DIY Chanel Vase

Ahhh one of my favorites. Coco Mademoiselle smells so good. Yes I used all of it, but couldn't part with this beautiful little bottle. So why not fill my home with my favorites, right? I thought it would be fun to repurpose this bottle into a small bud vase. 

Here's What You'll Need:

Empty glass bottle

Eye protection

Gloves

Mask

Marker

Water in a squeeze bottle (I actually used an empty Sriracha bottle)

Dremel Hand Tool

Diamond Wheel

How To:

-Put on your eye protection, gloves, and mask...working with glass dust can be dangerous, especially if you're a newbie! So make sure you're suited up.

-Use a marker to draw a guide line around the bottle.

-Lay your bottle on its side.

-Turn on your Dremel tool with the diamond wheel and start cutting along the marked line.

-***You'll need and extra pair of hands to squirt a few drops of water on the blade while you cut (don't get water above the attachment site on the Dremel). This will help prevent the glass from heating up and fracturing. Always keep the cut line wet.

-Go over your cut line a few times -- gradually getting deeper into the glass until it cracks off.  Keep the cut even around the whole bottle. Cut a little at a time on each side. 

-After the top is off, you'll want to clean up the sharp edges with your diamond blade. Make sure it's smooth and safe.

DIY Sunburst Mirror

So I've been drooling over this sunburst mirror for a few years now. All the mirrors that I like are way out of my price range {such as this one}. Why in the world is this mirror $449!? I dunno. So I thought it was about time that I attempted to make one myself. Here's what you'll need.

Shopping list:

10" mirror {I got mine at Target for $12.99}

metallic gold spray paint {Michael's $4}

3 packs of shish kabob sticks {Target 99¢ each}

E6000 glue {$2 Michael's}

scissors or clippers

glue gun {already had -->not pictured}

Total cost = around $22

Directions:

- cut your shish kabob sticks into various lengths. I cut around 60-5" sticks, 40-6" sticks, 40-7" sticks and 20- 8" sticks {place in separate labeled piles so they'll be easy to grab when you start the pattern} 

-Fire up your hot glue gun and turn you mirror face down.

-I started by lining up 4 of the 8" sticks with the lines on the front of the mirror. Dab a pea-size amount of hot glue on each point on the backside of the mirror 1/2" from the edge. Place each stick accordingly. 

-start the pattern {see below}

-Once complete, squeeze E6000 glue over the sticks to seal any weak spots that the hot glue gun may have missed.

-Let the glue dry overnight

-spray paint everything the next day {be sure to cover the mirror}

easy as that...

Pattern ^

8", 7", 6", 5", 5", 5", 6", 7", 8"...

Bar Cart Bliss

Ahhhh I've been dying for a gold bar cart! Alas I cannot find one that I love that is in my very limited budget. I have no idea why they are so expensive!!!? $1200? Why!? So, I will continue my hunt for the perfect {and affordable} cart. I just love how they bring a refined vibe into your home. I guess if a bar cart could talk it would say, “Yeah. I like to party, but I be classy.” Plus it's a great way to display some of your favorite items… artsy glassware, flea market finds and pretty bottles etc. Daaaaarling, The styling opportunities are endless. It would be perfect for little get-togethers with friends. And the bar cart has been around since the mid-1930′s so you KNOW it’s not going out of style any time soon. Here are some carts from around the web + decorating inspiration!

1.Roland Gold Cart /2.Gold Leafed Cart / 3. Brighton Gold Leaf Bamboo Bar Cart / 4.1950's Faux-Bamboo Bar Cart / 5.Wooden Crate & Barrel Bar Cart / 6. Lacy Bar Cart / 7.Tea Cart / 8.Worlds Away Gold Bar Cart /9. Crate and Barrel wheeled cart / 10. Threshold Wood and Brass Bar Cart /  Sur La Table glass decanter / Whiskey Ice Balls /Zara Home Drinkware / Striped Straws / Sur La Table Stainless Steel Straws / Seletti Glass Bottles / Golddust Bead Coral Wine Coaster / Book: The Little Black Jacket: Chanel's Classic Revisited  

Pictures: HG, shopsocietysocial, restorationhardware

Domino Gold Bar Cart X Sun Burst Manhattan Chanel Bar Cart Chambord

DIY Striped Garden Pot

Easy. Easy. Easy.

 

 

{Step One}

Use masking tape to tape around your pot. Spray with spray paint. I used a glossy black. Use whatever color your heart desires. Place a piece of cardboard under your pot to keep things clean while spraying.

 

{Step 2}

One more coat of spray paint. Make sure you spray inside the rim up to soil level.

{Step 3}

Let it dry and then peel off that tape! Touch-up any uneven places with a paintbrush. You can spray your spray paint into a piece of crumpled newspaper -- it will hold a nice little puddle that you can use a touch-up paint.

 

Garden Station DIY Wooden Pallets

I have the best Hubby ever. Dan made me a gardening station for my potted plants and tools. I love that he used recycled wooden pallets... so eco-friendly of you Dan! He even made a shelf for my planter boxes and storage for soil and pots underneath. He was the handyman and I was the painter. I also had some fun arranging a few of our star lamps to make the space extra special {Dan wanted me to move them from our umbrella because someone kept hitting their head on them ha-ha}. Yay for team effort. Another DIY successfully completed. I just love him :) What a thoughtful guy!

{Before}

{After}

Fire Pit {Before and After}

 

We love fixing up things that need a little TLC.  My mom gave us a hand-me-down fire pit for our backyard. I am in love with fireplaces and since our little house is lacking one, I jumped at the chance for an outside one. The metal screens on the side had rusted through and needed to be replaced, so I thought a perforated metal sheet would do the trick. Now all I need to do is put some elbow grease into that copper top to make it shine...or do the easy thing and paint it black ;)

 



 

 

 

 



Soapstone Pencils

 

I ran across some marvelous little soapstone pencils at Crate & Barrel last week. I bought 3 and tried them out on our chalkboard at home. Too cool. They are so much easier to use than the regular bulky chalk. They give you smooth fine lines and leave less dust. So much better.

 

 

Backyard Shed Before & After

Dan and I have been renting a little one bedroom house during our first year of marriage. We absolutely love the place, but it has needed some TLC here and there. We asked our landlord if we could  touch-up a few things around the property...like this here shed. Not to shabby huh? I think we did a good job! A little paint and masking tape can do magical things.

 

Hue Design Challenge

Hello lovelies, I entered a "Hue Design Challenge" on Pinterest for Grandin Road. I actually made it to the top 10 finalists! Yay! I need your help to win. Click here to vote for me. Thanks guys, You're the best!

You can vote once everyday until May 8th 2013!

DIY Chalkboard Coasters

We threw a backyard party a couple weeks ago and our friend Genevieve brought us a cute host gift. She made her own chalkboard coasters -- what an awesome idea!
Thanks Genevieve, Dan and I love them!


What you'll need:
-ceramic tiles
-cork sheet
-glue
-chalkboard paint
-chalk

Here's how to make them:
-spray tiles with chalkboard paint -- let dry
-cut out your cork sheet to match the size of your tiles
-glue the cork to the bottom of the tiles

Simple as that.

Here are some cute ways to use them...

I would also suggest using a chalk marker. It'll help you make those nice neat lines.

Pictures: Rachel, Gouda, W

DIY: Fabric & Cardboard Bookshelf

Super easy and cheap way to dress up your plain-jane bookself. All you need it cardboard, fabric and tape. Oh me likey!

 

White Bookshelf, Blue Patteren, Chevron Print, Map and Yellow, Cardboard Example, Horse bookshelf, China Shelf