Design Dazzle

Chevron Pattern Used In Kids Rooms

noreply@blogger.com (DesignDazzle.blogspot.com) — Sun, 27 May 2012 17:43:00 +0000

Are you smitten with the Chevron pattern or are you thinking it's overdone and on its way out? I'm still smitten! I've included a few kids rooms showing the Chevron pattern used on walls, rugs and drapes. This vivid, bright colorful Chevron wall is a room shared on Lowes Creative Ideas.

This is one of my favorite paint colors Behr's Pooh's Favorite Things (Behr). Many years ago I painted my children's bathroom this color. It's bright and cheerful. Love that the chevron rug is the same shade of aqua blue.

Stunning chevron rug from E Tells Tales. Wall paint is Benjamin Moore's Sea Mist Green

Black and White Contemporary Rug

Bold color, fun chevron drapes from Lockes room

Chevron Stripes Wall Art Decal

Classic Girl Bedroom

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Sat, 26 May 2012 19:04:00 +0000

This sweet classic girl bedroom has touches of roses on the wallpaper and on the pillows. It's not a big room but it has plenty of storage with the built-in cupboards and the antique lowboy buffet. Chavy from Designers Nursery did a lovely job incorporating the colors and antique feel of the wallpaper into the colors of the furniture and the linens.

One single rose adorns the bed pillow.

This sweet chandelier with pink crystals is the crowning touch for this room.

Fire Truck Loft Bed

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Isn't this great? I love this fire truck loft bed that was built by Jeff McClure using plans he found on AnaWhite.com. It's a fort AND a bed AND a nightstand AND a dresser all in one.

According to Jeff, "The 'lights' & 'gril' are made of wood and just painted. I used chrome spray paint for the grill and the bumper. The "23" is Hut's birthday so went with that for the truck number. I also bought diamond plate tape on eBay to use as a pinstripe."

That diamond plate pinstrip really is the perfect touch all around the firetruck.

See the hinges on the stairs? Each stair opens for storage.

While the 'bucket' isn't built to hold a child, it makes a great nightstand. Or monkey-holder. Your choice. :)

Check out this Fire Station Boys Room featured on Design Dazzle.

DIY: Dance Floor for a Teen Party

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I love this idea of an inexpensive dance floor for the backyard. What a great way to let your kids party the way they want to party in your own backyard! Kristen from My Covered Bridge came up with this idea for her daughter's sweet sixteen celebration. She explains, "We looked into renting a floor - but it was about $300 just for a small one. That seemed way too expensive. So we started doing research on making our own. We googled many homemade floors but couldn't really find anything we liked so we decided to just wing it." Apparently Kristen is very good at "winging it" because this dance floor looks terrific!

The dance floor was constructed from 8 1" sheets of flakeboard that were primed with a coat of Kilz oil based primer. Then came a coat of Valspar Prom Pink (how perfect is that name?) in semi gloss. Kristen's daughter painted the circles using some of her favorite colors with a touch of glitter.

The dance floor was assembled using furring strips and deck screws.

An evening out dancing under the stars sounds magical and I sure it's a night Kristen's daughter will never forget.

Thanks for sharing! You can this project and more on Kristen's blog, My Covered Bridge.

Baby Nursery: Repurposed And Handmade

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:38:00 +0000

This fun little birdie nursery does a wonderful job bringing the joy of playing in the woods inside and also repurposing many items. Casey from Kidspired Creations finally was able to decorate for her little girl after having two boys! I'm especially loving the burlap alphabet hanging. The crib is special being giving to Casey when she was a baby (from grandma) and now is serving her own baby. Check below for the details on the repurposed and handmade items.

Repurposed finds:

a. PICTURE FRAMES turned ARTWORK: 30% off at Kirkland's: scrapbook paper birds instead of pictures

b. WOODEN FRAME turned WINDOW: $13 from the clearance aisle at Hobby Lobby!

LETTERS: 50% off from Hobby Lobby: wrapped in yarn with hand-made burlap flowers.

c. 1/2 of a WOODEN CHAIR turned SHELF: Antique store find: $4!

Cashier: "You do realize you're missing most of this chair?" Why, yes. Who needs a seat anyway?

d. BIRD CAGE HOOK turned BOW HOLDER: 30% off at Hobby Lobby; hot glue + 3 ft. of ribbon = bow holder!

Handmade touches:

a. BURLAP ALPHABET: hand-stitched yarn letters on dark/natural burlap, then spray glued on a piece of cream burlap, hung by a branch found in our back yard

b. GLIDER COVER: Thanks to You Tube and several long-distance phone calls to my aunt, I learned to sew. I recovered this glider that before had a very boy-specific cover.

c. BLANKET: Pinterest-inspired

d. PAINTING: I painted this months before I was even pregnant. Perfect painting of a "seasoned tree" giving fruit to a new, spring tree... I think it represents me and my daughter.

e. BURLAP CURTAINS: Just cut and hang, pretty much! The only hand-stitching I did was to re-enforce the holes for the tree branch rod so the burlap wouldn't fall apart there.

f. BABY BUMPER: Using the same materials as the blanket, I recovered the boys' old crib bumper to save money.
PILLOW LETTERS: Hand-made by my super talented Aunt Barbar.

Such a cute idea with the frame, branches and letters over the crib.For many more details on this baby nursery visit Kidspired Creations!

Headboard Ideas for Girls Rooms

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:56:00 +0000

This room shows that you never know where you will stumble upon inspiration for your next super sweet room. The garden gate headboards decorated with large, adorable flowers really stand out from the pale grassy colored walls and the crisp white of the quilts. This room is simply charming.

The quote and shelf makes for a simple yet darling headboard look.

Sweet dreams ornate girls headboard

Chalkboard love.

Artwork directly above the headboard serves as a "headboard" look. The block of paint Benjamin Moore Deco Rose draws your eye to the beautiful artwork. More room photos showing the Robin's egg blue Sherwin Williams Cay paint color.

Boards painted to create a sweet simple darling headboard.

Fabric and Diginet Cable (IKEA) create a unique headboard in this teen room.

Embroidered monogram headboard.

Silhouette headboard featured on a reality show.

DIY: Princess Castle Headboard.

Tutorial: Repurposed Dresser To Bench!

noreply@blogger.com (DesignDazzle.blogspot.com) — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Do you remember this beauty... a refurbished dresser made into a bench? Can you see the possibilities... entryway bench, porch bench, playroom bench, bedroom bench, etc. Paul Smith of Shabby Chic Dressers shares with us the step-by-step tutorial on how to make a bench from an old dresser.

A friend of my wife sent me this link from here of a dresser that was repurposed into an entry-way bench.  I was then asked to make a bench for my wife…
 
The photos just showed the before and after. I had no idea what to do, so I learned as I went. This tutorial should save you some time. Or at least give you a game plan…

Step 1: Locate a 6 drawer dresser about 50-54 inches wide. You don’t want to go much wider. 
 
 You also want it to be decorative on the bottom.

Step 2: Remove all of the drawers and set them aside. You will need to replace 2 on the bottom later. The other four can be repurposed. Carefully remove the top of the dresser. There will be screws that can be accessed from the inside where the top two drawers were.
 
Carefully set the top aside. You will use it later as the bench seat.

Step 3:  Cut away the interior framework for the top four drawers. This will be the future seating area. In the photo below you will notice the existing board running horizontal above the bottom drawers and a vertical board in the center. I took the photo before trimming the vertical board flush with the horizontal board (so the bench seat will sit flush).

 
 
  Step 4: Remove the flimsy back of the dresser and replace it with ¼” plywood.

Step 5: Attach 1” x 4” pine boards along the back on the bottom to the existing board that was visible in the photo in step 4. Also notice the 2 x 4 section added to each side. (See photos above and below).

Step 6: Create 4 “L” shapes out of 2 x 4’s and attach them under the existing horizontal board.

 The “L” 2 x 4’s rest on both the existing and added 1 x 4’s along the bottom and attach to the underside of the existing horizontal board.
 
Put in screws through the plywood into the vertical 2 x 4’s from the back.
 
Then attach 2 “L” brackets on each vertical and horizontal 2 x 4 intersection to provide more strength. See example below.

Step 7: Attach 2 “L” brackets on each of the back corners of the bench.

Step 8: After trimming the former dresser top, place it onto the seat support.

Then run screws through the existing seat support into the bench seat from the bottom up. 4 screws should be sufficient to hold the bench seat in place.


 
Step 9: Because 2 x 4’s were added, the original bottom drawers did not fit. For the dresser I worked on, the 2 original top drawers were shallower than the other 4 drawers. So I used the top 2 drawers as the bottom drawers. But first I had to take the small drawer fronts off the top drawers and replace them with the larger fronts from the other drawers.

We chose to create upholstered cushions to go around the sides and back of the bench. Cut sections of plywood left over from the back of the bench to make supports for the foam and fabric.

I marked 'up' arrows on the back of each cushion because the clean uncut edges of the foam were at the top of each cushion.
 
I used an electric staple gun. If you don’t have one, borrow one. It’s hard enough getting the staples into plywood with the electric gun…

Step 10: Step back and enjoy the finished bench!

Thank you Paul for the great step-by-step instructions.

Here is another fun repurposing project I featured a couple of years ago: a headboard turned into a bench.

Pinterest Contest: $500 for YOU & $500 for ME!

noreply@blogger.com (DesignDazzle.blogspot.com) — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Design Dazzle is partnering with Homes.com to participate in a contest called Spring Into The Dream Pinterest Contest. And guess what??? If I win, one of my readers who creates a pinboard with the Spring into the Dream theme will win a $500 visa gift card. So, $500 for You and $500 for ME!!
Several other fabulous bloggers are also participating. Make sure to visit them and enter your Pinterest board in their comment section for more chances to win!

I was asked the question, "What does Spring into the Dream mean to you?"

It means...

Keeping the "ing" in Spring...

"Spring into the Dream" means to refine, bring order, warmth, comfort, tending and love into my home, surroundings and outdoors during a favorite time of year...Spring!!

AND to DREAM BIG While I'M AT IT!!! (isn't that what Pinterest is for?)

Source

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Cleaning: Spring is synonymous with cleaning. You will most likely never find my home with completely dust-free baseboards or always sparkling windows but it's a great time of year to do spring cleaning.

source

Organizing: Hhhmmmm let's just say I'm working on it ; ) This would be a BIG dream, a VERY big dream.

source

Homekeeping: keeping your home looking its best (presentation). Paint touch ups or completely new paint for a fresh look keeps your home at its best. Basic home repairs such as sealing stone counters or floors keep your home looking spot on. It's always an ongoing process.

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Decorating: Doesn't need to be a major overhaul for spring. But, flowers, new pillows, artwork or curtains can certainly add some oommpphh! COLOR never hurt anyone! Loving the painted floors.

source

Gardening: Pure beauty! Does this get anymore spring?

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Cooking: Pink pretzels SCREAM spring. So do spring vegetables and fruits : )

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Partying: The dilema I have is... do I throw a party after the cleaning or do I clean, organize, homekeep, decorate, garden and then PARTY?? Spring time is for family and friends to come over for entertainment and fun!

Party + Spring = Partying

Take a look at my Spring into the Dream pinboard

See how much fun it is to create your own Spring Dream?

Here is what you need to do to enter...

1. Create a “Homes.com Spring into the Dream” pinboard on Pinterest. On this board you need to do the following...

Two repins from Homes.com’s “Spring into the Dream” board
Two pins from articles on Homes.com blog. And any other pins you would like to include related to the “Spring into the Dream” theme
Be sure to include the hashtag #springintothedream on all pins on your Pinterest board

2. Follow Homes.com on Pinterest

3. Provide a link to YOUR "Spring into the Dream" pinboard below in the comment section. How else will we know you entered unless you do this step???

4. Have fun and pin whatever Spring into the Dream means to you!

The contest ends at 11:59 p.m. (ET) on May 25, 2012. I did not receive any compensation for this post.

Happy Pinning!!

Honeycombs, Chevrons and Zebra. Oh my!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Times have changed. Gone are the days when pastel colors and cute little animals were the only nursery options. Nowadays you can go wild with your geometric patterns and strong, bold colors as seen in this fun honeycomb bee nursery put together by Amy of Positively Splendid. Amy says, "Completely by accident, I found myself gravitating toward a bee theme in the nursery. My inspiration came from the fact that we didn't know what baby George was going to "bee" until the day of his arrival, and I thought a bee motif would work regardless of whether the baby turned out to be a boy or a girl."

The honeycomb nursery canvas idea combines the bee motif with an alphabet sampler.

The lantern and tissue paper pom pom mobile adds such great color and height to the room. I bet Amy's little guy finds it entrancing.

Amy took a regular lamp from adequate to amazing by painting the base and the shade. The antique dresser makes a great changing area. You can find instructions and shopping details on Amy's blog, Positively Splendid.

Zebra Area Rug

Blue Paper Lanterns

green paper lanterns

Chevron in Green Fabric

Girly Firetruck Party

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Sun, 13 May 2012 15:46:00 +0000

Wendy from Green Beansie Ink put together this delightful firetruck party with a girly flair. Who knew that firetrucks would look so cute with gingham?

A bright red frame surrounds this great stenciled firetruck print. I love that it serves doubly duty as both a backdrop and a party game.

This yummy display of apples is sure to encourage some healthy snacking.

Rustic crates used as part of the display and as decoration.

As a little girl I loved petit fours. Cake pops take the magic of a beautiful little cake one step farther. These are so inviting. I just want to reach in and grab one...or two...

Muslin party favor bags with personalized labels

You can find more of Wendy's party designs at her Green Beansie Ink Etsy store.

Modern Baby Nurseries

noreply@blogger.com (simplydesigning.blogspot.com) — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

In case this post sparks anyone's mind, I will tell you up front, no, I am not prego! But I have a few friends who are or who would like to be and can't help but notice all the adorable baby rooms out there these days!

Adorable, modern, nurseries!

Yes, we have come a long way in baby room decor in the last few years and I am loving it!

So I thought I would share just a few modern and unique baby rooms for your inspiration (in case you, or someone you know is expecting!)

mod whale nursery

striped baby room

gray and pink girl nursery

so square mod nursery

dandelion nursery

contemporary nursery

I love some of these amazingly modern and "grown-up" looks that are quickly becoming the latest trend in nursery fashion!

Ashley Phipps is an Interior Designer, NCIDQ #25242,

living in the Indianapolis area, and author of the blog Simply Designing. You can follow Ashley at her blog Simply Designing, Facebook, Twitter and Pintrest.

Alphabet Neutral Nursery

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I love it when a neutral color really gets a chance to shine. This neutral nursery is so welcoming and refreshing. The crisp white furniture and accents have such a clean look against the warm tan walls. Of course, the stars of this room are the alphabet frames designed by mom Kristen. Kristen says, "Since we started trying to conceive I've known how I wanted the alphabet wall to look." To make the wall she started with a collection of about 25 antique and modern frames that she spray-painted with Rust-Oleum Satin Heirloom White Spray Paint. She carefully selected fabrics for the backgrounds and then used white card stock cut with her Silhouette machine for the letters. I love how versatile this idea is! You can completely change the look just by your fabric selections.

This nature-inspired mobile was made by Kristen using fabric, yarn, and Styrofoam balls.

Can't find a lamp shade that you like? Kristen took this one from mediocre to marvelous by painting it then wrapping it with jute.

The shelves on the wall were made from repurposed cabinet doors.

Find out more about this nursery on Kristen's blog, Life with the Ellwoods.

Monkey Business Nursery

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This monkey business nursery is so adorable! I love the rich blue and vibrant lime colors that Sue Vlautin of Red Geranium Interiors used. The crisp white on the wainscoting and the furniture makes this room extra bright and easy to scrub clean. But what really makes this room special are those darling tree murals and monkeys!

Sue carried the theme throughout the room (and onto the ceiling!) using colors from the custom crib bedding as her guide. The bedding was made using fabrics from the Robert Allen Nautica Collection. The paint color is Liberty Behr Paint from Home Depot

See what I mean about those monkeys? That swing is super cute.

The crib sheets are from Pottery Barn Kids.

Cute shelf above the wainscoting.

Turtle Reef Fitted Sheet

Robert Allen Club Stripe Maritime

Robert Allen Beachfront Marine Fabric

Stripe Blue Kids Rug Size: 5' x 7'

Boyish Sophistication

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Ask any two boys what they want for their shared bedroom and chances are they won't be able to agree on a theme. Rachel, a mom contributor to the Your Style Scout blog, avoided the whole issue by designing this great example of boyish sophistication. The vibrant orange of the headboards is a fun, masculine accent to a simple, sophisticated palette of navy and crisp white.

Like so many rooms, the real treats in this room are the details. The lamps came from Amazon ("Kub" from Lite Source). The initial pillows were custom made.

Rachel made the jungle silhouettes herself using printed images attached to canvas that was covered with fabric. She gives instructions on the Your Style Scout website.

Kids Navy Fabric Headboard

Soccer Party

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:30:00 +0000

A few weekends ago at the SNAP conference I had a chance to meet and hang out with Holly from Paisley Petal Events. She is wonderful and so talented! I'm very happy we have become friends! Check out this amazing soccer party she recently put together for her son.

See? Doesn't this look fun? Holly says, "For the dessert table I started with green butcher paper for the tablecloth to resemble grass and then added all the fun treats - a fabulous soccer cake was the center of the table. Other sweets included chocolate cupcakes with soccer ball fondant toppers, and green & black soccer ball cookies were nestled in plastic grass from the Easter section at Hobby Lobby wrapped in white ribbon. Vanilla cupcakes were placed in soccer ball cupcake liners with a printable cupcake topper, and black, white & green sixlets (candies) were displayed in black and white polka dot candy cups." Holly built the soccer goal for the table the day before the party using PVC pipe and a white net. She then hung the printable Happy Birthday banner from the top of the soccer goal. I love how the goal adds height and drama to this delicious spread of sweets!

The kids at the party loved the cute placemats that Holly made from artificial lawn turf embellished with white electrical tape.

Dehydrated? Probably not with cute water bottles like these.

Thanks for sharing, Holly! Make sure to check out Holly's Surfing Party we featured. You can find out more details about this party and other great parties at Paisley Petal Events.

Aviation Nursery

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Sun, 06 May 2012 04:34:00 +0000

Take one dad in the aviation field and one mom with a desire to have a room that their little boy can grow into and see what you get!

This room was put together by mom Bethany Kulig using items from E-bay, Etsy and Pottery Barn Kids. I love the use of dark blues in this sunny room.

This rocking airplane is sure to be a hit!

Wooden Airplane Rock er

Boeing Aviator Bear

Harmony Kids Standard Rocker

Aircraft Wooden Airplane Propeller

Striped Nursery with Surprising Inspiration!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:19:00 +0000

Last week I shared a very soothing striped nursery and now here I am posting about stripes again. :)

This fantastic striped wall has all the colors you typically find on a road map: muted blue, taupe, white and red. Interior designer Belinda from Nest Design Studio must have have been inspired by a love of travel, right? Or maybe she just really loves maps? Well, no.

She matched the wall color to a Sooki Baby Onesie.

Belinda calls it "the great wall of Stripe". She matched the colors from the onesie to her trusty fan deck and scaled the stripes to match the pattern. For the blue she used Dulux Angora Blue (1/2 strength) (Dulux is an Australian paint company). For the taupe she used Dulux Sandy Day (1/4 strength). And for the red she picked a color while standing at the paint counter. She said her only stipulation was that "It had to be a true red, not a blood red!". I love how it turned out!

Sticking with the room's color scheme, Belinda decoupaged this charming initial.

At the other end of the wall Belinda set up a neat diapering area. She used a wall-mounted spice rack from Ikea to hold diapering essentials.

This globe mobile is set just above baby's reach. Belinda says, "After googling how to make the globes, I found an old atlas (or is it more trendy to say vintage?) at an Op Shop for $2 and went to town All the globes feature a place that is important to us. The towns where we were born, where we live, where we went on our honeymoon and our beautiful country."

The blue chevron fabric really compliments "the great wall of Stripe". This Premier Prints fabric was ordered from fabric.com.

Shelving units like this can be found at most discount stores and office supply stores. Belinda jazzed up hers by putting blue fabric over the wood backing.

Soldier skittles from Ministyle

You can read more about this nursery on Belinda's blog, Nest Design Studios or check out her Owl Inspired Nursery featured here a few years ago.

Side Table in Red

World Globe Baby Mobile

Royal Guards Skittles Set

Sweet Blush Nursery

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

This sweet blush nursery was designed by Melanie of Your Style Scout for her little girl. The pale blush walls make a great backdrop for a few bold punches of color (like the fun vintage mirror painted with a glossy hot pink!) and a selection of great geometric patterns. But the real statement piece in this room is the white chandelier purchased from Ikea. Melanie says, "the moment I spotted it, I knew I had to have it. I was on a tight budget for this room, so the $50 price tag worked just great for me. It was a pain in the a$$ to assemble, but worth every minute!" Obviously she feels strongly about it, and I can understand why! :)

This print found on Etsy inspired the color palette for the room.

The bold Chevron Contemporary Rug from Urban Outfitters work well with the pale walls.

Here's another strong geometric pattern on this tiny boudoir chair that belonged to Melanie's grandmother.

Melanie knew that she wanted to cover the wall next to the crib with wallpaper. She chose one with a simple, feminine silver leaf print that will look good for years and will be so easy to keep clean.

The cuddly giraffe is a JellyCat. They make a line of stuffed animals that are soft and floppy with long arms perfect for holding hands with your favorite little person.

Find out more about this nursery design and more fun on Melanie's blog, Your Style Scout.

Rug ideas for the nursery...

Modern Area Rug 5x8 Chevron Zig Zag

Striped Gray Contemporary Rug Size: 5' x 8'

DwellStudio Zig Zag Pink 5x8 Rug

Chevron 5' x 8' Area Rug

Firetruck Party

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:30:00 +0000

This charming firetruck party from The English Pea was based on a vintage fire truck found at a local fire house. The red chevrons and black dalmatian spots appear on all of the decorations and they really look great next to the rustic firetrucks. The party started at the fire house with a tour and then it was back home for treats and more fun.

These delicious treats were placed at eye-level for the young party-goers. Fruit, milk and a great selection of sweets were a big hit.

Red balloons and easy-to-make paper medallions made this window party-ready. Don't forget to stop, drop and roll!

This adorable dalmatian and fire hydrant were custom-made by a local artisan baker and placed on an inexpensive square cake purchased at Sam's Club. That's a great way to get a super cute, custom-looking cake at a manageable price.

Flags make any food look festive. These chocolate-dipped marshmallows look so fun!

Each child left with a good-bag full of Fireman's rope (twizzlers), drops (cherry sours) and rolls (Tootsie Rolls).

For your own Firetruck Party printables, check out The English Pea on Etsy.

Muslin Favor Bags

Fire Hydrant Inflatable use for decor or a ring toss

Red Black Clear Balloons with White Polka Dots

Fire Fighter Zone Sign

Metal Fire Engine Decor

Full Size Pedal "Fire Truck" use as decor and the birthday GIFT!

Summer Camp Bloggers Needed!!

noreply@blogger.com (DesignDazzle.blogspot.com) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:58:00 +0000

Last year we held Summer Camp at Design Dazzle. It was a hit and lots of fun! This summer we will feature new ideas and projects for summertime fun with kids by our amazing Summer Camp Counselors (bloggers).

Do you have an idea, activity or project for summer time fun you would like to share with our readers? Let me know and you could be one of our Summer Camp Counselors!!

One blog post that has never been featured is needed to be in our Summer Camp Series. Please email me

toni@designdazzle (dot) com

and let me know what you would like to share!

Here is our Summer Camp Series from last year.

DIY: Top Hat Decoration

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I enjoy making props for party decorations or room decor and I love it when a prop comes out as cute as this top hat! Top hats are the perfect accessory for many types of themes. Depending on the fabric/embellishments used, hats like this one could be made into mad hatter hats, clown hats, steampunks or top hats for New Year's Eve party or a magic party. How about a Parisian theme with this top hat? The possibilities are endless. This project is being featured on Kirkland's Pinning Parlor. See details at the bottom of the post on how to win $2000!!

My tutorial shows how easy it is to make these top hats with a glue gun and scissors - no sewing involved! The top hat shown is for decor purposes only - it's not made to wear.

Supplies needed:

1 large poster board
Fabric - enough to cover the poster board
spray adhesive
glue gun
scissors
embellishments for top hat (e.g. ribbon, flower, feathers, tulle)
candle stick
old CD

To get started, cut the fabric to the size of the poster board and lay it on a flat surface, face down. Take the time to really smooth the fabric out so that it has no wrinkles. Then spray adhesive over the entire surface of the poster board. Starting at one edge lay the sticky side of the poster board on top of the fabric (wrong-side of the fabric) lining up the edges. Flip the poster board over so the fabric is on top. Apply pressure and smooth over - make sure there are no wrinkles or bubbles. While you don't need to rush, you do need to work quickly to smooth the fabric before the adhesive sets.

Using the pictures above as a guide:

For the hat brim, trace a 12 inch round circle onto the -poster board and cut. Remember, this hat is not destined for the top of your head, so there is no need for a hole in the brim circle.
For the hat band, cut out a 10 x 22 rectangle.
Roll the hat band so the edges overlap slightly and form a circle. Hot glue the hat band edge together. This will be the tube of the top hat. Snip notches every 1/2 inch along the top and bottom of the hat band.
Fold in the notches on the top and bottom of the hat band and hot glue the hat band to the hat brim circle. Turn the hat upside down and trace around the circumference of the top of the hat band onto the fabric poster board and cut. Hot glue this piece of the hat top onto the hat band. Embellish your top hat with ribbons, sequins, flowers, feathers, etc!

Since this is a hat to liven up your party decor or room decor, you will need some way to display it. To make your own hat stand, start with a tall candle stick holder. I usually can find these inexpensively at my local thrift shop or at a craft store. Hot glue an old CD to top of your candle stick holder. When the glue is dry, go ahead and glue on the bottom of the top hat onto your newly made hat stand.

And there you have it! One amazing prop that looks great and doesn't break the bank! I'd love to hear how yours turn out.

Pin + Win Sweepstakes

Look for more DIY projects on Kirkland's Pinning Parlor. The Pinning Parlor is a special section of the Kirkland's site for sharing projects, entering to win prize packages and finding inspiration for your next project. The exciting part for you is that to celebrate the launch of the Pinning Parlor, Kirkland's is hosting a Pin + Win Sweepstakes. To play, go to the Pinning Parlor Pin any image to your Pinterest boards by clicking the "Pin it" button for a chance at a $2000 prize pack The first time you "Pin it" you will receive a great coupon for $25 off a $75 purchase. After you successfully complete your first pin to your Pinterest boards, you’ll be prompted to fill out an entry form to be entered to win our $2,000 weekly prize pack. Each pin equals an entry, so the more you pin, the more chances you have to win. Each week until May 13th, one lucky entrant will win a $2,000 prize pack from Kirkland's and Formica® Flooring. Kirkland's will add new inspiration to the Pinning Parlor each week of the promotion so be sure to check back for more inspiration and chances to win!

Cookies and Milk Cookie Monster Party

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Do you have a cute little monster in your house who loves a good cookie? I know one little guy had his cookie dreams come true with this fun Cookie Monster Cookies and Milk Party. This relaxed party was budget friendly and casual enough to appeal to monsters young and old.

The cookie buffet was a fun way to feed a crowd. This spread included blue sugar cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, snicker doodle cookies, and cookies and cream cookies. Yum!

All of the Cookie Monster labels were made with a Cricut cutter machine.

These serving jars from Ikea are super cute and they work well for lots of party themes or general kitchen use.

A jar filled with cookie crisp cereal made for a fun spin of a classic guessing game. Counting the cookies before the party begins kept guests from getting restless while waiting to hear if they won. A jar of cookies made for a delicious prize.

Party guests got to take home some of the cookie fun with this great party favor of homemade cookie dough that was portioned into mason jars, labeled with custom labels and then frozen until party time.

I'm sure guests knew they were in for a fun time from the moment they saw these familiar googly eyes peeking out from the envelope.

For the cookie recipes used at this party, printables and more party details, be sure and check the Dragon's Fairy Tale blog.

Cookie Monster Plush

Blue Polka Dot Balloons

Cookie Jar with Chalk Label

Sesame Street Cookie Monster Giant Wall Decal

Garden Party: Posies, Paisleys and WOW on a Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Gwynn @ Gwynn Wasson Designs) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I've spent the last couple years helping people design all kinds of different parties, but the one thing that people ask about time and time again is how can I stay on budget and still get the "Wow" factor? Let's be honest, we all want to throw gorgeous parties without regretting it when our credit card statement arrives the next month in the mail, right?! So, I decided to give myself a challenge... create a fun, colorful party that has tons of "Wow" factor without breaking the bank. Possible? You bet!!!

I've been swirling with Spring Fever lately, so Garden Party seemed like the perfect theme! What's more fun then the combination of Posies and Paisley?! I started with the backdrop, and rummaged through my fabric stacks and old table cloths to see what I had that might work for my theme. I came up with a leftover table cloth from last year's Pirate and Fairies Party and a couple from our Easter Egg Hunt.

Then I set about figuring out how to dress up my backdrop and sweets, as well as pull in my Garden Party theme without breaking the bank. I decided on Tissue Paper Flowers, all types and sizes... bright, colorful, inexpensive and oh SOOO much fun!! I only needed about 10 packs of 20x20" tissue paper and one pack of crinkle cut paper from Party City to pull off all the decorations.

For the backdrop I created Giant Tissue Paper Flowers...

Then to bring the flower theme to the table top, I created Pom Pom Flowers for the Cake Pop "Garden"...

And Tissue Paper Fan Flowers for the Cupcakes...

I also created Large Tissue Paper Flowers to help my macarons really pop...

And to top it all off, I made a small double layer, fondant covered cake and decorated it with Marshmallow Flowers inspired by "What's New Cupcake?", small Icing Flowers and a bit of ribbon...

So there you have it... a fun, fresh, modern Garden Party on a budget! Perfect for a birthday party or even a Mother's Day brunch!

Stay tuned to my blog as tutorials for all the decorations are coming soon, so that you, too, can create your own summer Posies and Paisley Garden Party!

Gwynn Wasson designs Boutique Parties and fun Printable Party Decor.

She lives in the Los Angeles area, and is the author and editor of the blog Gwynn Wasson Designs. You can follow Gwynn through her blog Gwynn Wasson Designs, Facebook and her Etsy Shop.

Striped Baby Nursery

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This striped nursery looks so calm and inviting. Do you think my children would notice if I snuck in here to take a nap? The crisp white is complimented by the pale blue that appears on the wall stripes, on the chandelier, on the drawer knobs and even on that comfy looking chair. Those horizontal stripes and the light colored furniture combine to make this room appear larger than it actually is. Put it all together and it looks like a cozy retreat.

See that yellow door peeking out on the right side of the picture? That door wasn't there at the start of this project. There was just a large open doorway separating the nursery from the master bedroom.

Here is the custom sliding barn door that now separates the two rooms, seen as a work in progress from the master bedroom side.

This simple and sweet photo collage space includes a DIY bulletin board in a painted yellow oval frame.

I especially like the book-nook area that sits in the bay window. It looks so comfortable and inviting.

See the whole transformation at the Boots and Tooty blog.

Boys Modern Orange Striped Bedroom

noreply@blogger.com (Carrie Pasfield) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 17:04:00 +0000

Does your teen love a vibrant color that you just can't visualize covering an entire room? Blogger and DIY mom Linda can relate. She says, "When I asked my son what he wanted, his only request was orange. Its been his all-time favorite color for as long as he could say the word (and perhaps it’s because I dressed him in orange when we went to the park so I could spot him right away …) But there was no way I was going 360 floor-to-ceiling orange. That seemed overwhelming. And bright. And not at all restful. And bedrooms should be restful first and foremost …". Instead of straight orange, Linda came up with a color scheme of orange, black and grey.

The middle band is black chalkboard paint framed by white molding.

These great looking square frames contain "comic book page number art" created using color-copies of Archie comics.

For the curtains, Linda splurged on a yard of home decor fabric. She sewed orange ribbon to the top and bottom of the black and white fabric and then created the rest of the curtain out of canvas drop clothes purchased at a hardware store. Viola! Custom curtains for less than you can buy a pair at a discount store.

Linda shares the whole story on her blog, It All Started with Paint. Check out her new Etsy shop.