DIY Found Wood Side Table

On a snowy day in January, we were on a family hike in the woods with our dog, Blue, when I spotted what I thought was the most beautiful piece of wood I had ever seen. Someone had been in there, chopping up trees, and I just had to have this particular slice of wood. I could easily envision the rustic-chic little side table I would make with it, and Rob ever-so-sweetly agreed to come back later and haul it out of there for me.

Well, it turned out to be a bigger favor than either one of us imagined, as the slab just barely fit in the giant backpack Rob last used to backpack across Europe in 1998 with me, but it did, and I eagerly began searching online for a place where I could buy hairpin legs for the table to stand on. I was very excited to find a local blacksmith on kijiji who made them in his shop...and even more intrigued when I learned his name was Thor. Rob didn't believe it was his real name, but incredibly, this guy's real name is Thor Sammer, and he looks every bit like a Viking in real life. Awesome. Anyway, got the legs and painted them gold with Rust Oleum spray paint, then waited for Rob to cut the wood slice to the right thickness.

This is where I have to stop and gush about my man just a bit. Rob isn't exactly a handyman type, but he is also a heck of a lot better at wielding a hammer than I am. And when it comes to sawing something...well, let's just say slicing apples makes me nervous, so there was never any question about who was going to actually be making this table.

So, on top of all the other chores Rob does on a weekly basis after spending the whole day defending the Great Lakes from freaky-looking invasive fish species and industrial contaminants, my amaze-balls hubby spent countless hours in the garage hacking away at this piece of wood with a manual saw.

And the result is beautiful--rustic--but just what I wanted. Thank you, Rob.

Oh-So Lovely Pom Pom Wall Hanging

Today's project comes courtesy of the AH-MAZING Aussie design + lifestyle blog, We Are Scout. When I stumbled across this blog, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. It was honestly so overwhelmingly awesome that I had to walk away from my computer screen for a minute and collect myself ( I'm not kidding). The thing that first got my attention was a free e-mag you could download from the site called "Decorating with Plants." I knew then and there that the girls who run this blog and I were kindred spirits. And it didn't take long before I found a DIY on their site that I absolutely had to try.

Isn't this the cutest wall hanging ever?

I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I have become addicted to DIY. I don't even finish a project anymore before starting another one. If it takes longer than a couple of hours to make, I often lose interest and want to start on something else instead. But I did force myself to see this one through to completion, even though it took me several weeks. I have so much respect for all those quilters and knitters out there who tackle big projects that they know will take them a long time to finish. I have such a need for instant gratification...and I change my mind so frequently about what I like that I'm always afraid that halfway through a project, I will decide I don't like it anymore.

That is sort of what happened with this wall hanging. I still think it's really cool, but I had an idea of where I wanted to put it, but then I changed some furniture and art around, and now I have no place for it anymore. So, did I spend the better half of my Christmas money on yarn for nothing? Did I miss some of the best American Idol auditions while I had my head down, concentrating on making pom poms, for nothing? Maybe, maybe not. (I'll let you in on another little secret since I like to keep it real: I style all my photographs so they look great for the site. What you see on this blog is not necessarily what you will see if you come over to my house. Some of it, but not all. If this were an accurate reflection of how our house looks tonight, there would be balled-up socks on the table, Kleenex stashed behind the plant and entirely different art on the wall!)

All the instructions you need to make this yourself are here, but I can tell you that the Extra Large Clover Pom Pom Maker will make your life as a producer of pom poms for this or any other project a million times easier. This handy-dandy contraption comes in several different sizes, but for this project, the Extra Large is a must. (It is not available at Michaels in Canada--I bought mine from Mary Maxim online.)

Oh, yes, the more I look at these pictures, the more I think I need to find a spot for this. It really is so pretty...

Easy DIY Modern Bohemian Wall Hanging

Happy New Year, friends! I apologize for the long gap between posts...everyone in our family has been sick with a cold and/or stomach virus this month and I've had a lot of work lately, but I've also been feeling mega inspired. It happens every year at this time--we take down the Christmas tree and all the decorations and I suddenly feel like giving the house a makeover. This January I decided I wanted the living room to have a slightly "cleaner" feel--and to achieve that I had to give away some of my plants that were causing it to feel just a little too jungly. So, I said goodbye to my six-foot pencil cactus and a couple of smaller plants, and moved around some others. I also acquired a new arm chair to make the space more conducive to conversations (we just had a couch before, forcing extra guests to either pull up a dining chair or sit on the floor), and I switched up some of the wall decor. The main thing I decided I wanted was a new monochromatic wall hanging to replace the one I had already, which was in a color scheme I never really loved (see my blog post from last January, "A Touch of the 70s".) It's funny to me that last January I was so excited to find that wall hanging at Target, as stylish woven wall hangings were really hard to come by a year ago. But now they can be found all over Etsy and in hipster emporiums like Urban Outfitters. The 70s have become really cool again, macrame plant hangers and all! This couldn't make me happier. :)

After doing a thorough search of handmade wall hangings on Etsy, I thought I had decided on a plain black one that was very simple and modern looking, but I found it hard to commit to the $70 price tag. I just kept thinking I bet that would be pretty easy to make. So, after looking to Pinterest for some inspiration, I came across a basic idea I liked and that looked totally doable, then put my own spin on it. Here is the result:

This wall hanging took a bit of time but was super easy to make and cost me a grand total of $15 for the yarn. Here is what I used:

-1 ball of "Ginormous" black acrylic yarn bought at Michaels
-1 ball of regular black wool yarn
-thin black hemp cord
-found branch painted white and gold

To get started, I simply cut a slew of pieces of yarn, doubled the length I wanted them to hang (I believe I did 70 inches), and then I began tying them onto the branch, using a basic macrame knot called the Reverse Larkshead. Once you have strung all your yarn, you can just start going to town, braiding pieces together, knotting them at random intervals, basically doing whatever the heck you want. The "ginormous" acrylic yarn was a great find, because it is so chunky and already has a braided look, so it fills the space up nicely and gives it texture. But supplementing it with the thinner yarn and string makes the piece look much more interesting and complicated. I also added some tassels made from the regular black wool for visual interest (you could also try pom poms). The bottom line is, there are no complicated knots to learn here and no rules to follow. I painted the branch white with gold stripes to give it a more contemporary feel, but you could just leave the wood bare or use a metal dowel instead.

If you are itching to add a touch of the 70s to your space, but are worried about it looking like Marcia Brady moved in, this is a great project to try. Bad news (good news?) is now I'm hooked on wall hangings! I already know what my next project is going to be. Stay tuned for that one and what is likely to be much more 70s style coming your way in 2016!

Christmas Decor: Paper Mounted Deer

One more month until Christmas and I can hardly contain my excitement! Yes, I am one of those people who really LOVES Christmas...especially now that I'm a mom and I get to experience it through my kids' eyes. The Christmas concerts, the family get-togethers, the parties, the parades--I love it all, but I especially love decorating. This coming Sunday we'll go to the tree farm and chop down that most perfect of specimens to grace our living room for the season, but for now, it's all been all about this paper mounted deer. Faux taxidermy has become a real trend in wall decor, and I've wanted my own stag's head for a while. When I saw one made out of white cardboard in a magazine, I got fixated on making my own. And it turned out to be one of the funnest projects I've ever done.

I found instructions online for making a mounted deer from foam board. (Thank you Spins & Needles blog!) It sounded super easy, which is always a bonus for me. I printed out the templates and got my husband to enlarge them to the size I wanted on his photocopier at work. Then, instead of tracing the templates onto foam, I chose to use white cardboard boxes, since I still anticipated making a white deer, and foam always makes me think of kids' crafts, and I didn't want this to look like my daughter made it out of one of those kids' craft kits from Michaels.

But when I finished cutting out all the pieces and put my deer together, it just looked a little lackluster--not like the one I saw in the magazine. It also wasn't the sturdiest. I started thinking maybe I should have used the foam. Then, as a last-ditch attempt to make it into something I would want to display, I decided to cover it with decorative paper as they suggested in the online tutorial. And it made all the difference.

I used a heavier weight decorative paper from a book of scrapbook paper I bought at Michaels months ago and which happened to have a faux wood grain paper that I wanted for the "mount." The papers in the book were all coordinating, which made it really easy to find papers that complemented each other, and the 12" x 12" size of the paper was a perfect fit for my templates. The stiffness of the paper also made the overall structure stronger.

But the coolest part of all that I totally wasn't anticipating was that my deer head turned out to be REVERSIBLE! I just used different patterns of paper on both sides of the deer "parts" and now I can have different looks. I call the first one with the floral antlers my "Georgia O'Keeffe-inspired" deer and the other one is my "Cozy Sweater" deer. I think I like "Georgia O'Keeffe" better, but I do like them both. I am SO happy with the outcome of this project, and I loved planning which papers to use. Which "look" do you like best? I would love to hear from you!

Chalk Painted Cabinet with Map Wallpaper

I am so excited to be writing this post because I finally finished a project that I've been wanting to do for years! When my grandmother passed away in 2009, I inherited a china cabinet from her that I had always admired at her house. But although it looked handsome and perfectly at home in her house full of florals and tweeds and needlepoint cushions, I realized that it wouldn't suit my more contemporary decorating style...so what to do?

For years the stinking cabinet sat in my basement storage room while I imagined that one day I would repaint it and turn it into something I would actually use. But it wasn't until I attended a seminar at our local library about chalk painting furniture that I actually got inspired to do it. That was last May--and I bought the paint and supplies last June--so as you can see I am a wee bit of a procrastinator at times.

The cabinet was stained a dark, almost mahogany and had these ornate brass knobs and drawer pulls and glass on three sides. It also had a mirrored back, which made it way too fancy for my taste. I decided to go with a neutral grey shade called "Driftwood" by Bluestone Cottage, which is a local (Ancaster) company that makes a beautiful line of chalk paint. You can find it at Graham & Brooks in Dundas, which is a gorgeous home decor store that you should totally check out if you live in the area and love rustic vintage style.

I also knew I needed to cover that mirrored back with some wallpaper...but after searching the net for hours for the perfect paper that wouldn't break the bank, I realized that wallpaper might not be my best option since it is generally sold by the roll and I only needed about 2 ft x 4 ft. I went to a fancy paper store and almost bought some lovely chiyogami paper that I thought would work, but they didn't have enough sheets in any of the patterns I liked. Sigh.

Then I remembered I had this giant vintage-looking world map that I bought for my husband years ago but that never got put up for some reason... And wouldn't you know it, it was the perfect size when cut in half. Here is the result!

Before

After

I am so pleased with it! Painting with chalk paint is so easy because there is no prep work to be done. I didn't even sand the cabinet before I started. And it only took one coat. I thought I might do some distressing when I was done, but I realized I was happy with it like it is, though if I ever want to give it more of a French Country look, I can just take some sandpaper to it. I also didn't apply the layer of wax they recommend for added protection, though I did purchase a jar and might put it on later.

So, all in all, this project took about three days from start to finish. And the total cost was just around $75 for the whole shebang:

Paint - $25
Wax - $25
Double-sided tape for map - $25

This is a project that anyone can do. Chalk paint is so much fun to work with. I love the patina it instantly gives any piece, and it comes in a whole rainbow of beautiful colors. I know you've got an old chair or bookcase just begging to be brought back to life. Don't wait as long as I did...roll up your sleeves and get to work, yo!

Dace's Room Makeover

Last January, I published a post called "Violet's Room Makeover." We really overhauled our youngest daughter's room, covering a focal wall in wallpaper and kitting it out with new bedding, a new rug and cool accessories. Ever since, I've been feeling kind of bad that we haven't done much to our other daughter's room--it's looked pretty much the same since we moved into our house five years ago. I've thought about wallpapering, but, honestly, the thought of it is daunting. And she has a lot of neat stuff on her walls that would probably have to come down in order to let the wallpaper shine.

So, I decided to just make a few easy changes to modernize it a bit and make it a little hipper and more befitting a soon-to-be eight-year-old...just in time for her first sleepover party! See if you can spot the differences...ha ha!

Dace's "New" Room

The Way It Looked Before

The biggest difference is the new hanging light fixture (the MASKROS) from IKEA. It's too bad you can't see the old track lighting in the "before" picture, but I'm not surprised the photographer from the magazine cropped it out because it was pretty ugly! I've always liked the design of the MASKROS ceiling light (I even have a magazine clipping of it from when it first came out) and I finally had the perfect spot for it. It casts really cool shadows on the walls when it's lit, and Dace loves it.

Other than that, I added a fabric banner (the word, "LOVE") that I bought at the newly opened Nordstrom store in Ottawa (love Nordstrom...can't wait for it to open here), some new pillows and some new wall art.

I loved the trendy arrow shape and the dainty vintage-looking knobs on this necklace hanger I found at cute clothing and housewares retailer, Francesca's, in the States, but I was not so sold on the turquoise and coral color it came in. I bought it anyway and painted over it with Bluestone Cottage "Driftwood" chalk paint (Bluestone Cottage makes beautiful colors of chalk paint...and it's made in Canada) and used a bit of dollar store pink acrylic to paint the knobs my favorite shade of pink. The original arrow design is visible through the chalk paint and now looks subtly cool instead of trendy overboard.

I also hung this sweet word art, which I had out on our patio all summer and which had some water stains...but not before I covered those water stains with a collage of flowers I cut out of old magazines. Nothing like decoupage to refresh old, damaged pieces!

I'm definitely not done with Dace's room...it's still a work in progress, which can be said for pretty much every room in this house. I still think about doing wallpaper--or maybe stenciling a pattern on the wall to mimic wallpaper--but for now, I'm happy with the little changes. And Dace is happy, which is really all that matters when it comes to our kids' rooms, right? 

DIY Anthropologie-esque Garland

I love garlands. Birthday parties come and go and I leave the banners hanging up as long as I can get away with it. Swag makes me smile. Go ahead, T.P. my house--it would make me happy! So when I saw this gorgeous, exotic garland on sale on the Anthropologie Web site, I immediately grabbed my credit card. But when the total still came to around $50, even with the sale discount, I sadly removed said item from my shopping cart. I just couldn't spend that much money on what is, essentially, a party decoration.

Anthropologie Skylark Collection Garland

Then I thought to myself, "Hey, I bet I could make something like that." Which is nearly always easier said than done. I knew where to buy tassels (Michaels) and I thought I might be able to find similar lanterns as part of an outdoor string light set. But after checking every store and Web site I could think of, I realized I would have to make the lanterns, themselves, as well. Luckily, it all came together after I found a tutorial on-line.

Here is my completed version. Not exactly the same as the real deal, but I'm really pleased with it. And the whole thing cost me under $12!

My Version

What you need to made this yourself:

-Two sheets of gold foil paper from Michaels
-Tassels in colours of your choice
-String or cord
-Glue gun
-Off-white cotton fabric for bunting (optional)

I got my instructions for the Chinese paper lanterns here: http://www.kidspot.com.au/kids-activities-and-games/Craft-activities+1/Create-Chinese-paper-lanterns+11906.htm. They are really easy to make. I played around with the size and decided on a 3.5 inch lantern. I bought my silky tassels at Michaels, but you could make your own. Let Martha Stewart show you how: http://www.marthastewart.com/908665/how-tie-tassel! You can decide how you want to space out your lanterns and tassels. I just added the bunting for some visual interest, but you don't need to make one. It's very simple, though--just hot glue fabric triangles to string. I like the idea of hanging tassels from the bottom of the lanterns as in the original, too. You could just hot glue a strip of gold paper across the bottom of the lantern and dangle a tassel from it.

There you have it! I've been really digging all things pink and gold and feminine, lately (with a bohemian twist, of course ;)).

OK, off to bake some scones to eat with the strawberry freezer jam that didn't set! If anyone wants a sugar rush, I've got some ultra-sweet strawberry syrup you can have!