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Easy DIY Macrame Christmas Tree

November 10, 2019 by Eileen 1 Comment

This post will show you how to make an easy DIY macrame Christmas tree decoration – perfect for decorating your mantel or bookshelves.

I just love this time of year.

And, there’s something so fun about making your own holiday decor.

You get to be creative, save money, and do something you love.

This week, our theme is 2-hour holiday decor. If you’re just joining us, every week for the month a talented group of DIY crafters and bloggers are sharing weekly themed projects.

Last year, I made this buffalo check wooden Christmas tree decor, and this year I’m sharing how to make this easy macrame holiday tree decoration.

Be sure to scroll to the end of the post to see all of the amazing holiday decorations that everyone made. I know you’ll be inspired 🙂

How to Make a Macrame Christmas Tree

This is a super simple DIY that anyone can make. You don’t need any fancy skills to do this – just a desire to make something.

If you like working with your hands, it’s the perfect craft for you, and it’s wonderful to create something from nothing using your hands.

If you don’t want to make this into a stand, you can make this into a wall hanging or even an ornament.

And stay tuned to the end – I have a fun modification for kids!

Materials for the Macrame Christmas Tree

Macrame cord
Thin wooden dowels (mine were 1/8” x 12”)
Popsicle stick
String of rhinestones
1 wood round for the stand
Wooden star
Optional: more embellishments
Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
Scissors

Making the Macrame Tree

First, take two wooden dowels and place them together at a point (think top of a triangle).

Take a popsicle stick and place it at the bottom to make the bottom of the triangle.

Then you’ll want to hot glue the bottom of the wooden dowels to the popsicle stick with a drop of glue on each side.

Make sure the dowels are still keeping the triangle shape at the top as the glue sets.

Then place a drop of hot glue and between the top two dowels.

You don’t want to glue one dowel on top of the other – you want the dowels to come to a point. Gently hold the dowels while the glue dries.

Next you’ll take one more wooden dowel and you’ll glue this to the middle of the triangle. You’ll want to have some stick out at the bottom to be your tree trunk.

Wrapping the Macrame

Next, you’ll start wrapping the macrame around the wooden dowels to make the DIY Christmas tree.

You can just wrap the macrame around and around, or you can do a pattern, like I did. Play around with the macrame and see what you like best.

To begin, I unwrapped a portion of my macrame ball and cut it, in order to work with a smaller ball of macrame. This way I could loop it better.

If you look at the materials picture at the beginning of the post, you can get a feel for the amount I used.

First, I just wrapped the macrame around the top inch or so of the tree. You can use a drop of hot glue to hold the string at the top.

After that, I started looping the macrame in a pattern.

Here’s the pattern I made:

Once your macrame is on the right side, take your ball of macrame over and place it through the left side of the triangle.

Then, pull the ball of macrame from the back.

Now, your macrame will be on the left side. That’s one loop.

Next, take the ball of macrame and place it through the right side of the triangle.

Pull it from the back. Continue this pattern.

The pattern should look like this (before you tighten it up):

Here’s what the pattern looks like a little farther down:

Once I got to the end of the tree, I needed to supplement with a little hot glue to hold the macrame in place, especially as I went around the popsicle stick.

I just did a simple loop here to hide the popsicle stick.

Embellishing and Adding the Tree Stand

With the macrame finished, I just had to decorate the tree and add the tree stand. I found this little wooden star I added to the top.

Of course, I adorned it with some rhinestones first.

Once the tree was done, I added strands of gemstones to act as holiday lights. I spaced these out evenly and alternated pearls and light pink rhinestones.

Then, I added a drop of hot glue to the middle of a wood round. I held the tree in place until the glue dried.

I love how simple but elegant it looks.

You can make a whole bunch of these in different sizes and patterns to create some fun holiday mantel decor for cheap!

Time and Cost of the Macrame Christmas Tree

I spent under $10 on the materials, and it took me about 2 hours to make.

Alternative for Kids

My son loves doing crafts together, and he always wants to make something similar all on his own.

So while I was working on this macrame craft, I set him up with a popsicle stick tree along with green yarn. He went to town and made this cute little Christmas tree. We glued it down to a little wooden stand and now he and his sister have a Christmas tree for their dollhouse. 🙂

I love giving my kids opportunities to be creative – and this was a fun one for him!

Be sure to check out the other DIY holiday decor projects this week! And, I’ll be back next week sharing another fun holiday project.

See More Holiday 2-Hour Decor Projects

More Projects You’ll Love

If you missed last week’s project, check out this easy no-sew holiday embroidery hoop.
Like working with macrame? Try DIY string art with this simple holiday scene.
Need some homemade gift ideas? Check out these fun gift ideas you can make!

10-Minute Floral Embroidery Hoop Wreath

October 7, 2019 by Eileen Leave a Comment

Learn how to make a floral hoop wreath in just 10 minutes! Perfect for a simple seasonal wreath or for wedding decor.

I have to admit that this was the first wreath I’ve made (although I did make this pretty cool holiday star last year).

I always see all these gorgeous how to make a wreath tutorials on Pinterest and Instagram, but they always seem so complicated.

However, I had a huge embroidery hoop taking up too much space in my craft closet that I was determined to make use of it.

The embroidery hoop was from a display at my sister’s wedding.

In fact, all of the materials I used for this floral embroidery hoop wreath were items I found around my house.

I love a use-what-I-have project 🙂

In making this wreath, I wanted to make a fall wreath but with more modern colors than your typical deep reds, oranges, and browns.

Not that I don’t love those colors, but I wanted to make something lighter and fun.

This floral embroidery hoop wreath with wood bead accent made for the perfect fun fall wreath.

How to Make an Embroidery Hoop Wreath

If you haven’t made a wreath before either, this is so super simple!

If I can do it, you can too!

It just involves some snipping, some gluing, and a little watercolor paint.

Gather Wreath-Making Materials

First, I gathered my materials.

My materials for this embroidery hoop wreath consisted of the embroidery hoop, two bunches of flowers, wood beads, ribbon, watercolor paint, and twist ties.

I also needed my hot glue gun, glue, and heavy duty scissors for snipping the stems.

At the end of this post, I have an easy print-out of materials and instructions, so keep reading for that!

The Floral Component

For the flowers, I had these pretty flowers that I also used for my sister’s wedding. They were from one of the craft stores.

I love the leaves because they almost have the feeling of felt. However, the flowers were red, and I wanted this wreath to have a softer look for fall.

So, I clipped off the red flowers and used them for another project (making a 3D cardboard tree with my son).

Replacing Flowers with Beads

Once I removed the red flowers, I decided to hot glue wooden beads to the spots where some of the flowers were.

I thought the wooden beads would look so nice with the wooden embroidery wreath. Unfinished wood has such a pretty look to it, doesn’t it?!

And, I love these wooden beads. I’ve been incorporating them into so many DIYs lately.

Even though I loved the wooden beads, I wanted to add a little bit of fall into this wreath.

So I decided to give some of the wooden beads a light coat of watercolor paint in orange and brown.

I just used my kids’ watercolor paints, which were perfect for this light coat of paint. I used mostly water – just a dab of the color.

Don’t you love the way it turned out?!

My kids joined in and helped paint too. I love giving them opportunities to be creative, and they really enjoy it.

Attaching Flowers & Beads

Next, I was ready to start attaching the flowers to the embroidery wreath.

I had a feeling I would want to reuse the embroidery hoop again, so I didn’t want to go overboard with the hot glue.

Also, I grabbed a few green twist ties from the kitchen to help hold the flowers together.

I wanted to hide the tightening part of the embroidery hoop, so I flipped the wreath so this would be at the bottom (see below pic).

Next, I laid the flowers down on the wreath and snipped a few stems here and there that wouldn’t be worth gluing down.

I placed both stem bunches on the embroidery tightening box and overlapped them (see below).

After that, I hot glued a few spots (bottom on the tightening box, bottom left, and bottom right).

I used the twist ties to keep the higher parts of the flowers attached and hid the twist ties with the greenery.

Then, I started laying out where the wooden beads would go. I tried to scatter them here and there.

The beads are a little heavy, so you’ll want to choose areas where they won’t dangle (unless you are going for that look).

Once you are happy with the placement of the wooden beads, you can hot glue these on.

Adding Ribbon

Last, I cut a strip of burlap ribbon and tied it into a bow. I actually used the inside of burlap ribbon that I had.

The ribbon was a little too much, so I just used the other side.

Since the wreath was so simple, I didn’t want a bow that was too extravagant – hence, the inside out ribbon.

Hanging on the Wall

To hang the embroidery wreath on the wall, you can use 3M command hooks and just rest the embroidery hoop on the hook (see below).

Or, you can cut a piece of ribbon and loop it on – whichever look you prefer!

Time and Cost

The embroidery hoop wreath with wooden beads took only ten minutes to put together.

I had all the materials, so it was a no-cost project for me!

However, if you need to purchase all the materials, it would probably cost you $15-20. Be sure to use a coupon at the craft stores!

Once I was finished with the embroidery hoop floral wreath, I hung it on the inside of my front door.

I love coming down the stairs and seeing it in the morning – it definitely makes me smile.

That’s what I love about DIY projects. Not only are they fun to make, but you get to create something that you’ll enjoy!

Even though I love how the wreath turned out, I’m trying to live more simply with less stuff!

So I have a feeling I’ll be removing these greens and turning this into some kind of holiday wreath next 🙂

I’m sure I’ll reuse those beads and flowers too.

Stay tuned for that tutorial!

Below you can find an easy list of the materials and instructions for how to make the floral embroidery wreath tutorial.

10-Minute Floral Embroidery Hoop Wreath

Here are the easy instructions for how to make this simple embroidery hoop wreath - perfect for fall and for wedding decor.

Active Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Difficulty Easy

Materials

Large embroidery hoop
Two bunches of greenery
Wood craft beads
Burlap ribbon
Watercolor paints
Twist ties
3M hook for hanging

Tools

Instructions

Lay out your greenery on your embroidery hoop. If you have a tightening box, position this on the bottom - to be covered with the greenery.
Take your wooden beads and lay them out on the greenery to gauge about how many you'll need.
Paint your wooden beads (or leave them wooden if you prefer).
Once dry, hot glue your beads to the greenery.
Use hot glue to attach the greenery to the wreath. Clip any stems or ends of the greenery that are unnecessary.
Use green twist ties to hold the the upper greenery in place.
Add a ribbon in the bottom middle. Tie it into a simple bow.
Hang up and enjoy!

10 Amazing Decor Items You Can DIY for less than $20

September 30, 2019 by Eileen Leave a Comment

Check out these amazing home decor items that you can make yourself for less than $20.

Home decor items can get pretty expensive.

It’s easy to just avoid buying home decor because just a couple items can definitely add up.

That’s pretty much what I do.

I have a soft spot for throw blankets and pillows – but anything else I usually fawn over, and then talk myself out of it because of the price.

However, one thing I am learning as I lean into this fun little DIY world is that you can DIY so many home decor items.

Not only will this save money, but you get to be creative – which is an amazing and productive feeling (one of my first home decor projects was this three-piece world wall art which I still adore).

If you’re looking for DIY home decor ideas or you are looking to save money while decorating, I’ve compiled such a fun collection of home decor that you can DIY.

These projects are amazing! After you see the creativity, you’ll definitely be inspired to create anything.

From gorgeous DIY laundry bins to side tables to bookends, each of the home decor projects cost less than $20 to make and shows you the full step-by-step tutorial on how to make it yourself.

And yes, I definitely should learn to make pillows covers and throws 🙂

Gorgeous Home Decor You Can DIY for less than $20

Looking to decorate your home and save money? Check out these gorgeous home decor creations that were all DIYed for less than $20. Most projects cost around $10 or less.

Rolling Laundry Bin Made From Fencing

Photo Credit: happilyeverafteretc.com

This beautiful, rustic rolling laundry bin was made from wire fencing and canvas! Betsy from Happily Ever After Etc shares all the details on she made this gorgeous laundry bin for less than $10.

Simple Wood Lantern

Photo Credit: www.creativeramblingsblog.com

These beautiful wood lanterns were made from wooden plaques from the craft store! So creative, right?! Sarah from Creative Ramblings shares all of the details on how you can make these easy lanterns too for less than $10.

Side Table with Antique Legs

Photo Credit: www.diybeautify.com

How gorgeous is this side table?! CIndy from DIY Beautify made this round side table with antique legs and then stenciled a beautiful quilt pattern on the tabletop - all for less than $20!

Decorative Pillow Covers

Photo Credit: www.twofeetfirst.net

I am loving these DIY pillow covers from Megan over at Two Feet First. She shows you how to sew these covers. Pillow covers are such a great way to not end up with 100 pillows 🙂 Her instructions are so thorough - you can easily make these too!

Multipurpose Side Table

Photo Credit: thediydreamer.com

This easy side table cost less than $20 to build, and you can use it in multiple ways - including as a laptop station pulled up to the couch! Christine from The DIY Dreamer shares all the steps - be sure to check them out!

Easy Wooden Bookends

Photo Credit: www.justmeasuringup.com

These bunny bookends we made turned out so cute, and you can use any shape - it doesn't have to be a bunny! Yet, the bunny is super cute for kids rooms and nurseries. This was a no cost project for us because we used all scrap wood.

Throw Blanket with Chunky Tassels

Photo Credit: www.savvyapron.com

This gorgeous DIY throw blanket is homemade, and Sherry from The Savvy Apron shows us exactly how! She found a great deal on fabric and created pretty throw for her son's room. Definitely check out her thrifty and creative tips.

Easy DIY Painted Wood Sign

Photo Credit: thefrugalhomemaker.com

I am loving this wooden sign from Christina at The Frugal Homemaker. She made the sign with carbon paper and printed letters - no stencil or cutting machine! It turned out so pretty - be sure to check out all the details on this easy wooden sign.

DIY Framed Leaf

Photo Credit: www.bitterrootdiy.com

How adorable is this beautiful leaf centerpiece?! Tylynn from Bitterroot DIY found this adorable ornament at the craft store and built a beautiful stand for it.

Schoolhouse Wall Hooks

Photo Credit: www.tmoorehome.com

This gorgeous modern hook rack not only holds so much, but it's absolutely stunning. Teri from T. Moore Home created this with modern schoolhouse style in mind. Be sure to check out her post for all the details on how to make this and about this gorgeous style.

How inspired are you right now?!

These DIY home decor projects were so creative – and employed the use of so many ingenious things – from the wood plaque lanterns to the laundry basket made with fencing.

With the holidays around the corner, there are definitely some great gift ideas in there too! It’s hard to find gifts for less than $20, but making one these creative home decor DIYs not only would save money but it would be a special gift for someone.

How to Make Easy DIY Wood Bookends

September 15, 2019 by Eileen 3 Comments

Learn how to build DIY wood bookends with this easy tutorial. These DIY bunny bookends are perfect for keeping kids’ books organized – and it was a zero cost project!

Lately, I’ve been noticing just how much my kids adore creative time.

The first thing my preschooler said today was, “Daddy, can you go the store so that Mommy and I can do a fall craft?”

I laughed as I overheard it, but I absolutely love how much he values his craft time.

In addition to giving the kids plenty of time for crafts and creativity, my husband and I also have started creating things just for them.

They see us constantly building and creating things for the house. So it makes them feel so important when we make them something special.

We just made this sand and water table for their birthdays, which was such a hit! So funny how much kids love sensory tables.

Today, we are sharing how we made these simple bookends for our daughter’s nursery.

Nursery Bookends

Our daughter’s nursery needed a little love.

We previously painted a heart accent wall, but other than that she got a lot of leftover things from her brother’s nursery.

I was recently in Hobby Lobby and saw these cute star and moon bookends. I decided to make own using bunnies.

My daughter adores all animals but especially bunnies.

I also knew bookends would be a simple project that I could handle making.

My husband has tons of wood leftover from all our projects. I knew he wouldn’t miss it.

Plus, he loves when I work in the garage because I always leave it neater than it was before – he’s a mess!

At Home DIY

With our At Home DIY challenge being home decor this month, I figured it was a great time to make something special for my daughter’s room.

For the At Home DIY challenge, we’ve collaborated with several talented DIY bloggers and we all create a project with the same thing each month. This month’s theme is to make any home decor for less than $20. Be sure to scroll to the end of the post to check out all the projects.

How to Build Wood Bookends

This DIY bunny bookends project was super simple, and it was a no-cost project. I love creating something out of things we have.

Choosing and Cutting Wood for the Bookends

I first found scrap ¾” thick boards I found that would be perfect for the DIY bookends:

To create the book ends, I needed to cut out four pieces – 2 pieces of 4.5”x4.5” and 2 pieces of 4.5”x5.25”.

I figured this size would on the smaller side (less clunky) and perfect for small kids books.

The two different sizes of boards would be attached perpendicular to each other.

I brought the scrap wood pieces over to the table saw to cut them to size.

Attaching the Wood for the DIY Bookends

With the pieces cut, I applied some construction adhesive and finishing nails to make a book end.

A bar clamp also came in handy to hold the wood in place while I drove some nails in.

Sketch Your Shape

At this point, I took the bookends up to my craft room to figure out the bunny.

I traced the “L” bookend shape on a piece of scrap paper.

I freehand drew a sketch of a bunny and kept refining it until I was happy with the outline and the size (compared to the “L” of the bookend).

After you’re finished and happy with your sketch, cut it out and hold it up to the bookend to make sure you’re happy with it.

Drawing Tips

If you are stuck on how to draw your shape, google the shape you’re making and the word “outline” i.e. dog outline.

Then, you can focus on just the perimeter and not get caught up in the details. Or, if you’re using a bunny, feel free to grab the outline out of our resource library.

Making the Bunny Wood Cut-Out

Making the wood bunny was pretty simple, but it did take a little time.

Trace the Cut-Out

Once back in the garage, I traced the outline of the bunny onto the wood twice – one for each bookend.

Using the Scroll Saw for the Wood Cut-Outs

I opted for the scroll saw to cut out the wood bunnies. I wanted to preserve all the details of the bunny outline, and a scroll saw was perfect to get accurate cuts.

Here are the cut out bunnies resting in the book ends:

Finish and Paint for the Bunny Bookends

Because I’m so indecisive it took me a while to figure out what I was doing with the bunny and the bookends paint-wise.

I debated about painting the bookends white and the bunny light brown.

I started to paint the bunny light brown; however, I just wasn’t happy with it.

Then I decided to leave the bookends wooden and paint the bunny white.

Tung Oil for the Bookends

Happy with the painted white bunny decision, I used pure Tung oil on the wooden bookends.

Here are the bookends halfway through the Tung oil process (oil applied to the left bookend, and nothing yet applied to the second one on the right):

Painting the Bunny

I used Decoart white acrylic paint to paint the bunny.

Then, I painted the inside of the ears with a pink shade I made from red, and I drew on the face with a sharpie. I also did a little pink heart shape on the bunnies nose with the acrylic paint.

Attaching the Bunnies to the bookends

With the bookends stained with Tung oil and the bunnies painted, it was time to attach the two.

I considered using just construction adhesive to secure the bunnies, but this sounded two permanent.

I was toying with the idea of swapping out the bunnies with other designs throughout the year (Santa bookends anyone?)

But, I ended up just using two screws underneath the bookends to attach the bunnies.

I made sure to pre-drill two holes centered on the base of the bookends. Then held the bunnies in place while I inserted two screws.

Time and Cost for the DIY Bunny Bookends

Making these bunny bookends took about 3 hours, and it was a no-cost project. We used scrap wood and paints we already had! Can’t beat that 🙂

My daughter absolutely loves the DIY bunny bookends. They look adorable in her nursery. Of course, my son adores them too and asked if we could make him skunk bookends. 🙂

If you’re up for a simple woodworking project, definitely try your hand at making DIY bookends. If you’re not up for the woodworking aspect, make something else for your kids or with your kids. I’m sure they’ll adore the creative time.

And if you are wondering if my son and I ended up doing our fall craft – we did. We made a 3D fall tree that he adores. We’re still gluing on the leaves and flowers, but if it turns out nice, I’ll share that too.

See more $20 DIY Decor Projects

7 DIYs You Can Make for Your Walls (In Under Two Hours)

July 31, 2019 by Eileen Leave a Comment

Decorating your walls can be tough sometimes.

There’s so many choices to make – the arrangement, the colors, the size.

What I have found in decorating my walls is to DIY it. You can create custom things for your space, making your wall art exactly the way you want it.

It’s easier and cheaper than buying from the store, and you’ll have so much pride in the fact that you created something beautiful for your home.

Today I am sharing 7 DIY ideas for your walls and guess what? You can make any of these in under 2 hours! So if you are pressed on time (as we all seemed to be these days), if you can set aside just a few hours then you can create any of these beautiful pieces for your walls.

7 DIY Ideas for Your Walls

If you're looking to fill some blank space in your walls and you have two hours of time, check out the below 7 ideas for your walls that you can DIY yourself in just under two hours. From pretty wall art to framed out mirrors to window cornices, these creative ideas will get your wheels spinning.

No-Sew Easy Embroidery Wall Art

Photo Credit: www.shrimpsaladcircus.com

This gorgeous embroidered work of art is made without sewing. Lindsay from Shrimp Salad Circus shares how she made pretty piece in just one hour!

DIY Mirror Frame

Photo Credit: www.livingletterhome.com

I love the idea of making a gorgeous wooden frame for a simple mirror. Carmen from Living Letter Home framed out her bathroom mirror and it looks amazing. You can do it too - in just under two hours!

Easy Seashell Wall Hanging

If you are racking up the seashells from your beach trips, make a pretty wall hanging with your special shells. Perfect for hanging in bathrooms or guest rooms, you can make any shape or wording with this easy tutorial.

Homemade Entryway Signs

Photo Credit: www.pinspiredtodiy.com

Christine from Pinspired to DIY shares how she used her woodworking and crafty skills to make these gorgeous custom signs for her entryway. She shares all the details on you can make them too in under two hours!

Paint Pouring Wall Art

Photo Credit: abbottsathome.com

If you are thinking about creating an custom piece for your walls, definitely check out Stephanie's (from Abbotts at Home) tutorial on how to create paint poured artwork! She gives wonderful tips and tricks on how to achieve the same results!

Wood Window Cornice

Photo Credit: thediydreamer.com

I love this idea from Christine at The DIY Dreamer. She had a kitchen window where she couldn't use curtains and created this pretty wood window cornice. It turned out gorgeous!

Sea Shell Monogram

Photo Credit: meeganmakes.com

Here's another creative seashell idea - Meegan from What Meegan Makes created this pretty monogram for her door with her grandmother's beautiful seashell collection.

So many great ideas, rights?! So put down that phone, set aside two hours, and pick your favorite to do! In no time, you’ll have a beautiful DIY piece for your home.

How to Apply Peel and Stick Wallpaper the Easy Way

April 15, 2019 by Eileen Leave a Comment

Learn how you can give a room or a space an instant update with peel and stick wallpaper. This easy tutorial will show you all the tips for how to hang wallpaper in your home.

Ever since our pantry update in our old home (we added beautiful French doors for an instant makeover), I’ve been wanting to give our new pantry a makeover too.

When we moved in, I put contact paper on the shelves, which made it look better. However, it still could use an update.

I had a vision to add white brick wallpaper and walnut DIY pantry shelving.

I was totally nervous to hang wallpaper.

After all, everyone spends hours and hours removing wallpaper from decades ago. Yet, this wallpaper was different. It’s peel and stick, so it can easily be removed whenever. There’s no paste – just adhesive.

Today, I’m sharing exactly how to apply peel and stick wallpaper to your walls.

Before and After Pantry Pictures

Below are the before pictures. One is the pantry as I started to empty it out, and the other is the empty pantry.

Below is the updated pantry – refreshed with the wallpaper and DIY wooden pantry shelving.

Choosing a Wallpaper

The first thing I did was decide what I wanted this transformed pantry closet to look like.

I knew I wanted white brick wallpaper, so now I had to find the best bang for my buck. Since I would be installing shelves in front of the wallpaper, I didn’t want to spend a ton of money. I was actually hoping to spend less than $40 on the wallpaper.

With a short timeline (Amazon prime for the win!), I found a wallpaper that had good reviews, was prime delivery, and it came in under budget. I measured the pantry to be about 50 square feet and the wallpaper would cover 49 square feet. I knew it would be a little tight, but I was okay with this – because of the shelves and the budget.

When choosing your wallpaper, keep these things in mind:

Measure the square footage of the space you need to cover in wallpaper. If you are doing an accent wall – where everything needs to line up perfectly, definitely order over the square footage you need. That way, you can have extra to perfectly line up your patterns. Now, I under-ordered for my pantry, and that worked for me. I was willing to compromise perfectly matching bricks to save money by only buying one wallpaper roll.
Read the reviews on the wallpaper you like before buying it (even if you are buying it at the store). People will mention if the pattern is easy or hard to line up. They’ll mention if they ran into any difficulties. These can be super helpful in making your decision.
Carefully read the description. If you are wanting peel and stick wallpaper, make sure that’s what it says.

Gather Your Wallpaper Materials

After you choose your wallpaper, you’ll want to gather a few more materials to complete the project.

Peel and stick wallpaper (I used this white brick pattern)
Xacto Knife – make sure it’s nice and sharp – I have this set and it’s wonderful
Smoothing tool – You can use your hands, a credit card, or a rag. I found this smoothing tool helpful – especially when cutting edges on the wall.
Measuring tape or ruler (the longer the better)
Scissors
Paper towels or rag

Prepare Your Walls

After you pick out your wallpaper, you’re ready to start your project.

First you’ll want to prepare your walls. Take down any pictures or shelves. I removed all of the shelving in our pantry – which felt so good to get rid of those metal shelves.

Next, you’ll want to give your walls a light cleaning to get rid of any dust or grime. This will help the wallpaper stick to the walls.

I just took a wet paper towel and went up and down wiping the walls of the pantry.

Hanging Your First Sheet of Wallpaper

In hanging your first sheet of peel and stick wallpaper, you might be nervous like me. However, these tips will help you to smoothly apply your first piece.

Choose a Starting Point

You’ll first want to pick a starting point. Usually, you want to work from left to right. In my pantry that has a few corners, I decided to hang my first sheet of wallpaper to the right of the first corner. I would still work left, but I would line my first piece up on the corner.

This was the most visible part of my pantry, and I wanted it to look perfect, especially because I knew I might be piecing together scraps at the end 🙂

Lay Out Wallpaper Pieces on the Floor

Once you decide where you will start hanging your wallpaper, you’ll want to measure the length of your piece. Our pantry was about 79 inches so I cut everything at 81 inches to have a little extra at the top and bottom.

The absolute best tip that I can give you is to lay out your wallpaper pieces on the floor first. So I cut my first piece at 81 inches. And before taking this to the pantry to hang up, I unrolled more wallpaper. I lined up the pattern, making sure the pattern went seamlessly from the first piece to the second piece. Once it was lined up properly, I trimmed to 81 inches.

I took the first piece and hung that up. When I went back for the second piece, prior to hanging that up, I lined up and cut the third piece. This way, you are lining everything up on the floor, as opposed to struggling to line it up vertically.

Slowly Peel and Stick

Take your first wallpaper sheet over to the top of the wall and peel about an inch of the backing. Slowly stick the adhesive wallpaper to the wall (letting the backing fall loosely against the wall). Unpeel a little bit of the wallpaper backing at a time – smoothing the wallpaper out with your hand or the smoothing tool.

Before you stick too much on, you’ll want to make sure you pattern is straight. Sometimes ceilings might be crooked, so before you apply the whole sheet, you’ll want to make sure it is straight. You can use a ruler for this – or even just stand back and eyeball it.

What do I do about windows or trim?

With a window or trim, you’ll want push your wallpaper right up to the edge and then trim off the excess with your Xacto knife. Your Xacto knife will be your best friend when working with edges like these. Make sure to have a sharp Xacto knife, so you can easily get perfect cuts.

Continue to Peel and Stick the First Sheet of Wallpaper

You’ll want to continue slowly peeling off the backing and smoothing everything out.

It’s better to go slow because you can smooth out any bumps before you get too far down. When you’re finished with the first sheet of wallpaper, take your smoothing tool and go over it again to give it a good firm stick.

What if I mess up?

If your pattern is crooked or you have too many bumps, simply peel up and wallpaper and try again. You can keep retrying as much as you need to. That’s the beauty of peel and stick wallpaper. If you are really having trouble, you can always work in smaller pieces rather than a very long one.

Applying the Next Sheet of Wallpaper

When you go to grab your second sheet of wallpaper, remember to match and cut your third sheet on the floor first.

When hanging your second sheet of wallpaper, you may find that it’s a little harder than the first piece. That is because now you are lining up the pattern.

It took me quite a few tries to get my second sheet of wallpaper down perfectly. Make sure you go slow when pulling off the backing.

Do I overlap my wallpaper pieces?

I would not overlap pieces. You want a perfect side-by-side fit, so be sure to perfectly line up those edges. With this particular paper, I could absolutely tell if the paper was overlapped, and it didn’t look pretty.

You might find yourself working left to right more with the smoothing tool – to make sure you get the pattern lined up right.

Continue Applying the Peel and Stick Wallpaper

As you get toward the end of your space, you might find yourself needing to make smaller cuts. This will especially happen if you (like me) are running out of paper. I didn’t have a full last sheet left, so I used bits and pieces to piece together this last (hard to see) area.

When making smaller cuts, you can do this by using the marks on the back the back of the wallpaper or you can draw your own lines with the ruler. You can cut this with the scissors or your Xacto knife – it’s your preference. The back of my peel and stick wallpaper didn’t have full lines where I needed them, so I usually used a metal ruler and the Xacto knife.

Here’s a look at a finished corner of the pantry.

And here are a few more finished pantry pictures.

Not only will you notice the new wallpaper, but you’ll see the DIY pantry shelving system we built in a weekend.

The wallpaper background and the floating shelves as well as pull-outs completely transformed this previously-boring pantry space.

Wrapping Up + Time & Cost

The cost was just what I spent on the wallpaper. We had the other materials around the house and garage. Even though I split the work up in two days, it only would have taken me an hour or two if I worked straight through. I just didn’t have that time block with the kids.

As I’m wrapping up this wallpaper article, here are a few questions I wanted to answer for you.

Was hanging the wallpaper as hard as I thought it would be?

Absolutely not! I’m not the most precise person. I tend to make lots of mistakes and learn things the hard way. That being said, this was super easy and turned out really pretty. I didn’t struggle with the wallpaper at all – it was very simple to work with.

What was the hardest part of hanging the peel and stick wallpaper?

The hardest part of applying the peel and stick wallpaper was definitely matching up the patterns. Since I knew I would run low on paper, I settled for a less than perfect brick match sometimes, which I was okay with. The pantry wall would be covered with shelves, drawers, and food, so I wasn’t aiming for perfect matches. I saved a lot of paper this way.

As I mentioned in the tutorial, definitely make sure you have extra wallpaper if you’re going for a perfect match, e.g. doing an accent wall.

Is the wallpaper easy to peel off?

I can’t speak to peeling this off after a long time, but when I made a mistake putting it on the wall, it was very easy to peel off. It didn’t tear either. For a low cost wallpaper, I was impressed.

Anything else noteworthy to mention?

Yes! Consider the lighting in the room that you are going to wallpaper. Our pantry has no light and isn’t near a window, so it’s very dark. The white wallpaper looks gray-ish sometimes because of the lighting. Before you put your wallpaper up, tape a piece to your wall and check it out through the day. Make sure you love it!

Overall, I loved this DIY project. Hanging the peel and stick wallpaper was easy, and I can totally see how wallpaper can completely makeover a space.

If you have a space in your home that could use an update – whether it’s a closet, a piece of furniture, a wall, look into wallpaper. It definitely gives an instant update in just a couple hours.

15 Ways to Upcycle Popular Thrift Store Finds

March 27, 2019 by Eileen Leave a Comment

Thrift store makeovers are my favorite.

I love scouring the aisles of thrift stores and flea markets looking for my next project.

Right now with the Marie Kondo organization craze, thrift stores are a gold mine with everyone decluttering and organizing their house, leaving some pretty awesome things up for grabs.

Our DIY project challenge this month was to upcycle a thrift store find (see the befores and afters of my TV table). I’ve got some amazing upcycled thrift store makeovers to share with you.

Not only will you be saying, “Why didn’t I think of that?” but you’ll also be running to the thrift store to look for these items to repurpose.

These thrift store redos below are items that are commonly-found at thrift stores – fans, bowls, picture frames, TV tables, furniture, and more. I know that I’ll be on the look out for quite a few of these thrift store items too. Especially because thrift stores are the place to be right now 🙂

15 Amazing Upcycled Thrift Store Creations

From a Seasoned Fan to an Industrial Light Fixture

How gorgeous is this light cover fixture?!

You would never know that Randi from Dukes and Duchesses made this beautiful light fixture cover from an old fan that she found at a junk sale. It definitely looks like a fancy light fixture from one of the home decor stores that you’d pay top dollar for.

I’ll be keeping my eye out for old fans when making my thrift stores rounds – this is a perfect example of an awesome upcycle.

From an Aged Window to a Chalkboard Laundry Sign

Looking at this pretty laundry room sign, you wouldn’t think that it used to be a window.

Megan from Two Feet First upcycled an old window into a stunning laundry room sign. She shared all the details including how she got perfect lettering, without using any fancy machine.

Even if you don’t have an old window, you should definitely check out her lettering techniques for your next DIY sign project.

From Hula Hoop to Spring Wreath

That gorgeous spring wreath was made with a hula hoop!

Spring wreaths can be so expensive at the crafts and home stores, but Carmen from Living Letter Home made this amazing spring wreath from a $1 hula hoop. She gives all the details on this elegant dollar store transformation.

Seriously, I would never know that it was a hula hoop! It makes me wonder what other creative upcycles can also be made with hula hoops.

From a TV Table to a Rustic End Table

This rustic side table was made from a TV tray table. You know, those folding ones that are super convenient but not that pretty?!

We added a new top and gave it some fresh paint, and it looks like a whole new table.

Not only is it a great side table (it’s the perfect height for an arm chair), but it’s also a fun game table.

From Hand-Me-Down Dresser to Stunning Buffet

How amazing is this beautiful buffet?!

Kenya from Kenya Rae transformed a mahogany double dresser into a modern buffet, turning the drawers into shelves and giving the piece a combination of wood and painted finish.

There’s so much used furniture at thrift stores, and this thrift store redo reminds of all that potential. Usually second-hand furniture doesn’t always look pretty, but if it’s good wood, you can definitely redo the piece. Kenya’s tutorial is super detailed on the steps she took to redo this old dresser.

From a Simple Vase to a Gorgeous Anthropologie Knock-Off

You won’t believe the “before” on this colorful vase. Anam from Delicious & DIY turned a common clear vase into this gorgeous Anthropolgie knock-off.

I am just floored at how she DIYed this!

Thrift stores have aisles and aisles of vases that look like the “before” on this one, making it an easy thrift store DIY to find and recreate. Be sure to check out all the details on how she painted the beautiful vase.

From a Old Bowl to a Modern Planter

This pretty hanging planter was formerly just an old bowl sitting around the thrift store.

Brittany from By Brittany Goldwyn transformed the silver bowl into a beautiful modern planter.

Hanging planters can be really expensive, but this repurposed planter only cost a few bucks, and it looks perfect with her decor. That’s another advantage of DIY projects – you can customize them however you’d like 🙂

From a Basic Seat to an Upholstered Farmhouse Chair

Sara from Twelve On Main reupholstered a basic chair into a beautiful farmhouse seat. This is another thrift store upcycle where you won’t believe the before picture.

Chairs like this one usually cost an arm and a leg, and Sara spent only 8 dollars on it! Even though she reupholstered the chair, there was no sewing involved. That’s my kind of project.

This farmhouse thrift store chair makeover turned out so pretty. Be sure to read all the details on how Sara completed this amazing thrift store redo.

From Old Books to Farmhouse Decor

Thrift stores have tons of old books, and here’s a creative way to give a farmhouse thrift store makeover.

Amy from 1905 Farmhouse turned old books into farmhouse decor with stencils and paint. So pretty, right?!

Old books are the perfect farmhouse decor when upcycled, and these beautiful stencils are spot-on.

From a Spice Rack to Spring Floral Decor

This elegant spring decor, holding cheery flowers, was made from an old spice rack.

Amy from Health, Home, and Heart totally brought this old piece into modern day with her creative spring vision.

She always adds the perfect touches too, like the cute hello sign. Definitely check out her post to see the before picture of her amazing spice rack transformation.

From an Outdated Light to a Beautiful Mirror

You won’t believe this DIY from Toni at Girl, Just DIY. This beautiful mirror was once a stained glass lamp shade. You have to see the “before” to take in just how incredible this upcycled mirror is.

Toni found the old light in a pile of trash on the curb. After cleaning it up, she realized its potential. She shares all the details on this highly creative transformation, so be sure to give it a read.

I’ve definitely donated a couple of these stained glass lamp shades, never realizing they had upcycling potential.

From an Old Shelf to a Coastal Shadow Box

This old shelf was turned into a coastal shadow box by Meegan at What Meegan Makes.

Thrift stores have tons of old decor shelves that I’m always passing over because they look so ancient, but Meegan totally had a vision with this shelf – and she nailed it. No pun intended 🙂

The colors on this upcycled decor shelf are gorgeous, and I love the coastal vibe. It’s amazing what fresh paint can do to an old piece.

From Picture Frames to a Headboard

Christine from The DIY Dreamer had this amazing idea to make this headboard made from picture frames.

It’s so creative and so pretty – it adds a perfect touch to bedroom without having to make or buy a typical headboard.

There’s tons of frames at thrift stores. I’m always donating old frames too. But, now my wheels are turning! If you can make a beautiful headboard with old frames, the possibilities are endless!

From a Tool Box to Kids Book Storage

If you’re running out of places to store things, such as kids books, see if you can score an old toolbox at the thrift store.

Ruthie from Refashionably Late turned an old toolbox into book storage for the kids using paint and stencils.

Baskets and storage bins can definitely add up – organization is usually not cheap! However, this creative, easy idea is a great way to be organized and save a few bucks.

From a CD Tower to Pantry Shelf

This CD tower was practically out to the curb (who has CDs anymore?!). Until an idea struck… It was the same size as a hollow wall in our pantry, making it the perfect pantry shelf to store all kinds of spices and baking supplies.

Be sure to see the details on this transformation, including a cool tool you can use to see inside walls. That’s like a DIY super power 🙂

How amazing were these 15 thrift store redos?! From upcycled furniture to farmhouse makeover to creative home decor, these thrift store makeovers are creative and easy to do, especially with the detailed tutorials.

Thrift store finds are so great as they cost next to nothing and give us a good project to work on.

There’s no buyer’s remorse if it doesn’t turn out as expected either.

On the flip side, if your thrift store makeover turns out amazing, it’s a pretty good feeling knowing you spent next to nothing and recreated something pretty cool.

What’s on your flea market or thrift store list?! After compiling this thrift store finds post, my flea market list definitely got a little longer 🙂

10 Ridiculously Easy DIYs for Your Home

March 9, 2019 by Eileen 2 Comments

Did you know that you can transform a room in your home using just your craft skills?

You don’t even need to have a big budget.

There are so many things that you can make yourself that can completely makeover a room.

Here’s 10 ridiculously easy DIY projects for your home. They include easy crafts and projects that you can easily do.

Use Stencils

You can use stencils anywhere – on large scale projects or small scale DIYs. Stenciling a wall is super simple – it just takes time and patience, but you don’t need any special skills.

A great pattern on a wall or piece of furniture can completely update the look of a room, by adding color and texture. It’s definitely an easy home decorating idea.

Stenciled nursery wall of hearts

Here’s a few ideas for stenciling:

Stencil an accent wall
Stencil a room to look like fancy wallpaper (see below pic)
Stencil over a tile floor (or any kind of tile)
Stencil a pillow cover to make a thrifty accent pillow
Stencil a wooden sign. Have the home improvement store cut your wood – or look for pieces of wood the size you need, e.g. like a fence post
Stencil furniture, such as drawer fronts, a tabletop, bar stools, or inside of drawers.
Buy plain fabric and use stencils to make a gorgeous curtain

Two-color stencil in entryway

DIY Artwork

If your wondering what you can make for your room, make your own wall art.

Even if you aren’t an artist. There are so many ways you can DIY your own art. This is also a great option for cheap artwork and a perfect solution for awkwardly large spaces above couches or beds.

Three piece wall art made from a stencil and acrylics

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Buy canvas from the craft store and either stencil or use wall decals to create cool pictures (see below pic).
Make alphabet letters with cardboard, foam, or wood and then paint them
String art is another fun option
Use decals directly on your wall – you can use shapes like a wall of stars or dots.
Make an easy abstract painting with paint and canvas

DIY wall art from decals and canvas

Make Your Own Rug

Rugs are awesome because they are an easy way to bring color into a room. The problem is they are so expensive for even a small piece.

I bet you didn’t know that you can easily DIY your own rug. My grandma used to make braided wool rugs and they are beautiful – and last forever.

Make a rag rug with a runner and fabric
Make a felt rug (use coarse felt) for kids reading corners
Make a wool rug with old sweaters

Redo a Piece of Furniture

An easy way to update the look of a room is to redo a piece of furniture in it. This is a fun way to make old furniture look more modern, colorful, or fun.

Don’t forget about the hardware. New (or updated) hardware is an easy way to bring new life into an old piece.

My favorite furniture paint is milk paint – and you don’t even have to sand. Just clean off your piece and start painting.

If you’ve never painting before, definitely check out a few tutorials before starting so you feel comfortable.

You won’t believe the before on this milk painted dresser!

Rearrange the Room

This is one of my favorite ways to bring freshness into a room. When an arrangement is no longer functional for your family or you just need a change, start moving things around.

I just rearranged my family room – and I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner. I opened up the window area, bringing in more light and sectioned off the room with a couch. I finally mounted my TV up high, so I no longer need to tell the kids they are too close to the television.

When you’re thinking about your room, use your crafty eye to bring in a creative configuration, but remember function too.

Add a Little Flair with Patterns or Paint

Incorporate some patterns, colors, or paints that would add a little flair to the room. From pretty wallpaper accents to using painter’s tape for a DIY pattern, here are a few ways to add some fun elements to your room.

Add fun wallpaper (or card stock with mod podge) to the back of bookshelves or the sides of drawers.
Frame some patterned paper that you love in a shadow box with a few other crafty things or knick knacks.
Use chalkboard paint in playrooms, craft rooms, or kids rooms. Paint a whole wall with chalkboard paint or the side of the dresser.
Use painter’s tape on an accent wall or a piece of furniture for geometric creativity. You can arrange the formation to make a herringbone pattern or a subway tile pattern.

Patterned paper placed in the background of simple shelves

Make or embellish pillows or throw blankets.

Even if you aren’t great at sewing, there are so many easy ways to make a simple pillow.

You can skip stuffing the pillow and use an existing pillow. Make a simple cover with cloth napkins or leftover fabric.

Also, you can embellish existing pillows or blankets with crafty items like pom-poms, fabric, or buttons.

Find home décor pieces you like and DIY them.

When out shopping, when you see home décor items that are so expensive, think about how you could make them yourself.

I saw a clock that I loved (going for $80) and make my own version for $12. If you see a wooden sign that you like, DIY it! It’s cheaper, more fun, and you’ll amaze yourself.

My next home decor piece will be a shiplap clock I’ve been eyeing, so I’ll be making that next (painting faux lines for the shiplap). Be creative and you’ll love the outcome.

DIY chalkboard clock – total cost was $12!

Paint old picture frames to update them.

A few years back I was making a gallery wall and was two picture frames short.

I found perfect frames but they were the wrong color.

Wanting to finish the gallery wall quickly, I took them out back and spray painted them to match the others. No one can even tell which pictures in the gallery were spray paints.

Styles and colors are so quick to change, so instead of replacing your old frames, paint them. You can even get creative and paint a pattern, such as buffalo check, or a style, such as shiplap.

Transform an good find

Thrift shops and flea markets are gold mines these days.

Take advantage and find a few gems for yourself and fix them up.

Whether you give it a new coat of paint or upcycle it into something else, someone’s trash is definitely someone else’s treasure.

I’m sure you’ll be so thrilled with your thrifty refurbished item.

Turn anything into a homemade lamp – including a train car!

Your Turn!

Pick a room in your home that needs a little updating. Choose one of the DIYs on this list and get started!

Need a little more help? Check out my workbook for making over a room.

I hope these 10 easy DIY projects for your home help you bring more happiness into your home.

6 Easy Things You Can Do to Love Your Home

October 10, 2018 by Eileen Leave a Comment

6 Easy Things You Can Do to Love Your Home Post Preview: You’ll learn six things that you can do to bring you more happiness in your home, emulating that Christmas morning feeling.

You know the feeling you get when your home looks ready?

Everything is in its place, it’s clean and sparkling, and you are surrounded by things that bring you happiness.

This is usually the feeling I get around Christmas when I walk down the steps and see the Christmas tree lighting up the room – I absolutely the holidays.

Since we can’t have Christmas all the time, and we deserve to love our homes year round, I’ve put together 6 easy things you can do to bring you more happiness in your home. (If you need a little more help with your home, check out our room makeover workbook!)

1. A place for everything

One of the biggest issues in our home was stuff. So much stuff. Everywhere.

Declutter

If you are feeling like there’s always toys without a home, or piles of papers laying around, or boxes of pictures that you haven’t hung up, it’s time to find a better way.

Decluttering is one of the best ways to keep your house in check. Grab a box or a garbage bag and start collecting things to donate or trash.

If you are holding onto things that you really don’t need or that you don’t like but keep because of obligation, start rethinking that.

While thinning out your belongings, you can make more space, so everything else has a place.

Make space

If you’re thinking there’s no way that I can thin out my book collection or my spouse is a kind of a hoarder (ahemmm my husband), then declutter what you can – but make a spot for everything.

You can buy under-the-bed boxes to toss extra shoes in, you can buy more storage baskets or bins for toys (heck, you can even make these from cardboard boxes and contact paper), or you can hang shelves on the walls that can store fabric containers. Vertical space is amazing.

Little problem areas

You might just have a few areas in your home that are little problem areas. For us, the top of our washer and dryer becomes a dumping ground for mail and school papers.

It was making me so crazy because things would get lost. So, we are attaching hanging inserts to the side of our entryway piece with eight slots for paper organization (tutorial coming).

So, think about those messy areas of your home that seem to add stress or affect your productivity. Rethink how you have it organized – if it’s something as simple as adding some organizational boxes, you’ll be kicking yourself for not doing it sooner.

2. Rearrange for a fresh look

When I’m getting tired of a room, one of the first things that I do is rearrange it. In fact, I’m thinking about rearranging my office furniture as I’m typing this. I would love my desk to face the window 🙂

My love for rearranging runs deep. When I was a kid, I always shared a room with one of my sisters. I used to make little floor plans of our room and figure out how I could rearrange my furniture without having to move it more than once.

Rearranging this space made me love this room again

Last spring, the family room in our home was driving me crazy. When we moved to the house, the furniture all got placed, and it just stayed that way for years.

We had the TV mounted low on the wall, above the television table, and I arranged a gallery around the TV. Even though it looked nice (and we always got compliments on it), I just didn’t love it.

So, we remounted the TV high in the corner of the room, moved the TV table up to my son’s room for a toy table, moved a couch over to the wall where the TV was, and did a smaller gallery wall.

And, I just love it.

It brought a fresh look to the room.

Plus, there are all these other advantages – like I can now see the TV from the kitchen. Also, with the television mounted so high, the kids can play anywhere in the room without being too close to it.

If a room is driving you crazy, think about how you could rearrange it to make more functional or more enjoyable for you.

2. Do easy DIYs

Did you know that anyone can do simple DIYs? You don’t have to be really awesome with wood or really talented with designing a room. Anyone can watch a youtube video and learn a new skill.

Simple DIYs like updating old drawer pulls or old door handles (goodbye brass knobs) can make a huge difference.

Loving these card catalog drawer pulls with space for labels

Painting a room can be absolutely huge. When we moved to our house, the entire house was painted stark white. In a few of the rooms, we painted a softer grayish white.

While we knew it wouldn’t be a drastic difference, it feels like one because the entire room feels warmer and more welcoming than that harsh white. Color can make a huge difference.

There are tons of other easy DIYs too – stenciling a wall, using peel and stick tiles, and refinishing furniture with milk or chalk paint (no prep work).

If you aren’t sure where to start, pick one DIY project you are excited about or one space in your home to hone in on.

3. Bring in things you love

I can’t emphasize this one enough – bring in things that you love, things that make you happy.

It’s way too easy to get caught up in the trends. Don’t just buy things or decorate with things because they are popular. Go with the items that make you happy.

If you just adore a print you find or a patterned chair, go with those things! Leave the trendy stuff behind. Unless, you love the trendy things, then by all means, go for it.

Treasure-Hunting

Go to thrift stores for new finds. I can’t tell you how many things I’ve found at thrift stores that I just adore! And the price and the fun of the find makes me love these things even more.

Sentimental Things

Decorate with sentimental things. My grandpop was a woodcarver, and we have many of his wooden animals and Santa Claus figures around the house. I love them because they remind me of him. My son recently asked if he can keep the wooden dog in his room 🙂 He’s learning young to surround yourself with what makes you happy.

Photographs

Photographs are also awesome – print a couple pictures that you love and put them in some picture frames that are on sale at Michaels. The pictures could be family photos, photos of your kids, your engagement photos, some awesome candids, or pictures of your travels. Or even some original artwork.

Love these DIY photo ledges – they make it so easy to display tons of photos

Things that you adore

Last, if there are any special items that you love, decorate with those. I totally have a thing for pillows. What can I say?! They make me happy 🙂

4. Get rid of things that you don’t love

If you don’t like something anymore, then why keep it?! Lots of times we keep things out of obligation, just to collect dust in the basement or on the shelves.

Or, sometimes your style changes and you are no longer into the same things.

I used to have a huge collection of gold frames that I really am not so crazy about anymore. Yet, I got tired of the space they occupied in hallway closet boxes, so I went through them. I spray painted a few and donated the rest. I do have to say, it felt really freeing.

I also just got rid of a box of beach-related things that were former bathroom decorations in our old house. I never was really into beach-themed but I wasn’t sure how else to decorate a bathroom.

That box went straight to the thrift store, and I’m sure someone who loves beach decor was excited to find new treasures. (What’s in my bathroom now? Just a simple vase with flowers and a few simple pictures).

Big ticket items

If it’s something big that you don’t like, such as a couch, think about how you can change it.

Could you get a slipcover that would fit? Could you use throw blankets and accent pillows to spruce it up? Could you swap the couch with one from another room? Or, would you rather save up for a new one?

If you don’t like something, think about how you can change it so you do.

But, if you really don’t like something and it’s not a necessary item, don’t keep things around just to keep them around.

5. Find ways to bring more light

You know the feeling you get after a few days of rain and sunshine finally comes out? That long-missed sunshine always makes me smile.

An easy way to bring that happiness into your home is more light!

You can do this by taking down cumbersome old blinds and valances and replacing them with honeycomb blinds or long, flowy curtains, which will allow more light in.

For kids rooms, room darkening shades are great because they work perfectly to block the light for naps and early bedtimes, but they are easy to open to let the light back in.

Bulbs & Fixtures

Another way to bring more light in is through replacing dim bulbs or changing out your light fixtures, for a lighter, more modern look. And, the benefit on this is twofold – more light and a prettier fixture.

6. Work on the areas that need a little love

If there’s a particular room or space in your home that you feel needs a ton of work, you can easily pick a project or two and start chipping away at it.

We had a horrible mudroom, and it’s on our list to do a full renovation to one side of the room (tearing down a closet and replacing with countertops and cabinets).

However, as it was, that room made me crazy. It doubles as our entryway and our laundry room, so you can imagine how much time I spent in there.

Finally, I started chipping away at some projects I could do, independent of our grandiose future plans, and the change is insane.

Mudroom makeover – you won’t believe the “before”

We painted the room, stenciled a wall, added shiplap, added an entryway piece, and switched out a light fixture. Now this room is my happy place. Seriously, it’s the nicest room in the house 🙂

And to think, I almost didn’t touch it because of the future closet-to-countertop plan.

It just goes along with everything I’m saying – create spaces in your home that make you happy.

Don’t wait. You deserve it 🙂

Looking to makeover a room right away? Get our room makeover workbook that will guide you through making over a space in your home.

How to Transform an Ugly Space to an Insanely Functional Room

September 8, 2018 by Eileen 15 Comments

Every time I walked into the house, I cringed.

Every time I did laundry, every time I went to grab my coat, every time I went to get the mail.

I couldn’t stand our mudroom, and I was constantly in and out of it.

It was a tight space with a bench blocking the window. The bench filled up quickly with backpacks, hoodies, and amazon boxes. There wasn’t any place to put anything down and then of course a third of the room was a huge closet.

It was beige-y, boring, and not functional for our family.

We had big plans to knock out the closet and put in countertops and cabinets. However, we didn’t have the time or budget to take that on this summer.

We thought that we were stuck with this room as it was.

However, we changed a few things here and there – and it started with painting an accent wall and building cubbies. Before we knew it, we had a whole new room even with the old closet.

So, here are our 4 proven steps to transforming a room in your home.

If you love these, check out our room makeover workbook and you’ll be on your way to making over a room in your home too!

1. List the things that drive you crazy.

The first thing we did was think about what we didn’t like about the room. Figuring out what we didn’t like (other than just saying “ugh I can’t stand this room!”) helped us see what we could and couldn’t fix.

Here’s our list of things we didn’t like about our current mudroom.

There was nowhere to store coats, shoes, and backpacks – and therefore was always a mess.
There was not enough light.
It was a boring space – beige paint, beige and brown floors.
And, there was the huge walk-in closet, taking up a huge chunk of the room.

2. Brainstorm fixes for each item on your list.

Next, we jotted down a fix for each thing that drove us crazy.

Nowhere to store outdoor gear –> Build locker-style cubbies with bench and plenty of space for drawers or baskets
Not enough light –> Move bench away from window, switch out the light fixture for a brighter (more modern) one
Boring space –> Paint, stencil an accent wall, install shiplap?
Huge closet –> Tackle this stage of the project at a later date

By simply listing out the problems and fixes, we had ourselves a blueprint of what our mudroom makeover would look like. Now, we weren’t planning on tackling the closet/countertop fix this time. However, that’s okay!

With all of the other changes, I was certain our mudroom would get its much needed makeover. Here’s an after picture – what do you think?!

3. Make a master list – break large goals into smaller action items.

In order to get our mudroom from the before picture to the after picture, we took our list of fixes (above), and then we turned it into our master list. We had four main items to work on.

Stencil the wall
Install shiplap
Build an entryway piece with bench and cubbies
Replace light fixture

And then, within those large items, we broke it down into smaller tasks. For example, the stencil task looked like this:

Stencil the wall

Choose paint colors for wall and stencil
Paint entire room
Review stenciling techniques
Do a practice stencil
Stencil wall

Breaking large items into smaller ones make them more manageable and it gives you direction on what you need to do next. Also, action items keep you from getting overwhelmed or wasting time.

4. Set goals to complete action items each day or week.

Now that we had a master list with manageable action items, we set goals each week to complete certain action items. Each day, we chipped away at our action items, crossing things off the list here and there.

It took us a month – but we had an incredible mudroom makeover. The process of listing out the problems with the room, then determining solutions worked so well for us.

All of the years that we’ve lived in this house that I spent frustrated with the mudroom or complaining about it, could have been channeled productively through creating solutions and chipping away at the projects.

I mean, you can’t tell that it was the same room!

5. Check out 33 Days To a Space You’ll Love

Looking to transform a space in your home? Tired of the room or space driving you nuts?

Check out our Room Makeover Workbook to guide you through transforming a room in your home in just 33 days! We will take you step-by-step through the process of making over your space.

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