Christmas DIY: Jingle Bell Ribbon

In my world, when I come across an idea my first thought is not where can I buy that.  My first thought is usually ‘how can I make that?’
When I started thinking about my Christmas décor and began writing down ideas in my ideas book, I knew I wanted to craft a lot of what I’d be decorating with this year.
While at the Country Living Fair in October I spotted this burlap ribbon with jingle bells and knew I wanted to recreate the look for my tree.
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Christmas Crafting: DIY Countdown Blocks

I love the Christmas season and everything that goes with it. When December 1st rolls around, I anxiously countdown the days until Santa comes and this year I created a fun DIY piece to make the countdown more fun.

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 This was an easy and quick DIY project and would be a great one to get the kids involved in creating.

Supplies needed:
Clear plastic boxes from Hobby Lobby
Assorted holiday themed scrapbook papers
Chalkboard Stickers (Target $1.00 section)
Double Sided Tape and Foam Mounting Tape
Scissors and Ruler or Cutting Board

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Simply cut your scrapbook paper in 4″ squares to fit each side of your plastic box.  I used 4 different paper designs so there could be a different pattern on each side of my box.

Using your double-sided tape, attach the paper squares to the block.

Next you’ll want to layer on your numbers, using numbers 0,1,2,3,4,5. One of the paper styles I used featured blocks with different numbers on them and I cut out specific numbers to use as my number tiles.  I also used the chalkboard stickers as number tiles.

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Use the foam tape to layer decorative paper under your number tiles to give your blocks some dimension.

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Each side of the two blocks features a single number which allows you to pair them together to countdown from 25 to 1!

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When I finished making my Christmas Countdown Blocks I couldn’t help but smile at the finished project.  I absolutely love how it turned out!

The only downside of countdown blocks is a reminder of how much I have to get done before Christmas 🙂

Shelly

Gift Wrap Inspiration using a leftover sweater!

As you know I love wrapping gifts and I try to be creative with every gift I wrap.  After completing my Cable Knit Table I had the rest of the sweater lying around and was looking for a fun way to use it.  A few cuts with the scissors, some ribbon and a few embellishments and I had the makings for some fun and easy holiday gift wrapping.
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Old sweaters and patterned shirts are an inexpensive way to wrap gifts and make them unique.
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I used the sleeve of the sweater to create a gift bag for a wine bottle.  The top was tied with a red and white striped ribbon and a snowy white felt flower was attached as a fun embellishment.  I’m working on a project using the felt flowers and will unveil that to you soon.
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Wrapping a tubular item with paper can be a bit tricky on the ends but a sweater or fabric piece makes the wrapping easy. The cable knit pattern looks great in a circular format and tying up the ends of the sweater piece with pretty ribbon is as easy as it gets.
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For this last gift, which fit into a small box, I used a piece of the sweater to wrap the box just like I would with paper.  Because the wrapping was a sweater I thought the addition of a paper mitten gift tag was the perfect embellishment for the top.  Can you guess what’s inside the box….(gloves maybe)!
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Gift Wrapping Tips Using Clothing:

*  Use pieces of clothing that have visual interest like a texture or pattern 
*  To keep the ends of cut fabric from fraying, trim the edges with pinking sheers
*  Double sided tape will work well with most light weight fabrics.  For thick or textured fabric, use a dab of hot glue to hold the edges down.
* Incorporate details of the clothing piece into your wrap…buttons, pockets, collars and such
Before you toss out any old sweaters or pieces of clothing, take a look and see how you could use them as creative gift wrapping.
Happy Wrapping!
Shelly

DIY Sweater Top Table

It’s not everyday that I jump on a design trend but after writing about the trend of cable knits in this post, I decided I loved the look and wanted to do a little diy project so I could add this trendy style statement to my home for fall.
This cute flea market table (actually its a stool) was the starting point
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and after covering it in a thrift store cable knit sweater and adding nail heads it looks like this.

The perfect little beverage table for fall.

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The table had a wood top and metal legs and it folds up flat for storage (bonus)!
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The table is the perfect size to sit next to a chair and the top is the perfect size for mug of hot chocolate and a favorite book.
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I used antique bronze nail heads I picked up at Hobby Lobby ($4.99 less 40%) to detail the top edge and I painted the tips of the legs antique bronze to make the table a bit more sassy!
It took me and my husband working together to get the nail heads positioned and nailed in.  But if you want to try this, my friend Tina shared a great tip for placing nail heads on a rounded surface.  Cut a piece of plastic cross-stitch mesh to fit your surface area and use the open squares as a guide for placing your nail heads.  Brilliant!
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I couldn’t be more pleased with my table and I absolutely love the texture of the cable knit and the cozy touch it adds for fall.
Cost Breakdown:
Flea Market Stool $4.00
Cable Knit Sweater (Goodwill) $4.97 less 50%
Nail heads (Hobby Lobby) $4.99 less 40%
Ant. Bronze Rub-n-Buff (from my stash)
Total cost less than $ 10.00
 
 design tip:  never pass up a small stool, bench or table if it’s a good price because they can be used in so many areas and in so many ways.
 
I’m using the rest of the cable knit sweater on a few other projects and will show you those soon.
 
Shelly

Velvet Finishes and a Sporty DIY

I’m sure you’ve heard many bloggers say how wonderful the blogging community is and what great friendships and connections you can make through it.  I’m here to tell you it’s all true.  I’ve made some great friends through blogging and have connected with fellow bloggers across the country.  Blogging has also strengthened my connections in the design right here in Atlanta.
A couple of months back I connected with a fellow Atlanta designer and blogger, Kellie Smith via Instagram and learned about her new paint line.  In addition to running her design business, Kellie Smith Design Studio, Kellie recently developed and branded her own line of paints called Velvet Finishes
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Velvet Finishes is a low VOC paint available in 18 beautiful colors and requires no special equipment or skill set (my kind of painting).  In addition to the paint, the line also includes prepping product, clear and dark glaze, wax and a satin polyurethane.
After corresponding a bit, Kellie graciously offered to send me some paint to try and I just so happened to have the perfect piece I wanted to try it on.
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I found this small folding table at a thrift store in late spring ($5.00) and purchased it to use as a serving/food table when we go the park on the weekends to hang out.  I love that the table folds up, is light weight and easy to carry.  Naturally the oak wood and the traditional design on the tabletop was not the vision I had for my “picnic table”, I had something a bit more sporty in mind.
So with the help of Velvet Finishes, my little table was transformed…
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I painted the entire table in Luxurious and then used Vivid and Eloquent to create sporty stripes.  To give the table even more of a sports vibe I painted a circle offset to one side and free-hand painted the numbers 713.
713 represents July 13th which is the day the hubs and I got married.
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I just love how my folding table turned out and can’t wait to give it a spin in the park or maybe at a tailgating party this fall.  Now I just have to find a red, grey and black plaid blanket to go with my table.
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You can read more about Velvet Finishes on Kellie’s website and view a gallery of projects using the paint.  I can’t wait to try the color Baroque which just happens to be the color of the year!

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Thanks Kellie for sending me Velvet Finishes. I loved working with your paints and can’t wait to use it again on another project.

Shelly

 top and bottom images via Kellie Smith Design Studio, all others by ConfettiStyle

My Little Red Desk

You know that saying, better late than never, well I finally got my office cleaned up and things pulled together so I could show you my small but powerful workspace, the space where all the creativity happens.

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I’ve got a space in my garage where I tackle big projects that involve paint and crafting but my little red desk is where I spend most of my days working on design projects, writing blog post and fueling my creativity.  My work area shares space with a guest bedroom but allows me just enough space to do what I need to do.  In addition to my work area, I have a large walk-in closet in the room where all my supplies, fabrics, crafting tools and Etsy shop items are stored.  I like keeping my desk area clean and organized so the closet is the perfect storage option for the items I use on a daily basis.

A few months ago my desk looked like this.

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And then I got a wild hair to paint it red and it was transformed into this.

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Red is my favorite color so having a red desk was long overdue.  To give the desk even more of a facelift I replaced the metal pulls with beautiful horn pulls  and a piece of glass for the top.

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Once the desk was painted all the other elements fell into place.

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Above the desk hangs a large cork board that I made using a frame that was given to me by a client.  Given that my mom taught English for 27 years, I’ve come to love the power of words so my inspiration board is filled with quotes that lift me up everyday.

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Most of the accessories I use to hold pencils (I’m a fancy No.2 girl), scissors and such are vintage milk glass pieces I thrifted.  The vintage glass lamp was a .25 cent purchase at the Longest Yard Sale two years ago.  I covered the shade in a black and white print.

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I bought my desk chair at a local thrift store for $7.00.  It didn’t have a seat when I got it and the wood was stained an oak color but the frame was in good shape.  I painted the chair black, had a piece of wood cut for the seat and upholstered it in a fun print.

The door you see in the background is the closet where all the goods are stored.

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The mouse pad was a diy project you can read about here and the basket under the desk holds a few binders that I access frequently.

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Between the closet door and bathroom door is a file cabinet I covered in a black and white stripe skirt.  The TV sit on top and above that is a handmade piece of hand-painted fabric art my mom purchased in Africa when you took a trip years ago.

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Framed prints I downloaded from Sarah M. Dorsey hang on a side wall.

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One wall of the room has a gallery wall which I’m in the process of completing.  And you’ve seen in previous post that I am a basket fiend so here are a few that hold crafting supplies and add visual interest to the room.

My work space is a definite reflection of my love of color and an eclectic design style.

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 So there you  have it, my little red desk and where I work!

Thanks for stopping by today.  Make it a great week!

Shelly

Welcoming Fall!

Happy Hump Day! 

  I’ve seen so many amazing fall home tours around blog land and today I wanted to share the little touches of fall I’ve added at my place.  Fall is not really my big decorating season but I always feel compelled to pull out the pinecones and pumpkins and embrace the season in my home.

My Front Door…

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Since the front door to our townhouse is black, I knew that fall colors would look great against it.

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I made a  monogram leaf wreath to hang on the door.  This was a really easy project.  I placed a piece of burlap in an oval embroidery hoop and hot glued fall leaves to the frame.  Then I painted a wood letter gold and glued it on top of the fabric. The wreath hangs from a piece of burlap ribbon. I love that the shape is different from a traditional wreath.

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To add a touch of fall at the base of the door I hand painted a fun pattern on a doormat I picked up at Ikea and then placed mums, fall flowers and a pumpkin flanking it.

I wasn’t thinking about it at the time but the doormat will work for Halloween too!

My Coffee Table…

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When it comes to decorating my coffee table, I love layering the pieces I put on it.

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As the focal point of the table I used a large wood basket I had and filled it with faux pumpkins, gourds and pinecones that I gathered when I lived in Seattle.  Washington State pinecones are the real deal, big and plump!

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 To fill out the basket I added a silver champagne urn with fall flowers and a mercury glass candleholder.

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My gold Scoppio starburst sits on a stack of my favorite books,

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and I added a piece of tree slab with an antler magnifying glass on top.

The last fall accent in my home involved my barcart.  During the spring and summer I have a colorful tray and multi-colored glasses on the cart but for fall I decided to change it up a bit.

My Barcart…

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 Little changes added just the right amount of fall cheer!

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I made the acorns using real acorn tops and felt ball bottoms I purchased last year at Tinsel Trading Company in New York.

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The gold-rimmed glasses I found thrifting, $2.00 for all six.  The deer mugs are from Ikea and I just couldn’t pass them up.

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The tray on the bottom shelf was a diy project that your can read all about here.

I’m enjoying the fall touches I’ve added to my home and have one more big project left, that I’ll be sharing that one with you next week.  Until then, enjoy the season!

Shelly

Linking up to:

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Jenn Rizzo

I Wish I Could, But I Can’t

Happy Friday!
Today I had planned to show you my  home office space but I cant!  It is no shape to make a debut on the blog.
 The current state of my desk looks like this…

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and I’ve got fabric samples, my fall coffee table décor, centerpieces for an event and my treasures from Scott Antique Market all over the floor!

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I promise I’ll share the space with you next week after I get it cleaned up and organize, but in the meantime I hope you enjoy this quick and easy DIY project I recently created for my desk.
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After painting my desk and adding a glass top, I realized that my computer mouse was not functioning well on the glass surface.  I knew I needed a mouse pad but didn’t want to buy one of those generic looking ones, so DIY to the rescue.
Supplies:
Cork trivets from Ikea ($2.99 for 3) and Decorative Scrapbook Paper
Mod Podge, Scissors and a paint brush
Decorative Washi Tape and/or acrylic paint
How to:
Trace the outline of your trivet on to the scrapbook paper and cut it out.
Using a paint brush, coat one side of the trivet and the back side of your paper circle with Mod Podge.  Place the paper on to the wet trivet surface and smooth out.
Once the Mod Podge is dry, you can paint the edge of your trivet with acrylic paint or cover it with decorative washi tape. And if you want, you can coat the top and sides with a final layer of Mod Podge to create a smooth, protected surface.
Let everything dry and you’ll have a fancy mouse pad for your desk, for less than $3.00!

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I loved how easy and inexpensive this project was so I created three mouse pads that I can switch out when the mood strikes me.  I used decorative tape on the edge of two pads and painted the edge of the third.

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With the holiday season coming up, this is a great project you can do for girlfriend gifts or teacher’s gifts.
I hope you have a great weekend.  I’m off to get things cleaned up so I can enjoy the beautiful weather we’re suppose to have here this weekend!

Shelly

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