DIY Decor & Crafts

Let the {Halloween} Festivities Begin

Published on October 14, 2010October 9, 2012 by Our Humble Abode10 Comments

I know, I’m a little late, but better late than never, right? Usually, I don’t do a lot (if any) Halloween decorating, but Vincent is three this year and he’s pretty excited about pumpkins and Halloween in general. I was inspired by this Pottery Barn image.

Almost anything Pottery Barn is beautiful, but I really liked the color palette, tons of pumpkins and the wreath. I saw a similar black feather wreath at Michael’s for $14.99, but I didn’t want to spend that much on a once a year item. Instead, I went to Dollar Tree and picked up a simple wreath form. Then, I took a trip to Hobby Lobby and picked up two different types of black feathers; one package of large (about 6 inches or so) feathers and another of smaller, filler feathers.

Once I returned home, I spray painted all sides black using paint I had on hand. After the paint dried, I tied a loop of fishing line around the wreath form. Our front door has trim that prohibits the use of a traditional wreath hook, so I have to hang wreaths using ribbon or string. After attaching the fishing line, I used my handy-dandy hot glue gun to attach the feathers.

I started by placing a few of the filler feathers in to cover the wreath form. Then, I cut the larger feathers into the shape I wanted.

Do you see the difference? I shaped the feather on the left by cutting the top into a nice, rounded shape. Then, I glued my cut feathers over the filler feathers, being sure to cover any of the wreath form. I didn’t bother to cover the very back, because that will be against the door, but I did cover the remaining sides. I did this all the way around, placing the feathers in the same direction until I got to the beginning. Then, I made sure to tuck the feather ends under the first row.

I tapped a small pin into the top center of our door and looped the fishing line around and we were in business.

Here’s what my Halloween wreath cost:

Wreath Form: $1.00

Black spray paint: Leftover from another project, but you can get black paint for $1.00 from Wal Mart

Black feathers: $1.98 (with plenty to spare)

Fishing line: Already had on hand

Glue gun and sticks: Already had

Grand Total: $2.98

Granted, my version isn’t as large as the Pottery Barn version, but I think it adds the same touch. Although, I won’t be painting our door orange any time soon. Keep an eye out for more Halloween decorating ideas soon!

Gimme a Giveaway: IHeart Organizing

Published on October 12, 2010 by Our Humble Abode2 Comments

Who’s excited for another giveaway?! I know I am. Our Humble A{Bowe}d has teamed up with Jen at IHeart Organizing for a fabulous giveaway. What’s up for grabs? A custom Agapanthus cutout, painted to match the winners decor.

For a chance to win, head on over to IHeart Organizing and follow the instructions.

Etsy Artwork

Published on October 8, 2010May 25, 2011 by Our Humble Abode1 Comment

As you may have determined, I love Etsy. Especially for art work. Here are some of the items I’ve recently added to my favorites list.

This print is adorable and definitely cheery.

I do love a good silhouette, like this one.

I have a hobby creating hand embroidered pieces. I could make something like this to hang in our hall.

Or this little embriodered neighborhood.

If you like maps, this is a great alternative, but still striking and artsy.

I love abstract floral paintings and prints. This is a great option.

Or something like this.

This?

How interseting is this? It looks like shells, but it’s actually knit designs over rocks! Clever!

Last but not least, we have a boookshelf print.

All images found via the featured Etsy seller’s listing as linked above.

You + Me = Art?

Published on October 7, 2010October 9, 2012 by Our Humble Abode8 Comments

Some of you may know that I create custom prints. Well, I was working on the Carved Initials print for an order and a light bulb went off! What if I made a ‘sculpture’ of a carved initials tree for our home? So, I went out back to our woodpile and found a small log without bark. It was just what I wanted. Ben cut it down to size; it’s tough (not to mention unsafe) to work a circular saw with a six-month old in hand. Then he scrubbed off the dirt and the last bit of bark.

Then I quickly drew a heart with B+A inside.

Ben used a Dremel tool to ‘carve’ the heart and initials. If you don’t have a Dremel, just do it the old-fashioned way.

The carved areas didn’t show up from far away, so Ben used a soldering iron to burn in the areas, but brown paint or stain would work just as well. After it was burned in, it looked like this:

Overall, this piece is about 12 inches tall and 4 inches in diameter.

It hasn’t found a permanent home, but it’s on the entertainment center for now.

I love that it is personalized, interesting, easy and quick to complete and FREE! Where do you get your inspiration from? What little things do you do to personalize your home?

Refinished Bookshelf: Reveal

Published on October 6, 2010October 9, 2012 by Our Humble AbodeLeave a comment

Last week I shared how I refinished an old wooden bookshelf for our boys’ room. It wasn’t quite done then, but it is now and we love it. Ben was skeptical when I started sanding, but he does admit that it’s pretty now. I really love that we’ve brought new life into an old, seen-better-days piece of furniture, without paint. Well, there is some paint. The back panel had a little damage.

I knew I couldn’t fix the back and keep it stained, so I filled the damaged area with putty, let it dry, sanded, primed and painted everything. After three coats of plain white paint, hours of drying, and a vacation in Minnesota, I was ready to finish what I had started. Using a pin nailer, I carefully attached the 1/4 inch plywood back to the bookshelf. I chose the pin nailer because it shoots nails that are literally the size of pins, without a head. It’s great for small pieces that might split if larger nails were used.

Once the back was secured, all that was left was to bring the shelf back inside.