Month: July 2010

How To: Make a Bird Mobile

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When I was pregnant, I found this tutorial on how to make a paper bird mobile.  I decided to make a little mobile to hang above our son’s crib.

I made some changes along the way, so here is the step-by-step on how to create this mobile:

1.  Print the template on plain cardstock or printer paper.  I prefer to lightly trace the template on my colored cardstock, giving me the option to erase my lines after the pieces are cut.  Cut out one set of the template. 

2.  Lightly trace the pieces on the cardstock colors of choice.  For this mobile, I made three sets of each bird using two different colors of green, chocolate-brown and white cardstock.  Be sure to mark the wing slit and hanging hole.  Cut out your cardstock pieces and erase your lines. 

3.  Place your template over a cut out bird body.  Use a cutting board and push-pin to poke a hole to thread your string through.  Use an exacto knife to make a slit for the wing to go through.  Do not make a box, as shown on the template.

4.  Slide the wing through the body and fold up slightly. 

5.  Add a very thin line of Elmer’s glue to each side of the tail on the main body.  Slide the cut tail onto the body.  Gently squeeze the tail and set it aside to let it dry.  After the tail has dried, thread a string through the hole.  Tie a few knots on one side and cut the extra off, leaving one to two feet on the other side.  The length of the string should vary and will depend on the final hanging height. 

6.  Buy or cut a tree branch to hang the birds from.  I prefer a branch with two or three small branches creating a V or W from one main branch. 

7.  Tie one piece of fishing line on each end of your branch.  If you have a V branch, you will have three pieces.  Make the pieces longer than you’ll need, allowing plenty of excess to tie a knot.  Tie all pieces together at the desired height from the ceiling.

8.  Tie each bird onto the branch, varying the height .  Make sure each bird is secured on the branch.  Once all birds are tied on, you’re ready to hang your completed mobile.  Screw a hook into the ceiling, hang the mobile, stand back and admire!

 

Our Humble A{Bowe}d Giveaway Winner!

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The winner of one free 8 inch by 10 inch customized print designed by Our Humble A{Bowe}d is lucky number 11, Denise!  For those of you that didn’t win, don’t fret.  Our Humble A{Bowe}d and sister store Customized Stationary are offering a 10% discount now through August 1st.  To redeem, just mention OHABowed10 when placing an order.

Recent Finds: Big Lots!

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A few weeks ago, a friend and I went to Big Lots! for the first time.  It’s actually pretty similar to the TJ Maxx and Ross stores we have in town.  The prices are great, but the selection can be hit or miss.  That’s okay, though.  We weren’t looking for anything in particular, but I did find these:

I love the mother of pearl candle holder as it is, especially for $4.00.  I thought it would make a great vase, too.  The flower tea light however is begging for a coat or two of spray paint.  Maybe a robin’s egg blue?  Not completely sure about that yet, but for $3.00, I was sold.  It’s actually like this one I found not too long ago from Michael’s. 

I have yet to visit a Home Goods, and I REALLY want to go.  Do you have any favorite shops?

Closet Case

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Our humble abode is definitely an efficient use of space.  We have few wasted spaces due to the floor plan, but we’ve added some details to make the limited closet space more functional.

Ben built shoe/storage cubes for the entryway, guest bedroom and boys bedroom.

The entry closet is small at 3.5 feet wide.  By adding three levels of cubes, we have tripled our shoe storage.  We’ve added hooks to hang purses and leashes on and storage bins for hats, gloves and smaller items.

Here a peek at the guest bedroom closet:

We try to keep that closet pretty empty.  We tend to have a lot of guests and we like to give them some space.

Our toughest storage solution was for the boys closet.

The cubes are the perfect size for cheap covered storage containers from Wal-Mart.  We keep diapers in 4 of the containers (we buy diapers at Costco).  Extra bedding, wipes, socks and pajamas are also stored on this side of the closet.  We use a laundry bag which hangs to save space.

Here’s a shot of the other side of the shared closet:

The cubes hold Ev’s extra blankets, burp cloths and sheets.  I hang the boys’ clothes because it would take waaaay to long to fold everything.  I’m too OCD to throw it in a drawer.  You’ll also notice larger storage bins on the top shelf.  We store large clothes for each boy in those, so we have it handy to switch out.

Our closet was one of the easiest storage solutions we created.  Our bed, built by Ben, has drawers on each side at the foot of the bed and two large compartments with false drawer fronts on each side.  We keep out of season clothes, jackets, and boots in the compartments, while storing every day items like socks, underwear, pajamas and such in the drawers.

Here’s Ben’s side of our closet.

When we remodeled out master bedroom, we changed up the closet shelving.  We removed the old single shelf and moved it up to about 1 foot from the ceiling.  The same closet rod is below.  We added a shelf about half way down the closet.  Because our closets have sliding doors, we made one side shelving.  Most of my shirts are stored here.

My side looks a little bare…

We added another closet rod to under the middle shelf.  Because we don’t have anything on that rod, we keep a laundry basket in my side on the floor.

We’re lucky to have a closet to hold our vacuüm, cleaning supplies, toolbox, and lightbulbs.

The linen closet at the end of our hall holds all of our extra towels, bedding, and even our suitcases.

We also have a gigantic pantry.  LOVE IT!!

We’re still working on the basement closets, but I promise to show those when they’re done.

Take it for Granite

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We recently revealed our new DIY dining table, complete with a dark green-black marble top.  This isn’t the first (or last) piece of marble or granite in our house.  In fact, we have quite a bit in 1 1/4 inch thick slabs and tiles.  I thought I’d give a pictoral view showcasnig the granite and marble we have in our home.

All three of our bathrooms have granite-topped vanities. 

The main bathroom granite is Giallo San Francisco:

Our master bathroom color is Galaxy Black:

The basement bathroom counters are Verde Maritoka:

Part of my office desktop has Carrera marble, while the other areas have Brazilian Cherry.

Each bathtub has a matching granite sill to rest on.  Both the main and master bathrooms have marble tub surrounds, too.

The master bathroom floor is covered in white marble and absolute black granite checkerboard.  The main bathroom has white marble floors in a brick lay pattern.

We decided to install granite and marble as some of our window sills to protect them from moisture.

The kitchen and dining room sills are Silver Spark:

Our master bathroom has Carrera Marble:

The half wall by our stairway has a brown granite topper:

Our love of marble extends to a few pieces of furniture other than our dining table.  Two small side tables in our guest bedroom have marble tile tops.

This little table had a clear glass top, but it was easily replaced by one 12 inch square tile, left over from our bathroom remodel.

Why limit marble to counter tops when you can have a marble table lamp like this:

Just to recap, we have 4 countertops, 3 tables, 6 window and tub sills, 2 shower surrounds, 1 lamp and we haven’t remodeled our kitchen.

Why do we have so much marble and granite you ask?  We love the timeless look, durability and we can get remnant slabs for a great price.  And, it’s almost easier to work with than wood.