DIY: Painted Wooden Spoons

This is one of the easiest crafts I have ever done--it's almost silly to do a tutorial on it, so basically I'm just showing you the colors I used! :)

Here's what you need:

Craft paint (30% off @ Hobby Lobby)

Wooden Spoons

Paint Brush

Masking/Painters tape

Spray Shellac (optional)

Basically just tape off where you want to paint and paint away!

 If you are lazy (and cheap!) like me there is really no need to shellac these. I hand wash my wooden spoons anyway--plus I don't mind touching them up with paint down the road. The shellac will help the paint last but I don't want to fork out the $9 for it. ;) Also, after using my paintbrush for the first color I ended up just using my finger for the rest of the colors--much easier to clean up!

Much prettier :)

DIY: Tufted Headboard

I have wanted a tufted headboard since we moved into our house--but at $300-$500 (on the low end) I couldn't justify purchasing one. Enter: Pinterest! My search results for a tufted headboard landed me at Little Green Notebook. This is the tutorial I used, but I didn't do everything exactly the way she did. 

There were no pictures taken of my process, so you just have to trust me when I say I DID make it myself :) (with my dad's help). Looking at the pictures on Little Green Notebook will help you a lot. Here is a list of the tools I used:

Pegboard

Convoluted foam mattress topper (x3)

Fabric

batting

Button Cover kit in the 5/8" size (28 buttons)

spray adhesive

wire or super-strong thin rope

long doll needle

1"hole saw drill bit (optional)

permanent marker

tape measure

scissors

staple gun

• For our queen sized bed I got pegboard that was cut to 3'x5', but you can measure your own bed and decide how big you want it. This size is exactly the width of our mattress.
• I decided on getting the three mattress toppers because I wanted it to be thick. I would not recommend getting foam less than 3" thick, otherwise it will not be comfy to lean up against! One other option for the foam is getting actual upholstery foam at Joanns. It ends up being about the same price if you can find a 40% off coupon (download the Joann Fabric app), but my issue with that foam is that it is not three feet wide, so I wouldn't have been able to have the entire headboard padded.
• I used 2 yards of fabric, and 2 yards of batting and had none left over.
• Covering the buttons takes some time and patience, but I think it is worth it because it makes the finished product look professional.
• If you don't have the 1" hole saw bit you can just cut the holes like the Little Green Notebook did, but the saw makes it go much faster! 
• I only had 28 tufts and that was plenty for me! :)

So here is the order I went in:

1. iron your fabric
2. cover your buttons
3. mark out your tufts on the back of your pegboard
4. use spray adhesive to attach the foam to the pegboard by circling the holes you plan to use (this can take some time to make sure they are even, this is the part that took us the longest! I have a rows of 6, 5, 6, 5, 6 for a total of 28 tufts. You can do more or less if you want, just make sure they are equal distances apart.
5. use the doll needle to mark your foam by pushing it through the back of the pegboard in each of your marked holes and mark the top of the foam with a marker
6. cut or saw the holes in your foam--you want them to be an inch wide so that the button can go all the way down to the pegboard--that is what makes your tufts look really expensive :)
7. lay the batting on top of your foam, then lay your fabric on top of that. you will be able to slide your hand along the surface and feel where the holes are
8. string your wire or string through the eye of the button and tie it--the Little Green Notebook makes it difficult in my opinion because she makes it so you have to go down through the hole and then back up, but if you tie the string to the button and then string it through your needle you only have to go through the hole once, it should look like this: 
   
9. Starting in the middle of your board and working your way out, start stringing the buttons through and staple the remaining string to the back of the board in all different ways, making sure it is snug. It helps if one person pushes down on the top of the button while the other pulls and staples.The tufts will naturally start to take shape, just gently coax them into the diamond pattern as you go.
10. when you are all done with the buttons, secure the remaining fabric around the outside of the headboard by pulling gently and stapling to the back.

That's it! It sounds like a lot, but as you go you will be able to problem solve and it should turn out great! I would not recommend using a fabric that has a pattern because it would be hard to keep it all lined up. Try not to use a fabric that has stretch to it,  I think that would make it harder as well. If you have any questions just let me know and I can try to help! :) Have fun--and be patient  It will all come together in the end if you take your time and don't rush through it. 

 

DIY: Cute Burp Cloths

Anyone that has a child or has been around a child for any amount of time knows that a burp cloth is a must-have item. If you are like me you registered for the plain white cloth diapers because all the baby websites said they make for a good spit up rag.

Well I decided I wanted mine to be cute, so here is what I did:

What you need:

cloth diaper (or terry cloth)

fabric

sewing machine (if you don't have a machine and you are

patient you could use a needle and embroidery

thread to achieve the same result.)

scissors

Cut your fabric to the same size as the diaper.

Put the right side of the fabric facing the diaper.

Pin (or don't) and sew along the perimeter of your fabric.

Leave an opening at the end and turn your fabric right side out.

                                     

Sew around the top of the cloth to close the opening you left for turning, and I added another line for good measure (and I think it looks cuter too)

Stack them up and enjoy! These would be great baby shower gifts :)

DIY: Book Page Pleated Medallions

Today is cold and rainy so I decided to put the finishing touches on the collage above our bed. These medallions are a simple and VERY inexpensive way to add some 3d art to your walls. Here's how I made them:

Gather your supplies-

Glue gun

Scissors

Paper

Start with four pieces of paper that are the same size. You can use any type of paper, even wrapping paper! I used book pages because I use them for everything and I have a ton of old books around the house. Make sure you have clean edges.

Start folding like an accordion and then cut off the excess. Separate the four pieces and flatten them.

Fold one in half and glue together so it makes a mini fan.

Glue all of the mini fans together.

All done! I hope you like them as much as I do, they are so fun and easy to make. I think it would be so cute to make a bunch using pretty wrapping paper to hang in front of a window or above a crib. The possibilities are endless. :)

Tour: Living Room

I thought I would share a few pictures of some things I've done in the living room. There are so many fun ideas on Pinterest and I just can't get enough of decorating (and re-decorating) our living room.

This is our gallery wall. Just some random art prints that were free from here and here. The "H" is from Hobby Lobby and I painted it a mustard yellow color. The hello sign is a faux silver serving dish from the Dollar Store that I painted with chalkboard paint. The acorn is a candle from Bath and Body works, and that wood slice I found on the side of the road.

This idea is all over Pinterest, and this is just my take on it. The ball of string is from my husband's Grandpa's basement, and I bought the billy buttons on Etsy. The jars were originally clear but I spray painted them white. 

These are a few Instagram pictures that I printed at Walgreens. I wanted a way to display these and this is what I came up with. :)

And this is the 'painted wallpaper' that took me 8 hours to complete...but it was so worth it! I will be so sad when we move some day because I can't take it with us. The tutorial can be found here.

Those are the highlights! I am always changing things so when I do I will post an updated version. It's almost the weekend and I can't wait! The weather is getting warm, it will be wonderful to get out the house and spend time outside with Remy and our dog Willow. :)

DIY: Ombré hair

I jumped on the bandwagon about a week ago and decided I needed ombré hair. Now that I am staying home full time with our little girl we are definitely on a budget, which means I can't get my hair done as often! :( That being said, I love coloring/highlighting my own hair and I used to do it all the time back in high school. I picked up this highlighting kit because it's my favorite. It is SO simple to do ombré, all I did was part my hair down the middle, bring it over each shoulder and brushed the bleach on just below my chin. I took a few light swipes a little higher for that gradual effect. I let it sit for about 10 minutes, took a strand test and then washed it out. I decided I wanted it a little blonder on the very ends so I applied the bleach a second time just on my ends. I think it turned out great and I've gotten compliments---people keep asking who did it and are always surprised when I say I did! If you are on the fence about doing it yourself, I say go for it! You can always go to the salon to have it fixed if you mess up! :)

DIY: Vintage Ceiling Fan Pulls

For the past few months I have been looking all around for the perfect ceiling fan pull...the kind you would see in an old Victorian home. The store options were ugly and pricey at $6-$10 each! We needed four and I couldn't convince my husband this was a necessity (can you believe that?). These are the best solution I could come up with, and they cost a whopping $4 total.

First gather the supplies:

• crazy glue
• plastic crystals (Hobby Lobby jewelry section)
• chain & attachments (these are from Ace Hardware, get the bell shaped pull)

Next, cut the chain to the length you want, and attach the small pieces:

Super glue the top of the plastic crystal into the bell shaped pull. You might want to invest in something stronger than crazy glue--maybe gorilla glue or something because I don't know how strong this is. If you use crazy glue just make sure to pull on the chain part and not the crystal (just to be safe). I got a lot of glue on my fingers, so be prepared for that!

Make sure it is good and dry, then hang and enjoy!