DIY

Easy DIY Father’s Day BBQ Decor

June 5, 2019 by Jackie Leave a Comment

This Father’s Day, why not throw a BBQ in Dad’s honor? We can help by sharing easy DIY Father’s Day BBQ decor ideas! Throwing a Father’s Day BBQ is a lot easier than hosting a Mother’s Day brunch, because Dads don’t generally worry much about decor, because food is the most important thing! So let’s keep our DIY Father’s Day BBQ decor simple and fun.

Easy DIY Father’s Day BBQ Decor Ideas

My favorite easy DIY Father’s Day BBQ decor involves plaid napkins in masculine colors like blue and brown. Add some rustic wood-handled tableware if you have it. Choose dinnerware in a neutral color pulled straight from your plaid napkins. And I love the fun touch of paper mustaches at each place setting!

Here’s a little variation on the masculine plaid theme. Stainless flatware and antique metal-look plates work well with plaid napkins in colors of blue, red and gray. The blue and gray extends to the ribbon that adorns a brown paper-wrapped gift for Dad.

Keep the mustache theme going by using paper mustaches as cupcake toppers. I think the bow tie is a nice touch, but it’s completely optional and not necessary for our rustic DIY Father’s Day BBQ theme. If you wanted to include a bow tie with Dad’s dessert, make it plaid to match the napkins!

For some extra fun at your Father’s Day BBQ, have some paper mustaches, bow ties and glasses available for fun selfie props. That way, everyone can take a fun selfie with Dad to help celebrate him and his day.

Design and print a fun Father’s Day banner to welcome all the guests to the BBQ. Print an extra and use it as a table runner to adorn the center of the table. For the table decor, just use rustic platters set at different heights to display all the delicious food you’re serving. Dad will love it!

See how easy DIY Father’s Day BBQ decor can be? Now put your best effort into preparing all of Dad’s favorite BBQ delights! Before you go, check out these Free Printable Cards for Father’s Day.

Hop To It: DIY Easter Home Decor

March 13, 2019 by Jackie Leave a Comment

Spring is nearly here! That means it is time to hop to it and put together some fun DIY Easter home decor. So today I have some fun ideas for your crafty side. And no worries, if you feel like you aren’t crafty enough, simply click over to Michaels for some Easter decor to love!

DIY Easter home decor

How amazing is this bird’s nest wreath? I love it so much! Anyone can pull this off with a grapevine wreath, a bird’s nest to fit inside, spring floral and speckled eggs. Attach the greenery to the wreath with floral wire or hot glue. Group the eggs in the nest and secure with hot glue.

DIY Easter home decor and daffodils are a match made in heaven. Instead of forcing your daffodil bulbs inside of a vase or pot, try a burlap sack as you see here. Be sure to line the inside of the sack with something water-resistant. It’s a charmingly rustic look for spring!

I love the idea of Easter egg-shaped candles for my DIY Easter home decor. If you’ve never made your own candles, it might be time to start! Michaels has all the stuff you need to try DIY candle making right at home.

Any Easter home decor wouldn’t be the same without Easter eggs. There are a ton of ways to make your own DIY Easter eggs for your home decor! If you like the idea of using real eggs, remove the yolk and white first to make them last longer. The downside is you’ll have to be gentle in decorating and storing them. You can also purchase Styrofoam or wooden eggs and decorate them. And there’s always plastic eggs if you hide the seam around the middle. For lots of ways to decorate Easter eggs, see this post with 14 fantastic ideas!

DIY Easter home decor is so attainable! See our post on Spring home decor ideas for even more ways to decorate for the season!

10 Simple PVC Pipe Crafts for Kids of All Ages

June 16, 2018 by Jackie Leave a Comment

Let’s talk PVC pipe. Did you realize there is a lot you can do with PVC pipe that doesn’t involve plumbing? PVC pipe crafts are some of the most easy and versatile crafts for kids of all ages. Take a look at these 10 simple PVC pipe crafts for kids. You’ll be amazed at some of the things you can make!

1.The first PVC pipe craft on this list has me wondering why I didn’t think of it first. It’s genius! A PVC bike rack will have the kids’ bikes organized in a jiffy.

2. Okay, so this one is genius too. Use PVC pipe to create an outdoor canopy for family dining, or for the kids’ sandbox. The best part is that the canopy slides over the PVC so you can adjust it according to where the sun is shining.

3. Make a soccer goal for the backyard so the kids can play or practice whenever they want.

4. For a kid, nothing’s better than running through the sprinklers on a hot summer day. You can make that even more fun by building them a custom sprinkler from PVC pipe.

5. The kids will have hours of fun playing on a platform swing made from PVC pipe. You might even take the opportunity for an afternoon nap!

6. Kids love the opportunity for fun water play. Let them help you assemble an awesome water table. It’ll provide fun all summer long!

7. Sometimes kids need a quiet spot to read or to decompress. Make a simple but effective one by building a PVC pipe frame.

8. Use PVC pipe to craft a chair sized perfectly for the toddlers in your life. PVC makes the frame, and cute fabric forms the seat and back. It’s genius!

9. Kids will have loads of fun learning about archery while using a completely safe bow & arrow set made from PVC pipe.

10. Have marshmallow wars after you craft some PVC marshmallow guns. This is an awesomely fun family activity!

For more information on any of the PVC pipe crafts in this post, click the following links:

Bob Vila DIY bike racks

My Happy Crazy Life outdoor canopy

Six Sisters’ Stuff backyard soccer goal

Lindsay & Drew custom sprinkler

The Naughty Mommy platform swing DIY

Frugal Fun 4 Boys water table

Little Miss Kim’s Class DIY reading fort

DIY Simple Projects toddler chair

Skip to My Lou PVC bow & arrow

12 Ways to Reuse Old Scrabble Tiles

May 17, 2018 by Jackie Leave a Comment

After you read today’s post, there’s a good chance you’ll find your way to your local thrift shop just to find some old Scrabble games. Because there are a lot of really cute crafts you can do with the letter tiles! Check out 12 ways I’ve found for you to reuse old Scrabble tiles.

1.Napkin rings are one way to reuse those old Scrabble letter tiles. You could use the initial for everyone in your family, or just choose random letters. Either way is fun!

2. Make plain push pins much more fun & interesting by gluing Scrabble letter tiles to them. Multi Grip Adhesive glue is a good option.

3. Glue old Scrabble tiles together to form coasters. Finish them off with a coat of Mod Podge for protection.

4. Purchase a Scrabble tile-accented memo board from Etsy, or use it for inspiration to make your own. If you do, find inexpensive frames at Dollar Tree!

5. You {or the kids!} can make some pretty darn cute teacher gifts with Scrabble tiles.

6. I think this Scrabble tile wedding cake topper is magical! Who would have thought?!

7. Scrabble tiles were used to adorn place cards at a wedding in Cincinnati. I love it!

8. If you’re a dog owner and lover like I am, then you’ll appreciate this personalized plaque for hanging your pet’s leashes. It wouldn’t be hard to make your own version of this with regular hooks and a picture of your pet.

9. Personalize a backpack by making a Scrabble tile zipper pull.

10. One of the simplest ways to reuse old Scrabble tiles is to convert them into magnets. These would have million clever uses!

11. I love these monogrammed necklaces made from Scrabble tiles!

12. Use old Scrabble tiles to accent a rustic burlap wreath.

To see more information on the featured Scrabble tile crafts in this post, click on the following links:

Brit + Co napkin rings

Brit + Co letter tile push pins

Simply Darrling Scrabble tile coasters

Etsy Scrabble tile-accented dry erase memo boards

Pen & Paint teacher gifts

The Knot Scrabble cake topper

The Knot Scrabble place cards

Etsy dog leash holder

Momtastic personalized zipper pull

vtwonan Scrabble tile magnets

Etsy Scrabble letter necklace

Another Crafty Day wreath

How to Make Your Own DIY Terrarium

May 15, 2018 by Jackie Leave a Comment

Even if you feel like houseplants aren’t fit for your black thumb, you should try a DIY terrarium. A terrarium allows anyone to enjoy the benefits of houseplants in their home, without the same level of maintenance or fuss. Terrariums are easy to make, and are wonderful gifts to give away! Stick around to see how you can make your own DIY terrarium in a few easy steps today.

Before you start, you will need the following supplies:

a glass vessel to house your terrarium {World Market has lovely options such as the glass and cement terrarium pictured above!}
small rocks for drainage
activated charcoal
potting soil
an assortment of your favorite succulents or other small plants
moss, geodes, or other decorative items

Follow these steps to construct your DIY terrarium:

Place a layer of small rocks in the bottom of your vessel. In general, the larger your terrarium, the thicker the layer of rocks should be. Keep in mind as you add layers that you will want plenty of space left in the top of the vessel so that your terrarium does not appear crowded or overstuffed.
Add a layer of activated charcoal on top of the rocks. This helps keep your terrarium clean and bacteria-free. You can find activated charcoal for horticultural use at Amazon.
Now add some potting soil just deep enough to cover the roots of your plants. The type of soil will vary depending on your plants. Succulents need a soil specifically formulated for succulents.
It’s time to add the plants! Start with the largest of your succulents. Use the smallest ones to fill in any gaps. Have fun with it, because this is the best part.
Finally, add some decorative accents such as geodes or moss. This is optional, but really adds to the overall look of your terrarium.

For more tips on DIY terrariums, check out the World Market blog!

How to Create an Aged Copper Finish {Easily!}

April 26, 2018 by Jackie Leave a Comment

Do you love the look of an aged copper finish? If you do, you’re not alone. There’s nothing quite like it! Let’s take a look at how to create an aged copper finish easily. And bonus, you can do this aged copper finish DIY project on a lot of surfaces, not just metal. Get ready for an aged copper finish DIY!

An aged copper finish is beautiful on furniture or even wood cabinets. To get the look, you’ll need the following supplies:

220 grit sandpaper
a rag
latex primer
latex semi-gloss paint in a deep brown color
dark brown glaze
acrylic craft paint in antique copper
satin-based polyurethane
paintbrushes and rollers
fine steel wool

Steps:

Remove doors and drawers from cabinets. Rough up the surfaces just a little bit using 220 grit sandpaper. Use a rag or tack cloth to remove all traces of sanding dust.
Cover all the surfaces with primer. Let it dry thoroughly, and then sand again. Remove all traces of sanding dust before proceeding.
Paint all surfaces with two coats of the latex semi-gloss paint. Allow it to dry between coats, and again after the second coat.
To give the finished color more depth, lightly coat the surfaces with glaze. The glaze must dry overnight before proceeding.
Pour some of the antique copper acrylic paint onto a paper plate. Dip a piece of fine steel wool into the acrylic paint, then dab off the excess paint. Use the steel wool to lightly apply the antique copper paint in the direction of the wood grain. Pay special attention to corners and edges, where you will want to highlight with the copper color.
Let the acrylic paint dry thoroughly, then apply two coats of satin polyurethane to all surfaces to protect the finish. Allow everything to cure before returning the drawers and doors to the piece.