DIY Hair Comb

While blog surfing I found these DIY hair combs and was reminded of a time my friend and I made these in 7th grade. I never wore mine but when I saw this tutorial I remembered how fun and easy they are.  I decided to make them again and I'll definitely be wearing them this time. I found this tutorial hereCreature Comfort. Here's what you need:

Hair comb, friendship bracelet thread and scissors. Easy!

Start with your first color and tie a knot to get started. Start wrapping the string under and then over as many times as you need to make it as thick as you want.

When you finish with one color, tie a knot with the next color and begin wrapping the next color.

Keep wrapping!

On the color before the last one (in my case, the last yellow) leave a little extra string so you can make a knot with that one and the last color (dark green) because the last color will not have a next color to tie on to.

Once you tie the last color to the color before, you're done! Enjoy!

Spring Break and a New Camera!

Last fall our camera was stolen from our car after a trip to Vriginia. GASP. I have missed it soooo much. Recently, Erik purchased a new camera along with some different lenses and I've been dying to try it out. That's what I did over my spring break. I visited Erik in Midland and went to work with him where I was able to try out the new camera.

DIY Coasters

I recently found a new favorite, mindless DIY project.  DIY Coasters. It is a really easy project which has furthered my love for Mod Podge and scrapbook paper.

Here's what you need:

Scrapbook paper, mod podge, fabric glue, clear acrylic glaze (to make the coasters waterproof), felt, a sponge brush, and most importantly ceramic tiles.  I found them at a local hardware/home store and purchased 12 for $3.00! I was so excited! So decide how much of the tile you want the paper to cover, cut out a square and glue it with the mod podge to the tile.

Place the paper on the tile and let it dry completely.  If it doesn't dry completely you risk creating bubbles under your paper.  I learned this the hard way. Once the glue has dried, paint over the paper and tile with the mod podge and let it dry.  Do this about 2 or 3 more times and let it dry completely.

Once the mod podge has dried, take the tiles outside and spray the glaze over the tiles.  Do this about 2 times so the coasters will be completely waterproof.  When they are totally dry, glue a piece of your felt to the bottom of the tile using your fabric glue. This is so the tiles will not scratch the surfaces they are on. 

Then you're done! These coasters make great gifts and honestly they are so much fun to make and can become addictive!! Have fun!

Oct 7?

The last time I posted was on October 7! Really a lot has happened since then but one of the most significant things was on Decemeber 9, my boyfriend and I got engaged! Yay! So here's what I'm looking at for current wedding inspiration.  I can't decide on colors, like at all! I know picking a dress and colors are supposed to be things I decided when I was 13 but I change my mind constantly about EVERYTHING.

Anyway, I was sitting in my mom's living room a while back and noticed the colors on this vase matched the colors of most of the wedding pins I have pinned on pinterest.  It's only week 3 of our engagement and I've already lost it. So for now this is my inspiration vase (see...lost it) and some photos of beautiful and easy DIY floral arrangements from pinterest. Enjoy!

 

All photos came from pinterest

Apartment Update

After painting my room and finishing my stenciled wall, I realized I needed a new mirror for my vanity. Something less dark and a lot more my style. I have made a lot of changes to this room in my apartment....here are a few before and after, after, afters.

The first time I looked at the apartment:                    The first arrangement of this room:

Next:



And this is where I am now:





DIY Wall Stencil

So as mentioned before, I painted my room over memorial weekend and hand stenciled an accent wall using this template and tutorial. Doing just the one wall in my room was very time consuming but well worth it.  The tutorial I found was done to an entire office so if she can do that, I thought I could do just one wall! So  I did and here's how...

Before beginning, decide what paint would look best against the color of the wall you have or if you are starting from scratch find two colors that look nice together.  I picked more muted and natural tones but anything would look really nice with this stencil.  I wanted the wall to look like wallpaper so I painted the background with a flat paint and for the stencil I bought a semi gloss paint so it would kind of "pop" against the flat finish of the background and have a sort of shine to it like wallpaper.

First you need to find a stencil that you like, there are tons of tutorials and templates online and on pinterest which is where I found mine. So, I printed one out and traced it onto a piece of sturdy cardboard.  Save the original template you printed out so you can use that one for corners and the bottom of the wall so it bends easier. Once you have cut out the stencil, begin stenciling (with a pencil) starting with the bottom of the wall so it starts off even and will continue to be even from bottom to top. 

 I started off just tracing but I became impatient and wanted to see what it would look like once painted so I kind of alternated from tracing to painting. Do whatever is easier for you.

To make the "double line" in the second picture,you just trace the shapes about an inch away from each other, maybe a little less, and then take the template and fill in the spaces in between each shape with the stencil. You can make it just a single like and just put the shapes really close to each other.  It's whatever look you want to go for.

So just keep stenciling and painting and eventually you will finish.  I promise!

 

   

                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Growing up

While it is fun to have a bright blue bedroom, I feel at 24 it is time to grow up.  Blue bedroom acceptable at 23 now unacceptable at 24. So I am currently changing up my bedroom. I am painting over the blue with a more "grown up" gray and adding a stenciled accent wall I found on pinterest. Pictures and tutorial to come soon but here is a preview...

...yes it is taking forever...