Hot Tip! Hide Unattractive Bookshelves

One thing apartments often have going for them is open wall space. 
Rework a pair of sturdy bookshelves into an attractive storage wall:

Curtained Bookshelves

Cover them with curtains that match or complement your window treatments (for an extra touch, try pinning a wire sunburst or other lightweight art to the fabric, pictured here). 


Try placing the shelves side by side, or use a floor-length mirror to separate them and give the illusion that the room expands past the shelves.


To make your ceilings seem taller, hang the curtains from the ceiling rather than from the top of the bookshelf.

DIY - Desk

Best Use of Awkward Corners

If your living room must double as a home office, don't let the work space overpower the room. Get rid of your shaky college desk and try this instead:

Top spacious file cabinets with an inexpensive sheet of melamine for lots of storage space and minimal impact on the rest of the room

Note Holder Idea

Small memo pads, or recipie cards can be held up on the wall by using a bobby pin and two thumb tacks.

Garage Organizing

The hook portion of a wire coat hanger can make an excellent hanger for light tools in the garage. Fasten to to the bottom of a workshop shelf or to the ceiling. Use two big staples to get it snug and secure.

DIY - Earring Holder

I was bopping along, just click, clicking around the internets when I came across this little ditty made by OutStanding Stands, featured on the Groove Press website. You can pick it up for 45 bux plus shipping... OR you could whip out the paintbrushes and make your own. 


Find yourself some metal friendly paint, there are Tremclad spray paints that would work well for this project. Use hardware hooks decorated with wooden or glass beads. 

 

Simple DIY Cat Scratch Post

Cat scratching posts made with wood and carpet are readily available in most pet stores, but are generally pretty pricey. You can save a few bucks and make your own with a piece of carpet, and some string. The easiest way is to wrap the carpet around one of those metal lally columns in your basement. If you don't have a basement, you can wrap it around the base of a table, stair column spindles, or desk legs.

Mrrrroww! Take that Carpet!

DIY - Stencil Headboard

Love the look of wrought-iron headboards, but not the price? Get the look without the cost by painting one on your wall. Find a stencil at a local crafts store or make your own. Cut the stencil from acetate with a crafts knife, affix the stencil to the wall using a spray adhesive or low-tack tape, and apply paint inside the stencil. Use acrylic paint or specially formulated stenciling cream. 

DIY - Wallpaper Headboard Makeover

Turn a ho-hum headboard into a charming focal point simply with wallpaper. Trace the outline of the headboard on a large scrap of paper and cut it out. A light coating of wallpaper  adhesive is all it takes to make your bed ready for some sweet dreaming in style.

DIY Tip: Make sure your piece of wallpaper is large enough to cover the headboard. If using multiple pieces, take care to match the pattern for a chic, finished look.

Birdie Makeover - DIY Cabinet Project

Give your kitchen a whimsical feel with the bird transfer and twig handle. Evenly spaced drill holes create the bird's outline. 
What You'll Need:~ Latex paint~ 1/8-inch drill bit~ Image transfer

How to Make It:

1. Fill any nicks with wood filler.
2. Lightly sand each door to rough up the entire surface. For already-finished cabinetry, use a bonding primer to ensure new paint will stick.
3. Find an image to transfer to the door.
4. Lightly trace your image onto the surface.
5. With a 1/8-inch drill bit, drill holes at even intervals around the outline.
6. After drilling, sand, prime, and paint the door.
7. Add new hardware.
Tip: For kitchens or bathrooms, use two coats of gloss paint because it resists moisture and is easy to clean. For flat or eggshell finish, apply varnish or a clear coat over the paint for more durability.

Keys Please - DIY - Wall Art

A simple yet gorgeous form of wall art. You can source your patterned background from wallpaper scraps, fabric, scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, music sheets, or even newspaper. It all depends on what you find, and the "look" you're going for. 


This is a nice contrast between the soft and pretty pink background and the hard cold metal of the keys. Other found objects can be featured, seashells, vintage silverware, or even costume jewelry. Keep your mind open while visiting your next garage sale, you never know What you'll find.  

DIY - Dresser Makeover Part 2

Pictured as a storage-savvy kitchen island,  this dresser makeover is cute, cute CUTE!!
Find yourself a dresser, and give it a quick sanding to rough up the surface. Paint a coat of primer and then pick yourself a hot color. Paint that baby up!To add a flower stencil to the drawers you can cut out a stencil pattern similar to this one, which was inspired by the floral-print fabric and then dab on the paint, which is super fast -- no amazing artistic skills required!
If you have some artistic skill, sketch on a flower pattern, bust out the paint brushes and go to town. In no time you'll have a fresh, new revamped dresser. One of the easiest makeovers yet! A wallpaper dresser makeover is pretty neat too. Check it out here.

Kids Crafts - Handprint Style

There's so many little art ideas and projects that come from a simple handprint, or footprint. They are not just cute and easy art projects, but a keepsake worthy of the scrapbook. 

Halloween footprint ghosties! Oooooohhhh...

Summer Crabs at the Beach.

Kid Print Art

Ahh! Scary Spider Prints

Super cute Father and Son crafting

DIY - Dog Bed Part 2

Who would have guessed a vintage suitcase would be a cozy bed for your four legged friend? 

To make this dog bed, screw* furniture legs onto the bottom corners on the outside of the suitcase and attach felt furniture pads to each to protect your floor. *make sure to use short screws so they don't poke too far through the suitcase. You may want to glue craft foam to the interior if the screw poke through the bottom.

When propping the suitcase open, make sure to position the lid so it won't accidentally close on your pet. Layer the interior with a comfy blanket and your pet's new bed is finished. 

Added Bonus: This bed comes with convenient storage: 

Keep your pooch's toys in the storage pouch.

Dog Bed Part 1 is here.

DIY - Tomato Stool

Art Project Idea: Freshen up an Old stool


1. Spray-paint the wood stool and let it dry. If your stool has a shiny finish, first use fine grit sandpaper to rough up the surface.


2. Print out the tomato stencil below to the desired size and cut out with a craft knife.


3. Place the tomato stencil on the stool and trace around the edges with a marker or pencil.


4. Paint in the tomato. Once its dry coat the stool top with a coat of polyurethane. Let dry and repeat.


All Done!


If you prefer you can cut out pictures of fruit or vegetables from magazines and glue them to the stool. Once the glue is dry coat with 2 coats of polyurethane.