Plain bookshelf = DIY fancy china cabinet

This small unfinished pine bookshelf was shuffled from room to room. I planned to paint it, but never did. I was on the verge of kicking it to the curb. (This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a small commission. You can […]

2021-03-05T02:16:27-08:00October 16, 2012|

Review: Rubbermaid Bento Boxes and Toppers + a giveaway

I tend to hoard craft supplies. Glue, duct tape, wood, carpet samples, lamp parts — you name it. I keep all of it neatly stored in labeled boxes and bins so I can access everything easily and often.

I’m also kind of anti plastic bins. Partly because they look cheap. Partly because […]

2021-03-12T18:30:20-08:00October 9, 2012|

DIY reupholstered ottoman

Lately I’ve been coveting a coffee-table ottoman. You know: one of those oversized ottomans that you can kick your feet on from nearly any seat on the couch and use as a coffee table by merely adding a tray. I loved Pottery Barn’s striped Alexandria Ottoman (see […]

2021-03-05T02:13:28-08:00October 6, 2012|

Chandelier makeover: the tutorial

My apologies to everyone who has been waiting since last summer’s blog post for me to share this chandelier tutorial! Life got in the way and delayed my ability to pass on this information. First there was girls camp, and then I got a new job, and […]

2021-01-31T05:54:03-08:00August 6, 2012|

Why—or why not—do it yourself?

One of the comments I often see on blog posts describing particularly difficult or time-consuming DIY projects is something to the effect of “Why?”

For example, recently Raine@Bucilla asked in regard to my mini side table, “This is a cool idea, and very ingenious, but wouldn’t be easier and […]

2021-02-16T19:40:56-08:00July 29, 2012|

Paint colors & tips from the pros + a giveaway

Remember last year when I mentioned that I would share my brother Troy’s painting tips? Well, now is as good a time as any to follow through — especially because Sherwin-Williams has proclaimed this National Painting Week.

All this week Sherwin-Williams is offering […]

2021-02-10T21:37:18-08:00April 19, 2012|

DIY Easter tree, egg ornaments & garland

My grandmother and great-grandmother were both crafty. My great-grandmother specialized in tatting, crochet, and ribbon roses. My grandmother dabbled in many handicrafts, including painting china, sculpting clay roses, découpaging, quilling, welding, and making 3D pictures (I’ll teach you the latter someday). She even made adorable […]

2021-04-03T20:22:22-07:00April 7, 2012|

Crafting with the Cameo: DIY embossed numbers clock

Can you believe it? I finally took my Silhouette Cameo out of its box and fired it up last week. I seriously don’t know what took me so long. I have lots of projects I want to try, but I decided to start with this square clock […]

2021-01-31T02:11:13-08:00March 27, 2012|

How to rewire a table lamp

I loved everything about an old table lamp that I bought on Craigslist except its lampshade and old brass hardware. I took care of the lampshade, so now I needed to rewire it and paint the brass base. When I found an eBay store that sells […]

2021-01-31T05:53:50-08:00March 15, 2012|

DIY painted lampshade + finial

You probably remember this lamp. Its first makeover was four years ago. Frankly, the fabric-covered lamp shade was a disappointment, and brass just wasn’t my thing. I still loved the white lamp base itself, so I decided to spray paint the brass base, rewire the lamp with nickel-plated hardware, and […]

2021-01-31T02:11:54-08:00March 15, 2012|

DIY coffee filter snowball wall light

Lately I’ve been working with wire and wire mesh. First I made jewelry holders, then a jingle bell ornament, and now this decorative light fixture. I call it the Snowball light because it reminds me of the giant snowballs that terrorize Scrat, the acorn-obsessed saber-toothed squirrel in the movie […]

2021-01-31T02:12:06-08:00January 21, 2012|
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