From Goodwill to Pottery Barn

A few months back I picked up this beauty at Goodwill.  I was drawn to the little rope detail of the frame.  It was only $5 and in great shape.  I definitely hid it from the kids though - have you ever seen a scarier clown?

I'd forgotten I'd ordered these from Pottery Barn awhile ago.  I can't remember what my original plan was for them.  I thought about the Goodwill frame and decided there was probably a good way to put the two together.

I covered a self-adhesive foam board in linen.  Popped out the clown paining and used a staple gun to attach the board.  Then I simply hung the keys from some finish nails pushed right into the foam board.  The project cost around $25 and makes a nice addition to our living room.


Check out Kimba's site for more DIY projects.  

A Simple Chair Update

I'm slowly getting some projects done around the house. Here's the before picture.

I've had the fabric for months.

It's was just a matter of locating the staples and the staple gun at the same time.

In the amount of time it took for Max to prove to Ruby, once again, that he knew what he was doing . . . I was finished with all six chairs!

Go check out some great DIY projects over at Kimba's place today!

From T-shirts To Throw Pillows

My aunt, Andrea, visited a few weeks ago. She brought up a couple of her favorite old t-shirts and wanted me to make pillows out of them.

Side note: Have I mentioned "To Kill A Mockingbird" is one of my favorite books (I know so original for a southern girl). Have I mentioned the author, Harper Lee, was a Chi Omega at The University of Alabama, and I met her during Homecoming week.

I love pillows. I used this as an opportunity to learn a new skill - making and sewing piping onto a pillow. I searched YouTube and found some great videos on how to make your own piping.

I hope you like them, Andrea. See you later this summer!

If you think you might want to try these, prep the t-shirts by ironing on some feather-weight interfacing.

Decoupage Framed Monogram

I have a problem. I'm constantly looking for things I can cover with a coat of Mod Podge. Luckily, my kids move way to fast for me to catch and no way could they hold still long enough to dry.

I came across this wooden "M" this weekend in Meg's sock drawer (go figure). I knew it would be much happier with a pretty piece of scrapbook paper glued to it. I also found the frame and figured why not paint one more thing with the apple green spray paint I used here and here.

Put the two together and I have a cute, personalized piece of art for Meg's bookshelves. I simply traced around the letter and cut it out. I then glued it onto the wooden letter. After removing the glass from the frame, I decoupaged a complementary paper onto the cardboard backing.

The wooden letter was a bit heavy, so I used gorilla glue to adhere it to the cardboard backing. Using a frame gives me the option of hanging the piece on the wall or standing it on one of her shelves. I also have a "D" and "K" for the boys. I can use them when the decoupage itch comes.

Thrifty Birthday Decorations

Davis will be 4 on Saturday. To celebrate we are having a brunch with friends and family. I want to decorate, but I'm not too interested in spending money on a bunch of plastic junk.



I decided to collect a few of my favorite photos of Davis. I found a few binder clips and other clips I've had for years and created a little photo display.

A perfect way to celebrate and honor our birthday boy. It lets everyone see how much he's grown and gives us an opportunity to share special memories.

If you want to get real fancy with your binder clips, How About Orange shows you how to cover them with fabric.

Check out other great thrifty ideas at Green Baby Guide.

What Can You Do With a Giant Bonus Card, Hot Water & Vinegar?

Remove wallpaper, of course!

Here is a before picture of our dining room, carpet and all! Whoever hung this wallpaper was really good at their job.

I've been filling a spray bottle with 3/4 really hot water and 1/4 vinegar. I spray the paper until it's very saturated. Let it sit for awhile (but not so long that the paper dries out) and peel off the top paper layer. Spray again and wait. Then I use my handy dandy Giant bonus card to scrape off the "gluey" layer.

If I could find more than 15 consecutive minutes to work on this, I could finish in a few hours. That's not happening, so I'm hoping to be finished by the end of the week.

Thrifty Green Thursday - Craig's List Find

I love Craig's List. I search daily in hopes of finding a treasure. I've gotten lucky with a few things and love the idea of updating the pieces I find.

For this Thrifty Thursday, I'd like to share a bookshelf I found on Craig's List for Meg's room. I paid $50 - it had the right dimensions and was actually made of wood.



I bought it from a mom who decorated it with stencils for her little girl 10 years ago. Now her little girl wants a "big girl" room. I was going to repaint it, but I couldn't bring myself to cover her work. Besides, I have a girly girl who loves hats, purses and shoes!

I did want to change it a little, so I decoupaged scrapbook paper to the back of the shelves.

Don't look too close, this was my first attempt decoupaging furniture. There are definitely a few air bubbles and places where the pattern is not lined up.


Now I'm on the hunt for a couple mirrors, bench and dresser. Can't wait to see whose trash may become my treasure!

Thrifty Green Thursday - No Gift Birthday Idea

Green Baby Guide hosts a weekly carnival called Thrifty Green Thursday. I've been reading the ideas for weeks and decided it was time to participate.
We get to go to a birthday party this evening. The host has requested "no gifts", which I love as a concept, but I always feel a little strange showing up without something. I really like the idea of recycled presents or "shopping" your house.

Today I recycled a picture frame to give to the birthday girl. I found an extra picture frame we had packed up and used some left over materials from this project.


I spray painted the frame and hot glued some fabric to the matting. In a matter of minutes, I had a cute updated picture frame fit for a little girl on her third birthday. I also included a picture of the birthday girl with her little friend, Meg.

Another good idea for "shopping" your house, is to encourage your child to pick out one of their toys to give as a present. Have you ever noticed how much fun your kids having playing with other kids' toys!

Thrify Finds for $29

Yesterday I loaded up the car for a trip to Goodwill. Did you know Goodwill doesn't except children's items? Go figure! So I ended up taking them to Lutheran Missions. While I was waiting for the nicest fellow to unload my car, I did a little shopping.

I've always wanted a soup tureen. They just seem so grown up, but they're expensive so I've admired from afar. Now I have my very own and it's making me think of Fall and all the delicious soups I need to learn how to make. I should be able to handle soup, right?

The glass jars are part of my master plan to have a beautiful pantry like the ones you see in magazines - you know the ones - pantries without opened goldfish bags, stale pasta and baby food containers.

I love my thrifty finds. I'm a happy little green decorator!