Fall-o-ween Front Porch Reveal

Yay! We're no longer the eyesore on the block! Our house is officially ready for trick-or-treaters. We decided to take a bit more of an autumnal approach to Halloween decorating this year. I'm calling it Fall-o-ween! A whole lot of FALL with some HALLOWEEN on the side. 

Come take a peek!

DIY Dog Silhouette Coasters

We adopted Quinn almost a year ago this week (May 4th) and she is such an important part of our lives. When a rep from her rescue approached me about making something for their online auction, I was only too glad to oblige. I tossed around a few doggy themed ideas (like my no-sew waterproof placemats) and finally settled on crafting up some unique coasters.

I wanted to appeal to a wide variety of dog lovers so rather than picking one breed, I went with a variety. Plus, Quinn is a bit of a mutt (Beagle & German Shepherd mix) so it only felt right to go that route in support of the other pups out there. The silhouettes I chose were: dachshund, Boston terrier, German shepherd, pug, beagle, and boxer.

Spring Mantle Reveal

Maybe you recall seeing some sneak peeks of our newly redecorated mantle in my Instagram feed or on this week's Insta Replay Monday. 

I'm so excited that it is finally done. I wish I had some before pictures, but I didn't plan ahead and took all of our old stuff down as soon as the Mr. gave me the green light. If you're really curious as to what was up there before, think ships and globes... BLEH -- blame the Mr.! That's not our style at all, we're much more green than that. When I finally got the go ahead to restyle everything, I knew I would be bringing the outdoors in. 

Pinecone Curtain Ties

Earlier this year I transformed our window treatments with huge poppy curtain ties. They made such a positive impact on the room but it was about time to switch things up a bit. My original inspiration came when I saw this wreath alternative here. I fell in lust but since I already made my Star of Bethlehem wreath, I scrapped that idea and went inside with the pinecones instead.  That's when I decided on number seventeen of The 25 Projects of Christmas: Pinecone Curtain Ties. These will surely delight throughout the rest of the season. 

While the Mr. is super nice about letting me have free reign when decorating the house, I try not to press my luck. "Pretty" things just aren't his style. While I'd say that these curtain ties are definitely on the pretty side, he doesn't seem to mind. Yay me! Read on for how to make your own!

Halloween Luminaries

It's September! Guess what that means? The Autumn holidays are upon us. Yay! I am so flipping excited about the next few months. I couldn't help but to get a Halloween project out of the way already. 

These would look spooktacular clustered on your dining room table. They cast a fun shadow when lit and look eerie even when they are no flames inside. The best part is that they are completely customizable... you could do different shapes, colors, or even words! Just think -- how fantastic would these look spelling out Happy Halloween across your mantle?? The possibilities are endless!

Cinderella Story: Chair Makeover

Does everyone religiously browse the PB catalog like me? I have been crushing on some fun and structured chairs lately but there was no way in heck I would pay more than $100 for each chair: see them here, here, and here.  I was lucky enough to come across two matching Chippendale chairs recently (FOR FREE!) and could not wait to recreate one of my favorite looks. 

Mercury Glass Tutorial

Antique mercury glass is both charming and chic. It really brings that old world feel to a modern home which is exactly my aesthetic. Like most things I covet, it's not exactly cheap... just check out Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware options. Unfortunately, the price doesn't deter me from wanting to live in a pretty little mercury glass bubble.

Did you know you can create the look of vintage mercury glass at home in three simple steps? No way, you say? How, you ask? Let me show you!

All you'll need is Krylon's Looking Glass spray paint and a bottle of water!

You can get the Krylon paint online, but Wal-Mart carries it at a pretty reasonable price. (When will Target get on board with a big ole crafting section?!)

The process is simple:
1. Spray your glass lightly with water, letting little droplets gather on the surface. (You'll see that I taped my glass off and this was simply because I only wanted the base of my jar to have the finish)

2. Spray paint around the entire surface (yes, over the water and all). Don't panic when it starts to take on a very streaky faux silver finish; that's exactly what you want.

3. Let it dry for about 20-25 minutes in the sun. The paint only takes about 10 minutes to be dry enough to touch, but you also need most of the water to evaporate as well. Grab an old dish towel and gently rub over the paint in a "wax on, wax off" motion. You'll get this streaky distressed look that adds so much character.

That's it. You're finished. You didn't think it could possibly be that easy, did ya?

Easy breezy mercury glass in 30 minutes or less.

Now go grab your dollar store candle stick holders, those cheap florist vases, and all of your recyclables! I especially love mercury glass at Christmas so I'm going to be doing a ton of decorations now (while it's warm enough for things to dry outside) and you should, too! I'd love to see what you make!

Come back tomorrow to see the finished mercury glass project! If you're not already following Spool and Spoon via email or Google Friend Connect, make sure you do so you won't miss it.

I'm linking to:

DIY Showoff | S3 | Classy Clutter | A Little Tipsy | I Heart Nap Time | Mine for the Making | Flamingo Toes | Craftomaniac | Shabby Creek Cottage | Somewhat Simple | Saved by Love Creations | My Simple Home Life | My Girlish Whims | Stone Gable | Young and Crafty | Nifty Thrifty Things

Aloha, E komo mai!

It's officially summertime and yet I still had the same wreath on our door since January.... Whoops. I had considered making one of those cute patriotic rag wreathes (shown here) but thought something a bit more colorful would be just what the porch needed.

I absolutely love how it turned out. I hadn't planned to add the sunglasses or flip-flops but it looked like it was lacking something and I think they were the perfect touch. Doesn't it just scream SUMMER?! Well, maybe it actually says something along the lines of "Aloha, E komo mai!" or welcome to our home. I feel like I need a Hawaiian vacation now...

I started with a plain 18" willow wreath form from Dollar Tree and painted it Caribbean Blue with acrylic paint. You could skip this step, but I think the raffia and blue have a nice contrast. I cut the lei apart and layered the flowers and umbrellas around the base then used tacky glue to attach them. My wreath is behind a glass door and under a porch so it's safe from the elements. If yours wasn't, I would recommend hot glue. Afterwards, I attached a raffia bow. At first, this was where I ended. Then I ran out to Target and in the dollar section found the sandals and sunglasses which were exactly what it needed. I attached those with hot glue and voila! A bright, Hawaaian summer wreath!

Whaddya think?

I'm linking to:

DIY Showoff | S3 | Classy Clutter | A Little Tipsy | I Heart Nap Time | Mine for the Making | Flamingo Toes | Craftomaniac

One Man's Trash

We have started the accessorizing aspect of decorating the house and I thought this was as good time as any to do a "green" decor craft since Earth Day is only right around the corner. I've been loving the rustic containers that are all over Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware but rather than spend $100 on something so simple, I turned to our recycling bin. It's amazing how trash can be revitalized and seen in a whole new way.

1. The wine bottle was covered with natural colored coffee filter pieces using a sepia mod-podge.
2. The beer bottle was covered with ripped book pages and the sepia mod-podge as well.
3. The oatmeal container was wrapped with twine and secured with double-sided tape and a vintage lace knot.
4. The smaller bottles were sponge-painted with a thick coat of acrylic paint to give them a mottled / textured look.
5. The frame was just a spare frame with a scrap of chalkboard paper that I was prepared to trash.

the processes were all really simple, but if you need directions or tips, let me know!

No-Sew, Waterproof Placemats

If you hold even a five-minute conversation with me, you are bound to hear about my little munchkin, Aubergine. Aubs/Aubrey/Aubbie loves to play with makeup brushes, eat her mama's ice cream, and chase her papa around the house. She is such a little piggy when she eats though... water dribbles and food crumbles everywhere. Even so, she is just the sweetest little cuddlebug on four-legs you would ever meet. Oh wait, you thought Aubbie was our kid? Close! She's our itty-bitty kitty baby.

She is super duper cute though... I mean, just look at this face!

I'm not kidding about the messiness while she eats though. Aubs has some serious confusion between whether she is a sloppy toddler or a rambunctious puppy because she's always getting food all over her little area. It got so bad, we put a little rug down just to collect her scraps, but the spills went right through and her wet food would cling to the fibers when they dried. We definitely needed something new but I was having a problem finding one that coordinated with the rest of our decor (and didn't look too pet-themed) and was also durable enough for Aubs to dirty up.

So one day, after doing a quick one-through at the dollar store (you know you can't resist looking around either) I found some clear vinyl shelf paper and knew right away that it was a steal. In my previous life I taught preschool and clear vinyl was a mainstay in our crafts cabinet, so there was no doubt that I would find something to do with it. Turns out, my something was this adorable placemat for Aubrey.

This was so simple and took less than 30 minutes. Now we have a pretty mat for Aubs that not only looks nice but is also waterproof and cleans up in a jiffy.

Materials:

• 1 Piece of scrap fabric, 11" x 17"
• Coordinating trim or ribbon
• 2 Pieces of clear vinyl shelf paper, 12" x 18" (generally comes in an 18" width which makes it even easier)
• Tacky glue

Directions: Sorry -- the pictures just aren't uploading correctly, so I'll try to explain this tutorial as clearly as possible 

1. Carefully peel the paper backing off of one piece of the vinyl and place it sticky side up
2. Center the fabric, right side up, and apply it carefully to the vinyl
3. Starting from the center, rub any air bubbles out with your fingers
4. With the ribbons, create a framed inset inside the perimeter of the fabric and using a small dot of tacky glue, affix the ribbons together at each corner
5. Gently peel back the paper on the second piece of vinyl and while centering it, apply it over the fabric and ribbon layers (sticky side down), being sure to overlap the edges of vinyl so that they stick to one another
6. As before, start in the center and smooth out any air bubbles. At the edges, apply extra pressure to ensure that the pieces of vinyl have adhered to one another
7. Trim the edges to form an equal border of between 1/4 and 1/2 of an inch and you're all set to lay it down for Fido.

 

What I like most about this is that while it's great for a pet because it's stain-resistant, washable, and CHEAP, you could easily create a number of them to use at your next barbecue or even some for the kids to use. Speaking of some for the kids... how cute would it be to use their artwork in place of the fabric? I'll have to save that idea for a few more years :)

Book Page Banner

Our bedroom is bare. For one, it's huge (come on... is a sitting room in a bedroom really necessary??) and two, no one sees it except us. The latter is probably the biggest reason we haven't gotten around to decorating it, as we've primarily focused on the main floor where all of our visitors hang out. I've finally tackled the first DIY project for the room -- art for above our headboard.

I spent more time than necessary scoping out great options:

1: Monogram via; 2: Frames on a Curtain Rod via; 3: Song Lyrics on Canvas via; 4: Sweet Nothings on Wooden Planks via; 5: DIY Lighted Headboard via; 6: Toilet Paper Roll Art via

I ended up choosing none of the above because the Mr and I have a fear of something large falling off the wall and onto us while we're in bed... irrational or not, it could still happen and we are not taking the chance haha. What I did choose was something similar to this, which I found on the oh so awesome WeddingChicks.com site.

I love the handmade vintage look, but the simplicity of it is what really drew me in. As you can guess, this was a really easy project, but it makes quite an impact.

Materials:

• An old book -- I got one from the dollar store
• A length of twine/rope/yarn
• 3 feet of lace ribbon, cut in half
• Clothespins
• Hot glue, optional

Tools:

• Rotary cutter or exacto knife
• Printer, with ink of course
• Ruler
• Hot glue gun, optional

Directions:

1. Start by cutting one page from the book using the rotary cutter or exacto knife, getting as close to the binding as possible 
2. Measure this sheet and input the page size into MS Word (or the program of your choice)
3. Decide what you want your banner to say... for example love, dream, happy, amor, goodnight, bedtime, etc.
4. Experiment with different fonts and sizes until you are happy with the result (be sure that only one letter appears on each page)
5. Cut the correct amount of pages from the book so that you will have enough to spell out the word you chose
6. Load the cut book pages into your printer and print
7. Lay the pages on a flat surface to spell out your word
8. Cut a piece of twine/rope/string/yarn/etc that is about 1 1/2 times the length of your word
9. Fold the string in half and use a clothespin to attach the middle letter to the string
10. Working out on each side, attach the letters in equal increments
• Optional: Once you've attached the letters, go back with a dab of hot glue to affix the pages permanently to the clothespins
11. Use a piece of lace ribbon on each side to tie a bow to the ends of the string
12. Hang and enjoy

I'm A Cover Girl!

Well, it's been hard not letting it out into the public forum for the past few months, but the Mr. and I are in Real Simple's April issue!!!

Yes, you read that right. My crafty haven was redecorated by Real Simple's talented organizational/design team. It is UH-MAY-ZING. In all seriousness it is the most beautiful room I have ever seen and what's better is that each and every item in my 10'x10' space serves a purpose. I'm so grateful that Real Simple chose to give me this wonderful opportunity because I never could have dreamed up the ideas that they had, nor would my budget allow for such a transformation.

My Top 5 Splurges

One of a Kind Vintage Chair - $650 from Chairloom -  Similar Styles Here
The pattern and design of this reupholstered seat is none like I have ever seen before and it's so comfortable! I love sitting there while I'm coming up with new craft ideas or doing some research on my laptop.

Model 1 Radio - $150 at Tivoli Audio - Found Here
The Mr. couldn't agree more and loves showing it off. The sound is impeccable and the design is minimal yet sophisticated.

Handmade Bulletin Board - Fabric: $196/yd at Lee Jofa - Found Here

Chip Cordelli (my organizer-extraordinaire!) made this bulletin board for me out of some really fantastic fabric wrapped around hardware store homasote. I wish I had another office just so I could make one myself!

Super Jumbo Naked Trunk - $313 at Wayfair.com -  Similar Style Here

Another great idea from Mr. Cordelli -- A gift wrap central set in a trunk. Tension rods act as ribbon organizers and clear shoe boxes house ribbons, tags, cards and calligraphy pens. Besides it's ultimate purpose, I've been obsessed with steamer trunks for the past few years so I love having this really modern alternative.

Fallon Rug by Jill Rosenwald for Surya - $385 at Rugs USA - Similar Style Here

I love a nice rug and this is nice times a billion. When we first bought our house 7 months ago, I had wanted a geometric patterned rug for down in the living room. The Mr. hadn't entertained that idea very long (boohoo) so when Real Simple presented this as an option for above the wall-to-wall carpeting in the room, I was elated. It's beautiful and vivid, yet very subtle in the entire room. 

Go out and grab the $4.99 issue to enjoy all the goodness between the two covers... you won't be disappointed! I'd love to hear what YOUR favorite pieces/ideas are.