Showing posts with label diy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diy. Show all posts

11.09.2013

Fall + A Painted Nest = DIYs

If you are like us, you probably cannot crunch one more leaf under your foot or walk by one more bag of those scented pine cones at the craft store, without being bombarded with a bunch of DIY ideas. If you can't come up with any of your own, feel free to borrow ours or borrow from the one million plus, Pinterest has to offer.

With one of the best holidays ever just around the corner, we thought we'd give you a few dinner table ideas and a few other ideas to dress up your home and get everything ready for Fall! Please know..all these crafts are totally easy and VERY inexpensive. We completed most of them by gathering from our neighborhood and with a newborn and a two year old "helping"....in other words, IF WE CAN DO THIS, SO CAN YOU!

A fancy, elaborate table setting might not be very impressive to the the younger crowd, so we thought a kids table with a coloring craft might be a good alternative and help keep the nice meal from turning into a food fight. We found this cute kids pine cone crayon holder on the cutest party blog you'll ever visit. Amanda over at Amanda's Parties TO GO has the cutest ideas for every type of party you might consider throwing. A few Novembers ago she made these darling crayon holders using a pine cone turned sideways. Can't even imagine how big of a hit these will be when the little tikes sit down for their Thanksgiving feast. We also love the corn husk goodie bag for dessert, that means more pie for the adults :)




Now that the littles in your family are happy, spend a little time for yourself. Here are a few simple ideas to adorn your adult table come Thanksgiving. All it takes is some leaf  and pine cone collecting with your family, a gold sharpie, and real good penmanship. 





We cannot even tell you how easy and how much we love our cinnamon scented pinecone garland. We found the pinecones at Smiths grocery store on sale for $3.99. Each Garland took one full bag. Measure a piece of twine to desired length. Be sure to give yourself a little lee-way, you'll be wrapping and knotting your pinecones in place. We didn't worry too much about getting similar sized pinecones or the amount of space left between each cone, the imperfection gave it a good rustic look and who really cares when it smells so nice.




The next DIY requires some sort of small pot, a pine cone, twine, and some greenery to embellish, we used some moss we had lying around. Simply create this pine cone topiary by setting a pine cone in a small pot and surrounding with greenery. Complete the project by tying a twine bow around the pot. Ta Da!






You likely have our next DIY pinned on one of your Pinterest boards. We certainly did. We created this Thankful Tree by collecting twigs from our backyard and raiding our scrapbook closet! Spend a night with your family writing things you are all thankful for on the mini hearts! We love how cute it looks paired with this bold wall in our entry way!







Feel free to email us if you have questions! We'd also love to hear about and see all your easy Fall crafts!

As an added bonus we have two FREEEE downloads available for your tasting and viewing pleasure!

NUMBER ONE, in our family we LOVE Wassail. We usually wait to enjoy it on Christmas Eve, but we thought maybe our Nesters might like to incorporate it into their Thanksgiving menu, so for a delicious hot drink, download our wassail recipe below. Even if you don't intend to drink it (BUT WHY WOULDN'T YOU), it'll make your house smell like the most delicious thing you have ever smelt. Even my hot drink hating husband likes the way the house smells when I've got wassail simmering on the stove!

November- Wassail Recipe Download
NUMBER TWO, an 8" x 10" Fall print will add a festive touch to your home decor. If you're like us, we love switching out a print or two to correspond to the holiday at hand. Simply download and print from home or send to your local print shop! Frame it and hang or prop or rest it in a easel or whatever else you want to do to display! Hope you enjoy :)

November- Subway Art Download

6.14.2013

How To | Paint A Ceramic Vase

With the weather finally starting to resemble summer, some of you may have been thinking about getting your yard in order or looking for some fresh new decor pieces for your home! 

Today we hope to inspire you with a tutorial on how to take that old vase you've had in your garage, or your latest thrift store find, into a "like-new" piece!


First, find a vase you love. Don't worry about color, focus on shape and detail. The color can be changed so easily! We found ours at the DI for a whole 5 bucks.

Second, grab some liquid sander at your local hardware store and follow the directions on the bottle. It'll get some of that bad paint off and prepare your vase for new paint. Home Depot stocks it for about $7.00 

Third, choose your new vase color and get some rust-resistant spray paint! We wanted a bronze metallic finish on ours, but options are endless. Walmart stocks spray paint and it's usually under $6.00. Oh, and shake your can like crazy prior to spraying!



Fourth, do a couple coats to make sure the old paint is covered completely. Going outside and using a drop cloth are two really good ideas when spray painting.


Fifth, Ta-da! Find the perfect spot for your vase once it is completely dry. How about in your entry way? The side of your fireplace? Next to a fabulous table?
Oh by the way, the topiary pictured was at a home decor store in the damaged goods section. We were able to buy it for $10 because it's original vase was broken. Always check the bruised and bashed sections at your favorite shops. We always find unexpected goodies!


5.30.2013

DIY | Front Entry Makeover

Looking for a fun, unique display for your front hall or entryway? Have a box full of fabric scraps with no fun projects in mind? Check out this DIY project! We think it is such a good way to welcome guests to any home! The best part is, you can do it yourself, super easily!

Check out our 7-step easy tutorial below! 

Modge podge fabric on an old frame and hang a wreath in the middle, a great entryway decor piece

1. Find a fabric you LOVE! Ours came from Ikea. Cut to your desired height and width. You may even want to cut it into something besides a square. A heart maybe?!

2. Get a frame! We buy most our frames from thrift shops or the DI. They usually come cheap and only need a little bit of TLC. This one was $3 from the DI.

mix water and elmers glue to make a homemade modge podge
3. Grab your modge podge and a paint brush! We use this sticky stuff quite often, so we just make our own. Make your own batch with equal parts water and elmer's glue. Store in a mason jar to keep it from drying out between uses.

4. Paint a base coat of modge podge directly to the glass where your fabric will sit. Place fabric down and smooth. Do a top coat of modge podge for extra strength. (Sounds like we are painting nails right?)

5. Set aside to dry. If you are new to modge podge, it is normal for your solution to be a little "milky" in color. Don't you worry, it will dry clear.

6. While the fabric and frame are drying, grab your moss. We found ours at save-on-crafts.com for $9.00 (That site is loaded with goodness, by the way) Then just mold it into your desired shape. Circle, star, heart, or whatever you like best.


7. Once you've got your wreath molded and your fabric has had a chance to dry completely, it's time to attach your pieces together. We used a bunch of strands of black and white bakers twine to hang our wreath. What will you use? Twine? Raffia? Yarn?


There you have it. 7 easy steps to a beautiful entry way! We'd love to hear how this project turned out for you!
Comment below or send us an email.

5.19.2013

DIY | Our Favorite 12 Ways to Spruce Up Your House In a Weekend

Whether you are a homeowner or a renter, the world wide web is just stuffed with quick, diy's that can take wherever you call home, to the next level. We've been scouring all our favorite blogs and Pinterest boards to create this post. 

PRESENTING// Our top 12 weekend quick fixer uppers! Please enjoy and give our sources your love!

PS) Click on pictures to view tutorials & get more information.


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NUMBER ONE/
Paint a door to POP! Whether it is your front door or a pantry door like the one pictured below, a little unexpected pop of color can add a lot of impact in a little amount of time! We've done a few custom door jobs and love how they've turned out. Check your local hardware stores, they often sell "mistake" paint at a super discounted price!

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NUMBER TWO/
REVAMP THAT LAMP that has been sitting behind your couch for ten years! Options are endless when it comes to lamp shades; buy one, reupholster one, paint one, etc. The lamp below was adorned with pop bottles (what?) Yep, pop bottles! We love the quatrefoil patterned shade.

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NUMBER THREE/
No sew pillow embellishments! Check out this tutorial and add a little drama to your living room. Pair with a few mis-matched prints and you'll have a catalog ready gathering place for friends!
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NUMBER FOUR/
Block curtains!A great way to add height and definition to any room in your house. Imagine a color block version? we.die. And even better even a beginner can sew these beauties!

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NUMBER FIVE/
Thrift Shop grandma frame turned chalkboard glamour! With just a little metallic spray paint and chalkboard paint, you could take that 50 cent frame to a darling message board for your home! How cute would a bunch of these hung in a little girl's bedroom be with pink chalk?

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NUMBER SIX/
and my favorite...Driftwood mirror makeover. Customizable to your space and color preference. Check out the tutorial below! Plus, most of your supplies are going to be cheap, cheap, cheap!

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NUMBER SEVEN/
Switch out your existing lame cabinet knobs. Stores like Hobby Lobby and Anthropologie are just popping with all kinds of colorful, eclectic knobs that are seriously no fuss to install. Or make your own! We love these geological knobs. It's an easy DIY that will update your cabinets FAST.


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NUMBER EIGHT/
Hand stitch small rugs together. This idea comes from Apartment Therapy and there is a lot to love at that place. We just love the contrast thread they used for binding. Someone please try this using rugs in complementing patterns! Easy DIY and it's sure to be cheaper than buying a large area rug. Plus, so much more creative.


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NUMBER NINE/
Add a plate wall to your dining area! There are millions of versions, but we just adore the bright pop of colors used on these hand painted plates. Proper plate hanging hardware can be purchased at any craft or hardware store. Have a plate wall in your home already? We'd love to see. Send pictures please!


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NUMBER TEN/
Metal outdoor patio chairs go indoors! I plan to do this in my own place this weekend! Go hunting for some abandoned metal chairs from local antique or thrift shops and grab a can of spray paint! What color should I do? What color will you do?


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NUMBER ELEVEN/
Stripe a wall! This photo comes from A Painted Nest's founder's home. I dare you to name a better way to greet your guests then by painting a wall in your entry with big bold stripes...Tutorial for professional DIY stripe painting will be coming soon, so check back shortly!


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NUMBER TWELVE/
Last but not least, we are so into up-cycling right now! Visit Justina Blackeney's blog for one million ideas to take trash to gorgeous in unexpected ways! We adore these crates turned shelving system. How easy? Plus, this genius lady offers interior design classes?! UNBELIEVABLE!


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We hope you've enjoyed this post. We had a blast creating it!
 Have you undertaken any weekend projects that turned out fabulous and really added a lot of impact in your home? Any that bombed? We'd love to hear and maybe even share some of them with our nesters! Wouldn't that be fun to hear about regular people getting crafty? Comment here with your responses! 

5.17.2013

How To | Add a Little Character To Your Garden

Here is our first of many HOW TO posts! And we are starting with a bang! 

Take a look at these ADORABLE d.i.y. garden labels

We used pineapple juice cans, just because we liked the size, but regular ole' cans would work just fine too! Be sure to remove the outer paper layer. You won't want "Dole" peeking through.
 These little things can be purchased from any grocery store. We'd be more than glad to come over and help you drink all the juice if you need a hand!
We used a can opener to open one side, just so we'd have a way to post them in the garden!



We really wanted our cans to have a rustic look so we used a crackle paint. No more than $5 at Walmart!
After the juice is gone and the paper wrapper has been tossed, coat your can with the crackle paint and let it dry. You may not see much crackle yet, but when you add color it will become more defined!


Next we selected our paint colors!
The paint we used can be found a Walmart for around $.60 each. It is just your standard acrylic paint. Grab a brush and paint over the crackle coat! Leave to dry.
Once our cans were dry and crackly, we just grabbed a few sharpies and started decorating! Finally  give them a coat of clear poly, so they'll withstand all the outdoor elements.







After we had finished drawing we took them to the garden to examine our work! We used branches and simply set the can on our branch and then stuck them straight into the dirt!





QUICK RECAP!

1. buy cans
2. empty cans
3. remove one end of cans
4. crackle coat
5. let dry
6. acrylic color coat
7. let dry
8. label cans, go sharpie crazy
9. poly coat
10. let dry
11. place in garden
12. watch your garden grow

TOTAL PROJECT PRICE: $20-$25 (steal!)

DID IT WORK? Show us pictures?