Have you ever been scrolling through Pinterest looking for party ideas and notice those cute short wood picnic tables? Well I have done this plenty of times and always loved the look of them! After checking online, I found those tables sell for upwards of $200 each on Etsy. With an upcoming birthday party and baby shower, I decided to try building my own DIY short wood picnic tables.
Buying Supplies
After building a game plan in my head, I ordered 12” metal table legs from Amazon. I ordered two sets of 4 legs at $17 each because I intended to build 2 tables.
Next, I headed to Home Depot to purchase supplies. Here is what I purchased:
(1) 8FT X 4FT Wood Plywood Sheet
(6) 8FT Common Wood Boards
Wood Glue
Finishing Nails
Wood Stain
Sand Paper
After I bought all the supplies, I headed home to start building!
Building The Short Wood Picnic Table
First, you have to cut the 8FT X 4FT Plywood Sheet down the middle (making two 8FT X 2FT pieces) to make the two tables. While in the store, I asked if a Home Depot employee could do it and he tried but couldn’t get the cut right. Luckily, I own a Kreg Rip Cut Tool which allows you to cut large pieces of wood down easily with a circular saw.
Kreg Jig Rip Cut Saw Attachment
Once the plywood was cut down, I glued and nailed the two 8FT common boards to each side of the plywood. Then, I measured and cut down another piece of 8 FT Common Board into two pieces for the ends of the table. Those two pieces of common board were glued and nailed to each end of the plywood. I repeated the same steps for the second table.
After everything was dry, I gave it a solid day, I sanded each table down lightly. Then, I stained each table with Walnut Wood Stain.
Table Shell
Once again I allowed the tables to dry overnight. After everything was set, I attached the table legs to the 4 corners of the table using the screws provided.
One Completed Short Leg Picnic Table
Putting the Short Leg Picnic Tables To Use
Originally, I made these for a spa baby shower I was hosting; however, I decided to give the tables a test run at my son’s birthday party.
The tables were sturdy, adorable, and affordable! Total cost for each table was $50. We will be using the tables for years to come! Can’t wait for the warm weather to get here so we can enjoy them outside!
Kids Gaming Party!Spa Baby ShowerSpa Baby ShowerShort Leg Picnic TablesShort Leg Picnic TablesBaby Shower in Progress!
If you have been following the blog, then you know we are expecting our 3rd child! After an exhausting back and forth we ultimately decided to create a Board and Batten accent wall in the nursery.
Recently, we decided to make over all of the kids bedrooms. For my oldest son’s room we created an amazing Wooden Slat Wall.
Wooden Slat Wall
For my other son, we created a Shiplap Wall while keeping his Americana themed room decor.
Americana Shiplap Room
For the babies room, I wanted to do an accent wall as well. I decided on Board and Batten after exhausting several other options. Originally, I thought I would do a wall of symmetrical squares but soon realized it would be lost with the daybed I was planning on putting in the room. Board and Batten was the perfect fit to add a nice accent wall without compromising on style and design.
Materials:
(5) Primed 1x4x12 MDF boards
(1) Primed 1x2x8 MDF Board (Window Trim)
1.5″ brad finishing nails
Nail Gun
Caulk
Wood Filler
Paint
Miter Saw
This entire project cost less than $100 which is amazingly awesome for my budget! I used primed MDF as opposed to real wood because it is cheaper and since we are painting and not staining it, nobody will know the difference!
Creating the Board and Batten Wall
I measured the wall to determined where I would place all of the vertical boards to ensure there was even spacing between them. Once determining the vertical board placement, I cut down 3 of the 12 foot MDF boards to create the edger. I did 45 degree angle cuts on all 3 of the boards so they would line up seamlessly. I attached the boards to the wall using my nail gun and 1.5″ brad nails.
Once, the edger was in place, I cut down 2 of the 12 foot MDF boards and attached them to the wall vertically.
Around the window, I created a small trim piece so it would connect with the board and batten seamlessly. To create the trim, I cut down the 1x2x8 MDF board using a 45 degree angle cut and attached them around the window with the nail gun.
Window Trim with Vertical Boards in Place
Using scrap pieces from the project, I added my last vertical board pieces that bisected the window.
Once all of the vertical board pieces were in place, I determined where I wanted to run my horizontal board. Using scrap pieces from my previous cuts, I added a horizontal board towards the top of the wall in line with the top of the window.
Horizontal and Vertical Boards in Place
After all of the boards were in place, I caulked all of the board edges. I wood filled all of the holes and seams where the vertical and horizontal boards met. Once everything was dry, I lightly sanded down the wood filler.
To make my life easier, I decided to paint the board and batten wall the same color as the existing wall. This not only saved me on cost it also saved me a lot of time!
While we are still awaiting the arrival of the crib for the nursery, we have been decorating the remainder of the room in preparation!
Room Decor
I purchased the Taylor and Olive Contemporary Fabric Daybed with Trundle in Beige from Overstock on sale for $285.77. A daybed was placed in the nursery for functionality. The master bedroom is downstairs in our house, so if I need to be near the baby’s room for an extended period of time I wanted a place to rest! It doubles as a bed for the baby as he gets older, so its a win win!
The mattress was purchased from Home Depot! I found a great deal on the Zinus Green Tea 8 inch Memory Foam Mattress through Home Depot for $146.24 with free delivery. I only purchased one mattress, we will be using the trundle section of the bed as extra storage for now.
The bedding was a set from Target and it included the blanket and accent pillows.
The accent/storage table is a Hearth and Hand Bookcase I purchased on sale from Target for $109.99. Oddly enough, the art work we used was already in the bedroom from when it was our guest bedroom. We received the art work for free from one of our neighbors!
Always keep your eyes open for great deals through Target. Target often has discounts on some of my favorite brands such as Hearth and Hand, Studio McGee and Opal House.
Finally, I located an adorable wicker accent table with removable top at Goodwill! I will find a lamp that fits in with the room to place on top of it. Always check Goodwill for cute, cheap, vintage finds!
I hope you love the baby’s room as much as we do. We will continue to fill his room as we anxiously await his arrival!
Vertical Shiplap is an easy way to update your space and make it comfortable and homey. I decided to shiplap our entire upstairs living room and hallway areas.
The upstairs area in our house is the kids area, which means the walls take a beating. We had two options: shiplap or repaint. DIY vertical shiplap tied in the farmhouse feel we have throughout our house and was less expensive than hiring a painter to come in and repaint our space. The decision was made and I set out on my journey to DIY vertical shiplap the entire upstairs by myself during a quarantine with kids. Here is my journey!
GETTING STARTED DIY VERTICAL SHIPLAP
While I did not want to make extra work for myself, I quickly decided I needed to frame out all of the windows in the upstairs living room. The upstairs windows needed a frame to tie the vertical shiplap together and make it look cohesive. I decided to purchase the same boards I would be using as a top edger for the shiplap to frame out the windows.
First, I measured the space I was working in and got a rough idea on how much shiplap I would need to complete the project. Let me tell you, my original measuring was incorrect due to varying baseboard heights. Just be prepared because nothing is ever level and the walls are never even!
Next, I determined how much edging I would need for the top of the shiplap. I did not need to purchase edging for the bottom of the shiplap because there is an existing thick baseboard that would act as an edger.
I did not buy finishing cap pieces for corners until the end of my project.
The first thing you need to do is decide on the height of your vertical shiplap. Since I was working with 8 Foot boards, I decided the easiest and most economical approach would be to cut the boards directly in half. Due to the fact that the boards would be resting on top of my existing baseboards, the 4 foot boards would be perfect.
My biggest mistake during this project was precutting the shiplap boards for the first wall. Turns out my baseboards are not level! I know, I know; measure twice cut once. Honestly, It just wasn’t something I thought about prior to cutting those boards. You live and you learn!
Another mistake I quickly figured out was, the top edger must be installed prior to adding the shiplap because it will save you a lot of time further into the project! Since I was doing vertical shiplap on all of the upstairs walls, the top edger needed to connect at the same height throughout the entire space. Placing the top edger up first throughout the space just makes your life easier when it is time to add the shiplap to avoid boards not lining up (been there done that and got the badge!).
I attached all of the top edger to the wall using 1 1/4 Brad Nails and my Nail Gun and level. After the top edger us up, I framed out my windows with the same wood I used for the top edger.
Top Edger is on before Shiplap Installation
INSTALLATION OF VERTICAL SHIPLAP:
After the windows were framed out, I attached the shiplap pieces to the wall using the same brad nails and nail gun. While it is ideal to shoot the nails into a stud, if you cannot find a stud in the area you are hanging you can alternate shooting brad nails at an angle into the board.
All of the walls I installed vertical shiplap on had power outlets and/or light switches. When you encounter an outlet or light switch you must first mark the location of the outlet/switch onto your shiplap board piece. I marked the outlet locations by flipping the outlet cover and reattaching it to the outlet backwards. I applied paint to the edge of the backwards outlet cover and then placed my shiplap boards against the wall to get the exact location of the outlet.
Using a jigsaw, I cut the outlet locations out of the shiplap boards. Because the cut you need to make to the shiplap may be in the middle of your board, you may need to use a power drill to pre drill holes in the corners before cutting with the jigsaw.
Top Edger, Framed Window, and Shiplap with cutout for Outlet!
INSTALLING REMAINING TRIM PIECES:
Depending on your space, you may need trim pieces to finish off the walls. I added outside corner molding to all of the outside edges and quarter round molding to the interior edges.
Quarter Round Pictured on this Wall
INSTALLING OUTLET EXTENDERS:
Once the shiplap is up, the outlets and light switches will need to be extended. The outlets and switches should sit flush to the shiplap.
First, turn the power off to the area you are working. I used a lamp to ensure the power was indeed turned off. Next, I detached the outlets from the wall. Finally, I added the plastic outlet extenders and reattached the outlets to the wall.
FINISHING TOUCHES:
First, I used wood filler to fill all of the nail holes. Next, I added paintable caulk to all of the vertical shiplap and trim edges. Finally, I sanded down all of the wood filler and painted the shiplap and edger with white paint I had on hand.
Finished Space for Relaxation and Play!
The windows are perfection and really really change the space!
I was able to add a work space for the kids and I
This project transformed my upstairs area into a beautiful living room/office/kids area. I could not be any happier with our new functional space!
The modern Farmhouse look is all around us but often those looks can be expensive! I refuse to spends hundreds of dollars on children’s furniture that the kids will quickly outgrow. I also don’t want to buy those clunky and ugly made for kids furniture items because they are such an eye sore! Since we are spending a lot of time at home and will even be attending school from home, I needed to create a kids workspace before the school year started. I decided to make the kids a DIY Farmhouse Table and Chairs so the kids had a fun and cute space to learn and play. Follow my step by step guide below to achieve an adorable DIY Kids Farmhouse Table and Chairs!
Finding The Perfect Table
Finding the perfect table for your DIY kids farmhouse table and chairs at a good price is the first step. I found my table and chairs for FREE on Facebook. Facebook is usually the first place I head to find items but you can also try Criagslist, Letgo, or Goodwill. You can also purchase a brand new cheap table and chairs if you can find a good deal online. I found this white Delta Table and Chairs from a Facebook group in my area that offers up items for free.
Free White Table and Chairs
The table and chairs I received for free was hardly in perfect condition. The top of the table had several paint blemishes and dents. But for a free table and chairs this set was in pretty good condition!
Designing the Perfect DIY Kids Farmhouse Table
Originally when I picked up the table, I thought I would just paint the table and chairs. However, when I got the table home I was inspired by my living room coffee table. I received a free coffee table and remodeled the table to better fit our farmhouse vibe and I love how it turned out! I painted the bottom half white and stained the top with a grey wood stain.
Refinished Coffee Table-Inspiration for DIY Kids Farmhouse Table
Prepping
I sanded the top of the kids table to get rid of the paint blemishes that had bubbled up. After the top of the table was sanded, I discovered the table was made of particle board. While I was not surprised the kids table was not made out of real wood, it made me take a step back and re-evaluate my plan.
Painting
I knew I wanted the table to be navy blue, so I decided to go forward and paint the table completely. I used two cans of navy blue spray paint I already had in the garage from a previous project. Using paints and materials I already have on hand saves me time and money. I sprayed the table once and let it dry completely. After the table was dry, I applied a second coat of paint to ensure it was completely covered. I left the table outside to dry.
Shiplap
For many of my home renovation projects in the past, I have used a thin shiplap material I purchased from Home Depot. I used the same shiplap material to complete my project Faux Built in Fireplace with Shiplap.
Faux Built in Fireplace with Shiplap
I had several pieces of the thin shiplap material in my garage. I thought Shiplap would make the perfect top for the DIY Kids Farmhouse Table.
Constructing the Shiplap Table Top
I took the thin shiplap pieces and cut each piece down to size to make the tabletop. After each piece was cut, I applied a gray wood stain I already had in my garage to each piece of shiplap. I used the Varathane Weathered Gray stain. When applied, the stain has an almost paint like appearance. As the stain dries, the wood grain pops through and gives it a great antique look.
After the stain dried, I arranged the wood on top of the table to ensure the proper placement. I applied wood glue to the bottom of the wood pieces and attached them to the top of the table. Using my nail gun, I attached each piece of wood directly to the table top with 4 nails in each slat. Wood Glue ensures each portion of the wood securely adheres to the tabletop.
The sides of the table were slightly uneven, so I decided to sand down the edges of the table.
Table Top with Unfinished Sides
Using my handheld electric sander, I gently sanded the tabletop edges down until they were even. I reapplied stain to the areas that had been sanded and left the table outside to dry.
Chairs!
The table I received for free included two chairs. The chairs were white and I decided to leave them white. Some paint touch up was needed, so I applied some generic white paint I had around the house to the chairs.
If the table you get doesn’t have chairs, there are several great farmhouse kids chairs online for a reasonable price. Here are a few of my favorites:
Once the table and chairs were dry, I placed them in the house for the kids to enjoy. This was a much needed addition to assist with our at home learning!
Recently, I have been doing a lot of renovations to our backyard but because we purchased a new build we are seriously lacking shade. I wanted to buy a movable umbrella stand so I didn’t have to lug a stationary umbrella stand around the yard. After doing some online research I discovered one thing–umbrella stands are super expensive! While on an impromptu shopping trip to Hobby Lobby, I found a really cool metal rolling laundry cart that was 75% off. I knew I had to buy it and turn it into a cool outdoor farmhouse umbrella stand. Follow me on my journey to the best budget friendly DIY Rolling Umbrella Stand.
Materials:
Materials for Umbrella Stand
Metal rolling cart or bucket: $20
5 Gallon Home Depot Bucket: $2.98
50 Lb bag of fast set concrete mix: $3.98
1″x24″ PVC Pipe: $2.34
Duct Tape
Filler
Pea Gravel or decorative element
Umbrella: $30
Spray Paint (optional)
*I purchased all of my materials from Home Depot, except for the rolling cart which I purchased at Hobby Lobby. If you can’t find a cute metal laundry bucket on wheels, there are several metal buckets online you could purchase. If you find a bucket you love without wheels, you could always purchase small wheels at Home Depot and attach them to the bucket.
Step 1:
Take the PVC pipe and completely Duct Tape one end of the pipe. The Duct Tape is added to the end of the PVC pipe to prevent cement from coming into the pipe while mixing. The PVC pipe will be what the umbrella is placed into so you want to ensure nothing will obstruct the umbrella pole from going into the pipe.
PVC Pipe Covered in Duct Tape- Go Longhorns!
Step 2:
Take the Home Depot 5 gallon bucket and place it on a level surface. Place the PVC pipe duct tape down into the center of the bucket. Hold the PVC pipe in place while you add the entire bag of quick setting cement into the bucket.
PVC pipe in Home Depot bucket with quick setting cement
Step 3:
Follow the directions on the bag of quick setting cement and add the appropriate amount of water into the Home Depot bucket. Once the water has been added, work quickly using a scrap piece of wood and stir the quick setting cement without disturbing the PVC pipe in the center. Mix until the cement is well incorporated. Let this set for several hours.
Quick set cement drying in bucket with PVC pipe in the center
Step 4:
Once the cement is dry I took a can of black spray paint I had in the garage and used it to spray the PVC pipe black. I didn’t want the white PVC pipe to stand out like a sore thumb against the black umbrella base.
PVC Pipe set in the bucket painted black
Step 5:
Place the Home Depot bucket inside of the rolling metal bin. Because I was adding pea gravel to the top of the metal bin for decoration, I had to add a lighter filler to the surrounding areas so the bucket would not be too heavy. I decided to cut up an old moving blanket I found in my garage and layer it inside the metal bin. I poured a thin layer of pea gravel on top of the moving blanket. Simply place your umbrella of choice into the PVC pipe and enjoy the shade!
Let’s face it window coverings can be expensive! We bought a new build and had to cover every window in the entire house (eeek!). I wanted a unique design element to set off our pretty bland living room. After several hours scouring Pinterest for ideas, I decided to build and install DIY barn door shutters on our living room windows.
We prioritized our spending and paid to have blackout shades put in all of our bedrooms. The remainder of our windows we left without shades for an entire year. I desperately wanted wooden shutters in our living room kitchen area but knew it was outside of the budget; which is why we ended up going the DIY barn door route. Follow my project and let me walk you through the steps I took to achieve this amazing look!
Materials:
Barn Door Rails
1″x4″x8′ Pine Boards–Mounting Boards and shutter design (8 for the entire project)
Paint
Cordless Drill
Miter Saw
Nail Gun
1×6–6foot Common Wood Boards–for shutters (I used 21 for this project)
Screws
Caulk
Before Picture-DIY Barndoor Shutters
Getting Started with Supplies:
The first thing I did was buy the rails for the windows.
There are three large windows in my living room; two windows on one wall and one window on the opposing wall. I needed three rails, one for each window. After checking online for the best price for a Barn Door Rail Systems, I found great rails for a great price on Amazon!
I bought three 6.6 foot barn door rails from U-Max for $39.99 each through Amazon. Similar rails sell at home improvement stores for around $150 each. The only downside to the U-Max rail systems is they are manufactured in another country so you will have to use a mounting board above each window to ensure the barn door is supported by wall studs.
After I ordered the barn door rails, I made a trip to Home Depot to buy wood for the mounting boards. Since I was building the barn door shutter from scratch, I wanted to install the rail systems prior to making the doors to ensure each window was fully covered.
I purchased three 1″x4″x8′ Pine boards from Home Depot. I already had white paint from my last project, Faux Built-In Fireplace with Shiplap, so I decided to use it on this project as well!
Attaching the Mounting Boards and Rails:
The first thing I did was cut the mounting boards down to 6 feet 8 inches using my miter saw. I cut the mounting boards down because I did not want there to be too much overhang on my mounting board for aesthetic purposes. Next, I painted each rail with my existing paint. Painting the mounting boards before you attach them to the wall just makes your life easier!
We found and marked all the studs on the wall above our windows with a stud finder. We held our mounting boards up on the wall and marked all of the stud locations onto the mounting boards. My husband pre drilled holes into the mounting board at the designated stud locations using his cordless drill. We used mounting screws and attached the mounting boards above each window with the screws. We used 4-5 screws per mounting board to ensure the rails were stable. Honestly, this was the hardest part of the project for my husband and I because we had never done this before. It was harder to find a stud above the windows because of the window framing. Nevertheless we prevailed and got them all up!
Mounting Boards-DIY Barn Door Shutters
After we got all of the mounting boards up, we followed the directions for the rail systems and attached them to the mounting boards.
Rails Attached to Mounting Board-DIY Barn Door Shutters
Building The Doors:
I chose to use 1×6-6 Foot Common Boards for this project because I wanted to save on cost. The cost of a 1×6-6 Foot Common Board is $4.33 per board. I used 21 1×6-6 Foot Common Boards to complete all three doors (7 boards per barn door shutter). Obviously the amount of boards you use will depend on the size of your window.
Common Board at Home Depot
I went back and forth on whether I wanted to do an “X” or a “Z” for the design element on the front of the doors. Ultimately, I ended up going with a “Z” because it seemed like an easier design to execute.
I measured each window and determined the length of each barn door. Using my miter saw, I cut all 21 of my 6 feet Common Boards down to size.
I placed 7 common boards side by side on a flat surface making sure all the ends were in line.
I measured the width of each proposed barn door. Using my miter saw, I cut three of the 1″x4″x8′ Pine boards into two pieces to fit across the top and bottom of each barn door. I held a piece of the 1″x4″x8′ barn door in between the top and bottom pine boards on the barn door and marked my cut lines. Using the miter saw, I made 45 degree cuts on the top and bottom of each pine boards to form the “Z.”
After everything was lined up, I used the nail gun and attached the “Z” shape to each barn door.
“Z” shape on barn doors-DIY Barn Door Shutters
Making the Doors Stable and Strong:
I flipped the barn doors over and attached a wood brace on the top and bottom of each barn door with the nail gun. Just to make sure the back braces were in place I attached two screws to each brace on each barn door. I used scrap wood I had left over for this because it is the back and will not be seen.
Caulked Seams-DIY Barn Door Shutters
After the doors were built, I caulked the back seems where each wood piece met to help keep the light out. I also caulked the seams on the “Z” design.
Painted Front-DIY Barn Door Shutters
After everything was dry, I painted both sides of the doors.
Painted Back-DIY Barn Door Shutters
Hanging the Doors:
We held the finished doors up to the track and marked the location the rails needed to be attached to the barn doors.
Due to the fact we didn’t make the barn doors as thick as the rail system suggests, we added washers to the back of the rails when we attached them to the doors.
We simply lifted the door onto the tracks and it was ready to go.
This project had its ups and downs and ultimately took me longer than expected because I have two toddlers. However, this is one of the best additions we have done to the house by far. It gives our living room character and provides shade for a fraction of the cost of traditional window coverings.
My husband was a trooper through this project and I could not have done it without him. This is definitely a two person endeavor should you wish to build your own DIY barn door shutters.
We are already planning on building barn door shutters for our office window.
Complete Barn Door Shutters-DIY Barn Door Shutters
I have been bitten by the Spring cleaning bug! Every time I enter my pantry the food clutter overwhelms me. The organization I had in place was not working and my pantry definitely needed a facelift. I decided to tackle a Pantry Renovation and Reorganization on a budget.
Pantry Before the Renovation and Reorganization.
I not only wanted an astetically pleasing space but a space where I could clearly see all of my food items to make meal planning and preparation easier.
Picking the Perfect Peel and Stick Wallpaper
I have tackled peel and stick tile and have been longing to test out peel and stick wallpaper. Because my pantry was lacking character I knew peel and stick wallpaper would be perfect for this space.
Peel and stick wallpaper is sold at a variety of online stores; however, Target offers a wide variety of peel and stick wallpaper in store. Occasionally, you can even find a good selection of peel and stick wall paper in the sale aisle at Target. If you cannot find any peel and stick wallpaper in the sale aisle don’t worry because this product is relatively inexpensive and you can always use your Target Redcard for an extra 5 percent off!
After checking out all of the peel and stick wallpaper Target offered, I decided to go with a black and white buffalo plaid pattern because it fit with my modern farmhouse style.
I measured the pantry wall I would be applying the wallpaper to. After calculating the square feet, I determined I needed to buy three rolls of wallpaper.
Applying the Peel and Stick Wallpaper
Materials:
Peel and Stick Wallpaper
Credit card or wallpaper smoothing tool
X-acto knife
Measuring Tape
Level or yard stick
First, measure the length of the wall you will be applying your first section of wallpaper with your measuring tape.
Second, unroll your wallpaper roll and mark your first cut. Lay a yard stick or level across the wallpaper and use an X-acto knife to cut the wallpaper evenly.
Measure wallpaper and cut using X-acto knife and yardstick!
Third, remove the wallpaper from the paper backing. Line the wallpaper up at the top of the wall and work your way down. If the wallpaper is not lining up properly simply remove it from the wall and realign it. The best thing about this product is it can be removed and reapplied to the wall without causing damage. Use a credit card or wallpaper smoothing tool to remove all of the bubbles from the wallpaper.
Repeat the process above until the entire area is covered. Be aware if you are using a pattern you have to line up your pattern appropriately for a cohesive look. Keep your pattern in mind while you are cutting your wallpaper sections.
I like to come in and clean up the edges of my wallpaper with the X-acto knife.
Pantry Storage
I decided to put all of our snacks in easy to access pourable storage containers because I have toddlers and snack accessibility is key to not losing your mind.
I purchased 3 Large 2 pack storage containers and 8 small storage containers.
Walmart had large white storage tubs for $2.98 each. I picked up three white storage tubs for miscellaneous pantry items.
Pantry Renovation and reorganization on a budget-Storage Containers!
I found 8 cloth storage containers at the Dollar Tree for all of my baking and canned pantry items. While Dollar Tree does have plastic food storage containers, I decided to go with Walmart’s slightly more expensive containers because they are BPA free and larger.
Completed Pantry renovation and reorganization!
I now have a fabulously beautiful pantry with easy access snacks! This pantry renovation and reorganization is easy on the eyes and the budget!
I recently completed a peel and stick tile accent wall in my laundry room. While I love my tiled wall, I was not thrilled with the exposed pipes and tubes you can see coming from my washing machines. I decided to make a DIY no sew curtain to hide the ugly piping.
Peel and Stick tile wall with ugly exposed pipes!
Materials
Fabric
Stitch Witchery
Foam Mounting Tape
Scissors
Iron
The first and hardest step in the process is deciding on which fabric to use for your DIY no sew curtains. There are several great stores that offer a wide variety of fabric options at great prices. Hobby Lobby , Joann Fabric , and Walmart are some of my go to locations for fabric. However, Hobby Lobby is generally the store I end up in because of all the great products and deals they have.
I knew I wanted a fabric that fit my homes modern country theme. After measuring my space, I made my way down to Hobby Lobby. I found a black and white buffalo plaid fabric that was $6 a yard. Hobby Lobby was running a special and providing 30 % off all fabric so I got my 2 yards of fabric for $8.40. If Hobby Lobby is not running a sale on an item you like don’t panic! Hobby Lobby always has an online coupon for 40% off one item.
Fabric, Stitch Witchery, and Foam Mounting Tape
While at Hobby Lobby, I picked up a 20 yard roll of Stitch Witchery ($3.69) and a roll of Scotch Foam Mounting Tape ($2.40 with the application of the 40% off coupon).
Creating the DIY No Sew Curtain
First, cut your fabric down to the size you want it to be. I left an extra inch of fabric along each end so that I could attach my Stitch Witchery and make a clean edge with my fabric pattern.
Next, preheat your iron to the wool setting. Fold the first end of your fabric under to create a clean line. Cut a piece of Stitch Witchery to fit the length of your first fabric end. Sandwich the piece of Stitch Witchery in-between your folded fabric piece. Place the iron on the outside of the fabric and hold in 10 second increments along the length of the Stitch Witchery. Do not move the iron around, simply press and hold because you do not want the fabric or the Stitch Witchery to shift.
Folded Fabric with Stitch Witchery sandwiched between.
Flip the fabric over and press and hold the iron to the other side of the fabric containing the Stitch Witchery in 10 second increments.
Other side of the fabric edge with the Stitch Witchery sandwiched in-between.
Lastly, make sure the Stitch Witchery has bonded before moving on to your next edge. Repeat the above listed steps for the remaining 3 fabric edges.
That is it! In no time at all your DIY No Sew Curtain is complete. Seriously, this project could not be any simpler.
Hanging the Curtain
No drilling was needed to hang this curtain because I utilized the shelf above my washing machine to hang it. I placed a strip of Scotch Foam Mounting Tape along the edge of my existing shelf.
Foam Mounting Tape adhered along the shelf edge.
I lined up my curtain along the shelf and pressed it into the Scotch Foam Mounting Tape. The curtain adhered to the Foam Mounting Tape easily.
Curtain adhered to the shelf edge with the foam mounting tape. It is complete!
Leftover Fabric?
I had some left over fabric and Stitch Witchery from this project so I decided to use it to make a table runner. Utilizing the same step process as the DIY No Sew Curtain, I completed a table runner that matches my new curtain at no additional cost.
Table Runner
Table Runner
For less than $15 I made a beautiful curtain and a table runner, giving my modern farmhouse the extra character it needed. This is a fun an easy project that will not break the bank.
I love holidays and Easter is definitely one of my favorites! I change my front porch decor for each major holiday. One of the easiest ways to jazz up your front porch is with a front porch sign. In this post I will guide you through building an Easy DIY Easter front porch sign.
The Natural Barnwood Bundle from Hobby Lobby comes with 6 pieces of barnwood. For this project I used the entire bundle. I started by placing 5 pieces of the barnwood side by side.
5 pieces of barn wood side by side with two 6 inch pieces
I cut down the last piece of wood into two 6 inch pieces with a miter saw.
I placed one of the 6 inch pieces of barnwood horizontally across the top of the 5 pieces of barnwood that I had previously laid out. I placed the second 6 inch piece of barnwood horizontally across the bottom of the 5 pieces of barnwood. Using my nail gun, I nailed both of the 6 inch pieces into each piece of barnwood adhering the sign together.
6 inch pieces attached to the barnwood creating the sign
This sign base can be used to make a variety of signs for a variety of holidays or events. Any wood you have access to can easily be used to make a sign base in any desired shape or size.
Decorating the Sign
Now that everything has been built, it is time to decorate! I used my Cricut to create a picture of a bunny with the saying “Hoppy Easter.”
There is a lot of debate whether cardstock or vinyl is best for painting signs. Personally, I like using cardstock because it is easy to handle and is less expensive but either material will work. I cut the image out onto cardstock.
I attached the bunny and letters onto the wood sign with tape.
Cardstock bunny cutout
Acrylic paint, pouncers, tape
I used a cream color acrylic paint to paint the bunny. I used a gold acrylic paint to paint the letters. Usually, I buy my paint from Michaels or Hobby Lobby. Any paint brush can be used for this project. I personally like to use foam pouncers because it does not collect as much paint as a generic paint brush. For this project I used Martha Stewart Foam Pouncers.
Once the sign has dried, glue 6 cotton balls to the sign to represent the bunnies tail.
Cottonball Bunny Butt
The sign is complete. In less than an hour you can have a great and easy DIY Easter front porch sign for half the price of the signs you can find in stores!
