DIY – Page 24 – Dust Bunnies and Dog Toys

A Master Closet Case

Published on July 29, 2013July 31, 2013 by Jenna2 Comments

As promised, here’s my plans for our Master closet. We decided to forgo having the builder install any shelving in the closets because we didn’t want to have to ‘work around’ the builder basic shelving or worse rip it out to make it functional for us. So without further a’do here’s the grand plan for our closet!

We will each get one side of the closet – of course mine is the bigger side – and my full length jewelry cabinet mirror will hang on the back wall. There is a funny little indent into the closet at the back because of our toilet being in a separate room in our Master Bath which is next door to the closet. At first that made me worry that it would be difficult to design around, but in the end it worked out pretty well for what we needed.

My side will have double bar space, laundry baskets like this, a couple shelves and a tall hanging space. Here’s the drawing of the layout. I still need to measure everything out, but since it’s a simple design I figure we can move things to fit the materials and space.

Matt’s side will be much simpler with just two rods for hanging and a top shelf along the entire space. We don’t really use the shelving in our rental’s closet so we figure we don’t need much in our house.

The funny little pop out wall will hold my high heel shoes with something like this and my boots will sit in a pretty copper boot tray at the bottom of the wall. I plan to add some sort of hanging space for my larger costume jewelry that doesn’t fit well in the mirror cabinet above the shoes.

Then the back wall will hold the mirror cabinet, which we plan to mount in the wall. Based on our preliminary measurements of the framing it should fit between the studs with just a slight shaving of the boards.

The crawlspace access is almost smack dab in the middle of the floor of our closet so we plan to put down an area rug to cover it. I figure you usually come into the closet from the bathroom to get dressed and thus want something soft and warm underfoot while choosing an outfit anyway.

Since it’s a fairly simple layout we should be able to get it set up the first day we’re in the house, especially if we measure and purchase the materials before hand, so they’re ready to be installed. The simple design also means we won’t be spending oodles on some fancy closet kit either! I think that might just be the best part of the whole project!

So that’s the master plan. What do you think?

Potty Pondering…

Published on July 28, 2013February 6, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

Now that the house is starting to take shape and I can envision the rooms within the framed walls, I’ve started thinking about details of each space. The one in particular I keep pondering the most is our master bathroom. Although I love the layout of the Master Bathroom, there isn’t much space for storage so I’m trying to incorporate storage into my design. Of course that means I have a host of ideas pinned just waiting to be put into action. Here are a few!

I plan to start with making the vanity super functional by framing in the mirror and adding shelves like this where I can display frequently used items in ‘pretty’ containers.

Inside the vanity there will be lots of organized storage with something like this. Luckily, I spotted bins similar to this at the dollar store the other day so it shouldn’t cost much to create!

Then after we settle in I want to up the ainty with a hidden drawer around the sink bowls out of the false drawer fronts. It’s perfect to hold my makeup and brushes, while the hubby’s side can house his razor and brush along with other daily use items.

I also have plans to add shelves like these above the toilet to store extra towels and toilet paper along with a few decor items just to make it pretty.

Because of the layout in our bathroom there isn’t a good spot for a towel bar within easy reach of the shower. This revelation led me to consider using towel hooks on the tiny sliver of wall next to the shower similar to this instead. I’ve really come to love the idea because I’m constantly trying to get the towels folded and hanging evenly on the double bar we have in the rental right now. Plus using hooks should make the towels dry faster!

The shower will have built in storage with two niche shelves similar to this designed to hold shampoo and other necessities. That means the shower caddy we currently use can go live in the guest bathroom!

And since there really isn’t a logical spot for a towel bar in the guest bathroom layout I’m going to put them behind the door like this. Such an great idea for a small space! I love this idea for hand towels, especially since it goes with my ‘seaside’ decor in the guest bathroom, but I plan to use it on the wall next to the vanity rather than under the window. Definitely better than those ugly towel rings, which I despise.

I also love this idea for both bathrooms! How unique is that! And super simple to change out! Apparently there is a wealth of styles and varieties to choose from, so I’ll have to pick something different for each potty!

Simple, Rustic Monograms

Published on July 5, 2013 by JennaLeave a comment

I recently created these monogram wall hangings as inventory for a local craft show using materials I had on hand. A cork square, a little burlap, some cord, my Silhouette machine and a sharpie is all I needed. First I covered the 6” cork square with burlap, wrapping it around the edges and securing it on the back with hot glue.

Next I designed a variety of popular initials and cut them out on either paper or wax paper. This was the first time I’d used wax paper to make a stencil and found that it tended to curl once removed from the cutting mat, so the regular paper seemed to work a little better, although I had to be careful not to tear it.

I pinned the stencil to the board and traced an outline of the letter with my sharpie. From there I just colored inside the lines to fill in the remainder of the letter.

Then I attached a bit of fabric cord in a loop at the top of the board on the back with some more hot glue to make a simple hanger. I think they turned out pretty darn cute and priced them at just $5 due to their simple construction. I still have several available in my Etsy shop and still have materials to make more if you need a letter I haven’t created yet.

I also made these fabric bulletin boards using the same method, sans the stenciling portion. It makes them just a little prettier than the basic cork tile on the wall.

I just love quick, easy craft projects, don’t you?!

I Can See The Light

Published on June 30, 2013February 6, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

Now that we are moving forward with construction on our new home – finally breaking ground THIS WEEK!! EEKK! – I’m starting to think obsess about the little details we will soon be choosing. Light fixtures are my current focus. I know it’s one of the LAST things we will need to pick out, but it’s what my brain wants to think about apparently.

Ever since I heard someone on HGTV describe the basic builder grade fixture as a “nipple light” or “boob light” I’ve been obstinately prejudiced to them. I also don’t want fixtures that will collect dust and require me to climb on ladders to constantly clean or suffer increased allergies if I’m lazy busy. Luckily the hubs isn’t extremely picky when it comes to these types of details and lets me pretty much have free rein since I usually pick something he’s ok with. I really love that we have such similar tastes!

I did drag him to a lighting store downtown that I’d spotted and wanted to check out, but in the end he’s glad I did because we found this! A propeller styled ceiling fan! How cool is that?! (Sorry for the crappy iPhone pic, but that’s the best I could get looking up and trying to crop out the other displays.) Yes, it’s a little spendy, but we can make it fit within our allowance and I think it’s a great fit for his love of flight and the craftsman style of our home. At first he thought I was joking that I liked the prop style, but when he realized I wasn’t kidding the light bulb went on (pun intended) and he was suddenly more interested in the rest of the lighting choices.

The kitchen island will have pendant lights over it which sounds simple, but there are literally hundreds of styles of pendant lights out there these days. I was originally thinking of doing mercury glass shades, but then stumbled upon this idea and found that the hubs really likes it and wants to help make them! I guess we’ll be on the hunt for old insulators now! 🙂

I’ve been eyeing this pottery barn fixture for over year now for the dining room and found similar options like this at the big box stores for much more reasonable prices. Again the hubs liked my suggestion! I’m sensing a trend here…

Then we spotted this ceiling fan at the big box store and both immediately liked it. We thought it would be a nice compliment to the prop fan, but at a lower price tag for the Master Bedroom. We plan to add a light kit the to the bottom, which seems pretty inexpensive and easy to do. We just might have to spray paint a not so pretty brass light with ORB so it jives with the rest of the fan’s hardware.

Although I don’t love its hefty price tag, I absolutely ADORE this fixture and think it would be perfect in the entryway. I didn’t see it at the store the last time I was there and haven’t had much luck tracking it down online, so I might have to go back to the store and ask them to order me one. This is where the hub’s enthusiasm wore out. He apparently doesn’t have an opinion one way or another on this one other than the price. If you know of where I can find something similar please let me know so I can compare!

Granted there are a few spots where I plan to have the builder install a basic fixture which we will change out with a creative DIY later like this little cutie I found on Pinterest. I think it would look nice in the laundry room since I have a subtle rustic Americana theme in my laundry room décor – which is currently packed away since our rental has the washer and dryer in the garage! I’d also like to create something like this for the Studio/Office if I can find some antique crystal decanters, or try my hand at making faux mercury glass with a tutorial I found online.

We have an appointment with a sales rep at the store downtown Monday evening so we’ll see if he can fit it all in within budget. If not, we’ll get a few specialty pieces for the main traffic areas and then supplement basics elsewhere to be swapped out later as inspiration strikes. We are also narrowing in on our final choices for cabinets and counter tops so watch for a post about that soon too!

DIY Patriotic Garland

Published on June 28, 2013June 25, 2013 by Jenna1 Comment

I spotted this How Does She tutorial and decided to give it a try since I had plenty of red, white and blue ribbon left over from my recent patriotic hair clip projects and have been looking for ideas I can use on a mantel when we move to our new house. While watching a movie with the hubs, I cut a stack of 4″ pieces of each type of ribbon. I had more of some and less of others since I was using up what I had on hand, but I had enough of each color to make it work so I figured I’d just spread out the pieces of the lower quantities more to make it appear even.

I cut a 3′ piece of larger ribbon to be the base, then started tying the pieces onto this main ribbon, randomly choosing pieces of different varieties and colors – basically just eyeballing what I thought the next piece should be. Luckily the base ribbon was the first piece I had cut off that spool and it had the sticker that held the end down still attached so I used that to hold the end away from me on the arm of the easy chair. It did take the entire movie to complete but it wasn’t extremely difficult.

I’m tickled ~~pink~~ red, white and blue at the final product! The one thing I would do differently next time is make it longer. Three feet just didn’t seem to work for many of the places I thought of putting the garland. I ended up placing it across this octagon window in our family room which seemed to work pretty well. I also found that I liked it better when I twisted the direction of groups of the tied ribbons to give it a little more dimension.

I’m planning to make more just like this but in different color varieties as photography props! I’m thinking a pink one for girls, blue for boys, fall colors, maybe a rainbow or mardi gras colors, orange and black for Halloween and of course red and green for Christmas!

Once I get going I may even make a stock of them to sell to other photographers now that I’ve set up my own Etsy shop, (where I also have a stock of patriotic hair accessories!). I just have to decide what to charge for this new item. I saw a fabric garland done in the same tie-style at Michaels the other day for $14.99, but I don’t think it was a pretty or vibrant as this one. I’m thinking $15 would be a fair price, especially if I custom make one with requested colors. And because they are so light weight, it shouldn’t cost much more for shipping.

What do you think? Would you use one at a photo session you were paying for or for decor at a party you were hosting and if so, do you think that’s a fair price? What colors would you like to see? Or better yet, anyone want to place a custom order right now? 🙂

The Easiest Project Yet

Published on June 26, 2013June 24, 2013 by JennaLeave a comment

I spotted these pretty mason jar soap pumps on DecorSteals.com and immediately ordered two. Unfortunately during the checkout process I was informed that they would not ship to Alaska. UGH! Guess that was fate telling me they really were as overpriced as I thought they were – $29 a pair, plus shipping! I knew I’d pinned a DIY tutorial on how to make the same thing so I figured I’d keep my eyes peeled for pretty mason jars and pumps locally and give it a try.

About a week later my hubby took me to a deviously wonderful antique store he’d spotted while out and about. Where I found these lovlies for just $10 each.

I was twitterpaited. And then like I always do, I got distracted and they sat for weeks, until the day I needed a few items to fill the dishwasher before running a load. Now all clean and pretty and sitting on my counter, they were back on my radar. Luckily, a few days later I made a trip to Pier 1 to use the gift card my mom had gotten me for my birthday and found clear pumps for just a $1 each! Of all the things I might find at Pier 1, that certainly wasn’t one I thought I would, but I’m sure glad I did!

I was in the midst of getting lots of crafts done for an upcoming display so I wasn’t planning on working on this little project until later, but my hubby decided to make it happen and started pulling out tools. I quickly looked up the tutorial I’d saved to show him what the steps were and then followed him out to the garage to get action shots.

First he marked the center of each lid with a dot. Then he drilled a hole slightly smaller than the circumference – I love how that word makes me sound smart! – of the pump. He then took a little more off the edges of the hole until the pump would fit into the opening. Here’s the line up of each stage from far to near.

Yes, that is our garbage can being used as a work bench. I’m not the only one who longs for the day we move into our NEW home and start setting things up the way that works best for our needs – including a study work table with tool storage nearby!

At this point I returned to whatever craft I was currently working on and the hubs applied epoxy to each pump and lid to create a seal. We let them dry a day or two to make sure everything cured completely. Then he measured how long each stem should be and trimmed them down to fit.

I filled each with a healthy dose of soft soap from the bulk container I’d purchased some time ago for filling the small single hand pumps we’d had previously and then placed each in their new ‘home’. I love that each is different and has it’s own character.

All together we made four dispensers for $44. That’s less than I was going to spend online without shipping, which makes me like them even better. I think they turned out pretty darn cute and the hubs declared them “the easiest project yet!” He then noted how he was surprised I hadn’t done more for things like lotion, etc. I took that as a clue that he really does enjoy doing these little projects with me and told him I’d be sure to watch for more jars so we could make those daily use items ‘pretty’ enough to display in our new home and then promptly showed him one of my many DIY plans for the master bathroom… 🙂

Beautiful and Delicious!

Published on June 5, 2013June 2, 2013 by JennaLeave a comment

Another recent successful recipe pin was this Lemon Blueberry Bread. The first time we tried it we used frozen blue berries which all settled at the bottom. It was still super yummy, but it was a little strange having a massive clump of blue berries at the bottom of each bite.

So the second time we used fresh blue berries and as you can see they stayed throughout the batter during baking making it a better mixture of bread and berries in each bite.

Although the glaze did make a huge mess – possibly because hubby was in a hurry – it truly was the icing on the cake. I highly recommend making it with the glaze for those of you with a sweet tooth, but if you’re trying to be ‘good’ then skip it. Trust me, it will still be a delicious little treat without that little added hit of sugar.

I’ve been eating a slice of this unglazed loaf every morning with yogurt for breakfast and it’s very satisfying. While I’m sure it’s not the lowest calorie option out there, it is homemade which means no preservatives or other additives. I think this recipe will become another staple in our house!

Our First ‘Harvest’

Published on June 3, 2013June 2, 2013 by JennaLeave a comment

Our cherry tomato plant I mentioned in my last post has now produced it’s first harvest! Albeit meager, it was sweet and juicy!

And it was the perfect compliment to this homemade ranch recipe we recently tried. I found it on Facebook and decided to upload it to Pinterest for later. I’m sure glad I did.

My hubs, the hobbist chef, liked it, so I think this one is a keeper – both the man and the ranch! LOL! We added a bit more dill than it calls for, but that’s just to suit our taste. My one issue is knowing how long to keep the ‘liquid’ batch once it’s made as there is no suggestion on that in the recipe.

We also halved the recipe since we don’t need such a large quantity for just the two of us and still have enough dry mix for at least 3-4 more batches. So it’s highly economical too! Tasty and practical. That’s my kind of recipe!

Our Little Oasis

Published on May 31, 2013June 2, 2013 by Jenna3 Comments

Summer time has finally arrived here in Alaska and that means it’s time to get outside and soak it up before winter descends again in a few short months. Luckily, our rental house has a little balcony right off the main living room that is a perfect spot to sit and enjoy an evening chat. Unfortunately it was looking a little sparse when we first moved in this winter. So I decided to make it a bit more inviting.

I had already picked up two strawberry plants at the farmers market last weekend, which would be hung in the two square baskets I already had. But I was going to need a lot more than two strawberry baskets to save this sad little balcony. The first thing I knew I wanted to add was some chairs, because you can’t sit and relax without those! I contemplated purchasing some plastic chairs but didn’t want to spend almost $20 a pop – especially knowing we probably wouldn’t use them again when we move. Then I remembered we had ‘camping chairs’ which would fit well in the space. Although the chairs have a cup holder built in, I still wanted a little table in between to hold a few little things when necessary. I also knew we needed some flowers to liven up this space. So list in hand, I headed for the largest nursery in town.

I was literally amazed at this place. Not only do they have a HUGE green house full of every type of plant that grows in Alaska, they have 3 HUGE green houses! Plus they had a coffee bar and cafe along with a large gift shop! They are are so big they even do bridal registries! I could have spent all. day. long. here and still not seen everything they had.

The first thing I found was a little stool that I thought would work nicely as a table for the chairs and can later become a photo prop or garden stool. At $26 it wasn’t a super bargain, but I thought it was fairly priced. I knew it would compliment the blue chairs and make a perfect spot for one of the little citronella pots we brought with us from Kodiak. I love how the blues and greens all work together – creating a natural soothing palette. It’s almost like I planned it! 🙂

I picked out marigolds and lobelia to fill the rail baskets we already had, but when I went to hang them I realized the hooks were for a smaller top rail. Lucky for me, my ingenious hubby figured out how to tweak the hooks so they would work on this taller board. Love that man! Hopefully the marigolds add to the citronella and keep the bugs at bay so we don’t spend our evenings swatting the air. I also snagged a lavender plant for the pretty grey pot I had planted seeds in, which never spouted.

After I’d planted the strawberries in the hanging baskets I had to figure out where and how to hang them. I had these pretty bird brackets I’d purchased on DecorSteals.com for our new house several months ago and decided we should start enjoying them now. The hubs put up the brackets where I asked and I think they look great.

Near the check out we spotted a stand of nautical bell wind chimes and tested them all out to find the perfect tone (hopefully the neighbors agree!). We selected one with a dog at the end of the chime rather than the typical Alaskan bear, moose or salmon because it was more symbolic of our little family. Granted neither of our girls have tails, but they didn’t have a chime with a ‘nubby’ dog! LOL Although it was a bit of a splurge at $68, I’ve wanted one for a long time and I knew that was the standard cost for something of that size and weight, especially when you don’t have to pay shipping!

I brought a wrought iron piece out from inside to give the space a little extra flair and then placed the cherry tomato plant I snagged during another trip to the farmers’ market for just $10 under it. We already have a few tomatoes about ready to be picked and enjoyed!

I topped everything off with the little rug we already had so there’s a comfy spot to wipe any dirt off your feet before coming back inside. The hubs replaced the ripped screen so we can also enjoy the breeze from outside even when we are inside. But the best part is that everything we’ve done (except the repaired screen) can be taken down and brought to our new house as soon as it’s ready. So here’s the finished product. What do you think?

I think I’ll light my little citronella pot, sit and enjoy a nice little chat with my hubby after dinner tonight!

Boost Your Flower Power

Published on May 15, 2013June 2, 2013 by JennaLeave a comment

As I mentioned in my last post I received flowers for Mother’s Day from my hubby. Just like any girl I love receiving flowers and want them to last as long as possible. But I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make that happen. So I thought I’d share my five simple ‘Flower Power Booster” tips.

Replace water daily with fresh cool water. Remember plants are constantly searching for water and even after they are cut, flower stems suck up moisture. Replacing the water also helps prevent bacteria and mold growth which will reduce your flowers lifespan. It’s best to fill the container with cool water because it makes the petals themselves last longer. Although if you have buds that you want to coax open dip them in warm water for a few minutes. Not sure why it works, but it does.
Cut the stems. Each time you replace the water snip a small amount off the bottom of each stem. Plant cells, like your body’s cells attempt to heal wounds by creating a new layer over the exposed bits. While this sounds good in theory it prevents the moisture your flowers need to last from being sucked in. Cutting on an angle rather than straight across seems to work best.
Forget fancy flower food powder. Just add an aspirin or a little lemon-lime soda to the water each time and it will do the same thing. Any brand of either works fine.
Don’t be afraid to rearrange your flowers as things die off. I always pull out expired blooms and rearrange the remaining flowers when necessary. Sometimes I even divide them up into smaller arrangements to use throughout my house.
Put them where you will see them often. Not only does this make them more enjoyable, but it reminds you to care for them each day.

I’ve used these tricks each time I’ve received flowers and often get up to enjoy them for 2 weeks! Not only does it increase your time to enjoy their scent and beauty, but it shows appreciation for the effort someone took to get the flowers for you. And that might just make them do it more often! 🙂

And to prove that it really does work, here’s another recent flower arrangement I received from the hubs just because. The top photo was taken the day they were delivered and the bottom was 2 weeks later. Granted it wasn’t as lush as the original arrangement, but they are still looking fresh and pretty! (Sorry for the poor quality iPhone pics, but you get the idea.)