Upcycling Archives - Page 6 of 31

arts and craft, Decorating, Trash to Treasure, Upcycling

A Quick Cutting Board Makeover for Meal Planning

A simple and easy way to upcycle an old cutting board

A Quick Cutting Board Makeover for Meal Planning

Hello, it’s Anika here from Anika’s DIY Life. I hope you had a great start to your new year!

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to get better with planning meals. I’ve really struggle with planning meals ahead of time. In the past, I have tried many systems (from worksheets to online applications) but most seem to fall through after a few days or weeks.

After a lot of brainstorming, I realized it was because I was making the entire process much more complicated than it needed to be. I set out with a simple plan: create a menu for the week in the kitchen where I can see it at all times.

An old Ikea cutting board ended up working out perfect for the job of meal planner!

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.)

Old cutting board (a new one would be fine too)
Painter’s tape
Chalkboard paint in the color of your choice
Chalk pen

Instructions:

Step 1 – Clean the cutting board to remove any food or dirt. Let the board dry completely before proceeding.

Step 2 – Measure ½” from the edge of the cutting board and tape on all 4 sides.

Step 3 – Paint the middle of the cutting board using chalkboard paint.

Did you know you can make your own chalkboard paint using Plaster of Paris by following this recipe? Or use Brittany’s recipe that uses unsanded tile grout instead:

Step 4 – Remove the tape while the paint is still wet. Once the paint dries, rub a piece of chalk on its side over the entire painted area to season the chalkboard before using.

This simple project has made a big difference in my productiveness around cooking. We sit down as a family every Sunday and plan out the menu, grocery shop accordingly, and take care of any meal prep.

I think one of the biggest changes this menu board has made is in helping manage the kids’ expectations. The board sits next to the kitchen in my little command center. The kids know what’s for dinner and there is no more “I didn’t feel like eating that” at the dinner table. Mom win!

How do you tackle meal planning? Until next time!

~See more of Anika’s tutorials~

Did you like this tutorial? You might also like Brittany’s Free Weekly Menu Planner printable:

January 10, 2018/2 Comments/by Anika Gandhi

arts and craft, Build It, Holiday decorating, Home Decor, shutters, Upcycling

13 Creative Ways to Repurpose Old Shutters

Do you have a collection of old shutters filling up your storage space? Or do you want some ideas using old shutters in case you come across a set? If so, this post is for you! I’ve put together 13 creative ideas on how you can repurpose old shutters and turn them into something amazing.

Creative Ways to Repurpose Old Shutters:

Give an old dresser a gorgeous makeover using old shutters like Savvy Apron!

Keep your pets out of trouble by building a doggie gate from old plantation shutters like 11 Magnolia Lane.

Make a holiday card display with some old, tall shutters this December.

Use old shutters as a backdrop for your mantel to add a gorgeous farmhouse feel.

Stay organized with a Shutter To-Do Board like Hunt and Host made.

Use an old shutter to display your family photos or postcards!

Gain some privacy in your backyard by building a fence out of old shutters like DIY Bungalow did!

Use old shutters to dress up a plain dormer window on the inside of your home.

Shoppe No. 5 shows us how to make some amazing word art using old shutters.

Get some inspiration for using shutters to brighten up a dark fireplace at Shabby FuFu Blog.

Use old louvered bi-fold doors like Design Dreams by Anne to hide the clutter and make the space more beautiful.

Shutters can go indoors too, adding texture and contrast to a room like Chatfield Court.

Keep your jewelry in sight and mess-free, with this beautiful old shutter jewelry organizer by Design Dreams by Anne.

If you liked this collection of ideas, pin this image to share it with others!

If you liked this post, you must see these upcycled ideas:

12 Great Upcycled Ideas for Holiday Decor

November 10, 2017/6 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Build It, Upcycling

6 of the Easiest Ways to Remove Pallet Wood

Last week I shared with you the cold hard facts about harvesting pallet wood. But, like you, I still like to use pallet wood from time to time. Just make sure you’ve weighed the risks and the work involved to harvest the pallet wood before you get started. Today I’m going to show you 6 of the Easiest Ways to Remove Pallet Wood. If you’re up for the challenge, let’s get started.

Pallet upcycling is all the rage today. But, if you’ve ever tried to remove the planks from a pallet, you know it’s not an easy task. Pallet nails are typically spiral nails and are designed to grip that wood with fierce strength. If that’s not enough, there can be 4-5 nails per joint. Sheesh, you’d think pallets were built to hold a 10 ton elephant. Well, actually, it is made to hold tons of product as it is lifted by a fork lift. Which explains why harvesting pallet wood can be labor intensive.

To save you time, sweat, and a backache; here are the quickest and easiest ways I’ve found to salvage beautiful rustic pallet wood. Read more

November 3, 2017/9 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

arts and craft, decor, Decorating, Trash to Treasure, Upcycling

DIY Burlap Bulletin Board

Hello, Pretty Handy readers! I have a quick and fun project for you today! We’re going to make DIY Burlap Bulletin Boards together, hooray!

I love displaying pictures around the house, but sometimes I don’t have enough frames. Then there are the frames I have with broken glass. In the spirit of not throwing anything away (and finding a way to upcycle everything), I turned one of those glass-less frames into a burlap bulletin board. And it looks perfect next to my Ikea Ivar cabinet hack and DIY mail organizer.

Ready to learn how to make this easy DIY Burlap Bulletin Board? Great, let’s go!

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.)

Picture frame – size of your choice
Cork roll
Burlap fabric – I got this gold thread burlap fabric from Joann’s
Hot glue
Spray adhesive

Optional:

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut cork to the size of the cardboard backing in your picture frame. Glue it onto the cardboard using spray adhesive.

Step 2: Cut burlap fabric 2 inches wider than your cork on all sides. Attach burlap on top of the cork using hot glue to secure the burlap to the back of the cardboard backing.

Step 3: Place the burlap bulletin board into the frame.

Feel free to add a little more character by stenciling a pattern on one side. (I chose to use red and gold craft paint to bring out the gold thread in my burlap fabric.

That’s the easy way to create a DIY Burlap Bulletin Board!

Use your bulletin board to display picture, notes and reminders. Personally, I use it to pin school calendars instead of letting them get buried in the pile of other papers.

Until next time!

~ View more of Anika’s DIY Tutorials ~

Like this idea? You’ll also love Brittany’s idea of using a magnetic sheet to create a magnetic board instead of a cork board.

And be sure to check out Katie’s PB Knock Off Monogram Bulletin Board:

September 13, 2017/3 Comments/by Anika Gandhi

arts and craft, Build It, Crafts, decor, Popular, Stashbusting, Trash to Treasure, Upcycling

71 Practically FREE Scrap Wood Projects

If you make things out of wood you know almost every project leaves scrap wood. Why not use up those scraps by making some of these 71 Practically FREE Scrap Wood Projects?