DIY

We have all seen those DIY closets on Pinterest saying how easy it is, right? Well I am happy to say that it kinda was, once you figure out what you want. So we moved in our ‘new’ house and the first rooms we worked on was the girls’. They had been sleeping in our room and that got old real fast. We started out using the closet that was in there but quickly discovered that it just wasn’t going to cut it. Sorry, old, 100 pound, metal pipe used as a hanging rod, you had to go. L. is always so busy at work that I decided that if I wanted it done soonish, I was going to have to do it myself. I was going to build all the shelves but we lucked out and found the perfect shelf that was $50 at the recycle center that we decided would be waaay easier.

This is the before shot from my phone

AFTER:

I made four hanging compartments. One for dresses, one for skirts and two for their shirts. Also there is enough space under the shirts for when they get bigger. (don’t mind my knobless dresser, it was getting a makeover too)
The middle section is the shelf we bought and just painted it and screwed it to the wall  then added the other shelves on the side and put one piece of MDF shelf right on the top of it. I love the added charm the legs that are on the shelf give. And can’t believe how perfect it worked!
Put some hooks in for necklaces that are too long or bulky for their jewelry boxes.
The supports under the MDF are 2 1/2 inches and I got 3 from the $.99 rack at the Home Depot. The shelves aren’t caulked yet, I put a lamp in there for light, but am going to change it out for something smaller and I will need access to it.
These are just those MDF shelves that you can get at the Home Depot and measure 13 inches and the rods are away from the wall 11 inches. I also bought 4 closet rods for $9 dollars each.I loved making it and people are surprised when I tell them that I made it myself. All you need is a level, screw gun, screws, a hand held saw and determination!

DIY FAUX PEONY ARRANGEMENT

I promised that I would do a DIY on making a faux flower arrangement awhile ago and I can’t believe it took me this long since its SOOOO easy! I was looking in on of those amazing high end mags and saw a pretty peony arrangment and wanted it so bad but at $69+ it wasn’t going to happen! I knew I could make one for alot cheaper so off to the store I went. I made these 3 for under $30, booyah!! I got the Quick Water and silks from Michales. Micahaels has the best selection of faux flowers that look so real and they have any flower your little heart desires! I will let the pictures do the talking!

Here is what you will need: pliers to cut your flowers, Quick Water Simulated Water for silks, vases and flowers* for your arrangement, a container that you can throw away when you are done, a stick to stir and paper towels just in case you make a mess.
I would suggest figuring out your arrangement first, get it perfect. The Quick Water comes with two parts, A & B
Slowly pour in part A and then part B
Slowly stir so you don’t get bubbles. Stir until it looks clear and the streaks/cloudiness are/ is gone.
Pour “water” into vases, try to pour straight down and don’t get it on the sides, if you do, wipe it with your paper towel.I filled 3 different sized vases.
Carefully arrange your flowers, try not to let the stems touch the sides.
Put them in a safe spot and let them dry, and you are done!! I let mine dry for 24 hours.
Wasn’t that EASY?! And they last a heck of a lot longer than real ones! (I may have gone overboard with how many I made, but I ended up using them as gifts, which was perfect!)

*I used my 50% off coupon!

VALENTINES DIY

I hosted a Big Game Day party. You know which one. I still (embarrassingly) had Christmas decor on my mantel and knew that just wouldn’t be awesome if people came over and saw it still out. And of course I didn’t have any football stuff, so I had to do Valentines Day stuff which was fine since I had a few things lying around the house. I pulled it together in like 10 minutes without having to go to the store. I might do something else later, but I was preee-tty impressed with what I did with what I had, if I do say so myself.
I made the heart out a piece of cardboard and glued white coffee filters to it without being to careful with height since I trimmed it after all the filters were glued on. Pretty easy and cute.
I also had doillies that I made into the banner and trimmed one and put it in the picture frame.

DIY PALLET FIREPLACE/MANTLE

I am finally posting my pictures of my DIY pallet fireplace! December has just gone by way to fast, what gives?! (lots of photos, sorry!)

Its not perfect, and if someone bumped it to hard or leaned against it, it would most likely fall apart. I made it this way so that I can disassemble it and store it easier, the top part (shelf) isn’t even attached to the bottom piece but you can’t tell just by looking at it.
Here is what it looks like in the back:

 

The hardest part of the job was breaking the pallet apart and we just used a sawzall with a pretty tough blade to cut the individual boards off the pallet.

 

We  hammered boards to hold it together in the back and obviously didn’t bother sanding it. I made sure it was level up and down and across.I had 2 Ikea lack shelves just sitting in the garage, this is what they look like:
living rooms - Benjamin Moore - Shaker Beige - Ikea Lack Shelves World Market Verona Buffet Bar wine rack shaker beige  Living room Bar Area

image via
And I just set one of them right on top of the fireplace.

I also used a big box for the opening,  made sure it was big enough to fit and spray painted it black.

And thats it! I know its not very hard core or labor intensive but thats ok since I am not going to be using it all year. People seem to think its cute, and it sure added that missing something right next to my Christmas tree!

EASY DIY LIGHT FIXTURE

Hello and Happy Spring! It finally feels like spring here in Utah and I am both happily enjoying it and fearing it! We don’t have an AC in our house(!) and its already promising to be a HOT one. Anyhoo, I did this little chandelier, if you can call it that, because I want to re-do some things in my girls’ room this summer and this seemed like a good place to start. I found my inspiration fromthis lovely ladys’ blog. Mine isn’t as fancy or big as hers but my girls seem to love it!

I started out with a basket I got a yard sale for $1.00

I clipped out the + in the center with wire cutters and spray painted it pink.

This is what the fixture looked like in my girls’ room. I took off the bubble, spray painted everything inside it……
AND

this is how it turned out!

I really didn’t want to leave it so exposed where the lightbulbs are, but I didn’t know what else to do so the pink spray paint helped alot. I got the pearls for 50% off at Michaels and didn’t even have to do a thing to them, just strung and tied them up. The glass pendants I got at the thrift store for 2.00.  I will most likely add more pearls and pendants as I find them, but for now, its not a bad start! Like I said, my girls love it and even Mr. H liked it better than the bubble.

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