DIY – Page 13 – Dust Bunnies and Dog Toys

A Little Extra Support

Published on July 20, 2014July 23, 2014 by Jenna2 Comments

Apparently the little tropical plant I have on my desk at work is very happy in it’s home, because it has grown like wildfire. It had spread so much that I’d started using nearby picture frames and awards to support the new growth! It was getting a bit out of hand and the drooping stems weren’t growing strong enough to support the new growth.

So I decided to give my little purple plant some extra support with a trellis of sorts. I picked up some copper tubing used for plumbing at the big box hardware store. I planned to make an upward spiral, but realized I didn’t have a lot of height to work with in this spot and that plan would require tools to cut the tubing, which I didn’t have at my disposal while at the office. So instead I curled the tube around and then arched it over so I could push the ends back into the pot.

I added the new twisty trellis to over the plant and started fishing the stems up and threw it. No rhyme or reason, just gently pulling each through the loops until it seemed to sit well.

A few minutes later my little plant looked like this.

I showed off my handiwork to my co-workers who were pretty darn impressed and then placed my newly supported greenery back in it’s usual spot.

Not bad for a few dollars of tubing and a break spent creating something. 🙂

What’s in a name?

Published on July 16, 2014 by Jenna2 Comments

I ordered this cut metal name plate on one of my favorite “daily deals” websites for around $20 including shipping and love it, but I’m not sure how I want to use it. The website showed them affixed to the exterior of a building, but it’s not very large (about 12″ long by 4″ high), so I’m worried that it would get lost on the side of the house plus I’m not crazy about the idea of attaching anything to our new siding. I originally thought I’d use it out near the road as part of an address sign, but that’s a low-priority project so it will be a while before I work on that.

When it first arrived in the mail I considered making a light box so it would be lit from behind similar to the trendy marque letters everyone is DIYing these days, but I’m not sure where I’d use that either. I’ve also considered painting it, adding some metal stakes and using it as garden art in the landscaping that will come once the fence is installed around the backyard or in the rain garden. I even went as far as pulling out some paint options.

But I just can’t commit. I’ve searched Pinterest for ideas and haven’t come up with anything beyond what I’ve already considered, so I want to hear your suggestions. How and where would you use it? Would you paint it? If so, what color? I’m betting someone will have an amazing idea that will make me say – Why didn’t I think of that?! And inspire me to make it happen!

Free & Easy!

Published on July 13, 2014 by Jenna2 Comments

I recently found some pretty green bottles and instantly knew that I wanted to use them in the kitchen for the hand and dish soap. I lucked out and the top from the store dish soap bottle fit the glass bottle perfectly. It even screwed on tight without a hassle.

The hand pump was a little more difficult. I tried a pump like the one we used on the mason jar soap bottles, but it wasn’t the right size to fit the opening. I had a small hand soap bottle in our bathroom that had a larger pump so I decided to try that. That one did fit, unfortunately the stem wasn’t long enough to reach the soap at the bottom of the bottle.

Then I remembered that we had a package of flexible straws somewhere and wondered if that might fit the pump. I dug through the cabinets and found them, then tested out the length next to the bottle. It seemed like it would work, so I pulled the old stem out of the pump and pushed the straw in. The connection was a little loose due to the flexible part of the straw, but it stayed snugly attached as I fussed with it.

Since it seemed pretty secure, I put everything together and gave the pump a couple pushes. It took a few before the soap started flowing, but when it did it worked just fine. It’s been about a week now and it’s still working great, so I guess my little DIY rig is good enough. And it’s a whole lot prettier than the plastic store bottles!

I’m not crazy about the different colors of the two tops, but they work and I’m probably the only one who notices it. Plus the bottles fit the little tray I’d been using to hold their plastic predecessors as if it was made just for them, leaving just enough room for the sponge. But the best part about the whole project is that it was 100% free! Now if only I could get all my projects to be this affordable and easy. 🙂

A Quick Fix

Published on May 30, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

When we first brought Luna home, she took out her anxiety on my storage bench in the Master Closet. Since my other chitlins had somehow stained the seat while we lived in the rental house I wasn’t too upset about it.

But now that we’ve passed the “settling in” phase and she is secure in her role of ruling the DB&DT household, it was time to fix this little blemish.

I dug through my fabric stash and decided a tan microsuede remnant was the perfect match for the master bedroom decor and was just the right size for the project. Apparently, Luna felt a tad bit guilty about her role in creating the problem, so she wanted to help by taking her bath right next to the board as I worked on it.

A few staples and snips later, it looks better than new!

So good in fact, that the Princess herself came to give it a royal approval!

And then pause to appreciate how pretty she was after her bath!

Hopefully, she has no plans to tear up her new throne now that it’s been upgraded. 🙂

2 Step Bench Update

Published on May 20, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

Remember my $25 bench? This is what it looked like when we first got it. It was pretty enough, but it was definitely worn and in need of some TLC.

This weekend the sun was shining and I just couldn’t resist doing projects outside. Since my yard is still on hold while waiting for the builder to clean and grade our lot, I focused my energy on other outdoor tasks like updating the bench. While the fur babies played in the yard, I moved the bench out to the driveway and did a quick sanding by hand to even out a few rough spots.

Next, I applied a dark stain we had on hand and about 30 minutes later, this was the result! It looks a meeeelllion times better and I didn’t spend a dime! It just doesn’t get better than that!

Since it’s just a tad big for the corner of the porch, I plan to put it down by the rain garden so I have a spot to sit and appreciate the blooms. That means I’m now on the hunt for some outdoor chairs in need of a touch up to fill my empty porch! 🙂

Peter Cottontail Gets a Facelift

Published on April 20, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

Happy Easter! I thought I’d share a little Easter craftiness today. I’ve had this cute little bunny yard stake for several years and as you can see, the Alaskan spring weather has done a number on it. So I decided it was time Peter Cottontail get a facelift!

I had the hubs give him a good coat of white spray paint. I had planned to touch up his facial features with craft paint but then I remembered I had a bunch of colored sharpies so I picked out a cute pink and went for it. Once he had a pink nose and grin he did look a little girly so I decided to give him a little bow tie to help balance out the pink. I pulled a purple ribbon left over from our wedding invitations out of my supply stash and fluffed until I was happy with the shape.

Now he looks good as new. In fact you could say he was resurrected, which is a perfect reminder of the real reason behind this wonderful holiday!

Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten any landscaping in yet thanks to the slow spring thaw and the need to wait for the builder to come clean the lot of all the debris they left in the snow. So I propped him up next to the garage with some rocks. Maybe next year our landscaping will include a bunny trail that brings some other cotton-tailed friends to the yard.

Pinterest Pass/Fail Roundup

Published on March 10, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

Not many posts on this blog don’t mention Pinterest, so I figured it was high time I do a recap of which Pinterest projects were considered ‘pass’ and which were a ‘fail’. So let’s look back and see just which is worthy of it’s own “nailed it” joke.

Passes:

Pantry Spice Rack – Although we deviated from the original design a bit, it still worked perfectly.
Cache Pot – Still the easiest Pinterest project ever, although I’ve found that the glue dots don’t hold quite as well as I thought they would and opening the jar can be a bit of a pain since it seals so tight. I’m still trying to figure out a bag system so the inside won’t rust, but overall it does what it’s supposed to.
Mason Jar Soap Dispensers – We’ve had a few of the pump heads pop off, but I blame that on the quality of the item. I’ve screwed them right back on and they worked fine.
Crown Molding Shoe Racks – These turned out a little different than I envisioned but they are working great. Now I just have to get around to painting them!
Washer & Dryer Pedestals (post coming soon) – I love having the washer and dryer raised. Unfortunately, our platform was damaged during construction and hasn’t been fixed yet, which is why the post hasn’t happened.
Closet Laundry Baskets – Still one of the best Pinterest finds in my book. We again deviated a bit from the original design, but it works for us and that’s what matters.
Baby Shower Diaper Cake – Granted mine wasn’t quite as pretty as the Pinterest version, but it got lots of ooohhhs and ahhhs at the party.
Cupcake Stand – I love how this turned out, although the hot glue wasn’t strong enough to hold for transit back and forth. I plan to reattach the pieces with a stronger adhesive when I need such a piece again.
Party Punch – Yummy and simple. Can’t beat that!
Upholstered Guest Headboard (pre-blog) – It was so simple I showed the hubby a picture and he did it one afternoon before I got home from work without any direction. Our design was similar to this, but with different fabric.
Kitchen Island Glass Insulator Pendant Lights – Still one of the most visited projects on this blog and one of my favorites.
Permanent Marker Removal – Who knew! And it works!
Desk – It’s still not my dream set-up, but it works for now and it’s sure better than a folding table!
Gold Toed Shoes – I’m not sure mine are as cute as her’s, but I might be a bit self critical.
Curly Bun Updo – A success from a fail. Gotta love that.
Lemon Blueberry Bread (pre-blog) – This recipe has created addicts and raised over $300 for charity! I bet it’s original creator never imagined that.
Stove Cleaner – I certainly don’t miss the flat surface stove, or cleaning it.
Natural Cleaners – I actually need to make up another batch of DIY Febreeze because I finally ran out. Love how both work and plan to continue using them. I also started using the DIY makeup brush cleaner recipe and am pleased with that as well.
Terrariums – These suckers did so well that the plants literally outgrew their containers and had to be replanted. A few didn’t survive the transplant, but that happens.
Drop Cloth Curtains (update coming soon on how these are being used at the new house) – So glad I found this idea now that we have SUPER tall windows!
Magnet Bobby Pin Holder – A close runner-up for easiest project yet. And it works like the dickens.
DIY Laundry Detergent (post coming soon) – I wanted to use the recipe for a while before talking about it, but so far so good. And it’s not that complicated to make either.

Fails:

Ombre Shirt Dying – This project didn’t turn out all bad, but it certainly didn’t end like I thought it would, which is why I’ve classified it as a fail.
No Heat Curls – Epic failure. Maybe it’s the magic of YouTube or minimal detail on web cameras, but whatever it is, my hair does not respond well to this method. Seems I’m destined to get my curls the time-consuming old fashioned way (shakes fist in the air)
Rug Stop Silicone – I’ve seen this idea all over Pinterest, and with two rambunctious pups running around it seemed like an easy solution to a constant problem. Unfortunately, it did NADA for our sliding rugs. However, the store bought rug stop under the entire rug does seem to do the trick.

And the winner of the “nailed it” award is….No Heat Curls! It was so horrible I couldn’t even take a picture of it! LOL

Now that I’ve rounded up the good and the bad and the down-right ugly, it’s obvious that the majority of the ideas I find are acceptable passes. I guess that means my Pinterest addiction isn’t that bad after all. 😉

Benched

Published on February 24, 2014May 20, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

I haven’t been having much luck on the local buy/sell pages or Craigslist so I was stunned when I happened upon a post for a wooden bench for $40 and NO ONE had claimed it yet. I immediately commented that I’d come get it that evening or could send the hubs that afternoon.

Once I commented that gal messaged me and said she had just realized there was a bolt missing on one side so she would reduce the price to $25. Um, no I don’t have a problem with that! I texted the hubs the info and let her know that he’d be by soon.

It turned out to be as nice as the photo portrayed it to be, so we’ve placed it on the front porch for the time being. It does fit there fairly well, although it might be better on a bit of an angle. I have a sneaking suspicion that once we start getting the yard put together come spring, it might end up elsewhere. Especially since it would make a wonderful photo prop for clients who want to split their session with indoor and outdoor shots! 😉

It turns out the missing bolt isn’t too big of a deal. It is kind of important to make it more stable, but thanks to the return of the snow, we don’t spend a whole lot of time sitting outside.

It’s also makes the perfect perch for Luna now that she’s started going outside on her harness when we take the dogs out to play. She’s not very fond of the cold and wants absolutely noting to do with snow, so she investigates the corners for the porch and then resumes her lofty viewpoint to watch her siblings bound around like crazies in the frozen wilderness.

And when she’s had enough, she goes to the door and says so! LOL

She’s used to being on her harness outside at her previous home, so we’ve continued that policy here for now. Hopefully, she’ll eventually get to a point where she goes out without it, although then she’ll have to have a collar with a bell so she doesn’t get too close to the birdies I plan to entice to our yard this summer!

An Organized Routine

Published on February 19, 2014 by Jenna2 Comments

If you’ve read this blog at all you know I crave organization. Maybe I’m OCD, maybe I’m just weird, but whatever the reason, I need a routine and having a ‘home’ for everything. It makes life less stressful when I know where things are and can find them right away.

That’s exactly why my morning routine needed some organizing. I had all the items I use on a daily basis in the bathroom, but most of them lived under the counter and had to be pulled out one-by-one as needed. Then I saw this post on one of my favorite blogs and had an epiphany. I could put all of those items in one container and pull it out each morning! When I’m done, I just put it back under the counter, out of sight.

It took a few shopping trips to various retailers, but I eventually found a three compartment basket made of vinyl. Not only is it pretty, it’s durable and waterproof. Perfect for daily use in a bathroom! I organized everything into groups of how I use each. First are the things I apply after getting out of the shower – lotion, deodorant, perfume. All of my hair brushes and products are in the back compartment because they are usually taller. The center compartment holds my toothpaste, jewelry cleaner and other items that don’t fit into either of the other compartments.

I also brought some organizing to my make-up drawer, by lining all my items up in the order I tend to use them. Luckily, I keep it pretty minimal when it comes to make-up so I was able to keep it pretty simple. I have a few items that I only use occasionally, so I keep them in the back of the drawer. This is the same drawer I described in my last post, where I used magnets to hold my bobby pins.

Have you organized your morning routine? Do you have tips on what worked or advice on what not to do? Share them below!

Finishing Touches in the Pantry

Published on February 2, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

Thanks to a great BOGO Free sale and gift cards from Christmas I recently finished up the pantry. Because I wanted to add some more baskets now that we had more room, I decided to replace the ones we’d been using since we were in Kodiak – which will be repurposed in the studio and the spare room.

I also picked up some tiered racks for things like olive oil, bbq sauce, etc, and added a lazy susan next to it for the spices that didn’t make it into the spice rack.

Additional turntables in the remaining corners created accessible storage for drink ingredients, sauces and jellys.

The hubs made use of the wall space next to the door by hanging the cooling racks and fryer scoop.

Just like he did in the guest bathroom closet, the hubs added an additional light to the pantry for those items that are on the lower shelves.

Up above there is room for the rotisserie, a basket with spare grease cans, the hubs’ cast iron pan, paper towels and a basket for storing plastic bags. I went back to get that big basket after the BOGO sale, and ended up getting a super deal because it rung up on clearance for much less than what I anticipated paying with my 40% off coupon!

The bottom of the pantry became home to the dog food and recycle containers, with room left over to store my soda habit.

My final pantry project was the jars for our sugar, flour and other staples (seen in the picture above). It was a fairly simple project. I picked up several of these screw top jars on sale at Fred Meyers.

I put them right to use and had to come up with a quick temporary labeling system until I had time to make something pretty. So I grabbed my trusty dry erase marker and hand wrote each item. That of course didn’t last long.

Based on that, I knew I didn’t want to do the cute chalkboard labels I see all over Pinterest. Instead I decided to create vinyl labels for each with my Silhouette.

They turned out pretty nice! I love that they are easy to read and should hold up to repeated use. Plus they look pretty spiffy all together on the shelf.

And that’s our pantry. It’s the perfect marriage of organization and inventory, which not only makes me giddy, but keeps the happy as well. I think that’s a sign of a project well done. 🙂