How To: Paint a Chevron Staircase
I would have never considered painting a stairway before reading this tutorial. Now I want to move into a two story house so I can recreate this look.
Love where you live.
How To: 12 Olympic Crafts and Edibles
The opening games for London Summer Olympics are this Friday. The competition may be taking place thousands of miles away from where we live (or not) but, we can get in the spirit with these super cute crafts and edibles. Did you know that the Olympic rings were first used at the 1920 Games in […]
Eye Candy: Soda Pop Tab Projects
Last week, my sweetie and I were spending some leisurely time in one of our favorite little towns on the Lake Superior’s North Shore. Between climbing rocks and skipping stones, we visited a variety of shops. One of which had some of the best soda pop tab jewelry I’ve seen to date. They got me […]
How To: Make a DIY Pouf Ottoman from an Inexpensive Floor Mat
Floor poufs are hot decor items that typically carry hefty price tags. What if I told you that you could make one for about $10? You’d flip, right?? Well, get ready…
How To: Make a Mini Window Japanese Garden
The good people over at 3M sent along some of their handy, new Command clear products for me to use to make some quick crafts. In this how-to, I used their Medium Caddy, which is among their organization line and is great for stashing spices and nail polishes and such. Of course, we’re using it […]
8 Outdoor DIY Projects for Summer
Break out your gardening gloves, sewing kit, and maybe even a drill or two! It’s time to soak up the sun with these outdoor DIY projects for summer. Oh, and, you might want to make yourself a cold drink too. It’s hot out there!
How to: Make Silk Ribbon Rosettes
This week I’m sharing a series of DIY projects using ribbon from the nice folks at Midori Ribbon. You can check out the first three projects here. A today, I’m embellishing a chevron pillow cover with beautiful pink ribbon!
How To: Make a Modern Paper Mache Lamp
Remember back in the day when you made those paper mache masks and impressed all your elementary school friends? Well, paper mache is growing up (in a big way) with today’s DIY lamp idea.
How to: Make a DIY Colorful Chic Ribbon Chandelier
All this week I’m doing a series of DIY projects with colorful ribbon. Today I’m sharing an easy DIY I made for my daughter’s closet. Read on to find out how to make this fun, colorful pendant lamp! The lights in all our closets consist of bare exposed bulbs, with nothing more; they’re plain-jane. I […]
How To: Make a Diamond Ribbon Lampshade
This week I’m excited to be sharing a series of DIY projects involving the beautiful color, texture, and flowing shapes of ribbon. I’m thrilled that the folks at Midori Ribbon offered to work with me to let me explore some creative ways to use their gorgeous products. Read on to find out how to make […]
Eye Candy: Scrap Wood Walls
Scrap wood in a heap doesn’t look so hot. Scrap wood installed on a wall, however, can look anywhere from eclectic to posh. Such walls seem to work in any room in the house and even outside the house. In this eye candy roundup, I’ve tried to find some of the best examples of trend.
How to: Make a DIY Mid-Century Modern Dining Table
This mid-century style table was made with ¾” thick plywood and hairpin metal legs. With some basic woodworking skills, this modern patio table can be built for $200 to $300, depending on the types of legs you choose. I made this table that seats six for a covered patio, but it can be used indoors as […]
How to: Make a Ruffled Ribbon Lampshade
There’s something exquisite about spools of ribbon. They are the final touch on gifts, the last detail at the end of Pippi Longstocking’s braids, and the very magic of a may pole. When the people at Midori Ribbon got in touch with us about doing a series of DIY ribbon projects, I jumped. And, when we looked […]
Yikes! Asbestos in the Curbly House! What to Do?
If you’re following our series, you know we’re in the middle of fixing up a 100-year-old house and making it energy efficient. Somehow tearing out all the first-floor ceilings got lumped into the to-do list. Then the second floor ceilings. And a couple of walls. And the bathroom. You know … just … everything. One […]
How To: Build a Thumb Piano
Kids getting suffering from summer boredom yet? Maybe it’s time to build a thumb piano. Supplies are minimal and you probably have them all on hand. Here’s the list: a block of wood (about 5″ x 5″ or so, by the looks of it) bobby pins (if mom doesn’t have them, grandma might) a […]
How to: Make DIY Colorful Paint-Dipped Flower Vases
In my house, white walls are de rigueur. Why? Well, mostly cause my landlord says so, but I also dig the fresh, clean Scandinavian vibe they lend. But, with pure white walls and lots of white furniture, I try to bring in pops of color with accessories whenever I can so I don’t feel like I’m […]
How To: GENIUS Rain Gutter Book Shelves
Sturdy AND you never have to paint them? Yeah…vinyl gutters make great book shelves, or so says Beth from Sunshine on the Inside. They’ve been in use now for four months in her 2-year-old’s room, so she knows they can stand up to abuse. As for making them, it doesn’t
How To: Printing With Polystyrene
Total Art Soul has a GREAT idea for putting polystyrene containers to good use after you’ve emptied them of your takeout. Use them for printing. The super-simple process could be used to make art, greeting cards or even t-shirts. Besides the canvas/paper/fabric of your choosing
Decor Disputes: Are White Kitchens Becoming Passe?
The last few times I’ve posted makeovers of kitchens where the outcome is white, there’s been an inordinate amount of comments pegging them as sterile, even likening them to operating rooms. If we’d been talking about white kitchens a few years back, I’m guessing the general consensus would have been that they’re timeless. Now, who
Week 4 Journal: Bye Bye Bathtub (and Chimney Too)
The Curbly House bathroom looked decent, by all accounts, and except for being a bit on the small side, functioned just fine. So I was actually prepared to leave it pretty much as-was, maybe with a few fixture replacements, some new tile, and paint. But what we found when we took out the first floor […]
