(DIY) Recycled Window Picture Frames

Hello hello! I know, it's been awhile. I'm still not so great at this whole blog thing. I am going to try to post more often, but bear with me! I'm here to show you project that took me WAY too long to finish (I'm seeing a trend here...)! When I first found a source for free, old windows, I knew some great crafts were in my future. My first project was a message board for my mom:

The full tutorial can be found here. My mom has it hung in her kitchen where she hangs pictures and drawings from her grandkids and students. I love how it turned out!

Next, I decided to see what the Krylon Looking Glass Spray craze was all about. I prepped the window the same way as the first, then covered the back with the spray paint. This one hangs in the guest room and I absolutely LOVE it! I followed this tutorial from Atta Girl Says. Super simple and stunning : )

After two window projects, you'd think I would have had enough, that I would have gotten it out of my system. To that I say, if you had nearly unlimited free windows, would you just let them sit there, sad and lonely? Me either. Those windows need a home!!! So I headed over to Richlands, Virginia, and picked up not one, not two, but THREE more windows! No, I'm not crazy. I had a huge wall behind our couch that needed to be filled, and tons of wedding pictures that I had been dying to hang on the walls. Throw some windows into that equation, and here's what you get:

Recycled Window Picture Frames!!!

Like I said, it took me entirely too long from start to finish, but they are finally up and I just LOVE them! I'll give you a super short mini tutorial. Again, I prepped the windows the same way as before, stripping, sanding, and sealing (be careful with lead paint!!!). I then took some cardboard and cut it to fit into each slot. I used linen (leftover from our wedding center pieces- woo!), cut it to size, and used spray adhesive to attach it to the cardboard. Finally, I ordered my photos (from Walmart- they turned out really nice) and used spray adhesive to carefully attach the photos to the linen covered cardboard. I used glaziers clips (from the hardware store) to hold the cardboard in the back of the windows.

I am so happy with how they turned out and it makes me so happy to see my wedding pictures every day!

I traced and painted the "B" design onto the linen, then glued some lace and a flower clip to another frame (the glass had broken out of both sections). I decided to glue the photos to the linen instead of making mats because A) it's WAY easier, and B) This way I can switch them out more easily, and I can put different sizes in if I choose to. 

I used D hooks and picture hanging wire on the backs of the windows, and hung them on drywall anchor screws because we couldn't hang them directly on studs. The anchor screws we used are rated for 30 lbs. and these windows weight in at just over 12 lbs., so I'd say we're good! 

Again, I'm thrilled with how they look, and it really was a simple (although time-consuming) project! Plus, it was very inexpensive: I just had to buy hanging hardware and the photos! Let me know if you plan on using this in your home- I'd love to see it!

(DIY) Chicken Halloween Costume

Growing up, I always looked forward to Halloween. The excitement, the candy, and, most importantly, the costume. As I got older, some of my reasons for loving the holiday changed, but the costume always topped the list. My mom and I started planning weeks in advance so we would have time to gather the pieces and get my costume put together. That's right- I am one of the shrinking number of people who makes their own costumes. I always have, and I always will. Something about store bought costumes just seems wrong. Seems cheap. Seems lazy. Not to mention, I have never seen a store bought costume win ANY costume contests. As I got older and all of my friends started shelling out $40+ for slutty nurse costumes, I stuck by my guns and creativity, and my costumes always dominated! 

I just can't ever justify spending money on a crappy outfit that'll be lucky to make it through trick-or-treating, let alone survive to be passed down to younger siblings for years and years. Some people think store bought costumes are easier. What with class parties, trick-or-treaters, sports, and everything else October holds, how do you find time to MAKE a Halloween costume?! Homemade costumes do not- I repeat- DO NOT have to be complicated. Throw on an oversized white Oxford and some Ray Bans? Tom Cruise from "Risky Business." Striped shirt, jeans, and camera around your neck? Where's Waldo. 

I have always had a blast picking and putting together my Halloween costumes with my mom, but now that I have a daughter of my own, I get to make her costumes and continue the tradition. I look forward to years of making costumes for my baby girl, and I hope she enjoys it as much as I do. This year would be Izzy's first real Halloween- the first year she would be going trick-or-treating, that is. I have been keeping my eye out for ideas on Pinterest for months, and when I saw this picture, I knew I had found it. I had found Izzy's Halloween costume for 2012. 

Photo by Martha Stewart

Now, while this looks on the surface to be a time consuming, complicated costume, by planning ahead (and spreading out the work over a few days) this really is a very manageable look. I simply followed the tutorial on Martha's website, and it took me about six hours or less (over three days, with most of the time being spent stitching the feather boas on the onesie). I just used a onesie (as opposed to the leotards used in Martha's tutorial), and I only used one. I felt she was plenty fluffy without the extra stuffing. I liked the onesie more because, since I left it unsnapped, it gave her a little "tail," which was adorable : ) I couldn't find a white pilot's cap, so I just used a simple white crocheted hat instead, and it worked great. I also ended up buying white leggings and dying them yellow with powder Rit dye in Golden Yellow, because I couldn't find any yellow ones. Other than that, the tutorial is very straightforward, and when you're done... just look at what you get:

I mean, come on people- does it get any cuter than that?! I can't even tell you how many "Ooooo's" and "Awwwww's" we got as we went door-to-door. I literally teared up on multiple occasions that evening. Now, while there wasn't a costume contest, I hold that Izzy won. I don't think I saw more than 5 other homemade costumes the entire time we were out.

On the feet: While I'm SO glad I made them for pictures, Izzy did have a somewhat difficult time walking in them, so we ended up pulling them off and just having her wear her shoes that were underneath. If I had spent a little more time on them I might have been able to position them a little better, but I was crunched for time. Oh well. One last look at my little peep...

I may be biased, but- DANG! That is one cute little kid and, most importantly? She put up with the costume like a pro. I think she and I have many, many happy years of costume making ahead of us, and I can't wait : )

(DIY) Hair Bow Wreath

Please ignore the crappy photo quality- I took these at night with my iPhone...

Izzy had 10 or so hair bows before she was even born. She now has right around 47,823, give or take a few. I had always planned on making some kind of holder for them, but she's 18 months old, and it still hadn't happened. Last night, I decided that enough was enough! No more excuses- Izzy's NEEDS a hair bow holder! The string for the blinds that they were previously residing on just didn't cut it.

I wandered around Pinterest for awhile until it finally hit me- a wreath! I would just get a wreath, wrap it loosely with fabric strips, then clip the bows onto said fabric. Storage and display all in one! Great idea, but that would have required me to wait until morning to go to the store. Not going to happen. I started looking through the house for some more inspiration, and I found it- a wire coat hanger! I pulled that sucker apart and bent it into a round-ish shape. I hammered a nail in the wall, hung it up, and started clipping bows on it.

Organized chaos : )

And wouldn't you know- it was adorable (and not to mention FREE)! Problem solved- hair bows have a cute new home, and Izzy's wall has some more decor. Perfect! I'm so glad that I finally decided to take care of this. The bows do pop off fairly easily, and it is pretty packed. I may get an actual wreath and carry out my original plan of action. I feel like the bows would stay on better if they were clipped to the fabric strips, and it would allow for more bows. However, for now- this definitely works. Now to tackle the other 5,000,000 projects on my list...

~Annie

  

(DIY) Ribbon Embellished Towel and Towel Cake (Semi-Tutorial)

Our neighbor's daughter graduated from high school in May (yes, I know, this post is WAY over due). While I was thinking about what to get her, I started thinking back to my own high school graduation. The majority of the gifts I received were cash or checks. Don't get me wrong- that was great, but who remembers money? The gifts that stuck out in my mind were actual objects: towels, dishes, jewelry, etc.

So, I decided I would get her towels. I figured white was the best choice since it can be bleached, but how boring is that?! After talking to her mom about the colors and patterns she'd chosen for her dorm room, I decided to spice them up with some ribbon: purple and zebra print grosgrain, to be exact. I purchased the bath towels, hand towels, and washcloths from Walmart, and I got the ribbon online. I was good to go!

First, I cut the ribbon to the width of the towel plus 2", then singed the ends with a candle flame to prevent fraying. Next, I folded one end of the purple ribbon over about an inch, and placed it on the band on the towel. I started out pinning the ribbon down, but as I went on, I found it was easier to just hold the ribbon in place. I sewed along the edge of the ribbon, first purple, then zebra on top. I used a zig zag stitch, with the length set about two clicks away from 0, so it would look more like embroidery. I used a fairly wide stitch, but you can play with it to decide what width you prefer. This type of stitch takes longer since it's so compact, and it uses A LOT of thread- I went trough about 1,300 yards doing 4 hand towels and 4 bath towels (I didn't embellish the washcloths)!

Finished product: four bath towels and four hand towels expertly modestly embellished 

After a lot of trial and error, many tangled knots, and lots of cursing frustration, I finally finished the project! With the exception of the first hand towel, I was super happy with how they came out. They weren't perfect, but considering I had just started sewing in December, I was pretty darn proud of myself.

Now came the time to wrap this glorious present of mine. Sure I could just throw them in a bag with some tissue paper, but where's the fun in that?! I went to Walmart and picked up a white laundry basket ($2), a ceramic zebra print bath set ($2.50 for a toothbrush holder, soap dish, and tumbler!!!), a purple loofah ($1), and a white mesh laundry bag ($1). Then I set to work making a jumbo sized towel cake the same way that I made this one for my brother's and sister-in-law's wedding, except this time I rolled all of the towels in each tier up together (one big roll per level). I used a 1/2" dowel in the center to stabilize the towels, and wrapped each level with cotton string before wrapping with purple satin ribbon. I taped the ceramic pieces onto 1/4" dowels and placed them onto the "cake." Finally, I put the towels in the baskets, put the basket into the mesh bag, and tied it shut with the loofah "bow."

The completed (and completely adorable) towel cake

Not to toot my own horn, but toot-freakin'-toot! I was so thrilled with how adorable this project turned out to be, that I was literally sad that I had to give it away! But I did, and Rachel loved her towels, and she's now off to school putting them to use! While this was time consuming, I would definitely do this again. For around $50, I was able to give Rachel a one-of-a-kind gift that suited her perfectly, and that (I hope) she'll remember for years!

Let me know if you have any questions about this, and I hope that this will inspire you to make some personalized gifts in the future!

~Annie

Photocopier Art

I spent all morning getting the house ready so we can head to Arkansas, but somehow, I got done early and was just sitting around. I was about to go crazy waiting on Ben so I decided Izzy and I were going to do a project. It needed to be quick, in case Ben came home so we could just be done with it. It needed to be mess-free, because I've spent the last few days cleaning and can't bear to do any more. So I landed on a Pinterest find: Photocopier Art! I took Izzy into the office, stood her on the scanner glass, and hit copy. I was giddy with excitement when the first one came out. This is one of my favorite Pinterest finds yet.

*Note: Be gentle- the scanner plate is GLASS, so it could break. You may want to support your child's weight or have them sit down and set their feet on the scanner*

I messed around a bit to see what I liked, and honestly, I like them all. If you close the lid, you get a black background (aka- LOTS of ink). The lid open provides a white background. I think I like these a little more, especially since they use less ink. We only did black and white, but color would probably be neat too.

I will definitely be doing this more in the future. I think it would be cute to get Ben in on it too. You could also do this at Staples or a similar store. Black and white copies are usually 5 cents- can't beat that! We just printed on regular copy paper, but you could easily do it on photo paper and frame it for cheap wall art. I would recommend doing the originals on copy paper, then simply copying them onto the photo paper so you get your favorites on photo paper without wasting any. So happy with how they came out. To me, they are reminiscent of sonogram pictures.

Home Projects Part 3: Guest Room

While it's nowhere near being done, I have completed a few little projects in the guest room. First I snagged the comforter set (comforter, 2 throw pillows, 1 roll pillow, 2 shams, and a bed skirt) for just $20! Talk about bargain shopping. Not the softest, or best pattern in the world, but considering how often it gets used and how cheap it was, I am totally okay with it.

Next, I moved our desk into the closet. I can't even explain how thrilled I was when I figured out that it would fit. We rarely have guests, and when we do, they rarely require the entire closet to store their belongings. Having the desk in there is awesome. I can just pull the curtain shut, and whatever project I was sewing or working on goes away- it's great.

My most recent guest room project was a little display for the dresser. I use the dresser to hold all of my craft supplies and tools, and I use the top for work space when I'm working on a project. However, I figured that when we do have guests, we should have something attractive for them to look at. With this in mind, I made a display. I got a book from Dollar Tree, drew half of a vase shape and cut it out. I glued the ends together, and there you have it- a book "vase." If I did it again, I would use an old book. My new one was a little stiff and difficult to get it to fan out nicely. Oh well- live and learn. Next, I cleaned an old red wine bottle. Done. Then, I took a clean white wine bottle, filled it with green paint, and swirled it around until it was covered. Guest room dresser display- done.

I still need to fill up some wall space, and that will be my first task when we get back next fall. I'm thinking of just finding a nice branch to hang on the wall above the bed. Maybe spray paint it, maybe not. For the other wall, I think I'm going to put up framed dried leaves. Simple, pretty, goes with the theme. I'm also planning on finding two cheap matching lamps to go in the master bedroom, one for each bedside table. Then I will move my lamp in here, maybe paint it or otherwise dress it up. It's not much, but I think by next fall, it will be a great little guest room.

*UPDATE 4/17/13*

This update is months overdue, but I made quite a few changes to our guest room last fall. I'll just post pictures with a short explanation, and if you have any questions, you can comment or e-mail me.

My in-laws' curly willow tree died so I was lucky enough to score those branches for free! I found the vase at Marshall's in Dallas while vacationing with my parents last summer. I just hot glued some burlap to the top and called it good!

I wanted something big and cheap to cover the wall above the bed, so I relied on my trusty toilet paper rolls again. I used them in our bedroom too, but with a more organic, random look. I like the more geometric style of this one, too. I used the tutorial from The How-To Gal.

This was a pretty simple update. I added a little green bottle the the display, then some paper flowers to one of the vases. I took another branch (from the curly willow tree) and stuck it behind the dresser, then put some magazines on a tray that we received as a gift a couple years back.

My little craft closet. I had Ben put nails along the frame of the magnetic board to hold my thread and bobbins. I then spray painted it and the wooden shelf yellow. Next, I used cup hooks to hang dowel rods in order to hold my tulle ribbon and Kraft paper (which I need to get more of!). I like having a place for everything, and these small changes have helped to accomplish that!

Last, but certainly not least, I put up this window. I have an amazing window hook-up where I was able to score this beauty for FREE!!! I sprayed it with Krylon's Looking Glass Spray (I bought it at Hobby Lobby with the 40% off coupon, so it ended up being a little over $7 for the can) following this tutorial from Atta Girl Says. I could not love this window any more, especially since the only cost was for the spray paint!

So that's it! I think I am finally done decorating the guest room. I think I've done a pretty good job with the small space, especially considering my small budget!

Home Projects Part 2: Our Bedroom

When I began decorating Ben's and my bedroom, I wanted a sort of masculine meets feminine, geometric meets organic feel. Here's what we ended up with:

For starters, we received our DKNY Chrysanthemum quilt as a wedding present. It's a floral print, but it's monotone, so it's very understated. Then we picked up some striped Target Home sheets. They were like these, but the colors are more greys and creams. Feminine floral quilt, masculine striped sheets. So far so good. Next came the wall decorations. I ordered some candle sconces from Bed, Bath, and Beyond ($13.00 for the pair!!!). They no longer carry them, but you can find candle sconces for very little just about anywhere. Next, I made the leafy wall decoration using... wait for it... toilet paper tubes! Just cut them into small circles, glue them, hold it together with clothespins until dry, them spray paint it! Awesome, free DIY.

The curtains ($10 each), lamp ($12), and flower pillow ($6) were all from Magic Mart. Lastly, I hung up some of Ben's pictures (after spray painting all of the frames black for a uniform look), and voila! My vision is achieved! Organic, but geometric. Girly, yet manly. Perfect for a master bedroom. 

Notice my favorite decoration made an appearance. I love falling asleep and waking up here : )

Home Projects Part 1: Izzy's Room

I figured it's about time that I start blogging about the projects that I've completed around the house. Most of them were simple decorating projects, and all of them were very inexpensive. One of the first rooms I wanted to get decorated after moving in was Izzy's room. I just figured she would appreciate things to look at on the walls more than anyone else in the house! For starters, we got Izzy's crib and changing table are from Pottery Barn Kids. We already had the baskets, but they were from Walmart. The bedding Glenna Jean's "Maya" bedding from Baby Super Mall.

My first project was to make some wall panels that mimic canvas. I had saved some foam from Izzy's crib packaging for just this type of project! I simply cut it down to size with a knife, sanded the edges, and covered it with fabric. I used fat quarters from Walmart, which are $1 a piece, and I used two. Then, I used hot glue to stick buttons and flowers to them. The smallest piece I wrapped with yarn. So for less than $5, I made some wall art! One of them is a little wonky, and I plan on redoing it at some point... it just hasn't happened yet. Overall, I'm happy with how they turned out!

My next task was to refinish Izzy's name letters, and make a "mobile." When I bought Izzy's name letters, I had envisioned her room being black, white, and Tiffany blue, therefore I purchased black and white letters. Once we moved here, however, my plans changed (mainly due to the fact that I couldn't find crib bedding in that scheme for less than $500!). We decided to go with sunflowers, so the color scheme was creme, brown, and golden yellow. Lovely : )

But I still had these black and white letters! What was a girl to do... refinish them, of course! For the "I," I simply painted the frame with a coat of satin brown spray paint. The first "Z," I Mod Podged some silver zebra cardstock to it, and hot glued some golden yellow ribbon the the edge. The second "Z" also got a coat of satin brown spray paint. Finally, I wrapped the"Y" in cream yarn. So happy with the "new" color coordinating letters.

As you can see from this picture, I also made the "mobile" up in the corner. This was an ongoing project. I made two of them by wrapping yarn dipped in glue around balloons, letting it dry, then popping said balloons. The big yellow one is a tissue paper pom pom (there are tutorials for these EVERYWHERE). The cream one is yarn wrapped around a styrofoam ball. The silver one is four circles of card stock, folded in half, and glued together. I made two yarn pom poms (one cream and one golden yellow). 

The flower is made from circles of toilet paper tubes glues together and spray painted brown. Finally, the brown sphere is strips of card stock secured with brads, then spread out. I secured them to the ceiling by screwing white hooks to the ceiling, then tying them up with fishing line. I am thrilled with how it turned out, and I highly recommend making them. You can easily customize it with whatever objects you want.

   

Lastly, Izzy needed some shelves. I ordered some white wall shelves from Bed, Bath, and Beyond (they no longer carry them) for about $15 for the pair. I lightly sanded them, then hit them with some of my trusty satin brown spray paint. Once I got them hung, they now hold baby albums and various other little trinkets she has gotten along the way. I love the little bit of storage they provide, as well as the little bit of decoration they add to the wall.

  

Overall, I love how Izzy's room looks. It has just enough decoration without being overwhelming, and it's all out of her reach! Plus, I really think the colors we chose will be able to grow with her. So happy to finally be making this rental feel like home : )

Teeth Whitening Sneak Attack

As I was getting ready this morning, I noticed that my teeth were looking a bit... dingy. With graduations and weddings coming up this summer, I just can't have that. I didn't want to run out and drop $15+ on store bought treatments, so I started looking around online. I found a great article on ehow.com that uses two products you probably already have, and if not, you can get them for less than $5: hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. My normal toothpaste contains hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, so I figured that was a good place to start.

I didn't take any before pictures, but here is an after. I am super pleased with the results!

Ingredients and Materials

• hydrogen peroxide 
• baking soda
• toothbrush
• water
• Q-tips

First, I simply put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide on my toothbrush and brushed like normal for about a minute, brushing all surfaces, including my tongue. Make sure you don't swallow any of the hydrogen peroxide. When I was done, I rinsed my mouth out with water.

Next, I put some more hydrogen peroxide on my toothbrush, then sprinkled some baking soda on top. Like before, I brushed like normal for about a minute, then rinsed my mouth out. After brushing with peroxide and baking soda, I dried my front six teeth off. Then, I put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide on a Q-tip and wiped it over my dried teeth. After about a minute, I mixed equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water and swished it around my mouth for 30 seconds (again, make sure not to swallow any).

After spitting this out, I brushed with my normal toothpaste just to make my breath minty fresh : ) After doing all of this just one time, I noticed that my teeth were whiter. I plan on doing this whole routine about once a week, but I'm going to put peroxide on my teeth with a Q-tip for 30 seconds before I brush once a day. So far, I haven't noticed any tooth sensitivity. My gums did feel a little raw right after, but that went away within 20 or 30 minutes. Gotta love simple remedies that yield great results! I hope that these work for you!