Thrifty Gift Idea (Mother's Day/Visiting Teaching)

I received this plaque for my anniversary a few years ago. I decided to make 5x7 versions for my monthly visiting teaching handout as it's two of my girls' birthdays this month and the third gal is a mom and I will be seeing her right before mom's day- I thought the temple that is meaningful to each of them would be a perfect gift.

I started with a piece of scrap alder from Home Depot that costs me $1.01-yeah seriously! I had a pic of my happy face but switched phones and you'll just have to imagine it.

I had the guy there cut the scrap into 8 5x7 pieces. The sanded the crap out of it with 80 grit and then 220. It took the entire Nate Berkus show AND an episode of Dancing with the Stars to sand it to my liking.

 
Make LASER copies of whichever photo you want to use (inkjet prints will run). When I was looking for the free temple pics online I found that someone had done this idea before. If you go to The Idea Door you can find some variations of this as well as TONS of temple pdf files. I sized them down to 4x6 and put two to a page so it would cost less-it's 59 cents a page for color copies at Kinkos.

Then I did two coats of black craft paint. After it's super dry, you'll apply either glossy or matte modge podge (for paper) to the wood surface and then to the back of the picture- starting in the middle and working towards the edges.

The wood should look almost dry when you apply the picture to it. You'll want to press it onto the wood for 1-2 minutes and make sure no bubbles form.

 After at least 15 minutes you can do a second modge podge coat on top of the pic, this is where I had to be careful with the bubbling. Keep pressing down working from the center towards the edges- there are tools to do this, but fingers work fine.

Let the boards dry overnight, in the morning the modge podge may still feel tacky to the touch. You may then use a clear acrylic finish spray paint which fix that and make it look more professional.

Mesa, AZ Temple

Salt Lake City Temple

Laie Hawaii Temple

Although I chose a religious picture of the LDS temple because I wanted the message to be family oriented, i.e. "Families are Forever"-
you COULD do this with any print you want, a family photo or whatever.

You could also layer cute card stock or scrap book paper under the chosen picture.

For Z's and my moms we'll buy a stand to give as  part of the gift.
For the other women I'll just wrap a bow around it and call it good.



Thanks for dropping by!

- Becca -

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Upholstered Headboard with Nail Head Trim

Ahhh, sweet success!

My headboard is FINALLY COMPLETE!

Click if you wanna hear the planning details and the search for all my budget friendly materials cause this post is about the actual construction.

Upholstering a piece of wood is easy peasy!

1) Sand the edges of the board

2) Apply spray adhesive to the  MDF

2) Place foam (or whatever cushioning product you've chosen) on top of adhesive sprayed board

3) Place layer of batting over the foam

4) Place fabric on the floor with decorative side facing touching the ground ( & smooth wrinkles)

5) Put board and foam on top of fabric with foam touching fabric and back of the board facing you

6) Pull fabric tightly on all sides and use staple gun to secure fabric to back of the board- I like to start stapling opposite sides first. Do the corners last and fold them like a present.

7) Now the tricky part- the trim

This is where I got hung up, because I ran out of the nail heads I was using to secure the strips of nail head trim to the board. I could only find three matching boxes at Joanne's and then they were out of stock forever for over a month.

Finally they got them back in and I got Z to get the board back off the wall and could finally get to work. I do NOT usually have project hanging over my head (pun intended) for long periods of time. I'm type A all the way and like to get in and get'em done.

Here's what I started with today.

All I needed to do was secure two more sides to the outer row of trim and then the inner row. I found the easiest way to ensure the trim was straight was to set up my laser level to keep a straight line. I couldn't find any tips online to really straight trim and that lined fabric in NOT forgiving!
After getting the laser it really was a piece of cake!

{Say hello to Chew-Doggy!}

A few words to the wise-

-(1)- If you're an inpatient person or a little sloppy do NOT buy a striped fabric. You will hate you life- seriously!

-(2)-Secure the foam WELL especially if you're not using trim on the headboard. I could tell my adhesive was coming lose, but fortunately it wasn't a big deal since I was nailing it all down.

-(3)-Wear gloves that trim is SHARP- especially after you trim an edge.

 I used a French Cleat I found at Lowe's to attach the headboard to the wall. This is the perfect device to get the job done because they can support a lot of weight and are so easy to install.
I purchased 1 large cleat with a 100 pound capacity. It comes in two pieces.

It's a piece of cake to install. Just screw the first half to the wall. I used a drill and a level to get it straight.

Then screw the second piece to the back of the headboard (or anything heavy you want to hang) again making sure it's level.

 See how big the headboard is? Almost as large as the bed!

Anyhow, you should have something like this, 1/2 attached to each piece.

Grab someone to help you lift the headboard up above the cleat.   See where the cleat juts out from the wall?
The cleat on the back of the headboard will slide right into this part on the wall.


 Even though you could possibly save a couple of bucks hanging it a different way, I love this method. With it you can cheat the headboard a little to the left or right simply by sliding it!
We've moved the bed a little to the right and a little to the left and haven't had to rehang the headboard- which rocks!

And finally, the finished after!

A small piece of advice-Choose your measurements thoughtfully.When I chose the size of my MDF I decided to make a very large headboard. The H 60 x W 78  inches! The reason being, I wanted the headboard to show a little on each side of my king size mattress.

BUT ALSO- if I ever decide to use this in a guest bedroom with my QUEEN SIZE bed I can FLIP IT and USE IT SIDEWAYS. Pretty sweet, right? It will be the right width and look very dramatic as 6 1/2 foot tall headboard. Have you seen them- they look fantastic! I also left room and have supplies to finish the trim when I'm ready to change things up.

Cost Break Down:
MDF- $15

Carpet Padding- $17 (would be even less for a thinner pad)

Batting-$8
French Cleat- $15
Fabric- Curtain Panel $8

(Target clearance )  

Nail Heads- $1.50/box (8 boxes Joann's) 

Nail Head Trim- (Ebay store)

I already had- staple gun, staples, measuring tape, spray adhesive
TOTAL: $75

Thanks for dropping in on me!

Please swing by and check out some wonderful blogs from these kind ladies who featured my headboard!

Looking for places to link up your projects? Check out my Party Page.

I'm also linked up here.

Attention Utah Peeps!

A big hello to all you Utahans out there, especially those of you near Orem. 

Why you ask?

Weelllll, I was browsing for my very special grey sectional at the Downeast Outlet in Orem-

you know the one off of Sate St?

Instead of finding my couch- I came across a lovely POTTERY BARN SLIP COVERED SECTIONAL for ONLY 1700 BUCKS! Marked down from 3300!

It is so comfy, covered in a tan velvety fabric. 

Someone needs to get over there and score that deal!

I'm guessing that slipcover was a grade B fabric (maybe the brushed canvas in walnut?)

cuz it was sweet!

➷ 1$ Diaper Cake ➹

This was not the post I planned for today- I had spent hours on a project set to "debut" today but still need to take pics (it's been very rainy). My efforts were foiled when our baby HUGE FAT CAT threw up IN OUR BED last night. UGGH! No pics of the bedroom now-
THEN this morning I FAINTED! Like, what? Who does that? Now I am achey and feel sore and have to send out a less exciting back up post.

Anyhow, awhile back I mentioned that I was going to do a diaper cake. I'm working on the shower with a friend so we came together to decide on this idea for two reasons. One: she had the extra diapers of a style that wasn't working for her daughter. Two: I wanted to create balance for the table and was worried about not having enough height. 

I've shared my inspiration picture- and there are a ton to chose from. I mean the Internet is filled with ideas! I knew I wanted one more decorated and less "diapery" as I figured it would look more cohesive. We  used newborn diapers and did sort of two and a half tiers held together by a baby powder bottle. Each diaper is rolled and secured by clear (hair) rubber bands. We had planned to use wide ribbon but then had an idea to use card stock- which we still had plenty of. This way it would cover the diapers, provide a a nice smooth surface and we could return the ribbon.

We got the grass from Hobby Lobby at a 50% sale so it cost us a buck.
Diapers were some that my partner didn't like and wasn't gonna use- so they were upcycled.
Stickers and card stock were already purchased for the the pennant,
gift bag, and cupcake toppers.

Grand Total: 1 Buckaroo!

Thanks for reading!
- Becca - 

May be linked up at these awesome parties:
Tools are for Women Too, Chic on a Shoestring,  Tip Junkie,  At the Picket Fence, Shabby Nest, Reasons to Skip the Housework, Simply Designing,  Funky Junk Interiors,  Nifty Thrifty Things, I Heart Nap Time, Creating Really Awesome Free Things, Petite Hermine, Craft Envy, Stories of A 2 Z,  Hope Studios, New Nostalgia, Sugarbee Crafts, Ask Anna Moseley, DIY By Design, Passionately Artistic, Women Who Do It All, House of Hepworths, L Bratina, Beyond the Picket Fence, Shabby Chic Cottage,  Fire Flies and Jelly Beans, Its a Hodge Podge Life, Just a Girl Blog, Simply Sweet Home ,  Inspiring Creations Blog, On the Verge 6, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Whipperberry, Remodelaholic, All Thingz Related, Saturday Mornings,  Poppies at Play, The Girl Creative, Type A Decorating, At Home With K, Elements Interiors, Some what Simple and  Stuff and Nonsense.

"Like a Post-It Note for Wallpaper"

You all know I've been thinking about wallpaper alternatives for my bedroom. I've pretty much decided to do wall decals on a focal wall or two. 

But while doing some blog hopping today I came across this image from Isabella and Max. 

Don't you just love the interest and dimension the wallpaper adds? I'm pretty sure we've all seen grass cloth before. It was super popular in the 70's and has swing around to popular again in the last few years. 

I thought to my self, self- is there removable wall paper. I want/need/crave this texture in my home...can I have it?

The answer is- I'm not sure.

 

There IS repositional, removable, temporary wall paper!

Browsing around the Internet it seems there's quite a few options out there and most seem pretty pricey. The cheapest I could find came from Sherwin Williams and they have a ton of options. Most places are selling paper for upwards of 75 dollars a roll. At Sherwin Williams it's more like $20-30!

Unfortunately, I haven't found glass cloth. But there are option for every style preference and some that look textural. Check it out!

- Becca -

Tray Chic

I have this tray from Target- I believe it's 5 years old and was purchased on clearance at Target for maybe 9 bucks? I used to have it on an upholstered ottoman in case we needed somewhere to put drinks and such. Now I have it on a leather ottoman and together they act as a permanent side table.

Well, you really can't even see the tray, it blends completely into the ottoman.

So, I want to fix it up- make it stand out. I thought about painting it, but I'm not really a distressed wood kinda gal. I like the way it looks, but in my home I just like things to be a little cleaner looking. So I started online browsing for inspiration.

Here are some possibilities.

I'm thinking about a treatment on the bottom of the tray and keeping the sides the original brown.


My two favorites for this project are the map and the book pages Although I do love the orange chevron pattern one.

P.S. It's actually  a baking sheet and can be found on Martha Stewart Crafts. I'm thinking another project for another time!

  Back to this tray, I've already started browsing maps online and it looks like finding the right size may be a chore but the price is right as most are under 10 bucks on ebay!
I've also been searching Graphics Fairy for printable maps- they have quite a few options.

 - Becca -

Craving Chocolate?

These projects and two of my three go to favorites. Whenever we are throwing a party or need a little treat to send to a friend I resort to chocolate confections. I have over 20 trays to make and decorate your own pieces of chocolate, suckers, or pretzels. You can find these at any craft store and even Walmart has them seasonally. I try to buy them right after the holiday and have found amazing deals.

For the baby shower I'm throwing I wanted to do something a little more simple as I'm hoping for an elegant look. I'm doing dipped marshmallows on sticks and dipped pretzels. I'm gong to use white chocolate and simple white sprinkles for decoration. 

When you're doing these projects you can use any chocolate but most need some modifications. So for convenience I tend to use melting chips if I have them. You can melt them in the microwave or in a double boiler on the stove top.

I've done both- I usually do the stove for a large quantity so the chocolate can stay warm. But if I only need small quantities at a time the microwave is much easier.

I decorated the end of the marshmallow sticks with some baby wrapping paper over card stock. I wanted a pop of color as I knew the platter was going to be white, as well as the food and sticks. 

 Buy pretzel rods and  large marshmallows, each costs about a buck.

Just put your marshmallows on the candy sticks- which can be purchased at any craft store I usually buy a couple when they're on sale. You'll dip them in the chocolate and I use a little scoop/spatula to cover them as high as you'd like.

It depends how you're going to display the marshmallows, but in this case I knew I was going to have them on a platter. So I shook off the extra chocolate and dried them marshmallow side down. I've also had them in a bowl with flower foam in it to display like a marshmallow bouquet.

Same idea with the pretzels, dip them in chocolate, spoon it up as high as you'd want it and them shake off the extra over the sauce pan and lay them flat to dry.

I had planned to be finished at this point but thought they looked too plain. Usually I use sprinkles or colored chocolate and didn't realize it would look so plain. 


 So I put a little blue food coloring in the white chocolate and drizzled it over everything!

 This was the final result. I was a lot happier with the blue accent on top.

This was a super easy and fun project. They taste so yummy and there's so many fun ways to display them and I always get tons of compliments. (not to mention it costs me less than 4 bucks- yahoo!)

- Becca -

Linked up at Simply Designing,  I Heart Nap Time, Craft Envy, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Stuff and Nonsense, Shabby Nest, Tatertots and Jello,  Eements Interiors, Funky Junk Interiors, Nifty Thrifty Things, Fire Flies and Jelly Beans, Some What Simple, Beyond the Picket Fence and finally Fingerprints on the Fridge.