Tag Archives: diy

Coaster Crafting

I have a fun little DIY to share today! This project requires just a few supplies and is relatively quick to assemble, once you have everything laid out.

I originally found this craft on Pinterest last year (this original link is broken; you can find similar instructions here), and had wanted to make them for Christmas gifts. But time got away from me. I dug it out last week over the Labor Day holiday weekend, when my friend Katie and I decided to have a Girl’s Night In and craft (maybe I’m just getting older, but this is really an ideal way to spend a Friday night, haha!)

Supplies:

– 4×4-inch ceramic tiles (mine were leftovers from the kitchen backsplash in our previous home)

– Mod Podge

– Foam brushes

– Clear acrylic spray sealer

– Scrapbooking paper (could also use wrapping paper, wall paper scraps, greeting cards… whatever floats your boat!)

– Sticky-back felt or felt furniture pads

Directions:

Cut paper(s) into 4×4-inch squares; or trace your tile onto the paper for a more accurate measurement. Apply a layer of Mod Podge to the tile, then lay a paper square on top and smooth it over. At this point, I flipped the tile over and trimmed off any excess paper. Once trimmed, apply another layer of Mod Podge over the paper. Let dry. Once dry, spray tiles with the clear acrylic sealer according to sealer instructions. Add felt pads to the bottom, and voila! You have a new set of coasters to keep or gift!

Bonus idea: Gift them with a mason jar of home-made hot cocoa or chai tea mix. Yum!

I got too caught up in wine and girl talk to remember to take pictures of the “During” process (sorry!). But here are some “glamour shots” of the “After”:

Weekly Wishlist: Mirrored Chests

This week finds me wide-eyed over some absolutely stunning mirrored chests. I think a piece of mirrored furniture adds instant elegance and interest to a room. An immediate conversation piece with loads of class.

If you’re apprehensive of taking such a glitzy leap, start small with an accent table. Me? I’d go straight for a giant chest of drawers! These three selections were found via Horchow. You can find even more options (including console tables, accent tables, and mirrored mirrors) on my Pinterest board here.

The wood detail on this is so beautiful, this chest only needs simple accessories to set it apart in any room – a simple vase of flowers or a favorite piece of art leaned against a wall. That way you’d get all colors reflecting on the top!

This is such a stylish, elegant chest. I love the shape, how the drawers are staggered to give it depth. And legs looks like prisms!

This one literally took my breath away! The detail is incredible. The website description states that it is covered in 240 individually beveled mirrors in a basketweave pattern. In-cre-di-ble. And of course, I love the name 😉

 

Want to try to DIY your own mirrored furniture? Check out how Kristin of Bliss created her own mirrored pedestal table!

What’s on your wishlist this week?

Things I’m Putting Off, But Desperately Need To Do

1. Reorganize our pantry.

I got off to a good start at the beginning of the year, hauling home a huge amount of totes and bins from Target, but due to other members of the family not paying attention to my system (Tom, I’m looking at you), it demands a re-do. Our pantry has also become a bit of a catch-all. I don’t there’s anything too unrelated to kitchens / dining in there, but now I’m scared to look.

2. Create a filing system.

Tom and I have had separate filing methods since we got married 5 years ago. He takes care of his, and I take care of mine. And the problems with this are numerous…

– We now have a lot of joint accounts and shared assets, from savings accounts to our mortgage payments.

– We constantly lose W2 forms during tax season because they wind up all over the house.

– I use a pretty simple Banker’s box system; Tom… well, I’m still not really sure what his filing system is. But statements have turned up in some pretty random places around the house, including a drawer of our nightstands.

I have no idea where to start. As soon as I start thinking about this project, I feel completely overwhelmed. I feel like I need to take at least a week of vacation to sort it out and do it properly. Please, oh please, help me find the inspiration, determination and endurance to complete this task!!!

3. Stain the deck

While Tom will probably take the lead on this one, I should probably offer my services. At least to pick out a nice stain color 😉

We’re waiting for the weather to cool down before tackling this one, but then I see college football and Bengals games eating up our weekend afternoons…

4. Seal the driveway

There’s been some debate recently about how important this one is. Do we really need to seal our driveway? I guess it would help it last longer, because the last thing we want to do is pay thousands to have it re-poured in a few years. Thoughts? Any tips on driveway sealing?

What tasks are you putting off? Let’s inspire each other to conquer them!

List-O-Mania

I don’t know about you, but I love making lists. In the Notes app on my iPhone. Especially when Tom & I are driving to work (we carpool; he drives), running errands, or in those moments when I can’t fall asleep because I have too many thoughts running through my head. During our 13 hour car ride back from Florida, I made a lot of lists. Tom gets carsick if he’s not driving, so he drove the ENTIRE 750 miles home. And I spent those miles reading the September issue of HGTV magazine, and coming up with countless ideas and projects for our house. The best way that I could think of to soothe my racing mind was to create room-by-room lists.

I am sharing these with you in an effort to help 1.) Turn some of these ideas into reality. Decorating is like dieting. If you tell people what your goals are, you’re more likely to follow through and stick to it. Right?? 2.) Have a back-up, just in case I lose my iPhone or accidentally hit delete!

Obviously, there are more rooms in our house than are listed here. But I’m starting with the ones that seem reasonable and realistic.

Family Room:

– Gallery wall above small bookshelf; maybe small wall of photos between TV and stairs (MUST make progress on this soon! I should probably give myself a deadline…)

– Add a basket/something to stash pillows and throws

– Buy a rug for the corner where the piano will go

– Have piano moved from my parent’s house

– Accent table needed between cream leather occasional chairs

– Paint! (this is on the books for early 2013!!)

– Crown molding

– Frame out windows or build cornice boxes

– Eventually… would love a pouf! And a new coffee table and end table

 

Kitchen:

– Add a tile backsplash

– Paint!! (also early 2013)

– Install under-cabinet lighting

– Crown molding

– Considering a fun, modern wall-paper on the wall underneath our island, that faces our family room

– Eventually… would love custom blown-glass pendant lights.

 

Master Bedroom:

– Dressing table and chair

– Armchair (and ottoman?)

– New bedding

– Art / photos for walls

– New lamps for our nightstands

– Crown molding?

– Custom closet system

 

Library/Office:

– Built-in shelving and window seat

– Window seat cushion and pillows

– Frame out window

– Crown molding

– New desk & desk chair

– Hang art

– Feature wall for quilts (my mom is a quilter; she’s made me some cute, sentimental and “inside joke” quilts over the years and I need a way to display them!)


Now, the fun part will be seeing how many of these we can actually accomplish! Is it silly to admit that I’m nervous?!!?

 

Owl Obsession, Continued!

Discovered these cute owl pillows in a gift shop last night. The price tag was about $15, but I think I can make one for less once we get back home.

The shop had some other owl accents, like carved wooden candle holders and iron wall accents, but I forgot to snag pics.