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art, arts and craft, Crafts, decor, Decorating, gifts, Holiday decorating, Home Decor, painting, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, priming, Spray paint wood, Très Frugal

Doodle-Painted Birdhouse

If the birds are out in your area, chances are they are looking for a place to nest. Try your hand at doodle-painting a cute little birdhouse to help them start a family. Who knows, they may be lurking in your yard like a depressed House Hunter’s couple who can’t get past the color on your neighbor’s birdhouse. Check out this cute Doodle-Painted Birdhouse.

Doodle-Painted Birdhouse

Have you lost your mind Brittany? This looks like a Christmas tutorial in May? No, I haven’t lost my mind and yes, this is May (for those of us who have lost track of the days. But, this is the perfect project for anyone who has a simple birdhouse that needs sprucing up for those discerning House Hunter birds.

Although I created this little painted birdhouse to function as a tree topper, you can forgo drilling a hole in the bottom and add a hook to have a fully functional birdhouse for those bird watchers in your home.

This is a project you can do for fun or meditation. And kids can also get in the fun. All you need is some acrylic paint and a paint pen and you can have a blast making this Doodle-Painted Birdhouse for yourself or as a gift.

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.)

Unpainted birdhouse
Spray primer
Pencil
Drill
5/8 inch drill bit (for tree topper only)
1/8″ drill bit
Plastic dropcloth (I used disposable tablecloths because they are cheap and smaller in size)
Red craft paint
Gold craft paint
White paint pen
Paintbrushes

Optional:

Screw eye hook for hanging,
Outdoor polyurethane sealant

Instructions:

Spray prime the unfinished birdhouse and allow it to dry thoroughly.

Sketch a star shape on the sides of the birdhouse. Mark the location where you wish to drill holes. (If you are using this for an outdoor birdhouse, it’s nice to have a little ventilation for the house. But, feel free to skip this step if you wish.)

If your birdhouse is a double-decker, you will probably want to drill holes through the sides at angle and down into the first floor roof. This will allow some of the light to come through the top story holes as well.

For Tree Topper Only:

Mark the center location on the bottom and drill a 5/8″ hole through the bottom of the birdhouse. (Skip this step if you want a functional birdhouse.)

Dump any wood shavings out of the birdhouse. Set up the birdhouse on the drop cloth for painting.

Paint the sides of the birdhouse red (or any color you like.)

Paint the roof, steeple, and perches gold. Add a star and tree shape on the sides to accentuate the drilled hole patterns.

After the gold and red paint has dried completely, use the white paint pen to doodle-paint all over the birdhouse.

Afraid to Doodle-Paint?

Nonsense, there is no rhyme or reason to the doodling, just make lots of little curly q’s, c’s, and loops. You can start by outlining the window structures. Then embellish them. Regardless of your doodle-painting style, it’s important to have fun!

You can see how I used the same technique on the chalkboard ornaments on my Feathered Nest Christmas Tree and they came out really cute.

When the paint pen lines have dried, add a few coats of an outdoor sealant.

Birdhouse Tree Topper:

You can use it as a tree topper by feeding the top branch(es) into the hole on the bottom of the birdhouse.

Outdoor Birdhouse:

Add the screw eye hook and hang the birdhouse from a tree in your yard.

Décor Birdhouse:

If you simply want to display your birdhouse as décor, set a little battery-powered light inside the hole in the bottom and enjoy a homey birdhouse on a shelf.

Want to decorate your birdhouse more? You can see how I created this little Christmas painted birdhouse and embellished the roof.

Doodle-painted birdhouses are adorable gifts and very frugal. Make it May is almost over, but stay tuned for one more project!

Pin for later!

May 28, 2020/5 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, decor, Decorating, DIY, Home Decor, kids art, Tutorial

How to Make Pinch Pots from Clay

How to Make Pinch Pots from Air Dry Clay

Looking for a simple craft to make and help you decompress? Make these cute clay pinch pots and use them around your house.

How to Make Pinch Pots from Clay

I hope you are ready to get your hands a little messy! Today’s tutorial is all about making some easy pinch pots out of inexpensive clay. Right now, it feels like the days are long, and life is still so uncertain. I find that immersing myself in an enjoyable activity really helps to pass the time. Working with the hands can be good for the soul!

The good news is, you don’t really need anything special other than air dry clay and your hands. Plus, you don’t have to leave your house to create this project. The terracotta clay I purchased is from Amazon and was shipped right to my door.

This is a great craft for the kiddos too, so be sure to involve them with learning how to make pinch pots if they are looking for something to do.

Let’s dive right in!

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.)

Crayola Air Dry Clay (I used terra cotta, but you can also use white)
Parchment Paper (so you don’t dirty up your surfaces)

Instructions:

This project is easy, inexpensive, and very therapeutic! Let your mind focus on shaping the clay and put your worries aside for a little bit.

Step 1: Shape your clay into round balls

Layout a piece of parchment paper. Grab a hunk of clay and shape/roll it into a nice ball. My clay balls are about the size of the palm of my hand. You can go bigger or smaller, it’s up to you!

Step 2: Form your Pots

Now that you have your clay ball formed, take your thumb or finger and stick it into the center of the ball. Use your fingers to “pinch” the clay outward, slowly creating a bigger hole in the center. Keep going around and around until you are satisfied with the shape and size of your pinch pot.

Clay is forgiving, you add more if you pinched it too thin. Add a little water to your clay to avoid cracking. The thicker the sides (or bottom), the longer it will take to dry. Keep that in mind when shaping your pinch pot.

Step 3: Dry your Pinch Pots for Several Days

We left our clay pinch pots to dry on the parchment paper for several days. When they are fully dry, the pots will turn a lighter color and be hard to the touch. Once dry, you can paint them with acrylic paint or just leave them plain. Being the simplistic girl that I am, I just left mine plain. But kids might enjoy a painting project.

That’s it! As I said, this is a simple, inexpensive project. Luckily, you should have plenty of clay leftover for next time.

You might be wondering what in the heck to do with pinch pots?

Aside from the fact that it’s just a fun craft, there are tons of ways to use your new pots! A quick google search will bring up some ideas for you. But I’ll give you a few here to get you started.

Plant faux succulents
Use as a ring tray on your nightstand
A decor dish to decorate with

Since you can’t get the clay wet, planting a real plant in them is not going to work. But that’s ok because those faux succulents have to go somewhere and they look great in these little pinch pots.

You could also use them as a small catch-all dish on your nightstand or console table. In fact, that’s how I’m using my pinch pots! I have one sitting on my nightstand because I somehow always forget to take off my earrings at night – so this has become the perfect little spot to put them before I go to sleep.

Finally, you can just use them as decor pieces to decorate shelves and bookcases or tables. They look very earthy, so depending on your decor style, they add a nice collected feel to your rooms. Plus – you made them! Take a little pride in your handiwork.

If you like this clay project, be sure to check out my tutorial for a heart-shaped jewelry dish.

Stay safe, stay healthy!

~ See More of Karen’s Tutorials ~

Hello! I’m Karen, the creator of the Home Decor and DIY Blog: Decor Hint. I’m a Native of the East Coast, but I currently live in beautiful Seattle with my hubby, our two wonderful children, and our spunky wheaten terrier.

You can usually find me with some sort of craft in one hand and a coffee in the other. And I’m always rearranging furniture or moving lamps from room to room. I have a passion (read: obsession) for decorating, DIY, and gardening. In short, I love making my house into a home.

Like many, I’m inspired by what I see in home decor magazines, but I’m not so inspired by the price tags. Consequently, I love finding and creating beautiful budget-friendly home decor items. In a head to head competition, I bet you’d never know the difference between the designer items and my DIY creations! Many of my DIY projects focus on sewing, crafting, upcycling and organizing. Some of my favorite projects have been making pretty wreaths, sewing my own tassel hand towels, and crafting these trendy wood bead garlands. I can’t wait to inspire you and spark your creativity through my DIY projects.

You can always connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.

May 27, 2020/1 Comment/by Karen Decor Hint

arts and craft, Crafts, decor, Decorating, gifts, Home Decor, kids art, painting, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, Pillows, Sewing

How to Make Thumbprint Design Envelope Pillows

Envelope pillows are the easiest pillow covers to sew. Combine a beautiful pillow with a personalized thumbprint design and you have a great gift idea for parents or grandparents!

How to Make Thumbprint Design Envelope Pillows

Hello, it’s Cristina from Remodelando la Casa once again happy to share an easy and fun project where kids are more than welcome to give a helping “thumb” 🙂

Envelope pillows are the easiest pillow covers I’ve sewn and let me tell you, my sewing skills are not that good. A fabric rectangle is folded to create an “envelope”, four simple straight lines to sew and your cover is done! No zippers, no Velcro, the envelope holds the pillow really well.

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.)

Fabric (I used drop cloth material), and all the necessary sewing materials.
- If you don’t have a sewing machine, this is a project you can put together using Stitch Witchery.
Fabric paint colors:
- Glacier White, Royal Blue, and Marine Blue)
Contact paper
X-acto knife
17″ x 17″ pillow forms

*Pre-wash and iron the fabric

Instructions:

For a 17″ x 17″ pillow insert, use the following dimensions.

Once the fabric is cut to size (18″x 40″), hem the left and right edges. (Fold in ½” twice, as seen in the picture below. Iron it flat and hem.) Do the same on the other side.

To create the opening on the back, fold the left side over and iron.

Do the same on the other side. These folded lines are a good visual point to help you center the design on the front face of the pillow later on.

Before sewing across the top and bottom of the cover, let’s work on the design (the fun part!) Print the starfish and seahorse silhouettes. (for these pillows print at 120%.)

Place each design on top of a big piece of contact paper, tape it in place.

Using the x-acto knife, cut through the printout and the contact paper following the outline of the silhouette.

After cutting, peel off the outer piece of contact paper and center the design on your pillow cover. Press the contact paper firmly all around the design to prevent paint from seeping through.

Now it’s time to call all those little artists and give them each a set of fabric paint.

The thumb-printing / painting can begin…

…until the shapes are filled.

Let it dry according to the paint manufacturer’s instructions. After the paint dries you can sew across the top and bottom, making sure the designs are on the inside.

If desired, wash and iron the pillow covers. Insert your pillow form.

Place it on your favorite chair and enjoy!

Our pillows are a present for a special person close to our hearts.

Of course, the artists had to sign it, or thumbprint it! Well, we did both!

Are you ready to give the thumb printing a try? Kids love it! Hint, hint… this could be a nice project for Father’s Day (or Mother’s Day).

~ Learn more about Cristina ~

May 21, 2020/27 Comments/by Cristina Garay

Build It, decor, Decorating, Painting & Antiquing Techniques

DIY Farmhouse Style Serving Tray

farmhouse serving tray close up view. Letter J Monogram

A common decor item with farmhouse style is a wood serving tray. Trays are an easy way to add style and function. This DIY Farmhouse Style Serving Tray with handles is so easy to create, I can’t wait to show you how it’s done!

DIY Farmhouse Style Serving Tray

Hi there! Chelsea here from Making Manzanita, where it’s all about making your house a home! I’m so excited to be with you today. I love renovating and incorporating farmhouse style decor into our home. One of the easiest ways to decorate is with a serving tray. You can set it on a coffee table to protect surfaces from drinks, use it to style with a plant and a candle, or use it for serving!

Let’s get busy making this super easy DIY Farmhouse Style Serving Tray!

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.)

3 – 1″ x 4″ x 18″ wood scraps
(We used this ghost wood siding because we already had it on hand, but we cut the tongue and groove off)
2 – 1″ x 2” x 12”
Circular Saw
Measuring Tape
Black Acrylic Paint
Foam Paint Brush
Nail Gun
Brad Nails
Painter’s Tape
2 Drawer Pulls
Drill
Silhouette Cameo
Contact Paper
Transfer Paper
Matte Mod Podge
Clear Acrylic Sealer

Instructions:

Step 1: Paint edges of wood

Using a foam brush, paint the edges of your wood with black acrylic craft paint. You may be wondering why this is the first step. I didn’t love the freshly cut raw edges of the wood I used. To give the serving tray a distressed industrial farmhouse feel, I painted the cut ends and corners with black paint.

Step 2: Emphasize the texture of the wood to add character

If the wood you use for your farmhouse wood tray has a raised wood grain, dip your paintbrush into the black paint and lightly run over the top for a rustic look. This step enhances the rustic texture of the wood.

If your wood has a smooth surface, you can get a similar look by using a dry brush technique with a bristle brush. This works best if you use an old, ratty-looking bristle paintbrush. You put a little bit of paint on the brush and then wipe most of it off on a rag or paper towels, so the brush is essentially dry. Then lightly run the paintbrush over the top of the wood. The result is an enhanced grain pattern and a distressed farmhouse look!

Step 3: Assemble farmhouse wood tray

Once the paint has dried, it’s time to assemble your farmhouse wood tray. Start by laying out the three larger pieces of wood horizontally. Next lay the smaller pieces of wood on top vertically at each edge. Allow about 1 inch from the edge of the tray.

Before you start nailing, make sure everything is square. Use a nail gun to nail the smaller pieces of wood into the larger from the top of the tray with a couple of nails into each board.

Step 4: Add handles

Measure the center of the vertical pieces and lay painter’s tape on top of them. Measure the width of your cabinet pull and mark where the holes should be drilled on top of the tape. The painter’s tape helps you see the marks on darker wood.

Line up your drill bit (match the diameter of the bit to the handle screws) on the marks and drill holes through both pieces of wood on your serving tray.

To get a flat surface on the bottom of the farmhouse wood tray, use a countersink bit on the underside of the tray. (If you don’t have a countersink bit, use a larger drill bit to create a recess for the screw heads to sink into. This helps protect any surfaces you set the wood tray on from getting scratched.

Flip the tray over and admire your new farmhouse style industrial serving tray.

You can stop here, but to add a monogram, keep reading.

Step 5: Cut stencil

Using a vinyl cutting machine, design your monogram and cut your stencil.

Budget Tip: Use contact paper from the Dollar Tree as a cheap one-time-use stencil material.

To recreate a monogram like mine with an industrial farmhouse style, here are the details:

Font: Baskerville Old Face
Font Size: 489
Circles were created by drawing two circles with the shape tool around the letter

Step 6. Apply stencil

Cut and apply transfer tape to fit over your stencil. (Using transfer tape will help keep everything lined up and centered as you’ve designed it.)

Peel the stencil and transfer tape off the backing and remove the part of the design that you would like painted (in my case, this is the circle border and the letter).

Measure the center of your serving tray and press down your stencil. Carefully peel the transfer tape away from the stencil. (I found that the ghost wood I was using didn’t really “grab” the stencil very well, so this part was kind of tricky for me. If you’re using a smoother wood, it should be a little easier.)

Step 7: Seal stencil

There’s a magic step that I use for all of my wood signs and stencil projects that prevent stencils from bleeding. Before painting the stencil, seal it with Mod Podge. Rub a little Mod Podge over the stencil edges once it’s adhered to your wood. Wait for it to dry to the touch before painting (usually about 15-20 minutes).

You can read more here about this awesome hack for how to stencil on wood. (I did find that this rough ghost wood required more Mod Podge than normal because of the grooves in the wood and the stencil not sticking as well as it normally does.)

Step 8: Paint over stencil

Once the Mod Podge is dry, paint over the stencil with acrylic craft paint using a foam paintbrush. Blotting the paintbrush up and down many times rather than brushing across the stencil will prevent the paint from bleeding under the stencil.

Step 9: Remove stencil

When you’re done painting, you can peel up the stencil immediately except in areas where there are small intricate details that may smudge. In those cases, wait until the paint is dry to the touch before removing the stencil entirely.

Look at those nice crisp paint lines! So pretty!

Step 10: Seal serving tray

To protect your serving tray, seal it before use with 2-3 coats of a spray sealer.

There you have it! A DIY Farmhouse Style Serving Tray with handles that adds style and function to your decor!

I love the industrial vibes that the handles and the gray textured wood bring to this serving tray.

The best part about this wood farmhouse tray is that no one else will have one exactly like it (just one of the many reasons I love making my own home decor).

Next time a friend comes over for a cup of coffee, you can grab this serving tray with handles to serve up coffee and snacks.

She’ll surely ask where you got such a cute wood tray. You’ll answer proudly that you made it yourself!

Thanks for joining me today while I showed you how to make this DIY Farmhouse Style Serving Tray.

My name is Chelsea and I am the founder of Making Manzanita (www.MakingManzanita.com). I’ve found that many women don’t know how to start decorating or updating their homes, which is why my passion is helping others make their house a home they love. At my blog, Making Manzanita, my readers enjoy decor inspiration, craft & DIY tutorials written in plain English and simple homemaking advice to run their homes more efficiently. One of the things my readers love most is my perspective of working with what you have because your house doesn’t have to be perfect to feel like home.

I’m mama to the most adorable little man (with a little baby girl coming soon!) and wife to my DIY partner. We love our life in the beautiful Central Oregon as we continue our journey to renovate our 2nd fixer upper. We love to inspire others with budget-friendly renovation projects, like our faux shiplap wall and wood air conditioner cover made with pallets.

You can connect with me on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.

What a great tutorial! If you like this DIY farmhouse tray, I know you’ll also love these other DIY trays:

DIY Wood Slat Tray and Gift Box

DIY Scrap Moulding Tray

Rustic Pallet Serving Tray

May 19, 2020/3 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

accessories, arts and craft, Before and After, Crafts, Decorating, gifts, Holiday decorating, Home Decor, painting, Très Frugal

Painted Trays with Scrapbook Lining

Scrapbook Paper Lined Painted Trays | Pretty Handy Girl

Look around your house or the next time you’re at a thrift shop. Find either an unpainted tray or a tray that needs a makeover. This is a quick project to create a Painted Trays with Scrapbook Lining for a beautiful and elegant tray to display or organize things in your home.

Painted Trays with Scrapbook Lining

Today I have a really adorable and easy DIY idea for you! Scrapbook paper-lined and painted trays. These trays are so versatile, they can be used in the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, or anywhere you want to corral items or have a flat surface available. They also make a great gift if you want to load them up with some smaller gift items. But best of all, you can change their look in a snap.

(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.)

As I mentioned above unfinished trays can be purchased at many places. If you want a new one, look at your local craft supply store or order one online on Amazon for cheap.

You’ll also want some decorative scrapbook paper, gift wrap, or fabric to line the bottom of your tray.

Materials:

Unfinished tray
Fine grit sandpaper sheet
Damp & dry rags
2 sheets of scrapbook paper per tray
Paint (I prefer chalk paint)
Primer (if you are using other than chalk paint)
Paintbrush
Optional:
- Antiquing Wax,
- Plexiglass cut to fit bottom of tray

Instructions:

Lightly sand and wipe off tray with a damp rag.

Prime tray (if using non-chalk paint.) Paint tray desired color. For this tray, I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in French Linen.

After the paint has dried, brush antiquing wax onto your tray if desired. Buff off excess with a dry rag.

Cut scrapbook paper to fit inside the tray. When overlapping paper, make sure to line up the repeating pattern.

For the best durability, line the tray with a piece of glass or plexiglass cut to fit inside the tray. (Ask your local home improvement store to cut or order online.) If you want it to be permanent, seal the edges of the glass with clear silicone.

The paper you use to line the tray doesn’t have to necessarily be scrapbook paper. I got this paper from Ballard Designs. It’s actually cheese paper, but I loved the design. It doesn’t quite match up, so I just rotated the paper.