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With the new year right around the corner, many of us are resolving to go to the gym more or to keep the house clean... but if you're like me, being more creative is top on your list. And I'm here to tell you that it's easier than it sounds - this is a resolution you can keep! Click through to check out my ten easy steps to living a more creative life in the new year.
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Storage. We all need more of it. No matter how much room you have, an organized system will always top square footage.
Recently, I was looking for a way to clean up all the bottles in our liquor cabinet. It's not that we drink too much; in fact, it's the opposite. We buy specific products to try a new cocktail recipe. And we'll make it once, and end up with all this extra liquid to store in perpetuity until we can figure out what to do with it.
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Everyone likes a smooth, sanded surface on a project, but no one (and I mean absolutely no one) like the tedious process of getting it done. Motorized sanding machines speed up the process greatly, but many of them can be hard to control, or wind up leave swirl marks in the finished surface.
Not so with the random-orbit sander. As the name suggests, its pad follows an entirely random pattern, so you can control the amount of wood removed, and leave your surface free of spirals.
They're great for all kinds of DIY projects, and the only handheld sander I'd recommend for your toolbox.
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Though the holidays are supposed to be a relaxing, fun time, for many of us they end up being stress-fests. Between shopping for gifts, preparing holiday meals and treats, and managing family interactions, it can be too easy to end the year feeling worn-out and frazzled. But that's where self-care comes in. Taking the time to give yourself a break can make a huge difference, and if that break takes the form of a hot bath for you, you can incorporate the rejuvenating scent of evergreens via these Christmas tree bath salts. Or package these bath salts up with some other bath luxuries, and give them as a gift!
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Sometimes I get sick of using the same old gift wrapping supplies every year - they just never seem to run out! So this year I decided to get a little creative with my Christmas gift wrap by using office supplies to decorate plain brown kraft paper packages. And it was surprisingly easy! Click through to see five different ways to wrap gifts using office supplies.
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Believe it or not, we're already halfway through December and if you're hosting a party this holiday season, it's high time you picked out a centerpiece idea for your bash! We can help... today we're sharing a super easy candle centerpiece that uses upcycled bottles and colorful berries. Keep reading to check out the tutorial!
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I know people love to mock Millennials for our devotion to avocado toast, but I have no problem admitting that it's one of my favorite breakfasts (and snacks). If you have anyone on your Christmas list who is a fellow avocado-toast-lover, this might be the perfect handmade gift for them.
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It's likely happened to everybody... you have an odd-shaped gift that you're just not sure how to wrap. It's okay, don't have a holiday meltdown! Just make one of these simple cinch pouch gift bags out of a scrap of fabric and some twine. And here's the best part - it's reusable so you can do your part to be a bit more green this December. Click through to check out my simple tutorial.
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If you've ever been inspired by try a whole new color scheme or style in your Christmas decor, you may have been deterred by the fact that you'd have to replace all of the ornaments you already have. But with a little paint, you can give your ornaments a makeover, saving cash and keeping your old decor out of the landfill. Here's how I gave some glass bulbs a new look, three different ways.
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Finding minimal holiday decorations isn't always the easiest. Let's face it, this is not a season known for restraint!
As my own decorating tastes are turning ever more minimal, I decided to take a cue from my favorite design style and make a few DIY Scandinavian-inspired ornaments. I just love how simple and natural this look is, while still being festive.
Keep reading to see how to make all three decorations so you can style your own minimal holiday tree!
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If you're anything like me, your pets are an important part of your family. So like the rest of the family, don't they deserve their own Christmas stockings? If you know how to sew, you can easily make your pets their own personalized holiday stockings. Just don't forget to stuff them full of their favorite treats and toys on Christmas.
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When did we all decide to stop wearing ugly Christmas sweaters ironically, and switch to wearing them sincerely? Either way, I love a good ugly sweater during the holidays. The tackier, the better, in my opinion! I have my own that I whip out for parties, decked out in kittens and distractingly noisy jingle bells. I decided to celebrate this kitschy theme by making a decorative garland out of mini little sweaters. Turns out, shrinking things only makes them cuter, not uglier!
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Ever since I built a mantel a couple of years ago, I'm always on the hunt for fun new ways to decorate it. So as I browsed the paper aisle at my local craft store, it hit me - a folded paper tree forest! I'm a big fan of non-traditional colors, so I bought a few of my favorites and got to work. Click through to check out the full tutorial.
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Though real Christmas trees are wonderful, not all of us have the time, space, or energy to deal with them. So if your tastes lean to the more industrial, minimalist side of things, you can make your own little Christmas trees out of cement. These concrete Christmas trees are reusable, require no maintenance, and you don't have to worry about ornaments or lights. Of course, there's no reason you can't have both a real tree and some of these mini ones. They're pretty quick and addictive to make, so go ahead and make a whole forest.
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Decorating an apartment for the holidays differs from trimming a home you own and have free reign over. In a rental, you can't haphazardly nail stuff to the wall. You're probably dealing with a smaller space or odd physical obstacles (like no mantel, or too many mantels!). And your landlord might even have restrictions on real trees or lighting candles. All these hurdles just means that the earned end result is far more satisfying. Personally, I think apartment Christmas decorations are the coziest of all, because you can really play into the quirkiness of a smaller space and the coziness of the season. So grab a hot drink, take notes, and get ready to transform your rental into a holiday wonderland.