Summer Kids' Project: Mugs

Well, we're six weeks into summer vacation, and I don't know about your kids, but mine are ready to eat each other. Swimming, playing at the park, and mindless video games have lost their luster and I've been forced to get creative. And cheap. 

A friend suggested taking them to Color Me Mine to decorate ceramics. But dude, have you been there?? It's totally expensive! So I got creative. And cheap. Ergo, these hand-decorated, one-of-a-kind mugs:

Details after the jump!!

No-Sew Burlap Table Runner

This week's project was really easy, really quick, and most importantly really CHEAP.

Burlap table runners (and DIY tutorials to show you how to make one) are pretty easy to come by, but they all require sewing. Which is fine, whatever, I guess. It's not that hard to sew a straight line. But DUDE. Sewing burlap is a pain.

It's very coarse and difficult to handle and it likes to bunch up and be crooked. So I've come up with a no-sew alternative. Dig it:

There it is, peeking out from
behind the creepy Halloween cloth.

Tutorial after the jump!

DIY Hurricane Lamps

Okay, so I know I just did a candle post, but I CAN'T STOP. Seriously, how cute and versatile is this??

And of course, as ALWAYS, the materials are available at the dollar store. Specifically, Dollar Tree. So each hurricane lamp costs $2. I love this kind of adorable, dirt cheap, easily updated decor.

Tutorial after the jump!

Pickle Jar Candles

I've mentioned that I love jars. They're the coolest. They're like, free with your Smuckers purchase and you can reuse them! It's awesome! This project cost me nothing. I used only what I had on hand in my crafting stash, and I KNOW how much my fellow craft sisters hoard, so there's a reeeeeally good chance you've got stuff to make these in your cupboards right now.

Continued after the jump!!

Bonjour! Mug

I know I keep harping on Fall and how it's almost here and I'm so GLAD the heat is nearly over and how excited I am that we're looking at the backside of Summer, but this is my blog and I can repeat myself if I wanna!

One of the best things about cooler weather is that I get to drink hot chocolate like it's going out of style. I drink it almost every evening, from October to March and before you ask, the answer is no, I do not get sick of it.

Part of the fun of hot chocolate is drinking it from a fun mug. Like this, the Bonjour! Mug.

Burt Reynolds a souhaité sa moustache
était si masculin comme cela.

This is a fun, easy and CHEAP project that you can do in no time flat.

Follow me after the jump!

DIY Patio Lights

I've done a few posts already featuring different DIY lighting projects, but this one is a little different. It's EASY. Like, no tools required WHATSOEVER. I give you:

DIY Patio Lights!
 If you already have twinkle lights on hand (and who among us doesn't have a giant ball of tangled twinkle lights in the garage right now?) this project will cost you one dollar, plus tax.

Follow me after the jump!!

Thursday Miscellany: The Little Things

Summer is finally slowing down for my family (and it's a good thing, because I am about to collapse) and I'm starting to look forward to all the great things about Autumn. Like cooler weather, watching the leaves change, spending more time in the kitchen, football, holiday dinners, new sweaters... I'm beginning to drool here.

And so, in the spirit of retrospection, this edition of Miscellany is dedicated to some of the little things that have made me immeasurably happy this Summer. Things like my hanging bud vases, which were a STEAL from CB2, by the way.

We grew these from seeds.
Super cool.

This bag of peaches from my lovely neighbor Bob.

Voted Most Likely to Become Cobbler.

 A lazy dog day, which for Dexter is very, very rare.

He didn't even try to lick the camera.
He must be sick.

This new glasses chain that I bought at Dollar Tree. My optometrist has been gently suggesting that I should consider bifocals, because I'm constantly putting on and taking off my reading glasses. Like, CONSTANTLY.

But I'm only 32, dangit!! I've got plenty of miles left on my eyes before they require bifocals! But a glasses chain? With pretty beads? That is a compromise I can make.

I bought several, in assorted colors.
Fashion!

And finally my brother-in-law, who loves to annoy me in small ways that amuse him. For example, at a BBQ we hosted recently, he drew mustaches on all the faces in my Harry Potter 2011 Calendar.

I hate to admit it, but it's actually an improvement.

And how about you? What little things are bringing you happiness today?

DIY Retro Patio Sign: Part 2

Last week I made a retro sunglasses cafe sign, and now I'm posting the follow-up:

Instructables after the jump!

Miscellany

mis·cel·la·ny

ɪsəˌleɪni; Brit. mɪˈsɛləni/ Show Spelled[mis-uh-ley-nee; Brit. mi-sel-uh-nee]

–noun, plural -nies.

1. a collection or group of various or somewhat unrelated items.

So I've been thinking lately that there are things I'd like to say here that are unrelated to DIYing and crafting. Personal things. Opinions, thoughts, and other assorted crap. But I don't want to overrun the blog proper with my blah blah blahing.

To this end, I've decided to take one day a week, Thursdays to be specific, and post whatever is on my mind. I apologize in advance, because this is probably going to end up being mostly lame. Fortunately it'll only happen once a week, or until I get distracted and forget about it.

Lately I've been thinking about gardens. It's the predominant focus of my projects lately, and there's more where that came from. My mom and I went to a local nursery recently, called Crickelwood, and it blew my mind. It's the coolest place ever. The weird thing is I had no idea it existed. I think most people in my town are probably unaware it exists. I've driven past it dozens of times on the way to my dentist's office and I never noticed it.

Suddenly I need a blue door.

It's called the Secret Garden by those who work there, and until now, I guess the secret was pretty safe. It's barely noticeable from the street, even when you know where it is. Once you enter through the front gate, all tucked away underneath purple bouganvillea, it's like you're in another world.

Pictured: so many things that I NEED.

Like, I want to live there. Everything is green and cool and beautiful. If I could relocate every part of Crickelwood into my own yard, you best believe I would. As it is, I can only hope that the beauty I found there will somehow, in some tiny, fractional way, transcend my clumsy attempts at recreating it and that I'll be able to reproduce some of the charm of this place.

Odds are slim. But as ever, I won't let that stop me.

Do you see that bench? I need to read a book there.
By the way, that green frame is like, five feet tall.

 I mean, seriously, why can't I have this?? You know, aside from the labor, expense, and time it took to build it from scratch. Is there a Crickelwood in your area? Or rather, is it there, but you've never noticed it?

DIY Retro Patio Sign

Sooo, I was noticing that we've got this jigsaw in the garage. And loads of leftover plywood. And I've always got several cans of spraypaint laying around. I put it all together and had an idea.

See how it came together after the jump!

DIY Potting Bench

This is how I spent my 4th of July weekend!

Well, not the WHOLE weekend, just a few hours. I also spent a goodly amount of time eating corn on the cob and watermelon. And I admit, I DID spend the lion's share of my time in the pool, squirting my kids in their faces with a Super Soaker until they banded together like Voltron and flipped my floating lounge chair over.

I think we can all agree, that's how the Founding Fathers would have wanted it.

It was a great weekend.

And here we are now!! Together again. Any Monday that finds me staring fondly at something I made despite my criminal lack of formal training with power tools is a good Monday. I made this. I love saying that.

Make one with me, after the jump!!

Craft Hack: DIY Rustic Chandelier

I know I'm prone to saying this, but I'm saying it again today: This is probably the coolest project I've ever done. It was really fun and surprisingly simple, and the end result is exactly as I'd hoped it would be.

I give you the Rustic Chandelier Knock-Off.

I saw a picture of something similar a few weeks ago and I thought that, while it was really cool and I totally wanted one, the price tag was just a teeeensy bit steep. I mean, it IS really interesting and unique, but dang. This chandelier from Rustic Designs costs $2,800. Yes, that's the correct number of zeros there. Two thousand, eight hundred dollars. That's almost three large for a chandelier made of branches.

Not bloody likely.

I knew I could make something similar, if not exactly the same, for a couple thousand dollars less.

See how I did it after the jump.

Craft Hack: Pottery Barn Inspired American Flag

Summer has started for the schoolkids and the 4th of July will be upon us before long. It'll be cookouts and swimming parties for the next few months, so I've begun thinking about some cool seasonal decor that won't break the bank. I love to change the look of my living room according to the season, but I'm much too cheap to spend any money on it. Thank goodness I can always count on Pottery Barn to think of things I can make myself.

Their's:

Mine:

This is a great project because of its versatility. Not everyone has $129 to spend on a wooden American Flag, and even if you did, the PB version might be the wrong size. BUT!! A 4x8 foot piece of harwood at your local hardware store is less than $10 and you'll be able to use it for several projects. And honestly, if you've got a garage, there's a good chance you've got some scrap wood laying around already.

Tutorial after the jump!
UPDATE!! This project was featured over on Bella Before & After! Check it out...