DIY Project Parade and Half Bathroom before and after

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As I was updating my home tour page, I noticed that I didn’t have a link to our half bathroom makeover. Why? Because I shared it on my very first blog and not here. So, time to show you the before and after transformation. One of my first projects. It evolves a little here and there.

blue glass vases

First, let’s take a look at the before picture. Keep in mind that previous owners foreclosed on this old farmhouse. It sat neglected and we lived with this room stripped completely for over a year (that nasty carpet and fixtures were gone)! Thank goodness for my ability to see potential, otherwise this alone would have had us running the other direction!

BEFORE

powder room before and after

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DIY Door Clock and DIY Project Parade

I featured a clock on a stand alone vintage door being used as decor a while ago (see below). That inspiration stayed with me and it seemed like the perfect idea for an old door on our pots and pans pantry in the kitchen.  
 
farmhouse kitchen makeover
 
Look what we have now!
 
 
 
I love it and it was a really easy DIY project. Here is how we did it:
 
Materials:
large serpentine design
Large Serpentine Clock Hands
Mini Quartz Movements
  • Extra washers if needed (depends on the thickness of door)
  • Vinyl numbers (I made mine using my Silhouette but you can purchase them on etsy or paint or stamp numbers also.)
 
Tools:   Yard stick, pencil drill, dinner plate to trace (glass microwave plate works well).
 
1.  Mark the center of the door panel using a pencil. I lightly marked from one top corner diagonally to the bottom to create a big “x”.  The center of the “x” is the center of the door panel.
 
2.  I then used our microwave plate (since it’s glass and transparent and about the right size). I traced it, with the center of the “x” in the center of the plate. I just eyeballed it. 
 
3.  Drill a hole in the center of the circle, “X” marks the spot.
 
4.  I added my vinyl numbers using the inside of the penciled area (circle from tracing the plate) as a guide, starting with 12, 3, 6 and 9 in a larger font size.  Use a pencil to divide the circle in to pie-pieces. It will make placement more precise!
 
5.  Pencil marks erase easily with a damp Magic Eraser.
 
6.  Insert the mini quartz movement.  We added a few extra washers to make the fit perfect since the thickness of our door panel was on the thin side.
Back
 
Front
 
7.  Add the hands as shown on the packaging.
 
8.  Screw on the lfinishing nut and add the second hand.
 
9.  Pop in a battery.
 
10.  Set the time using the dial on the back.
 
Here’s what the back side looks like, unobtrusive, not in the way, right behind our lids which we store on the door.
 

It works so well and I love it – especially with the round Rockler lazy Susan spice wheels/spice loft to the right.

 
 
Thanks to Bargain Hoot and Pinterest for the inspiration:
  

Updated picture:

farmhouse-kitchen

What have you been up to lately?  Got something DIY or a thrifty deal to share?  Link up! Let’s see it!
 
The DIY Show Off

 
 
1. You must use the button above (ADD BUTTON HTML CODE FROM SIDE BAR TO YOUR POST) and link to this post to share the linky love.
 
2.Include your name or blog name and project title. Add your permalink (not your blog url, but your DIY project post url). Feel free to link a Past Post, just invite your readers in a current post with a quick note.
 
3.Or email your link to thediyshowoff@gmail.com and I will add it for you.
 
4.If you notice your link has disappeared -please add the link back to The DIY Show Off to your post today, a button or a quick note to your readers about the party and try again! I love when everyone participates and readers check out everyone’s links, but I think the return favor of linking back is the nice thing to do so everyone plays fair and enjoys all of the projects and links. Also – this blog party is for DIY projects only. Links not related to DIY will be deleted.
 
 
5.  NOW you can “like” the links!  What a fun idea!  Most liked links may be included in a post of DIY Project Parade highlights later in the week!  🙂
 
 
While you’re here, I wanted ask a BIG favor. As you know, I’m participating in the HGTV Home Design Challenge at Shaw Floors. There is a Shaw Area Rug giveaway going on!  (any style/ANY size – even 9×12)  Click here to enter for the details.  Cassity and I really need your help in the 30 Days of  HGTV Home design challenge.  Thanks so much for voting for our room – one floor being given away every day in September.  Yes, 30 floors total! Please pop over to enter to win and vote ever
y day.  We’d love to see our readers win and for our room to win too!

 

DIY Weekly Wanderings – Vintage. Repurposed. Home.

What’s better than DIY?  Coming from the DIY Show Off, it’s our opinion that there’s not much better than DIY projects. EXCEPT for awesome genius DIY projects beautifully photographed. Let’s face it, great projects portrayed in pretty pics is what inspires us.

Meet:  Sheryl from

Hi Sheryl!  Sheryl is a photography and DIY’er and {insert sexy whistle} take a look at her beautiful DIY.  Click the links to visit Sheryl’s blog for the details and tutorials. My favorite projects are vintage and salvaged items repurposed into gorgeous home accessories. These are awesome!
Looking for a creative idea for those pallets sitting around?
Sheryl shows us how to make a Pallet Swing.
Pallet Swing Tutorial

I love the rich color, recycled beauty and rope in the place of chains!

Remember those old windows lying around in the garage just waiting for a creative idea? 

Sheryl spied these beauties…

and created these for her daughter!
Vintage Window Jewelry Organizer Tutorial

 No tangles!

I just love the rustic charm of these. Pretty. Organized. Neat and within easy reach for accessorizing! Yes, please!
Everyone I know loves a beautiful old door.  So charming!
Sheryl snagged this one from her aunt’s old house…

and with a lot of work, turned it into chalkboard entryway “thing-a-ma-gig”.

What a wonderful idea and love the natural wood paired with black magnetic paint!

Chalkboard Entry Display Tutorial

 Bottle cap magnets – perfect!

 Ceramic knobs keep purses and bags organized in the entry way.

I want this in my entryway! No more purse on the floor or chair.  Great idea for a family memo center too!
Awesome job, Sheryl!  Each project has is genius and I love that you’ve enhanced each thing’s natural beauty and charm.  Inspiration for sure! Thank you!
~*~**~*~

Love repurposed vintage pieces as much as Sheryl & I do? 

Don’t forget to enter the Giveaway!
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A special thanks to Miss Charming for featuring my design challenge room today!

Not an Empty Room

Meet:  Misty ~ “We live in a 214-year-old house that belonged to my husband’s grandmother. We try our best to retain all of the unique characteristics of our home while updating and making it ours. It’s a lot of work (restoration, rewiring) and a lot of fun!”
Blog:  Not an Empty Room
Not an Empty Room

Visit Misty to see the details of all of their HARD work!  They’re DIY super stars over there!
Awesome DIY Projects:
Outdated bathroom gets a pretty modern farmhouse style makeover! I love the new distressed black vanity and mirrors, pretty window (with a beautiful view) and the awesome barn door!
Complete demo, gut and rebuild…(brave!)
(Makes me wish we’d finally get our dining room track up so I can share. LOVE sliding doors.)  This bathroom barn door adds a farmhouse charm to her old house.
Great idea for kids’ art work too!
There’s more to see!  Pop over to say “Hi” to Misty and check out their great DIY projects! If you’re like me, Misty had you at 214-years-old.  I love the history, the many corner fireplaces, the beautiful floors, dutch door…I could go on and on. 🙂

Thanks Misty (and Charles) for sharing!  Your dedication and hard work is paying off – you’re putting new life into that old home and I love the transformation!  Great job!

DIY Project Parade – Frosted Vinyl Windows

It’s that time of the week. Time to recap and show off your DIY projects! I love seeing your DIY talent!  
 The DIY Show Off
We’ve been working in the kitchen – getting an electrical outlet underneath the sink for a new instant hot water tank and the old blue laminate countertops are GONE!  
Before: Good bye blue laminate!

Looking better already.  In Progress:  Old counter, sink and faucets gone!  Running electric to install an outlet under the sink for instant hot water tank.

In the meantime, I started “frosting” the glass panels on the French doors between our living room and family room.  The family room is on our DIY to-do list and isn’t finished.  It’s where teenagers hang out and a ‘catch all’ for just about everything so being able to see in there isn’t ideal.  

And since the family room isn’t completed, the family room side of the French door still has plastic on the window panels – until I either stain or paint the door (rather than taping when the time comes).  That’s why the windows look foggy.  Until the family room is done – it also helps to disguise the plastic on the window panels!  Love this! That foggy/dirty look always bothers me!

Before
Using my Silhouette, I cut vinyl panels.
  • First I measured the glass panels in our French doors.
  • Next, I enlarged my paper from 8.5 x 11 to 8.5 x 14.
  • Draw a “rectangle” and size it to the glass door panel (subtract just a tad so it fits on the glass panel). My rectangle was 6 x 12.
  • Insert the image.  I used “mesh flower lace” from the Silhouette Online Store.
  • Drag and re-size the image to fit within the rectangle. The rectangle gives a border so that the actual mesh flower lace design is what is removed/negative. 
Remove the vinyl that won’t be applied.

Use the transfer paper so that the frosted vinyl can be applied to the glass panel. 

Pull apart (vinyl should be on sticky side of transfer paper and waxy grid side is garbage).

Place to glass panel and rub with a credit card.

Peel away the transfer paper.

I’ve been using my frosted vinyl for a number of projects lately so I was only able to finish three panels before running out and I’m waiting on my frosted vinyl order.

I love the way it lets the light into our living room but adds a little privacy between the living room and family room.

Here is the way it looks from the other side (the unfinished family room side).

This week I discovered that Jen at Tatertots and Jello had the same idea.  Pop over to check out her cute design. 
I’ve been having fun with the Silhouette but granite countertops come Tues. – so I’m hoping to have some more kitchen progress to share including more information on the awesome faucets and pretty back splash!
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Do you have a DIY project to show off this week?  I’d LOVE to see it!  Or please visit the links to get inspired!


The DIY Show Off



If you’d like to link YOUR DIY project post to The DIY Show Off Project Parade:

1.You must use the button above and link to this post to share the linky love.


2.Include your name or blog name and project title. Add your permalink (not your blog url, but your DIY project post url). Feel free to link a Past Post, just invite your readers in a current post with a quick note.

3.Or email your link to thediyshowoff@gmail.com and I will add it for you.


4.If you notice your link has disappeared -please add the link back to The DIY Show Off to your post today, a button or a quick note to your readers about the party and try again! I love when everyone participates and readers check out everyone’s links, but I think the return favor of linking back is the nice thing to do so everyone plays fair and enjoys all of the projects and links. Also – this blog party is for DIY projects only. Links not related to DIY will be deleted.




Silhouette is offering DIY Show Off readers a special discount on that same Silhouette and premium vinyl bundle with a unique code SHOWOFF usable at silhouetteamerica.com.  That promo code will get you the Silhouette bundle for $225 ($375+ retail) and/or 25% off premium vinyl if you’re looking to show off.  SHOWOFF code is active from the 23rd through March 1st (if you don’t win – you still get a great deal!).

Pocket Door Installation

So cool! The DIY’ers from The Life and Times of the Marshalls have installed a pocket door. They make it look so easy and the result is beautiful.