Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

Flaunt it Friday 155!

2013-05-23T20:58:00.001-05:00

Hey friends! It's the last week of school around here, can't believe summer break is here already.

I think that's a good reason to party. :)

Let's do it.

Flaunt it Friday 154!

2013-05-16T22:32:00.002-05:00

Hey there party animals, it's party time!

No Sew Burlap Table Runner

2013-05-14T11:49:00.000-05:00

Hey friends!

Do you guys remember what an awesome seamstress I am?!

You don't?!?

Ok, well I know I've been a bit of a slacker with my blog posts lately so you may have forgotten...

I don't sew at all!!

I don't even own a sewing machine.

In 8th grade home-ec class we had to make small dufflebags for our sewing project "final exam". Each end of the bag was supposed to be a circle. The ends of my bag were more like triangles (or tri-tangles as my 4 year old says) .

I did not enjoy that project at all.

In fact, I hated it.

I started and gave up sewing all in the 8th grade at the ripe old age of 13. Man... I was cool.

Anyway, I would like to attempt some sewing again now that I am older and wiser. Nothing fancy but just enough to sew a pillow cover or maybe some curtain panels. I have some lessons lined up with my Grandma but for now I have to stick to my no-sew ways.

I think you'll be really impressed with this one. It showcases my current sewing abilities. ;)

I made a no-sew burlap table runner. Here's how to do it.

1. Go to Hob Lob armed with a 40% coupon (or the craft store nearest you) and buy the perfectly sized 12 inch wide burlap roll.

Since it is the perfect width for a table runner it is a great no-sew option.

2. Roll the burlap out to the length you'd like it to be. I used mine on a console table and actually just rolled it on top of the table to the length I wanted.

3. Get your scissors...

Carefully cut the burlap in an oval-like shape at each end. The oval shape will "dress it up".

4. Your table runner is complete!

Is it fancy?

No.

Do I care?

No.

If you're using burlap, chances are you are not going for a "fancy" or formal look.

Will this come unraveled if my kiddos pick at it?

Probably.

It may not be the best choice to use at your kitchen table that your kids sit at everyday unless you move it at meal time. I have mine on a console table that is just for looks so it is holding up wonderfully.

Hopefully you're not thinking "Gee, that was the crappiest no-sew tutorial I ever read, all she did was cut it." Well, exactly! But hey, if you can't sew and you're looking for a cheap table runner then this is for you my friend.

This was so easy and I'm so happy with the way it turned out that I plan on making a couple more of these for some other tables in my home. I'll be able to get several runners out of this one roll of burlap that cost me about $6.

Flaunt it Friday 153!

2013-05-09T21:44:00.000-05:00

Well, hello there! Another week has flown by...sheesh!

I have entered the 2000's by joining Instagram. I've actually had it for awhile but have only used it for personal stuff. This Instagram is going to be blog-type stuff and maybe a little random thrown in too. You can follow me if you'd like, just click the button below. I'd like it if you did. :)

Ok, let's party!

Fairy Gardens... that's right, I said Fairy Gardens

2013-05-04T16:09:00.000-05:00

Hello my lovely friends. Have you seen the latest decorative type craziness around your neck of the woods yet? That which is called "Fairy Gardens".

I walked into my local Jeffery Alans (a local decorating/garden/hobby type store that is a step-up from Hob Lob) and found this huge display of Fairy Garden paraphernalia. I was totally confused at first. I though it was like some upscale outdoor Barbie furniture type stuff. And I'm thinking "what in the world is Jeffery Alans doing selling Barbie furniture?" but as I got closer, I realized this stuff was for fairies, not some tramp like Barbie (just kidding Barbie lovers). ;)

These fairies are living large. They have nicer outdoor furniture than I do. Some even have beautiful gazebos with blingy outdoor chandeliers! (in the cutest, trendiest colors no less!)

If your fairy is too uppity to live in your garden you can make them their own little personal condo in a basket. The fairy will insist on a blingy river with colorful stepping stones.

Check out their great furniture selection...

Wouldn't you love a super-cute aqua trellis and matching outdoor dining set?! I would!!

Wishing wells, patios, bridges, hot pink butterfly benches, gazebos with built-in chandeliers, and more! These fairies should be on Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous! (or MTV Cribs to those of you too young to remember Lifestyles, which I watched as a little kid and really enjoyed!) :)

The fairies have their own selection of live fairy-sized plants to go in their fancy gardens. These would last about a week at my house thanks to my alter ego, "Captain Black Thumb".

You can even buy a fairy if you think a "real" one won't show up to live in yours. ($14.99, is that a deal for a garden fairy??)

I felt like the stuff in the picture below was sorta for a tacky-ier looking fairy garden (note the lawn gnome and the ugly dead tree with a "Fairy Garden" sign, if you have to put a sign on it labeling what it is it's probably not a very good fairy garden).

So, have you seen any Fairy Garden stuff around your town?

What do you think about it?

I think it could be kind of a cute touch of whimsy to a certain type of flower garden. Tucked back into some beautiful and colorful flowers. But you'd really have to have the right flowery setting or it could turn really tacky really fast. I also think it looks like it could turn into an expensive project to have such a fancy garden for a fake fairy.

I'd love to hear your thoughts... Thumbs up or Thumbs down for the Fairy Garden?

Flaunt it Friday 152!

2013-05-02T20:04:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody! It's already time for another party... Woot!

BTW, where did last week go? It was swallowed up by me writing decorating articles for Answers.com. Have you checked them out yet? I hope you will. I'm spending a lot of time on them. (You can probably tell because my blog has been a little bit on the sloooooow side... but I always make my party! I promise I've got more blog goodness coming) Soon my Answers.com articles will include more pictures which I think will be really helpful. Especially in my category. Ok, let's party!

Flaunt it Friday 151!

2013-04-25T22:40:00.002-05:00

Hi guys! It's party time........... :)

Flaunt it Friday 150 and a Winner!

2013-04-18T22:20:00.003-05:00

Hey there, how ya doin'?!

First, I'd like to announce the winner of the CreateMyWalls photo canvas voucher giveaway. Random.org chose comment #44, Congrats, Scrappydarling!

Now, we party. :)

Cheap, DIY Spring Wreath Tutorial

2013-04-16T12:57:00.006-05:00

Hi there, friends! Today I want to share how to my super easy and inexpensive Spring wreath with you.

I made my first burlap wreath last Fall and really liked how it turned out so I decided to make one for Christmas too. I did a burlap wreath tutorial at that time so you can see how to make the base wreath there.

I wanted another burlap wreath for Spring and ~~was too lazy to make another one~~ realized I could easily re-use my burlap wreath by simply switching out the flower pics and stems. Since I didn't hot-glue anything to it everything came off quick and easy!

Here's how it looked all nekked...

That's my "Surprise, I'm in the picture!" face.

I took the wreath down to take the stuff off. For Spring I added 2 forsythia stems for $1 each and 2 Spring floral picks for around $2 each, all were 50% off at Hob Lob.

I had only planned on using one of each because I thought that would be all I needed but it wasn't enough.

I started by adding one forsythia stem to the flattened area that had previously held Christmas flower picks. These stems are really long so you can either cut them or lace them through the wire frame in the back which is what I did. I then added the larger yellow flower pick at that bottom of the forsythia where it is inserted into the wreath frame.

You can attach with pipe cleaner (shown above) or even garbage bag twist ties. Sometimes you can just lace the stem around the wire frame, some floral picks will stay but if it's too heavy you'll need something to attach it or it will fall out or change position.

After I attached the first forsythia and flower picks I did it again mirroring the first set. This was just what it needed. Depending on the size of your wreath you might be able to get away with just one set.

I spent about $7 making the original wreath but that was a one time expense. I spent about $6 on the Spring stems for this one. If you're starting from scratch and use the coupons and sales I mentioned the wreath will cost you a whopping $13. I think that's a pretty good deal!

Linking: Thrifty Decor Chick

Spring Decor, A Kitchen Vignette

2013-04-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, friends!

I like to add some cheery color to my kitchen for Spring, usually green apple green. This year I decided to throw in some yellow with it too (I know, I'm so crazy adding 2 colors, somebody stop me!)

Most of the yellow went on my interchangeable DIY burlap wreath. I'll show you how I made it Spring-ish in a tutorial soon.

I didn't buy a bunch of new stuff, I just used what I had. I brought out my green ceramic birds that I put on candle holders last year. They fit perfect under my cloches after I boosted them up with an upside down bowl and the base of a candle holder.

I had an awful time trying to get a good picture of the console table vignette, lots of windows and lots of glass makes for lots of glare.

This plate is an old favorite from Pier 1 I got a few years back. I think they still have them in a few other colors this year.

My kitchen table centerpiece is randomness I threw together. One bird's nest with eggs, one old candleholder, one skinny cloche, one polka-dot plastic plate and a wreath around the whole thing. For randomness that I just threw together I really like how it turned out.

I'll be back with my wreath tutorial soon and a no sew burlap table runner.

Happy Spring!

Flaunt it Friday 149!

2013-04-11T21:37:00.001-05:00

Hey there! Can you believe it's time for another party? I can't but I'm sure ready for the weekend.

Also, I have some exciting news for you. (I hope it's kind of exciting for you :) I'm going to start featuring some of your best party link-ups here in a weekly Flaunt it Friday Features post. To be featured you need to make sure that you link back to my party in your post, that's it! I will link directly to your blog post so this will be great exposure for some of you newer blogging friends. I will make an effort to feature different people and different types of projects. Don't miss your chance to be featured, make sure to link back!

Reminder: Enter my CreateMyWalls $90 photo canvas voucher giveaway here. Ends this Saturday!

CreateMyWalls Canvas Giveaway and Discount

2013-04-06T09:07:00.000-05:00

Hey there!

I have a fun giveaway and discount for you. Woot!

First, I want to introduce you to CreateMyWalls. They specialize in things for your walls...surprise. ;) Specifically photo and art canvas. I was lucky enough to receive a canvas for review. It was perfect timing as our family photo hanging in our foyer is 4 years old. My baby is now a 4 and a half year old. We could use an update.

I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

This was my favorite picture out of our family pictures this year and I'm thrilled to put it on canvas and display it in our foyer. It turned out lovely on canvas. The colors are vibrant and the picture is sharp, especially for a 16x20. And, the 3 boys in it, well they are just my favorite people in the whole world. It makes my heart happy to look at it.

The canvas is thick and sturdy and so is the frame. I love how the edges look, it needs no frame.

Since I already had a frame that goes well in my foyer I decided to use it again. Plus, I love it and I got the best deal ever on (read about my cheap frame here and see the old family photo). The canvas slides right into the frame, that's all there is to it.

I am pleased as punch (did I really just say pleased as punch?!) with CreateMyWalls and I'm excited to be giving away a voucher code worth $90 to one of you friends.

CreateMyWalls is also offering 35% off to my readers! Use code SOCIALM35OFF

To enter please visit CreateMyWalls and leave a comment here telling me what you would get with your gift voucher. This one is mandatory.

Earn additional entries by becoming my "follower" on Google friend connect.
Subscribe to my RSS Feed
Like me on Facebook.
Follow me on Pinterest.

Winner will be randomly chosen on Monday, April 15.

PS: This is my birthday giveaway that I talked about a few weeks ago, sorry it is late!

Flaunt it Friday 148!

2013-04-04T19:38:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody! I am back from a lovely vacation and feeling relaxed. So fun to go away but always nice to get home and get back into a normal routine.

Actually, I didn't want to come back, I could've stayed down there for a really long time. I'm tired of the "normal routine" and am so ready for summer break. Who's with me?? It is nice to be home and sleep in our own beds though.

I hope you guys enjoyed my 2nd Annual Guest Post Extravaganza. I'm sorry if you sent a post and I couldn't feature you, I ran out of space. I tried to respond to everyone but in case I missed you, thanks for your post, there is always next year!

Now, let's party!

Painted Stripe Hallway, Guest Post

2013-04-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone, I'm (another) Kate and am thrilled to be giving you a glimpse into my quick, easy, (and most importantly) cheap hallway update today.

When we purchased our house, I knew we would be painting the hallway, and we quickly updated it from a dark green to a bright cream. I loved the crisp clean look it gave, but even I have to admit it looked a little plain Jane.

I was initially planning on adding stripes along all of the walls, but with 5 doorways it would have been very start stop, so I decided on one wide stripe on the main wall. Now for the color - I must have bought about 50 different paint chips home. I wanted something neutral, but enough of a contrast that you would actually notice it. In the end I went for Dust Bunny (oh the irony!) by Valspar.

I masked out my line with painters tape. I read a great tip for painting stripes: paint along the outside with an almost dry brush as this seals the edges and prevents bleeding under the tape.

I couldn't wait to whip the tape off. Sure enough, the lines were nice and sharp.

I picked up 4 frames from our local dollar store and framed some of my own photos.

I love how it turned out.

At only $3 for the tester of paint and $4 for the frames the whole project came in under $10. Perfect if you're a renter and don't want the hassle of repainting a whole wall when you move out, or if you want to inject a bit of color but don't want to commit to a whole wall.

You can find me over on Magic City Thistle, where I'm a first time homeowner learning as I go and trying to inject my own style into our new nest, with the help of our sweet little rescue dog Murphy. I love a bargain, am addicted to thrift stores and am an incurrable crafter.

From one Kate to another, thank you so much for letting me stop by and visit.

Pretty Spring Porch, Guest Post

2013-04-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

I'm so honored to be here guest hosting for Kate today. I'm Anita from Cedar Hill Ranch where we do Texas Living with a French Accent.

Right now it's perfect porch weather in Texas, so I thought I might share some ideas for how you can set up your porch for outdoor living. I know a lot of people set a rocker outside and call it done, but here in Texas we like to do things BIG. My back porch is 600 sq. ft., which I know is on the large-ish side, still some of these ideas could be used on a smaller scale.

The main piece of furniture on our back porch is an antique daybed. We use it all of the time for visiting with friends, reading a book, enjoying the breeze, or taking a lazy nap. I made the bedding using linen fabric and vintage grain sacks.

The antique trunk works perfectly as a coffee table providing a mouse-free storage space, and just the right spot to put your feet.

There's also a 7 ft antique pine kitchen table that we use for dinner. This is one of my favorite places to serve dinner when we have guests.

It's a great place to enjoy a meal in the evening, since it's shaded and usually has a gentle breeze, but the best part is the view as the sun sets in the west.

A pine china cabinet full of dishes, means I don't have to go inside to grab plates for dinner.

We added a non-working electric chandy that we converted so it could be used with candles, click here to see how I did it.

On the other side of the porch we have what we call the breakfast nook, which is really just a small table that seats 4.

During a recent party, the back porch was a favorite place for guests to hang out, click here to see more. I made homemade bunting for the back porch for a festive feel.

I love to cook out outdoors, so I often bring my electric skillet outside and do my cooking on this Ikea stainless steel table.

A small pie safe acts as a side table next to the daybed and provides more storage.

I've so enjoyed sharing our back porch with you. Now that we've met, come by any time.

I've got a rocker here with your name on it. Well... not literally... that would be weird. You can tour the rest of the ranch here.

Kate, thanks so much for allowing me to share my back porch with your gracious readers.

Huge Book Page Wreath Tutorial, Guest Post

2013-04-02T11:48:00.002-05:00

Hi...I'm Millie.

I am a frugal decorator, a wall art painter, a bit of a poet, a dreamer, a meticulous organizer and a debt free extreme couponer. I am a hair designer and after working and teaching the art of beauty for 33 years in the beauty industry, I finally retired 6 years ago. I am now devoting 100% of my time in making my home a beautiful place to live in.

My blog is called:

http://frugaliciouschick.blogspot.com

I hope you all can visit me sometime.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Kate for giving me the platform to display the beautiful wreath I completed this last Tuesday. I hope you all like it.

In this post I have included a complete tutorial on how to make my wreath.

My wreath is very large but you can make yours a lot smaller if you wish.

Here are the items that you will need to make your wreath.

For my large wreath I used...

1 - 20x30 flat Styrofoam sheet

Hot glue gun

Lots of glue (I used 52 glue sticks)

Book pages

Note...you can use a them like mine "Romance books...like Harlequin Romance books", that's why I called my wreath the Love wreath.

(Other Examples of papers to use...music sheets, story books, cook books, etc.)

The pages depends on the room decor...take your pick...you will need lots of them...I used 8 smaller story books and 4 large books.

1 round piece cardboard (cut out for the center)

Fabric to cover the cardboard

1 piece (10 inches long) heavy duty wire & wire scissors

and regular cutting scissors

Lets go by steps:

1. Cut an even circle off your Styrofoam. I used a string and a pencil to make a circular level for a perfect circle. Tie the string on the eraser end of the pencil, then place the eraser part on the center of the foam sheet and then trace counter clock wise a circle all the way around the foam while holding on to the eraser part on the center of the foam, then once the circle is completed cut it out with scissors.

2. Have the glue gun on very hot and start making your large cones first by making them wider on the top and smaller on the bottom like the ones on my wreath. Place them around the circle starting from the outer edges and work yourself around the circle until your first later is completed. Get two or three nice layers all the way around the circle by bringing each layer about a 1/2 an inch lower from the previous one.

Here is an example of a second layer being placed. I glue them apart to make sure ever cone was even, then I filled the spaces in between them with more cones,

As you can see how my cones are slowly closing it self towards the center while making sure the wreath looks even all the way around as you start another layer, check it often.

3. Once you have come to this stage check and see which side of the wreath will looks better to be the top part of the wreath that will face upward on the wall...(If you have a friend have her place the wreath on the wall for a better look).

Once you decided which side is going up take a sharp knife and punch two holes about 5 inches apart from one another in the center that is not covered in cones (that is where you will make the holes)...then string your wire through the holes...twist the 2 ends of the wire together on the back of the wreath tightly ( you can turn your wreath upside down for this...this will not damage your wreath, then to close the hanger well and to prevent the wreath from falling off the wall use your hot glue gun and glue the wire edges by the holes you strung them through placing a small piece of cardboard over the glue to seal the holes (just don't press hard on the cardboard after gluing the holes and the pieces of cardboard back there...you don't want to crush he wreath), do this to the front part of the wires also where you strung the wires through. Just like my photo below...I also covered the cardboard with a page from the book I was using.

4. Hang your wreath on the wall you are planning to hang your wreath on. Now this is where your creativity really comes to play here...after you hang the wreath on the wall step back and take a good look at it. Look and see if its round, if not then you must fill in certain areas to make it even...here is what you need to do, slowly going all around the wreath, circle the wreath with more cones to even the wreath out, you can glue more cones in between cones, you can glue cones inside other cones to make that area wider or longer, or you can make smaller cones to fill in any empty holes that you see around the front part of the wreath or around the outer edges.

Once you have even your wreath well now start going towards the center with tighter fitted cone shapes like mine. So you are gradually going from large wider cones, to medium cones and then to smaller cones made from the smaller books. Like my photo below.

Once you have put 2 layers of smaller cones all the way around the center closing up the center hole then pin with a long pin the fabric covered cardboard onto the center of the wreath. Step back and check the wreath to see if it is centered properly. If it is centered then glue the center down. Then slowly make lots of smaller cones and tuck them in between the other edges of the fabric center...make more cones and begin filling in nicely empty spaces around the center to make the flower look like a real flower. As you do this continuously step back and check your wreath to make sure it is even on every angle around the center. Also finish filling any more holes that may be all around the wreath. Make the sizes of the cone necessary to fill in the spaces an glue them in place.

With cutting scissors trim any little edges that you may need to trim down in order to even out the wreath.

My wreath was made from old story books that had brown edges on them and my center is upholstered in a chocolate brown fabric.

Please let Kate and I know if you make this wreath, we would both be excited to see your photos.

Have a great Summer.

Thrift Shop Mirror Makeover, Guest Post

2013-04-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hello Chic on a Shoestring Readers! I'm excited to have a chance to be guest posting here today!

So let me introduce myself.....

I'm Elise and I'm constantly working on artsy/crafty projects that I share over at my blog Grow Creative. I'm a wife and mommy to a four-year-old. I love art, crochet, finding cute ways to decorate my home cheaply, swimming, and kids!

I'm also a firm believer in the power of using our creative abilities to help us see the good in life and grow. I believe everyone has a creative spark in them somewhere!

So this is what I have to share today....

a little before and after thrift store find. Check out this mirror I found for $2!

After covering the glass with paper and masking tape (that was seriously the hardest part) I gave it few coats of spray paint. Amazing what a little aqua paint can do! It's now hanging in my living room :)

My brilliant husband thought it would be cool to draw a mustache on it too......I love how his brain works! I drew one with some window crayons (yes, they are washable) and let me tell you, it took MANY tries with my camera to get it lined up just right on my face....but I always knew I'd look cool with a twirly mustache :)

Converting an Old Window to Social Center, Guest Post

2013-03-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hi I’m Lynnie and I'm here as a guest poster today from Vintage Gal Style.

My girlfriend in New Hampshire found this old window on the side of the road and asked me if I was interested...well I was, so home it came over 700 miles.

Here are the supplies I used to convert the disgarded window to a social center in our cottage home.

I cut down a corkboard to use in one pane and particle board for another. My dear hubby replaced a glass pane and recocked.

After my corkboard was ready, I simply cut a piece of fabric and stapled it to the back then tacked it in place inside the missing pane.

Next I painted the particle board with a paint gripper and chalkboard paint, which ended up being more tricky than expected as it was very thick. Then it was tacked in place.

To dress it up and use it as a seasonal display, I added a paper punch banner and Easter images. I used a glue that can be easily removed when I want to change out the images.

Now we have a central Social Center where we all know what is happening! I think it could use a window sil don't you... oh dear hubby?

I had everything but the chalk board paint and Gripper so it was very budget friendly.

My inspiration for this came from my Jar Queen Pinterest Board.

Create On, Lynnie

Decorate for Spring with Flowers: Guest Post

2013-03-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hello! I'm Bonnie from The Pin Junkie and I'm so happy to be guest posting for Kate today! I get my inspiration for projects, home decorating, crafts, and recipes at Pinterest and then share them on my blog.

Spring is officially here, and I'm so glad to see sings of it everywhere I look! I'd like to show you how to decorate for spring with fresh flowers. You don't need to spend a lot of money at a florist. You just need a good selection of flowers and some imagination.

I like to get my flowers at Trader Joes's. They have a great selection at cheapo prices. I made all of these arrangements with only three bouquets of flowers which cost less than $20.00! I also like to use a variety of objects, not just vases, to hold the flowers.

How about using a tea pot?

Milk bottles in a vintage milk crate are another unique way to display flowers.

Sometimes I don't mind using a vase when I can find a really pretty or unusual one. I love shopping at thrift stores and I couldn't pass up this pretty little vase for 99 cents!

I love how elegant just one really pretty flower looks in it.

How about mixing tulips and daisies? This arrangement is perfect for spring!

Even items that you don't think will work, might still make a good arrangement. I really like this ceramic berry basket, but it's very wide, shallow, and won't hold water. It doesn't seem like it would work well for arranging flowers does it?

I found a great way to fix that! I used a clear glass bowl that fit inside the berry basket. Then, I used tape to make a grid pattern across the top of the bowl. The grid pattern will hold the flowers in place.

Since the bowl is small and shallow, I cut the stems of the flowers short. (Arranging them OCD style is optional!)

Poke the flower stems through the holes in the grid you made with the tape.

Keep adding more flowers until you have a nice full arrangement.

I hope this gives you some ideas for using inexpensive supermarket flowers to create a really beautiful flower arrangement. Wouldn't these be great for Easter?

Happy Spring everyone!

Flaunt it Friday 147!

2013-03-28T19:30:00.000-05:00

I hope you are enjoying my 2nd Annual Guest Post Extravaganza, I know I am.

Now, let's party

The DIY Fork Tower, Guest Post

2013-03-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hello CSD Readers! I am Judy, author of Pursuit of Functional Home and Kusina ni Inday. I am a SAHM to 2 lovely babies (boy and girl). I blog about DIY, sewing, crafting, baking, basic blog tips and tricks, shares home inspiration and some humor every Monday.

I am so happy and grateful to be here with you. Thank you so much Kate for giving me this opportunity to flaunt my project.

I have a new obsession and it's about making projects using spoon and fork. It amazes me how we can create a fabulous and unique home decor out of spoon and fork. I am going to share with you my recent project called "The Fork Tower". I started this project with no clear vision in mind. I just keep on gluing forks on top of each other and pop goes my Fork Tower.

Things you need for this project:

Hot Glue Gun

Plastic Fork

Spray Paint

Step 1.
Glue 9 forks on top of each other.

Step 2.
Make 4 sets.

Step 3.
Glue together to create a tower.

Step 4. Spray paint. I suggest to spray paint the forks before starting the project. It is a lot easier. Then spray paint it again to hide the traces of glue.

Hello Gold Fork Tower...

I hope you like it and enjoyed the tutorial. I'd love for you to stop by my site. You are all welcome.

Again, thank you so much Kate for this opportunity to mingle with you and your beautiful readers.

You might also like a few of my favorite post.

Before & after Common Bath

Judy

About the Author:
She is a SAHM to 2 beautiful and lovely kids. A wife to a generous and supportive husband. She started blogging to share her projects in crafts, sewing, baking, DIY and a few things about her personal life. She is the author of Pursuit of Functional Home and Kusina ni Inday Blogs. Learn more about her here. Connect with her via FB, Twitter, Bloglovin, G+ and Pinterest.

Color Flow: Guest Post

2013-03-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hello All!

My name is Amy, from the blog Life Is A Trip Worth Taking. I am so excited to be here and guest posting for Kate. She throws great parties and always has awesome decorating ideas that anyone can use.

My blog is life, family, and decorating DIY all in one. You write what you know, right? And, what I know is about boys, family time, and my favorite hobby, anything decor or DIY related.

When deciding what to write about for this guest post, I was going through some pictures and something really jumped out at me. See if you can tell what it might be:

Need some more?

I'm sure you've got it now.

It's continuity. The shades of aqua blue and turquoise all over my house. It's not overwhelming in some rooms, and in others it's the main focus. But, it is everywhere.

In home decor and design, I believe it is necessary to choose a few main colors for the palette of your home. My colors happen to be aqua, yellow, and orange. Sounds pretty crazy right? They actually harmonize very well together.

The aqua is the main color that I have used throughout my home, with splashes of the orange and yellow, as well.

The continuity of the color throughout the house, allows each room to relate to one another. There's no startling feeling going from room to room. You kind of know what to expect from each space, therefore the feeling you get is one of comfort and it is more pleasing to the eye. HGTV suggests even varying the shades of the colors you choose to use throughout your home, as well as the color that you pair the primary shade with.

My primary goal in my home is for anyone who enters to feel comfortable and relaxed. I've used darker tones in the living room to create a cozy effect, and lighter colors in the kitchen and other areas to inspire a feeling of energy.

Darker living area

Notice the aqua, orange, and yellow?

Brighter dining area

You don't have to paint all your walls the same color to create a flow throughout your home. But, try to incorporate similar accent colors in accessories, draperies, pillows, and other items, to allow your rooms to relate well to one another.

Are you wondering where to start? Spray paint! I painted my dining room chairs in contrasting colors that flow from the living room because those two rooms are open to one another. I have used paint samples to paint the inside of glass vases, and frames of mirrors. Scrapbook paper is a DIYer's best friend, too! Cover books, frame it, mod podge it on anything. Hand towels, and kitchen towels make great and inexpensive pillow covers. Before you know it, you can have a cohesive and fun color scheme that you can carry over into every room of your home.

Give a try! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Corner Pantry Makeover, Guest Post

2013-03-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hello all you lovely Chic on a Shoestring Decorating friends!!

Thank you Kate for allowing me to take over your blog today. I'm so excited to share my project!

Let me quickly introduce myself before I begin.

My name is Isabella, but I usually go by Bella :)

I blog over at Bella Before and After and have been blogging for almost 3 years now.

I love food, love to cook, love DIY, love saving money, love all things green, love yoga, love gardening, love creating things, love fixing up my home, love thrift stores, love my family, and kiddos, and so much more, which is why I'm always TRYING to do it all.

I also love decorating cakes, which is why I'm so excited about my new venture. I will be specializing in creating Custom Cake Kits, helping anyone, even you, create a fabulous cake at home. Sounds awesome right? I know, I can't wait :) Come say hi anytime, my NEW website is called Bella's Cake Kits.

Bella Before and After

Before I get started showing you how I created this beauty, let me show you the disaster that my pantry used to be. I absolutely hate wire shelves in the pantry so much, and this corner pantry was just a DISASTER. They were bending, they were falling out of the walls, and the spacing between shelves was such a waste of space. I hated it. Like REALLY bad.

After living with the pantry like this since moving in about 6 months ago, I simply couldn't take it any more. I just had to fix it, and fast, and without a lot of work, and hopefully without a lot of money.

I'm happy to report the pantry makeover was literally a afternoon project. I started after the kids went to school, and by that evening, my pantry was finished. I kept thinking of different ways to make this corner pantry work, and after driving myself crazy, trying to create the PERFECT pantry, I just scribbled a rough draft on a sheet of paper, took some measurements, and headed to the Home Depot.

I had to make 2 trips total, but all in all, it ended up pretty much the way I had pictured. Only costing just a tad bit more than I planned.

From start to finish, including planning, shopping, and creating I finished everything in one afternoon. After the kids went to school, I started the planning. By noon I was back and tearing the pantry apart.

Here's how I did it :

Obviously the first thing was to remove those crappy wire shelves.
Notice the bend in them.

They were literally falling out of the walls.

So I started to remove all the brackets, and of course the walls looked like swiss cheese.

Is there a proper way to remove those brackets without creating so much damage to your walls? I couldn't figure it out for the life of me. So as frustrating as it was to see my walls so damaged. I had a little trick up my sleeve.
NO PAINTING, caulking, or patching for me. No way.... didn't have time or the desire for that.
Remember I wanted this to be a FAST makeover!!

My secret?
This lovely drop cloth paper from the paint section at Home Depot.
It was thick, and cheap.
Although I wasn't crazy about the color brown, I had envisioned something more "fun" in there, but you know what? It worked!! Beautifully, if I do say so myself. I simply took the roll, and wrapped the walls. I used a regular stapler to attach it to the wall.

After going up 3 times with the paper, I stopped. I didn't think I needed to go all the way to the ceiling. I have an extra tall ceiling, and there was no wall damage up there anyway.

These shelf brackets and rails are what cost the most. I could have gotten the cheaper ones, but ended up getting these because the last thing I wanted was my shelves to come crashing down on me. Better be safe than sorry.
See that bracket at the top? That is extra insurance. The rails snap in there, and that bracket was connected to studs, so I didn't need to worry about finding them for the rails.

Not going to lie, and say it was a piece of cake, but it was EASY enough. Like I said from start to finish this was an afternoon project. Having those top brackets helped out so much. The rails got screwed into some anchors, and it was time for the shelving.

Again, I could have saved some money by buying mdf, or cheap plywood, but I coughed up double and went for some nice thick cabinet grade wood. The lovely guys at Home Depot cut those babies up according to my measurements, which fit like a glove :)

To prevent the shelves from sliding, I tried screwing the brackets to the bottom of the shelves, but it wasn't working out. I'm not even sure if that's what those holes are for. I couldn't get it to work at all. So I decided to try this instead.
Some thin strips of non slip carpet backing and my shelves didn't budge at all. I know once I put the food on them they wouldn't go anywhere, but this put my mind at ease.

Here you can see how tall the ceilings are. I did not go to the top with the brown paper, but the shelving does go almost all the way up. I love that I am utilizing that space now.

I created the longer shelves to have more room between them for larger items.

While leaving the smaller shelves on the left, spaced just enough to stack my canned goods.

Here's another shot of the finished pantry!
I was thinking I might paint the shelves, or line them with contact paper, but as of now, they are still natural. I kind of like the rustic feel of it.
It may not be the prettiest pantry makeover, BUT let me tell you, it just might be the most practical. I can't even begin to tell you how much room I have in there now.

I'm sure you want to see it all stocked up right? I don't blame you!!
Why don't you stop by my blog for an update, I will be posting how I organize my pantry later this week. You won't want to miss it. I'm all about practical here, but I promise it looks pretty awesome if I do say so myself.
Thanks again Kate for having me over today. This was so fun sharing a DIY post for a change.
I've been super focused on my 40 day challenge, and trying to get healthy. If you're curious what I'm talking about, you should check out my before pictures of my BODY, now that's a BEFORE picture I never thought I'd share with anyone, but it's turned out to be a blessing.
I sure hope you stop by to say hi sometime!!

Upcycled Candle Jar turned Apothecary, Guest Post

2013-03-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!

I'm Susan from Homeroad and I am thrilled to be visiting Kate today at Chic on a Shoestring. I've been decorating and creating all my life and when I learned about blogging I jumped on the bandwagon! Homeroad was created as a journal of my creations and has grown to an Etsy shop as well.

Thanks for having me Kate and I hope you will all

enjoy my project today...

Can you believe it began as a candle?

Yes, this candle to be exact...

Bath & Body Works

The candle was finished so I cleaned out the jar and
gave it a new life.

Easily created from the jar and a thrift store candle holder...

I removed the top of the candlestick...

and glued the lid of the Bath & Body Works

candle on top of the candlestick as the base of my pedestal.

Then sat the glass jar...

The glass jar isn't glued in, just sits nicely inside the base.

I added some Spring loveliness to the jar...

Then had another idea....

What if I flipped the jar over and used it as a cloche?

I flipped the glass over into the base and added a knob to the top...

Wow, I think I like it better this way!

I attached the knob on the top of the jar with a glue dot so it can be removed and the cloche can once again be flipped over and used the other way. Because if you're anything like me you change things around on a daily basis.

The bunny is loving it for Spring decorating!

And in case you haven't seen them yet...
Ribbet
has some awesome new effects for photo editing!

Washi Tape Stationary, Guest Post

2013-03-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hi there! Let me first thank Kate for this wonderful opportunity!

I'm Danielle and I blog over at Sew Much Crafting. I'm a stay at home wife and lover of Christ! My sweetie and I have been married almost three years - and we love turning everyday life into an adventure... Why not!? I share crafts, organization and money saving tips, sewing projects, and pictures from our adventures over at Sew Much Crafting.

If you've been on Pinterest for long, you know washi tape is a big deal right now! I didn't quite get why until I got some, but now I'm as big a fan as the next girl! It's so fun and cheerful! I've even shared a few projects that incorporate washi tape, and I've devoted an entire board to washi projects!

I've got a simple and fun washi project for you today. All you need is paper and washi tape!

I've had a package of photo paper for years... It came with my printer when I got it for a high school graduation gift {six} years ago! I offered it to a friend and she suggested I use it for scrap paper.
I think I used one or two pieces after that.

Then it hit me - why not make it beautiful with washi tape?! I used the scrap photo paper for this project, but plain paper is great too! Cut it to whatever size you want and make it beautiful!