DIY Custom Spice Rack

Back in early December I finally reached my breaking point. I was trying to locate my beloved garam masala in my small pantry and got totally overwhelmed by the lack of organization of everything in there. If there’s two things you should know about me is that I’m a visual person and that I crave organization. After my ever so hangry meltdown of epic proportions I scoured Amazon for an option that would work in my small space. Unfortunately, they just were not cutting it so I decided to make a spice rack myself.

MATERIALS USED:

I first began by measuring the wall I planned to hang my spice rack on. Afterwards the hard work began – prepping the area. I took a magic eraser and scrubbed every inch of the space then I slapped some spackling in the nail holes from the previous owner, waited for it to dry then sanded to my hearts delight. Let’s be honest here, the wall was still looking ever so ugly and there really was no saving it so I decided to use some leftover wallpaper I had from a previous project and really go out all with my transformation. I am so glad I listened to my instincts – it looked 100x better when I was finished.

With my measurements in hand I taped my 2×4’s together so I could cut them evenly all at once. I then brought them inside the house to work on as it was getting dark outside and my garage light is about as bright as a lightning bug. (That in itself is a project for another day)

To make it a little easier on myself I made a template out of a scrap piece of paper of where I needed to drill each pocket hole. After securing each shelf to the base of the spice rack I ensured everything was level then moved on to the next one.

Now was time for the messy part – caulking all of the seams and screw holes. This took less than 20 minutes and I was even able to watch TV while doing it.

The next morning I lugged it outside to give it a very generous sanding. I then lugged it back into my house and began mixing up leftover paint samples that I had lying around to create the perfect neutral color. Two coats later it was looking absolutely perfect.

Again, I made another template – this time to use to ensure all of the metal rods lined up perfectly so the spices would stay in place and not tip over. It was at this point where I felt like I was the queen of making templates. (This accomplished feeling did not last long. As you can probably see by the 3rd picture, I pinched my finger pretty hard trying to cut the metal rods to size with the tool I was using and at one point my dramatic self thought it was broken.) Now onto adding the actual rods to the spice rack – I first began by putting a piece of tape on my drill bit to use as a guide of how deep to make the hole so I didn’t drill straight through to the other side. I gently placed my rod through the hole in my template and then began to wiggle it to make a mark on the inside of my wood where I would have to drill the hole out. Once I had all of the rods inserted I made a spur of the moment decision to add some decorative l-shaped brackets to every corner.

For awhile there I went back and forth debating on the most secure way to hang my spice rack so everything wouldn’t topple over and give me a heart attack in the middle of the night. Ultimately, I decided to cut a piece of scrap 2×4 and make a brace that would attach to the top of the spice rack and could be drilled directly into the wall. This method worked perfectly.

After locating all of my strewn about spices I began putting them on my spice rack and staring it at in awe. I was able to make this custom 2’x4′ spice rack for under $60.

Stay tuned – next weekend I’ll be finally tackling my much needed coffee table DIY. Until then, happy DIYing!

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Thrift Flip: Turn a Candle Holder into a Festive Christmas Lamp Post

Learn how I turned a thrifted candle holder into a festive Christmas lamp post.

One of my absolute favorite things to do this time of year is to scour thrift stores in hopes I’ll see something that I can breathe new life into. The second I saw this wrought iron candle holder I knew it was coming home with me and that it would be my next project.

I first began by giving it a very thorough cleaning then off I went to search my scrap wood pile to find a piece that I could use as a base for what I had planned. After drilling a small hole in the center I placed it on the candle holder to ensure it was a snug fit and wouldn’t get blown off in the wind since I was going to put the finished project on my porch.

I couldn’t help but think the wooden piece just sitting on top of the candle holder looked unfinished so I made yet another trip to my scrap wood pile and found some leftover pieces of common board that I cut at a 45 degree angle and used to create a border that I’d eventually place my lamp in to.

To adhere the common board I used my trusty Elmer’s wood glue and some clamps that I had in my garage. I also used some wood filler on the corners to blend in the seams where the wood met and then gave it a gentle sanding once everything was dried.

The next day I brought the candle holder outside and gave it a few coats of black spray paint. Once it was dried I placed my lantern on the stand and tied on a festive bow that I ordered from JoAnn Fabrics on sale for around $2 to complete the look.

As you can probably tell by the maple pillow in the background I started this project early fall and am excited that I can finally use it to decorate my front porch with.

Happy crafting everyone,

DIY Birch Logs

DIY Birch Logs made out of recycled materials that can be found around the house

I recently thrifted a gorgeous bronze log holder and with Christmas right around the corner had the grand notion of displaying some decorative birch logs in it. To my surprise, they’re not cheap. After scouring the internet for options I came to the conclusion that the best way to get what I wanted for cheap would be to make it myself.

Materials I used:

  • Toilet Paper Rolls
  • Tissue Paper
  • Clear Tape
  • Scrap Paper
  • White, Black, Taupe, Brown and Grey Acrylic Paint

I started out by taping the toilet paper rolls together to get the perfect length. Don’t worry about the openings fitting snugly or keeping everything in a straight line. The more organic the look the better, it’ll help the logs have a realistic birch like appearance when everything is finished. To cover the ends of the toilet paper rolls I simply grabbed a piece of scrap paper, traced around the openings, cut them out and taped those bad boys on.

Once I was finished taping everything together I gave each “log” a generous coating of Mod Podge and began wrapping them with tissue paper. The trick to this is placing the tissue paper corner in the center of the log then gently rolling it up. The wrinklier in appearance the better!

After the Mod Podge was completely dried I began painting each log white. Usually I would prefer to use acrylic paint for this step but for the life of me I could not find it anywhere so I settled on the next best thing – chalk paint. Before it could fully dry I mixed my taupe (Ceramcoat – Sand Dune), grey (Ceramcoat – Hippo Grey), and brown (FolkArt – Brushed Bronze) paints together then randomly began to brush them on the log. I also painted the ends of each log with the taupe paint to give them a realistic look.

To tone down some of the color and the harsh lines I took some of my white paint and gently dabbed it over each log with a paper towel. While the paint was still wet I took some black paint on a stippling brush and painted some lines on the log to give it a more birch-like appearance. To blend everything out I used the remaining paint from my paper towel and dabbed it in the places that needed a little more dimension.

After arranging my new birch logs in my log holder I couldn’t help but think that something was missing so off I ran to my craft supply closet to find some festive ribbon and holiday berries.

I can’t help but sit back and stare at everything in awe. Who would have thought that I could accomplish making faux birch logs for free with just random items that I had laying around my house?

More Christmas DIY’s are coming,

DIY Console Table

I’d like to start out by saying I first set out to dupe this console table from Burke Decor but somewhere along the line my plans changed and I made the executive decision to scale back my ambitious dream of recreating the aforementioned Matthes Table and go with something much, much easier.

Below is the design I came up with instead. Easy, peasy!

For the wood I ended up using (4) 2 in. x 4 in. x 96 in. Prime Whitewood Stud’s from Home Depot.

I first began by making all of my cuts ensuring each piece lined up as close to perfect as possible. Once all of the cuts were complete I lugged all of the wood inside my house to do a “dry-fit” and ensure all of the pieces matched up. If I wasn’t so worried about sawdust getting everywhere I would have cut everything in my house. (Texas heat is no joke! Seriously, the a/c is my best friend this time of year.) Immediately afterwards I lugged the wood outside and began sanding every inch like a mad woman. After battling the intense heat and an angry swarm of gnats for what seemed like an eternity I eventually emerged victoriously with my smooth wood and once again basked in the gloriousness of my a/c before I began the next step.

One sleep later I woke up refreshed and ready to tackle my console table project. Nervously, I started drilling in all of my pocket holes while praying to the high heavens that I wouldn’t mess up my already cut boards. After that step was completed it was now time to drill my countersink holes at the top of each table leg. To make it easier on myself I created a template out of left over poster board to ensure all of the holes I had to drill matched up and were spaced evenly. While binging many episodes of Sexy Beasts on Netflix I started screwing all of my boards together.

With just 2 episodes left in the series I decided to call it a night and as gracefully as I could dragged my console table across the house to place it where it’s new home would eventually be. I wish I could say at this point I was finished with my project but atlas, I had pocket holes to fill with hole plugs and wood glue. Since this was the first time I’ve ever drilled pocket holes mistakes were definitely made and I could tell that a lot of sanding would be in my future.

The next morning I awoke bright eyed and bushy tailed ready to tackle my project. I began by mixing some sawdust with wood glue and filled in the counter sink holes I drilled to connect the top and sides together. Hours later I dragged my console table outside and gave it a good sanding (I was so in the zone at the point I managed to forget to take photos of this step). After a quick wipe down with a microfiber towel it was time to stain. I found this stain sitting on a shelf in my garage all lonely and didn’t notice that the actual stain kind of separated into a watery consistency that made it apply much lighter in color than it actually was. This actually worked out to my surprise and I absolutely loved the color. Once all of the coats of stain were fully applied and had an adequate amount of time to dry I sealed it with a clear wax base that I picked up at Walmart.

All that was left to do now was lug it back into my house and decorate it.

Keep your eyes peeled – I have 3 Christmas themed DIY’s in the works. (Did I ever mention the Christmas is one of my absolute favorite holidays?)

45 Affordable (and pretty) Faucets Under $100

Finding the perfect bathroom faucet for your renovation project can be overwhelming especially with the vast amount of options both online and in person that there is to choose from. Don’t fret too much! I have scoured the internet both near and far and have put together a list of the best deals – all currently under $100 too might I add!

  1. TRUSTMI Brass Bathroom Faucet
  2. Hoimpro Waterfall Spout Bathroom Faucet
  3. RKF Solid Brass Faucet
  4. Brushed Widespread Bathroom Faucet by Phiestina
  5. TRUSTMI Brushed Gold Bathroom Faucet
  6. Hexagonal Widespread Bathroom Faucet by Phiestina
  7. Farmhouse Bathroom Faucet
  8. GGStudy Faucet 
  9. Heritage Centerset Bathroom Faucet 
  10. GGStudy Faucet
  11. Comllen Widespread Bathroom Faucet
  12. Gecious Antique Brass Centerset Faucet
  13. MR. FAUCET Bathroom Sink Vanity Faucet
  14. TRUSTMI 2 Handle Widespread Brass Bathroom Faucet
  15. TRUSTMI Bathroom Faucet
  1. TRUSTMI 2-Handle 8 inch Widespread Bathroom Sink Faucet
  2. WVCDST068P Single Hole Bathroom Faucet
  3. Black Bathroom Faucet with Optional Deck Plate
  4. Lotto Collection Single-Handle Lavatory Faucet
  5. Oswell 4 in. Centerset 2-Handle High-Arc Bathroom Faucet
  6. BRAVEBAR 4 Inch Bathroom Sink Faucet 
  7. allen + roth Harlow Matte Black 1-Handle 4-in Centerset WaterSense Bathroom Sink Faucet
  8. Anleijur Black Bathroom Faucet
  9. Ibenso Single Hole Bathroom Faucet
  10. Black Widespread Bathroom Faucet 
  11. allen + roth Dunmore Bathroom Sink Faucet 
  12. Widespread Bathroom Faucet by Phiestina
  13. Zexzen Waterfall Bathroom Faucet
  14. JDOOR Bathroom Faucet
  15. NEWATER 2-Handle Brass Modern Bath Vanity Faucet
  1. Friho Modern Bathroom Faucet
  2. AMAZING FORCE Bathroom Faucet
  3. Vesna Single Hole Bathroom Faucet
  4. NEWATER 2-Handle Waterfall Bath Vanity Faucets
  5. Delta Modern Single Hole Bathroom Faucet
  6. allen + roth Camberly Sink Faucet 
  7. allen + roth Harlow Sink Faucet
  8. Widespread Bathroom Sink Faucet
  9. Kree Widespread Bathroom Faucet
  10. Moen Widespread Bathroom Faucet
  11. allen + roth Harlow Faucet 
  12. KOHLER Ealing Faucet
  13. Delta Pierce Faucet
  14. Pfister Venturi Faucet
  15. Pfister Courant Faucet

Happy Shopping,

PS Here’s an image for you to pin if you’d like!

DIY Halloween Sign

With Halloween right around the corner I decided now would be the perfect time to start decorating my porch for all the trick or treaters that are bound to stop by this year. The first thing on my agenda – making a custom sign using only scrap materials that I had in my garage.

To start I grabbed a piece of scrap MDF and cut two pieces to measure 7″ by 17″.

Next I used my miter saw to cut a scrap piece of pole wrap at a 45° angle to create a frame for my sign. I then used my trusty hot glue gun to secure each piece to the frame.

This part was the easiest – all I had to do was apply black acrylic paint to both of the signs and wait for them to fully dry. The next part would have been 10x easier if I had cricut machine but unfortunately I do not have one so I had to go the old-school route and print my design out on sticker paper and hand cut each item out individually.

I would like to reiterate just how painstakingly long this part of of DIY took. I started cutting out my design at approximately 6pm and did not finish until close to 11pm. There was a point during it when I began to rethink all of my decisions and curse myself for being cheap and deciding to make a sign myself instead of hopping in my car and just driving down the road to buy one from a local store.

After many breaks and hand massages later it was now time for the final step of the sign making extravaganza – attaching both of the signs with jute rope and hot glue because we’re fancy around here! 2 quick minutes later all I had to do was hang my finished sign and bask in its beauty!

Still recovering from all the cutting,

DIY Coconut Cherry Prop Cake

I’ve been meaning to recycle some styrofoam I had lying around the house for the longest time and then it hit me – why don’t I just make my own DIY cake form instead of buying one already made and save myself some money that I could put towards the other projects that I’ve been dreaming up.

For this project you’ll only need 7 items and if you’re an avid DIYer such as myself you might even have most of them lying around your house.

  • Spackling (I prefer the DryDex Brand – Pink/White)
  • White Crafting Paint
  • Styrofoam
  • Faux Cherries (I purchased mine off of Amazon)
  • Fake Fine Snow
  • Hot Glue Gun
  • Cake Frosting/Decorating Tips

First I grabbed a pot lid and traced it onto 2 pieces of styrofoam. Once I was finished I took the largest knife I could find in my kitchen and began to cut out the circular shape I had just traced. I will warn you – this is an extremely messy DIY and if you don’t take the time to clean it up right away you will find tiny pieces of styrofoam remnants everywhere. Seriously! They will haunt you in your dreams and you will find them in the most unlikely of places. Remember that song -“Sometimes I feel like somebody’s watching me?” Well, after this project I felt like it was probably written about these pesky little styrofoam pieces. I swear they had the stealth of an assassin and randomly popped up everywhere no matter how many times I ran my vacuum cleaner over them.

After cleaning for what felt like an eternity I grabbed my trusty hot glue gun and adhered the two pieces together. Don’t worry, the hot glue will not melt the styrofoam.

This next step is entirely up to you. You can either mix a generous amount of the spackling and paint in a ziplock baggie like I did or you can use a disposable bowl. Either way will work just fine. Once the spackling is thoroughly mixed begin spreading it on the “cake”. You can use either a plastic scraper like I did or use a gloved hand to give it some more texture. I worked in sections and sprinkled the fake snow on it ensuring to gently press it in with my hands as I went. Do not worry about the pink color that shows through, when it is fully dry it will change into a white color. I prefer to use the pink colored spackling to ensure there is no styrofoam showing through since there is a clear color difference between the two.

As soon as the spackling was fully dried I began to plan out the layout of my cherries and make sure they were spaced out evenly. After a little tweaking here and there I began to pipe on the “frosting”. I ran out of my pink DryDex so for this step I used the basic white kind. Gently place the cherry on top of the frosting and press it in to ensure it fully adheres once the spackling is dried. (Don’t worry if one randomly pops off after it dries, you can simply use hot glue to adhere it back on).

Secretly hating the fact that this is not a real cake,

Easy Upcycled Rustic Box

Last weekend I wanted to complete a DIY that was simple, stress-free, cheap and not too complicated. That’s when it hit me – I had some leftover stained skewers from a previous project and a empty box that was calling my name to transform into a decorative piece I could use on my hallway table. When everything was finished this project ended up costing me a whopping total of $0.00 which is a complete success in my book.

I began by measuring the length and width of my box and used a pair of needle nose pliers to snip each skewer to size. Once all my skewers were cut I started hot gluing them to the top of the box until I reached the end.

Not satisfied with how wonky and uneven the pieces were looking, I took the box out to my garage and sanded down the edges until everything lined up perfectly. I then hot glued 2 pieces to the sides of my freshly sanded box lid.

Now it was time to start working on the sides of the box lid. I ended up testing two ways to do it until I was satisfied with the finished look. At first I thought it would be easy to start from the bottom and work my way up but I did not like how it turned out so I ripped off the hot glued skewers and decided to start framing out the sides of the box lid first. This way looked 10x nicer.

I then began cutting my skewers to length ensuring to sand them down after each cut to avoid the look of jagged edges before hot gluing them onto the lid. Once completed with all 4 sides I put the lid back on the box and repeated this process on the bottom of the box.

For the final step I took some wood filler and gently pressed it into any of the gaps that were visible. Before it was fully dried I used my finger to remove any visible chunks of it that showed between the lines of the skewers. After it was completed I set it on my hallway table and styled it to my liking.

Once the price of wood comes down I plan on duping this $800.00 console table to use in my hallway. Stay tuned as I know it will be interesting trying to figure out how to do it.

Relaxing until next weekend,

DIY: Pottery Barn Dupe – Amate Framed Print

I’ve been searching for months for the perfect neutral artwork to go above my bed. After countless hours of scrolling and pinning various options to a secret Pinterest board I finally stumbled on something that was exactly what I envisioned.. the only problem; its price! Whew! Who in their right mind would spend close to $700.00 on one piece of artwork no matter how stunning it is? Not me! Once the sticker shock wore off I set on a mission to recreate a similar dupe for a price my pocketbook (and bank account) would be pleased with.

To help you get started, here is a list of the items I used:

*This post contains some affiliate links. That means that if you make a purchase after clicking on a link I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

When I was first brainstorming up ideas to recreate the artwork I had my mind set on buying an already assembled frame but after comparing prices from various stores the cost always came to roughly $50.00 per frame (with coupons). Not wanting to spend an arm and a leg I had the idea to use a painters canvas and just remove the canvas part. Each canvas ended up costing me 1/5 of the price of one pre-assembled canvas which is a definite win-win in my book. To start the project I began by putting on my favorite playlist on Spotify and cutting the canvas away from the frame. Once finished I brought it out to my garage and sawed off the middle supporting brace (don’t worry this will not mess with the structural integrity of the canvas).

The canvas I bought ended up being much bigger than I anticipated so I ended up cutting it down to the exact dimensions I wanted my artwork to be and then I simply stapled the pieces back together once I triple checked that everything lined up and was perfectly square.

After assembling the frame I began to trace the inside dimensions of it onto my MDF board then brought it out to my garage to cut it and dry fit it to ensure my measurements were perfect. You might be wondering what that homely looking taped piece of cardboard is doing sitting next to my project. Well, when I first attempted to dupe this artwork I somehow thought it would be cheaper and easier if I just used some cardboard boxes that I had lying around my house as a backing element. This was a huge fail and the artwork turned out looking wonky and down right embarrassing. It looked like an elementary school craft fair threw up in my bedroom and instant regret set in once I had it hung. Not one to be defeated by a project I brainstormed ideas to make it sturdier and am so glad I redid the whole thing.

I then removed the MDF board from the frame and placed the tabs that came with the canvas on just the bottom slots. Once completed I brought it into my garage and began to stain it. At first the color was way too dark so I lightened it up by applying some classic gray over it. This was the prefect combination and gave the frame some lovely depth and dimension.

While my stain was drying I decided to start working on the backing of my artwork. I grabbed my trusty iron and began removing all of the wrinkles (this step is very, very important as it will look unfinished if the fabric is not crisp and wrinkle-free). I then placed it on my floor, laid my MDF on top of it and began hot gluing it onto the MDF. When you’re doing this make sure to pull the fabric as taut as possible so there will be no visible wrinkling or rippling on the fabric once its flipped over. I also went around all the edges with a generous amount of packaging tape to secure the loose strings of the fraying fabric.

I then flipped my MDF board over and inspected the canvas fabric to make sure it was pulled tight enough over it to ensure there would be no sagging. Once satisfied, I laid my amate paper on top of it and began measuring the border around it making sure it was even on all 4 sides. I then whipped out my hot glue gun and went to town. If any of the paper starts to pop up in some areas simply dab a dot of hot glue behind it and gently press it down with your finger. After going through what felt like a million glue sticks it was time to put my MDF board into my frame. This part was so easy all I had to do was place it over the opening and gently tap it in with my hand. Due to the cut being a perfect fit it will not be going anywhere or magically fall out from the frame. The final step of the project was to drill on the sawtooth hangers and hang my completed artwork above my bed.

Dreaming up more projects to create,

DIY: Easy Entryway Bench

After my shoe storage transformation project the other side of my entryway was missing something and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until it dawned on me that the empty space along the wall would be the perfect place to put a bench. I wanted to make something that was quick and cheap and boy did I meet my goals when it came to this project. Everything came together and was finished in under a day.

To help you get started, here is a list of the supplies you will need:

*This post contains affiliate links. That means that if you make a purchase after clicking on a link I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

I first started out by measuring my 2×6 and cutting it down to my desired length. For my bench to fit perfectly in the area I envisioned it in I ended up cutting two pieces of wood 29 inches long.

Next I began to measure where I wanted the legs of my bench to be screwed in to the wood and made marks with a pencil to ensure they lined up correctly.

After I completed measuring everything and triple-checking that everything would line up perfectly I began to screw in the legs and the flat brackets to give the bench some more support.

Once the bench passed a rigorous quality inspection from the Su”purr”visor it was time to bring it in the garage and begin staining it. To get in between the crack of the bench I used a thin paint brush and it worked wonderfully.

Now was time for the final step of this easy-peasy project – adding the brass edge guards to each corner. This step took less than 3 minutes and elevated the look of the bench tremendously. Is it weird that I’m already planning a huge art project to hang above this bench?

More to come,