Tag: diy

DIY Your Own Bathroom Design Style

A good shower is essential to your physical and mental health. Choosing a perfect mitigeur colonne de douche for your DIY project is crucial. You should get a shower that works as you expect and performs satisfactorily. When buying your shower faucet, there are many factors to consider, including the styles, finishes, and materials. This article is dedicated to helping you choose the right shower faucet for your bathroom.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Shower Faucet

1. Shower Faucet Configuration and Type

The main faucet configuration is a solo shower head and an all-in-one combination with both the bathtub faucet and shower tap.

There are five categories of shower taps available in the market, and they include:

• Rain showers

This type of shower is large and flat. They spray water straight down, and thus they are usually suspended directly above the user.

• Single-head spray shower

Single-head spray showers have about four individual nozzles that help distribute water as the user takes a shower. These individual nozzles are adjustable, and they adjust by using a small lever that alters the water flow pattern.

• Hand-held shower heads

A hand-held shower has a single head sprayer that is connected to a flexible pipe. This shower is very helpful and perfect when cleaning the hair and other areas which are hard to reach. It’s also best for people with limited mobility and those that will need to sit when taking a shower.

• Body spray shower faucets

A body spray shower faucet has multiple spray heads, which are usually integrated into the shower wall. The heads are either flat or compact nozzles.

• Multiple showerheads

The multiple or dual shower heads have more than one showerhead, and they’re controlled by a single set of levels wall-mounted. A diverter valve allows one to use one of the showerheads or both simultaneously.

DIY Bathroom Design Style

2. Check the Water Pressure

Determining your home’s water pressure is crucial before buying the faucet. The water pressure for most shower faucets ranges between 40 and 60 pounds per square inch (psi). Testers are available in most hardware stores which you can insert onto the shower arm, and they’ll help determine the water pressure of your home.

You should consider other important factors, including old pipes, clogs, and leaks since they can cause low water pressure.

3. Consider Accessories

When buying your shower faucet, you should consider getting several accessories which include:

• Head showers

A head shower helps make cleaning the bathtub easier. Thus, you’ll need to install a hand shower on your wall.

• Diverters

Diverters are used to move the water to the showerhead from the spout, and they’re usually located are the showerhead. You have to pull the diverter upward to activate the showerhead.

• Pressure-balancing valves

These valves are used to maintain the current water temperature when the water pressure drops suddenly.

• Anti-scald valves

This valve helps protect from extreme water temperatures.

4. Find Something in Your Budget

Finding a shower faucet within your budget is important in successfully completing your bathroom DIY. There are many faucets available, and the prices vary greatly as well depending on the size, model, and material. You should get a shower head that is within your budget.

5. Choose the Right Type of Valve

Thermostatic shower valve and pressure balance valve are the main types available; the thermostatic valve has two handles where one controls the water quantity and the other controls the water temperature.

This enables one to change water flow while maintaining temperature, which is essential for children and the elderly using the bathroom. The pressure balance valve one control that balances the water pressure and volume.

6. Bathroom Layout

The bathroom layout is essential when purchasing a shower faucet. You should measure the bathroom space to get a shower head that fits the size and shape of your bathroom.

Determining your bathroom style is important since it’s the busiest room in your home, especially during rush hours. You should ensure the shower faucet fits your bathroom seamlessly to meet the function. The good thing is that there are many styles and finishes available, so you’ll easily get one that meets your taste.

Summary

When doing a DIY for your bathroom, you’ll need to consider the shower faucet keenly. Bathroom layout, your budget, valve, type of shower head, and configuration are important factors to consider when buying a shower faucet.

DIY Maternity Jeans

My growing belly has been a source of contention when it comes to finding comfortable pants…I have been using the rubber band method but I was constantly tugging to pull my jeans up & always tugging my shirts down, to make sure that the un-zipped zipper was hidden. I tried the belly bands but was never a huge fan, it just added one more thing for me to tug on. SO, as to not delay the inevitable anymore I decided to just sew myself a quick pair of maternity jeans to see if they were any more comfortable (they are!! hooray!).

There are tons of similar diy’s on the web but I thought I would share how I did mine as well. They were super simple & didn’t take me long at all. Here’s how I did it:

I just used one of the belly bands I had gotten from Target (because I knew I wouldn’t use it by itself again) & a pair of stretchy jeans, also from Target, that I didn’t mind cutting up.

DIY Maternity Jeans

DIY Maternity Jeans

I removed the zipper & sewed down the fly. Then, I cut around the waistband – a little deeper in the front to leave room for the belly & then put right sides together of the band & jeans, pinned a few spots to hold it in place & then sewed them together. This part was a little tricky because of the stretch in the band, I just pulled both sides taut as the machine feed through.

DIY Maternity Jeans

Flip the band up & voila! I think they turned out great!! They are super comfortable. The band can be pulled all the way up (will be perfect when my bump gets even bigger) or it can be folded over for a half band. Definitely worth the effort & SOOOO much more affordable than any of the maternity jeans I have seen in the stores!

DIY Maternity Jeans

You can’t even tell the difference when your shirt is pulled down! I plan on finding a cheap darker wash & using an old stretchy tank top to make another pair. They kind of feel like wearing pajamas & I just can’t argue with that!!

DIY Maternity Jeans

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

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

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!)