DIY Decor & Crafts

Early Father’s Day

Published on June 13, 2011November 2, 2012 by Our Humble Abode5 Comments

On Saturday, I bought two small canvases for the boys to paint for Father’s Day gifts for Ben. Ben left to work out, so I put the boys in painting clothes (yes, our kids have painting clothes) and we trucked outside with our supplies to get our paint on.

Inspired by this idea, I let Vincent and Everett choose a paint color. Vincent chose lime green and Everett chose charcoal grey. Oddly enough, these colors definitely represent their personalities. V is bright and loud while Ev is the shy, quiet one, not screaming for attention, but noticeable. Then, I helped the buys practice placing their hands on the canvas while I pressed down. Both passed with flying colors, keeping their hands still.

Gather your handy helpers (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse reference) and ask for one clean hand.

Squirt a blob of paint on the hand.

I thought that would be enough, but it barely spread a thin layer over his hand.

So add more paint. Then, hold the helpers hand and bring the canvas to the hand, not hand to canvas. Gently push in place and remove.

Do you see the light hand print behind? That’s why you need more paint. If you mess up, while the paint is still wet, you can wipe it away with a damp cloth to start over again. I was distracted, so I didn’t get to. With Vincent’s painting drying, I started on Everett. I squeezed a glob of paint to his hand and immediately, he clenched his hand shut and oozed paint through his fingers. That got a chuckle. After unclamping his hand, I spread the paint over and brought the canvas to him. Hand placed perfectly, then he yanked it away, dragging across the canvas. Time for plan B. I wiped the wet paint away and decided on an abstract painting from Ev. I picked our palette.

With Picasso on my lap, he painted. He was hesitant to touch the paint, so I helped show him.

Eventually, he did, but only twice. I loved watching his chubby hand work.

He wanted a paint brush. Ev was so determined, just look at his face.

While Ev was painting, so was Vincent, on our paper drop cloth. Then, I noticed he painted on our drying hand canvas. Gah! So, I painted his canvas white so he would make an abstract painting, too. When I turned back to Ev, I saw the was sitting, sucking his thumb.

Even though I wasn’t painting, I didn’t get away unscathed. Ev painted all over my hands, legs and even took a quick swipe at my face.

For those requesting more pictures of me, I’ll make an effort. This is a start.

And, we’re ready for the big reveal. Everett’s painting:

Restrained, yet stunning.

And Vincent’s:

Not as restrained, but equally stunning. I actually had to stop him because he would have blended everything together until it was a brown mess.

And, here’s a side by side:

I can’t wait to hang them up! Now, I’m sure you’re wondering why this Father’s Day gift is early. Two reasons. Number one, Ben came home earlier than I thought and caught us painting. The jig is up. Number two, I seriously thought Father’s Day was yesterday. So, you get to benefit from my apparent inability to read a calendar. So, go to Michael’s to pick up a few 5 inch square by 1 1/2 inch thick canvases while they’re 40% off (they’re $4.80 each after the discount, originally $7.99 for a grand total of $9.60) and put the kiddos to work.

Dads, what was your favorite father’s day gift? Ladies and kids, what was your favorite gift to dad? Is your dad easy to shop for? Neither Ben or my dad are easy. No ties, technology or candy for them. So, something personal fits perfectly.

How To: Make Laminate Countertops

Published on June 2, 2011September 12, 2012 by Our Humble Abode7 Comments

Laminate countertops may not be the most beautiful option, but they certainly are cheap, durable and DIY friendly. Which is exactly why we chose a laminate top for our laundry room. To make your own countertop, you’ll need:

3/4 inch thick Plywood, MDF or OSB, enough for two layers. The top layer must be particle board.

Laminate sheeting (ours was 4 feet by 8 feet)

1 1/2 inch tall by 3/4 inch thick material to cover the edges

3M Fastbond Contact Adhesive

Foam roller to spread the glue

Heavy roller to press firmly into place

To start, create a solid surface of plywood. Secure two pieces together to create a thickness of 1 1/2 inches. Fill any holes with wood filler and sand smooth. Place the sheet of laminate on top of the area and cut roughly to size. Ben used a router.

Attach your 1 1/2 inch tall edging on all exposed sides. We used oak, but anything will do.

Then, pour some glue on the back of the laminate sheet and spread in a thin layer with a roller. This stuff is stinky, so you should wear a mask and/or work in a well-ventilated room. You may need to let the glue set up for a few minutes. Read the instructions on the glue.

Then, place wooden dowels every 8 to 12 inches to keep the laminate from touching the top before you’re ready. Flip the laminate over and start at one end of the piece, pressing into place. Use the roller to smooth the surface and bond securely. Work in only one direction to prevent shifting and bubbling.

We placed weights on top, just to prevent any movement. After adequate dry time, usually 24 to 72 hours, use a router along the exposed edges to clean the edges of the wood and laminate up. We cut ours to a clean, kid-friendly 45 degree angle. Run the router along the edges until smooth and uniform.

With the edges cleaned up, fill any nail holes, sand, and paint or stain to finish.

Because Ben installs laminate counters in the apartments, we already had access to all the supplies. Fortunately, we also got a piece of white laminate from the apartments because the owner didn’t like it. I don’t love it, because it has a tan cross hatch pattern.

See what I mean? But, it isn’t noticeable unless you’re super close. I wouldn’t choose it, but it was free, so it will work. Fortunately, it is light to help brighten up the small basement space.

Oh, and here is what our laundry room looks like today. A total mess.

You can see the installed drawer fronts, but we still have to finish the cabinet doors and shelving. We had a slight change of plans. You’ll also notice that we haven’t sanded the sheet rock yet, but paint will go on those walls someday.

State {of the} Art

Published on May 19, 2011March 26, 2013 by Our Humble Abode21 Comments

Three and a half years ago, we had just finished our master bedroom and needed art to fill the bare walls. To keep things cheap, I cut out silhouettes of Ben and myself to fit in a frame I already owned.

To add a splash of pink, I ordered 8 vintage Pierre J. Redoute botanical prints. The 9 inch by 11 inch prints were cheap, and $3.50 frames from Michael’s were a cheap solution.

Though having art on the walls was great, we never really loved the prints in the space. Just a little too ‘old lady’, especially when paired with the traditional trim and bed. We’ve been wanting new art, but just couldn’t find the art. Until recently. We featured an Idaho watercolor painting from Poppy and Pinecone, but didn’t see Montana. After a few conversations with Elisabeth, we had an agreement to trade custom art. Here’s a tip: If you sell anything on Etsy, trading is a great way to save money, but get items you like. I sent her a Family Tree cut out in orange in exchange for two custom 11 inch by 14 inch state watercolor prints.

Ben is from Montana, so I wanted his print in greens and blues. Because I’m from Minnesota, I wanted my painting in girly colors, pinks and purples. And here is where my custom vision turned Elisabeth into a rock star. I needed both prints in a landscape orientation, to maintain symmetry. For Montana, that’s easy. Minnesota, however is usually vertically printed. I left it to Elisabeth to somehow turn vertical Minnesota into a horizontal design without looking strange. I knew, based on the work I’ve seen, that the prints would be fantastic. When I received that beautifully packaged art, I couldn’t wait to tear it open to see what Elisabeth made. Do you want to see? Of course you do. Here is Ben’s Montana:

And my Minnesota:

Isn’t that fantastic?!? I know! And, the quality was even better than I could have imagined. The watercolor paper is rich, textural, heavy, and luxurious. I waited until the prints arrived to buy frames, just to make sure the size worked. I needed something to fill the wall, and two 16 inch by 20 inch frames looked great. Then, I remembered I had one black frame sitting in the closet. A matching frame hung in the basement bathroom holding a print from The Living Room Floor. I snagged the frame (and mat) to use in our bedroom. Now, I had only one frame to buy to replace the one I just stole. I cut another mat to the same dimensions using a sharp utility knife and straight edge and popped the new State Love prints inside.

The new frames are much larger than the two 11 by 14 frames we had on each side. I hung the new frames on the old nails, so the art interacts more with the bed, which I like.

When walking down the hall, I catch a glimpse of the Minnesota art. Also, the art reflects beautifully in the new sunburst mirror directly across the room.

For another fun, custom touch, (you caught a glimpse of above) I framed a 5 by 7 wedding invitation from Ello There. Just goes to show art is anything you find beautiful. We added our ceremony information and customized the colors to match our decor. It is such a cute print, and an adorable wedding invitation. And, I’ve added even more birds to our house. The paper is a nice smooth, thick card stock of great quality and Maddy was a pleasure to work with. She put up with my annoying questions and accommodated my requests. Yes, this is a trend. I am annoying and have many requests. Moral of the story, I’m a pain in the arse.

A lamp, cheapo 5 by 7 frame, $1 ceramic bird, and black lacquer and capiz jewelry box are the perfect bedside table accessories to round out our bedroom makeover. Both fun and functional. Just my style. Our personalized, colorful bedroom art overhaul makes me smile every time I go in. As does the cost of the revamp. Just $10.00 for the print, an art trade, reused frames and a three dolla paint stick mirror. I had all of the supplies for the silhouettes, for a grand total of $13.00 spent for an entire room of art.

Which room have you spent the least for art? Where did you find it? Maybe you made it. Any tricks you’ve found to keep the cost low?

Please note: We were not compensated for this post, we simply love the items we’ve purchased and traded from these shops and want to share with you.

Blog Fest: Gimme a Giveaway

Published on May 12, 2011May 26, 2011 by Our Humble Abode159 Comments

***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries, Thank You!***

In honor of turning the big 0-1, we have a special art package giveaway.

First up, a 12 inch square charcoal grey Notre Dame Rose Window print from Little Brown Pen.

Remember when we bought one for our basement? We scored one for you, too.

In honor of our big day, we decided to toss in a few items from our shop, like this 8 inch by 10 inch Bee Happy print in sun yellow and charcoal grey.

We’re also sending a 5 inch by 7 inch Pressed Feather Original print.

The Goods: One art package including one 12 inch square Rose Window print in Charcoal, one 8 inch by 10 inch Bee Happy Print and one 5 inch by 7 inch Pressed Feather Print.

To Enter: Subscribe to follow Our Humble A{Bowe}d, if you’re not already. To subscribe, click the “Sign Me Up!” button under “Be the first to know.” Once you’ve subscribed, leave a comment, which can (but doesn’t have to) include our Just for Fun question.

Just for Fun: Share something that makes you happy. A song, memory, person, anything.

For additional entries:

1. Add Little Brown Pen to your Etsy favs, come back and leave a comment telling us what your favorite item is.

2. Like Our Humble A{Bowe}d on Facebook, come back and leave another comment.

3. Vote for our office and boys’ bedroom, then, in a separate comment, tell us you’ve voted.

Contest Closes: Thursday, May 19th at 9:00 pm, central time.

Number of Winners: One!

Ships: Anywhere in the U.S.

Other Info: We will select the winner using random.org and announce on Friday, May 20th. Good luck!!

Blog Fest: Craft Challenge

Published on May 11, 2011May 25, 2011 by Our Humble Abode8 Comments

We asked if you had any questions for/about us to answer for our big anniversary. We got a craft question and I thought this would make a great new series, hence, Craft Challenge. Something like Stump the Chump, but with crafts.

Christy said, “Don’t laugh…but what can you possibly do with small cat food cans? They recycle, but there has to be something cute and crafty that to do with them.”

What would we do? I would find a wooden dowel, epoxy, a drill and perhaps spray paint to make a swivel organizer, similar to this one:

To create this, first clean the cans well, removing all labels and smooth the top to prevent cuts. Drill a hole the size of the dowel, near the edge of all but one can. Slide the cans on the dowel. Then, epoxy the dowel to the edge of the bottom can and let it dry. You might have to keep something heavy in the bottom, to prevent tipping. You can cut a piece of picture matting for a top, too. Spray paint to match your decor and fill with paper clips and rubber bands for an office. Sort jewelry, or plant succulents or other small plants, too.

Do you have a craft challenge for us? Maybe you have something you just don’t want to throw out. Or need an interesting use for an everyday object. Let’s see how creative we can be.