KITCHEN WALL ART

DIY Wall Art For Your Kitchen:
The internet is full of creative inspiration for your home decor. Don't worry if you don't find exactly what you want or in the colors you need. It's INSPIRATION. ;) Find the "idea" and customize it.
I was looking for cute, whimsical wall art for my kitchen. Time to check "pinterest!" (I love pinterest!! It is more addicting than facebook.) I found the cute and whimsical wall art inspiration I wanted! Then it was time to customize it for my kitchen. My kitchen/living room style is sophisticated farmhouse and my color scheme is black, white and green with yellow & red accents.

How To:

I found a wooden 8 x 10 frame at a yard sale for $0.50! Bargain! Then I found the perfect fabric. I bought 1/2 a yard for $3.50. (There is enough fabric left for another project.)

    

I bought a bundle of silverware remnants at the thrift store for $2.99. I made sure it had, at least, a fork, knife and spoon. The extras I will use to make more kitchen art for gifts.

Next, I had to decide what color I wanted the utensils to be. I wasn't about to experiment on the real stuff, even if it was from the thrift store. So I used a plastic fork and spoon for a sample. I spray painted one yellow and one red. I liked the contrast of the bold red. WINNER!

 

Cut down your fabric. Don't cut it too small. Use hand stapler and craft spray glue to attach fabric. Hot glue your spray painted utensils onto front of fabric.

That's it! Just hang and smile! :)

Do-It-Yourself projects are the best way to go. You can customize it to fit your personal taste and, most of the time, it will be one-of-a-kind. But don't worry if someone decides to copy it for themselves...that shows how much they really liked it!!

~Yvonne ;)

ROOM MAKEOVER: Transition from little girl to tween

My tween daughter outgrew her cute turquoise room and her request for her room make over was...fancy hotel and purple wall.
Hmm. Ok. First we agreed on a purple that was sophisticated rather than kiddish. [Home Depot: Glidden paint in Ancient Violet.]
We tackled the room in stages. I always re-do rooms in layers so that I don't rush and settle for anything. I want to LOVE every bit of a room.

[Bedding: Purchased at Walmart. Mainstays Classic Noir Bed in a Bag Set. $39.88 Full size.]

After

Before

Wall Flower Art: I was inspired by pinterest flower that was made from poster board. I wanted something sturdier so I used these white, plastic file folders I found at Target for $1.00 each. The round mirror was $1.00 from dollar store. TOTAL COST $4.00!

               

I used cardboard (folded in half) to cut flower petal shape to use as a template. I removed the vinyl tabs and I cut the white plastic into strips. I folded each strip in half and placed the folded cardboard template on top. I traced the shape on each strip and cut each strip out. I cut four strips shorter. I dry fit to see how I wanted them to look. I turned the mirror upside down and hot glued the small pieces first and then the larger ones.
The frame backing that I removed from the other wall art, I saved and used a coaster to trace out a circle (with hanger part centered.) Hot glue to the back and hang.

TURNED OUT AMAZING! I TOTALLY LOVE IT AND SO DOES MY DAUGHTER!

...AND because nothing goes to waste...I cut the ends down on the vinyl accordion file and punched holes with my 3-hole puncher. EXTRA TAB DIVIDERS!!!
 

Wall Art grouping: I purchased three certificate sized frames and three wall stickers from the dollar store. I removed the frame backing to have the see through look. Fresh and airy! I hot glued frame hangers and spray painted them black. [Be sure hangers are affixed on securely so frame doesn't fall.] TOTAL COST $6.00!

     

Night Stand: I kept the night stand because the shape still worked for us. The turquoise was out and fresh paint was in. I still had some metallic silver paint that I used on it and we decided to replace the knob with a round crystal one. The lamp still looks awesome on it!

   

Redecorating a room may be challenging but not overwhelming. Don't stress on the paint color. I always say "go for it!" It's only paint. If it's not what you had in mind, try again. :)
Tackling a room in stages or layers, is budget friendly and because you took your time, you are more likely to love every detail.
Be creative. Transform what you already have. Shop yard sales, flea markets, craigslist and, YES, the dollar store!
An upholstered headboard will be the next item and then I'll tackle the other half of the room. It never ends...LUCKY ME!!

~Yvonne ;)

FRONT PORCH CHARM

Adding charm to your front porch.

  

Create a bench seating with a faux window. I bought the wrought iron at a store and my husband framed it with wood. We hung it up to create a "window" above the bench. I used red accents in flowers, pillows and paint to match our red front door.

So, get creative! And YES, you can add farmhouse charm to your front porch; even if you live in a suburban neighborhood.

~Yvonne ;)

RUSTIC FLOWER BED

Adding rustic charm outside your home is easy and fun. Don't try to achieve perfection. Remember that it is in the imperfections that add character. This means that you can get the kids involved and overcome your OCD issues!

                                 AFTER                                                          BEFORE

Recycle those old fence boards and create your own mini panel for planters. I LOVE how this came out!!

{IDEA: This is a super cute way to plant your herbs!}

Using the recycled old fence boards, again, we made a simple fence. This helped create separation between the front porch seating area and the flower bed, without blocking the view.

I did the same distressed paint treatment on both fencing projects to keep it unified.

And what else would you mount on the fence when you live in Texas?...a longhorn skull, of course!

Creating a rustic flower bed doesn't need to be boring. Rocks, different style pots and flowers that make you smile :) all add charm to your flower bed. Keeping it simple and uncluttered gives it a fresh look.  It's water wise, also!

So have a seat outside, drink your ice tea and enjoy your ... flower bed ... I mean, SUMMER! ~Yvonne

Trendy Tripod Lamp

Tripod Lamp

    Instead of buying that pricey trendy TRIPOD lamp, create your own. Save yourself hundreds of dollars! Make it exactly the way you want it. Pick the color you like and coordinate it with a great lamp shade. Since you are saving so much money on your personal lamp, go ahead and splurge on the lamp shade. It will add that designer touch!
    Use conduit for the tripod legs. Drill a hole near bottom & top of one conduit for the electrical cord to run through. Use a fine grit sandpaper to rub the smooth oily feel off of the conduit. Spray paint it the color of your choice. Run electrical cord through conduit. Drill three holes through a round wood disc approximately 1 1/2" thick. Drill screws through side of wood disc and through the conduit to hold it in place. Use lamp shade kit to add to top. Add rubber footings to bottom of conduit legs, add your bulb and lamp shade. It really is that easy and looks like it stepped right out of a magazine!
    I LOVE my tripod lamp! I sit in my cozy chair, grab a book to read and turn on my tripod lamp. ~Yvonne

Stumped by Mesquite

     So you cleared your land from all those Texas Mesquite trees and now you're wondering what to do with the logs and stumps. Of course, you set aside many, MANY bundles of logs for grilling to add that smoky mesquite flavor but there are more ideas.
     Add several coats of amber tinted Shellac to transform your mesquite into a rustic centerpiece, end table, bar stool, candle tray or cutting board. (Shellac is a natural product that creates a safe surface for food.)
     So get shellacking and love your mesquite wood!
~Yvonne

Mosaic Tile: Not Just For Backsplash

Rustic coffee table with mosaic tile inlay

Shabby chic foyer table with mosaic tile inlay

We've all seen the tables with ceramic, cream-colored tile inlays. They have that country look but simple & basic. This is where you can pump up the charm!

Manuel & I had some left over mosaic tile from our DIY kitchen back-splash project. We decided to inlay it into a coffee table he made that we hadn't sold yet. It took some tedious labor but the result was so worth it.

We loved the look so much that we decided to build a customized tile-inlay foyer table. We bought some gorgeous mosaic tile at the home improvement store. Since we only need a few squares, we knew we could splurge on the fancy one. I did a shabby chic paint treatment in turquoise & white on the frame. AMAZING!

A creative twist on the tile top table that has charm to the max!
~Yvonne