easy DIY skeleton key art

I have a little DIY art project to share today with skeleton keys.

I've been sort of drooling over skeleton keys and my in-laws picked some up for me at a flea market/antique store last fall. I saw this idea on Pinterest and decided to try it out.

I'd had some framed square pictures with dried flowers and a Bible verse in it - they were a wedding gift and something that was nice, but just not my style to begin with, but I'd hung them on the kitchen wall because I could (note to self: not a very good reason). I was considering buying some frames for my skeleton key art when I remembered these lonely frames!

The art was easily removed and I popped the glass out. I trimmed a small piece of white burlap to fit the square, and then I just refitted the glass and a piece of cardboard to the back - that way if I want to redo these frames again (or donate/sell them), the exact glass is there, but doesn't bother me a bit in the meantime. I flipped them over and hot glued the keys straight to it. That's it!

 I rehung them next to my DIY kitchen pegboard and their value has increased 100 times to me - even though it didn't cost me anything at all. (And I actually like them now, ha!)

 Don't you love the keys' character?

*free* necklace hanger DIY

I've been working on decluttering again (I feel like I was just doing a big sweep, but the need comes around so quickly!) ... this time, visually. My craft/vanity side of the bedroom is probably the most cluttered area of my house and it has gotten to the point of driving me crazy. Here's a good peek at how it's been for quite awhile. My scarves were getting out of control.

Here's a little snippet of my progress! A DIY necklace hanger made from a leftover piece of pine 1x2 and some picture hangers.

Inspiration came from this post over at Little Green Notebook. (Have you checked out her blog? It's amazing. She's totally a professional interior designer, and has some incredible stuff going on, but she's also down-to-earth with some pretty doable DIYs. Check. her. out.) I even went right out and bought those little mug hangers.

And then I remembered a TON of picture hangers I had from a freebie my mom scored at her local hardware store. Those hangers, along with a free sample of Valspar and a leftover 1x2 ... a free necklace hanger for me!

Mint and gold anyone?!

 I first tried laying them out at about 1/2" apart and then realized that it was too squished. So I marked little dots at 3/4" apart with a measuring tape and started pounding them in.

As you can see, they aren't perfect. At first, I thought it was my less-than-perfect hammer wielding skills combined with the odd nail angle of picture hangers, but then I compared several and realized they aren't even uniformly made. So, I tossed perfection out the door and just did the best I could. I had to use a few bigger ones to fill the space, so each of my pretties would have a hook, and I'm so pleased!

Can it get any better than less clutter and free?! I think not! :-)

$10 Kitchen Update

There is a reason I've not shown you my kitchen before.

Well, at least this side of my kitchen. (Here's the other side.)

It's UGLY, honeys. And hardly has any counter space. And we're not allowed to touch it ... even thought it would look about a million times better with a nice coat of white paint and new hardware. 

So, I've been working on living well in my space, brainstorming ideas of how I can better enjoy my space. (On a very limited budget, mind you.) Last week I came across some DIYs of rented kitchens and started to look up different cupboard transformation ideas. Contact paper comes up a lot, but it supposedly leaves residue. Yuck.

There are $99 rolls of removeable vinyl/contact paper stuff, $50 rolls of Sherwin Williams removeable wallpaper ... or ...

wait for it (!)...



The ever baffling $3 washi tape. I still don't have the slightest clue why it's so popular, but I have found a use for washi tape after all!!

 Mindblowing, right?

Okay, not so much, but for $10 and 3 rolls of green faux woodgrain washi tape, my kitchen feels fresher and more fun.

You'll see that I left it off the lower cupboards. I have a 3 year old who just decimated the $40 wall vinyl I quite lovingly stood at 38 weeks pregnant and hung after 11 weeks of bedrest ...

That's why.

Our cupboards are flat, so I just outlined them with four pieces of tape. They aren't perfect (and neither are the cupboards - case in point above!) but you can't tell from a distance. I considered measuring and putting the squares in a little bit, but yeah right!? How's a 20 minute project compared to a 2-3 hour one? The first, please!

Last question - should I twine the hardware or not? Vote in the comments - please! I need your opinion. :-) 

:-)

DIY kitchen pegboard

SUPPLIES:
1 painted pegboard (2'x4')
1 assorted pack of pegboard hooks (including screws and plastic spacers) 

TOOLS:
drill & bits
stud finder
measuring tape

Side note: I'm taking this time to show off my finally completed table makeover. Chairs! A very exciting Christmas present from my in-laws.

I wanted to do mis-matched antique and vintage chairs but looked all last summer and had no luck. I'm really loving industrial lately, so I went for some metal bistro chairs. Delight!

Back to the pegboard.

First I found the middle of the wall, the middle of the pegboard and found the studs. In our house, this is easy ... you just look for the pattern of nail bulges up the wall (yuck). Otherwise, use a stud-finder.

The pegboard holes are exact inches apart, so make sure you are on a perfect inch when you drill into the studs and it should line up just right! (If you want to hang very heavy items - like cast iron skillets - you may need to build a frame and secure the pegboard better. For my little vintage items, this way is fine.)

Then, I slipped the spacer between the wall and the pegboard on the screw and drilled the screw in.

Side note: my studs didn't line up with the middle of the wall, so my pegboard is centered but one set of screws are 10 pegs in and the other is 7. No big deal. After everything is up, you don't really notice anyway.

Now it's time to hang 'til your heart's content! I LOVE vintage utensils and several were just hanging out in my cupboards waiting for a good idea and then BAM!

Pegboard.

And the "EAT" sign I grabbed from above my kitchen sink, hung it with a plastic anchor I shoved in one of the holes and I love it about 1000x more here. 

Cheers!

1970s Wool Maxi Skirt to Winter Plaid Pillows

My grandma has been downsizing and cleaning out her closet ... from the 1950s-1980s! I haven't been able to wear or keep everything, but I have several gems that I'm so excited about (remind me to show you the black velvet 50s dress!).

This 1970s handmade maxi was one that I loved, but, alas, can't wear. It was slightly too tight around the waist and slightly too short. (We tall ladies often run into that problem!) You can hem a skirt, but it's hard to make it longer. Anyway, right away I loved the plaid and decided that it would make cozy fall/winter pillows. (I know, another pillow, excuse my sewing skills - or lack thereof...)

Pillow forms were on sale at the craft store, so I grabbed a 14x14 and a 16x16 form with a Christmas giftcard. I've found that the loose stuffing makes sorta lumpy pillows - does anyone have any pointers in using it? I have lots that I've thrifted but lumpy pillows aren't exactly pretty.

Anyway. Here they are!

I ended up cutting the fabric poorly (use your rotary cutter and mat!), so I cut the 14x14 twice and then didn't have enough for my full second pillow. So, I cut the pillow on a seam and actually really love it.

 And, the back of the larger pillow I matched with some upcycled (formerly the inside of another pillow) fabric. It works.

And, I think I'm going to recover our headboard with dropcloth for a more neutral backdrop to work with. What do you think?

a DIY montessori weather learning tool

I wanted to make my 3-year old something fun and inexpensive but educational for Christmas. Inspired by this Etsy shop item I forged ahead with making my own felt weather tool for the side of the refrigerator. (Speaking of fridges, have you seen the SMEGs? My dream home is just begging for one...)

Back to the magnetic felt weather tool. I sewed a heavy duty magnet from the craft store into the backing piece before I sewed on the fronts and stuffed them. 

 My favorite piece was the snowflake.

After printing off a snowflake pattern, I placed the paper on the felt and sewed back and forth with a contrasting thread (as you can see, the lines aren't perfect) until all the lines were "drawn". Then, I carefully ripped the paper off - it is easy as the lines are all perforated and just peel off. Sweet!

"Raindrops keep fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'..."

 I ran out of magnets for the lightning, so instead of running out to buy another whole package, I just snipped a piece of velcro (the rough side) and sewed it to the top. It sticks to the back of a cloud or another piece to wait for the rare thunderstorm. (It does leave a bit of a mess pulling away from the felt, but since it's so infrequently used, I'm not too worried about it.)

There you have it! Teach your child about weather observation and have fun while you go!

Cost: approx. $4-5 including tax (or less if you use a coupon!)
felt sheets (7 @ $0.25)
stuffing (already had)
magnets ($2.49 - set of 8)

DIY Industrial Curtain Rod (under $30!)

Next up, some "industrial" magic!

In November, we got new windows. (*ensue uproarious applause*) Many thanks to our complex and Windows World for their decision to replace the heavy, gunky, leaky (nasty) windows from 1988. 

However, one slight hiccup in the whole replacement process... We have gotten by with a tension rod hanging our bedroom curtains for 4 years. The trim they placed around the windows to seal them up stole that space and made the tension rod unusable. 

Well, darn, I guess I'll have to come up with a DIY solution ... insert DIY Industrial Curtain Rod!

This project definitely was not a lowest-cost-ever DIY. You can definitely find a curtain rod for less than $30. But, if you are going for a certain look (i.e. industrial), it's just gonna cost a little more.

I followed this tutorial but decided to do my own DIY to improve on some of the questions I had along the way.

SUPPLIES:
**from the plumbing section of the hardware store: 2 floor flanges, 2 (90 deg) elbows, 2 nipples (all the same size - I wanted to do 1/2" and it may've proved slightly cheaper, but I wanted it then, so I got what they had - 3/4")
**from the electrical section of the hardware store: one (1) 10 ft length of 3/4" electrical conduit pipe
**from IKEA (or other store with a curtain section): a set of clippy curtain rings

TOOLS:
Screw driver, drill & bits, hack saw (or pipe cutters), #10 phillips screws (mine were 1-1/2" long) and drywall anchors. 

First, I measured and marked where I wanted the flanges to go. (The galvanized metal made quite a mess of my wall where I scooted it around. Beware!) You'll notice that I didn't 1) put them all the way up to the ceiling (naughty) and 2) placed them just outside the perimeter of my window (also design naughty) so my curtains would close. Because seriously people, my curtains were $40 a panel (wedding gift) and I saw no need to replace them, so I'm working with what I have. Thus, my rod placement.

The huge benefit to this was that I didn't actually need the drywall anchors at all! Every time I pulled the drill away from the hole, I realized that I was pulling away bits of wood. The window frame must've been in just the right spot. Woo hoo!

I installed the first flange with 4 screws. Then, I screwed in nipple 1. I thought this might be difficult, but they have some kind of grease on them, so it was very easy to turn. I just turned until it caught - I didn't try to force it.

Then I washed my hands.

Don't forget to put your first curtain clippy loop on before your elbow! This pulls the curtain around to the side so you don't have that annoying light coming in the side of your window on Saturday morning.

Well, I have a 3-year old, the sun never wakes me up. What am I saying? 

Then, screw the elbow on just like you did the nipple, except you will have to work with the placement as it needs to be turned toward the opposite side to hold the actual rod.

Assemble other side like the first but do not attach it to the wall.

Then, measure the distance between the installed corner and where you want the other plus about 1/2" - for the rod to slide into the elbow.  Not gonna lie, this part was difficult to get just right (you'll find out why in a moment).

Mark the pipe and start sawing!

Take a break if you think your arm is going to fall off, and when you've finally cut through, congratulate yourself. (OR, if you have more patience, take the measurement to the hardware store and have them cut it with a pipe cutter in two seconds flat.)

Then, see how it fits. Unfortunately, my measurements were slightly off and ... I had to cut another inch off! Gag.

Lesson learned.

I'd suggest doing the next part with another person, because it was tricky to hold everything in place at once. (Plus, if you are just one person, you can't take pictures of the process!)

Grab a ladder or a chair and insert one side of the rod into the already installed elbow. Then don't forget to put the other curtain rings on (!) and slide the other fully assembled (but not installed) elbow on the other side.

While holding it all in place, screw the other floor flange into the wall. The placement of the drill was kind of awkward at this point, so some of the screws were less than straight, but it wasn't terrible and it is still exremely sturdy. Plus, it looks amazing.

There you have it! A DIY industrial curtain rod all your own for less than $30.

Let me know if I missed anything!

Cost breakdown:

10ft (3/4") metal conduit pipe - $3.12
2 (@$2.37) 90 degree galvanized elbows (3/4") - $4.74
2 (@$1.54) galvanized nipples (3/4" x 2") - $3.08
2 (@ $7.69) 3/4" galvanized floor flanges - $15.38
pack of 8 (10x1-1/2") sheet metal screws - $1.18

TOTAL (including tax) = $29.84