DIY Artwork
I’m loving this DIY artwork by Jan!
I never would have thought to use joint compound (what builders use to smooth the joints of Sheetrock walls) to make some great textural artwork! You can check out her step-by-step tutorial here.
Moving Tips
I’m in the middle of moving and thought I’d share some tips for making an easy, stress-less (at least as much as possible) move.
by ahhyeah
1. Before packing up anything, do a once through of all the rooms of your house, getting rid of things you don’t use, don’t wear, or don’t like anymore. Sort through everything and donate to a charity of your choice.
2. Do a quick sorting of everything left, making sure everything is in their proper place. Make sure all “office” things are in the office and all toys are in the toy room. (Trust me, the worst thing is to think you’re done packing up the kitchen, only to find a extra cup sitting in the living room!)
3. Pack up least essential items first. For me it’s usually all home decor items and off-season clothes.
4. Notice I didn’t mention winter bedding if it’s the summer in #3. Before I go out and buy lots of packing paper, bubble wrap, etc. I use what I’ve got. Extra beach towels, winter blankets, and guest pillows make great packing material for all your breakable items!!
5. Color labels are your friends! Pick one color per room. Yellow stickers go on kitchen items, blue for one bedroom, red for the living room, etc. It helps out both you and your movers to have a quick visual about which boxes go in which rooms!!
6. Think through what you’ll need for the first few days in your new place and make sure you keep that box where the movers won’t accidentally load it up. Things like cleaning supplies, paper plates, utinsels, etc.
Tags: moving tips
How To: Etched Dinner Glasses
I made these as a gift this weekend, and let me tell you, it was easy and they came out looking so fantastic!! Everything to make the glasses will set you back around $10 (with your Michael’s coupon), and that includes the glasses!
Supplies You’ll need:
Dinner glasses. I got 2 sets of 4 for 2.39 at Target. $4.78 Spent
Glass Etching Cream
Contact paper/Vinyl/Stickers etc. Any of these will work to make your pattern with for etching. Want to stick with stripes? That’s easy too, just use tape! (price varies)
Foam Brush
Directions:
Wash and dry your glasses so you have a clean surface to etch.
Lay out the shapes you’d like to etch and adhere them to the glass. I made the shape I used in Illustrator and then had my Cricut cut it out for me. (Here are the shapes waiting for the etching cream.)
Paint a heavy coat of the etching cream on the glass and let it sit. I usually do 2 at a time. You don’t have to let it sit very long, usually just 4-6 minutes. (Don’t forget to place some old newspapers or a plastic bag on your work surface to protect it from the etching cream. Also, please work in a well ventilated area, this stuff is dangerous if used in a closed, un-ventilated space. We want you to be safe!!)
Rinse off the glasses and remove your stickers. (I like to make my etching cream last as long as possible so right before I rinse my project I use my brush to scrape off as much of the etching cream as possible and put it back in my container.) Let dry, and you’ve got fabulous new glasses!
Tags: DIY, glass etching, How to, Tutorial
DIY: Tile Makeover
This just in…. ducks are HOT!
I know what you’re thinking.
REALLY?
Yes. They are. Go out and transition your bathroom tiles right away!
Okay, not really. Though I love ducks, I don’t know that I would ever want them staring me down in the shower every morning. Our friend, Amy sent over this picture above and needs help masking her tiles.
Enter stage left: 2Jane
They have some wonderfully designed tile tattoos that you can install yourself. Aren’t they just beautiful?
And they are flexible too. You can decide you’re own pattern and way of displaying them. There’s nothing we like more than a little DIY around here.
Have you ever had to transform tiles in your home? If so, what did you do?
DIY: How to Paint
In honor of my painting weekend, I thought I’d repost this painting tutorial for you. Enjoy and I hope your having a great 4th of July weekend!
Do you have a room that needs to be painted, but you don’t know where to start? Never fear, we are here and will show you how to paint a room step by step. We’ll start with the supplies needed and how to prep your room so it’s ready for paint.
- Sanding Block
- 1.5″ Masking Tape
- 3″ Paint Brush
- Paint Roller with Roller cover
- Paint Roller extension (adjustable)
- Paint pan
- Paint w/ stir stick & opener
- Painting Tarps
- Ladder
- Extra lighting
- Spackle
Step 2: Paint a swatch (or two, or three!) to make sure you like the color before you invest time into painting the entire space. I usually paint about a 1′x1′ square on the wall and revisit it after it drys to make sure I like it.
Step 3: Remove all hardware from the room- i.e. light switches, vents and plugs, etc.
Step 4: Spackle holes that you no longer need and patch any repairs on the walls.
Step 5: Use the 1.5″ masking tape and tape to baseboards, door/closet trim. Use this to cover up any woodwork that you don’t want the paint to get on.
Step 6: Sand the entirety of the room. Not only the spackled areas, but the rest of the walls too. This ensures a smooth finish to your final paint job.
Step 7: Use a old towel to remove any dust left by the sanding.
Now that we have all of our supplies and have done all the prep work to our space, we are ready to paint. Do you have trouble painting with a brush and making sure your lines are straight? I will be giving some pointers on what works for me and how I keep my lines straight.
Steps 8 & 9: Open paint & stir. You want to be sure to stir the paint really good so it is consistent throughout.
Steps 10 & 11: Pour the paint into two different paint pans. I use a large paint pan for the roller and a small container for the brush- just make sure it’s wider than the brush.
Step 12: Start with your paint brush in one corner. Notice how I’m holding the brush and it’s at an angle {this is called cutting}. Angle the brush so it comes to a point and slowly work your way to the top of the corner where the ceiling and walls meet.
Step 13: Most ceilings have a slight lip which makes for slightly easier painting with your brush. Use this lip to guide you. Again, look how I am holding the brush. I angle it to make my way toward the ceiling lip.
Step 14: One I have the paint brush where I want it, I start dragging it along (but under) the ceiling lip. I usually drag the brush for about 12″-18″ depending on how loaded my brush is with paint.
Step 15: I go back over the section I painted in the previous steps to make sure my paint coverage is good and there aren’t any places I missed. I usually leave about a 2.5″-3″ paint line on the top and bottom of the wall to provide sufficient clearance for the roller.
Step 16: Paint along the baseboards in the same section that you painted the ceiling. The baseboards are a little more simple as there is tape there protecting the wood. However, don’t overload your brush with paint. If you have too much paint, it will start to bleed underneath the tape.
After you have gone along the wall with the paint brush for about 4′-5′, the roller can start rolling.
Steps 17 & 18: Start about half way down the wall with short rolling strokes in the letter of a N or M. Then start to straighten and lengthen your rolling strides. Be sure to watch for ridges that are coming from your paint roller and flatten them as you go. Get as close to the corners and ceilings as you can without scraping them.
Step 19: Remove all masking tape from the trim as soon as you are done painting.
Enjoy your new paint job, now it’s time to decorate!
Paint is by Behr and is called Mediterranean Blue.
Tags: cutting, how to paint, paint, prep
