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.
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
July 4th Place Setting Pattern
Remember the project I completed for BurdaStyle for Mother’s Day? They asked me to complete some modifications to make it work for your July 4th get together! You can see the full project tutorial and instructions with pictures on BurdaStyle here, here, and here! (Did I mention it’s a free pattern?)
Kitchen Utinsel Organizer DIY
I’ve been in the process of de-cluttering my kitchen. I wanted to try to keep my counter top clean, since our current kitchen has no counter space. I decided I needed to get rid of the huge container that had been sitting on my counter that held pretty much every utensil I had. Whisks of various sizes, pasta forks, spatulas, stirring spoons, and everything else all shared the same container. It was getting super crowded and I don’t use those things all the time so I dumped the entire contents into one of the drawers… better already. Only problem was, a few of the items I use at almost every meal. I decided I needed a smaller container that I could leave out that would just hold a couple of items. The problem with a smaller container is that when I put the utensils in, the entire container would tip over. After some trial and error my solution was that I needed a medium sized container with some type of filler to keep my utensils from tipping and falling out. My solution?
Combine a $1 decorative ceramic pot from IKEA:
A bag of nice decorative rocks:
Add the few utensils I use all the time:
Much better! Nice, clean, and organized!
Design Basics-Balance
Balance is VERY important in a great room design! It gives the person in the space a sense of calm and peace. There are two different types of balance:
Asymmetrical Balance and Symmetrical Balance.
Symmetrical Balance is very balanced and even in nature. It has a sense of symmetry and many times is much like a mirror image. If you take half the room and mirror it, it will look the exact same! Symmetrical balance is very easy to design and is great for a beginner!
Asymmetrical Balance is just that, asymmetrical. It uses different elements of design like color, texture, and size variations to appear balanced, even though it’s not a symmetrical mirror image. Asymmetrical balance is a little more difficult to balance out but can be done with a little practice.
Here are some examples and my explanations of how they are balanced:
This one is almost symmetrical, but not quite, therefore I’m labeling it Asymmetrical. The left side has three different similar colored objects (picture frame, small yellow vase, small yellow bowl) that balance out the two darker objects (green frame, pine cone) of the right side.
This is a great example of asymmetrical balance. In this photo the artwork on the mantle is not symmetrical. The white and black accessories, though they take up much more space than the orange arrangement, are balanced well. By choosing the white candlestick, it blends into the wall and feels less visually heavy than it really is. Even the furniture is asymmetrically balanced. The large white sofa balances well with the smaller, darker wood chairs and end table.
This (besides the little purple orchid) is a great example of symmetrical balance. It’s perfectly balanced between the matching end tables, lamps, and single pillow to add a nice focal point.
Great example of asymmetrical balance (and a great arrangement for a wall with a slanted ceiling line!) The large sculptures on the dresser on the left seem to balance that side well and are balanced well with the white lamp coming down into the space. The white lamp actually seems more visually heavy in the space because of the high contrast between the light lamp and the dark wall paint.
This is another great example of asymmetrically placed accessories on the mantle. Imagine the mantle with just the circular mirror and the two picture frames. It’s not balanced with just that! By adding the dark book holders and small accessories in front of the gray framed picture it’s visually balancing the darker frame and print.
Hope you enjoyed the lesson! (Click on the photo to be taken directly to the source. There are more examples of asymmetric vs. symmetrical design. It’s a lot easier to see symmetrical, but sometimes the asymmetrical designs can be less obvious.)
