Autumn Sign

I love decorating for fall, and now that I'm done with my calendars I can finally start! Since I'm getting such a late start, I decided to skip Halloween this year and just do fall because I can keep it all out through November. I was working on decorating my hutch in my dining room and was looking for something that would be the perfect finishing touch. When I saw the 12x7 frames in the cheapy frame section at Wal-Mart, I knew just what I wanted to do!

I basically created a scrapbook page sized to fit in my new frame. I used a mix of Autumn kits by Shabby Princess and some of her new Autumn Word Whimsy. I love the Word Whimy because it does all the hard work for you-lol! I printed it out at home on photo matte paper...since it was larger than a letter size piece I had to print it in two parts and tape it together. I then cut it to size, inserted in my frame and placed it in my vignette! I just love how it turned out and am excited to switch it out with the different seasons.

The Falloween Confection Collection I helped design for The Shabby Shoppe also just came out! It turned out so cute and I'm having a hard time trying to decide which pieces we will be using for Liz's school treats this Halloween!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Parties I joined:

Crystal's Craft Spot ~ Feature Friday

My Romantic Home ~ Show & Tell

The Shabby Nest ~ Frugal Friday

A Little Nick Nack ~ Everything But The Kitchen Sink

Fun To Craft ~ Look At Me

Halloween Tree

Each year, we add one more Halloween decoration to our collection. This year, after seeing this idea in a Matthew Mead book, I decided to make a Halloween tree. I only paid for a can of black spray paint, and the decorations were found in the dollar section of Target. I downloaded the cat ornaments from the Matthew Mead website. I sprayed the branches and a pot we already had black, and then anchored the pot down with rocks from our front yard. Next year, I'll probably do what the book suggests and get some floral foam to anchor the branches.

I also added some LED tea lights that I already had to make the tree glow at night. That is my girl's favorite part!

I linked up to these fun sites:
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Finding Fabulous - Frugalicious Fridays
Skip To My Lou - Made By You Monday
Making The World Cuter

Tulle Halloween Wreath

I've been searching since July for Halloween wreath ideas for my front door. I finally decided to make an all black tulle wreath with a huge purple ribbon.

I bought my 18" wreath from the dollar store. I bought my tulle on sale at Joanns. I picked up a cheap can of black glossy spray paint from Walmart.I painted the wreath and let it dry. I has been in the 90's here so it didn't take long! I cut my tulle into strips. I didn't measure or worry about straight lines. I didn't want it to be perfect, I was going for scary! I started to tie my strips around the wreath when I thought about adding orange tulle. I didn't want to, I really wanted to stick to my original plan of ALL black. But the idea kept itching my brain so I added orange to the wreath. I am so glad I did!

Once I had tied all the tulle, I scrunched and fluffed until my scary Halloween wreath looked like a scary over grown caterpillar. I really wanted to leave it simple but I thought it needed something a little extra. I added a purple spider I picked up at the dollar store. I love how it turned! It was quick, easy, and inexpensive. My kind of craft!

I Joined these Parties:)

Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Feature Yourself Friday

Finding Fabulous ~ Frugalicious Friday

Crystal's Craft Spot ~ Feature Friday

While He Was Napping~Halloween Ling Party

DIY Alphabet Poster

There are a million alphabet posters out there, and I love a lot of them. But, I decided to make my own 1.Because we're on a budget and 2. I could personalize it for my girl's room. I just used random digital scrapbooking elements and fonts I already had on my computer, designed it in Photoshop, and then had it printed in poster size at Winkflash.

I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, and the girls love it too!

I joined these fun blog parties:

Someday Crafts ~ Whatever Goes Wednesday

Somewhat Simple ~ Strut Your Stuff

Blue Cricket Design ~ Show And Tell

Fireflies & Jellybeans ~ Show Off Your Stuff

Laundry Closet Makeover - Part 6

I'm so excited to share my

Laundry Shelf Makeover

This has been in the works for awhile and I'm so happy to see it all done. It makes such a BIG difference in my tiny little space! I started with the standard {ugly} white wire shelf that is so common in laundry closets. It is installed way too high to be convenient...I couldn't do anything about that, but I was able to make it look a little more custom and charming!

Before:

So how did I do it?

{STEP 1}

Remember the left over fabric I was so excited about from my Ironing Board Cover?

Well, I had just enough to make two panels. I simply did a small hem around all four sides, and then turned the top under about two inches to form a casing. I threaded the two panels on to a tension spring rod and placed it behind the wire shelf rim. I do wish I had a little more fabric left over so that the curtains would be fuller, but that is okay.

{STEP 2}

I took a trip to Home Depot and bought a standard cheapy piece of trim. That was an adventure in itself! You had to cut the trim yourself, and tools and I don't get along! When I took shop in Jr. High the teacher basically created all my projects for me so I couldn't use the power tools! So, I was in the aisle sawing away with all these guys watching me and not a single one asked if I wanted help! It took me at least 10 minutes to saw through that little board!

Anyway, when I got it home I applied 2 coats of paint (I bought trim that was already primed). I used Folk Art Vintage White Acrylic Paint. Then I used really watered down brown acrylic paint as a glaze to add some definition.

{STEP 3}

I didn't want a curtain to go all the way across the front. I've never really liked that look. I wanted something that looked more like I was peeking out of a window. It looked so plain when I got the panels up, though and I felt like I need more yellow in the space. So, I took a trip to Hobby Lobby and picked up some super cute Yellow Gingham Fabric and created a little valance. I hemmed both short sides and one long size. On the un-hemmed side I did a gathering stitch. If you don't sew, you could easily use a Heat and Bond product for your hem and just pleat the valance as you attach it to the trim.

 

{STEP 4}

Using my glue gun, I attached the gathered side of the valance to the back of my trim piece.

{STEP 5}

Then came the hard part-LOL! I thought it would be so easy to hang this up, but nothing I tried worked. We are renting, so this had to be fairly easy to remove without causing damage. I tried foam double stick tape, command velcro strips and even hot glue! Finally, I stapled three pieces of ribbon to the back {on both ends and the middle} and tied it to the shelf!

{STEP 6}

I then placed some of the foam double stick tape to the little end caps to keep the trim more stationary. It's been a week and it hasn't fallen off yet!

Woo Hoo!!!

 

The final result?

 Fabulous!

I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. I was able to incorporate my favorite fabric print from Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane Collection into the room {since my ironing board won't fit in there} and disguise a hideous wire shelf! You can still see a couple of support brackets {that aren't centered and drive me nuts} but I'm hoping the cuteness of everything else will detract from those!

Here is the After:

I'm oh so close to being done! I just gotta get the shelf decorated on top now!

I'm taking a little day off from the laundry closet and hope to share another project I've been working on. It is purple and pink and scalloped and so totally girly! My daughter loves it and I can't wait to share it with you all! It just needs a few finishing touches.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous day!

I linked my project to these great parties:

Blue Cricket Designs ~ Show And Tell

Someday Crafts ~ Whatever Goes

Creations By Kara ~ Look What I Made

Somewhat Simple ~ Strut Your Stuff

Fireflies and Jellybeans ~ Show Off Your Stuff

Laundry Closet Makeover - Part 4

I'm back with a cute little storage basket to hold all my Laundry Supplies!

If you missed the first parts of my Laundry Closet Makeover, you can view them HERE.

I've had this basket for years. I think we got it as a gift full of goodies several Christmases ago. I've always loved the shape of it and it has found a home in several different rooms of the house. After a few tweaks, it is now a perfect and functional addition to my Laundry Closet!

I toyed around with painting it white, but in the end decided that I liked the natural color and that it went perfectly with my "springy fresh" theme I am trying to create.

I loved that it has a natural inset toward the top...perfect for adding a ribbon! I could have kept this easy and just used ribbon, but remember I have all these yummy coordinating fabrics that I want to incorporate into the room:

So, I created my own fabric ribbon! First I measured the length and width of the groove on my basket. I then added 1/2" to the width to allow for a 1/4" folded hem on each side. (I wanted my ribbon to finish at 2" wide, so I cut it at 2-1/2")

Then I cut out my strip of fabric, using my fabulous Heather Bailey Nicey Jane Fabric!

Next, I folded both long sides under 1/4" and ironed and sewed them down. As long as you iron, you probably don't need to sew this down, but I love the finished look that stitching brings to a piece.

When done sewing, my piece looked like this:

Then using my trusty glue gun, I started gluing my fabric ribbon onto my basket, starting in the middle.

When done gluing, it looked like this.

To cover the part where my ribbon overlaps {and to bring more color and excitement to the basket} I glued on a silk flower. I didn't like the center of the flower, and I didn't have any buttons that matched, so I covered a large button I had with another coordinating fabric and glued it to the center of the flower.

Last time I ran to the store they didn't have the detergent that I normally get, so I grabbed this smaller bottle and it ended up working perfectly because now my iron fits in the basket, too!

I was so excited to find this Bloom sign on sale for 70% off last week! I had been stalking it at Stein Mart, waiting for it to go on sale. I LOVE it!! I originally got it to go in my hall bathroom, but I think it will find its home in the laundry closet!

....and here is a sneak peak of what I will be revealing next!

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous Friday!!

I linked up with these great parties!

Finger Prints On The Fridge~Feature Yourself Friday

Somewhat Simple~Strut Your Stuff

Crystals Craft Spot~Feature Friday

The Shabby Nest~Frugal Friday

Finding Fabulous~Frugalicious Friday

Laundry Closet Makeover - Part 3

Welcome to The Laundry Closet Makeover~Part 3! If you missed the first two parts, you can see them HERE.

This post will be highlighting the shabby "Clothesline Fresh" sign. This sign was a toughy for me and I'm so excited that it turned out exactly how I had imagined! Those that know me well, know I'm a perfectionist when it comes to crafts. I can't just freehand something or throw it together and call it good. I need things to be straight and lined up and well....perfect!

This sign intimidated me at first, but if I can do it and love it, then you can, too! So this is my tutorial on how to make a shabby chic sign the pefectionist's way!

Step 1: Ready Board and Stencil

I found a board in the garage that I already had. I think mine measures 7" x 28" long. It was already painted a sage green, so I went over it with Folk Art Antique White acrylic paint. Then I created my wording stencil on my computer and printed it out (the perfectionist in me couldn't just free-hand it). Because it was longer than an avarage size piece of paper, I had to print it in 3 parts and tape together.

Step 2: Transfer Stencil

I went back to my grade school days to transfer my stencil on to my board. I turned my stencil over and scribbled over the back with a lead pencil. Make sure that you get good coverage, and use a firm hand.

Next I centered and taped my stencil onto my board. I then used a pen to trace around each letter. The lead I scribbled on the back will act as carbon paper and I when I remove my stencil, I will have this:

(sorry about poor picture quality..I was working on this after the Princess went to bed)

 

Step 3: Paint

I created and transfered the flowers onto my board the same way that I did my quote. Then, using a small brush I painted. This surprisingly didn't take as long as I thought it would. I used these acryllic paints:

Craftsmart Lime Green

Craftsmart Pale Blue

Folk Art Sunny Yellow.

At this point, it looks like I stenciled it and you can see some of the pencil marks from my transfer. I just used my sanding block and lightly sanded all edges and the surface. Then I mixed my Chocolate Brown Acrylic Paint with lots of water to make a glaze. I brushed it on my sign and then wiped it off with a damp rag. When using acrylic paint as a glaze, you have to work fast because it dries fast.

This is what it looks like with all the painting, sanding and glazing.

Since this is my laundry room where there will be lots of dust, I sprayed it with my Krylon Satin Finish.

I'm so in love with my sign and I'm so glad that I decided to give it a try. It is the perfect addition to my laundry room!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope that I have inspired you to try something that you have been too intimidated to start. Have a great day!

I've linked up with these great parties:

Blue Cricket Designs~Show and Tell

Domestically Speaking~Power of Paint

Someday Crafts ~ Whatever Goes

Somewhat Simple~Strut Your Stuff

Fireflies & Jellybeans~Show Off Your Stuff

Home Is Where My Story Begins

Laundry Closet Makeover - Part 2

Welcome back to my Laundry Closet Makeover! If you missed Part 1, you can see it HERE.

Today I'm going to share two more projects!

First:

Laundry Rules Sign

I first saw these laundry rules on etsy, in vinyl form. Although I like the idea of vinyl, I need to use every opportunity I can to inject color into my rental white laundry closet. I decided to put my Digital Scrapbooking skills to work and this is the end result. I couldn't love it more! I used a digital scrapbook kit at Nitwit Collections called "What's All The Buzz About". This is a bug themed kit, but I was able to pull papers and elements from it that worked perfectly with my color scheme. I created my sign at 8"x10" and had it printed at Walgreens. I used a frame I already had on hand that I had picked up from T.J. Maxx on clearance last year. 

Second:

Coordinated Clothes Pins

I have these sitting in an old jam jar on a shelf in the laundry closet. I don't used them, but they add a cute little decorative detail to the closet and I love how they match my fabric perfectly.

Here's the how-to:

Step 1:

Gather Supplies

Mod Podge - Decorative Paper - Clothes Pins - Scissors - Paint Brush

To make these coordinate with my Heather Bailey Nicey Jane Fabric, I simply saved the sample pictures from the internet and then printed them off on matte photo paper. Each square of "fabric paper" is about 4"x4". You could use fabric scraps instead, but my fabric choices have large patterns on them and you wouldn't be able to see them once adhered to the clothes pins. 

Step 2:

Cut Paper Strips To the Size Of Your Clothespins

Measure your clothes pin and then using your scissors or a razor blade, cut strips from your patterned paper. Be sure to make a strip for the front and back sides of the clothespin.

Step 3:

Adhere Paper To Clothespin

Using your paint brush, Apply Mod Podge to your clothes pin and the back side of your paper. Press paper onto your clothes pin, smoothing all air bubbles out. Trim sides if necessary.

Optional: Before glueing the paper to your clothespin, you can paint it in a color of your choice. I chose to leave my clothespin natural because it went with the over all feel I was trying to create in my room.

Optional: Apply a thin coat of mod podge over finished clothespin to seal it. Since mine I strictly decorative I didn't do this, but if you will be using these definitely apply a protective coat.

Step 4:

Admire

Fill an empty jar with your clothes pin, step back and admire your perfectly coordinated accessory!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

Linking to these fabulous parties:

Somewhat Simple

House of Hepworths

Fireflies and Jelly Beans

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Home is Where My Story Begins