The Downsized Life

DIY Mermaid Wreath

haskew1 — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 20:42:45 +0000

DIY Mermaid Wreath

Ready to add a whimsical and enchanting mermaid wreath to your front door? I’m always looking for my next beach inspired wreath. After trying shell wreaths, I was ready for something that made more of an impact. Who doesn’t love mermaids? This wreath, while combining oceanic beauty with fantasy, and is not only easy to make, but a fun way to welcome all your guests.

Supplies you need:

Oval grapevine wreath
3 greenery sprigs of your choice
1-2 starfish
A wooden mermaid
Paint
Glue gun
Wire

Step 1- the focal point

The focal point of the mermaid wreath is of course the mermaid! I found an inexpensive wooden mermaid on Amazon. You could also opt to just do a mermaid tail (there were a ton of options). Basic was better because I wanted to personalize her with my own paint and shell embellishments. First, I painted the tail to match my color palette including a candle in the lantern outside. Next came her basic cream body, and gold to accent her hair and starfish. Finally, I painted a couple of small shells gold and hot glued them as embellishments in her hair.

Step 2- the greenery

Starting with an oval shaped grapevine wreath (it fits better on my door than a round one), I began to add each greenery sprig. The greenery felt like something you would see near the ocean and had different textures. You can personalize this to your own taste. Sprigs were each layered onto the wreath and attached with wire based on how I wanted them to fall. The last layer of magnolia leaves worked to fill in any empty spots. Don’t be afraid to cut the sprigs apart to make them look the way you want.

Step 3- the starfish

After adding all the greenery and attaching it to the mermaid wreath I added a starfish where everything came together at the top. I ended up adding an additional starfish later to give the wreath more balance. Hot glue worked best to attach the starfish to the wreath and leaves underneath them.

Step 4- add the mermaid

Of course, this is the most important part of the wreath because it’s the focal point. With wire I was able to attach her with the two hangers on the back. I then hung the wreath up and made small adjustments based on how I wanted the leaves to fall.

In a couple of places, I could see the wire, so I simply took some additional leaves and hot glued them in place. This was also when I decided I wanted to add one more starfish to finish the look. Time to hang the mermaid wreath on the door and admire it!

For more Coastal wreath ideas check this blog out:

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Coastal Christmas Decor

haskew1 — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 14:20:36 +0000

Coastal Christmas Decor

Our first Christmas living at the beach meant making some adjustments to the Christmas décor! What was once mostly reds would now transition to blues and greens. The result is Coastal Christmas decor merging all things Christmas with all things beach (shells, sea life, and sand). Instead of breaking the bank and buying all new decorations, I mostly worked with what I had. So, if you live at the beach, or just want to feel like you do, here are some fun ideas.

The Christmas Tree Goes Coastal

The logical place to start is with the center of Christmas decor- the tree! There was no way I would replace all of my sentimental ornaments collected throughout the year and I still wanted to keep my mini frames with pictures from past Christmas years. My large collection of Santa ornaments (primarily red) would also need to find a way to blend. The goal was to move away from the classic colors of red and green and introduce the coastal colors of blue, teal, and gold. With the help of a couple of cans of spray paint, I went to work.

Tree before

Coastal Christmas Tree

Nothing a little spray paint can't fix...

1. Berry garland goes from red to gold...

2. Tree sticks from red to teal, jingle balls from red to navy...

3. Frames from classic to bright...

4. Around the bottom of the tree

Our sweet mischievous puppy was immediately interested in the tree, so setting a couple of things at the base seemed to deter her for the most part. Again spray paint came in handy to change the truck from red to blue, and the wooden gift from red to teal.

5. Introduction of coastal themed ornaments...

Make your own Santa ornaments out of oyster shells

After finding oyster shells in all different shapes and colors, I simply painted hats, beards, and cheery faces! Acrylic paint or markers work the best.

Coastal Christmas Garland

I reused the garland from last year but made some minor adjustments. Removing the red berries and adding sprigs of spray painted blue and teal berries changed the entire look. Adding a couple starfish and coastal ornaments completed the vision. This year we even have a real fireplace for Santa to come down!

Garland Before

Coastal Christmas Garland

Stairway Coastal Christmas Decor

We have a stairway again and a plant shelf so I really wanted to have a tree with lights at the top. I kept this one simple with blue balls, straw stars (my mom made years ago), and of course shells! It created Christmas light at the top of the landing and carried the coastal Christmas theme to the 2nd floor. All that was missing was greenery on the stairs themselves. Instead of buying all new garland, I upcycled a garland that I already had and turned it into 4 hanging swags. Click on the link below to see how:

Other Coastal Christmas Decor

Coastal Christmas spread to other rooms in the house with table top or shelf displays. From the entry way to the kitchen to the dining room centerpiece there are lots of ways to introduce classic Christmas with touches of beach life. My poor little Santa gnome did not make it through the move, so I found a way to recycle him and give him a beachy burlap hat. Just adding shells helped incorporate some of my favorite Santa figurines into the new look.

Santa before

Santa turned coastal

Kitchen wreath hanging above the cabinets covers what is normally artwork.

Gnomes and small table top tree on kitchen counter.

Tray that sits on the entry hall table.

DIY shell tree on kitchen counter.

Front Door Coastal Christmas

The front door is the first impression of the coastal Christmas theme. I made alterations to the gnome tree with a fun Target elf hat and painted his mittens blue. I created my very own DIY front door wreath in a couple of easy steps. To see how to make the wreath:

Before

Altered Gnome tree

After

Before

After

Check out these 6 holiday decor trends designers are skipping in 2023

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How to Make a Shell Christmas Tree

haskew1 — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 13:07:17 +0000

How to Make a Shell Christmas Tree

There’s no end to decorating with shells so why not make a shell Christmas tree? With just a few supplies and a lot of shells you can make one too! Here are the supplies you need:

foam cone
spray paint
modge podge
sand
glue gun
shells

Now follow these three easy steps!

Step 1- Spray paint a foam cone

Foam cones can be found in any craft store and cost less than $5. The one I bought was green, so I sprayed it with tan spray paint to start. That way, even if there are spaces between the shells and sand, you won’t see the green foam peeking through. Next, gather your shells!

Step 2- Hot glue the shells

After the base is dry, start at the bottom with hot gluing shells. Largest work best at the base and work your way up. Turn them in different directions to fit them as close together as possible. It was much easier than I thought!

Step 3- Add sand

Once the shells fill the cone, it’s time to dab modge podge in between and sprinkle the sand. This should fill in any cracks between the shells. I suggest doing it outside or over a cookie pan because it can be pretty messy. If you have glue spray, it doesn’t hurt to spray the entire tree when you’re done. That will keep any loose sand from falling off.

That's it!

I knew mine was going under the kitchen cabinets so I did not have room for a topper. If yours is free standing I would suggest topping it with a starfish!

For more Coastal Christmas ideas check this blog out:

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Upcycling an old Garland to Stairway Swags

haskew1 — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 21:14:15 +0000

Upcycle an Old Garland to Stairway Swags

Tired of your old garland? Follow these easy steps to upcycle it to these beautiful stairway swags. Without spending a ton of money, not only did I create new Christmas decor but also changed the look from Classic Christmas to Coastal Christmas.

Step 1- Cut garland into 4 equal pieces

The easiest way to do this is with clippers, but scissors work too. This garland had red berries and pinecones. Trying to bring in coastal colors, I removed everything additional (berries and cones) and started from scratch.

Step 2- Remove red berries

This is what they looked like after removing the berries. I also took off and rearranged the pinecones so there would just be one per swag. I then made sure all the needles were fluffed out and pointing down.

Step 3- Add fillers to the swags

You can buy sprigs of fillers from any craft store. I chose additional greenery and leaves as well as some off white berry branches. Again, I used clippers and wires to attach everything where I wanted it, overlapping to give each swag more fullness.

Step 4- Add a ribbon bow

Finally I added the bow at the top to finish it off. I went with the same ribbon I used on other decorations around my house to tie everything together. A simple bow worked for me, but you could certainly get more creative. For different bows click below:

Step 5- Add Christmas decorations

Before hanging I added a couple more things to give each swag interest and color. Just like with the ribbon bow, I stuck to ornaments and colors that tied the swags into my other decorations, specifically the tree at the top of the stairs.

Step 6- Attach the swags to your stairway

Then it’s time to attach the swags to the staircase. I hung them evenly spaced, attaching them first with wire and the wrapping burlap rope around them to give them a finished look. If you have a longer staircase you could upcycle another garland and make twice as many swags. All I needed were four!

For other Coastal Christmas decorating ideas check out this link:

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DIY Coastal Christmas Wreath

haskew1 — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 21:10:00 +0000

DIY Coastal Christmas Wreath

Create a Coastal Christmas wreath in just a few steps without spending a lot of money! After moving to the beach, I wanted to change all my Christmas decorations from Classic Christmas to Coastal Christmas without breaking the bank. That started at my front door with a wreath to welcome guests. With just a few easy steps here is how I did it.

Step 1- Find a clearance wreath

First, find a wreath on clearance. Moving into the Christmas season your choices are endless. I found a spring wreath marked down that would just need a couple of additional touches to turn it into Christmas! I chose one with a burlap rope to fit into my Coastal Christmas look buy if you’re staying classic, even a grapevine base would work.

Step 2- Add fillers including a bow

Next, add fillers. These sticks can be found at any crafting store. You can use greenery or leaves to add fullness, Then add berries or anything else you want in addition. Sky’s the limit. I went with colored berries to go with my inside decorations and of course don’t forget a bow! Attach them to the wreath with wire or hot glue.

Step 3- Find a focus piece

Finally find a focus piece which for me was a large Santa ornament. Unfortunately his hat was classic red which didn’t go with my new blue color palette. Instead I used burlap string and hot glue to transition him to a beach Santa. I even glued some small shells on his hat to complete the look.

Step 4- Admire your creation

Finally attach him to the wreath and you’re almost done. I added two small blue Christmas balls to add some color and finish it off. Hang your beautiful new Christmas wreath on the door and admire it!

Other DIY Christmas wreath ideas:

For more Coastal Christmas ideas check this blog out:

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Fall Decorating at the Beach

haskew1 — Sat, 21 Oct 2023 14:44:56 +0000

Fall Decorating at the Beach

Living at the beach means fall is not quite the same. Although the temperatures are getting cooler, I don’t see any changing leaves. Pumpkin patches are few and far between (probably because they won’t last long in this sun), and it just doesn’t feel right to pull out the boots and flannels. The typical fall colors don’t really go with my new neutral blue décor, so I had to make some changes. The good news is… you can still decorate for fall at the beach.

Fall Beach Wreath

Fall decoration starts at the front door. I already had a shell wreath that I made for summer so with a few minor changes it became a fall wreath! I started by painting a large shell and starfish a muted orange color. Then I added some small pumpkins, gourds, and berries to give it a fall touch. I attached them to the wreath with hot glue and wire the same way I attached the shells. For directions on how to make the base wreath click here.

Wreath Before

Wreath After

Fall Front Yard Skeletons

I had my two skeletons and skeleton dog from before and they just needed to fit into the Florida scene. A quick trip to Goodwill and they were ready for the beach. After dressing her in a bikini and him in a Hawaiian shirt they were ready to take their place on the lawn chairs. The Skelton dog even got a Halloween pale and of course both skeletons needed cocktails. The neighbors love it!

Fall Pumpkin Color Change

Unfortunately, the dark orange pumpkins didn’t fit in with my blue/green interior, so with a simple repaint they looked completely different! I went one step further and made a beach pumpkin including a 3D sand accent. Here are the easy steps to creating your own beach pumpkin.

How to Make a Beach Pumpkin

Supplies needed:

A craft pumpkin
Paint- tan, blues, and white
Modge podge
Sand
Spray glue

Step one: paint the pumpkin like a beach. The bottom is tan. Layer in the white for the surf with a sponge and shades of blue for the ocean.

Step two: Cover the tan area with modge podge and roll it around in a tray of sand.

Step three: Finally use the spray glue to keep the sand in place and put a finish on the entire pumpkin.

Focal Points of Fall

Throughout the house I made little focal points of fall using things I had from fall past. The eyeballs went into a vase with fake moss, and the pumpkins (mostly repainted) and skeleton mice finished the look. My tiered tray on the kitchen counter got a jar of candy corn and a little pumpkin. I kept the shells and it all somehow came together.

Fall Charcuterie Board

I couldn’t possibly let fall pass me by without creating a themed charcuterie board. Trader Joe’s made it possible to complete this in one shopping trip. The little pumpkins and skeleton head completed the look. Included were: 3 cheeses, 3 meats, pumpkin almonds, candy corn with peanuts, grapes, pumpkin pretzels, cheese sticks, olives, corn chips with Texas dip, rosemary marcona almonds, dark chocolate pistachio toffee, pita crackers, and maple leaf cookies.

Halloween Care Packages

I miss my boys during the Halloween season so this year I made Halloween care packages. I got priority boxes from the post office, decorated them with Halloween scrap paper, and layered them with tissue paper. Inside I included fun candy (gummy fingers), a roach coffee mug, Joe Joe’s Halloween cookies (from Trader Joe’s), an eyeball icetray, and little skeleton heads and spiders. Of course, I sent my granddog Nash some Halloween treats too!

Next up: Finding a Halloween costume for Charlie to wear to the neighborhood costume parade!

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How to Make a Shell Wreath

haskew1 — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 16:24:49 +0000

How to Make a Shell Wreath

It’s time to bring the coastal charm to your front door! Here are a few easy steps to create your very own shell wreath in a quick afternoon. Whether you buy the shells or bring them back from your beach vacation, this is a great way to welcome your visitors.

Supplies you need:

Grapevine wreath
Greenery garland
Greenery picks
Roll of decorative fish net
Assorted shells
Glue gun
Floral wire

Step 1- Wrap your wreath with greenery

Start with your grapevine wreath. Take the greenery garland and attach it with floral twine to the starting point on the wreath. Gently wrap it around the entire wreath and attach about every 6 inches. Fluff out the leaves until the wreath looks mostly covered.

Step 2- Wrap the fish net

Take the spool of fish net wrap and wrap it the same way as the greenery swag, attaching with wire where needed. As you wrap, rearrange the leaves from the swag, so they aren’t all bound down by the fish net. The fish net is only a suggestion and can be replaced by any other kind of ribbon or even burlap if your prefer. I was trying to create a beachy look without a lot of weight.

Step 3- Fill in with Greenery picks

Once the wreath is fully wrapped, it’s time to fill in any empty spots with some greenery picks. I chose picks that looked like beach grass, but again this is a personal choice. You could even use flower picks if you want to add some color. The picks should just stick in through the grapevine wreath but it doesn’t hurt to hold them in with a little wire. Remember this wreath will be exposed to outdoor elements including wind and rain.

Step 4- Hot glue the shells

Finally it’s time to add the shells! You can use as many or as few as you want. Lay them out on the wreath, and once you like the way they look, hot glue them down. Because of all the wind we get, I also reinforced mine with wire just to be safe. Another option is to hot glue the wire to the shell and then wire them in place. That’s it! You have created a beautiful one of a kind shell wreath!

Admire your beautiful shell wreath!

To see other ways to decorate with shells:

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Decorating With Seashells

haskew1 — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 16:04:47 +0000

Decorating With Seashells

My name is Heidi and I collect seashells by the seashore. I visit the beach every day and almost never come home without at least one treasure! Some are small. Some are big. But they are always different from the others. That’s the thing about seashell hunting… you never know what the ocean washed up while you were away. So, what do I do with all these seashells? I decorate with them and in this post will share some of my favorite ways.

Cleaning Seashells

First things first… make sure you clean your seashells. There are a million ways to do this. I find soaking them in bleach is usually good enough but if you want to be thorough, check out this great blog.

Flower Beds

When we first moved here, I was particularly obsessed with shells because there were so many of them just laying in piles on the beach. Having spent most of my beach vacations on the Gulf Coast, I wasn’t used to this, and found myself bringing home bags of seashells! I started to add them to my flower bed and around any stone paths I had. It turns out they are actually a great mulch alternative.

In the Kitchen

I have a metal tier stand that sits on my kitchen counter. I just put smaller shells into jars of different shapes and sizes and voila! Shells can even make a simple mason jar look like it’s decoration. This is a fun, easy, and inexpensive way to add interest to your countertop and remind you every morning how lucky you are to have found these little treasures.

Focal Points on Tables or Shelves

Larger glass vases can hold even more shells and can help create focal points in different places in your home. On the bar cabinet in my dining room, I created a beach feel with a simple glass jar filled with shells, a wooden heron, and an outdoorsy lantern. My favorite is the free-standing shell I was lucky to find early one morning. Whenever I find a particularly special treasure, I write the date inside to remember when I discovered it. This was my first full sized, uncracked conch shell (at least I think that’s what it is… still learning my shell types) but I hope it won’t be my last!

On my dining room table, I created a centerpiece with a shallow wooden tray and an assortment of shells. The open lantern allows for shells around the candle, and the turtle glass dish holds the small fragile ones. I must be honest here and say the starfish are bought but will quickly be replaced if I ever find a real one!

The Entry Way

There should be shells the minute you walk through the door! Once again, I used a shallow tray and assorted shells to create the look. These are switched out all the time with new treasures but create the perfect way to welcome guests to our house at the beach.

Shell Wreath

Speaking of welcoming guests, you see shells before you even come in the door. I made this wreath in just a few easy steps and with small adjustments will be great year round. To see how to create this wreath go to the following link.

Accents to Other Accessories

Shells can be added just about anywhere as accents to other accessories that you already have. This wire jar is full of corks, but I added a sand dollar to the outside to add extra interest. Don’t stop there. Put a shell on a pile of books or on a side table. Add a jar of shells in your guest room or bathroom.

Shell decorating is endless!

Stay tuned… next up is painting shells to get ready for Christmas!

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Change Your Home Decor Without Breaking the Bank

haskew1 — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 18:58:24 +0000

Change Your Home Decor Without Breaking the Bank

When we moved to the beach from our townhouse, I knew I would need to make big changes to my home decor. I would have a very different floor plan to work with (not nearly as open as in the townhouse) and I would need to transition my industrial home décor with primary colors to a beachier home décor with neutral colors.

After looking at a lot of houses we finally found the perfect one. We didn’t really want to increase our square footage (we were proud of our downsized status), but we also wanted an open usable space with lots of light! Not only did this house fit those requirements, but the previous owners had done some major renovations, which we loved! With those renovations came painted kitchen cabinets, and painted living room built-ins that would help develop our color scheme and beachy home decor. They also left behind some amazing furniture that we wanted to integrate with what we already had.

Moving is expensive enough so I really wanted to create this new beachy vibe without buying a ton of new things. I wanted to reuse as much furniture of our own (even if it needed to be repainted) and spend money on new rugs and accessories. Going from primary colors and industrial home decor to neutral colors and beachy home decor was much easier than I anticipated. Here is how I changed my décor without breaking the bank!

The Living Room

Things Kept

Couch
Chair w/ottoman
Rug
Side tables
Long table behind couch
Floor Lamp
Carpet

Repurposed

Frames
Round Table
Whale
Accessories and plants

New

Chairs
Pillows
Throw blanket
Ammunition table
Paintings

BEFORE (industrial home decor)

AFTER (beachy home decor)

Having built-ins again allowed me to pull together accessories that were originally in other places in my last home. I stuck with natural baskets, plants, and threw in some books and frames with the same colors. It’s easy enough to change out the frames or you can even just paint them to go with your new home décor. Our big wood whale, originally hidden in our old primary bath, now becomes a focal point breaking up the window wall. We inherited a big round table from the previous owners which helped lighten up the room. Do not be afraid to mix different kinds of wood and textures in the same room.

The living room is obviously the focus of the home. We started off the color scheme in here based on the painted built-ins. The walls were a clean shade of white and the trim was painted to add some accent. The floor is so beautiful that a toned- down neutral area rug to create warmth was all that was needed. We were able to keep all the same furniture including the couch, side tables (mixing stained wood colors), console table behind the couch and even the same floor lamp. I couldn’t let go of my “tv watching” chair with ottoman, but to lighten it up, added a cream throw.

New additions included two conversation chairs. We found these at World Market (technically outdoor chairs), but they worked perfectly in the new beachy feel and pulled in a darker color. We purchased an old ammunition table from a local import store to work as a table between the chairs or as a footstool simply by throwing a Target floor pillow on top. Finally, we added the accessories that pulled all the colors together. Thanks to Homegoods, I found pillows and artwork that completed the look.

The Dining Room

Things Kept

Table and bench
Wine shelf
Accessories

Repurposed

Valances recovered
Roulette wheel
Dresser
Light fixture
Barrel bench

New

3 chairs
Rug
Bar Cabinet
Accessories

BEFORE (industrial home decor)

AFTER (beachy home decor)

In our last home we didn’t have a real designated dining room. In this house it opened to the living room, so the color scheme had to remain the same. There was no way I was getting rid of the beautiful table Garret built so that would have to work as our “casual” dining table. Because it is a much darker stain, it was important to lighten this room up in different ways.

The new items included 3 new cream chairs from a local import store, and I covered cushions to pull in some color. The previous owners left valances which I recovered with fabric to fit the theme but still make the windows pop. An unused dresser from one of the bedrooms became the sideboard and helped lighten up the room. The Roulette wheel from our previous home was the perfect wall art to pull the cream paint and dark wood together.

The light fixture from our previous home was a little more of a challenge. With the A-frame ceiling in this home, it would be impossible to hang it the way it was before. Thanks to my handy husband and some vintage store hooks and rope, it has been transformed into the centerpiece of the room. With some updated accessories and lots of shells the look came together for the new beachy home decor.

We left our bar glass cabinet behind, so a new one was purchased to pull together the living room and dining room. My favorite barrel bench found new life just by adding a fun pillow. It was amazing how many accessories I was able to repurpose from our last home including glass vases, plants, and wood trays. Fill a glass vase with shells and it creates an entirely different look.

The Kitchen

Things Kept

Counter items

Repurposed

Bar Stools recovered
Accessories from other areas

New

Rug
Table

BEFORE (industrial home decor)

AFTER (beachy home decor)

The kitchen in our new house is separated by a wall but I still wanted to maintain a flow of the same colors and themes. I loved the painted cabinets and backsplash so had very little to do to complete the look. The kitchen is the best example of where accessories made the biggest difference in changing your home decor.

Adding an area rug from Target was easy to make the stone floor a little cozier and protect it from spills. The counter accessories remained the same with a few color changes. I found a utensil holder to make the terracotta color in the backsplash pop. The big challenge here was the space above the cabinets. Originally, I wanted to extend the cabinets and add glass doors, but quickly realized that might be too much for this smaller space (and very expensive). Instead, we pulled color from the cabinets and added accessories to draw the eyes up. With some painted boards we added a shiplap interest above the stove and hung a new painting I found at Homegoods. My husband stained some 2X4 wood and created a trim along the ceiling. Add some miscellaneous accessories that I already had, and the look was complete.

Some of the accessories were repainted to go with the color scheme, and I got crafty and made one piece to go over the pass-through window. To see how I made this very inexpensive 3D turtle art click on the link below.

Finally, there was room for a small table in front of the bay window. My husband built a table with butcher block top, in case I needed more counter space, and we repurposed our bar stools from our last home. All they needed was to be recovered with a lighter fabric. To add a little color, I repainted the legs to match the cabinets.

SIDE NOTE

Some of the things we had in our living room from the previous home have been repurposed to new locations in this home.

A large hutch from the living room is repainted and now in the landing at the top of our stairs being used to store linens.

A rocking horse has been repainted and lives on our 2^nd story plant shelf as does a cabinet that used to be in the hallway.

The Guest Room

The guest room was kind of created from scratch but also on a budget. The bed, grey bench, and nightstands were really the only things that made it from our old house. A cute rose loveseat was left by the previous owners as well as a white dresser. We incorporated everything together, repainted the dresser, and added new bedding, pillows, and wall art.

BEFORE

AFTER

The Primary Bedroom

The wallpaper challenge! Sometimes you just walk into a room and the only thing you notice is the wallpaper. When I first walked into our new primary bedroom, I had a love/ hate with the existing wallpaper. Although it was tasteful and probably really expensive, I wasn’t sure what to do around it. What could keep it from looking TOO busy? Plus based on closet space, I knew we would need to bring our gray wardrobes from the old house. I ended up sticking with very neutral colors and layered, pulling in the colors from the wallpaper and somehow incorporating gray. In this case, it was all about the pillows.

I’m not entirely in love with it, but sometimes you just need to exist in a space until the right thing comes along. Should something basic go on the wall above the bed? Does the gray really work? This will probably be a room that evolves over time, and that’s OK too.

In conclusion, room transformations don’t always have to be grand or expensive affairs. You can use what you have, repurpose items either through paint or change in location, and make big impressions with accessories including pillows and artwork. You really can change your home decor without breaking the bank. Some rooms take time to evolve and not everything has to be done at once. Stick around and I’m sure there will be many more changes to come!

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How to Make 3D Beach Art

haskew1 — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 18:31:01 +0000

How to Make 3D Beach Art

After moving into our new house, my goal was to decorate with touches of beach in every room. The kitchen was no exception and there was lots of creative space above the cabinets to do just that.

We also were left with some artwork from the previous owners that didn’t quite work with our decor. One of those pieces was a metal ring with wood turtles. With my new love for turtles, I was determined to find a way to repurpose them. So this 3D piece of art was born bringing a little bit of the beach (literally) into the kitchen.

Supplies you need:

Wood scrap
Paint
Sponge Brush
Glue gun
Mod Podge

Mod Podge Acrylic Sealer
Sand
Shells
3D turtles, fish or even just shells

Step 1- Get a piece of wood in the size you want

Easy enough. Thanks to my husband, our garage is filled with wood scraps of all sizes. Yes that’s right- we moved them! I measured the space I wanted to fill and found the right piece. It was stained but it doesn’t matter because I am painting over it.

Step 2- Paint the ocean

With paint from a craft store, I painted the tiers of the ocean, making sure to make one of the blues the paint that matched the kitchen cabinets. If you overlap while the paint is wet you can create a blending where the colors meet.

Step 3- Paint the sand

I then painted the area that would represent the sand. Since I knew I was layering real sand on top, I simply went with a neutral tan to cover up the old wood. Make sure you paint around the sides of the wood as well to create a wrapped look.

Step 4- Touching up the turtles

The previous owners left a piece of art that looked like a circle of turtles attached to a metal ring. My husband took the turtles off and we were pleased to discover they were made of wood. To repurpose them for this project, I painted over them in spots with the paint that matched the kitchen cabinets.

Step 5- Apply the sand to the board

I brought back actual sand from the beach by our house and let it dry out. I then mixed in some Mod Podge (which is really just a liquid glue) and spread it out all along the shore (the tan part). At first it looked like a glue mess, but as it started to dry, the Mod Podge becomes clear.

Step 4- Seal the sand

Although the sand seemed to be mostly glued down, I wanted to go one step further and seal it with Mod Podge acrylic sealer. The wood would be hanging up and I didn’t want sand falling off of it into my kitchen sink.

Step 5- Hot glue the turtles and shells

Time to put everything together! Glue the wooden turtles or whatever you choose to use to the wood. A hot glue gun works best but you could probably use wood glue as well. I also had some shells I gathered that I glued on. And just like that you have a 3D beach art!

Admire your 3D beach art!

To see it in my kitchen click below:

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