#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--DIY HOME MAKEOVER CRAFT PROJECTS

Danielle Hegedus stops by today with some DIY ideas for sprucing up your home.

Integrating Crafty DIY Projects to Upgrade Your Home Aesthetics

By: Danielle Hegedus

Are you due for a home interior makeover? Maybe you’ve just moved into a new place so you have a blank canvas, but you’re on a budget. Or perhaps you’re ready to let your inner artist loose as you fashion your home to reflect your unique style. We here at Modernize are passionate about helping homeowners create the living spaces of their dreams, regardless of budget or style. And some simple DIY craft projects are the perfect choice for customizing your home without spending lots of money. With a minimal investment in supplies—including some things you can salvage or repurpose—and a little elbow grease, you can have a big impact on the appearance of your home—not to mention how you feel when you are in it!

Create a Unique Interior Space with a Versatile Chalkboard Wall

Adding design elements to your home can be pricey, especially when it comes to professionally framing pictures or purchasing artwork to personalize your space. And depending on your budget, if you’re purchasing items from a chain store, you’re likely to see that vase or print that you thought was so unique show up in five of your friends’ homes, too. Where’s the fun in that?

Ever think about creating your own artwork? If you’re not ready to commit to one image, use chalkboard paint and let your creative impulses run wild. It’s affordable and easily erasable, so whether you have a grand vision for a mural, want to have fun with some doodles, or just want to display your favorite inspiring quotes, here’s your opportunity.

Chalkboard paint is also a great option for a kitchen wall, since it helps organize your grocery list and plan your meals. It can replace a sterile whiteboard in a home office, while still helping you work through projects on a larger scale than pen and paper. And it’s a great option if you have little ones who, let’s face it, are probably inclined to draw on the walls anyway!

Bring the Outside Indoors with Fun, Unexpected Houseplants

Most people enjoy fresh flowers, but a good houseplant improves the look of your home while lasting longer and usually costing less money. Plus, a number of houseplants have been proven to improve the quality of the air in your home, removing harmful toxins found in cleaning products, carpets, and paints to help you breathe easier. Plus, plant pots are a perfect opportunity to repurpose an unexpected item for an interesting design feature in your home. As long as you can create some holes for water drainage (and that’s not even necessary for all plants, bamboo for instance), let your imagination run wild. Give items that might otherwise be headed to the landfill (or just cluttering up your home) a second-life, like old-fashioned tea and cookie tins, plastic bottles, retired kids’ toys, or gift baskets. If you have pots already, refresh their look with a coat of metallic spray paint, or maybe use some leftover bathroom tile or even glass coasters to try your hand at a mosaic. The possibilities are endless.

Take Repurposing to a New Level by Building Your Own Furniture

Whenever I see a wooden palette, I see possibilities. Set it up flat against a wall and you have a great structure for an herb or small vegetable garden. Orienting it vertically enables  you to create a garden in any small space—from an apartment balcony to a small nook by a sunny window. If you have a yard, if you’re an active cyclist, or if you have kids who love to ride bikes, consider using a palette as a bike rack that is attractive and keeps you from backing over one in your car!

My younger brother though, has taken my love of palettes to a whole new level. His entire apartment—bed, coffee table, and bookshelves—are fashioned out of palettes that he either found or asked a small business if he could take off their hands. Usually the businesses are happy to part with palettes, as it saves them money on trash removal, but make sure you ask! If you want to be just as ambitious with your palette projects, you may need some baseline carpentry skills, but there are loads of DIY articles on the internet to help you along the way. Plus, if you make a big mistake, the risk is low because the supplies usually don’t cost you anything and would otherwise be headed to the landfill anyway. 

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--WINDOW STREAMERS

Window treatments have come a long way from grandma’s heavy velvet drapes. Today many people opt out of any form of window covering if they don’t need them for privacy. However, sometimes a little something is just what a window needs.

This whimsical window treatment is made from jute twine and a few yards of 1” wide cotton print ribbon. It requires absolutely no crafting skills other than being able to use a pair of scissors and tie a knot.

First, head over to your local craft or fabric store to buy the ribbon in colors that go with the color scheme in your room. Mix and match patterns. A yard of ribbon will make three streamers. You’ll want to space them about 2” apart. So you’ll need to measure your window(s) ahead of time to figure out how many yards of ribbon you’ll need. For example: a window that is 24” wide will have twelve streamers, which equals four yards of ribbon. If you want your streamers longer or spaced closer together, adjust the amount of ribbon you purchase accordingly.

While you’re at the store, grab a ball of 2mm or 3mm jute twine. If you don’t have any thumbtacks, grab a pack of them, too.

Once home, measure the window width to determine how much twine you’ll need to cut. Add a few inches for knotting the ends of the twine and for a slight dip. You don’t want the twine taut against the window. Determining the length of the twine works best if you have an extra pair of hands or two to hold the twine while you step back and decide how much of a dip you’d like. Keep in mind the ribbons will hand down about 6”.

Cut the twine and knot each end. Place the cut twine on a flat surface.

Cut 12” lengths of ribbon. Decide on color/pattern placement, then knot each ribbon to the twine using a larks head knot (see diagram at left).

Using thumbtacks, attach the end of each piece of twine to the inside edge of the window.

Tip: You can also use this technique to decorate a covered patio by tying the twine between the pillars of the patio roof.

#DECORATING WITH JEANIE--OTHER USES FOR DENTAL FLOSS

photo by Siilfehler

Dentists tell us we should floss daily. But did you know that dental floss has uses beyond maintaining dental hygiene? How about when it comes to decorating? You’re laughing? Keep reading.

Years ago we all kept our family photos in those photo albums with the sticky pages and clear plastic covers. We eventually learned that the materials used in those albums were discoloring and destroying our photos. If you’re like me, you began replacing all those photo albums with ones that contained archival quality papers and adhesive tapes that didn’t contain acids.

If you haven’t transferred your photos yet or are in the process of doing so, you may have found that sometimes the photos are extremely hard to remove from those albums. Pull too hard, and you risk tearing the photo. Solution: dental floss! To separate stuck-on photos from the pages of old albums, gently saw a piece of dental floss back and forth between the photo and the page. This also works well for photos that have become stuck to the glass of a picture frame.

A good quality dental floss is also the perfect go-to for hanging lightweight frames on the wall. Wire can scratch your walls; dental floss won’t. Tip: use a double or triple strand of floss for added strength.

#DECORATING WITH JEANIE--BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATIONS

One of the most inexpensive ways to add framed art to your home is to use botanical illustrations. This is artwork, often done in watercolor, that depicts plant species in vivid detail.

The first record of botanical illustrations dates back to 512 AD, but it was the eighteenth century that saw the birth of the botanical illustrator, thanks to printing advances and the emergence of amateur botanists, gardeners and natural historians.

Today it’s easy to find reproductions of these illustrations, both already framed and unframed. Consider buying a series of four or more floral botanicals and framing them in individual inexpensive wooden frames to group on a bedroom or foyer wall.

Vegetable and fruit botanicals work well in kitchens and dining rooms. You can find botanicals that feature multiple images on one print or individual images. 

Ferns and other leaves are also popular botanical motifs. The botanical illustration is also versatile due to the variety of sizes in which the prints are available. Simply choose the size or sizes that work best for your wall space.

DECORATING WITH JEANIE -- CURTAIN TIE-BACKS

Decorating editor Jeanie Sims is always thinking outside the box. Today she gives us some unique ideas for curtain tie-backs. -- AP

In any crafts store you’ll find dozens and dozens of themed cut-out wooden shapes to paint and decorate.

For a unique curtain tie-back, first paint the edges of the unfinished wood. Then cover the shapes with coordinating fabric or wallpaper. Use a craft knife to trim the fabric or paper close to the edge of the shape. Glue the shape to the center of a piece of ribbon or fabric strip.

Screw a cup hook into the edge of the window frame to attach the tie-back.

Want something even simpler? You can also find already painted wooden shapes at the crafts store, but these will generally work best for children’s rooms, bathrooms, and kitchens. Choose shapes that coordinate with the theme of the room. 

What a fun idea, Jeanie! Thanks for sharing. Readers, post a comment for a chance to win a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

DECORATING WITH JEANIE -- REPURPOSING OLD WINDOWS

Do you have a large wall but can’t afford a large piece of artwork to hand on it? Decorating editor Jeanie Sims has a solution. -- AP

I’m a big fan of repurposing yard sale and flea market finds. One of my favorite items is old wooden windows. Their size is perfect for large wall spaces, and you can decorate them in any style to fit your décor.

If you’re into shabby chic, you won’t even have to strip, sand, or paint the wood. If you’d prefer a more traditional look, strip the wood and stain or paint it in a color to match your room.

Now, you’re probably thinking what do I do with the window after that? Just hang an old window on my wall? Well, you could. But you can also swap out the glass for mirrors, or use the individual panes as picture frames for a collage of photos or artwork.

Add a strip of wood to the bottom of the window for a small shelf, or attach hooks, and use the window in your hallway as a coat hanger.

Another great decorating tip from Jeanie, right readers? Any of you have other ideas for using old windows? Post a comment for a chance to win a book from our Book Club Friday guest author this week. -- AP