Christmas Garland to Valentine Wreath

Do you decorate for Vaentine’s Day? I love bringing happy red and pink color into our home to brighten up the winter blahs! Here’s an idea that costs almost nothing! Upcycle a Christmas garland into a pretty Valentine wreath!

Upcycle Old Holiday Decor

Over the past few years my holiday decor has evolved from traditional red and white to COLORFUL Christmas. So as I was thinking about Valentine decor ideas I turned to the bin of red and white decor that was waiting to be donated. I had three strands of red and white felt ball garlands that I really still love because of the texture but they didn’t fit into the COLORFUL Christmas theme that I use. So I thought “why not turn these felted ball garlands into a pretty heart wreath that I can use for years to come?”

DIY Valentine Ideas

I am sharing this felted ball heart wreath and my friends are also sharing DIY Valentine ideas that you can make! Scroll down to the bottom of the post and HOP over to see how to make these easy ideas!

How to Turn a Christmas garland into a Valentine Wreath

Now you can use pretty much any type of holiday garland for this idea. You will want to cut the garland pieces apart to see how they will look on your wreath form.

Gather Your Valentine Heart Wreath Supplies

Here are the supplies I used to create this heart Valentine wreath:

• Christmas Garland
• Wreath Form: I used a large heart wreath from Hobby Lobby.
• Ribbon or fabric to wrap around the wreath form. I cut up an old sheet and cut it into 4′ wide pieces.
• Ribbon: I used ribbon from Hobby Lobby
• Glue Gun and Sticks: This is my cordless Ryobi glue gun. I love it!!

How to Turn a Christmas Garland into a Valentine Wreath

Prepare Your Wreath Form

My wreath was covered in sparkly hearts so I had to remove those and then cut off the spokes that held the plastic hearts onto the form.

Wrap Wreath Form in Ribbon or Fabric

I used an old sheet and cut it up into 4-inch wide strips.

Cut Garland Items Apart

I used felted ball garlands. I cut the cord and then put all of the felted balls together. If you are using a different kind of garland, like a red ball garland, do the same thing.

Arrange Largest Items on Wreath Form

I like to arrange things before I commit to gluing them on. That way I can visualize how it will look before I glue. For my project I had garlands with three sizes of felt balls. One garland was all big red felt balls. One was medium red and white balls and the last garland was very small white and red balls. I arranged the big red balls around the wrath form, in a pattern. I think the eye just likes a pattern best and it looks uniform.

Glue Largest Items on Wreath

Once I had it all laid out visually, I glued the balls on the wreath form.

Arrange Smaller Items on Wreath Form

Then I took the medium red and white ball garland and laid the balls out in a pattern. By doing this you can see how it will look and also make sure the whole wreath form is covered evenly.

Glue Smaller Items on Wreath Form

Then I glued the medium size balls on the form.

Use Small Items to Fill in Holes

I used the smallest ball garland to fill in holes. If you are only using big garland items, you might need to purchase something to fill in the holes. Small balls are a good way to do that.

Add Ribbon

I used a black and white LOVE garland and an off white pom pom garland at the top of the wreath.

Hang Your Wreath Up!

I hung my wreath over our kitchen hood but it would also look great on a front door. However, if your door is exposed to the elements I would not hang a felted ball wreath on the front door. This wreath would look lovely almost anywhere in your home!

Pottery Barn Heart Shaped Pillow Knock-off // Craftberry Bush

DIY Wood Heart Garland // The Happy Housie

Rustic Twig Party Favors // Most Lovely Things

DIY Twine Wrapped Heart Filler // Zevy Joy

Breakable Chocolate Heart Tutorial // Happy Happy Housie

Air Dry Clay Heart Keychains // Modern Glam

Simple Hanging Paper Heart Tree // Sincerely, Marie

DIY Stucco Heart Wall Art // The DIY Mommy

Valentine Paper Placemats (or Platemats?) // My 100 Year Old Home

Fingerprint Heart Mug // My Sweet Savannah

Easy & Affordable Valentine’s Day Wreath // The Design Twins

Christmas Garland to Valentine Wreath // Tatertots & Jello

More Valentine Ideas

Here are some other fun Valentine DIY ideas to make!

$2 Simple Valentine’s Day Centerpiece

You can make this cute centerpiece for only $2!

Valentine Pom Pom Wreath

I used the same wreath form to make this large heart pom pom wreath! It’s so cute!

Which idea do you want to make first?

xoxo

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Turn a Ceramic Village into a Gingerbread Village

‘Tis the season for festive transformations, and this year, I’ve taken my love for Christmas decor to a whole new level—turning a ceramic village into a whimsical Gingerbread Village. Last year, I shared my vibrant, hand-painted ceramic village.

But this holiday season, the inspiration came from the viral sensation of the Pottery Barn gingerbread village. Now, every nook and cranny of my village is adorned with sugary sweetness and holiday cheer.

The Gingerbread Galvanized Lanterns and Mini Houses

The gingerbread theme has taken over my Christmas decorating spree, starting with my galvanized lanterns and mini houses. In case you missed it, I documented the transformation of my galvanized lanterns into adorable gingerbread houses in a previous post (link here). I also got crafty with my mini galvanized houses, turning them into a festive gingerbread house wreath. Now, it’s time to share the joy of turning a plain ceramic village into a delectable Gingerbread Village.

Sprucing Up with Spray Paint and Paint Pens

To achieve this festive transformation, I stuck to the winning combination of spray paint and non-smudge paint pens that worked wonders on my galvanized lanterns and houses. However, this time around, I wanted to add a 3-dimensional element to bring the gingerbread magic to life.

Experimenting with Puffy Paint and Opting for Precision

Initially, I experimented with puffy paint to create intricate details on the ceramic houses. The idea was to replicate the icing and candy decorations you’d find on a classic gingerbread house. However, the puffy paint turned out to be a bit too thick for my liking, resulting in a somewhat sloppy appearance. Learning from this, I decided to switch gears and rely on the precision of paint pens for the finer details.

Infusing Personality with Finer Details

The transformation process was both joyful and therapeutic. I loved coming up with different decorating swirls and motifs. I have included a close up of the different houses details for inspiration. The paint pens allowed me to infuse personality into each miniature dwelling, turning them into unique gingerbread creations.

Snowy Accents with Puffy Paint

One of my favorite touches was using puffy paint at the tops of the houses to simulate a layer of snow. It added a delightful wintry element to the scene, making the village look like a magical, sugar-coated wonderland. The combination of the warm gingerbread hues and the snowy accents created a perfect balance of coziness and winter enchantment.

Sharing the Joy of Gingerbread Creativity

As I worked on this project, I couldn’t help but think of all the creative possibilities that come with a gingerbread theme. It’s not just about painting; it’s about transforming ordinary objects into edible-looking masterpieces that bring joy to everyone who sees them. The Gingerbread Village has become the centerpiece of my holiday decor, eliciting smiles and admiration from friends and family alike.

Inspired by Friends and the Gingerbread Community

But my festive journey doesn’t end here. I’ve been inspired by the creativity of my friends who have embarked on their own gingerbread-themed projects. From gingerbread wreaths to gingerbread-scented ornaments, the holiday spirit is alive and thriving. The sense of community and shared enthusiasm for bringing a bit of sweetness into our homes has made this Christmas season truly special.

More Gingerbread Goodness

If you’re looking for more inspiration, check out these amazing gingerbread-themed projects from my talented friends. Whether you’re a seasoned crafter or a holiday decorating enthusiast, there’s something magical about turning the ordinary into the extraordinary, one gingerbread creation at a time.

All Supplies are Linked

Are the supplies in this post are linked in my LTK shop — @tatertotsandjello.

BLOGGER’S BEST GINGERBREAD HOUSES

Viral Gingerbread House Mug | Craftberry Bush

The Best DIY Christmas Gingerbread Houses | My 100 Year Old Home

I had so much fun creating the best Christmas gingerbread houses and I love how they turned out. They were so easy and will last forever!

DIY Gingerbread House Ornaments with Homemade Puff Paint | Twelve on Main

Make these easy reusable gingerbread house ornaments! I used my Cricut Maker to cut out the shapes and a homemade puff paint to decorate them!

Cool Gingerbread House Ideas | Happy Happy Nester

Get ready for the holidays with creative gingerbread house ideas, including charming ornaments and mugs adorned with gingerbread designs. Add a festive touch to your decor with these delightful gingerbread-themed accessories.

Turn a Ceramic Village into a Gingerbread Village | Tatertots And Jello

Revamp a plain ceramic Christmas village into a festive delight using spray paint, a white paint pen, and puffy paint. A base of spray paint provides a clean slate, while the white paint pen adds intricate details inspired by Pottery Barn’s gingerbread houses. Puffy paint adds the final touch, creating a personalized and whimsical holiday village.

DIY Gingerbread Village | My Sweet Savannah

Thrifted and oh so easy Pottery Barn gingerbread village look alikes!

In conclusion, the transformation of my ceramic village into a Gingerbread Village has been a delightful journey filled with creativity and festive spirit. The combination of spray paint, paint pens, and a touch of puffy paint snow has turned these simple ceramic structures into a whimsical holiday display. As the season unfolds, I look forward to seeing the gingerbread magic spread far and wide, creating a sense of joy and wonder for all who encounter it. Happy crafting and happy holidays!

xoxo

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Here are…

14 Before and After Projects!

14 Before and After Projects from this week’s Best Friday Features!

* * * * * *

Luggage Rack Idea @ Refresh Restyle

Colored Pencil Drink Coaster @ Simply Designing

Industrial Farmhouse Pendant Light @ Repurpose and Upcycle

Kitchen Makeover @ Refresh Restyle

Wood Plank Wall @ The Magic Brush Inc

Ikea Tea Towel Farmhouse Pillows @ Twelve On Main

Paper Binder Covers @ Thrift Diving

Simple Book Page Garland @ 1915 House

Refinished Vintage Rocking Chair @ Refresh Living

Antique Flour Bin Accent Table @ Knick of Time

Thrifted Cabinet into Farmhouse Style Bookcase @ Knick of Time

Vintage Glider Recolor @ Petticoat Junktion

Industrial Pipe Bookshelf @ Sweet Pea

Mobile Miter Saw Station and Storage @ Her Tool Belt

* * * * * *

On Tuesday I shared a WONDERFUL book for moms — The Complete Book of Essential Oils for Mama & Baby.

 I am super excited to let you know that I am giving away THREE of these books!!

Here’s how to enter:

1) Head over to this page and leave a comment!

2) To get another entry, share this giveaway (twitter, instagram or facebook) and leave another comment telling me how you shared.

* * * * * *

What are your favorite before and after projects?

Tell me what you’ve been working on in the comments – I would love to come see your ideas!!

xoxo

The post Great Ideas — 14 Before and After Projects! appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

Land of Nod-inspired Dresser Knock-Off Makeover

Hand-me Downs. Gotta love them. For awhile that is. My in-laws graciously donated a media cabinet to us when we moved into our home. But after four years I was finally ready to find something that was more our style.

So I started the crazy process of trying to find a new piece of furniture that matched my style AND my budget. Afters hours upon hours of scouring Pinterest, I was no closer to finding something. Then I started thinking outside the box, looking for “buffets” and “dressers”. I saw this dresser from Land of Nod and was in love. It is so fun yet neutral, grown-up yet playful. However I wasn’t ready to drop $1300 for it, and it was too tall for a media cabinet. But now I had my inspiration! So I went on a hunt. I figured I could replicate a similar look for a lot less. In fact I spent a total of just $287 for my knock-off version.

This is the piece I found to start off: the  Target Threshold “Millsboro” Walnut Dresser. The original price is $349.99 but I got it on sale for $266 (and I’ve seen it on sale for even less since then), plus even scored free shipping! I needed a longer, shorter piece since I was using it for a media cabinet.

But if you are wanting the taller look (more similar to the Land of Nod version), they have that version as well: Target “Porter” Mid-Century Dresser  for $379.99.

So I had my piece…now what? Here is everything I used in this DIY:

Target Dresser: $266

Frog Painter’s Tape: $8

White Latex Paint (free-I used what I already owned)

Varathane RustOleum Clear Polyurethane Sealer : $14

Exacto Knife

Small Craft Paint Brush

STEP 1: I chose to paint my drawers before assembling the dresser. Be sure to lay them out in the correct order, my drawers had to be aligned in a certain way due to the hardware. Then I pushed all six drawers together so they were touching. If you already own a piece that is assembled, I would try to tackle it intact. Just remove the hardware and start from there!

STEP 2: You want to spend a bit of time composing your layout. I found the center of the dresser and marked it with a pencil mark. Using that center point, I drew both a vertical and horizontal line across all of the drawers. These were my “guidelines” to make sure my pattern didn’t get too wonky!

STEP 3: To start the design, I created the center “diamond” out of painters tape and secured it to the middle of the dresser. As you go, be sure to firmly press down on all sides of the tape.

STEP 4: Start your pattern from the center and work your way out. To make it easy I created my stripes the same width as my painter’s tape. My tape was just under an inch wide. I will be honest…I’m more of an “eyeball it and go” type of girl! So I just approximated the width in between the stripes as I laid them out. But if you are more of a perfectionist (you know who you are!), you can use a tape measure and measure out the width of each stripe.

Everywhere that I added the painter’s tape, these stripes would end up being the wood color. Every stripe in between that was left open, I will paint over, creating the white stripes.

STEP 5: Keep working your way out in the diamond pattern. I used the vertical gap between the two columns of drawers as my visual, making sure the top and bottom of each diamond aligned.

STEP 6: Trim the ends. As you continue to lay out your tape in the diamond pattern, use a small Exacto knife to carefully (so as not to scratch the wood) cut out where the tape overlays so you have nice clean corners.

Land of Nod-inspired Dresser Knock-Off Makeover  

JUST A REMINDER: I’ll be 100% clear…I AM NO PERFECTIONIST! So I just went with the flow of it and eyeballed it a lot of the time. If you are a perfectionist, it might take you a bit longer than me, but painters tape is very forgiving. Just peel off and start over. Every now and then take a step back and glance the whole thing. When you are close up with a dizzying pattern like this, sometimes you get lost in the detail of it. Step back to make sure it is all lining up in the “big picture” view.

Here are my six dresser drawers fully taped out. As you can see, the tape is holding all six drawers together, treating it like one giant work of art, not six individual ones. I would recommend NOT trying to move it once you start taping!

Land of Nod-inspired Dresser Knock-Off Makeover 

STEP 7: Go over all of your tape with a credit card to full press down all of the edges. If you have gaps, the paint could bleed under the tape.

STEP 8: For the paint, I used a white interior latex paint that I had leftover from a project. You don’t need much paint at all. If you are buying new, you can probably get away with purchasing a sample sized pot of paint. I used a small craft brush and painted over all of the exposed wood. It is better to do a couple of light layers instead of doing one thick layer.

Now, I’ll share my “oopsie” moment with y’all. The Target dresser that I selected ended up not being real wood, but a melamine wood grain. Due to this, the paint actually didn’t go on smoothly at all! Instead the paint beaded up. Oops. So-if you are choosing your own piece, obviously a REAL wood piece will work much better and the paint will go on much more smoothly. But I wanted to make lemonade out of lemons so I slightly changed my plan. Sometimes you just have to go with the flow! So instead I went for a more rustic, distressed look. Hang with me and I’ll show you.

Here you can see how the paint is beading up. On the left is showing one coat of paint, on the right is showing what it looks after two coats of paint:

STEP #9: After the first layer dried, I painted on a second coat. At this point (because of my melamine surface), the white paint coat wasn’t perfect as you can see in the photo. So instead of trying to go for perfect white stripes, I decided to embrace the rustic, “distressed” look And here is my beautiful diamond shape pattern! On this photo, it shows what the dresser looks like after both one and two coats of paint:

STEP #10: After the paint is fully dried, it is time to peel off the painter’s tape…slowly!

Land of Nod-inspired Dresser Knock-Off Makeover  

At this point, if you are painting a real wood piece, you are done! But because of my shiny surface, my paint needed an extra layer of protection (the paint can be scratched off). I used a 3″ paintbrush and added two coats of clear polyureathane sealer. I let each coat dry in between. I used the “gloss” version so it has a slight sheen to it. But you could also purchase the “matte” version if you didn’t want a shiny finish.

STEP #11: I put together the rest of the dresser (with help from the hubby!) and installed my gold hardware. This is the hardware that came with my dresser (which is a pretty great match to the Land of Nod version), but feel free to change it out with whatever suits your style. Here it is completed:

Land of Nod-inspired Dresser Knock-Off Makeover 

I love the size of this dresser because it can be used for SO many things. I’m using it here as a bar, but it would work as a media cabinet, a buffet, an office credenza, or use as an actual dresser!

I turned this into a bar as I’m hosting a couple of parties this season, but when I’m done, I’m going to use it as a media cabinet under our wall mounted TV. All of the drawers are perfect for storing components or DVDs.

Land of Nod-inspired Dresser Knock-Off Makeover

For the winter season I stocked it with some bar supplies, and this tray is full of old bourbon and whisky bottles with a bit of holly (plucked from my backyard!) for a free decoration! The coasters are cut down from a tree from my childhood home. And the Roman Numeral print I made for under $20 using an engineering print and an Ikea frame-the numerals are the year we bought are home in.

Land of Nod-inspired Dresser Knock-Off Makeover

The whole process took about six hours (not including assembling the dresser) and cost me $288. That is a price I can live with…and have money leftover for some really cute throw pillows for this room!

Land of Nod-inspired Dresser Knock-Off Makeover 

If you want to see more of my projects and get oodles of free design tips we can hang out on Facebook or Pinterest. Or my fav (where I share sneak peeks into my own home!) over on Instagram. If you want to find out more about my E-Design services, drop me a line at kristin@postboxdesigns.com and I would love to chat with ya!

Cheers,

Kristin

Wow Kristin!! What a beautiful transformation!!

Kristin has a wonderful business, Winter Warm Room,  where she does custom interior design work and sends it straight to you. Be sure to check it out!

And Kristin has a beautiful blog with all kinds of design inspiration, tips and projects. Here are a couple of my favorites:

Get This Room

Winter Warm Room 

Have a Beautiful Day! 

xoxo

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Hi, fellow TT&J readers! My name is Deborah and I blog at Salvage Sister & Mister with my husband. Our goal is to live a life making the best with what we have. One of the ways we do this is by using craft supplies to turn junk, thrifted, or otherwise discarded items into beautiful things for your home.

For us, life can be complicated enough so we don’t want to make anything harder than it has to be. We love to “Keep Life Simple”. All these projects are super simple and quick! How about them apples?

Here’s what I started with:

• A $2 garage sale bulletin board
• An old Goodwill frame
• A free large food jar

What I used from the Jen Hadfield Home + Made Collection:

• 12 x 12 Pebbles Decorative Paper
• Hanging Chalkboard
• Dies
• Gold Alpha Stickers
• Chalkboard Stickers
• Gold Garland

For the jar, I took a piece of the Pebbles Decorative Paper and cut a strip to cover the jar label, using double sided tape. Of course you can soak the label right off, but I wanted pretty paper on the jar anyways so why bother soaking, right? I then took a Home + Made Chalkboard Label and applied it in the center. EASY PEASY! Add some fresh flowers…….

BAM, perfect centerpiece!

The frame was just as easy.

I took the decorative paper and cut to size. (All the paper was from the Home+Made collection.)

I had some leftover paper scraps so I made some photo ends. I didn’t measure so they are different sizes and that works for me. If you are more particular, by all means measure away.

This bargain bulletin board was just needing some pretty decorations.

I used the banner die and cut around the paper. I added the gold alpha stickers and pinned the paper with push pins for a simple banner.

A little more paper décor plus the gold garland, and this upcycled bulletin board is boring no more!

Last but not least, this paper is way to pretty to waste!!!

I took a heart craft punch and made some confetti…..”Waste not, want not!”

I hope you enjoyed seeing my crafting trash to treasures!!!

And before I go, I would like to take a moment to say thanks to Jen Hadfield for the opportunity to work with these AMAZING craft products. They are GORGEOUS!

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Thanks Deborah! I love the idea of up cycling things we have! And, everything turned out so fun and beautiful! Deborah has more great ideas for up cycling on her blog. Here are a few I know you’ll love: 

Find out how to knock off your favorite look with this Pottery Barn Inspired Salvaged Wood Floor Mirror!

Find out how to take an old can and Re-purpose it into a Gift!

She even shows you how to re-purpose your Junk Mail into Confetti! So cute!

xoxo

The post DIY Upcycled Bulletin Board appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

Last week, I revealed some big updates to our master bedroom. I wanted to tone down the glam and give it a more modern farmhouse look to go with the rest of my home. As usual, I’m always trying to repurpose what I have so instead of getting new bedside lamps I recycled them. Today, I’m sharing some tips and tricks on how I gave these Pharmacy Style IKEA Lamps Faux Antique Finish in just three steps!

I love the look of the Antique Pharmacy Lamps but they can often come with a high price tag. I found these lamps at IKEA for just $29.99 each (sorry, these exact lamps are no longer available!).

Now, ready for the easiest tutorial on how to get a Faux Antiqued look?

Supply List:

– Gold Metallic Spray Paint

– Black Flat Spray Paint

– 120 Grit Sand Paper

– Painter’s Tape

Step 1: Tape off the cord and give the lamp a coat of Valspar Gold Metallic Paint.

Note: Normally when spray painting metal, I would use a spray primer first to help the adhesion. But in this case I didn’t use a primer because I was going to distress it anyway.

Step 2: After allowing it to dry, spray a coat of Valspar Black Flat spray paint.

Step 3: Using 120 grit sand paper, gently rub the surface to remove some of the paint. To give it a natural look I focused on the edges and areas that would have the most use.

And that’s it! It’s amazing what a little paint can do. The new look is perfect for our new bedroom.

You can also find the tutorial for the nightstand top here and more on our master bedroom here.

Thank’s for having me over today, Jen!

Taryn

**********

Thanks Taryn! They turned out amazing. I love a good IKEA hack, and this one looks perfect in her space, don’t you think? Taryn has such awesome ideas on her blog. Here are a few things she’s been up to lately that I love:

I just love this piece she made for her bedroom too! This DIY Barn Door Headboard is so amazing!

This Healthy Mango Raspberry Punch looks so refreshing doesn’t it? It would be so fun to serve at summer parties too!

And this DIY Industrial Paper Towel Holder is so unique. It goes so great with all of Taryn’s amazing projects! I love her style.

Visit Design, Dining, and Diapers

and

xoxo

The post IKEA Lamp Hack: Faux Antique Finish appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

I am so thrilled to be here again to share something pretty with you all today. Mother’s day is only 2 days away and it’s a BIG day as we celebrate the most important woman in our lives.

If you have not found the perfect gift for MOM yet, I will show you how you can make these pretty amazing wine bottle vases in no time for your MAMA.

Are you ready to see how I created this beautiful gift?

First you need to dig out 2 empty wine bottles from your recycling can ( or any other long neck bottles would be perfect )

Other things you will also need are:

– 2 different color spray paint

– rubber bands

– colorful ribbon to embellish

– fresh flowers

I chose white and ocean blue spray paints for my project. I really loved these colors together.

1. I spray painted both bottles, one with white, one with blue spray paint. I let it dry completely.

2. Once the paint was dry, I pulled on a handful of rubber bands for each bottles. The painted bottles looked great already but I wanted to create some sort of design on them to make them more unique. As you see on the picture below, there was no particular order that I followed with the rubber bands. They were randomly placed on the bottles. I sprayed the bottles again, but this time I chose the opposite color for each bottles.

3. I let the paint dry completely and once everything was super duper dry I slowly started pulling the rubber bands off of the bottles.

Easy enough, right?

I really loved how these bottles turned out.

For embellishment, I used pretty strawberry pink ribbons on the bottles.

I put fresh TULIPS (check out more gorgeous shot of these tulips HERE ) into the vases.

I created a super cute MOTHER’S DAY PRINTABLE CARD to go with these vases to get the look I wanted.

DOWNLOAD MOTHER’S DAY PRINTABLE HERE

I really believe that homemade gifts are worth a thousand times more than the most expensive gifts!

They are made with LOVE and are given from the bottom of our hearts.

I hope I inspired you to dig out some wine bottles from the garage!

Thank you so much for reading

AND

a huge hug for Jen to share her space with me today!

Have a fabulous Spring to Everyone and Happy Mother’s day to All the Awesome Moms out there!

Come and follow along! I would love to have you on board at Place Of My Taste.

FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | TWITTER| INSTAGRAM| GOOGLE+

Xoxo

Aniko

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Thanks Aniko! I love a good up-cycled project and those vases are just beautiful!! I’m sure that’s a gift any mom would love. The printable is absolutely adorable too. Aniko has tons of great ideas on her blog, Place of My Taste. Check out these other ideas of hers:

If your mom likes jewelry, you can also make her an awesome jewelry box under $5.

West Elm Knock Off – Jewelry Slide Box

 Or DIY her a gorgeous Tray and present it with fresh flowers

DIY TRAY from an old picture frame

I just love Aniko and her beautiful ideas! I’m so glad she was able to share her vases and printable with us today!

xoxo

The post Gift Idea: Upcycled Wine Bottle Vases for Mom with Free Printable appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

With just a few supplies and a less than a couple hours, I created a hanging gold leafed vintage insulator succulent garden for my dining room window.

Recently, I tried my hand at gold leafing milk glass and some old clear glass bottles, and I loved how it worked out.  I love the pairing of white and gold, but do you know what else I love?  Aqua and gold- be still my aqua and shiny loving heart!  So when I found these aqua insulators at a yard sale right after that, I knew I had to add some gold to them.

I started by gathering all of my supplies.

Aside from the glass insulators, I also worked on some jars.

Additionally, I used….

Artisan Enhancements Gold Leaf Foil from Catfish Studios (FYI, they don’t list it on their website but you can email them for it- they have it!)  Also, as a note, this comes in a roll rather than those little squares you buy at the craft store and is much easier to use and there is less waste.

Artisan Enhancements Sizing (this is a liquid adhesive)

Mod Podge (any finish will work)

Foam Brushes

Twine or Cording (whatever you wish to use)

Beads- optional

Screw hooks

Succulents

I am going to break this all up into steps for you.  It may sound complicated, but trust me when I tell you this girl does not do crafts that are too involved or complicated!

1. Using a foam brush, brush the sizing onto your insulators only in the places You wish to gold leaf.  Allow it to sit for 30 minutes, and then test for stickiness.

2. Once it is sticky, apply your gold leaf.  You will apply it by sticking the matte side to your piece, shiny side out.  The shiny side is actually a plastic sheet that holds the gold in place until it is adhered.  Below you can see the matte side about to be stuck to my insulator.

And here it is pressed onto the insulator, shiny side out.

3. Peel away your leaf sheet.  When you peel away your piece, the gold will be left where your piece was originally sticky.  Keep working your way around until you have gold everywhere you want it.

4. With a foam brush, Apply Mod Podge to seal away the gold and sizing.

Your sizing will remain tacky forever and ever and ever until you seal it.  Artisan enhancements makes a topcoat that they recommend.  However, I did not have it on hand, so I used my trusty Mod Podge.

The Mod Podge will appear milky where you brush it, but it will dry clear.  Here you can see the right side has been Mod Podged.

5. Once the Mod Podge is dry, use your twine to hang your insulator.  FYI, I am no macrame-er, knitter, or the like, so I just played around creating knots until I had mine hanging as I wanted.

I also added beads to a couple of mine.

6. After you have your insulators ready to hang, drill lead holes into the inside frame of the top of your window.  I drilled 3 lead holes, and then screwed in 2 small metal hooks.

7. Fill the insulators with their succulents (mine were from Home Depot) hang, and enjoy!

Now, let’s see how mine turned out in the window!  Here are all three hanging….

This one is one of my favorites.  I love his spikes, and his aqua bead.

I love that this one had a great surface to gild.  Aqua and gold forever!

And this one has a more rustic look with a wooden bead.

I love how easy this project was, and how easy it will be to maintain this little indoor garden!

Jennifer, thank you so much for having me here today to share this project with your readers!  Come see me any time at Primitive and Proper, and have an awesome weekend!

***********

Thanks Cassie! Those turned out so pretty! It is always so fun to see new spring ideas popping up to add some color to our lives after a long winter! Cassie has some great ideas on her blog! Here are a few recent projects of hers that I love:

If you are thinking of a DIY backsplash in your home, you should check out her DIY Recycled Glass Blacksplash tutorial! What an awesome transformation of her kitchen!!

This DIY Pegboard Jewelry Organizer she created is such a fun idea for a little girl’s room to keep all their precious things organized!

And this furniture makeover is so beautiful!! I just love the Duck Egg and Copper Chest!

Visit Primitive & Proper and

xoxo

The post DIY Gold Leafed Hanging Insulator Succulent Garden appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

One thing you should know about me… when it comes to home decor, I have West Elm taste on a thrift store budget! I have been drooling over some of the gorgeous pieces in the West Elm catalog recently, and I’m really loving the look of different colors of stained wood mixed together. I definitely can’t afford the thousand dollar price tag, so I decided to update my own dresser. For less than $40, I am obsessed with my new wood shim dresser!

I marked the shims with a pencil so I would know where I needed to cut each one. An easy way to do it is to cut about 12 of the shims in half, and then you can add 2 of those halves to one full-length shim to create one row of your pattern. On alternating rows, I slightly overlapped 2 full-length shims. Just keep playing with it until you like the look, and make sure all of the shims are laying as flat as possible.

When you are ready to stain, start with one color at a time, and take the pieces you want to stain in that color off of each drawer. When you are staining the wood shims, brush the stain on with a natural bristle brush (the cheap ones work great for this!) and then let the color sit on there for 2-5 minutes. The longer you leave it, the more the stain will penetrate. Wipe off all excess stain and then place those pieces back into your pattern on the drawer front. Continue doing this for each stain color until every drawer is complete!

I let them dry overnight, and this is what they looked like in the morning. All ready to be glued on!

Here is the hardest part. I’m not gonna lie…. getting them adhered to the drawers was kind of tricky at times, but after my first drawer it got easier I used this Power Grab adhesive to stick the wood shims to the dresser drawers.

This stuff is pretty powerful once adhered! But it is repositionable for 15-20 minutes, so you have to make sure they are in place and weighted down if necessary for at least that amount of time. I used heavy cans from my pantry to keep some of the shims in place.

I put a nice sized glob of the construction adhesive in a few spots on the back of each shim. Make sure you have enough at each end, and some in the middle. You have to get a feel for it because you don’t want it squishing out the ends either!

I glued them on, one shim at a time so I could keep the pattern in tact. Here is one of the drawers when I was done gluing:

One secret… I did have to use some hot glue on a few of the pieces that weren’t staying flat.  It worked well to keep them in place until the adhesive was dry. When all the drawers were done, I let them dry for about an hour just to make sure everything was secure, and then I put them back in the dresser to see the final result.

The bottom of the dresser still had the old-school curvy detailing that I didn’t love, so I took a piece of thin plywood, stained it, cut it to fit the width of the dresser and attached it to the bottom.

That’s it! It sounds more complicated than it actually was, and I finished this entire project in less than 24 hours. It is like I have a brand new piece of furniture in my room and I love it!!

Make sure to follow My Sister’s Suitcase. 

The post DIY Wood Shim Dresser Tutorial!! appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

I have had such a fun time designing my new line of scrapbook paper and embellishments for American Crafts!! It’s going to be a scrapbook paper line that has a modern home decor spin! I can’t wait to tell you more soon!!

I was able to go down to the Craft and Hobby Association show – CHA a few weeks ago. And I made a little chandelier out of some pretty Pebbles scrapbook paper for the booth. I think this chandelier would be so fun in a little girls room!!

I have seen a few tutorials on how to make paper chandeliers like this. They all seemed super involved and time consuming. So I tried to stream line this project and I think I really did. I’ll tell you how in just a minute.

Here’s how to make our own Paper and Ribbon Chandelier:

Supplies:

8-10 sheets of 12×12 scrapbook paper

2 different sized circle punches or a craft cutting machine

A sewing machine

Hot glue gun

Wire to hang up the chandelier

And wire to add to the top of the chandelier

A lamp shade

Directions:

Use your craft cutting machine or circle punches to punch out as many circles as you can from your paper.

Then sew the circles, alternating patterns and sizes with your sewing machine.

I sewed the circles in one, continuous loop that measured about 40 feet long. It seems like a lot, but you will need a lot of footage to drape the circles for your chandelier.

Once you have the circles sewn in one, continuous loop – lay it out on the floor of your home and try not to get it tangled up.

Take the fabric off of your lamp shade. You will need a shade that has spokes that holds the shade together. Many cheaper lamp shades don’t have these spokes. You might need to go to a thrift store and find a vintage shade for this project.

Once you have exposed the spokes and wire of the shade, cover the wire up with ribbon. You can use glue dots or hot glue to glue the ribbon onto the spokes and wire of your shade. I used a few different colors of ribbon. And your ribbon should be thin – mine is craft ribbon and it measured about 1/4″ wide.

At the top of the chandelier, run some wire across the top in an X pattern so you will have somewhere to drape the circle length.

Attach some wire to the top of the lampshade and hang it up so you can start draping the sewn circles.

When you have covered up the wires of the lamp shade, start draping the sewn circle length to the chandelier. I just draped the circle length from the X you made with the wire at the top.I used my hot glue gun to hold the sewn paper length in place and I looped the circles evenly from all four corners of the lampshade. Then I went into the center of the lampshade and made four more loops that were a little longer from the center.

I also hot glued the lengths at the top of the shade to hold them in place.

And that’s it! So much easier than using individual lengths of fishing wire and hand placing the paper circles.

And here a a few more chandeliers I have made. I think a chandelier can really make a room! 

DIY Orb Chandelier 

DIY Wood Beaded Chandelier

DIY Beachy Wood Chandelier 

$8 Easy Chandelier Redo

I also spray painted a brass chandelier Sun Yellow at the #1905Cottage – there’s a video showing it being hung up there.

Have you redone a chandelier?
Show us YOUR idea. 

We would love to see it!!! 

Have a beautiful day! 

xoxo

The post Paper and Ribbon Chandelier Tutorial! appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.