Pretty {Thrift} Decor

I have found some good stuff on my recent trips to the thrift store. I am loving the color scheme of all of my new items as they go so well together. I can't wait to start redecorating some spaces in my house with all of my new pretty decor.

Here is a description of the items from left to right:

-A small black and silver picture frame {my favorite colors} for 99 cents

-A medium sized white container from Edible Arrangements for $3.99

-Another, smaller white container from Edible Arrangements for $1.50

-A small green container from Pier One for 69 cents {the best bargain}

-Three small terra cotta pots for $1.99

-A small light green gravy dish for $1.99

Total spent = $12


~Momma to Bug n' Bear~

Chalkboard {Frame} Art

Making chalkboards is definitely one of the easiest do-it-yourself projects. I have made a few and have plans to make another one soon as well as do some chalkboard labeling on various containers. One of my favorite chalkboard projects so far was created by using set of three square picture frames, two small and one large, that I found at Salvation Army for $1 each.

Here is the larger one that is currently hanging above my coat rack in the entryway:

Here are the two smaller ones that are hanging in my half bathroom:



To start making them I removed the backing insert from the frame and sprayed the frames with chalkboard paint. Then I cut fabric squares larger than the backing and attached them to the backing with Elmer's Spray Adhesive. I wrapped the excess fabric around the other side of the backing and placed it back in the frame. Next I hot glued various shells directly to the fabric. Last but not least I wrote beach themed words and messages around the frames.


The possibilities for these frames are endless and I can easily change them at any time. I thought about attaching some silver clips and creating a message board and still might try it if I get tired of the shells. If anyone else tries this I'd love to see what you come up with!

All Linked Up:

Today's Creative Blog...Get Your Craft on Tuesday

Nikki's Nifty Knacks...Gettin' Crafty on Hump Day

The Shabby Chic Cottage...Transformation Thursdays

The Shabby Nest...Frugal Friday

A Soft Place to Land...DIY Day Beach Edition

~Momma to Bug n' Bear~

Personalized {Subway} Sign

I've been seeing homemade subway signs all over the place recently {you can see some of my inspiration here}. I love the way they look and really wanted to make one for myself but I wasn't thrilled about spending a lot of time stenciling and painting for a couple of reasons. One, I don't have a lot of free time and two, I don't have a steady hand.

So Zak and I brainstormed on how we could create one electronically and pay to have it printed. Fortunately, Tee, Zak's Dad is a graphic art designer with his own business called "First Impressions" so he helped us out using Adobe Illustrator {I created my version in Microsoft Word and sent it to him to convert}. We took the file to Kinkos and had it printed on heavy weight paper for a total cost of $23.

The size 16x20 was determined by a frame that I found at Goodwill for $3. It is a very basic wood frame that was originally painted dark blue. I sanded it down and spray painted it with Rustoleum Aluminum.

It turned out to look like more of a modern piece of art as opposed to a vintage sign but I really like the simplicity of it. Each of the street names are symbolic to Zak and I and that is my favorite thing about it!

Total Cost = $30

All Linked Up:

Tatertots and Jello...Subway Art Party

Today's Creative Blog...Get Your Craft On Tuesday

Just A Girl...Show and Share Wednesday

The Shabby Chic Cottage...Transformation Thursday





~Momma to Bug n' Bear~

Free {Tray} Makeover & Asiatic Lillies

I found this wooden tray in a pile of free stuff that somebody had after their yard sale. After a good sanding down and three coats of my good old standby spray paint {Rustoleum Heirloom White} it looks brand new. The Asiatic Lillies came from my garden. Arielle tried to pick one and ending up breaking all of them off the stem. They look better in this glass pot that I got from Goodwill so it was a happy accident!


BEFORE {after removing sports embellishments and sanding}:

AFTER:

I'm thinking about turning it into a craft tray for Arielle using buckets from Target dollar section or reusing miscellaneous containers. I have seen some cute homemade labels in blogland that I can easily replicate. Perhaps a little stenciling and girly embellishment on the sides would complete this free wooden tray makeover. Stay tuned!

All Linked Up:

The Shabby Nest...Frugal Friday

~Momma to Bug n' Bear~

Wooden {Lamp} Makeover

I purchased this wooden lamp base at a thrift store for $1 knowing that it had so much potential to look beautiful. Even if I brought the lamp home and it didn't work it was worth a try for this amount of money. I do have to admit that I was relieved when I plugged it in and the light came on though.



I decided to use Rustoleum Heirloom White spray paint for my color mostly because I already had some on hand but I did have to purchase an additional can so I spent another $4. After four coats of paint over the entire base the lamp already looked ten times better than before. However, because it is made of wood and there were a few cracks and knicks it didn't look very fresh and clean like I was imagining. I was ready to sand it down and give it a couple more coats of paint but the distressed look appealed to me more so I just sanded as much as I could.




I really love this new lamp that I created and it looks even better with the burlap lamp shade on it that I purchased from Target for $20. I thought about covering my own lamp shade but I would have chosen burlap anyway so this pre-made shade was perfect!

This lamp has made an excellent addition to our Beach Guest Room! I have a side table in this room that I have decided to finish in the same way so it will match the lamp and balance out the room. I'm putting that on my To Do List for June!

All Linked Up:

Today's Creative Blog...Get Your Craft on Tuesday

Just A Girl...Show and Share Day

The Shabby Nest...Frugal Friday

~Momma to Bug n' Bear~

{Beachy} Bathroom Decorating

I have been working on a few little projects in order to give my half bathroom on the main level of the house a beach themed appearance. You can see some before pictures here.

Remember this post about the thrift store closing sale {which in retrospect I should have bought a lot more than I did because the prices were so LOW}? I decided to turn the glass bottle into a new piece to add to my beachy bathroom collection. It was easy. I had leftover hemp string from the chalkboard frames that I made so I used it up. All I did was wrap the string around the jar and hot glue the ends to the bottle. I am planning on adding some Siesta Key white sand to the bottle but haven't received it yet.

I already had the beach picture art that I purchased from Hobby Lobby some time ago. This picture is actually where I got the inspiration for the bathroom wall color but it was previously in a plain silver frame {not beachy looking at all}. I found a large wooden frame that I had stored in the basement, spray painted it white and sanded down the edges to make it look beachy. Such small and easy changes can make a huge difference when it comes to accessories!


Next I added some antique glass jars. I purchased the large clear one at the thrift store before the closing sale for $4. I thought this was pricey but purchased it none-the-less then later found out that these things sell for a lot more at antique stores! I filled it up with my small sand dollar collection. My mom gave me the small aqua one and all I did to give it more life was put my collection of small Siesta Key shells in it. I think one of the best features of these jars is the rusted metal clasps which add more detail to the beach theme.


Lastly, the blue paisley box under the seashell are matches that I received as a gift. They were too cute not to show off. And the white starfish was added to add more depth to the shelf. Besides, what beach room would be complete without one? In fact, I am thinking of getting myself a few more of these lovelies to add to every single room of the house!

I am totally loving my newly decorated shelf! These were quick, easy and inexpensive ways to give this bathroom a whole new look.

All linked up:

Just A Girl...Show and Share Day
The Shabby Nest...Frugal Friday
A Soft Place to Land...DIY Day {Beach Edition}


~Momma to Bug n' Bear~

Thrift Store Closing Sale

At least once a month I go to the Salvation Army Thrift Store during my lunch break. It is so conveniently located just two minutes down the road from my work. Today I went and found out that the store is closing. The only good thing about this was that the entire store was 50% off so I bought a few things. I got everything that is pictured for $22 but half of the total was spent on the one large framed seashell print. I tried to talk the clerk down but she wouldn't budge. So needless to say I am really bummed out that I won't be going thrifting as often now that the store is closed but I have a few new projects to keep me busy for a little while.

I am the most excited about the wooden lamp because I really like the style but it's obviously in need of a makeover! I have a specific project in mind for the small square picture frame but the rest of the frames I'll just have to store in the basement until something comes up. The tall glass jar will make an excellent flower vase after I wrap a little jute string around it. The smaller glass jar was just to cute and cheap to pass up! I'm sure I'll find some way to use it around the house. I can't wait to find time for my new projects. They'll have to wait until after this weekend because we are working on a little home improvement project that was inspired by this post.

Wish us luck!

~Momma to Bug n' Bear~

I can't get enough of Chalkboard Paint!

Last week I found these goodies while thrifting. The two matching square picture frames were $1.20 each and the ceramic tray (minus the painters tape-I forgot to take a real "before" picture) was $2.20. All three items were in excellent condition and didn't need to be altered to look nice BUT I had some leftover Chalkboard spray paint that I couldn't ignore.




I painted the tray and decided to display my newest chalkboard in the downstairs bathroom. It turned out well and works great! The paint chips off only if you pick at it {which I discovered when trying to remove a piece of dog hair that got stuck to it while the paint was drying}. While I was re-accessorizing the bathroom I pulled an unused shadow box out of the basement and pinned my Siesta Key sand-dollars inside of it.

If you thought that project ended the chalkboard madness think again. I also painted the two matching picture frames. Then I found some beige linen fabric and attached it to the backing of the picture frames with spray glue. I did iron the fabric but because it's linen it still looks quite wrinkled. I am okay with that since I am going with the beach theme and it just makes them looked "weathered". Keeping with the beach theme I used my glue gun and attached some pretty seashells to the fabric. I love how my new art looks! The best thing about it is that at any time I can easily change what is in the frame.


Total cost of all projects was $8.10 which includes the three thrift store items, a roll of hemp string to hang the frames and a wooden plate stand to display the tray . I already had the shadow box, linen fabric, seashells, sand-dollars and chalkboard paint.

Post note: I was playing around with a new flash for our camera and don't think the pictures turned out great. Guess I need to practice some more with it before I do another post.

~Momma to Bug n' Bear~

ALL LINKED UP:

More fun with chalkboard paint

I have been looking for a little tree for Averi's bird theme nursery for quite a while. Nothing that I found was close enough to the "look" I was going for until this weekend when I was shopping the Kohl's clearance section. I found this tree on clearance for $4 and knew right away that it was perfect. I took a before picture {see below} but that was after I had removed the mini eggs that were hanging from it, which by the way are adorable so I saved them to be used on a future decorating craft.

The only thing that I didn't like about this tree was the color of the pot because it did not match Averi's room at all. Since I was already using the chalkboard spray paint for this project I figured I would paint the pot with it as well and it turned out great! It is the perfect addition to Averi's shelf.

I'm linked up to Just A Girl linky party! Check it out....

~Momma to Bug n' Bear~

Garage Sale Freebie!

One of my neighbors graciously donated an item to me that she didn't sell at her garage sale. It is an Eddie Bauer upholstered rocking chair in a pink and white gingham print and it matches the nursery room perfectly! Of course we had to give it a good cleaning but for ZERO dollars, it was worth every minute. It is a great addition to Averi's room, don't you think?



I made some changes to the framed art above the crib. I changed out one of the pieces of scrapbook paper for a striped pattern and embellished both with bird cut-outs. I think they are cute and the best part is that I can change them at any time. I am thinking of adding black and white pictures to them after the baby is born.

~Momma to Bug~

Nursery Room {on a small budget}

Presenting Averi Jaye's pink and green "Polka Dot" Nursery room!

Budget Breakdown:

Bookshelf Makeover (craigslist.com) -$55

6 Shelf Baskets w/ Liners (Home Goods) - $38

3-hook Wall Art (Hobby Lobby) - $25

Art Frames w/ Hanging Ribbon (Michael's) - $2

Pink Decorative Wall Shelf (Hobby Lobby) - $18

Pottery Barn "Penelope" 5 piece Crib Bedding Set (craigslist.com) - $85

Pottery Barn Chamois Changing Pad Cover (PBK) - $22

White w/ Pink Polka Dots Curtain Panels (JC Penney.com) - $45

Shabby Chic Pewter Curtain Rod w/ Pink Glass Finials (Target) - $15

Pottery Barn Quilt Clips for wall (ebay.com) - $20

Picture Frames & Other Accessories (Marshalls/Hobby Lobby) - $25

Edited to include:

Paint & Supplies - $50

Total Spent so far = $400

Fortunately we were able to save a lot of money on this room by re-using Arielle's baby furniture which I am so happy that I did not decide to sell on craigslist. We are still waiting on a rocking chair and nightstand to complete the room. Originally when I purchased the bedding, I was going to elaborate on the bird theme in the room. However, after searching for bird decor and not finding anything to match, the polka dots in the bedding jumped out at me and I had really good luck finding matching decor.

Both of the wall art projects were handmade. The frames with hanging ribbons were frames that I was able to reuse by painting them a light shade of brown. The only items purchased for this project were the two pieces of scrapbook paper, one of which is a light brown background with pink and green polka dots and the other is a bird pattern. I already had the ribbon as well and there is still plenty leftover that I am thinking about weaving through the big "A" that is on top of the bookshelf and/or decorating the lampshade. I painted that the same color brown as the frames. The only thing left to do with this project is to hang them up in a child-friendly manner since they are placed directly above the crib.

The 3-hook wall art project was designed by Zak and I. We purchased the matching pink and green hooks at Hobby Lobby and decided they were just to plain to hang on the wall. We reused an old poster frame and leftover beadboard from the bookshelf makeover to create a cute background for the hooks to hang on. To hang this heavy piece of art up over the changing table, we had to screw the frame into the wall and cover the holes up with buttons. The only thing left to do with this project is add another coat of paint to the frame to cover up the buttons.

There are one or two more wall art projects that I may decide to tackle in the next couple of months but for now I think the room is cute and simple, just the way I like it! Really the only other thing left for me to do is sew blackout fabric to the back of the curtain panels, something I have never done before so wish me luck!

~Momma to Bug~

Bird Themed Nursery

This weekend we went to Pottery Barn Kids in the hopes of finding some baby crib bedding ideas. I am so glad we went because I found the cutest bedding. It's the Penelope collection and features patchwork birds on a white, green and pink multi-fabric background. It has polka dots, stripes, solids and the birds are as cute as can be! Of course this collection was not on sale and I am not paying full price so when we got home I immediately searched ebay. It turns out that this collection is somewhat hard to find, so the sellers on ebay claim, and the stuff is selling for loads of money {as much as you would pay at PBK or more}. I was a little dissapointed with the prices being so high but not too worried since we still have plenty of time before we need to buy it. However, my wandering mind led me to craigslist and good thing it did because I found a gently used, complete set for $85!!! This set includes the quilt, bumper, 2 fitted sheets, bed skirt and pillow sham. We are going to pick it up on Tuesday so then I can decide what color paint to put on the walls. It'll probably end up being a shade of light green.


Photos courtesy of www.Pottery Barn Kids.com

~Momma to Bug~

Nursery Room Bookshelf ~ After

The nursery room bookshelf makeover is complete and I couldn't be happier with the results!

Here is the before and this is the after:

Do you notice the new beadboard backing? I decided the original backing was too rough and probably wouldn't look good with paint. We found the last piece of 3" beadboard on clearance at Home Depot for less than $17. I think it gives the bookshelf a custom look and is very fitting for a baby's room.

I chose the color Whisper White by Glidden because we already had some so it didn't cost me anything. Also, it is the same color of the trim and doors in our house so I knew I would like it.

The total cost of this bookshelf makeover was around $55. It's amazing what a quart of paint and four hours can do for an old piece of furniture.

Did I mention that I had helpers? Mommy + Me and our daughters joined in the fun.

I've linked this over at The Shabby Nest's Frugal Friday Linky Party...check out everybody else's frugal makeovers!

~Momma to Bug~