At Home

DIY: Frosted Type Mirror

Jan 22

After years of haphazardly hanging random frames all over my walls, I have finally committed to a gallery wall. I assumed before I started this project I had enough art to cover the entire wall, but when it came down to it, I don’t have nearly enough odd sized art for my liking. I did have this mirror that had been hiding in my closet for years and it was the prefect size. I did a similar tutorial last November for Frangelico and I thought I’d utilized materials I already had at home.

What you’ll need: Old mirror/ Frosted glass paint/ Xacto knife/ Self-adhesive vinyl/ paint (optional)

Step One: I started by painting the mirror black. and scarping off all the excess paint.

Step Two: While waiting for the frame to dry I printed out what I wanted my piece to say. I chose to use the font Silverfake.

Step Three: Slide your print under the self adhesive vinyl, cut out the letters using your Xacto knife.

Step Four: Peel off the top layer of adhesive and adhere to mirror.

Step Five: Paint over adhesive with frosted paint. Let dry and repeat.

Step Six: Slowly peel the vinyl off the mirror. Use Xacto knife to clean up edges. Using a paper towel and bit of Windex, clean off paint chips.

I’m kind of in love with this project. It didn’t take me long and it really add dimension to my gallery wall.

Upcycled Bar Stools

Jan 08

I’ve had these hideous bar stools for years. I’m pretty sure I got them on sale for $12 a piece, and at the time, I thought the best solution was to spray paint everything black. Five years, a move, and two dogs later, they didn’t hold up very well. But, instead of buying new ones, I figured I’d give upcycling them a shot. It still feels a little weird to look over and not see crappy black stools, but I’m slowly getting used to it.

I started by sanding the entire stool. In retrospect, I could have gotten away with sanding the top and then lightly sanding the legs. Why do I make things harder on myself?

I then painted the legs with 2 coats of silver and one coat of Martha Stewart’s Satin Peashoot. After the paint dried I lightly sanded, trying to focus on exposing the silver underneath rather than the wood.

I then stained the top of the stool with two coats of Miniwax Wood Finish on Golden Oak. I also ran a coat of stain over the legs to give it a more vintage look. Then finished it off with a satin varnish.

I have one more stool to do, but my hands are sore from sanding. I’m hoping it won’t take another five years!

DIY: Cross Stitch Pillow

Jan 02

It’s 2013! And what better way to start off the new year, than with a new project! I’ve had my eye on the Mima Pillow from BluDot , but unfortunately they don’t have any colors that really work with my living room. So I figured I’d make my own, since I wasn’t really excited about buying one for $80. Mine cost about $25, mainly, because I used Liberty of London fabric for the back, which it’s really expensive but SO pretty. I also wanted it to match my new Shapes & Colors pillow, so I chose neutral colors for the front. I love the way they look together.

What You’ll Need: 1 Yard Osnaburg Natural Fabric/ Martha Stewart Roving Wool Yarn in Snowdrift/ 1/2 yard Liberty of London Tana Lawn Fabric/

Tapestry Hand Needle/

Ruler/

Washable Pen or Pencil/

Needle and Thread/

18×18 Pillow Insert

Step One: Fold the front piece of fabric (in this case, the Osnaburg) in half. Cut into a 19″x19″ square.

Step Two: Using a ruler and your washable pen or pencil crate a 1″ grid over your fabric. This will be the back side of your front piece.

Step Three: Thread the yarn through a tapestry needle. Decide how you want your stitches to look on the outside. I wanted wide, but short stitches, so I decided to make them 2″ wide and 1″ tall.

To get the wide, but short look, I used the pattern above. I then eyeballed the vertical stitch, using the grid.

Step Four: Press both pieces of fabric. Taking care to not burn the yarn ir pull too much in any one direction.

Step Five: Pin the finished front piece together with the backing fabric, right sides facing each other.

Step Six: Sew three sides together, leaving a half inch seam allowance. In addition sew the outer 2″ of the bottom corners to give all four corners consistency.

Step Seven: Turn the pillow right side out. Insert pillow, by folding in half to fit through the sewed edges smooth out once placed.

Step Eight: Slip stitch the remaining side shut. Michelle Patterns has a great visual tutorial.

Admire your work and enjoy!

Holiday Details

Dec 18

With the holidays fast approaching, I thought it would be nice to share some of the smaller details in my home. My Christmas collection consists of handmade, hand-me-downs, and candles. We don’t have a fireplace, so I just go overboard on candles. I feel like it give my house a cozy glow.

I might just be obsessed with this ornament I got in NYC from ABC Home. I also love my wreath that I made. I circled Joann’s, like, four times, pick stuff up and putting it back before I decided on the berries and the cardinal. It might have been the most indecisive I’ve been in a while. I also, have been vary paranoid some one would steal it. Not because I think it’s amazing, but because we have a lot of pumpkin smashers in my neighborhood. Nothing is safe.

I made this wreath last year. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I love wreaths. The knitted Santa hat? I have no idea where this came from. I think my great grandma made it and it was on a Snoopy doll for a long time before it made it to my teddy bears when I was little. Regardless, it now sits on my tiki man and it’s one of my favorite details.

This, I found at my Nana’s house last month. I think it’s amazing.

November Wish List

Nov 06

By this time of year, I already have a long list of holiday decorations I have been coveting, but this year is a little bit different. After 4 years and two apartments, my couch is a goner. It’s been looking rather horrid for the past year, but an incident involving glitter sealed the deal! I ordered a new couch through a place called Build A Sofa and am super excited to get it delivered in a few weeks. Now that I have one new piece of furniture coming I can’t stop thinking of new things that would look great in my home. Next on the list is, for sure, an Eames Rocker, but I threw some comfy looking PJ’s in there for good measure.

Clockwise from top left: Urban Outfitters Medallion Jewelry Stand/ CB2 Varanasi Stool/ West Elm Newgate Wall Clock/ Target Thermal Stripe PJ’s/ Modernica Fiberglass Chair