DIY in PDX

My Double Back Gate with Arbor

Rachel — Wed, 24 May 2023 21:51:34 +0000

These days, it feels like I have to choose between blogging, and doing, and lately I've been choosing doing. Thus no blog posts. But prepare yourself for one very satisfying before-and-after. I made a gate! Two, technically. I had never built a gate before, but go big or go home, right?

The post My Double Back Gate with Arbor appeared first on DIY in PDX.

A Quick Halloween Art Project

Rachel — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 21:04:32 +0000

Recently I've been seeing cute understated Halloween art for the more minimalist aesthetic. So I had to try making my own last-minute ghost art to decorate for Halloween.

The post A Quick Halloween Art Project appeared first on DIY in PDX.

DIY Leaf Stepping Stones + Garden Makeover

Rachel — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 22:04:02 +0000

Have you ever started what you think will be a tiny little home tweak, and then it becomes a whole big makeover? That's the story of my DIY leaf stepping stones and side garden makeover. (And sometimes it feels like the story of my life.)

The post DIY Leaf Stepping Stones + Garden Makeover appeared first on DIY in PDX.

My Easy Wall-Mounted DIY Headboard

Rachel — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 22:19:55 +0000

I hope I didn't leave you in too much suspense with my last blog post, where I talked about my plans to make a wall-mounted headboard. I was waiting on the upholstery foam to arrive, and just when it finally did, my little family got Covid-19. Thanks to vaccines, it wasn't too bad for us, but everything did come to a screeching halt for several days. And then summer with a toddler on break from preschool was pretty busy for a while.

As you can see, I did finally get the DIY headboard made! I thought about making a version with channels or tufting, but I decided to keep the design simple, so it was relatively easy. That will also make it easier in case I ever want to change the fabric. It turned out pretty similar to my inspiration.

The post My Easy Wall-Mounted DIY Headboard appeared first on DIY in PDX.

Bedroom Makeover Update

Rachel — Thu, 02 Jun 2022 00:27:05 +0000

It's been a few months since we started our bedroom update, and I've gotten a little bit stuck. One of the things that we changed was upgrading from a queen bed to a king. We got a new mattress and a simple platform bed. But after using the bed for a while, I realized that while I like the minimalist no-headboard look, I miss having a headboard to lean up against. And to keep my pillows from falling into the gap between the mattress and the wall.

But since we just bought a new bed frame, it would be wasteful to buy a new one. So I decided to make a wall-mounted upholstered headboard. Otherwise known as a floating headboard.

The post Bedroom Makeover Update appeared first on DIY in PDX.

The Best Home DIY Projects We’ve Done

Rachel — Sat, 21 May 2022 19:21:19 +0000

The other day I started thinking about the home DIY projects we've done that have made the biggest difference in our lives. A few came to mind, and I thought I'd share in case they inspire you, too.

The post The Best Home DIY Projects We’ve Done appeared first on DIY in PDX.

Concrete Ideas

Rachel — Mon, 02 May 2022 22:36:39 +0000

A few years back, I got really into concrete projects. I made some cool concrete and gold plant pots. And ring cones and a round concrete tray. And then I took a break. I just wasn't feeling it for a while. But concrete is back, baby.

Crystal pot: Madewell (sold out). Rhubarb leaf stepping stones: unknown. Concrete lamp: MisceStudio on Etsy. Soap dishes: West Elm. Toilet paper holder: unknown. Leaf stepping stone: Wayfair.

Since we got back from our family trip last week, we've been trying to catch up on stuff around the house. Plus adjust back to the three-hour time difference. And one of my bedroom decor projects has not gone as planned. So I'm working on some other ideas. A couple of which involve concrete.

My garden needs some cute stepping stones, I could use a way to store toilet paper in my upstairs bathroom, I kind of want to make a cute little lamp for my bookshelf, and I need a soap dish. This is not going to be my week to get any of this done, but a girl can dream (and plan).

The post Concrete Ideas appeared first on DIY in PDX.

Links I Like

Rachel — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 01:00:00 +0000

We're on a family trip to celebrate Steven's 40th and Juniper's 3rd birthdays this week, so I'm sharing some links I've enjoyed recently. I hope you're having a great week!

Have you ever tried punch needle? I've been wanting to try it for a long time, but even though I read multiple tutorials, my first attempts were a total failure. So when a friend invited me to an in-person workshop, I was interested to find out what I did wrong. All of it, it turns out. But I got the hang of it, and now I'm excited to try more projects. You can even use punch needle to make your own patches. Have you ever tried punch needle?

Do you ever get annoyed by ugly tissue box covers? I'm really tempted to try my hand at making one of these simple painted canvas tissue box covers.

Oh my gosh, I need to try this vegan chocolate mousse cake asap.

After three years of neglecting my vegetable garden (ahem, you can probably guess why), I rejuvenated it this year, and added worms. I'm trying out in situ worm composting, which sounds perfect for a lazy gardener like me who never bothers to turn her compost bin. Supposedly the worms will do most of the work for me.

This DIY paper pendant light shade is really cool. And so is this one made out of thread. (I have lampshades on my mind for a reason--a spot in my bedroom is in need of a DIY shade.)

I've had concrete projects on my mind lately, too, and I was really impressed when I came across this clever concrete tray with removeable coasters.

I'm sure this pin on how to rewire a lamp will come in handy one day.

The post Links I Like appeared first on DIY in PDX.

Bedroom Makeover: Adding Track Shelves

Rachel — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 21:58:01 +0000

The bedroom makeover continues! After I finished the new bathroom door, we started trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the room. This wall, to the left of the entry door, was in our sights. Because of the many doors in the room, the bed has to stay on its current wall. But this wall is pretty flexible. It only held my vanity, which I never use these days, and our laundry basket, and it was time for a change.

The post Bedroom Makeover: Adding Track Shelves appeared first on DIY in PDX.

Bedroom Makeover Door

Rachel — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 22:03:16 +0000

I know, I know, I've already missed my goal of a post per week. But, in my defense, last week was preschool spring break. And I foolishly also took on another big project that took me way longer to finish than I expected (story of my life). Basically I expanded and rebuilt my three 4'x8' raised garden beds. Now I have three 6'x8' garden beds, all ready to plant. I blame the nice spring weather.

It's hard to overcome garden fever this time of year, but I owe you a bedroom update, not a garden update! So let me get back to what kicked this whole bedroom makeover off: The bathroom door. (Not to be confused with the bedroom door, the closet door, or either of the two French doors to the other closet.)

The post Bedroom Makeover Door appeared first on DIY in PDX.