{DIY: Wreath Upgrade}

Friends, I was at Hobby Lobby today and became inspired to conquer a quick DIY project. It's nothing spectacular, but I thought I would share. 

Though not my original intent for visiting the store, I started perusing the Christmas aisles after noticing the brightly-colored 50% off signs plastered every three feet at eye level (score one for Hobby Lobby marketing). Anyway, I found myself wandering toward the holiday wreaths and innocently picked up a garland for closer inspection. That's when I quickly remembered why I had never purchased a wreath. $30?! For some plastic berries on a string?! Not a wreath in and of themselves, but intended to serve as one of many elements that when joined together with much attention and finesse could serve as a respectable door ornament?! I'll pass, thankyouverymuch. But it did get me thinking about the Christmas wreath I've uncerimoniously slapped on our front door the past several years. If I'm being honest, I don't even remember where it came from. Although, if I had to guess I would credit the woman whose collection of Christmas decor would put Mrs. Claus herself to shame. That's right, my mother. I don't know if this particular wreath was thrifted, gifted, or replaced, but somehow I became its owner. Sparse and smashed, it's served me well for five years. But today, I decided it was time for an upgrade. So there in Hobby Lobby I searched for a few decorative items that fit my qualifications: gold, glittery, and cheap. 

Once the littles were settled in for naptime, I began the makeover. First I removed all the old wreath decorations with the exception of the pinecones. It was at this point I realized I hadn't actually purchased anything to attach my new decorations to the evergreen wreath, so I did my best to salvage the fishing line and floral wire from the old stuff. Armed with scissors and my Hobby Lobby loot, I got to business. And 1 hour and about $10 later, I had my final product. Is it the cutest wreath ever? No. Will it be the cutest wreath on my street? Probably not. But people, it was under ten dollars!!! Compared to the triple digit prices I saw earlier this morning, I consider this a win. 

Here's a breakdown of the cost for anyone interested:

-Evergreen wreath: Free (reused)

-Pinecones: Free (reused)

-Gold wire ribbon: Free (flattened, recurled, and repurposed)

-Glittery, gold ornaments: $2.50 (after 50% off sale; there were actually 6 in the package but one was broken)

-Gold, bead rope: $1.50 (after 50% off sale)

-Glittery, gold leaves: $1.50 (2 at $0.75 each after 50% off sale)

-Wide, glittery, gold, wire-edged ribbon: $4.00 (after 40% off coupon; I still have several feet leftover)

Total cost: $9.50

Sometimes people try to tell me they aren't crafty. This project is proof that it does not always require a special skill set to take on a DIY project. Can you tie  knots in fishing line? Can you wrap ribbon around your finger? Can you deal with massive amounts of cheap glitter stuck to your hands? Then you're good to go! And that big bow on top? I just stapled a bunch of ribbon loops together. Don't tell anyone I cheated. 

So, if you have something laying around that is in need of a little TLC, maybe now is the time! There's nothing like a little Christmas crafting to get into the holiday spirit!

{DIY: Nursery Reveal}

On the cusp of his three-month birthday, I'm finally getting around to blogging about Aksel's nursery. It's actually fairly appropriate timing as he only recently moved out of our room and into his own. 

The furniture and arrangement is the same as when Anders occupied the room, but we added different details and decorations to customize the space for Aksel. I like modern nurseries with clean lines, rooms that are fun and bold, but not too busy. And for us it's important that our nursery isn't overtly masculine or feminine so that it is easily adaptable for future occupants or purposes. I should also mention that while we wanted to update the room for Aksel, we intended to do so on a very limited budget. I crafted several small projects to help us achieve our desired aesthetic without breaking the bank.

I don't recall what first inspired me, but once I formulated this pegboard idea in my mind, I was hooked. Get it? Hooked? Oh yeah, I just included an intentional pun. If this blog wasn't lame before, it definitely is now. Anyway, to create Aksel's name I decoupaged coordinating scrapbook paper onto cardboard letters from Hobby Lobby and attached ribbons with hot glue. You could certainly stop there and hang the letters directly on the wall, but I wanted them to stand out more. The pegboard created contrast and allowed me to fill a large amount of wall space for under $20. 

When we originally furnished the nursery, we opted not to purchase a changing table. Instead we chose this 40" tall dresser, which serves as the changing station when we have guests and are pretending like we are too classy to change diapers on the floor. Just kidding...sort of. Andreas changes Aksel on the changing pad pretty regularly, but during the day I change diapers wherever it is most convenient at the time! For anyone who is curious, the fabrics for the changing pad were also purchased at Hobby Lobby. 

Not surprisingly, I spend quite a bit of time in this corner of the room. The chair is comfortable to nurse in and will easily transition into a room other than a nursery when the time comes. It's also perfect for reading bedtime stories and durable enough to withstand a toddler who enjoys using the arms as ramps for his matchbox cars, that is when he's not jumping off the ottoman. Luckily for me, the window provides a steady stream of natural light during the majority of the day and a decent view of our miniature sideyard. 

A closeup of some of the details. I hand-painted the trees and have marked Anders' height on them on each of his birthdays. I plan to continue the tradition with Aksel. The subway art was a sweet baby gift from my sister. The fabric for the Boppy cover and pillows was purchased at Hobby Lobby.

When I was pregnant with Anders, I found instructions on Martha Stewart's website for a children's bookshelf that I couldn't get out of my head. Isn't that strange? A pregnant woman fixating on something that she simply must have? For me, apparently, it wasn't food cravings but furniture cravings. (Really though, I didn't have any specific food cravings with either pregnancy. Although with Anders I chugged ice water all day, every day for the entire third trimester. I just couldn't ever seem to get enough.) Andreas obliged and crafted this awesome shelf. I loved it then and I love it now. My hope is to instill a love of reading in my children by keeping them surrounded by books. Also, I read to them. (This probably helps more, but please do not consider this site a guide to parenting. I apologize if you've somehow mistakenly happened upon this post after Googling 'how to instill a love of reading in my children'.)

Here is the corner opposite the chair and ottoman. The crib, like the dresser, is from WalMart. I know! WalMart! Who knew you could find beautiful, modern furniture at WalMart? Well, WalMart online, but whatever. The two floating shelves are from Ikea, and the chevron blanket is from Target. Please do not interpret this as me bragging about my WalMart, Ikea, and Target purchases. It just always frustrates me when I happen upon something I really like online and can't find the source!

To spruce up the shelves, I made a couple of simple garlands with yarn poms. Be warned, they are delicate and will not stand up to tugging or pulling. What these photographs strategically do not depict are the messy bins of toys just beneath the garlands that prevent little hands from reaching the decorations. Next, I freehanded a couple of animal silhouettes on construction paper. By layering construction and scrapbook paper in these frames (which I already had on hand), I was able to come up with some super cute wall art that cost me less than $2. The mobile might actually be my favorite project in the room, partially because it is so fun and different looking and partially because it embodied the enviable DIY trifecta: cheap, quick, and easy. I simply cut construction paper rectangles with my paper cutter, sewed them down the middle with my sewing machine, and hung them with a ribbon. No, seriously. That's it.

The last nursery project took a bit more time and effort. Cutting the moose pattern with my band saw was a long and grueling process.

Sike!  

Okay, surely no one was believing that. C'mon, people. That awesome rocking moose is from Ikea! I resisted buying it for a while, but when my mom offered to go halvsies, it was a no brainer. It's like it was made with Aksel's nursery in mind!

Well folks, that concludes the nursery tour. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed putting it together!

And because I just think they are the cutest brothers ever, I'll end with this picture. Ignore the fact that they both seem to have perfected the deer-in-the-headlights gaze, and delight that I actually managed to get both of them in focus in the same photo. Also, don't look now but there's one of those messy toy bins I mentioned earlier!

{DIY: Valentine's Treats}

Like many people, Andreas is not a huge fan of Valentine's Day.   For him it's too fabricated, too forced.  And so, like any good wife, I taunt him.  I tell him I can't wait to receive my heart-shaped box of chocolates and singing bear on the 14th (which, in case you are missing the sarcasm, is a total joke).  Although if heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and singing bears are your thing, more power to you.  This year I've even been referring to February as the Month of Love.  So, I wanted to do something special for Andreas to build up to Valentine's Day, any excuse to make 'Month of Love' references really.  Obviously since this was to be done in love and jest, it couldn't break the bank.  These little treats are quick and easy to put together.  I've been having fun leaving them around the house for Andreas to find.  With a little tweaking you could make them appropriate for any loved one!

Hope your Month of Love is off to a good start!

Faux Flowers

A while back I purchased some cheap bud vases thinking that a few flowers could really go a long way in adding a pop of color to one of our bedrooms. I love fresh flowers around the house, but they aren't something I can afford to keep at all times, and certainly not hidden away in a guest bedroom. The problem was that I couldn't find any fake flowers I liked all that much. I bought a few stems from a local craft store to see if they would work, but in the end they just looked, well...fake...and lonely. Luckily one day I happened upon a site providing instructions for party pom-poms made of tissue paper and thought they would make great flowers if I down-sized them. I think they turned out great! They were super easy and I'll definitely be using the pattern again for party decorations in the future. The roses are another idea I adapted from online, originally posted by a woman attempting to decorate for an eco-friendly wedding. She used old paper grocery sacks (which looked awesome!), but since I use cloth bags for my groceries I made these with thick scrapbooking paper.

Now I'm not under the illusion that these flowers look real, but I think they are much more visually interesting than the plastic junk I had before. Plus if you wanted to make them more realistic I think that could be accomplished with colored tissue paper or some dye!

See these sites for more detailed instructions:
Tissue Paper Pom-Poms
Eco-Chic Roses