DIY Archives - Page 10 of 53 - Pretty Handy Girl

arts and craft, DIY, fabric, Sewing, Tutorial

Easy DIY Hand Warmers You’ll Want to Take Everywhere

Since most of us are in the full swing of winter, I thought hand warmers would be the perfect DIY project for your weekend. Learn how to make these Easy DIY Hand Warmers You’ll Want to Take Everywhere!

Easy DIY Hand Warmers You’ll Want to Take Everywhere

Friends! I’m so excited to be back today with a new project for you – these cozy little DIY hand warmers. This is a great way to use any leftover fabric scraps you may have laying around. Sometimes a fabric is just too beautiful to throw away.

I have tons of leftover fabric pieces that I’m always repurposing into something new. These DIY hand warmers are perfect because you don’t need a lot of fabric to make them. And they take no time at all to complete.

Read on for the full tutorial.

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.)

Cotton Fabric (I had some leftover fabric I purchased on Etsy)
Sewing Machine
Fabric Scissors
Uncooked rice
Spoon to use a scoop

Instructions:

Step One: Cut Your Fabric

Take your fabric and cut out a rectangle roughly about 3.5 inches tall by 8.5 inches wide. Don’t worry about the measurements being exact, we can even it up later. Just make sure you have a rectangle like shown above. This is the basic shape and you’ll see why in a minute.

Step Two: Fold your Fabric in Half and Sew Two Edges Closed

Now that we have our rectangles cut, take each one and fold it in half. This will make a little square. Note: Make sure the print sides of the fabric are facing each other. (If your fabric is only one-sided, you want to make sure the non-print side is facing out, and the pattern is on the inside.

Pssst: that’s why we cut the rectangle shapes in the first step – it’s just one less side to have to sew!

You will find that you have three open edges on your fabric square. Sew the two parallel edges closed. For added strength, sew each edge several times to ensure it is closed tightly.

Now flip your little square right sides out. The stitches will be on the inside. And now you have a cute little pocket!

Step Three: Fill your Fabric Pocket with Rice

Spoon some rice into the open edge of each little fabric pocket. You really don’t need too much here. Make sure to leave enough space at the top to comfortably sew the open edge closed after filling. Do not overfill your pocket.

Because I wasn’t too concerned about it looking perfect, I folded the open edge down to close it while sewing. And that leads us to Step 4!

Step Four: Sew pouch closed

We are almost done! All we need to do is close up that last open edge. You can sew it up by tucking in the raw edges and stitching over top. Or create a neat little fold and stitch on top, as I did. Just make sure it’s sewn tight so no rice falls out.

And that’s it! These little DIY rice warmers take all of five minutes to make and they are so handy during the chilly winter months!

How to Use DIY Hand Warmers

Now that we have our cozy little warmers, we need to “warm” them up in the microwave.

I heat my warmers anywhere from 10-30 seconds in the microwave. I would start with the lowest amount of time and increase the time slowly. These rice warmers can get very hot, so be careful! And please keep a close eye on them as they are heating at all times. It takes some experimentation to find out what the perfect temperature is for you.

These hand warmers can last a fairly long time. I had one still giving off some heat after 30 minutes! They will naturally cool down after a while. Just reheat them as needed.

These hand warmers are perfect to take on walks. Before you leave the house, heat them up and tuck a few in your coat pockets to keep your hands nice and toasty. Or, grab a few to take to the neighborhood park with the kids. I’m always cold sitting on the park bench watching my kids play!

You can also use these at home. Tuck them under your feet or under a cozy blanket for a real cozy treat! I’ve actually made larger versions of these as heating pads in our home. My kids love them. It’s the perfect soother for a bellyache or leg ache. And bonus, the larger ones hold heat much, much longer.

If you like this tutorial, check out my post on making scented rice sachets.

Stay warm folks and I’ll meet you right back here next month!

~ 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.

Still have some scraps of fabric? You could make these adorable gift bags.

February 26, 2020/1 Comment/by Karen Decor Hint

DIY, Home Decor, spray paint, thrifting, Upcycling

DIY Pedestal Kitchen Sponge Holder

Tired of your sponge or soap taking up valuable sink space in your kitchen? Turn thrifted or dollar store glassware into a functional DIY pedestal kitchen sponge holder that doubles as beautiful decor.

DIY Pedestal Kitchen Sponge Holder

It’s Amanda from Domestically Creative and I’m back with a new way to organize or declutter your kitchen sink space! If you are anything like me, you don’t like a lot of clutter sitting around your kitchen sink. Things like dish soap, hand soap, sponges, and dishcloths sitting around my kitchen sink drive me insane!

Unfortunately, you have to have them out to be easily accessible. I decided to make a pedestal sponge holder as a functional place to keep the sponge, dishcloth, and even hand soap (if you want). This holder also serves as a beautiful decor item too. It’s easy to make your own sponge holder from dollar store or thrift store items, let me show you how.

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.)

Short candle holder (mine is from Dollar tree!)
Plate, tray or other piece as the top (mine is a thrifted find)
Glossy Spray Paint
Comfort Grip nozzle
Construction Adhesive
Caulk Gun

Instructions:

Step 1: Prep the surfaces for paint

Clean both pieces really well with soap and water, and let them dry completely. If either piece came from a thrift store, it may be extra dirty. Consider using a mild degreaser or Murphy’s Oil Soap first. Then clean well with regular soap and water. Don’t leave any sticky or greasy spots behind because the paint will not stick in the next step.

Step 2: Spray paint both pieces

Give each piece two to three coats of white spray paint. Using a high gloss paint gives the glass pieces a Milk Glass look.

Tips for Even Spray Painting:

Paint outdoors on a calm, mild day, or use a painting tent to protect the wet pieces from debris and bugs.
Keep the nozzle 12-15” away from the surface you are painting.
Spray in short, even, horizontal lines across the surface, working top to bottom. The burst of spray should start and end just slightly off the sides of the object being painted.
Avoid drips by doing multiple light coats, allowing the paint to dry between coats.

Step 3 – Attach pieces together

Before doing this step, it is very important that both pieces are completely dry and the paint is cured.

Use construction adhesive to attach the base to the top. To do this, place the plate or tray face down on a flat even surface. Using the caulk gun, add a small amount of construction adhesive to the top of the candle holder. Place the candleholder adhesive side down onto the bottom of the plate or tray.

Hold a small amount of pressure on the candle holder for about a minute. Let the adhesive dry for about 24 hours before using your new DIY pedestal sponge holder.

Use your new pedestal stand to keep your sponge and dishcloth in the kitchen and clear up some of that sink space!

You could make one of these pedestal stands for a bathroom or to hold jewelry on your dresser top! It doesn’t just have to hold sponges, the possibilities are endless. I plan to make one for our guest bath to hold a few mason jars we have cotton balls and Q-tips in. It could also serve as a place to keep soap.

What would you use one of these DIY Pedestal Kitchen Sponge Holder stands for in your home?

Don’t forget to pin this to save for later!

I’m Amanda, and I am the creator and voice behind the food and DIY blog, Domestically Creative. What started as a place to share updates with friends and family after we moved from Illinois to Tennessee and then to Texas, turned into a passion for finding creative and frugal ways to feed us and decorate our homes.

I have always had the “make it myself” attitude and I’m not afraid to bust out the power tools or get creative when it comes to decorating our home on a budget. You can usually find me scouring the local thrift stores, garage sales and estate sales looking for my next makeover (like this litter box cabinet), or dreaming up ways to make our new house feel more like home. My most recent project was giving my home office a much needed facelift. Some of the plans included creating a fun inspirational accent wall and adding pegboard to store my craft hoards.

I currently call Missouri home, where I live with my husband, dog, and 2 cats in a pretty dull, late 90’s split level. My husband and I both love to travel the U.S and recently purchased a small travel trailer to tag along in our journeys. In our free time together we can usually be found working together on a home project, exploring a new place, or just lounging with our pup, Delilah.

I’d love for you to connect with me on social media via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter!

See all of Amanda’s tutorials HERE.

February 12, 2020/0 Comments/by Domestically Creative

Decorating, DIY, Home Decor, Uncategorized

33 Bathroom Upgrades You Can DIY

Does your bathroom need a little sprucing up? If you’re anything like me, you get a little tired of the same boring thing year after year. The 33 projects in this collection are inspiration for how you can DIY Bathroom Upgrades!

Bathroom Upgrades You Can DIY

If your how was built with builder-grade materials and you’re looking for ways to upgrade different things to make it more personalized and beautiful, today is the day to get some inspiration to make a change in your bathroom. The good news is these are all projects that you can put together with just a few supplies and a little time and elbow grease.

Create more beautiful storage in your bathroom with these easy bathroom shelves.

Provide a little privacy without blocking light by applying this privacy film to your bathroom windows.

Build this DIY bathroom wall cabinet to create another place to store toiletries and towels.

Learn how to install cement tiles on your own so you can create the floor of your dreams!

If you need a place to hang some towels, build this simple rustic ladder for your bathroom.

Build a simple storage box to put bathroom essentials out of sight using only ONE BOARD!

Another option for towel storage is this rolling bathroom towel rack; perfect if you don’t have ample wall space.

Learn how to install and update cabinet hardware for a more modern look to your bathroom.

Make this beautiful and useful wooden bath tray that will hold your phone while you bathe. It’s great decor too!

Update your bathroom with customized towel hooks rather than rods.

If you’re looking to change your mirror, consider learning how to hang a frameless oval mirror.

If you like the rustic look, consider updating with unique things like this branch towel bar.

Add a beautiful rustic and warm touch by planking one wall in your bathroom.

Install a beautiful backsplash inside a cabinet or on a wall.

Repurpose an old window to update your bathroom with an awesome bathroom storage cabinet.

Upgrade your plain walls with DIY shiplap in your powder room.

If you’re looking for more organization, update your bathroom drawer storage with DIY drawer dividers.

Give your bathroom walls an upgrade by installing beadboard on the bathroom walls.

Decorative industrial shelves are the perfect upgrade for your bathroom.

This stick-on bathroom mirror frame makes such a huge impact and you can absolutely make it yourself.

Build your own small DIY bathroom vanity so you have exactly what you need.

Add built-in dividers to your bathroom drawer to improve organization.

Upgrade your old cabinets by doing a vanity makeover with paint!

Change up your bathroom by painting a faux concrete wall and making it look more customized.

Apply floral wallpaper to one bathroom wall to make a huge visual impact without overwhelming.

Build an awesome wooden DIY rustic mirror frame to upgrade a simple mirror.

Add some simple storage by installing creative organization to the walls.

Want to change your floors without tiling? Use floor stickers to update your bathroom flooring with a whole new look.

Apply tile to the walls in your bathroom for a beautiful, classy upgraded look.

Use stencils on the bathroom walls to create a faux wallpaper look.

Add Frameless Oval Mirrors to Your Bathroom

Create simple wall frames to upgrade those plain walls and make them prettier.

Add custom storage under any sink to get more organization out of your bathroom.

Give your bathroom a whole new look by applying these beautiful patterned tile stickers.

I hope you loved these ideas and found inspiration on how you can create something similar for your home. Comment and let me know what you think! Which is your favorite?

Hi, I’m Sheri from Hazel + Gold Designs. Here are a few fun stats about me: I ~~like~~ love chocolate and peanut butter (together of course.) If you like stats, I have been crocheting for about 16 years, crafting for 20, and woodworking for about 4 years. I found a passion in making and being creative and began documenting my projects online at Hazel + Gold Designs.

When not working on projects, I enjoy spending time with my husband, four children, perfect dog, and ornery cat. You can find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.

Read all of Sheri’s tutorials.

~Find more of Sheri’s projects here ~

February 5, 2020/1 Comment/by Sheri

DIY, Upcycling

DIY Dog Treat Container from a Popcorn Tin

Take that old popcorn or cookie tin you may have received for Christmas and upcycle it into a fancy new DIY dog treat container in no time! Not only will your pup love you for it, but your wallet will be happy too!

How to Upcycle a Popcorn Tin into a Dog Treat Container

Hey Pretty Handy Girl readers! It’s Amanda from Domestically Creative and today I’m sharing how easy it is to create a unique and customizable dog treat container by upcycling a used cookie or popcorn tin! I have a 10 year old lab who is very spoiled to put it mildly, and she may have a few packages of treats taking up space in our hall closet. We also keep our coats in that closet, and since it’s Winter here we’ve been reaching for our coats more often. Well, every time we go for our coats, Miss Delilah thinks that we are getting her a treat. See the issue?

Instead of continuing to trip over the dog when we grab our coats, I decided to create a new place to keep her treats. It just so happens we had this little popcorn tin lying around after the holidays, and it fits her treats perfectly. Let me show you how I upcycled it into a new dog treat container.

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.)

Empty metal tin with lid
Black Satin Spray Paint
White Satin Spray Paint (Black and white were used in this tutorial but any color combination works)
Comfort Grip nozzle (this is a game changer if you use spray paint a lot)
Design cut onto vinyl, or Alphabet stickers

Instructions:

Step 1: Prep the surface

Clean the tin inside and out really well and let it dry completely. If there is a food label anywhere on your tin, make sure you clean it off completely. Soak it in warm soapy water for a few hours, then come back and scrape off any glue and paper. If there is some hard to clean off residue from the sticky label, Goo Gone or lemon oil works great at getting it off. Just be sure to really clean the oil residue off before moving on to the next step.

Step 2: Spray Paint base color

Spray both the tin and the lid in the base color of your choice. In this tutorial that base color is black as this will be the color of the design in the final project.

Tips for Even Spray Painting:

Spray paint outdoors on a calm day (not too hot or cold) or use a painting tent to protect from any bugs or debris blowing onto the wet paint.
Make sure to keep the nozzle about 12-15” away from the surface you’ll be painting.
Spray in short, even, and quick horizontal lines across the surface, starting at the top and working your way down. The burst of spray should start and end just slightly off the sides of the object you are painting.
Don’t try to get total coverage on the first pass, that is how drips occur.
Let the paint dry completely in between coats and before handling or moving.

Step 3: Add the design

After the base color has dried and cured completely, add a vinyl label of your choice. You can do this by cutting out removable vinyl on a Silhouette or Circuit machine, or you can buy Alphabet stickers and use those. Either method will work, but it’s important to use removable vinyl or stickers. Do not use permanent vinyl unless you plan to skip the next steps.

Place the stickers or vinyl design onto the dog treat container and smooth out any bubbles to make sure the label completely adheres to the tin. Any edges that aren’t down all the way could let paint seep underneath in the next step.

Step 4: Spray paint top color

Give the dog treat container a coat of white spray paint, following the tips above in step 2. It will probably take 2-3 coats to get good coverage. Let the paint dry completely before moving to the next step.

Step 5: Remove the vinyl design or stickers

Gently peel the vinyl or stickers from the dog treat container. I’ve found that using tweezers to grab an edge can be helpful to get the process started.

Fill up your brand new dog treat container with your pup’s favorite treats and pop the lid back on to keep them fresh! Now you’ve got a stylish new container that costs next to nothing to create.

Delilah has quickly learned the sound of me removing the lid to her dog treat container and is by my side in an instant. She can even be awakened from a deep sleep by the sound! Funny that she can’t hear me yelling her name when she’s decided to take herself on a walk around the neighborhood.

I’m Amanda, and I am the creator and voice behind the food and DIY blog, Domestically Creative. What started as a place to share updates with friends and family after we moved from Illinois to Tennessee and then to Texas, turned into a passion for finding creative and frugal ways to feed us and decorate our homes.

I have always had the “make it myself” attitude and I’m not afraid to bust out the power tools or get creative when it comes to decorating our home on a budget. You can usually find me scouring the local thrift stores, garage sales and estate sales looking for my next makeover (like this litter box cabinet), or dreaming up ways to make our new house feel more like home. My most recent project was giving my home office a much needed facelift. Some of the plans included creating a fun inspirational accent wall and adding pegboard to store my craft hoards.

I currently call Missouri home, where I live with my husband, dog, and 2 cats in a pretty dull, late 90’s split level. My husband and I both love to travel the U.S and recently purchased a small travel trailer to tag along in our journeys. In our free time together we can usually be found working together on a home project, exploring a new place, or just lounging with our pup, Delilah.

I’d love for you to connect with me on social media via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter!

See all of Amanda’s tutorials HERE.

January 13, 2020/1 Comment/by Domestically Creative

arts and craft, decor, Decorating, DIY, Do It Yourself, Holiday decorating, Tutorial

DIY Jingle Bell Garland

I’m always looking for ways to simplify my holiday decorating and re-use what I have. This DIY Jingle Bell Garland project is perfect for that! Perusing the holiday collections at my favorite home stores gave me the idea of making this simple bell garland. It’s a lovely nod to Scandinavian decor if you like that style.

Hello, Pretty Handy Girl Readers! Now that the holiday season is upon us, I thought it would be fun to share an easy DIY project to help you decorate your homes this year.

All you need are two inexpensive items to make this. (You might even have them already. Hint: Look in your gift wrap stash!)

That’s right – these bells are actually cheap gift toppers from Target. Yes, they are functional and they sound beautiful (like Jingle Bells!)

This garland will take you all of ten minutes to create, and another five to hang it up. How’s that for simple, inexpensive, and quick!

Let’s get creating!

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.)

Bells (Brass gift toppers from Target or Amazon/craft stores)
Scissors
Baker’s Twine or Jute or Pretty Ribbon

Instructions:

Follow these steps to make lovely little bell garlands. I’ll include tips for hanging, decorating, and storing as well.

Step 1: Cut a long piece of string

Whether you are using baker’s twine, jute, or ribbon, cut a long piece to get started. My piece ended up being about 30 inches long. You can always snip any excess off at the end.

Step 2: Thread your bells on your string:

Time to thread those bells on! My gift toppers came with a little loop to attach them. I’m sure your bells will, too. All you need to do is tie a little knot to make sure they stay. You don’t want the bells sliding all around on you.

I decided to space my bells out a bit, but you can also string them close together. But, if you do, you’ll need more bells!

Step 3: Hang up your garland

Once all your bells are knotted and secured on the string, it’s time to hang it up.

Initially, I was using scotch tape. However, my garland kept falling! (Consequently, I’ve been hearing a lot of fallen jingles in this house today). I ended up using 3m clear light clips and they are not falling anymore. You can tie both ends of garland onto the light clip and hang it up that way. If you are also decorating with garland, this helps to hide the clips as well. It has not fallen since! Yay!

Where to hang your bell garland?

Call me traditional, but I like these bell garlands draped across a window or hung from a mantel. They feel so Christmas-y to me!

Some other ideas would be to drape them across a mirror or over a pretty piece of artwork.
Have open shelving? Drape them on your open shelving like it was a mantel!

What about storing your garland?

After the holidays are over, it’s time to pack up all the decor! But wait — how do I store this garland without it getting tangled?

So glad you asked! I found the simplest way to store these garlands is to tape one end to a piece of sturdy cardboard, then wrap the garland carefully around the cardboard and finish by taping the other end.

It’s secure and it won’t tangle on you! You might also appreciate these 9 Holiday Storage Hacks for your other holiday items!

I love the way this bell garland turned out. However, I think a nice satin ribbon in red or white might be my go-to for next year. I love the contrast between the gold bells and the silky ribbon. In the meantime, pin this tutorial to share with a friend!

Looking for more Holiday Decorating Ideas? Check out these DIY frosted votive candle holders and this rustic Christmas tree crate.

I hope you are all having a wonderful Holiday Season so far! See you right back here next month.

~ 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.

November 27, 2019/1 Comment/by Karen Decor Hint