Decorating Archives - Page 21 of 67

arts and craft, Decorating, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, Upcycling

Rustic Wine Crate with Rope Handles

Have you ever stumbled across a wine crate and wondered what you could do with it? I have just the idea for you and it will take less than an hour to create. Today I’ll show you how to make a Rustic Wine Crate with Rope Handles. This is a great decor item that doubles as storage. And you can also use this as a gift basket if you fill it with goodies.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Wine crate or wooden box
Dark brown stain (Minwax Early American is the stain I used.)
Paint Brush
Paper towels
Damp rag
Rubber gloves
Medium Grit (120 grit) sandpaper
Sisal Rope
Scissors
Drill
Drill bits

Instructions:

1. Clean your crate with a damp rag. Then brush the stain on and let it sit for a minute.

2. Wipe any excess stain off with paper towels.

Add a second coat if you like a darker colored crate. Allow it to dry thoroughly. (This might take several hours or overnight depending on your humidity. Hand raised…hot and humid North Carolina dweller here.)

3. Sand any words and printing on the crate until you start to see some of the wood coming through. Be careful not to sand too deep and expose the bare wood. Wipe off the crate.

4. Mark the location for the rope handle on the sides of the crate. Be sure to measure the same distances from the top and edges on both sides.

5. Choose a drill bit slightly larger than your rope. Drill holes at the marks.

6. Insert one side of the rope through the hole.

7. Tie a double knot inside the crate to keep the rope from slipping back through.

8. Determine how long a handle you desire and tie a single knot in the middle of the handle.

9. Feed the other end of your rope through the other hole and tie another double knot on the inside of the crate.

10. Fray the edges of your rope by untwisting them.

Fill your crate with magazines, blankets, or décor goodies and display it proudly!

Better yet, fill it with several gifts to create a unique gift basket. Keep with the wine theme by adding some wine, crackers, cheese, and nuts.

Easy tutorial right? How many of you are running to your local wine shop and begging for wine crates now? P.s. I’ve seen them at Costco, too.

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August 1, 2016/28 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, Decorating

Make Your Own Street Sign

Do you have a favorite street or a town that brings you fond memories? Don’t you wish you could have a vintage sign from that place? But, what are the chances of stumbling across one in an antique shop? Probably slim to none. You could steal a sign, but you’d probably get thrown in jail. Instead let me show you how you can Make Your Own Street Sign!

Materials:

Thin Wood Plywood (or metal)
Paint
Pencil
Ruler
Round object
Vinyl
Painter’s Tape
Credit Card or Burnishing Tool
Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint
Sandpaper
Van Dyke Brown Glaze
Antiquing Wax
Jigsaw or Metal Shears
Drill with Drill Bit

Instructions:

Use the round object to trace curves on the corners of your board. Cut out the shape you want using a jigsaw (for wood) or metal shears (for metal sign.)

Paint your sign background the color you like.

Create a stencil using vinyl and a vinyl cutter, or make your own stencil with freezer paper.

Lay transfer tape on top of the vinyl stencil.

Mark a light pencil line on the sign where you want the bottom of the letters to line up.

Lightly mist the front of your sign with windex or water with a little soap in it. This will help you position your stencil without it sticking right away.

Pull the stencil up…

…and position it on to the sign. When you are happy with the placement, use a credit card or burnishing tool to press the vinyl stencil onto the sign.

Pull the transfer paper off. Push any remaining air bubbles out of the stencil.

Cover any exposed portions of your sign with painter’s tape.

Lightly spray one coat of spray paint onto the sign. Let it dry and lightly add a second coat to get full coverage.

Once completely dry, remove your stencil.

Lightly sand the letters to gently distress the sign. (After all, you want to make your sign look old and authentic.)

Dab some glaze onto the corners of the sign.

Lightly dab the glaze until you get a slightly dirty and aged look.

Add antiquing wax on the edges of the sign for a more aged and authentic appearance.

Drill two holes in the upper right corners.

You can hang your street sign with two small brad nails.

And now you have an authentic looking aged street sign.

Our street sign adds to the memories on our gallery wall in the living room.

Want to learn how to install your own gallery wall? Here are 12 Tips to Create the Perfect Gallery Wall.

Have a great time Making Your Own Street Sign and stay out of jail. 😉

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July 29, 2016/3 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Decorating

12 Inexpensive Ways to Decorate Your Bathroom

12 Ways to Decorate a Bathroom | Pretty Handy Girl

Making your bathroom beautiful doesn’t have to be expensive or require a designer. Here are 12 Inexpensive Ways to Decorate Your Bathroom. There are many ways to amp up your bathroom’s style and in some cases add organization and storage.

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Did your grandmother have a fuzzy seat cover? Or a doll that hid toilet paper under her skirt? I promise these are not some of the decorating ideas I have. But, I do have some unconventional ways to decorate your bathroom. Today, I’m sharing these 12 Inexpensive Ways to Decorate a Bathroom that will make your bathroom look amazing for a fraction of the cost of a renovation!

Making your bathroom beautiful doesn’t have to be expensive or require a designer. There are many ways to amp up your bathroom’s style and in some cases add organization and storage. Here are 12 inexpensive DIY projects that will make your bathroom look amazing.

Add shelving in your bathroom to add more storage and provide a spot to display your treasures.

2. If your bathroom is large enough, add a bench or some seating to give it a comfortable spa feeling. Add a small basket to hold towels neatly and close at hand.

3. Swap out your builder grade mirror with something more stylish. Oftentimes you can purchase an elegant mirror at your local home improvement or home décor store. You can also update a dated mirror with a custom frame you build yourself.

4. Dated vanities can be updated in an afternoon with a coat of paint and new hardware.

5. If your vanity is beyond saving, consider replacing it with an antique dresser. Not only does this look beautiful, but it can add more storage drawers.

6. To increase visual interest, add decorative moulding to your bathroom walls using simple 1″ x 4″ pine boards and detailed trim.

7. To make your small bathtub feel larger, install a curved shower curtain rod. Swap out the old shower curtain with a pretty new one.

8. Large family? Add more towel hooks by attaching decorative storage hooks to a 1″ x 6″ board and secure the board to wall studs.

9. Still need more storage? Use storage baskets or bins to hide your toiletries. You can make a storage unit like the one below using one 1″ x 8″ x 8′ board.

You can also gain storage by hanging a wooden crate on the wall.

10. Swap out a dated light fixture for a more modern light. If you have some electrical experience you can do this yourself, or look for a qualified electrician on Angie’s List.

11. Need inexpensive wall art? Create visual interest by applying wood scrap squares to the walls.

12. Finally, the simplest and cheapest way to decorate your bathroom is with a vase filled with fresh flowers.

Hope these gave you some great ideas for decorating your bathroom on a budget.

Hope you get some great ideas for decorating your bathroom on a budget. Want to start DIYing your bathroom this weekend? Here are an entire host of bathroom renovation tutorials to help you earn more skills in no time!

July 22, 2016/2 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Decorating

Mini Makeover for a Book Display Shelf

I love my son’s elementary school library (media center). But, you already knew that after I gave part of the library a room makeover transforming it into a magical forest. Anything I can do to help kids get excited about reading makes my heart happy. I recently received an email from the librarian asking if I could help fix some drywall rips and holes in the computer room. Since it’s summer, she’s been working on changing the room around and wants to paint it before school starts up. I told her I’d love to help. This week we worked together with the principal and his Dad to patch the drywall. While I was there, I walked past this little book display shelf and realized I never shared the mini makeover with you.

It was okay as it was, but the problem was the bottom two shelves weren’t tall enough for most of the picture books.

See what I mean?

To make the book display shelf work better for the library, I decided to give it a mini makeover. I cut off the middle shelf by sawing through the two screws holding it on.

I tapped the remaining piece of the screws through the back of the display shelves.

To save time, I used Patch plus Primer to fill the holes and gouges.

After the Patch plus Primer dried, I sanded it smooth and used painter’s tape to mask off the sides of the shelves.

Next, I applied two coats of black chalkboard paint with a foam roller and used a brush around the edges.

For a smooth surface, I sanded lightly between the two coats of paint.

After the chalkboard paint dried, I removed the painter’s tape and seasoned the chalkboard by rubbing a piece of chalk on its side over the entire surface.

The students like to populate the display shelf with their favorite books and leave a little review.

I love seeing what the students are reading and their notes to other students.

Best of all, it’s helping more children fall in love with reading.

Cheers to helping kids find their love of reading at an early age!

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July 18, 2016/4 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, Decor Adventures, Decorating

DIY Sheet Metal Vase

Last month I shared an easy way to make faux flowers look real. It’s a simple way to add life and color to your decor. Today we’re going to make a vase for all of those flowers!

You can make containers or vases using a multitude of items. We’ll be using decorative sheet metal and spray paint to hold a faux palm leaf for a beautiful green arrangement. You can add your own creative touch to this quick project with your favorite colors and stems.

Let’s get creative, shall we?

Materials:

Decorative aluminum sheet
Tin snips
Heavy work gloves
Eye protection
Spray paint (optional)
19 gauge wire
Wire cutters
Glass vase
Stems of fake flowers

The glass vase and bamboo sticks are from the dollar store. The palm leaf was purchased at a craft store. The rest of the supplies can be purchased at your local home improvement store.

Instructions:

1. Get a piece of decorative sheet metal from the home improvement store. Wearing work gloves and using the tin snips, cut the sheet to a size that will roll around a glass vase with at least a one inch overlap.

(I spray painted my piece in copper for a different look. If you paint it, you only have to paint one side.)

2. Create a tube with the aluminum so the long ends overlap. Cut 3 small pieces of wire of equal length and bend them in half. Make sure you wear eye protection during this step.

3. Roll your aluminum sheet into a column to fit around your glass vase (making sure the ends overlap.) Once in this shape, insert both ends of a piece of wire through the holes in the overlapped section of aluminum sheet. Repeat with the remaining two pieces of wire. Twist the wire together to hold the sheet metal in place.

4. Twist the wire a few times around itself and trim off the excess with wire cutters. Notice the arrows where the wire is below.

Now your aluminum sheet “vase” will stay in its round shape and you can slip it over a glass vase. Add your greenery and faux flowers.

For this arrangement I used bamboo sticks and a large palm leaf from the craft store. Greenery adds life to any space. Every room should have some flowers or leaves to liven things up.