Category Archives: home decor
Geometrical Block Printed Planter Makeover
- I took an old banged up pot that wasn’t being used and gave it a good scrubbin’.
- Then I sprayed the inside of the pot red with some paint I had on-hand; spray the inside first because there may be some over-spray
- Then I primed the outside of the pot white and covered the over-spray
- After that I gave the whole thing a coat of Cream colored paint and let it dry.
- To make the stamp you’ll need an old sponge, scissors, a Sharpie & a ruler
- I used the ruler to measure out a 2″ x 2″ x 2″ triangle
- and drew it on the sponge with my marker
- Then I cut along the lines and now I have my stamp…and it’s still FREEEEE!
Custom Artwork with a Paisley Print
These paisley paintings were done for a little lady’s room inspired by the lampshade her Mom bought at PBK from the Tera Paisley Collection.
All of the designs mimic the style of the fabric but are completely original to match the overall color-scheme of bright pinks, purples, greens and blues in her room.
Sophie’s Safari
You’ve Been Framed: Personalized Frames for Kids
$5 DIY Googley-eyed Fall Wreath Tutorial
Next, arrange your 3 bouquets of fall foliage and begin snipping them off of the main branch with your wire cutters. Arrange the new seperate pieces so that you have 2 equal bouquets (if you plan on making 2 wreaths…which I did because I have a double front door.)
Take your freshly googelied squashes and arrange them at the base of your fallin’ foliage until you are satisfied and hot glue them into place.
**Note: my squashes are made of styrofoam which means they basically melt when the come in contact with hot glue. Turn your glue gun to the lowest setting if you have that option or put the glue on the wreath first and allow it to cool for about 3-4 seconds before placing your squash so that it doesn’t turn into a puddle.**
Giving in to Trends: Ombre Paint Chip Art
Next, find a small circular object to outline onto the paint chips to utilize as much of the colored area as possible- I used a small roll of tape- and cut out your circles.
Experiment with the layout of your circles until you have ’em just how you want ’em.
Prepare your frame– I got this white matted frame for $5.99 at the Christmas Tree Shop by my house- the frame has some dings in it but I’m writing them off as “shabby chic.”
Remove the mat and backing from the frame and outline the opening of the mat directly onto the cardboard backing.
Now, starting and the bottom and beginning with the lightest layer, glue the circles to the cardboard using a glue stick. The second layer should overlap the first slightly and the circles should become progressively darker towards the top of the cardboard.
Cut out the letter, glue it into place wherever your little heart desires and presto- you’re an artist.
Tufa Pots by Jennifer!
My very talented friend and gardener, Jennifer McCabe, recently started a blog (follow her here) and just announced that she’ll be selling her handmade Hypertufa Pots at Scrub Oak in Nantucket starting June 10th.
Hypertufa pots are lightweight pots made of a cement & peat moss mixture. They’re durable like cement, lightweight like a regular pot and make beautiful additions to gardens, porches or table displays. Jennifer’s Tufa pots are all one of a kind, shaped by hand and cured to withstand the elements. You can also learn to make your own tufa pots from Jennifer herself during workshops she’s leading at the Nantucket Garden Festival, July 25th & 26th. Contact Jennifer for more information or to sign up for a class.
Why don’t you make me?: Three-Tiered Terra Cotta Planter
With limited space in my small city yard every inch counts so each Spring I am faced with a decision: do I want pretty flowers or a functioning vegetable garden? I envision myself having friends over for dinner and quickly running outside with my schears to an adorable, and lovingly attended to, little vegetable garden- I’d grab fresh herbs for the potatoes, pluck some peppers and lettuce for the salad and maybe bring in some grape tomatoes for my friends to snack on before dinner. They just love that. Then, after dinner we’d all get in my spaceship and go visit Unitron, the home of the last living unicorn. In other words, it’s not going to happen.
What did happen however is this- a triple-decker half veggie/half flower tower of compromise. I’m taking baby steps to becoming the world’s best hostess by growing only the greens to my future salads and I still have room for flowers!
Here’s how I did it:
First, I invited Liz over who did everything. (This was an important step because Liz is wicked good at this stuff and because I have a cast on my right arm up to my elbow right now.)
Next, we took pots from the pot graveyard on the side of my house and selected 3 in decending sizes. (These don’t have to match perfectly, as you can see.)
Pick a sunny spot in your garden to place the biggest pot- we nestled ours right into this Vinca Minor- and fill with soil until just below the top.
Add a small dowel or bamboo rod into the largest pot and thread themiddle pot onto it burying the pot about an inch into the soil of the largest pot.
Then trim the dowel until about 3-4″ is showing to be inserted into the smallest pot.
And finally, you are ready to plant your Garden of Compromise. Liz and I decided on some green lettuce, purple lettuce, white & purple flowers, 2 small cascading plants and topped the whole thing off with a ponytail fern.
Thanks Liz!! ❤ ❤ ❤
Makeover Monday: The Red Credenza
Next I laid my doors on the amazing decorative paper I’m using to cover them and cut around their outline using an X-acto knife. Using the line we drew on the second door I allowed for a little bit of overlap so that the image would appear as one piece when the doors are closed.
Once you’re happy with your paper placement Mod Podge it into place. Cover the entire surface with Mod Podge, lay your paper down and smooth out any air bubbles. Be sure to work quick, this stuff dries fast. When it’s in place, cover the entire surface with Mod Podge. (It’s a good idea to use M.P. Hard Coat for this project.)
Instead of wasting time cleaning paintbrushes that you’re just going to use again for the second coat, wrap them in plastic wrap or a grocery bag and pop ’em in the freezer until you’re ready for the next coat of paint. This way you only have to wash your brushes once at the end of the project which will help seriously reduce the desire to just abandon the project halfway through because washing paint rollers is such a gigantic paint in the a**. Thanks Lady!