DIY Decor & Crafts

Simple Solution: Crown Moulding

Published on September 23, 2010September 12, 2012 by Our Humble Abode8 Comments

Do you love the look of crown moulding but can’t afford it? Maybe it’s just a little too difficult for you to install on your own? Well, we have a solution for you.

Rather than using actual crown moulding, use decorative casement trim. Choose a trim with one 90 degree angle and a flat back, similar to these:

Place the square edge along the ceiling and secure with nails.

This trim is very easy to install and is more affordable than actual crown moulding. Of course, the ‘crown’ moulding won’t have a 45 degree angle from the wall to the ceiling.

Paint the ‘crown’ the same color as the rest of the trim and it will make the room look polished.

Just Like Tom Sawyer

Published on September 21, 2010September 12, 2012 by Our Humble Abode7 Comments

Our Montana summer seemed more like a Seattle summer thanks to the unusually frequent rainfall. What does this mean? We didn’t get many outdoor projects done this year. Fortunately, we didn’t have many on our list. We did, however, get our fence painted, finally! Last summer, we primed it, but it didn’t hold up to the elements very well. So, over the weekend, Ben used a pressure washer to remove any loose, chipping or peeling paint.

Isn’t this lovely?

After some reasearch, Ben decided to use an opaque white stain by Behr, specifically formulated for outdoor wood and siding.

Using a sprayer, Ben applied an even coat, then used a brush to smooth it all out.

We also closed the open area where we had planned to install a gate.

When we built the fence, we had large, communal garbage cans in the dead end alley. I guess our garbage man ran into a few too many things while backing up, so the city gave us individual garbages. Why am I telling you this? Because we no longer needed access to the alley as our garbage is now up front.

Long story short, one more item has been checked off our to do list!

Paper Party Banner

Published on September 20, 2010September 27, 2010 by Our Humble Abode5 Comments

Vincent’s third birthday is tomorrow! I cannot believe he is already three; time flies. We’re having a birthday for him on Saturday with friends and family, so I whipped up a simple, affordable and reusable party decoration.

To make this banner, you’ll need paper or cardstock in any color(s) that tickle your fancy, a circle cutter or punch, string, glue or Mod Podge, and an old paint brush.

I used a handy-dandy adjustable circle cutter made by Making Memories. I got this as a hand me down from a friend and never used it until now. The beauty of this tool is the ability to cut circles from 2 inches to 9 inches in diameter, all with one tool. I set the blade at three inches and started cutting. It takes a few tries to get it to cut nicely, but after that, its smooth sailing. The trick is to lightly run the blade around a few times, rather than one heavy round, which will tear the paper.

So, cut out tons of circles.

Then, fold in half, aligning the edges. If you used cardstock, you may want to run a bone folder along the crease to make it sharp.

Gather your glue, paint brush and string and get ready to assemble.

First, tie a loop in the string, to make it easy to hang. Do not cut your string yet, unless you have a specific size you need. Then, apply a thin layer of glue or Mod Podge to one side of the folded circle, adding a little more in the crease. Try to keep the glue thin so it won’t spill over the edges.

Place the string into the crease and fold the top over, pressing tight. To make sure your spacing is even, cut a piece of scrap paper to the desired width and place between each circle.

Continue gluing circles until the desired length has been reached. Cut the string, leave about 6 inches from the end of a circle. Make another loop for hanging. You’re ready to decorate.

I plan to hang these banners in the trees at the party, but I wanted to give you a sneak peek. So, for now, the banners are hanging from the ceiling in the boy’s room. The colors of the party happen to be the same colors we chose for the boy’s room.

Just a little note: if you are interested in this project, but don’t like the look of the half circles, you could do this with any shape. You will have to cut twice as many shapes, then follow every step except the folding. Instead, place another shape on the other side.

What are your favorite DIY party decorations? Cupcake toppers? Tissue paper pom poms? Do tell!

Green Equals Green: Cloth Napkins

Published on September 16, 2010September 27, 2010 by Our Humble Abode6 Comments

Today is the start of a new series: tips and ideas to help you live a greener life style, while saving some green. Some ideas are super simple to carry out and very cheap (level 1), while others are slightly more difficult, but a knowledgeable DIYer could tackle (level 2). Others are best left to the professionals (level 3), but all showcase eco-friendly options.

Our first idea is a level 1, so easy a cave man can do it. Let’s say a family of four uses 1 roll of paper towels every two weeks, at the price of $1.17 per roll (if you buy the cheapest paper towels in bulk from Costco). The total spent in one year on paper towels (used only as napkins) is $30.42. If you want to do something a little more eco-friendly, but still use paper towels, you can buy Seventh Generation Recycled paper towels. If you opt for this route, you’ll spend $46.54 per year.

Compare those prices to $1.99 for four cloth napkins from IKEA, ours are IRIS, but I can’t find them online. Our napkins are white with a subtle checker board pattern. I chose not to buy pretty napkins, as they’ll look ugly after one use, but I love not having to buy a ton of paper towels. I think the Earth loves us, too.

If you don’t have an IKEA, you can always buy fabric and make your own. Definitely invest in at least 8, so you always have some on hand. Just throw them in the wash with a full load and reuse!

New Home

Published on September 10, 2010September 10, 2010 by Our Humble AbodeLeave a comment

I love to see where my artwork lands once its sent out, and I was lucky to get an e-mail from a recent giveaway winner, Emily. She won our Leaves Silhouette giveaway a few weeks ago. Here is the painting, now residing in her master bedroom.