cheap & easy bedroom wall art

bedroom-diy

My bedroom walls were looking a little plain & sad so I decided to make some simple pieces to bring in some fun & color to our bedroom this past weekend. My first instinct would be to paint the walls but because we are renting I have to think of other ways to brighten up the boring tannish walls. I am on a pretty non-existent decorating budget so here are some simple, inexpensive ideas to jazz up your walls.

bedroom-diy

bedroom-diy

1. Fabric Fringe Garland – I posted this fringe garland diy (by Prudent Baby) on my recent Fringe Frenzy post. It is a super simple no-sew diy. I chose 4 cotton solid fabrics from Hobby Lobby & got 1 yard of each (I think they were only a couple of dollars per yard). I cut my fabric 18 x 22 inches to get exactly 4 tassels from each yard.

bedroom-diy

2. Framed Photo Booth Photos – I cheated & used the IncrediBooth iphone app to take these photobooth strips (real photobooth photos would be even better!). I printed them out on my home printer & cut them out. I attached them with double stick tape to a white mat board & used an 8 x 10 frame I had on hand to display them. I love that it will be easy to change them out with new photo strips as time goes on.

bedroom-diy

3. & 4. Hanging Camera & Print – It’s no surprise that I use my large camera collection to add fun & dimension to a few rooms in my house. (ex. my vintage camera display & my other camera display) I love the size of the mini Diana & it’s one of my favorite cameras to shoot film with. I used my toy camera strap diy to make this yellow braided strap & I thought the colors fit perfectly with my new bedroom decor. The Polaroid Print by Handz was a birthday gift from my sweet brother & sister-in-law & I used a .99 cent Pants Hanger from Ikea to hang it. (much cheaper than a frame & just as pretty)

bedroom-diy

5. Written Word Wall Canvas – I bought this blank canvas from the craft store (for 50% off) awhile back with a few different projects in mind. I originally saw this idea on pinterest & thought it would be perfect for this grouping. I used a black paint pen that I had in my craft supplies. I chose some of the lyrics from the song “More Than Words” by Extreme, we danced to this song at our wedding & now it serves as a permanent reminder over our bed that actions mean so much more than words. Showing we love each other is just as important as saying it.

bedroom-diy

6. Painted Letters – Ridiculously simple – I just got the cardboard letters from the craft store & painted them with blue acrylic paint. I cut out a small hole in the back to attach them to the wall with a push pin.

bedroom-diy

7. Metal Photo Clips – I had these small metal clips on hand, found in an office supply store or the office section of Target. I hung them on a small nail. I love changing out photos & little notes so I thought these would be perfect! The photos were taken with the Hipstamatic app & printed out on our home printer.

bedroom-diy

Voila!! Simple & inexpensive wall decor! It’s made such a difference to our bedroom & we are loving it! hugs & cheek pecks, Meghan

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

Our living room area is a big space so I created a little sitting area & a place for my records & record player to break up the space a bit & to create the feeling of two separate but cohesive living areas. We spend the most time in here together as a family, watching movies & such, so we prefer it to be as comfortable as possible! I’m sure I’ll be changing this space up often, it’s a fun space to decorate. I hope you enjoy taking a little peek into our living room….

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

I had some left over vinyl contact paper from my Chevron Striped Fridge project, so I cut out a smaller chevron pattern to add to these vintage suitcases. I used scissors & hand-cut them this time to make the stripes look more “hand-drawn”.

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

I had this film & camera display hung in our old house as well. It’s the perfect place to house all of the film cameras that I still like to use & easy access, so I can just grab a camera & some film on the way out the door. (not all who wander are lost poster from the wheatfield)

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

I grew up with a Carrom board, so when I moved out of my parents house my mom found me a similar vintage one (with all the pieces!!) & gifted it to me so I would have one in my home as well. We spent hours playing with ours growing up, it’s such a fun little game board! Here is some more information on Carrom boards if you’re interested. I will do a post on the main game we used to play with ours, it’s basically like finger pool. (so fun to play with friends!)

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

Can we talk about our new-ish couch for a second?!? I just love this couch…its a herringbone print & I found it for a really decent price at Rooms-to-Go, of all places. I was going to wait until we got to Colorado & settled before I decided for sure on a couch, but I found out there were no Rooms-to-Go’s out west & I just couldn’t get this little herringbone couch out of my mind. I convinced Creed to let me get it with some of my saved up birthday & christmas monies & they delivered it just days before we headed out west…ha! I really do love it & am so glad I went ahead & got it!

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

Little Home Tour :: Part Two

My pug love runs deep, so much so, that it overflows on to our walls! The unframed pug art is from Retro Whale, the Knitty Knitty print is by Ashley G, the Why Won’t You Love Me? print is by Julia Pott, the “Olive” pug embroidery is handmade by me – pattern by Sublime Stitching (I need to make Razzle one, too) & the pug painting was done by a little old lady that did portraits in exchange for donations for the Humane Society in GA. I wish I still had her contact info…Well, that’s all for now. Once I get our bedroom in order, I will do another little tour of it! Thanks for looking! hugs & cheek pecks, meghan ♥

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Chevron Stripe Fridge DIY

chevron-fridge-diy

You may remember my striped wall from our old house. Ohhhhh, how I loved those stripes! Well now that we are renting & unable to paint the walls, I wanted to incorporate some stripes into our new house & I did so by adding a little pizzaz to our boring black refrigerator! The kitchen is the first room you see when you walk in our apartment, so this adds a fun focal point when you first walk in the door! I love how it turned out! It’s so simple, very inexpensive & easily removed, here is how I did it:

chevron-fridge-diy

chevron-fridge-diy

chevron-fridge-diy

 

Supplies::

White Contact paper – I got mine at Target in the drawer liner section for a few bucks
Measuring tape & T square ruler
Scissors or X-acto knife

 

Instructions::

1. I measured the width of our fridge & included extra for the sides of the doors so I could wrap the stripes around.
2. I cut five pieces of contact paper to the desired width.
3. I decided I wanted 3 big peaks on the front so I drew a grid pattern with my t-square by dividing the contact paper into 6 squares across & 3 down. I connected the points of intersection to create the zig zag pattern.
4. I lined all 5 sheets of contact paper together & taped them down to the table so I could cut out all 5 at the same time. (I only ended up using 5 stripes for the fridge, this will make 10, I wanted extras just in case.)
5. I carefully cut out the chevron stripes with my straight edge & x-acto knife.

chevron-fridge-diy

chevron-fridge-diy

6. Once they were all cut out, I placed a marker on the mid-point of the front of our fridge & very gently applied each stripe.

& that’s it!! Super easy, cheap & fun!!

chevron-fridge-diy

chevron-fridge-diy

I love how much big character it adds to my little kitchen & it’s perfect for renters because the contact paper easily peels off & leaves no residue!! I would love to see photos if you try this too! Let me know if you have any questions. xoxo. meghan

slightly obsessed…vintage fans

I have a small (but growing) collection of vintage electric fans. I actually use mine to fill the space above my cabinets in my kitchen. I would love to have a whole cluttered collection of them up there so I am always on the look out for them. Here are some photos of my tiny collection so far…the “little giant” is my favorite!

vintage-fan-collection-group

vintage-fan-collection-group

 

Flea markets & thrift stores are always a good place to look for them, although now-a-days they usually get picked up pretty quickly. Etsy has a nice selection of them, here are some from Etsy’s vintage section to get you obsessed as well…(I would gladly add any/all of these to my collection!)

vintage-fan-collection-group

from left to right
1. vintage dominion | shop: 22 bay road
2. 1950’s westinghouse | shop: vetera
3. vintage zero | shop: sugarlilly vintage
4. vintage aquamarine table fan | shop: rubies are forever
5. vintage 1950’s fan | shop: artyfatz
6. vintage freshn’d aire | shop: all the best vintage
7. westinghouse large fan | shop: jersey ice cream co.
8. vintage tickle me pink fan | rubies are forever

here are some other things I am slightly obsessed with…vintage alarm clocks, polaroid cameras & heather grey! Happy Thursday! I love how holidays on a Monday always make the week go by so fast! ♥

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toy camera strap diy

I’ve been using my film cameras a lot more since making my little camera display. I decided I wanted a fancier strap for my mini Diana (it came with a tiny, black, plain plastic one). So…I made one with some supplies I had on hand & a few I purchased. It was simple & only took me about 10 minutes to make, so I made two!! [tutorial below]

toy-camera-strap-diy

toy-camera-strap-diy

toy-camera-strap-diy

Here are the details:

toy-camera-strap-diy

supplies:
– needle nose pliers
– clasps (found in jewelry section of craft store)
– copper wire (found in jewelry section of craft store)
– safety pin
– leather cord (also found in jewelry section)

toy-camera-strap-diy

steps:
1. cut cord into 3 pieces, attach one end with safety pin to something stable (I used an armchair) & braid until desired length. I made mine 35 inches.
2. slip ends through clasp
3. fold over & wrap excess with copper jewelry wire. I used the pliers to clamp ends down (so I don’t get poked) & I trimmed the excess leather
4. TA-DA!!! Now you have a super simple cute camera strap!

toy-camera-strap-diy

toy-camera-strap-diy

toy-camera-strap-diy

toy-camera-strap-diy

I think I like the look of them doubled on the mini Diana! I have some more fun diy’s up my sleeve that I will be sharing soon! ♥

Road Trip Kit & The Golden Gift Giving Rules

If you know me well, then you know that one of my favorite things is gift giving! The whole process is so fun for me, I love picking out the perfect gift & I also love wrapping it! I probably get more excited about the gifts I give than the people that are receiving them. I blame my mom for this fascination, she is the most amazing gift giver ever…it’s usually hard to top her. She taught me everything I know about the subject & now I will entrust you with her secrets…

A few of her golden gift giving rules/tips are:

1. Great gifts don’t have to cost a lot of money. Think outside the box, you can find unique items in unexpected places – dollar stores, thrift stores, tj maxx, marshalls, big lots, cracker barrel’s, local markets/handmade markets, cute local candy/general stores in your downtown areas & of course if you plan ahead, the world wide web (fredflare, photojojo, etsy, ebay, etc.)

2. Presentation is everything! Think of inventive ways to really wow the receiver before they even open the gift. I usually try to hand-make the wrapping paper &/or the card, I try to make something they can reuse (like if you make the card into a little piece of artwork, they could possibly frame it)

3. Collecting lots of small, inexpensive items & presenting them in fun little reusable containers not only looks amazing but can be so fun for the receiver to open. (tj maxx & marshalls always have the greatest little containers, all shapes, styles & colors) – [my mom wraps our christmas presents in stackable boxes every year (that she always matches to our home decor), each box has prizes in them & then we get to use the boxes to decorate with – I can’t tell you how fun this is! My sister-in-laws & I always try to figure out which stacked boxes are ours under the tree each year!]

4. With regards to rule #3, it’s fun & easier to find smaller prizes for a “basket” if you pick a theme. (this could be colors, event, hobby, home decor, etc. – the possibilities are endless)

5. Don’t be afraid to hand-make your gift!! Some of my all-time favorite things are handmade. If you don’t have any ideas of what to make, try searching the internet for diy’s that fit your “crafting” abilities.

These golden rules can apply to any type of gift, no matter how big or small the event – birthdays, house warmings, hostess gifts, showers, care packages etc. The more creative you get the better!! & the receiver always notices the extra thought & work you put into the gift!

So with all that said, I will share with you one of my recent fun gifts I gave. My amazing sister-in-law is moving ALL the way from Georgia to New Mexico! She is so brave & adventurous, I love that about her! We had a little going away dinner with her recently & I knew I wanted to get her something special for her travels. She is road-tripping it across the country (I am so jealous I can’t tag-along)! I decided to put together a little Road Trip Kit to keep her company along the way & to have little reminders of us on her journey.
[detailed list of items below images]

road-trip-kit-wrapped

road-trip-kit-wrapped

road-trip-kit-wrapped

 

Road Trip Kit Essentials!
1. Snacks are a must! I chose items that were healthy, provided energy & wouldn’t melt in the car. Target has amazing inexpensive trail mixes!
2. Reusable cup – fits in car drink holder, doesn’t “sweat” & has a straw – perfect! (from Target)
3. Road Atlas
4. Gum
5. Hand sanitizer & hand lotion – travel size – convenient & also inexpensive.
6. Wet ones
7. Burt’s Bees lip balm
8. Tiny can of Altoids
9. Travel pop-out brush & mirror
10. Hello Kitty band-aids – just in case.
11. Classic tree air fresheners
12. Travel size Kleenex
13. Framed photos of us & her puppy nieces so she doesn’t forget us! 🙂
*not photographed – a mix cd made by my husband Creed for her listening pleasure

I packaged it all in a little container that could be re-used as a trash can in her car & I designed the little Road Trip Kit tag on the computer. Most of the items were found at Target in the travel & dollar section. Very inexpensive but super fun! (she loved it!)

kitchen chalkboard wall

A couple of months ago I decided to use some left over chalkboard paint to paint a wall in our kitchen/dining nook. I love how it turned out & I enjoy changing it every month. I decided I would start documenting each time I change it starting this month. I really have way too much fun drawing on it & probably spend too much time doing so. This month, my design was heavily inspired by the amazing work of Dana Tanamachi (her chalk work is really stunning). Here are some peeks…

Don’t forget to enter my little blog birthday giveaway (if you haven’t already)! I forgot to mention is was open to international readers as well! ♥

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vintage camera display

YAY! I finished #16 on my 20 things to do in 2011 list – displaying some of my vintage cameras. I was wholly inspired by this photo by Tim Melideo Photography that I originally saw in this guest post by Hula Seventy on Poppytalk.

I had some frames on hand from a buy one get one sale & just used some Command frame strips to attach the cameras to the wall, the strips are similar to velcro but supposedly don’t leave a residue & will be easy to change out if I decide to mix up the display later on. Here are some peeks…

vintage camera display

vintage camera display

vintage camera display

vintage camera display

vintage camera display

vintage camera display

vintage camera display

It is a super easy way to make a dynamic display & I really love how it turned out! I look forward to expanding on it. It feels so good to be crossing things off my list, 2011 has been magnificent so far! Happy Wednesday lovies! xo.

Wreath Inspiration

Hello world!! I am just coming up for a little air…I have been in lock down mode since Thanksgiving. I am working hard to get all of my orders done in time for Santa to deliver them!

I have been trying to take little breaks here & there to decorate, I love how my little Christmas home is coming together this year! I can’t wait to share photos when it’s complete! One thing on the Christmas to-do list is make a wreath for the front door. Being the knitting & yarn lover that I am, I can’t help but be drawn to these yarn ball wreaths, I have been seeing them everywhere & have been itching to make one! Here are some pretty inspirations & links on how to make one for yourself – enjoy!

Wreath Inspiration
life through the lens diy

Wreath Inspiration
madeline bea diy

Wreath Inspiration
bleubird vintage diy

Wreath Inspiration
pickles diy

Wreath Inspiration
as seen here

Wreath Inspiration
& finally this little beauty by the amazing Dottie Angel

I am working on a super-mega-amazing Santa’s helper gift guide that I will be posting later this week & I’ve also been putting together a fun little wrapping paper tutorial – the wrapping is always my favorite part of gift giving!!! Can’t wait! Time for some more knitting & hot cocoa drinking! ♥

DIY rugs & such

I have been on the search lately for some area rugs for my house but haven’t found much that I love (or is even remotely in my price range) so since I would much rather do things for myself anyways I have compiled a little list of some fun DIY rugs…now I just have to decide which ones I want to try!

diy-rug
It would be fun to do this patchworky-ness on a larger scale.
tutorial on Apartment Therapy

diy-rug
We grew up with these braided rugs, I’ve always loved how they look. They would also work really well in the bathroom.
tutorial on Moda Bakeshop

diy-rug
Not gonna lie…this one is probably my favorite! I would love a whole floor (or wall) covered in these!! (They would also be so sweet in a baby’s room)
tutorial on LifeFlix

diy-rug
This one is also super fun! Being a vegetarian, I am totally digging the faux-zebra! It would be fun in so many different colors….
tutorial on Etsy’s Storque

diy-rug
I’ve seen lots of different versions of the diy chevron rug, this one actually uses fabric instead of painting!
tutorial on High Heeled Foot in the Door

diy-rug
I *love* wood grain anything! This little rug is so so cute!
tutorial on A Beautiful Mess

diy-rug
This t-shirt rug looks intense…but the outcome seems totally worth it.
tutorial on Re-Nest

diy-rug
This was made sewing Ikea rugs together! Love love this idea! Our stairs are the first thing you see when you open the door, what a great idea to brighten that area up!!
seen on Hidden in France

I will be back tomorrow with some of my Favorite things from the week! Happy Thursday-almost-Friday! ♥