter Eggs) (pysanka — singular, pysanky — plural) PART ONE: HOW THEY ARE MADE I was taught how to make pysanky by my father John, who was a first generation Ukrainian-American. My grandparents were from the Carpathian Mountain region of Lviv, Ukraine. Designs on the eggs are fundamentally traditional, passed down generation to generation, and differences in styles are mainly regional.
What are pysanky? Pysanki (pronounced: puh-sahn-key) are Ukrainian Easter eggs. They are made from real chicken eggs. The most interesting thing about them, aside from their intricate, beautiful designs, is the way they are made: The designs are not painted on, but are done in a wax-resist technique using hot bees wax. The process is similar to batik. How do you make pysanky? Basically, you start with a plain white egg. You begin by drawing designs on the egg in hot bees wax with a pen-like tool called a kistka (stylus) and whatever areas you cover with wax will remain white. When you are finished covering the areas that you want to keep white, the egg is then dipped into a dye bath of the lightest color, such as yellow. The white areas that you have covered in wax will not absorb the yellow dye and will remain white because they are beneath the wax. Once the egg is the desired shade of yellow, you remove it from the dye, dry it off completely, and then, again using the kistka and hot wax, you cover the areas of the egg that you want to keep yellow. Then the egg goes into the next, darker dye, such as orange, and the process is repeated until you reach your final, darkest dye bath'and so on and so on until you have finished your design in wax. In the end you will have an egg that has a lot of wax on it! The last step is the most fun: you carefully melt away all the wax and the colorful design is revealed! You do not need to use many colors, but traditionally the main colors used are: yellow, orange, red, brick, brown, and black. Nowadays you can buy the egg dyes in many shades such as green, purple, blue (light, dark, royal), turquoise, pink, fuchsia, scarlet, etc. One important note: you MUST use dyes made especially for pysanki. These dyes are poisonous and should not be used around or by children. Also, the egg should never be eaten. Sometimes I will use only one dye bath, such as purple. First I will wax the areas that I want to keep white, then dip the egg in purple, then the result will be a purple and white egg. Two-tone eggs are beautiful! PART TWO: TOOLS AND PREPERATION Supplies Needed: Many paper towels Mason jars or large peanut butter jars with lids boiling water regular white vinegar large spoons for mixing dyes and dipping eggs pysanki dyes a candle for heating kistka and also for removing wax from egg when finished matches or lighter Block of beeswax made specifically for pysanky kistka (stylus) pencil with eraser for sketching designs on eggs chicken eggs optional: pysanky how-to book with designs and instructions straight pin and tool for blowing out inside of egg Gathering supplies: I have found that my local AC Moore carries pysanki supplies, but only seasonally, and the dyes tend to sell out fast, so when I see them I stock up! To do the day before: Make your dyes Mix dyes according to package directions. It is best to prepare the dyes the day before you are going to use them, because most directions instruct you to use boiling hot water, and it takes the dyes while to cool down. Be sure to follow the mixing directions exactly, especially when making the orange dye, in which vinegar is NOT added. Vinegar IS needed for most of the dye colors. Pysanky dyes are PERMANENT and if you spill them they will stain just about any surface including clothes and tabletops'use with caution! Prepare your eggs: I use large or extra large chicken eggs. You can use whatever size you like. Try to purchase ones that do not have dates stamped on each shell, as that stamp will usually show through your finished design. Use only raw eggs, and be sure to remove them from the refrigerator for a few hours before you begin working with them so that they are room temperature. Cold eggs will sweat and be impossible to work with! Do not attempt to warm them by putting them in warm water or by any other method. Just remove them from the fridge the night before and let them naturally become room temperature. Do not keep them in Styrofoam egg cartons, as these will retain moisture. Use only cardboard egg cartons to hold and store your eggs. The Kistka (stylus) Kistkas come in three basic sizes, fine, medium and heavy.
Traditional kistkas The size of the kistka refers to the thickness of the line that it draws. Traditional kistkas are like pencils with wood handles and a copper end that is held over the candle flame and heated, then held gently against the beeswax. The beeswax will melt and fill the kistka and then the wax flows through the opening and can be applied to the egg. Nowadays many professionals use electric kistkas, which are great because they maintain temperature and are a lot faster to use than the traditional kistkas, but they also take a lot of practice to get used to. I use both types but always find myself going back to the traditional type of kistka. I highly recommend learning to make pysanki with traditional kistkas.
Beeswax block A natural colored beeswax block is used with the traditional kistka, and black colored beeswax is used for the electric kistka. This is because the electric kistka will not blacken the wax when heating it, and the candle flame will.
Traditional kistkas Here are a few supplies and kits to get you started!
Egg blower for emptying out eggs easily
Egg lathe for holding the egg while drawing on those first lines. I love this tool!
A kistka — I recommend three sizes, heavy, medium, and fine Pysanky dyes are available online
Three different types of Ukrainian egg decorating kits — great for beginners!
Here are two kits that come with electric kistkas — no candle flame needed! What do you think? Have you ever made Pysanky? If you enjoyed this post, you might also like my post on Batik: Beautiful Batik: What it is & How it's made
Ok, guys, we are in the last two weeks of competition with Creating with the Stars and to say that the contestants exceeded our expectations would be the understatement of the century. We have six competitors still fighting for a spot in the final 3 and no one is going down without a major fight. If you missed the first two weeks of projects, check them out below: Round 1 Projects & Winners Round 2 Projects & Winners
This week some amazing prizes are at stake. The semi-finals winner will take home… $500 Gift Card to Home Depot (Contestant & Blog Star!!) $100 worth of Martha Stewart supplies from Plaid Crafts $125 Gift Card to Lucent Lampworks Project featured by HomeTalk
Now, we know you're all dying to see what amazing projects our contestants have come up with this week with paint! Let's go! 1. Painted Couch Featuring a Handmade Horse Stamp
We have all seen these couches before in someone's grandma's house. This vintage couch is not the good kind of vintage, but I may have some of you convinced that this traditional style can be made more modern. I painted the couch white, carved out a horse, and stamped the living daylights out of it with black paint from Home Depot. Enjoy!
2. Painted Map Coffee Table Painting! I'm not going to lie, I was pretty stoked about this week… and amazed I made it here. Painting is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to transform almost anything. And my table was in need of some transforming- big time. I picked it up at a flea market type place for $40… peeling, chipping, splinters, dirt and all.
I sanded and scraped (forever) until no more paint chips fell off when you walked by. Then I gave the entire table a coat of latex paint from Home Depot (mixed with a little plaster to make chalk paint), leaving some of the peeling paint texture on the legs. After that was dry, I taped off a large"X" pattern on the smaller shelf and added a painted stripe detail to IKEA storage boxes for the bottom.
On the top, I made my own basic map stencil by cutting away the continents on a large world map I printed out. I stuck the map to the table with painter's tape, then painted over top with blues and greens. Once that was"roughed in", I removed the paper map and spattered the rest of the painted detail free hand using mostly a plastic spoon and really watered down paint. The last step was to give the entire table a coat of protective finishing wax.
I kind of think the end result is out of this world… hehe, get it?
3. Painted Desk and Accent Wall Using Custom Stencils
I love paint! It sets the mood of a space and has the power to completely transform a piece. I found this large bookcase at Goodwill and loved the detail on the doors, arch at the top, and the drop panel but didn't like choppy layout, worn finish, and heavy bottom. Luckily, all of my dislikes were easy to fix with a little paint and reconfiguration of the layout.
With a little help from the Home Depot, I was well on my way to getting started. Thanks Chris!
Fix #1 — I moved the drop panel down to 30" so that it can now be used as a secretary desk. Goodbye choppy bookcase, hello new desk! Fix #2- Paint! The finish was worn and it had a few areas that needed to be filled with wood filler so painting was the perfect solution! I chose a classic ivory and paired it with a deep turquoise stenciled background. I created the stencil based on one of my favorite Farrow and Ball wallpapers. Fix #3-the thick base and doors made this piece look bottom heavy. To fix this, I added small feet to lift it off the ground and create a little visual space at the base. I also created a large stencil based on one of my favorite rugs. The large scale and contrast provides a lot of visual impact and adds variety from the small scale stencil used on the back.
With the help of paint and a few power tools, this bookcase has been given a new life and I love the way it looks in my new space! 4. Painted Chalkboard with Map and Games This week's theme was my favorite so far…I love the many many ways that paint can be used to make an instant change and impact on a space or an object. I also love chalkboard paint. This week's project is dedicated to my kiddos who surprise, surprise…love to get that their craft on too!; )
In designing the chalkboard wall, we decided to have a map of the U.S.A…I love the way it looks and it will be fun to track the different states we go to as a family. After coloring in the states my kids have been to, they commented"well that's not very many", so I let them each choose a state they would like to go to someday…which explains why Hawaii and Alaska are colored.: ) Lately my oldest child has loved playing tic-tac-toe, so I thought a large, interactive wall version would be super-fun! I also included many"frames" for the kiddos to draw their masterpieces in. I picked the step-stools up at IKEA and painted them in fun colors, and the animal hooks holding our chalk and erasers came from Anthropologie. It was a blast picking out all the fun paint colors at Home Depot! Because I was using so many colors and didn't need a gallon of each color…Home Depot made my day when they told me that they can mix any color in a small, 7.5 oz jar…perfect!!!
And after a super-busy week painting…I'll go to bed tonight and dream about being on a beach in…
;)
5. Aztec Wonder Painted Rug I have been in love with the Aztec inspired rugs that I have been seeing in catalogs and online lately. The drool kind of love. But alas, rugs can be expensive. They are not something I can change an a whim. So, when the paint round came about I decided that it was time for me to get my hands on my latest crush and do it in a budget-friendly way. In DIY style, of course.
Isn’t she beautiful?! This rug was a labor of love. And a lot and lot of sponges cut into stamps…applied one by one. Fabulous colors, a gentle application of paint from Home Depot, and lots of patience made this rug come together into something lovely.
My rug is more then happy living with me. And, I am so pleased to have my own version of this latest craze. And… you know what? I’m glad we’ve moved on from Chevron to Aztec. I’ve got my Aztec rug and I’m ready to go!
6. Painted Wall Mural and Dresser I have a thing for maps right now — doesn't everyone? So, when it came time for the"paint" challenge, I was pretty excited to hop right in and paint a giant world map on my wall. Because who doesn't need one of those?!
I used a projector to hand-paint the whole thing, and then for a bit of contrast (and fun!) I added an old Ikea sideboard we had laying around that I painted Sunny Side Up by Behr from Home Depot. For a couple more little touches, I added bicycle drawer pulls (because, why not?) and numbers to the door fronts — you can barely see them from straight on, but if you look at it from a different angle, they suddenly show up. It's a subtle touch, but I didn't want anything to compete with the map above it!
I love how the black and yellow work together, and I'm pretty excited to finally achieve my dream of covering a wall with the entire world. And, really, I find it hard to believe that this bright and sunny sideboard was once a plain, boring black Ikea piece — don't you love how big of a transformation paint can make?!
It's time to vote! You guys have a ridiculously hard job- we don't envy you a bit! You can only vote one time, but you can vote for your favorite 3 projects. **The voting glitch for Round 3 has been corrected and voting will be adjusted accordingly. Thanks! In order to vote, please LIKE EC2 on Facebook.
November marked 2 years in our"new" house. I can't believe it's already been two years, and at the same time, it feels like we've always lived here! Before we moved in, I quickly painted each of the kids' rooms in a solid color and did very minimal decorating. Last year, I did Callen's room with the fun Pallet Wall, but he's the only one that has a"cool room" as my kids say. Kira was next on the list for a room makeover and thankfully, it's already gotten the"cool room" stamp of approval from my kids!
This room makeover was part of one of my projects for P&G. It was my first video for those readers, so sorry about the introductions, but this video does give you a great little room tour! (Excuse the creepy freeze frame… why does Youtube do that?)
Here's a still shot before and after
Pretty Big Difference isn't it? I can't wait to share all the fun projects and DIY details with you- I'll be featuring one project each day this week, but for now, here's ton of pictures!
I grabbed this adorable little hooter at Target. The mirror was something we DIYed about 8 years ago, yup, we DIYed before DIYing was cool!
Little Book Nook!
Spray paint and round bulbs make all the difference! All the color details coming later this week.
And this is the other side of the room! Helloooo… huge whiteboard wall! As you heard in the intro video, KJ had a tendency to write all over the walls. We now have a dedicated place for that! Wednesday you'll get all the product info and tutorial for this.
A little DIY took this dresser from boring to custom-ish!
For P&G I can't have any pictures showing, so I left Kira a little note in this cute frame instead.
Creative coloring storage!
Masterpieces from my little artist
Now that you've gotten the quick tour… Here's the plan for the posts for this week… Tomorrow (Tuesday) I'm going to give you all the details on this stinkin' awesome mosaic accent wall. I'm not sure I'm allowed to say something I did was awesome, but man I love it!
Wednesday, I'm going to tell you all about Idea Paint and how it can turn almost anything into a cool whiteboard surface!
Thursday, it's more Staples LOVE and I'll give you the 411 on these foam core faux canvases. And to think I almost bought 4 frames at 39.00 each! The entire project ended up costing me under $25!
There's actually one REALLY BIG step left before this room is finished. You might have been thinking that the walls are a little too plain and white, and I agree! They won't be that way for long! One crazy-talented Art Teacher from my school, who Kira has now titled"The Artist" is coming to doodle on the white walls with paint pens! Kira has all sorts of fun, things she wants doodled… peace signs, butterflies, and flowers are at the top of her list."The Artist" and I are coordinating our schedules, but once we do I'll be sure to do an update post! Until then, make sure you check back this week for all the tutorials and fun details of the room! So what do you think of my colorful bedroom makeover? Any favorite parts? Do tell!
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