This week I’m giving you some easy tips on how to decorate with things you may already have.  I love using items in a new and unexpected way than their original purpose.

Budget Tip of the Day: Plates as Art

Instead of using pretty plates for food, why not use them as art.  This works especially well with smaller plates.

via BHG

It’s so easy to make an arrangement like this yourself.  Adhere a colorful, patterned piece of scrapbook paper to the inside of a shadowbox frame with double stick tape.  Choose paper that contrasts with your plates so they stand out.  I love the contrast of the traditional plates with the more modern patterned paper in this photo.  Adhere your plate to the frame with some epoxy or very strong glue and enjoy your unique, custom-looking artwork.  Talk about easy, right?!

Here is another photo of one of my favorite rooms of all time, designed by my favorite designer, Sarah Richardson.  The plates as artwork made me swoon and fall in love with this space.  I keep coming back to it time and time again.

via Sarah Richardson

Aren’t those plates just lovely!

Come back tomorrow for more new uses for everyday things.

So here’s how it works.  Your sign up for a free account and drag the “Clip” button to your bookmarks bar.  This takes just seconds.  When you get to a page you want to come back to, you click the “Clip” button and save it into one of your clipboards.  So instead of a big generic bookmarks menu, you put everything into clipboards that you can customize.  You can create as many clipboard categories that you like.  When you go into clipix, you’ll see all your clipboards and everything has a picture so you remember exactly what you wanted to remember.  It’s simply fabulous!

You can watch this short video to see it all in action.

So I decided to clean out my bookmarks and put all the important stuff into organized clipboards with clipix.  Now everything is SO much easier to find.  Here is a screen shot of my clipboards.

When you sign up, there are pre-set clipboards ready for you to add to.  Things like books you want to read, favorite recipes, shoes, gift ideas, and more.  You can keep those, change them, and add your own.  I added categories like favorite fabrics, budget decorating ideas, favorite rooms, etc.  The possibilities are endless.  You can create a new clipboard at any time within the “Clip” panel
You can also choose whether you want your clips to be private or if you want to share them with friends, family, or the whole clipix community.

I spent about an hour going through my old bookmarks and transferring them into my new clipboards.  I didn’t remember what half of them were because there were no pictures.  That’s what is so great about clipix.  Not only are things organized much better, but the pictures help you remember exactly what you want without having to go to the actual page.

Can you tell how much I love clipix yet?  In the short time since I signed up, it has completely changed how I work.  I’m constantly putting together design boards for my clients, and having an organized clipboard for all my product sources has been a huge time saver.  I have a clipboard for each client which makes finding things a snap.

You are going to love it.  Head over to clipix, sign up for a free account, and start clipping.

So what would you use clipix for?  What clipboard categories would you create?

Promoted Post

Remember this design board I recently showed you.

Well Cathey finished her guest room and sent me the pics.

Here is what it looked like before.

And after!

I gave her a bunch of DIY projects to help stay within her budget.  She made the headboard, sewed the pillows, and painted the nightstands.  The nightstands are one of my all time favorite DIY projects ever.  There are lots of RAST dresser makeovers, but this one tops my list.  So cheap and just plain fabulous.

Great job Cathey!

If you want help creating a home you love, contact me about my e-design services.

The butcher block counters are cleared off and everything is piled onto the island.  So far we’ve got 2 coats of Waterlox on the counters.  Just 2 more coats to go, and then a few more days to let it cure.  So I still have a week to go before I can actually regain my counter space and live fully in my kitchen.

After just oiling the counters for about 2 weeks, we realized that we needed a better finish.  Oil keeps the wood from drying out, but it doesn’t protect the wood from water and spills.  That is just not very functional for our family.  I didn’t want to constantly worry about wiping the counters and have to upkeep with sanding water spots and applying the oil every week.  The answer to this problem is “Waterlox.”

It’s very smelly and you need to apply 3 to 4 coats (once every 24 hours).  You are also supposed to let it cure for a week after applying the last coat.  It takes some time, but it’s very easy to apply.  When all is said and done, the counters are sealed and have a varnish type finish that is resistant to liquids.  This stuff has also brought out the rich color of the butcher block and it looks amazing.

Let’s check a few things off my to-do list:

• Seal the counters
• Paint the doors
• Install the back splash
• Attach window molding
• Make the roman shade

The only thing left is the back splash!  I’m actually really excited to do this.  I’ve seen tiling done on TV a million times, and I’ve always wanted to try it out myself.

I used a nice Purdy bristle brush to cut into the corners and edges, and then used a Whiz foam roller for the rest.  I did two coats each on the back and the front.  I sanded them lightly between each coat with a 100 grit sanding block.  Sanding between coats is KEY for getting a smooth finish.  I’m not gonna lie here.  This was a huge project and took a LONG time.  My paint is oil based, so drying time took at least 5-6 hours between coats.

Here are a few things I’ve learned from this experience:

1. Wait for a warmer, dryer season to paint kitchen cabinets.
2. Use oil-based paint for cabinets.  The finish is so much more durable and you need that in a kitchen.
3. Wear gloves!!  If you don’t, you’ll be scrubbing your hands for hours trying to get this stuff off.
4. Plan on setbacks, mistakes, and imperfections.
5. Plan on things taking a lot longer than you thought to complete.

Tomorrow I’ll give you a peek at how everything looks so far with the doors back on.  It’s really starting to come together!

After the tube tape is sewn, the next step is to attach a board to the top.  This doesn’t come with the kit.  You don’t need anything big or fancy here.  Just get a  1 x 2 board cut to the width of your shade at Home Depot.  I already had this scrap piece in my garage and it worked just fine.

Wrap the top of your shade up and around the top of the board and use a staple gun to attach it.

Time to string the shade.  Grab the roll of cording that comes with the kit and cut 3 pieces.  The directions will give an estimate of how long each piece needs to be.  It will just depend on the size of your shade.

Starting about 1 inch in from the side, pull the cord through the bottom pocket in the tube tape and secure with a double knot.

These pockets are pretty tiny, so using a needle will help you pull the cord through.  I used a yarn darner needle for this because the opening was big enough for the cording to fit through.  After you’ve secured the cord to the bottom, string it through the rest of the pockets working your way up to the top.  Then repeat this step in the middle and other side of the shade.

Drill 3 pilot holes (in line with your cords) into the board and screw the hooks in.  These hooks also come with the kit.

String each cord up through the eye hook and then through the next eye hook to the left until you have all three cords coming out the far hook.

Then secure the cords together with a  knot.

Now it’s time to insert the wooden dowels.  These don’t come with the kit, but they are very cheap.  You can get them at craft stores or any hardware store.  Have them cut slightly less that the width of your shade.  Can you see how awesome this tube tape is?!  It pretty much does all the hard work for you.

The directions on the kit say to sew your shade lining on at the point to cover the cords and the dowels, but I sewed it on at the very beginning.  I didn’t really care about how it looks from the back.

I didn’t take pictures of the next step.  You simply attach the L brackets that come with the kit to the board.  Then attach the board to your window.  Finally, attach the included cord cleat to wrap the cord around when shade is up.

This project was not hard, but it did take some time.  I finished over the course of 3 days, working on it when my kids were at school and napping.  I was nervous to make this by myself, but the kit made it pretty simple.  If you can sew a semi-straight line, you can make your own roman shade.

I love how mine turned out!

I measured my window and cut the fabric 6 inches longer and 1 inch wider than the window dimensions.  I also added a lining fabric for the back.  Then I pinned and hemmed the sides in a half inch.  The key to easy hemming is pressing first.  I pinned, then pressed, pinned in place again, and sewed.

I did the same thing for the bottom.  I hemmed it up 2 inches.  I probably should have folded the hem over a second time for a cleaner edge, but I was feeling lazy.

The next step is to attach the tube tape.  Tube tape is the trick to making this a doable project for anyone.  It comes with the kit.  It has little pocket openings for the wooden dowels and for the cording.  I’ll show you these steps in full tomorrow.

You need to measure your shade and mark lines where the tube tape will be sewn.  The first line should be 4 inches up from the bottom and each line after should be spaced 6 inches apart.

I used a fabric marker and my ruler to draw a straight line.  This step took the longest.  There is a lot of measuring to make sure you get your lines perfectly straight.

Now it’s time to pin on the tube tape.  Just follow the lines and pin, making sure the pockets of the tube tape are facing up.

Time for more sewing.  Sew along the top edge of the tube tape, making sure not to sew over any of the tiny pockets.

Come back tomorrow for Part 2!

Installing window molding is such an easy diy project.  You can do this to any window in your home and it will instantly look better. Here is a look at our kitchen window before.

Normally, I would place the molding on all 4 sides of the window, but in the kitchen, I want there to be more subway tile showing underneath the window.  So I came up with another solution.  I bought an MDF board to sit as the base of the window sill.  We cut it down to fit snugly inside and cut a piece out so it wrapped around to the wall.

Then we cut measured and cut the trim molding at a 45 degree angle for the remaining 3 sides.

You can see how the bottom of the trim sits right on top of the MDF board.  There are a few little gaps (our windows weren’t built perfectly straight–gotta love that, right!), but a little wood filler and caulk will fill those in just fine.

We installed everything with a nail gun.  It was so fast and easy.

I still need to fill in the nail holes and the corners, but here is the almost finished window now.

The pictures don’t really do it justice.  It looks so much better!  The trim does go slightly higher than the cabinets, but if I would have gotten a smaller width, there would have been a small gap on both sides between the cabinets.  So this was the better option, I think.  Once the doors are back on, I don’t think it will be a big deal.

Come back tomorrow for a full tutorial on the roman shade.

Many people would love to increase the value of their home. If you’re serious about
doing this then it definitely helps to invest some money in the building, as this can
make a significant difference to what your home is worth. Read on to find out about
some of the best ways to increase the value of your home through investing money in
it.

Get a loft conversion
One of the best investments you can make in your home is a loft conversion. In some
areas of the country, it can add as much as 20% to the value of the building. Loft
conversions can be used for many purposes, such as an extra bedroom or a study
depending on your needs. This means it could be a really practical addition to your
house that benefits you and your family as well as the value of the property.

Renovate the bathroom
Bathrooms are another area of the house where it definitely pays to invest. If you are
looking at bathroom suites, it can be a good idea to go for something fairly neutral
in terms of color, as this makes them more appealing to potential buyers. You can
also get some fantastic bathroom furniture, such as cabinets and cupboards, which
add valuable extra storage space and are very attractive to many people who might be interested in buying your home in the future.

Consider planning permission
Even if you aren’t planning to extend your property while you are living there, it can be a good idea to investigate the possibility of getting planning permission for doing so anyway. For instance, many people who buy houses are interested in the potential to extend them in order to add extra living and bedrooms. If your house is sold with planning permission then this can make it more valuable to the people who are interested in buying it. Having planning permission for an extension means that a lot of the hassle is removed from the process in the future, as well as showing off the potential of your house.

Upgrade plumbing and electrics
Another good investment to make in your house is an upgrade to your plumbing and electrical systems. Modern, high quality plumbing and electrics are not only attractive to buyers and therefore beneficial for the value of your house, but they also make your house much safer and more efficient. This means upgrading your systems can be something worth doing even if you’re not interested in selling the house.

Get a garage
Finally, if your property doesn’t already have a garage, it can be a good idea to build one if possible. Garages are especially attractive to people looking to buy houses in crowded urban areas. If you have a double garage, it can add as much as 15% to the value of the property and so this is definitely an investment worth considering even if you don’t plan to use it yourself.

Overall, while investments by nature cost you money up front, if you are careful about what you spend and where you spend it, any investments you make in your home should more than pay off in the long run.

I was planning to do the install by myself (I’m feeling very confident) because my husband doesn’t love these projects like I do.  But he actually said he wants to help me (instead of me roping him into it).  He’s such a trooper and happily puts up with all the “surprise” projects I bring home.

Today I’m finishing up the roman shade, so I’ll hopefully have an update on that tomorrow.