You know I love me some affordable DIY projects. This one cost just $4 to make! Yes, you read that right: a mere $4.
Run on over to your local Dollar Tree and grab one of their wipe-on/wipe-off boards. Then head to Target's Dollar Spot for these peel-n-stick pre-cut vinyl packets. A two-pack is just $3. The wipe-off board was, of course, $1.
I'm not going to lie: the vinyl was a little tricky to use. I mumbled a few curse words under my breath while working on this, but I was literally done in 10 minutes. I added the petite pumpkin and raffia from my stash.
Not bad for $4, eh?
Jeanine
My favorite local thrift store finally opened last week. I could hardly contain myself! The pickings were a little slim, but I did manage to grab a metal tool holder and wood sign/cutting board.
I gave the tool holder quite a few coats of white spray paint (to cover lots of rusty areas). Once that was dry, I printed out some Frenchy images onto waterslide decal paper. After coating the decals with clear spray paint, I cut to size and added to the front of the holder.
This piece cost $1! I had the spray paint, decal paper and everything else I needed. I'm ecstatic with how it turned out! I'm working on the wood sign/cutting board as we speak.
Jeanine
When a friend alerted me that someone was throwing out a vintage Schwinn bike, you better believe I hopped in my car to go and grab it! Unfortunately, I deleted the before picture. It was definitely a bit beat up, but nothing I couldn't fix.
After removing the tires and sanding a few rusty spots, I simply gave it a few coats of Ocean Mist spray paint. I'm loving how it turned out! In fact, it's one of my most favorite pieces in our yard now.
Total cost: approximately $10 for 2 cans of spray paint. A true trash to treasure story for the books!
Jeanine
Who doesn't love a good DIY in Under 5? If you've got some old bathroom tiles laying around, this project is for you.
You'll also need cork backing, a rubber stamp and ink. I usually place the cork backing on my tiles before I start stamping. This prevents them from scratching surfaces and clanking around while you're working with them.
Simply rub the ink on to your stamp and press on to each coaster. Seriously, that's it! I like to cover my image with either Mod Podge or clear spray paint to seal the image in - so add on an extra 10 minutes for that.
In less than 5 minutes (or 15 if using Mod Podge or spray paint), you've got some cute new coasters that you can hopefully use for entertaining when Co-Vid19 is gone.
Cheers!
Jeanine
We've been following stay-at-home orders since March 13th. Yes, an entire month has gone by. Luckily, our friends at Diamond Art Club* are offering the perfect #stayhome activity that has been keeping this family of four pleasantly busy.
Diamond Art Club makes creative and affordable art kits painting with "diamonds" to create beautiful works of art in hours or days, that anyone can do at home. There is very little learning curve to follow on how to make designs, and it's a fantastic activity that the whole family can get involved in, or do individually as a passive hobby.
We chose Sunbathing Kitty ($29.99) for our 12 year old cat lover. Little did we know how addicting and fun this project would be! The kit contains packets of "diamonds" that you place on the pre-printed adhesive canvas. Simply locate the symbol and corresponding color to follow the pattern.
Using the magic applicator and wax, you are able to pick up the faceted side of the gems and place them on your canvas. Here's our progress so far:
Not only is it a fun activity that we've been taking turns doing, it's been quite calming in a world of Co-Vid chaos. Stay tuned as I'll be sure to post our finished project. In the meantime, get your own kit (there are lots to choose from!) by visiting www.diamondartclub.com.
Stay safe and be well!
Jeanine
* Note: I received a review copy from Diamond Art Club. However, all opinions, text, images (except those provided by Diamond Art Club), etc. are honest and my own. This blog does not contain any content that might present a conflict of interest. Affiliate links and/or monetary compensation will always be disclosed.
These are some strange days.
I am trying to remain calm and prayerful.
It's not easy.
Every trip to the grocery story is filled with dread and panic.
I have to stay strong for my boys.
And I keep my sanity by doing little projects here and there.
Stay safe, my friends. Together, we will all get through this.
Hugs!
Jeanine
I am trying to remain calm and prayerful.
It's not easy.
Every trip to the grocery story is filled with dread and panic.
I have to stay strong for my boys.
And I keep my sanity by doing little projects here and there.
Stay safe, my friends. Together, we will all get through this.
Hugs!
Jeanine
Who else has started decorating for St. Patrick's Day?! I don't do a lot for this particular holiday (even though I'm 1/4 Irish!), but I do enjoy what we have. The gold coins, shamrocks and hats from this picture are all from Dollar Tree. The printables are courtesy of The Graphics Fairy.
You've seen this tiered tray before. It's from Target and I have used it for every holiday since I scored it. It sits on the "island" in our kitchen. The hats are from - you guessed it! - Dollar Tree. The Bingo coins are from the local thrift store and the wood beads are from Decor Steals. Everything else I DIY'd.
No holiday is complete without some Scrabble letters. My husband didn't understand the no pinches, lol. I had to explain it to him. Doh!
Aside from some other randomly placed shamrocks and gold coins, this is the extent of my St. Patrick's Day decorating. I'm secretly counting down the days until Easter...
Jeanine
Valentine's Day is fast approaching! I've had my most of my decorations up since January and I've been loving every minute of them.
I didn't make a lot of new pieces this year. I've been using Scrabble tiles and free printables.
And I always display my collection of vintage Valentine's Day cards.
I'm enjoying the simplicity of it right now. Maybe it's because I'm getting older or because my boys are getting older. Or maybe because we've had no snow?! I always enjoy a quiet day of crafting when we're snowed in.
Or maybe it's because my most recent thrifting adventures have yielded little to no inspiration.
I feel like I get the winter blahs this time every year.
In any event, I'm enjoying shopping the house and using pieces I have from previous years. Four more days til Valentine's Day and then we'll be moving on to St. Patrick's Day.
Jeanine
Whoa, my first post of 2020! I don't know about you, but I took a little bit of a blog break. Between the holidays and the boys being off from school, it took me a week longer to get back into my regular routine.
Now that I'm able to focus a little more, I've been busy with small Valentine's Day DIY projects. I don't go too crazy for Valentine's Day. I like to keep a smaller budget on what I buy, so I can recoup after all the Christmas spending.
So a lot of these pretties are made using free printables (like the picture frame print), upcycling previous purchases (like the petite bottles in the first picture) or revisiting old favorites (like the Rae Dunn-inspired candy jars).
I did splurge on these wood hearts at Hobby Lobby. They set me back a whole $1.89, lol. I painted them red, and then sanded them for an aged look. I used them on the bottles in the first picture.
Okay, so I also picked up this cute pickup truck sign from Dollar Tree too. I just couldn't resist. Dollar Tree is definitely stepping up its game when it comes to farmhouse-style pieces.
Last up it this tray vignette using pieces I already created. The mugs and dish towel are from Target's DollarSpot. It cost $6 for the mugs and the towel.
So far I've spent about $10 on Valentine's Day. I'm trying to keep it under $25. Wish me luck!
Jeanine
I never ever, ever pass up a box of Scrabble at a garage sale. Those little tiles (and tile holders) are perfect for DIY projects no matter the season.
In fact, if you've been following my blog awhile, you've definitely seen the many ways I've used these handy-dandy word tiles. And this Christmas season is no exception.
Scrabble tiles are literally in just about every room of the house. I might have a slight obsession with them.
How could you not? I mean the possibilities really are endless.
Jeanine
(Photo courtesy of Ornaments in the Green, Etsy)
I don't know about you, but I'm gearing up for some serious holiday shopping. I've been busy bookmarking, pinning and making "wish" lists for everyone on my shopping list. I'm sharing a few gems that caught my eye. First up is this adorable Personalized Pajama Party Family Ornament from Ornaments in the Green. Every year we purchase a personalized ornament for our tree. I immediately fell in love with this one and ordered it right away. Find it on Etsy.com, $17.50.
(Photo courtesy of Walmart)
Since my goal for 2020 is to get back on track - fitness-wise - I literally just ordered this Weslo Crosswalk Treadmill. Never mind that it's arriving on Friday and before Christmas (whoops!). Unfortunately, it's also not included in Walmart's Black Friday offerings, but it currently has a rollback price of $269. Find it at Walmart.com.
(Photo courtesy of Hess Toy Trucks)
My husband collects Hess Toy Trucks, so it's no surprise that I ordered one of these as soon as they became available. His collection dates back to the 80s, and although they seem to be taking up space in our attic, I couldn't not indulge the man. Find it at HessToyTruck.com, $35.99 plus tax.
(Photo courtesy of Justin Donner and Ascot Media)
My cat lover is going to relish every page of the book, Ninja Cat: Whiskers of Choice. Written by Justin Donner (with input from his 10 year old son), Ninja Cat tackles tough topics, including bullying, peer pressure and money problems, among others, and is told by a precocious feline, who loves to play video games. Find it on Amazon, $9.99.
(Photo courtesy of Target.com)
My teenager is dying for a pair of Apple Air Pods. I'm still searching out the best Black Friday deals for them. I've seen prices ranging from $85 to $179 depending upon the retailer. I know I can do better than that. This pair is available at Target, pre-Black Friday price $144.99.
(Photo courtesy of JCPenney)
Lastly, I'm hoping to find this pretty (Liz Claiborne Women's Leopard Fleece Robe) under the Christmas tree for me. It's presently under $25 and methinks it will go even lower for Black Friday. In any event, I've been leaving little hints around the house for my husband. You know: texting him robe pictures, leaving out the JCPenney card, keeping the laptop open to the page - you get the idea, lol. Fingers crossed he takes the hint(s). Find it at JCPenney, $23.79.
That's just a little bit of all I want for Christmas this year. What's on your gift list?
Jeanine
* Note: I received a copy of Ninja Cat: Whiskers of Choice for review. However, all opinions, text, images, etc. are honest and my own. This blog does not contain any content that might present a conflict of interest. Affiliate links and/or monetary compensation will always be disclosed.
Or should I say White Wednesday with a touch of green?! This Joyful sign is a Target find ($5). I love the touch of green and how it perfectly fits this upcycled wood tote. It's happily sitting on our kitchen counter.
Jeanine