DIY {dresser drawer} Dog Bed

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Roeshel

As a part of the Lowe’s Creative Ideas team, I was excited that the May Challenge revealed using Pantone’s 2013 Color of the Year…emerald! I knew it’d be the perfect fun color for the new dog bed I planned to make for CocoRosie. Pantone’s Emerald is one of those colors that would look amazing paired with navy, yellow, tangerine, coral, raspberry, fuchsia or pink. I decided to go girly for our new female furry family member.

She loves to lounge around outside, especially since we utilize our patio a lot during nice weather. Sunbathing is one of her favorite past times although there are occasions when she seeks shade and Italian Greyhounds are prone to sunburn because of the short fur. The hot pink parasol provides a bit of shade and a ton of cute-ness paired with Emerald and coordinating fabrics.

diy-dog-bed-tutorial

Materials I used:

old dresser drawer
paint (Valspar Signature Paint, semi-gloss, Pantone Emerald and Berry Brown)
FrogTape
furniture feet x 4 (also table leg plates/hardware if needed)
coordinating pillow or DIY cushion
matching parasol/umbrella
hardware to attach the parasol to the drawer (hose clamp or pipe strap)

What I did:

1. An old free/found dresser supplied the drawer. I gave it a good scrubbing. You may also want to sand your dresser drawer face board if needed or remove drawer handles for painting and replace when finished.

2. I simply drilled pilot holes in the wider dresser front and back bottom boards then screwed in the feet.

CocoRosie is only 10 lbs. and this worked for us. There is also hardware (table leg plates) for furniture legs sold in the same aisle at Lowe’s for a sturdier option (located near the decorative wood moulding).

3. The inside got a coat of Valspar’s Berry Brown.

4. Once dry, I taped off the inside using FrogTape, making sure the edges were sealed to activate the PaintBlock technology.

5. Next up, painting the outside two coats of the beautiful Pantone’s 2013 Emerald exclusively at Lowe’s.

I love the consistency of Valspar’s Signature line.

painting dog bed

I removed the FrogTape immediately after the second coat…

then let it dry overnight while I worked on a DIY box cushion…

6. Secure the parasol handle to the inside of the drawer using a hose clamp or pipe strap (however the box cushion I made has a snug fit and holds the parasol handle in place). I found that having the parasol positioned in the front of the drawer helps to be able to push it almost-flush against walls on the back side.

7. Pop in a pillow or cushion.

Seven or less steps. Easy as pie. A yummy (Pantone) Emerald and Raspberry indoor/outdoor dog bed.

Before…Don’t feel too bad, she does have access to patio furniture too. You’ve seen her on that patio daybed!

Now:

Up for providing shade…

Down for getting sun/overcast days…

No parasol for indoors…

I’m even thinking of personalizing it for her…

Result is a pampered pooch. Maybe now I’ll have the patio daybed to myself! How do you spoil your pets?

Of note:

*I do not leave the dog bed outside in the rain.

*See more fun DIY ideas at Lowe’s Creative Ideas, follow Lowe’s on Instagram, Pinterest and sign up for the Creative Ideas magazine and app!

*Disclaimer: As a member of the Lowe’s Creative Ideas Creators and Influencers network, I received a Lowe’s gift card to complete this project for using Pantone’s Emerald in Valspar’s Signature paint challenge, however the tutorial images, instructions and opinions are my own. Your dog’s behavior may vary. DIY results may vary.

Free Standing Pallet Herb Garden

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Roeshel

Our vegetable garden is located a few acres from the house. Wanting to have a small herb garden closer to the patio, grill and kitchen and inspired by so many vertical pallet planters (thanks, Amanda!), Mr. DIY and I created a free standing (moveable) vertical pallet herb garden.

Here is what we did:

Materials: (if referring to our tutorial for your own project, completely read through what we did as I recommend some changes to our experience)

Kiln-dried pallet in good shape
Scrap 1×4 wood
Scrap block 4×4 wood
Scrap 2×4 wood
Nails
Wheel and hardware/screws to attach
Wood stain
Protective clear coat
Staples
Fabric weed barrier
Potting soil
Herbs

1. We have plenty of pallets stacked around here and chose a kiln-dried one, marked with “HT” (heat-treated and less likely chemically treated) and gave it a good scrubbing with bleach as well.

2. We removed a three of the horizontal boards from one side with a pry bar to create a larger space for working and tall growing herbs.

3. Then sanded down the splinters, rough edges and hammered down all of the nails.

4. We added a piece of scrap wood to the bottom of one side (1×4) to create a ‘shelf” type surface to attach a caster/wheel. Inserting the 1×4 took some playing around (prying up one of the pallet boards to squeeze it into place.

5. The other side of the bottom got a 4×4 block (double check for leveling with the wheel side) and a miter-cut scrap 2×4 for support. (If I had to do over, I would skip the wheel and use a 4×4 block and mitered 2×4 on both sides since the wheel is convenient but the vertical height makes it unsteady.

6. One to two people can easily move the herb pallet garden with the supports only and without the wheel. Our original plan was to also attach a handle to the one side (for tipping and wheeling around however kiln dried pallet wood is VERY dense and our screws just kept breaking off…so, no handle for now).

7. Next I stained the pallet using Rustoleum’s Wood Stain (Kona), wiping away after applying. I let it dry and cure for a few days (although Rustoleum’s stain dries in about one hour).

8. I moved the pallet outside and gave it a spray of protective clear coat.

9. Once that was dry, I used junk mail/newspaper to create a pattern, including room for folding the fabric edge under and the sides of the pocket. Then used my pattern to cut the fabric weed barrier to size.

10. I folded under the edges and stapled the fabric weed barrier into place between the pallet boards to create a pocket.

11. Corners were tricky…do what works for you. I can’t explain my complicated folding technique. I think I got a little staple-happy.

12. I just kept cutting and stapling the fabric weed barrier into place. My pallet has 12 planting pockets. All done!

I’ve started some herbs from seed, but I purchased these already started herbs from Lowe’s to fill it up. Instant fresh herbs! Hurray! I planted:

DIY herb garden

basil
parsley
rosemary
dill
oregano
thyme
peppermint
chocolate mint
spearmint
tarragon
lavender
another type of spicy globe basil

Next I moved it into place. Unfortunately our patio is getting a little crowded so rather than have it free standing/showing both back and front, up next to the patio swing seemed to be the best location. (Until I rearrange…you know how I love to move things around!)

Again, I’d recommend support on both ends instead of the wheel. It’s unsteady with the one wheel/one person. Live and learn and DIY experimenting. It’s easy enough, even planted, for one person to move without the wheel. I think two side supports is a better option. It’s also two sided. It’s perfect for creating a border on a patio. Great for small spaces too!

Doesn’t it look amazing?! I looooove it!

We spend most of our time on the patio on pretty days…I love the fresh herbal scents too!

And having fresh herbs right off of the kitchen is so convenient.

Whatcha think?

More patio projects…

Sharing at:

DIY {northern hemisphere/globe} light fixture cover

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Roeshel

DIY Globe Light Fixture Cover

After I completed the wall mounted-pallet shelf, I updated some of the light fixtures including the one in the sitting room…

Allen + Roth Edison Oil Rubbed Bronze

However, the glass on this specific light is very thin and it cracked during the final stages of assembly, just by screwing in the light bulb. The crack was located in such a way that it wasn’t safe. I feared the entire glass piece was going to come crashing down.

So, one rainy day, I gathered some supplies from around the house and created a new cover? fixture? globe? well, northern hemisphere at least.

Here is what I did:

Materials:

LOW WATTAGE light bulb
old globe (I have an addiction. I can’t pass up a globe at the thrift store, thus a collection on hand.)
craft paint (I had DecoArt’s Patio Paint/rich espresso on hand.) A high heat/temperature paint is a better, safer option.
double fold bias tape (Again…I had brown left over from a patio cushion project.)
hot glue
Sharpie
Edited to add: Flameproof coating

Tools:

Utility knife
Needle-nose pliers
Scissors
Glue gun
Craft paint brush

I started by disassembling the globe by gently pulling the frame from the north/south pole. My globe popped right out.

I also chose a globe that wasn’t in the best shape, so the north and south hemispheres just pulled apart. (Cut seam along the equator with a utility knife if needed.)

Next, using a Sharpie, I traced the fitting (or draw a circle the size of where the globe will be held into place on the light fixture).

I used a utility knife to remove some of the map/cardboard and discovered a metal circle underneath. I was able to remove it with pliers. Then cut away the rest of the cardboard/paper with a pair of scissors.

I painted the inside of my globe and let it dry (well, sort of. I may have been too eager to move on to the next step)…

Then attached the bias tape around the perimeter with hot glue.

Since I was impatient with waiting for paint to dry and had a little “oopsy”…paint on the bias tape, I used a Sharpie to create a design to distract from the accidental smudge. Imperfection adds character.

Ready to install.

Heading to the basement: This is also the path to the basement and I can breathe a sigh of relief that the cracked glass isn’t going to hurt someone when it comes crashing down or that it’s no big deal if my 6’2″ husband carrying a ladder accidentally hits the globe. I kept worrying he’d ‘ding’ that thin glass on his way through…now, it’s okay.

It fits with the style of our sitting room too…

Easy enough. (Would also work as a lamp shade…decorative only.}

Mystikit: Purchase the materials and tools needed to make this half globe light fixture cover.

*more DIY projects in this space:

*This light shade is mainly decorative. In our home, it is rarely turned on for more than a few minutes at a time. Please do your homework and consider safety in your own home before using a globe as a light fixture.

Sharing here:

Home Stories A to Z Tips & Tutorials party

Before/After Thrift Store Play Kitchen

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Roeshel

No little ones at our house but I do have a 3-year-old nephew and two nieces under 4-years-old. Not to mention someday (not anytime soon…I’m in no rush), I’ll have grandchildren. So when I see fun do-it-yourself kids’ ideas, it does make me get all DIY-itchy to do something creative.

It’s almost yard sale season here in western PA and I’ll be on the hunt for an old kids’ kitchen or furniture that looks like it’d function as a play kitchen. Love this thrift store find “after” from Serena at Thrift Diving {what a great find and awesome transformation!}…

“Thrift Diving, a blog that strongly believes that LIFE shouldn’t be financial suicide! I turn what could be expensive (i.e. decorating) into affordable, such as furniture makeovers from the thrift store. I found this $2.50 wooden play kitchen from the thrift store, and knew instantly that it would be amazing, with the right TLC. More importantly, I wanted to give it a vintage look, and less “kiddie” look. Also, I have boys, and I wanted it to be something that even they wouldn’t playing with!

I painted it in Annie Sloan Antibes Green, with Napoleonic Blue inside. I mitered some wood trim and added panels to the front, which I lined with a $2.00 vintage table cloth that I found at the thrift store, as well. I also used my Silhouette Cameo to cut new burners from vinyl, and add some finishing details, and cup hooks for the side, which hold thrifted measuring spoons.”

See the full original post from Serena at BEFORE and AFTER: Makeover of a Wooden Play Kitchen at Thrift Diving. Great job, Serena! Thank you so much for sharing your creativity!

More inspiring play kitchens:

DIY Play Kitchen – Dans le Townhouse
Play Kitchen from Always Preparing for Peanut
DIY Play Kitchen from Bali with Love
Great for small spaces: Create a play kitchen on the wall. {source}
Cute Play Kitchen at Narrating Life
Naptime Crafters Toddler Dream Kitchen
DIY play kitchen – The Dancing Toad
Famers Nest DIY play kitchen
Play Kitchen Makeover at Thrift Diving

Another DIY play kitchen from The Blooming Hydrangea. The “window” above the sink is so sweet!

Adorable! Have you made a play kitchen? Email a picture and/or link and I’ll include yours in these DIY play kitchen features.

DIY Challenge: bookcase to free-standing small pet gate/display sign/game score keeper

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Roeshel

I was recently invited to participate in a fun DIY challenge created by HomeTalk and Wayfair. A little DIY + creativity turned a bookcase into a free-standing gate with chalkboard for multi-functional use:

free-standing gate for small pets
free-standing sign for parties and yard sales
free-standing game score keeper for outdoor family games this summer

The challenge: Get creative! I chose to turn the Furinno pine 3 tier bookcase from Wayfair into something new according to a specific theme (geometric pattern, incorporate rope, or black & white). I chose the black & white theme.

I started by giving the pine bookcase pieces and a thrift-store wooden calendar holder a coat of white spray paint (Rustoleum Satin Finish).

I used FrogTape to protect the frame of the wooden calendar holder and gave it a coat of chalkboard paint along with the “bookend” pieces that came with the bookcase. Allow to dry and remove FrogTape.

Rather than attach the 3 fence-like shelves to form a book case, I attached them to the bookcase end pieces using 6 hinges (I also used shorter screws where needed). I set it all out, measuring and marking with a pencil for equal placement of the hinges on both sides.

Then added the base bars according to the package instructions.

I attached the chalkboard with screws (from the back side) to the center of the gate and seasoned the chalkboard (season: rub side of chalk over entire chalkboard surface vertically then horizontally and erase with a felt eraser or dry soft cloth/paper towel).

I still need to fill, sand and paint some of the manufacturer’s pre-drilled pilot holes, but loving it’s function for keeping the new dog away from the kitchen and out from under hubby’s feet when he’s cooking. I specify small pet because this likely won’t keep a large dog from jumping over or moving it since it’s not locked into place. However, our standard ‘baby gate’ is only 23″ high. The center panel of my DIY free standing gate measures 32″ tall.

I understand that pets can’t read! lol But it helps the person who moves the gate to pass through know why it’s there.

Even the back side is pretty…

It will double as a free standing sign for parties, picnics, family reunions, yard sales (or even a menu board when entertaining)…

Where did the chalkboard bookend pieces come into play? Washi tape and a Sharpie were used to add numbers to the top two rows of the gate (chalkboard markers don’t smear)…

The bookend pieces slide along the numbers to ‘keep score’ for outdoor games.

Thanks to HomeTalk & Wayfair for inviting me to participate! The bookcase made this a pretty easy DIY project which will get a lot of use!

Linking up to Funky Junk Interiors.

*I was provided with the bookcase and a $25 Visa gift card for this project.

*This post was also brought to you by FrogTape. FrogTape provided by Shurtech. The opinions are completely my own based on my own experience.

Pantry Progress and PaintStick Review

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Roeshel

It’s been one of those weeks where my DIY projects don’t produce a jaw-dropping reveal, just behind-the-scenes DIY. However, there is progress! I recently had the opportunity to review the HomeRight PaintStick. You know how much painting goes on around here and I actually have a thing for paint gadgets (remember the edger?) so I was excited to give this a try.

A few weeks ago, I shared our plans for turning this space…

open pantry before

into an organized open pantry area. Here’s my inspiration, {pantry from Emerson Made}:

Emerson Made open pantry

First up, I needed to prep for painting by filling holes, sanding and taping off what I didn’t want painted with FrogTape. Then I cut in around all of the trim in this room.

This old house has high ceilings so I chose the HomeRight EZ Twist PaintStick to assist me in getting the painting job done.

I watched the helpful videos on HomeRight‘s webpage for tips. They sure made it look easy enough which made me even more skeptical – like a “too good to be true infomercial”. But surprisingly, it was easy! I think opening the package was the most difficult part.

The paintstick holds paint right in the stick! Attach a tube into the paint can, attach the paintstick to the tube, pull back on the handle and “fill ‘er up”.

It takes a bit for the paint roller to become saturated, just roll and twist the handle to release the paint. The roller itself has small holes, releasing paint from inside. I had the walls and ceiling painted in less than an hour. It really was awesome!

Ugh…that trim. Scratched up from installing bamboo floors and in need of shoe moulding. We’re getting there. In the meantime, I’m planning on doing a subtle stenciling/paint treatment on these walls and ceiling, so both were painted with the same paint in an eggshell finish (color is Valspar Cool Grey).

I was dreading the clean up, but it was surprisingly easy enough and not quite as time consuming as I anticipated. I simply cleaned the parts in the basement utility tub with water according to video directions.

What I liked:

Eliminating the need for a messy paint tray and possible drips paint from tray to wall or ceiling.
The speed of painting without having to go back and forth to a paint tray.
The coverage (cover an 8′x8′ area with one fill)
Minimal paint waste (left over paint stays in the can…easy to empty the paint in the paintstick right back into the can too).

From beige walls and creamy trim to cool gray walls . The walls look so much better, but ahhhhh! That trim! Yellow-y next to cool gray. Guess what I’m doing this weekend?! Ultra white trim coming right up and one step closer to an open pantry! Woo hoo!

So for you: “Yay or nay” for painting gadgets? For me: anything that makes the job easier/quicker!

This post/review is sponsored by HomeRight but the opinion is my own.

This is a sponsored post brought to you by FrogTape. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

DIY Feature: Vertical-Pallet-Garden

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Roeshel

Since finishing our wall mounted pallet project and we use a pallet as shelving in our faux mantel…

and I have a few more wood pallets for DIY projects, I wanted to share this beautiful vertical pallet garden from Amanda at Mommy is CooCoo.

before:

vertical pallet garden tutorial here

after:

Awesome, right? A beautiful garden feature! Love it! Now if the weather would cooperate around here, I’d be a copy cat!

Thanks so much for sharing, Amanda!

It’s a Spring Thing Favorites

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Roeshel

As I look out the window at the snow flurries (yet again!), I’ve decided to look for spring elsewhere…

Over the past month, four blog friends (me included) hosted “It’s a Spring Thing” link party, sharing our own spring DIY projects:

Emily: driftwood & clay candlesticks at Merry Pad
Roeshel: indoor spring fairy garden at DIY Show Off
Lana: infant’s magnetic playhouse at Making a House a Home
Kim: bar makeover at Design Thoughts blog

and rather than look at the cold and snow outside, I diverted my eyes to the “It’s a Spring Thing” party and compiled a list of inspiring favorites. Take a look:

Thanks to the above talented ladies for taking the time to share their inspiring spring projects and to everyone who participated by linking up!

You can find all of my SPRING related projects in my holiday/seasonal project gallery…

Miss the party and have some spring DIY to share? Link up at the weekly ‘THAT DIY PARTY‘!

DIY {wall mounted} Pallet Shelf

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Roeshel

Mr. DIY’s hobby isn’t DIY {it’s mainly mine and I take full advantage of his muscle power}. He does have several hobbies including cooking (lucky me!), grilling on his Big Green Egg (lucky me again!) and home-brewing. Not my thing…but I do think being a ‘beer-chemist’ is kinda cool and he enjoys it. Hey, those hobbies are DIY in a way.

The problem: Supplies and materials are often scattered in the basement, hiding in built-ins in the dining room, sitting around in the kitchen driving me crazy or just ‘lost’ sparking a lot of temper tantrums and wasting precious free time on the hunt for supplies. And when he finally has a free weekend to cook up a recipe, he’s often searching for empty bottles, caps, hops, grains, what-nots and tools-of-the-trade. Or more often, “I” become detective in the search because I’ve probably stowed something away where it doesn’t below in an effort to de-clutter. Oops!

The solution: Making the space in the open basement stairwell an organized home brew supply station, library, storage area with a fun rustic/industrial vibe. Everything in it’s place, easy to find.

We’re starting with a wall-mounted pallet shelf for holding an empty bottle collection. The bonus: {I love that this project is all about making his hobby more enjoyable and it inspired us to work together as a team, a date night or two at Lowe’s.}

Materials:

Pallet
Three 1 x 3 x 4 pine wood planks
Rustoleum’s Ultimate Wood Stain (color: Kona)
Rustoleum Polyurethane (matte finish)
2 Purdy 2.5 inch angled paint brush for stain/poly
Rags
Hanging Hardware (wall anchors, screws, toggle bolts)

Tools we used:

Crow bar
Hammer
Nail gun (finishing nails)
Saw
Dremel Multi-Max (sanding)
Drill (hanging)

DIY Pallet Shelf Tutorial

1. After we found the perfect pallet (tips about working with pallet wood from Funky Junk Interiors), we decided to use the back of the pallet as the front of the shelf and removed 1 plank using a crow bar and hammer. {How about those wool socks with flip flops? He’s all mine, ladies!}

2. Measure and cut the 1 x 3 x 4′s to fit between the front and back pallet planks to create “shelves”.

3. Position the 1 x 3 shelf bottom into place. We used a level to ensure shelf bases weren’t crooked. Some places were a little tricky and needed hammering into place or lifting the old pallet plank a tad with a crow bar, while positioning the 1 x 3 into place.

4. A finishing nail gun (and a good eye for lining up the nails in the 1 inch area) secures the shelf bottom to the sides of the individual shelves. {Forgot pictures of the nail gun step…it’s just so much fun!}

We added a few screws to some of the pallet face-boards to tighten things up.

5. Sand all sides and splinters.

6. Stain. I used Rustoleum’s Ultimate Wood Stain.

Brush on in the direction of the wood grain. Wipe away in the same direction with a rag. Rustoleum Wood Stain dries fast! {Not shown: I did wear latex gloves to avoid stained hands.} Isn’t this rich dark brown gorgeous? It’s called “Kona”. Love it!

7. About an hour later, I was ready to seal the stained wood. Using the same technique, I applied Rustoleum’s Polyurethane and let it dry for 24 hours.

8. Hang! I used FrogTape for marking the area we wanted the pallet shelf to hang.

I marked the studs with a chalk line.

Wall color: homemade chalkboard paint using Benjamin Moore Hale Navy.

We used 6 drywall screws {screwed into the wall studs} to secure our pallet shelf to the wall.

I have to say, he doesn’t always see my vision, but once things are put into action and start coming together, he loves it! He spent about 30 minutes styling his new pallet shelf, stepping back and re-arranging it over and over. Success! And just like completing one DIY project leads to more, this little pallet shelf inspired a lot more creative ideas for his home brew supply space/beer library. Keeping things organized so stay tuned!

Organized, right? What do you think?

The plan: A place for everything and more DIY:

A DIY light fixture.
Built-in shelves on the wall above the ledge for supplies.
Ladder for reaching high shelves.
Slate tiled stairs and landing.
More inspiration: laboratory/brewery/library Pinterest board.

Ps. DIY dates inspire daydreaming and communication (sometimes the occasional fight with the opportunity to make up too!). Do you enjoy working on DIY projects with your spouse? Do little projects inspire bigger dreams?

Linking up to Thrifty Decor Chick’s Before/After party and Project Inspired.

*Disclaimer: I’m a new member of the Lowe’s Creative Ideas Creators and Influencers network! I received a Lowe’s gift card to complete this project for a spring cleaning/organization challenge. Each month I’ll have the opportunity to participate in a themed DIY challenge however the tutorial images, instructions and opinions are my own.

*This is a sponsored post brought to you by FrogTape. The opinions are completely my own based on my own experience.

Crate Easter Baskets/Centerpiece

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Roeshel

Adjusting to an empty nest isn’t always easy, especially during the holidays when fun traditions sort of just stop. I miss my nightgown-clad little girls searching for Easter baskets on Easter morning. And so, even though they are grown, until they have families of their own, I’ve decided to continue the tradition of putting together an Easter basket for each of them.

My girls share my love of chocolate (it’s a girl thing, right?) and eclectic style so this year, I went with a DIY rustic crate-inspired Easter basket.

Materials:

Small unfinished crates
TransTint dye (dark mission brown)
Stamps/ink
Wide burlap ribbon
Spanish moss
Filler: Lindt chocolates

Tutorial:

I started with staining my crates using a TransTint dye and let dry.

Next, using stamps and ink, I labeled each of the crates with “farmers market, “recycle” and an established date. “Herbs” would have been cute too.

Then I lined the sides with burlap ribbon.

I recycled some brown paper packaging material for the bottom of the crates and topped with Spanish moss.

Garden Markers: I painted two wooden garden markers (Michaels) with chalkboard paint, wrapped the sticks with washi tape and added a bow.

Then filled the baskets with Lindt chocolatates {love those little foil-wrapped chocolate bugs, critters, lambs, chicks and carrots} and other little treasures.

Rather than hide them this year, I’m using them as a centerpiece.

As always, there’s attending an Easter service at church, hosting Easter dinner and a family Easter egg hunt too. Do you have an Easter tradition to share?

*This post was sponsored by Lindt who provided Lindt products and a Michael’s gift card to complete this project. Lindt also partners with Autism Speaks and is donating 10 ¢ for every Lindt Gold Bunny purchased in the US to Autism Speaks. See more about Lindt products at LindtGoldBunny.com.

I’m joining the “It’s a Spring Thing” party with Kim at Design Thoughts today. She’s hosting this week’s party and sharing one of her spring cleaning/organizing projects with her awesome bar makeover…

DIY Home at Number 53 blog

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Roeshel

Just when you think I may have been too busy vacationing or working on my own DIY without time to visit blog friends, you’d be wrong. Well, you’d be sort of right, we’re all busy! But it’s been a long time since I shared a DIY blog crush, hasn’t it?

This is a surprise feature:

Every time I visit Angela at Number 53 {thanks for always linking to That DIY Party, girl!), I love the project she shares. So today, I wanted to ‘show off’ Number 53 and a few of the things that make it into my Pinterest files.

I think what catches my eye most is her style is accented with a collected, vintage, classic look. The trendiness is understated and the result is stunning.

Angela has an inspiring talent for making a collection of thrift store treasures look chic and timeless.

She describes her mixed style with all things that fit into my own eclectic style: vintage, modern country, cottage and rustic glam. And when you can pull off putting all of that + budget friendly and DIY into a home, I fall in love.

easy and inexpensive DIY wood planked wall

Pop over, introduce yourself, get nosy and snoop around. You can see more DIY, decorating and thrifting at Number 53: Home Tour and Popular Posts.

Paper Mache Easter Egg craft

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Roeshel

A day with freezing rain isn’t my ideal spring day, but it is still officially winter. Spring. In like a lion, right? ::groan::

Fortunately, this dip-dyed {painted} paper mache Easter egg craft is a cheerful easy DIY project which aided in averting my eye from the cold, gloom and sleet outside.

I don’t think you really need a tutorial. But, since writing up a “how to” is what I love to do, I’m going to tell you what I did anyway.

Materials:

Paper mache eggs
FrogTape
DecoArt Americana acrylic craft paints

Wrap FrogTape around the paper mache egg to create a faux dipped line. Using my fingernail, I rubbed the edge of the tape to activate the Paint Block Technology to prevent paint from seeping underneath the tape, to create a crisp clean line.

Then I simply painted the bottom of my paper mache eggs using different spring-inspired colors:

Pull away/remove FrogTape while paint is still wet. It’s a little tricky! After I was done, I thought: “I should have used a set of tongs or something to get a better grip on my egg.” #hindsight

Allow paint to dry. (I just set mine on the cellophane paper mache egg packaging.)

Decorate!

Do you decorate with Easter eggs {faux or real} this time of year?

Joining Lana over at Making a House a Home for “It’s a Spring Thing” linky party where she shares her sweet little DIY playhouse for her little guy.

There’s another It’s a Spring Thing link party too! Fun! I’m joining the party by linking up with my best blog girlfriends too.

What are you working on? You’re invited to link up & share!
Joining the party with Amanda too!

This is a sponsored post brought to you by FrogTape. The opinions are completely my own based on my own experience.

Affiliate links for project materials:

Amazon.com Widgets

Kitchen Before and After at All Things Heart and Home

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Roeshel

Hi DIY friends! Meet Robin from

Robin and her husband are constantly doing a project (sound familiar?). They completely remodeled their old house on Willow Creek and now they’re having fun updating their new place on Stone House Lane. Today, Robin is sharing a little of her kitchen makeover reveal.

She started with this kitchen before…not bad. Just not Robin’s style.

And with a lot of DIY work…

I think her kitchen doubled in size! Beautiful, fresh, so open…

You can see more of Robin’s kitchen remodel before and after details at All Things Heart & Home.

Don’t forget to check out more ALL THINGS GOOD …

Accent Wall Before and After

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Roeshel

Patti (my youngest sister) is renting but has permission from the landlord to paint…and to be creative about it too. The entryway wall before had peeling paint…

I scraped and sanded until we had a smooth finish. Holes and cracks were patched using DAP’s DryDex (spackling that goes on pink, dries white) and sanded.

The walls got a coat of primer and a base coat in a neutral light gray color.

Using FrogTape Delicate (the yellow painter’s tape with PaintBlock Technology, safe for freshly painted walls) the next day, I created a chevron/zigzag pattern.

Then painted the zigzag stripes alternating a left-over darker gray paint and left-over gray-beige paint (the color under the tape is a lighter gray).

As soon as I were finished painting the second coat (while it was still wet), I removed the FrogTape Delicate.

Next up cleaning the dingy vinyl floor and decorating.

After (paint is still drying):

Patti just happens to work part time for a thrift store so she gets first dibs on all of the eclectic treasures (and has a good eye for what can be transformed). Lucky girl! If it was me, I’d never get out the door with a paycheck. I’d be trading those dollars for thrift store goodies!

Even though the wall now sports a busy pattern in 3 colors, the colors are neutral enough to work in some fun colorful accents and patterns. {All accessories found on Polyvore.}

teal, gold & gray

coral, black & gray

emerald & navy

gray & mustard

Looking forward to seeing what she does, how about you? Which color(s) do you like?

This is a sponsored post brought to you by FrogTape. The opinions are completely my own based on my own experience.

Living Room Before and After

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Roeshel

Liz from Darling Dwellings recently submitted her living room before and after and I knew you’d want to see it too. When something dungeon-like is transformed into bright, fresh and colorful, I’m motivated to paint a room, move things around, shop and dig into DIY. It’s so fun when others see potential when it comes to turning a place into our home.

Her living room before was dark, but look at that gorgeous ceiling and there’s hardwood under that purple carpet!

After some DIY attention, she now has a bright funky space that fits their modern style.

You can see more of Liz’s home tour at Darling Dwellings. Thanks for sharing, Liz! LOVE the transformation, modern mix and those gorgeous drapes!

THAT DIY PARTY

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Roeshel

Time for THAT DIY PARTY!

<div align="center"><a href="http://diyshowoff.com/category/other/that-diy-party/" title="DIY Show Off"><img src="http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac195/Roeshel/thatdiyparty125button_zps360f71b1.jpg" alt="DIY Show Off" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

1. Please use the button above or text and link to this post to share the linky love. Here is the link: http://diyshowoff.com/category/other/that-diy-party/. I’m not one to double check and will feature your DIY project if I love it whether you linked back or not. However, I’d love for you to share a link, share on FB or by tweet or pin too! Invite your friends!

2. This blog linky party is for your own DIY projects only (home improvement, home repair, decorating, crafts, fashion, seasonal, parties, organization). Links not related to DIY will be deleted. Please share your link one week only. Please do not link giveaways, linky parties, promotions or a project or collection of inspiration that is not your own personal work or DIY project.

3. By joining the party, you give permission for your project to be featured and ‘shown off’ via blog highlight, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, G+, etc.

Last week at DIYShowOff:

easy DIY vignette photo backdrop

I had a FUN time going through last week’s links. Thank you for inspiring me with your DIY!

DIY Party Highlights

Beautiful space to get creative over at Living and Learning with Luisa’s craft room makeover.

Trendy but a tad difficult when it comes to DIY but I find this helpful: Chevron made easy by Mommy is CooCoo.

Courtney shares her painted craft armoire over at A Diamond in the Stuff. Like I told her, I have one of these monsters sitting in the guest room that I’ve been wanting to redo. So inspired.

DIY beanbag camera pillow by Acasarella. You won’t believe how easy she made this…

Great idea for old vintage window: DIY Old Window Screen Chalkboard by Three Pixie Lane

Christie from Three Pixie Lane also shares an amazing powder room transformation too…

Loving arrows lately, how about you? DIY arrow art by She’s Crafty

You can see more highlights from last week’s party at Pinterest too.

Now let’s see YOUR DIY! Time to “show off”. Please quickly scan the rules above before linking up.

THAT DIY PARTY:

Of note: I’ll be hosting 2 spring linky parties this week. 3/12 Countdown to Spring and 3/15 It’s a Spring Thing! Hope to see your spring blog posts there!

Quick, easy, cheap DIY vignette photo backdrop

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Roeshel

Small super easy DIY photo backdrop: Ever need to take some close up shots of crafts or seasonal vignettes for blogging purposes? Here’s a quick easy way to add some fun pattern and color to your “after” photos.

What you’ll need:

wrapping paper
FrogTape
scissors

Cut wrapping paper to desired size for background. Keep in place using FrogTape. FrogTape coordinated with my roll of narrow wrapping paper so it works well with my design in creating a faux “panel” and can be used in my photos but just a few pieces to tape ‘outside’ of your photo area works well too. It’s safe for use on walls (no sticky residue or damage) and easily removable.

Before:

Pottery Barn inspired “Happy Easter” eggs tutorial

After:

Easy peasy! Quick color and pattern for your photos. Now if I could just get the “photography” part done that simple!

Sharing at Home Stories A to Z’s tutorial & tips party.

Reminder that today starts another week of the Countdown to Spring Party!

Sneak peek of the project kicking off this week by Cheri at It’s So Very Cheri.

This is a sponsored post brought to you by FrogTape. The opinions are completely my own based on my own experience.

Easy DIY art at Nalle’s House

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Roeshel

Meet: Anu from Nalle’s House.

Anu is sharing a few links to a two part DIY modern art project she created for her living room today.

Part 1: DIY framed merrimeko art

Part 2: DIY Number Art

These projects were super simple and the black and white make a big impact in her lovely living rooms…

What’s on display in your living room?

There is a lot more DIY to see over at Nalle’s House. Go ahead, stop by and check out all of her DIY projects and home tour.

Entryway Envy

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Roeshel

Our farmhouse lacks entryway pizzazz. Heck, it lacks an entryway. Period. Even if you do have a grand entrance to your home, you’re going to love one from The Three of Us…

Before was white. Plain. Bare.

Add lots of DIY fun for an awesome transformation…

Love the view looking down…what a change!

Gorgeous! See more awesome DIY from Ashley and Luke at The Three of Us. Loving the recent DIY dip dye curtains and DIY paint stick light.

DIY at Citruz Design

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Roeshel

Hey there! Today I’d like you to meet fairly new blogger, Gajay, from Citruz Design blog.

She shares our passion and love for creating beautiful home decor and DIY projects. Today she’s sharing a peek of her transformed bathroom and living room.

Bathroom Makeover

She started with an outdated bathroom…

but after lots of hard DIY work and love, she can be proud of this beautiful bathroom…

Beautiful tile, pretty shower curtain too!

You can see the living room before and after here, where she added teal accents to balance the dark brown.

Want to see more? Me too! Visit Gajay at Citruz Design. She has some really cute craft tutorials to show you!

Thanks for sharing, Gajay! I look forward to seeing more of your creativity and DIY projects!

DIY Spring Sign

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Roeshel

It’s March! And that means spring is right around the corner I hope. Even though I’m looking at snow flurries, a little spring decorating is in order. I’m impatiently waiting and well, why not prepare to welcome spring when it arrives? A new DIY spring sign always gets motivated to decorate and a catchy spring phrase reminds me it’s almost time to celebrate warmer weather and longer days!

“Something in the air this morning made me feel like flying. . . “

Spring Flight

-Eileen Granfors

For this project, I gathered

an old canvas
acrylic craft paint
my Silhouette Studio Designer Edition software
my Silhouette Cameo.

Since I had messed up the canvas with a previous DIY fail (yes, it happens!), I gave it a coat of soft blue acrylic paint to cover up my error to create a blank slate. The texture of the failed project shows through a bit, but imperfection is charm and a little texture isn’t such a bad thing.

I created my spring stencil using the Silhouette Studio Designer Edition software which allows me to select fonts, sizes and shapes to create a stencil template. Then simply ‘send’ to cut…

Since I’m using my vinyl as a stencil, I removed all of the letters (these can also be saved to use in the same was as stickers or transferred directly to wood or glass as a vinyl transfer).

Use transfer paper over top of the stencil to transfer the vinyl stencil to the canvas. Rub into place and peel away the transfer paper.

It’s not quite that simple. Vinyl doesn’t stick so well to canvas, so it takes a lot of patience. Go slow.

The stencil is all ready to go.

I filled in my lettering with white acrylic craft paint. Since the vinyl does not have a great seal, I’m using my stencil as a guide and filling in the letters with a little bit of paint on the brush, pressing down the vinyl as I work on each individual letter. Slopping it on, will get under the vinyl.

Next, I carefully removed the vinyl stencil as soon as I finished painting and let my canvas dry.

Then just collected some of my favorite spring-y decor and created a vignette around my DIY spring sign as a focal point. Good bye winter blues!

Hello spring!

Silhouette America is running a crazy spring special you won’t want to miss! Just use the code “SHOWOFF” at checkout {affiliate link} now through March 8th to take advantage of the discount prices.

I’m ready for spring, all ready! How about you? Open up those drapes, let the light in and decorate!

Looking for more spring ideas?

Joining the Easter Crafts & Spring Link Party at HoneyBearLane.

The Countdown to Spring party is underway.

and being hosted by MaryAnn from Domestically Speaking this week with her gorgeous spring-inspiring mantel. Here’s a sneak peek…

Check it out!

DIY Show Off ™ – DIY Decorating and Home Improvement Blog

Budget Friendly Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement and Decorating blog

Tag Archives: DIY

DIY {dresser drawer} Dog Bed

Free Standing Pallet Herb Garden

DIY {northern hemisphere/globe} light fixture cover

DIY Globe Light Fixture Cover

Before/After Thrift Store Play Kitchen

DIY Challenge: bookcase to free-standing small pet gate/display sign/game score keeper

Pantry Progress and PaintStick Review

DIY Feature: Vertical-Pallet-Garden

It’s a Spring Thing Favorites

DIY {wall mounted} Pallet Shelf

Crate Easter Baskets/Centerpiece

DIY Home at Number 53 blog

Paper Mache Easter Egg craft

Kitchen Before and After at All Things Heart and Home

Accent Wall Before and After

Living Room Before and After

THAT DIY PARTY

Quick, easy, cheap DIY vignette photo backdrop

Easy DIY art at Nalle’s House

Entryway Envy

DIY at Citruz Design

DIY Spring Sign

“Something in the air this morning made me feel like flying. . . “