Mail sorter & key holder makeover
I bought this mail sorter on clearance at Target a couple years ago. It’s seen better days, and it’s not exactly the look I go for anymore. To quote my sister, it’s “really ugly.” So I gave it a makeover. A little paint, two label holders, and three cup hooks […]
DIY Lazy Susan = two wooden clocks
I wanted a big, bold clock to make a statement on my wall, but I couldn’t find anything like what I imagined, so I made my own. I started with a $7 Snudda Lazy Susan from Ikea (now $13). And — surprise — I got two clocks […]
DIY fall pumpkin centerpiece ideas
For those of you who aren’t in a rush to decorate for Christmas, give your pumpkins one last hurrah before everything becomes tinsel and snowflakes. Remember: Fall isn’t over until December 22, and pumpkins aren’t just for Halloween.
Finish your centerpiece with a fall-colored table runner, leaves, green boughs, or more scattered […]
DIY easy ribbon wreath
I originally made this as a Christmas wreath, but now that I see it again, it works just as well as a Valentine’s Day wreath. It’s the easiest project I’ve done so far.
Admittedly, it looks candy caney. But that’s the beauty of this project: You can choose any ribbons you want. […]
DIY navy blue feature wall
Whenever people tell me they love painting, I’m suspicious. If you do the job right (protect the floor, clean and prep the walls, tape off moldings and edges, and start with primer), painting is anything but fun. And that doesn’t even count cleanup. But it’s worth the hassle because paint (or […]
Painting my house
To say that choosing paint colors was difficult for me would be an understatement. Each color looked completely different depending on lighting, which I found to be extremely frustrating — especially now that days are short and sunlight is limited.
Two months, 22 paint samples, and multiple splotchy walls later, I finally […]
I’m a homeowner! The before pictures
I am sorry to have neglected Crafty Nest for so long. But this time I have a great excuse. I bought my first house!
Here are some “before” pictures of my “new” house. It’s a 1927 Mediterranean bungalow, with loads of charm including original light fixtures, push-button switches, built-ins, and gorgeous hardwood […]
DIY fabric-covered box = recycling tote
Ever need something that you’re sure exists, but once you go looking for it, you come up empty? I searched for a bin in which to toss all my paper recycling (let’s face it: junk mail). And I wanted it to fit on the bottom pull-out shelf of my not-so-attractive-but-necessary microwave […]
DIY beaded-glass-framed mirror
I removed this old, scratched, chipped mirror from an ugly plastic frame (which I turned into a bulletin board). Even though the mirror had seen better days, I couldn’t just throw it out. Despite it’s flaws, I loved the shape and thickness of the mirror. I wanted to […]
Plates + candlesticks + knobs = DIY tiered jewelry trays
This one is for Alyson. She’s been asking me to blog about jewelry storage ideas for, um, years. I’ve had this tiered jewelry tray idea in the back of my mind for a long time. The delay came down to finding the right glue. I think I’ve found it — well, […]
DIY mitered-corner cloth napkins
When I needed cloth napkins for my Easter table setting, I couldn’t find any that looked good with the color palette. But I had the ideal fabric on hand. So I examined the perfectly mitered corners on my Williams-Sonoma napkins and figured out how to […]
Boutique hotel decor inspiration
In case you haven’t noticed, my day job has been eating up my blogging time for the last year and a half. So, I thought I’d share a little of my day job with you.
Recently, I took a business trip to Salt Lake City, Utah, and I stayed in a lovely […]
