DIY
Arrow Growth Chart – ScrapMaster Project #1
Some of the best things in life happen by accident. Would you agree? Unless you are potty-training a toddler. Then, too many bad things happen by accident… all over the floor. Thankfully, those days are mainly behind me (no pun intended). Back to the point. I’ve decided to succumb to the trend of arrow-shaped art. Better late than never, right? I will love arrow art long after it is past its trendy expiration date too. Be forewarned. So, I was working on a cool piece of arrow art for the kitchen and as I’m staining away (using my easy clean-up method), it suddenly dawns on me. Wouldn’t this be the COOLEST…
How to Make Staining EASIER
It’s pretty clear I’m not a professional home improvement person, right? Glad we could clear the air with that disclaimer. Now, there are two things that bug me about staining (or really any DIY project): cleaning up and wasting money. Unless we are talking about a huge project, like a deck, I’m not going to waste time cleaning brushes after I’ve stained a teeny-tiny project. I also don’t like to spend money on the foam brushes. Even if they are less than a dollar, it still adds up. Plus, they don’t hold up that well. Yo! I’m a DIY rebel. Kidding, I’m not. I’m just uh, what’s a nice word…
Pottery Barn Trundle Bed Knock Off
When we moved from Oregon to Georgia, we knew we’d need to get a new bed for our 7-year-old daughter. Her bed in Oregon was built-in, so we were only able to take the mattress with us when we moved. I knew we didn’t want to go the bunkbed route, but liked the idea of a trundle. So, I searched high and low on Craigslist and in stores for a trundle bed that met our quality and price requirements and came up empty. That’s when I had one of my more brilliant ideas – to make her a bed! Thankfully, my sweet husband agreed – in other words, went along…
DIY Pottery Barn Inspired Farmhouse Bed
Editor’s Note: I wrote a one year later post about how we like this bed and what we’d do different. It’s amazing what you can accomplish with a little lumber and elbow grease. I know I’m not the only one who pours over the Pottery Barn catalog looking for inspiration. I think I own a handful of actual Pottery Barn creations – a throw, a hook thingie (technical term there) and I’m sure there must be something else. However, I can’t seem to pull the trigger on any of the big stuff though – the sofas, the tables, the beds. That’s where I owe a debt of gratitude to Ana White for…
Sneak Peek: Ana White Bed Design
We’ve taken a stab at building a bed for our guest room from one of Ana White’s plans. And by we, I mainly mean Handy Husband. I take credit for all of the staining though. And, of course, we had these handy helpers! This is actually our second bed build. (I really need to get around to taking more photos!) It’s a good thing we have such enthusiastic helpers to make the work go more quickly. Don’t you agree? We have friends coming to visit from Oregon over the 4th of July (SO EXCITED!!), so I will be getting the bed all made up for them! I’ll share pictures…eventually! We are…
Zero Gravity Chair Repair On The Cheap
We tend to keep things for a really long time. In this case, our two zero gravity lounge chairs have moved with us from Minnesota to Oregon to Georgia. That’s a lot of miles, baby! I’d guess that makes them 8 or 9 years old. While we do store our outdoor furniture indoors during the winter, 8 summers is still a long time to be exposed to the elements. And let’s face it, aging gracefully is hard to do. When you start to sag, sometimes your only option is to do a little nip, a little tuck… Ahem. We’re still talking about chairs, right? When we pulled the chairs out this summer, we…
Racing Trophy Display Door
My husband became a runner when he was 36 years old. Turns out, he’s really good at it. (I try not to hold that against him.) If you are new to the world of running, let me enlighten you. Some runners become so enthralled with the sport that they start running races. It keeps you motivated in your training and many runners even enjoy *gasp* these races. Crazy, I know. For every race you enter, you will receive a running bib with your number on it and for every race you complete you will usually earn a medal. Before long, you’ve got medals hanging from doorknobs (classy) and you’re looking for your checkbook in the junk…
Pottery Barn Shelf Knock Off
Update: Just found out this posted is being featured at Knock Off Decor. HAPPY DANCE! Who loves Pottery Barn? *raises hand* Me! Me! ME! ME!!!! Who loves Pottery Barn prices? *crickets* Yeah. So, what’s a girl to do? Convince her husband to make something similar. Check and double check. (And for the record, I did help.) Here’s how the Pottery Barn “Holman” ledge looks: (image taken from Pottery Barn website) These gorgeous shelves at Pottery Barn are $69 plus shipping/tax for a 4 foot version. Say what??? Ours are 5 feet in length and were made with scrap wood we found in our garage when we moved in. SCORE! We did buy a…
