31 diy

Drab to Fab: Recovering a Lampshade with Fabric

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 22:47:00 +0000

Hello everyone! :) I should be doing edits to my thesis right now, but instead I've spent a lazy Sunday afternoon editing vacation photos on Picnik. J and I spent a lovely week at Masanutten resort in Virginia, and we just got back yesterday. Although we had an amazing week, we are glad to be back with the pups!

Before I move onto the point of this post, check out this gorgeous view atop Bearfence Mountain:

Bearfence Mountain - Shenandoah National Park, VA

Breathtaking, isn't it? Okay, moving on...
Today I'm going to show you another lampshade makeover. (Perhaps you have seen my first lampshade recovering project here.)

Here is the before:

It's just a plain white lampshade that I got from Target for, I think, $12-14. This lampbase has worn a lot of different shades in its day. If my memory serves me, I have switched out the lampshade with various ones around the house about 5 times in the last 2 years. Nothing was working, so that's why I decided to buy this one.

I have a recovering-a-lampshade-with-fabric tutorial here, in case you are interested.

Here is the after!

I used home decor fabric from Joann's. I bought it over a year ago, so I don't recall the price. It only took maybe 1/4 yards of fabric. Not bad at all!

What do you think of the before and after?

I like it a lot more! I'm not 100% thrilled with the edges, however. I wasn't as careful as I was the first time I recovered a lampshade. Oh well...I still like it! I'm just happy that it adds a pop of color in the corner of the room where the walls are renter's white. :)

Have you recovered a lampshade before? Any other lamp projects?

Thanks for reading! Have a great day!

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Perfect Summer Treat: Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:25:00 +0000

Confession: I am not much of a cook. Although I do eat at home for most my meals (not a fan of dining out frequently - besides who could afford it?), I typically do something quick and easy and marginally nutritious. The hubs and I are vegetarians, so I think we can get away with quick meals. For instance, while some people have to prepare meat entrees, I just heat up some black beans! haha!! :)

Okay, so what's my point in saying all that? Well, my point is that, although I don't like to cook meals, I do sort of enjoy baking desserts. And here is why:

Reason #1: I have a sweet tooth (that may in fact be reasons #2 and #3 also).
Reason #2: Homecooked desserts are almost always better than store-bought ones.
Reason #3: You can snack on your delicious treat for possibly weeks (or less, see #1). Compared to cooking meals, you get more bang for your buck, time-wise.
Reason #4: You get to decorate it! Holla! You can only do so much decorating with mashed potatos and peas. Cupcakes, on the other hand, are like a canvas for your creative juices.

Speaking of cupcakes, I think this post was originally supposed to be about a cupcake recipe.

Here's the breakdown:

Strawberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
(yields 26 cupcakes; 183 calories/cupcake)

Ingredients for cupcakes (adapted from the version found here; mine has fewer calories: 108 cal/cupcake):
-white cake mix
-1/3 cup vegetable oil
-3 cage-free egg whites
-1 cup low fat buttermilk
-3 oz. strawberry jello
-2 cups fresh strawberries (optional: extra for garnishment)

Measure out 2 cups of strawberries (cut up, not whole). Use a mashing utensil (not sure that's the correct name?) to mash the strawberries until you have a juicy mixture. In a large bowl, add cake mix and dry jello mix and stir until blended. Then add strawberries, oil, buttermilk, and egg whites. Beat for 2 minutes, and then pour batter into lined cupcake pans. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes at 350 degrees.

Ingredients for cream cheese frosting (75 cal/cupcake):
-7 1/4 oz cream cheese (1/3 less fat kind)
-1 1/3 sticks of unsalted butter
-1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Let the butter thaw before you begin, but keep the cream cheese cold. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese for about 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until blended.

Tip: Put the cupcakes in the refrigerator while you make the frosting. That way they will be cool and ready for frosting.

Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite strawberry cupcake recipe? I'm open to trying different ones if you'd like to leave a link in the comments. :) Thanks!

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Cast Party Wednesday @ Lady Behind the Curtain

Brass to Oil Rubbed Bronze Lamp

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:23:00 +0000

Hope everyone is having a good summer! Everything has been good here, but busy as usual. Today, I just have a quick before and after to show. When J and I got married and moved in together, he brought with him this brass lamp (picture on left). I must admit that I am to blame for this red lampshade (ick!). This lamp was part of my living and dining room decor for longer than I'd care to mention - I recently changed it, however, as the whole look was too traditional for my taste.

One quarter can of Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint ($6/can), a lampshade I already owned, and 10 minutes later, and we have a whole new lamp!!! Check out the before and after below:

Has anyone else used ORB spray paint on a lamp base? What about any other projects? If so, please share - I'd love to see it!

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How to Remove Popcorn Ceiling Texture {tutorial}

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 07:09:00 +0000

I never thought I would be writing a post about scraping off popcorn ceiling texture, but alas here I am. It’s a long story. Here are the gritty details:

What made you decide to remove the popcorn ceiling texture, especially when you are a renter?

The hubs, bless his heart, forgot to turn off the water in the upstairs bathroom…for 15 minutes. I’ll give you a moment to let that sink in.

Basically, all the water that flooded the upstairs bathroom trickled down into the subfloor and the layer between the top and bottom floors. The water had to go somewhere, and that means there was a 4x6 foot wet spot on the ceiling of the downstairs dining/living room. So we tackled the upstairs floor first and just let the 1^st floor ceiling drip and then air dry.

Once it had dried, I thought I could just paint over the water stain. Wrong! As I rolled the paint on, the popcorn was coming off in chunks. A mold scare (turned out to be a false alarm) and a failed attempt at using the popcorn texture you get in a spray can from Lowes (it’s really only meant to patch up small areas) later, we arrived at the decision that we needed to remove the entire thing. Apparently, even a professional “popcorner” wouldn’t be able to match the new popcorn to the existing stuff. We really needed to scrape off the texture from the entire 1^st floor ceiling if we ever wanted to dream of getting our $750 deposit back. Plus, I’d rather not look at this for the next 3 years.

So, that’s what happened. It is certainly an unfortunate situation to be in, but at the same time we’re learning a skill that we can use later down the road when we buy a house, one that might have popcorn ceilings. There’s always a silver lining, right? :)

Now for the how-to. But before I talk about the process…

An important note on ASBESTOS:

Yeah, it’s true. A lot of popcorn ceilings contain up to 10% asbestos (and it’s more likely to be in your popcorn ceiling if the house was built prior to 1980). It’s not a big deal if you leave the popcorn texture alone. But it is dangerous to scrape it off and get all that poisonous dust and stuff in your lungs, which could lead to mesothelioma.

Step 1 – Test for asbestos! No surprise here. Scraping the ceiling texture is not a DIY project if the popcorn contains asbestos.

The hubs called all the local hardware stores before he found one that had an asbestos testing kit. I think it was around $12 or so. The kit is basically just instructions and a special postage-paid envelope that is addressed to the lab where you send the sample off for testing – I’m not so sure the kit was necessary. The lab we used was Pro-Lab: The Professional’s Choice for Environmental Testing in Weston, FL (954-384-4446).

Once you have the kit, with a spray bottle filled with water, dampen the ceiling and wait for the texture to loosen up. Then take a razor (like the kind to open up moving boxes) and cut a ~ 2x2 inch sample. (I think J cut too deep, but do know that you’ll want to make sure you don’t miss any layers.)

Place the sample in your special envelope and mail it off. (Btw, you’ll have to send them a $30 check too – bummer.)

TIP: Plan on testing far in advance. It took 20 days from the time we put the sample in the mail before we got the email with the results! The wait was agonizing because if it had had asbestos it would have cost us thousands of dollars (yes, seriously) to hire someone to remove it safely.

Fortunately, our popcorn ceiling was asbestos-free!!! Let the removal process commence.

Step 2 – Buy your materials, assuming your ceiling is asbestos-free too (my fingers are crossed for you!).

Prep ($136)

· Lots and lots of plastic tarps (i.e., drop cloths). Not so environmentally-friendly, but oh so necessary.

o To figure out how many you’ll need, think about how much furniture has to stay in the room, wall space (you’ll be draping all of the walls & holding the tarps up with tape), and how much ground floor you’ll be covering.

o In total, we spent around $38. That’s a lot of tarps!

· 2” Painter’s tape ($25 for 3 rolls) – As I mentioned, you’ll need it to hold up the tarps along the wall.
· Protective gear: masks (3 for $12) + eye protection (2 for $12)

Us wearing our protective glasses, masks, and coveralls. We're looking super stylish :)

· Coveralls (2 for $14) & shoe covers (optional) – It’s a good idea for when you need to leave the construction zone. You can just slip it off and go get a drink of water without worrying about carrying the filth throughout the house.
· Red rosin paper ($35 for 3 rolls)– lay on top of plastic sheet for easier cleanup.

Scrape ($63)

·         Long poles (2 for $14) – We used bamboo poles that could be attached to the scraper, sander, & paint rollers.
·         Garden sprayer ($15) filled with water – You can find them at Lowes or Home Depot. I think you could also use a basic spray bottle, but it’s going to be a lot more work.
·         Step stool or ladder (already owned)
·         Ceiling texture scraper ($19 – but wasn’t worth the money) + a joint knife ($10) + putty knife ($5)

Repair & Paint ($140)

·         Joint compound ($7) + joint tape ($2; we ended up not needing it)
·         Sand paper holder ($12), which could be attached to the pole + mesh screen sand paper (2 packs for $6) + rough hand-held sandpaper ($4)
·         Wallboard primer ($12 for 1 gallon)
·         Flat tintable ceiling paint (2.5 gallons for $57) – to return the ceiling to its original color after you’ve finished scraping. Or this would be a good excuse to get a little bit daring with your ceiling color.
·         Paint supplies – roller holders that could be attached to the poles ($8 for 2), paint rollers that are specifically designed for ceilings ($12 for a 6-pack), plastic trays ($7 for 3), paint brush ($4), & a nice sturdy paint holder with handle for spots that had to be touched up with a brush ($9)

Note: Only some items include tax.

TIME: 2.5 days to do 500 sq. ft.

TOTAL COST (including the asbestos testing): $381

Although we spent a lot of money, we saved a ton by doing it ourselves. I’ve read that professional estimates run upwards of $2/square foot, and that’s just for the scraping and patching. Painting is an additional expense. On a message board forum, someone commented that the estimate for his 500 sq ft ceilings was $1,600 and included scraping, patchwork, and painting. I think it’s safe to say we saved well over $1,000 by DIYing this project!

Step 3 – Turn off the electricity. Well, at least when you’re spraying water on areas around light fixtures. Our downstairs does not get enough natural light even during the daytime to be able to keep the electricity off the entire time. If you do get enough natural light, then you can keep your light fixtures looking good by removing them before you begin. We did this instead:

haha!

TIP: If possible, have ample lighting as you scrape! In retrospect, we wish we would have had bright lights on the entire time we scraped because we did the worst job on the areas that we had trouble seeing.

Click "read more" to see the full tutorial.

Step 4 – Cover EVERYTHING in plastic tarps. Remove as much furniture as you can first, and then cover the rest with plastic tarps. Cover the walls, taping them close to the ceiling.

Cover the floor and baseboards. It helps to tape the sides of the plastic sheet to the wall a little bit of the way up, so that way you don’t have to worry about the sheet slipping and exposing some of your carpet. It also keeps water from getting into your baseboards. (Oh and if you have two little furry babies like us, then make sure you lock them up in a different room or take them to puppy camp for the weekend.)

Step 5 – Lay sheets of rosin paper on the floor over the plastic tarp. I found that extremely useful tip here. The rosin paper will help with cleanup more than you can imagine. This is a very messy job, so it’s also smart to have a second layer of rosin paper to lay down when the floor is starting to pile up with the popcorn.

Step 6 – Use a garden sprayer to wet the ceiling. Do this in sections. It’s difficult to say how much water to use. Just be conservative – if you soak it, you could potentially damage the drywall underneath.

J wetting the ceiling

Step 7 – Wait about 5 minutes and then start scraping. Our popcorn texture came off pretty easily. Whenever we ran into a spot where the texture was not coming off easily, we just sprayed it with some more water and waited for it to loosen up. If you wait too long after spraying the water, we found that the popcorn dried out and we had to respray the water. That’s why it is easiest to work in small sections.

J scraping the ceiling. (I promise I did half the work - no pics because I was the one taking snapshots.)

Step 8 – Repair any wall inconsistencies & then paint. Yeah, unfortunately the job doesn’t end with the scraping part. You also might have to do some repair work on the drywall. :( Here is what it will look like after you've scraped the popcorn:

We got lucky and didn’t have too many bad spots. We just used some of the joint compound to cover exposed nail heads (only in 2 or 3 spots) and to repair gouges that we accidentally put in the drywall. You might also need to use the joint tape to cover drywall joints that are sticking out. Although we didn’t have to do this step, my understanding is that you wet the tape, press it along the joint, lightly cover it with joint compound, and then sand it when dry.

Almost finished! Look at this mess:

We also used a wallboard primer on a good portion of the ceiling in the living room and on the water damage spot in the dining room. In retrospect, we wish we would have primed the entire ceiling first and then painted.

After that, just roll up the plastic and paper into the center of the room, as shown below:

Roll sheets into the center for easy cleanup

Then stand back and admire your work! Overall, we are pretty happy with the results!!

No more water damage, no more popcorn ceilings

Please let me know if you have any questions! Or if you have removed popcorn texture before, please leave a comment - I would love to hear from you if you did anything differently or if you have a suggestion for others or for me (if I dare do this again in the future).

Linking to...

Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Night special
Under the Table Dreaming: Sunday Showcase

Reupholstering a Chair

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 05:44:00 +0000

I've reupholstered a desk chair before, so I was up for a more challenging reupholstering job the second time around. I needed another one for the guest bedroom/study. I checked out Craigslist for a few days and found this beauty for $10.

Pic of the back (couldn't find a photo of the front).

It had seen better days - it was made in the late 70's after all (I found the date and manufacturer on its underbelly). It also wasn't the right colored fabric. But it had good bones, which is what attracted me to it.

Here is a tutorial that I wrote before about my last reupholstering job. I have one more little tip about how to get the corners taut, which is especially important when you don't have a plastic cover to tuck the corners into.

First, staple the fabric to one or two sides of the chair. Then, gather the fabric around corner and pinch it such that there are layers folding on one another.

I'd also recommend turning it over while you're pinching the fabric to make sure everything looks right on the front. Then, staple it and admire your work!

Here is the final product! By the way, I got the fabric from IKEA for around $4 or so per yard. I think I used half a yard. That means this desk chair cost me a total of $12!! Not bad at all, if I do say so myself. :-)

The front

The back

What have you reupholstered lately? Please comment with a link! I'd love to see your project!

I'm linking to...

PS - Dear Dad, I already spoke with you today, but just wanted to say again happy Father's Day!

Love,

Me & your little granddoggers, Heidi and Jini :)

Blog Love + Sharing a Reader's Chevron Painted Table

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:23:00 +0000

source

Lately, I have been feeling the love from fellow DIY bloggers. Robin, from Rasz Art, wrote a very flattering post about my blog and my projects. Totally made my day!! She is so sweet, and a talented blogger and DIYer to boot. Thank you, Robin!

source

Also, to those who leave me comments, thank you so much! The fact that you would take time out of your busy day to send some love my way speaks volumes about the kind of people you are - wonderful and kindhearted people, that's what you are. :) Your comments are so encouraging and flattering that it knocks my socks off! It's like opening a present every time Blogger notifies me of a new one.

I also want to thank those of you who have recently or in the past sent me a blog award. It means so much to be recognized by talented DIYers like yourselves.

In addition to all that crazy awesome blog love, it seems like every week I've been gaining new people who are following along. [As a side note, I try to follow each and every one of you back. If I missed your blog somehow, please know it was not intentional and resend me your blog link in a comment.]

Thanks so much, my blog and DIY colleagues! It has been great--and will continue to be great--connecting with you and getting to share project ideas with each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a similar note, I want to feature Tara's project now. She wrote me to say that she used my Chevron template to paint her Ikea end table. Here is a picture:

Click here to see the picture on Tara's Pinterest board, where she initially posted it.

[Click the picture or this text to follow her inspirational boards on Pinterest.]

Isn't it stunning?! I love the colors she chose, and this table seems to be the ideal piece of furniture to paint a pattern onto the top. Perfection! Thank you, Tara, for using my template and for sharing the pic with me!

When I created the Chevron template initially, I used it on a thrifted tray. Now, I'm looking around the room to see what else I can use it on. Ha ha! Here is the free, printable Chevron pattern template in case anyone else wants to use it. And if you do, please send me pics or a link like Tara did so that I can see your creation! :) I may show it off here with your permission.

Thrifty find: Replacing Outdated Shades on a Light Fixture

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 23:14:00 +0000

I hate outdated light fixtures with a passion And as a renter, I never seem to be able to escape horrific ones. (Perhaps, I'm being a wee bit dramatic. hehe)

Now that we have that out of the way, let me show you this beaut (said in a facetious tone) that is in our living room. We've been looking at this everyday for the past 2 years.

Please excuse dustiness & popcorn ceiling

Yikes! Right?

Also, check out how the bulbs extend past the shades. The new energy-saving bulbs are too long for these old fashioned shades.

Here's how I fixed that little problemo:

I spent months searching for the perfect chic & inexpensive shades. Yesterday, I decided I would try Lowes again, and low and behold I found these modern shades for $3.60 or something like that under $4. My heart skipped a beat when I spotted them. I even had a cashier double check that they were indeed under $4 like the sign said. It's just that <$4 is a much better price than similar shades that run $8 to $15 a pop.

The particular Lowes I went to only had 2 in stock, so I asked a lovely employee to tell me what locations it was in stock. I trekked across the Research Triangle in NC (okay, it was like 5 miles away, but there was traffic, people!), and I bought another 2.

Here is the exact same light fixture with new shades!

This pic doesn't do it justice. In real life, it looks like a whole new fan! I love love love it!

Now some folks may wonder why I would spend money to update the homeowner's light fixture. To them I say...

Yes, I know I'm a renter.

Yes, I know that I'm adding value to a house that I do not own.

Yes, I know that's money I will never get back.

But if happiness could be measured in terms of dollars and cents, then I think I have already gotten a 200% return on my investment. I've been staring up at the new shades and swooning all day. Totally worth the $16 I paid and the time it took to drive around town to find them.

Do any of you DIYers agree with me that sometimes it's worth putting a little money and a little blood, sweat, and tears into a rental? I mean we do have to live in them after all. :)

Another Spray Paint Transformation

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 05:47:00 +0000

Hello! Sorry to have been away for so long. I recently got back from a trip back home to OK. (It was a lovely visit - wish I was still there.) Although I've been absent from blog world, I have actually been working on several DIY projects (yay!!). I'm not sure they are all worth sharing because some are small and easy, but what the heck, I'm going to anyway. :)

The point of this post is to share with you another project involving a spray paint transformation. It's not a cute and darling project, but it is quite useful and frugal! Maybe it will inspire someone out there to look beyond the pattern or color of items discovered at a discount store. I firmly believe that almost anything can be transformed with a can of spray paint - who's with me?!

So, I was checking out my local Big Lots store when I came across this little trash can.

Dislike: The fact that it looks like it belongs in a preteen girls bedroom.

Like: That it has a flip top cover (which is especially useful when I have two dogsters that can access the bathroom trashcan).

Since it was only $6, I brought it home, taped off the black areas, and gave the rest a coat of Krylon metallic silver, which was leftover from a knob makeover.

15 minutes later and we have a brand new, dog-proof and trash-hiding garbage can!

At Walmart, a small aluminum or stainless steel trash can costs upwards of fifteen or twenty bucks. I like my $6 version much better. :)

Linking to Finding Fabulous

Paper Flower + Handmade Cards {tutorial}

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Thu, 05 May 2011 04:07:00 +0000

Everyone in my family knows that I send handmade cards rather than store-bought ones for all sorts of occasions - birthdays, Mother's and Father's Day, etc. My cards vary in their quality and attractiveness, usually depending on the amount of time I have, how tired I am, the materials I have on hand, blah blah blah. But guess what, fellow DIYers?! I believe I have created my signature card.

Without further ado, I present to you.....

The Scrapbook Flower Card

Dear family, you will be receiving lots of these sorts of cards in the future. :)

The clear focal point of this card design is the flower. Would you like to know how I made the paper flower? It is unbelievably easy and fast to make!

Materials:

Scrapbook paper { < $0.25} (multicolored paper works best in my opinion)
Water (I can hear you saying, "hmm?" We will revisit this in a sec.)
Cute design scissors {$1} (Not sure of the technical name - it's the kind that you use for crafting to get a curvy cut.)
Needle and thread {probably you will have this on hand}
Button {optional}

Time: 4 minutes/ flower (c'mon, you have time to make this)

3 Steps to Make a Scrapbook Paper Flower

Step 1 - Cut out 5 loose circles with your fancy pants scissors. No guide is necessary. Just eyeball it and try to make each circle a little bit smaller or bigger than the last. Circles that are not perfectly round work best because it gives that natural, organic feel to your flower.

Step 2 - Water your 5 cutouts. That's right - sprinkle a few drops on the paper until it's damp. Now the paper is more malleable and ready to bloom!! {hehe} Take each circle of paper and squish them in from the center, as shown below.

Step 3 - Lay the 5 circle cutouts on top of one another, and then sew together in the center.

{Optional} Step 4 - Why not add a button to top it off? Cute :)

What do you think? Me likey :)

To create the handmade cards, I used mod podge and scrapbook paper to cover some card forms (or you can make your own out of construction paper). Then I added a band of a different scrapbook paper going horizontally across the card. This combo seemed to please my eyes the most. Alternatively, you could make smaller flowers, which would save room to write Happy Birthday or anything you want on the card using sticker letters.

Here are some more pics:

(This is the one shown in the steps. This card was before I discovered using buttons and bands of scrapbook paper.)

I think the brighter ones are pretty too.

All together now.

Do you have any tips for making other sorts of paper flowers? I'm kind of obsessed with this one right now, but in a few weeks I don't doubt that I will be looking for a different flower to make. :)

Linking to Beyond the Picket Fence Under $100 Linky Party; The Shabby Chic Cottage; Remodelaholics Anonymous; Creation Corner Friday Link Party; Just A Girl Show & Share; Funky Junk Interiors; Luxe Boulevard Throwback Thursday Link Party

How to Edit Pictures in Picnik

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 18:34:00 +0000

Let me start by saying that I have zero photography skills, I've never taken a class, and the camera I use is a regular Canon one that is 6 years old. Despite being a novice, I still get what I consider to be a good picture every now and then, and they can usually still use a little perking up. Even photos that seem hopelessly bad can be transformed into decent pictures with photo editing.

With that said, I highly recommend editing your photos using Picnik. This free online photo editing program can turn a so-so picture into a great picture! Many of you have probably used Picnik, but for those who have not used it yet, allow me to demonstrate how it works. Get excited because it is simply AMAZING! And it is so easy to use!

Let's start with this photograph...

It's me and the husband at North Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. I like it, but it's umm...a little blue. I think we can do better, folks!

Step 1: I usually start by changing the exposure levels. (FYI: There is an Edit and a Create tab - start in Edit.) I adjust the exposure first, bringing more light to my photo. I add contrast next.
How much exposure and contrast you ask? It just depends on each photo - you have to play around with it. Be careful not to add too much exposure, however, because it can make your photo look grainy.

Step 2: For pictures with natural light, I usually adjust the temperature to get rid of this bluish tint I always seem to get. The temperature setting (still in the Edit tab) will nip that problem in the bud. It begins at 0. If you slide the scale to the right, it makes the picture warmer (think reds, golden yellows, etc.). Sliding it to the left makes it cooler. For this picture, I made it warmer, as you can see below. The saturation scale is also a good one to use if your picture seems faded. I didn't need it in this case.

Ahh, yes, that's more like it. A little less smurf-ish.

Step 3: Next, use the eye brightening tool (located under Touch-Up in the Create tab) to make eyes stand out more. It initially deepens and darkens the color, so I also adjust the lightness scale as well to allow the natural eye color to show through. The fade scale makes it so that you can choose how dramatic you want the eye brightening to be. Increase the fading if you want only a subtle brightening effect.

You can't see it in the screen shot below, but this feature is super simple to use. You adjust the size of the circle to fit your eye and click. That's it. :)

(Let me say that eye brightening is actually one of Picnik's paid membership features, and let me tell you - I think this feature alone is worth the $24.99/year. But there are still lots of great free features in Picnik, so don't let that keep you from trying it. I used it for about 3 or 4 months before I bought a 1-yr membership.)

Step 4: Add mascara. Say whaat?! It's not what you think. It won't add false eyelashes or anything. It basically just sharpens and defines the area around the eye. So you will want to do this for not just women but men, dogs, and children too (or not, if you're worried about it). For a more natural look, you can lessen the strength. This tool is located under Touch-Up in the Create tab.

Step 5: Use the focal soften tool (located under Effects in the Create tab). This feature is great because you can make the subject of your photo stand out more by softening and blurring the background.

Select the area you want to focus in on - in this case, it's our faces. Adjust the blur scale to soften and blur everything outside of that circle. I think it's easy to go overboard with this feature (guilty!), so it's best to do a little bit at a time almost to where it's unnoticeable. You can always go back and add more focusing later.

Step 6: Lastly, I decided to add a little more warmth to the picture by going back to Temperature under the Edit tab.

Yay! We're done!

Drumroll please....

BEFORE

AFTER

Okay, so the fun doesn't end there. Click to see more photo editing after the jump....

Now onto a second picture, one with my Jini. I'll try to make this short.

Step 1: Add exposure and contrast.

Step 2: Add a cross-process effect (under Effects in the Create tab). This is one of my favorites, and it's also free. It adds an interesting color to the photo. Try it - you won't be disappointed. (But if you are, you can always click the "undo" button in the top right-hand corner.)

Now look at that happy little girl! (PS - Her teeth were terrible when I took this pic. She has since had her teeth cleaned by the vet.)

Step 3: Add focus using the soft focal tool (under Effects in the Create tab).

Step 4: Brighten the eyes (under Touch-Up in the Create tab).

I think it makes a huge difference!

Step 5: Add mascara and define the eyes (under Touch-Up in the Create tab).

Now for the best part...

BEFORE

AFTER

What a sweet baby girl! Love my Jin Jin.

Here is a before and after of my other sweet baby girl Heidi:
BEFORE

AFTER

Got to love the cross-process effect, right? I have been going crazy with it.

Here are some other before and after pics...

BEFORE
(Wrightsville Beach, NC)

Not bad, not bad...

AFTER

...but this is even better!

BEFORE

AFTER

Look at those adorable little paws in the sand

BEFORE

AFTER

Staring out the window

BEFORE

AFTER

aww...baby girl

Thanks for looking! I hope this inspires you to edit your photos too :)

Linking to...

Showcase Sunday @ Under the Table Dreaming

How To's @ The Lettered Cottage

Pin It

Printable Chevron Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 05:35:00 +0000

Ever since I tried my hand at painting a quatrefoil pattern, I've been eager to try another pattern. This time I decided to go with chevron (which I totally love right now!).

I had the hardest time looking for a template. There are lots of great tutorials on how to create your own chevron template, but I wanted something I could just print out and start using right away. But to my knowledge, none exist!

I ended up creating my own, and I'm providing it here in case anyone can use it for their own project. You can download the printable chevron template here.

The latest victim of one of my painting episodes? This tray that I picked up at a local thrift store for $0.50.

I think it's seen better years. :)

To paint the tray, I first spray painted it Krylon Almond (I'm currently obsessed with this color). Next, I took out my handy dandy chevron template and traced around it. After you trace it the first time, you simply move the template to one of the sides, lining up the edges as you go. Eventually, you will end up with something like this.

Lastly, you fill in every other one with paint. Truth be told, I messed this up the first time by painting two side-by-side. How did I mess that up?! It's my lack of attention to detail. haha! I had to re-spray paint and then re-trace the template. It's all good now, though.

And now ladies (and gentlemen?) for the final product:

By the way, I painted the chevron pattern with a Folk Art opalescent acrylic paint. It's also a good idea to seal the pattern in by covering the entire piece with a coat of polyurethane.

Thanks for looking! Please please let me know if you use the template I made. I would love to see your work, and possibly feature it here.

Linking to these lovely link parties: Remodelaholics Anonymous, Under the Table Dreaming Sunday Showcase, Just a Girl Show & Share Day, Tatertots & Jello Weekend Wrapup; Funky Junk Interiors; How To's @ The Lettered Cottage

April Fools Comic

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 01:11:00 +0000

Today's post is not diy-related at all, but since it is April Fools Day, I'm dying to share this comic I drew of a prank I pulled on my husband last year! He is such a good sport because I prank him every year on April Fools. Poor guy never knows it is coming either. :) I'm lucky to have a partner who will put up with my shenanigans (hehe).

Here is the comic. You can click the picture and view it larger.

Haha! I still laugh every time I think about it. What pranks did you play this year?

Linking to VIP Party @ Designer Garden.

Paper Wall Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 20:32:00 +0000

Have you seen the cool looking wall flowers that Young House Love put in their guest room? I loved them from the second I saw them, but I wasn't so sure I wanted to drop some dough for them.

Enter the d.i.y. solution: Billie Monster, an amazing artist and designer, created this great template for paper wall flowers to add some dimension to the walls, and the best part is it is super inexpensive! No buying the flowers from some company - you can do it yourself! Billie Monster also has tons of other great stuff on her blog, so go check it out. You will not be disappointed.

Using her template, I came up with this. It took less than 45 minutes from start to finish. I like a quick project. :)

Pretty, right? It's a great solution for dressing up a blank wall. For the double-sided scrapbook paper, I decided to go with Martha Stewart's 12x12 heirloom paper pad (LOVE!). I like that it is subtle and sort of blends in with the wall color, but also adds visual interest.

Billie Monster has great instructions for making these as well as the template she created. I used double-sided tape to attach mine to the wall. It's nice in case you want to move them around as you hang them.

I also have a tip about making the cutting process easier. I was trying to think of how to cut several flowers at once, and I wanted to do the equivalent of pinning layers of fabric together. Stack 3 pieces of scrapbook paper together, clip the binders to the sides to secure the paper together, trace the templates onto the paper, and then cut out the flowers. Boom! You have 3x the flowers. haha!

Thanks for looking!

This is totally unrelated, but here is a pic of my fur children (just had to get it in because it has been a while since I've shared their sweet faces with you.)

Yes, they were sitting on the hubs as he was lying on the couch (hehe). You would think they believe they own us, not the other way around.

They'd be right. ;)

Linking to...
Tatertots & Jello Weekend Wrapup; Saturday Spotlight @ Craft Envy; Scrappy Saturdays @ Scrappy Gifts; Saturday Night Special @ Funky Junk Interiors; Saturday is Crafty Day @ Along for the Ride; Scrapbook Sundays @ Born Again Crafter

Clock Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 01:29:00 +0000

See this clock?

It bought it from Walmart for $3. Kind of boring, right? (By the way, that's my lovely husband doing the hand modeling in this pic...hehe.)

I've had this on the wall for 4 years now - it was about time for a makeover! All I needed to turn this into a custom clock was a little leftover Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint and some scrapbook paper. Piece of cake.

It took some prying, but I was able to separate the different plastic pieces so that I could take out the number plate. Once I did that, I traced it onto some pretty paper. Then, I simply cut it out, added the hand-drawn numbers, and placed it in the newly painted frame.

And here is the finished product!

Although it's not my favorite clock ever, I think it is an improvement. It was super easy! I should have done it years ago. If I had had some pretty number stickers on hand, then I would have used those instead of a sharpie for the numbers. I still like it, though. :)

Thanks so much for looking! If you have any clock makeovers you would like to share, please do!

Linking to Creative Juice Thursday; Beyond the Picket Fence; Paisley Passions; House of Hepworths; Transformation Thursdays @ Shabby Chic Cottage

I am participating in the CSI Project's $5 and under challenge. Please join me by clicking the button below to enter your project that cost five bucks or less into the contest as well. :)

UPDATE: Jen picked my clock! Yay! Thank you, Jen!

Do you like discounts and coupons? I do!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 05:24:00 +0000

Although revamping and repurposing are my passions, I also like to to be thrifty and get a good deal. Who doesn't, right? I am always buying things online. I even buy a lot of my clothes online from clothing stores where I know that certain sizes and styles work for me. When I buy online, I often search around for discount codes if I don't already have one, because often times a discount is available - you just have to know to look in the right places!

http://www.couponchief.com is a good site for locating many of these coupons. You can either do a custom search for a specific store, or you can click a tag such as "clothing," and you will find many great coupon codes on stores - currently, there is a 40% off code for The Limited, a 20% off code for Payless shoe store, just to name a few.

In fact, I tried out the 20% off Payless coupon to buy a cute pair of tan peep-toe wedges. Suh-weet! I've also had a code not work, though, for a different store. But I only lost maybe 5 seconds trying it, so no harm done. The reason why some codes do not work is because individuals are posting the codes, and occasionally they are inaccurate, expired, etc. Next to each code that someone has posted, people who have tried using the coupons will respond whether it worked for their purchase or not. I have found that those having an 80% success rate or higher are usually valid, but you really just have to try it to see if it works for you and if it qualifies for your purchase.

Clothing stores are not by any means the only ones with coupons. If you're looking for fabric to make DIY curtains, pillows, or anything for a project, there are Joann Fabric & Crafts coupons.Yay! I need to use this one myself! :) Anyway, I wouldn't recommend you all check this site out unless I believed it could truly save you money without investing that much time, but I want to mention that I am being compensated for this site review, so I realize my perception may be influenced by that fact. But there are no gimmicks here or sign-ups required, so there are no risks if you want to search for coupons next time you're about to buy something. I know I will be doing just that!

Quatrefoil Painted Desk {tutorial}

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 04:27:00 +0000

Have you ever owned a piece of furniture that just made you say "blah" every time you glanced at it? Guilty! In fact, for over a year, I had been living with a used oak desk that my husband bought. It was a little too rough around the edges for my taste. It was in dire need of a makeover. The solution? I painted a quatrefoil pattern on the top, and now it's one of my favorite pieces of furniture!

The nice thing about this project is that it is super easy on the budget.

Materials - All you need is...

to print a quatrefoil pattern (here is a great template from Tatertots & Jello)
an Xacto knife to cut out the template
a paint brush (preferably a small one with a strait edge)
acrylic paint ($1.57) in your preferred color ( I used one 2-oz bottle of Apple Barrel's Burnt Umber #20512)
Minwax's Polyurethane in Clear Gloss (if you want a big can with lots of leftover paint for future projects, go with the 32-oz can for $11)-- to seal the acrylic paint

Time - This is where the project becomes expensive in terms of the time it takes to finish it. I split it up into 2 days, and spent approximately 5 hours on it, if not more. In my opinion, it was worth it, though!

Let's take a look at the before picture of the desk. It's plain and boring and scratched up. Blah.

Time for a makeover!

Step 1 - Print and cut out the quatrefoil pattern using the template. I only cut out one template, but this also made the project take longer because I had to wait for the stencil to dry before I could add on to a section.

Step 2 - Once you have your stencil, tape down the parts that do not interfere with the parts you are painting.

Step 3 - The picture above does not show this, but I eventually found that my paint was more likely to stay within the lines when I used my brush and painted around the edges and then filled in the middle of each section. It took me 2 coats of paint, by the way. It could be worse! :)

Step 4 - Wait for a section to dry, and then move your template such that it adjoins with the section you just painted.

Here is what it looked like when I was about three-fourths of the way through.

I'm so surprised that I didn't mess up the pattern. I am by no means a perfectionist, so if I can do this, so can you!

Step 5 - After you have finished the piece of furniture and the paint is completely dry, give it a coat of shiny polyurethane to seal the acrylic paint. I waited approximately 4 hours and gave it a second coat.

Here is a photo of how the clear gloss can deepen your paint color, and make the whole thing more professional looking.

(Note: The other after pics of the desk were taken before I had a chance to polyurethane the desk. So, it actually looks shinier than that now.)

And here is the final result! (minus the clear gloss)

What do you think?

UPDATED: I wanted to show you pics of how the desk looks now with the polyurethane topcoat.

See how much shinier it looks? I like it much better, and now my quatrefoil pattern is protected. Yay!

Linking to...

Just a Girl Show & Share Day; Shanty 2 Chic; Thrilling Thursdays @ Paisley Passions; Under $100 Linky Party @ Beyond the Picket Fence; Power of Paint Party @ Domestically Speaking; Restored It Wednesday; Get Your Brag On @ Gluesticks; Creative Juice Thursday @ Momnivore's Dilemma; VIP Party @ Designer Garden; Favorite Things Friday @ The Speckled Dog; Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table Dreaming

Lamps & Another Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 05:57:00 +0000

I am OBSESSED with table lamps. Seriously.

There are so many different kinds, and they make any room look better, as long as you choose the right base and shade. I like to mix and match mine. More than once my lamps have made their way to different rooms in the townhouse. Some have gotten makeovers. And others I bought brand new because they were too gorgeous to pass up (given the price is right and all that).

Right now, I am digging drum shades and curvy bases. Check out these beauts:

Both lamps are from CSN's lighting department. And trust me, there are so many lamps to choose from! CSN is also supplying this giveaway of a $35 gift code, which if you win, can be used towards anything in their 200+ online stores. You will be sure to find something you love!

Here is how to enter the contest:

1. Become a follower (unless you are already following -- thanks, friends!)

2. Leave a comment on this post with your email address, so that I can contact you with the gift code if you win. However, if you know that I can definitely find your contact info by clicking on your name, then no need to bother with an email address.

For an extra 2 entries, simply add my button in the sidebar of your blog, and then leave me a second comment letting me know that you did so. Thanks!! :)

Here are a couple of other details:

○ Contest is open from Monday 3/7 through Sunday 3/20 (ends at 12:00pm EST)

○ Only US and Canadian residents are eligible (sorry! Has to do with shipping…)

Okay, ready..set..go!

I will contact you if you win. Good luck & thanks for entering!

UPDATED 3.22.11: I used Random.org to generate a random number to pick the winner of this giveaway, and I would like to say congratulations to Erin J!

Linking to...

Guest Bedroom: Before & After

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 02:10:00 +0000

I am finally getting around to posting my new and improved guest bedroom. It is by no means finished since I'm always wanting to change things, but it is much better than the ugly, mismatched look we had going on before.

It's actually an inviting and serene place now, where I can get stuff done (it's also our work space). In addition, I am no longer embarrassed to have guests stay in there. And we do get quite a few guests because J and I live in NC but we are from OK, so family and friends come to visit us, which we really appreciate!

Are you ready for it? Here are some BEFORE pictures:

Do you see the sweet little dog sleeping on her blanket? Love her

Now for some AFTER pictures. Sorry they are so dark! (It's weird how natural light makes a room look darker in pictures than it really is.)

Here are all the things I did to the guest bedroom:

1. Painted the room

2. Made a paper lampshade

3. Painted green desk white

4. Covered the file cabinet with woodgrain contact paper

5. Covered the lampshade on my desk with pretty fabric

6. Made a cork lamp base, but have since replaced it

7. Created a starburst mirror for $2

8. Sewed a pillow

9. Made-over a torch floor lamp

10. Spray painted and reupholstered the desk chair

11. Made no-sew curtains for $10

12. Made a wall decal out of contact paper

13. Sewed a dog bed for the girls

14. Changed the furniture pulls with spray paint

15. Made a fabric tissue box cover

16. Spray painted some dollar store birds

17. Made some easy & inexpensive wall art

What do you think? :) Thanks for looking!

Linking to Just A Girl's Show & Share Day, Funky Junk Interiors, & Remodelaholic.

How nice! Someone featured me!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 08:02:00 +0000

I don't want to sound boastful or anything, but I just wanted to share that Jessica B. over at Sugar in My Grits featured my blog last week. I am so appreciative that she would take the time to - not only look through my projects - but to have nice things to say about my tutorials in a post. That means so much to me and totally made my day when I found out.

I also want to mention that you should check out her blog because she has a lot of good stuff! Jessica B. is a military spouse and a mother to both human and canine children. I can definitely relate to her with regard to the furry little ones, but the non-furry ones? Not so much. hehe

Anyway, I am so appreciative to Jessica B. Thank you!

*******************************************************

On an unrelated note, I picked up some cool-looking knobs at Pier1 for my wood TV stand. This project is not a DIY project at all, though I wish it was. I'm just showing it here because of my post yesterday about spray painting furniture pulls, and it's interesting how much of a difference this one small change can make.

I decided not to use spray paint in this case because I wasn't sure what color would work for my living room (it's full of rich, warm colors). I didn't really want to spray paint it a metallic gold color, any of the pale colors wouldn't work, and the brighter colors can look cheap, so my lil' DIY hands were tied. At least that's what I'm going with...

Before with an outdated pull

After with Pier1 knobs

I'm kind of liking the knobs! They were $4 a piece...not too bad, right?

Obviously, I still need to do something about the beaten up piece of furniture. Does anyone have any suggestions? Paint? If so, what color? Stain? Would I have to strip it first? Your advise is greatly appreciated.

Simple change: Spray painted furniture pulls and knobs

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 06:20:00 +0000

Do you have some ugly knobs or pulls that don't match the rest of your decor? Spray paint is the answer, my friends. It is such a simple solution with a HUGE impact. It can completely change the look of your furniture. I am an avid hardware spray-painter and have had really good luck with it! I haven't noticed any signs of paint rubbing off the hardware. It's almost fool proof, which is good for someone like me (haha).

Have you seen my bathroom cabinet hardware transformation? I am still so happy with it. Since then, I have also spray painted the hardware in my kitchen -- pictures are coming soon! But here is my latest transformation:

Before

After

I'm not sure the photos do this justice. The bronze pulls looked so out of place in my gray, white, and green room.

Sorry, this isn't a great photo either, but here is the nightstand table that I did the same thing to. I like it! :)

What do you think? I used Krylon Metallic -- only $2.96! Heck yes! Much cheaper than changing out all of the knobs and pulls.

Have you spray painted hardware? Have you tried other kinds of paint? I'd love to hear! :)

I'm linking to...
Paisley Passions Thrilling Thursdays; Beyond the Picket Fence Under $100 Linky Party; The Shabby Chic Cottage Transformation Thursdays

Pretty Placemat Pillow

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:05:00 +0000

So, I haven't posted anything in a while, but thanks you guys for sticking with me! I am so pleased to see I have 82 followers!! What the what?! And many of you leave me lovely comments too. It brings so much joy to my little heart. <3

Just because I haven't been posting doesn't mean that I have not been gettin' busy with some projects, though I must admit I've slowed down. This project I'm going to share with you today is probably not even worth posting, but I am still kind of proud of it because I sewed something. That's right. I sewed something with a sewing machine! If you all are familiar with any of my projects from the past, then you might have noticed that I tend to use stitch witchery or other iron-on tapes. Well, NO MORE because my amazing parents gave me a big girl sewing machine as a gift. It's the real deal, folks. I should have taken a pic just to prove it. But I digress...

The project I am sharing today is a placemat pillow I sewed for the sofa. I have seen lots of these lovely pillows around blogland, so I had to try one myself. Here it is:

All you need is...

2 pretty placemats -- I bought mine from Target for $3 each.
Stuffing -- I got this ingenious idea from This Thrifty House. You buy an inexpensive pillow (like mine was $2 from Walmart), and then you cut it open and use the stuffing. This is usually cheaper than buying stuffing on its own.
Sewing supplies -- because the placemats are fairly thick, I would not recommend sewing this by hand.

Because my placemat had pretty details on the sides, I sewed the 2 pillows together right side out, which is why the seams are visible. That may have been a mistake -- it looks sort of messy.

Have you all made placemat pillows before? How did yours turn out?

I'm linking to...

Thrilling Thursdays @ Paisley Passions; Hookin' Up with House of Hepworths; Under $100 link party @ Beyond the Picket Fence

****************************************************************************************

All the ideas and opinions expressed are my own. No monetary compensation was received for doing this post, however, I was provided with a discount code.

Easy Peasy Wall Art

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 04:14:00 +0000

Last week we were preparing for some visitors -- namely, our good friends from OK and this week my in-laws are flying in -- so I decided to do a little shopping with Christmas cash (thanks, Nana and Graddad!). Having visitors also motivated me to finish up a few projects. In particular, I created some really easy wall art for the guest bedroom.

All it involved was some Dollar Tree frames, white spray paint, pretty scrapbook paper, and scissors to cut the paper to size.

Ta da! I'm drooling over it...mostly because it was so easy and so fast. Why didn't I do this months ago?

I also transformed these gaudy candlestick holders with some lovely silver metallic Krylon spray paint. Oh how I adore you spray paint! These candlestick holders were on clearance for $4 and $5 from Target.

Here's the before:

Now for the after:

Have you created wall art or transformed something lately? I would love to see it! Please leave a link. :)

Linking to...

Remodelaholic

Just a Girl's Show & Share Day

Thrifty Decor Chick

Frou Frou Decor

Family Name Photo Art {tutorial}

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 01:54:00 +0000

I'm back home visiting my family for Christmas, and it's been great to see my parents and sisters! My middle sister suggested we make a Christmas gift for my dad. She is so creative, so I was totally game. K showed me some pictures she had taken of ordinary objects which represented each letter of our family's last name. Look at these awesome photos she took!

Love 'em! To turn these photos into a great gift, K, J (my youngest sister) and I headed over to Hobby Lobby to pick up a nice black frame. We got ours for around $20, I think. We also got four pieces of scrapbook paper for 29 cents each. The girls and I went with a burlap printed paper, and we ended up loving it! It's a nice neutral background for the black and white photos. We also bought some foam board ($1.59) to create our own mat.

The first step was to cut out the foam board to the dimensions of the mat that was in the frame. Then we used Mod Podge to adhere the burlap paper to the board.

Next, we mod podged the photos to the paper. And voila!

We showed it to the parentals tonight, and they absolutely LOVE it! My dad is going to hang it in his office. :)

I'm linking to...
Beyond the Picket Fence
Polly Want a Crafter?

Warm and Comfy Sweater Pillow!

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 08:59:00 +0000

I had quite a bit of leftover cable knit sweater from my sweater candle cozie project, so why not make a pillow cover? Sweater pillows have been popping up in home decor stores as well as all over the blog world lately. And I can see why because they give you a warm comfy feeling whether you are resting your head on one or just staring at your handmade sweater pillow in admiration.

Here is how mine turned out:

It was soo easy to make, even without a sewing machine! I simply placed my pillow form inside the body of the sweater--luckily, it was a perfect fit--and then cut one side and hand sewed two of the sides.

I didn't turn the sweater inside out while I sewed, so it has kind of a rough edge. I'd like to say I did that for some creative unique reason, but honestly, I just wasn't really thinking. It's not bad, though!

P.S. The husband really liked this one! That's saying something because his enthusiasm for my projects has waned recently, probably because I tend to strew unfinished projects throughout the house, not wanting to put them away until they are completely finished. Haha...oops! At least he's a good sport about it. I can make this one of my many New Year's resolutions.

P.S.S. My little Heidz approves! She is an expert on all things comfort-related, so I value her opinion highly. (I am not crazy, I promise...okay, maybe a little dog crazy.)

She was wearing her Christmas sweater because we just got back from taking our family Christmas portrait. Some dogs may feel humiliated when their owners make them wear clothes, but Heidi LOVES a snug little tee or sweater.

I also need to throw in a pic of my other cutie patootie, Jini. Otherwise, I would feel like I was leaving her out .

Yes, that is a leopard print Snuggie and my fleece jacket that she is laying on. She is my other comfort expert, if you can't tell. ;)

Thanks for looking! Check out these awesome linky parties:

Sweater Candle Cozies {tutorial}

noreply@blogger.com (Lauren @ 31diy) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 19:21:00 +0000

We got some lovely snow yesterday here in North Carolina. The snow came down in big soft flakes - it was beautiful! It was the perfect opportunity to stay indoors and do a winter project. I've been dying to try this sweater candle cozie project created by the ingenious Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming.

All it involves is recycling some old sweaters (or in my case, buying one from the thrift store) by covering the candle vase in a comfy sweater. Here is what mine turned out like:

Do you like it? I am in love with it! Small changes like this can really warm up a space, as well as turn generic candles into unique, stylish ones. I think it's the perfect project for these snow-filled days.

One thing I did differently than Stephanie Lynn is that I sewed my sweater into place rather than hot gluing it on. The reason being that I know I will want to change out the look of these candle vases later, so as usual, I only made a temporary change. I will be able to slip off the sweater covers and store them away as spring approaches, but I will be able to reuse them next winter. Perfect!

Sewing them was actually really easy. I only had to make around 3 rows of stitches.

Here is the original sweater. I picked it up at the thrift store. I was able to use it for two different projects and even had some left over. Not too shabby for $7.

First step was to slip a sleeve over the candle vase. Then I cut the piece to size, trimming the edges of the candle vase base as I went.

The only thing left to do was to sew this gap in the sleeve. That took about 30 seconds.

One down, two to go!

I did the same thing as before, but this time I made the sweater cozie for the candle rather than the vase. (Tip: If you do this, make sure the sweater won't catch on fire when you light the candle!)

For the round vase, I simply stretched the other sleeve over it. That way all I had to do was make the same few stitches to the top of the sleeve. I also had to make a few stitches to the bottom of the vase in order to wrap the sweater underneath the vase. If I had not done this, the bottom would have looked too frayed.

It turned out to be my favorite! :)

Here are the sweater candle cozies in my table centerpiece:

What do you think? Have you made any cool things with cable knit sweaters? Have you tried this project before? Please do share. :)

I'm linking to...