Christmas Cheer

Some of my favorite ideas to get things ready for Christmas decorating! Cheap and easy ways to spruce up your place with the changing of the season. Stockings by the fireplace, hot cocoa

and marshmallows, scented candles! My favorite is decorating the tree and watching movies! This year I am finally going to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra!

Wreath All About It!

Anyone who knows me knows I am a total thrifter. They would

also know that I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS! Since this Summer I have been gathering pieces of Fall wreath inserts to make when the time would come and the time is finally here! The firstis a wreath I got at a thrift store, pulled the flowers and glue off, thenstarted adding my own bits and pieces.

The owl was $3.00 from Savers, large glitter sunflower, pumpkins and burlap flower each around $1.75 - $2.50 from Hobby Lobby, and the leaves are from Dollar Tree.

The pinecone detail is from an insert that I found this Summer on sale from Christmas wreath making from Thai Pan Trading for $0.39!

The Halloween wreath I made was cheap too! I used foam tubing

for $1.50 from Home Depot for the wreath. Covered it with chevron fabric I got on sale from Hobby Lobby, "Boo" and "Eek" detail also from Hobby Lobby that I purchased last year for under $3.00. Witch I got at a thrift store and repainted the wording to "Wicked Wishes", and the bow is off an old headband and threw it all together with a hot glue gun!



Pinterest has A LOT of fun wreath ideas. Check it out and follow mine here! http://www.pinterest.com/taylerannette/boards/

DIY Upcycle of an Old Picture

For a while I have been toting around a very large picture of Marilyn Monroe that I had bought for my first apartment as a bachelorette. I got it for fairly cheap but I no longer wanted to hang her up in my living room. Poor Mary. I had seen an idea on Pinterest and thought I could maybe cover it with fabric

 and turn it into one of those tufted headboards. I decided to take the less elaborate road and turn it into a large chalkboard instead. Here's how!

 

I have seen many recipes for making your own chalk paint but didn't want to take any chances in case it didn't work. I went to Home Depot and they sell it for as low as $9.99 

which is what I purchased and is shown below. I looked for thumb tacks at Home Depot, which came in packs of 50, I believe, and were about $2.99 a piece. I found tacks at Dollar Tree for a dollar a piece and came in packs of 100! 

First off, I sanded over the actual picture until smooth and painted around the frame. P.S. Isn't my mermaid over my oven the coolest?! From my Hawaii trip this last Summer!

 

When that was finished, I began applying the tacks. Since they were cheap, it was a little hard to push each one by hand into the frame without the nail breaking. They are a little uneven and not all were spaced evenly but I knew in the end it would probably look ok being as there were over 500 of these bad boys pushed in by hand. I tried to use a hammer and the nail would bend beneath the head. Let me just say that my thumb hurt for days after! 

 

When I saw the final product I couldn't help but feel it was worth the pain! :) I finished with a quick sandpaper rub on the frame for an antique look.

 

In my research of chalk paint and all its glory, I read that chalk markers can ruin chalkboard paint. I have bought several kinds of colored chalk as the colors catch the eye much more than the white chalk. So far, Crayola makes the best with their basic colors of chalk that goes on and wipes off simply with water and a damp cloth. 

 

So ladies and gents, dig out that old frame and create something wonderful! - xo