A Little Witch Sign

Hello Y'all!

I'm here with a quick post today about a sweet little sign I recently made. It was a total spur of the moment thing. I was cleaning the garage and found this old piece of a fence -- so old it was from our last house --- but I sanded it down and set it aside for a couple days.

I have not done much Fall decorating yet. So I decided I had to do something….

It was nap time and I got this all done in less than 20 minutes! I went to the computer and googled "witch silhouette". I picked out one I liked and printed it. I had to print it twice to get it the size I needed for my wood. Once I printed it I placed it on the slider door and outlined it in pencil (you can read all about the transfer method here).

Then I turned it over and rubbed all over to transfer the pencil lines onto my wood.

Next I got a small brush, some black latex paint, and painted in the lines.

To hang it I got some jute and knotted the ends. I used a staple gun to attach it to the top of the wood. You could probably use a glue gun, this is so light. (It is hard to see the jute in the photos)

I added some raffia to the ends just because I liked it.

Then I hung it on my entry table light because I like that it is up high since the witch is flying. It should not be sitting, but in the air!

You can see a little peek of a future project - more wainscoting - I have only done the painting so far….

My 9 year old did the ghosts, pumpkin and "Boo" in my chalkboard frame (it started out life at my home as an easter bunny - you can see how I made it here).

And that is that. I had all the supplies and it took me no time at all. If you don't hoard scrap wood like me - you could always go to Lowes or Home Depot to the bin of wood that is scrap and cut a small piece of one you like. They usually have a hand saw right at the bin.

Hopefully I will get out all my decorations soon. It is still hot in the South and it really does not get me in the Fall mood. This time of year I am really missing a New England Fall.

Happy Crafting!

Guest Posting - come 'see' me

Good Morning.

Today I am guest posting over at a local blog, Jacksonville Moms Blog. They are a really cool local blog for MOMS covering all topics. I am blessed to be able to have my first guest post there sharing how to make a wooden hanging heart.

This is a picture of the heart hanging outside my home.

Sunday is FEBRUARY y'all! Its time to get out some heart shaped decorations. Head on over to Jax Moms Blog now to read the full tutorial. If you are local to Jacksonville you should follow them as well, they have such a wide range of really informative and fun posts.

Let me know what you think!

Gallery shelf for Kitchen

Many of you have probably seen the gallery shelves in stores like Pottery Barn, and seen lots of bloggers DIYing them too. I have seen multiple tutorials on them, but the first I actually read was Ana White's tutorial when I bought her book last year. I thought to myself, that is something that is so easy and has a big impact...... I have to build one.

Well, it has been a while, but I did build a 6 foot long one. It was very easy, but took me a little longer than it should have because I had to cut my own boards. Being the frugal thrifty gal that I am, I did not go buy pre-cut 1 X 3's or 1 X 2's. That is because I had a 16 foot 1 X 12 board in the garage that I wanted to use. It would have been much easier if I had a table saw. Maybe I should ask Santa for that this year!!! So I had to measure and use clamps to set up a ledger to run my circular saw along so that I had a straight cut.

So after all the setup, I actually cut my board as 2 3/4" strip for the back and bottom. Then I had to cut a 1 X 2 so I cut that at 1 1/2" wide, (for the front) as I did not want the front lip to be too large if I had cut it at a true 2".

Here is a finished picture. I decided to paint the wall a color (below there is a before that only has the flat builder's paint....yuck...). It is the same as the bathroom where I showed you how to plank a wall, and the back of the Billy Built in unit. The other walls will be a neutral color that is yet to be determined.....

And a reminder of where we started....

I used wood glue and my nail gun to put it all together. After sanding, I painted it. Then I installed it finding the studs in the wall and using 3" screws through the back and into the studs. This baby is not going anywhere!

Here are the dimensions and a close up of how they go together.

Here are some more pictures from different angles. You can see it is NOT perfect. I could have sanded the ends a little more. But I did not. I could always do it now..... And anything that I place on the shelf will cover the screws and any other little imperfections!

I just put the chalkboard menu and cork board back up. I added the dry erase board, which is not finished yet. I need to frame it out. Or I may do something different using clipboards....not sure yet....

This is where you come in. I need help with this space. I don't know what to do above it. It does not feel finished.....

Should I:
1. Add another shelf - same size - above it. Maybe put plates on it, or wooden platters etc?
2. Put some sort of salvages molding, that is purely decorative?
3. Make some sort of sign, or two or three, to hang above in a row?
4. Any other ideas?

Please send me and email, or comment below, what you think I should do. I am at a total loss. Could be pregnancy brain, but I need some help!!!!

I can NOT draw on photos - but this line depicts another shelf above the current one, just to get a visual. I think I like it. Maybe...

Here is another before and after just because....

Thanks for stopping today and have a great day! And don't forget, I need some ideas!!!!



Linking up with: The Pin Junkie, Miss Mustard Seed, Redoux Interiors, Serenity Now, The Charm of Home, Craft Dictator, DIY Vintage Chic, Thrifty Decor Chick

DIY Shelf for bathroom storage

As if I don't have enough projects going on right now....... I decided to build a little shelf for storage in my half bath. I have a pedestal sink in there, so there is no where to store toilet paper, soap, extra towels etc.....

While browsing through my awesome book, The Handbuilt Home, by Ana White, I found the perfect solution. I also had a ton of wood scraps (as usual). All I needed to buy was a little cove molding. Here is a picture of the unit from Ana's website.

Mine is slightly different in that I used cove molding, instead os shoe molding. You can tell when you look at the top, and the base of the unit when comparing the picture above, and my picture. I also painted the underside of my shelves a tan color, while the rest I painted white. I did have to caulk a lot and the middle shelf of mine is crooked..... Learned my lesson.

Here is the finished product hanging on a wall (not the half bath wall, as intended)

When it was done I brought it into the half bath and had hubby hold it against the wall and it looked too big! It is a small room and it just did not look right at all. So I decided to hang it in our master bath in the tub alcove area. It is a much bigger space, and it looks great. Bonus is that you see the side of it when entering the room, so you don't notice the middle vertical board that is not plumb. You can only see it if you are standing in the tub, looking at that wall! Perfect!

Here are some photos of the process. I followed the plans in the book but did not use pocket holes. I can't figure out my Kreig yet.... and have NO patience.... I used a nail gun.

Hope you like this project. It was not difficult, but you need to use power tools for it, unless you had everything cut at your hardware store. I did 3 coats of paint. One coat of primer, and 2 coats of paint (using a free sample can I had). I did use caulk in some spots, but used the wood filler for all nail holes and around the cove molding.

Good Luck on all your projects!

Check out this project and photos and glimpses of upcoming projects on my Facebook page.


I'm linking this up with: Green Willow Pond, Craft Dictator, The Pin Junkie, Miss Mustard Seed

Planking.......a wall, not the exercise!

I can do the exercise plank, just not as well as my planked wall! It is not as fun either!

We are dealing with flooring issues and that has prevented me from decorating some areas, and I was itching to do something......anything really. So, I decided the long plain wall in the kitchen needed some attention. It is just over 8 feet long, and I decided to plank around the corner ending at the small 1/2 bath door.

Here is a shot of the short wall fully planked and painted. Can you see the spot I need to caulk?

This project took me 1/2 day to complete, and that included painting.

I had previously bought 1/4" plywood at Home Depot and had them cut it to 5" strips. Thank goodness they do that since I don't have a table saw. I usually shop during the week for that, because they are less busy cutting pieces.

One 4' X 8' piece was enough to plank both walls. It was less than $30.

I decided on the 1/4" specifically because I did not want to pull out the baseboards and this allowed the wood to sit on top of the baseboards and NOT stick out past them in depth.... I prefer the look of the baseboards put over the wood, but I was not about the rip those out. And it looks just fine.

I started on the short wall and used my nail gun. This wall was easy because you know where the studs are.

This picture shows the spacers I used. Nickels. They worked for me and gave me the look for the spacing I needed. Also, let me remind you to sand the boards. Man, they were rough on the edges. And I wish I had used gloves because I had 2 tiny splinters when I was done, that felt like giant shards of metal under my skin!

I leveled the first piece, not trusting the baseboards to be level.....which they were NOT. I also checked every piece that I put up, because what I found out is that the cuts are probably not precisely exact. Luckily it did not need total perfection, and I am fine with how it turned out.

The outside corner pieces I mitered on my compound miter saw with a 45 degree cut. This way they came to a corner, just like the drywall under it, when I added the other wall pieces which I also mitered.

Next it was time for the long wall. Of course this wall is about 2 inches over 8 feet, so my 8' lengths were too short....

I did think out in advance how I wanted the boards to be spaces related to the joints. I did not sketch it out or anything, I am not that organized. I kinda get a plan in my head and then do it.

I also wanted this treatment to roughly be the level of the counter tops, just for the flow. I used 6 5" boards, stacked over 5+" baseboard, topped with 3 1/4" casing. This casing is the same as the door casing in the entire house, and they kindly left some in the garage for me!

I tried to butt the strait joints up to each other. In one spot I did not do a great job of this, but I just caulked it and no one will ever know!

After I was done I caulked around the bottom, between most the vertical seams, and around the cap molding. I LOVE to caulk. It is like meditation to me. Weird, I know.

This is the entire wall, both areas, before paint and caulk.

I painted it with a left over white (from our old kitchen cabinets) using it as a base coat. Then went over it with matching trim paint which the painters kindly left behind in small containers for me. Perfect for a project like this! So I did not have any painting costs.

I would like to add some hooks just below the cap rail. I also have to rearrange the things on the wall above it. But at least I feel like I got something done. Maybe I will take some staged, finished pictures too..... maybe....

I was planning to use beadboard wallpaper in the 1/2 bath, like I did in our old house, but after doing this I decided that I will do this instead. That will be my next project.

Thanks for visiting and please let me know if you have any questions. Have a great weekend! Take a minute to click and see these great linky parties where I am: Between Naps on the Porch, The Dedicated House, Thrifty Decor Chick, Dwellings, Boogie Board Cottage,

A little Chalkboard sign fix

Good Morning! It has been too long. We had a busy 2 weeks and we have some very exciting things in the works. But I can't talk about it just yet. Soon......I will share!

I bought a frame over a year ago and turned it into a chalkboard. I love the way it looks, but the problem is the surface that the chalkboard paint is on. It is very bumpy and rough. I thought it would be okay, but it is terrible to write on, and even worse to wipe off. Isn't the purpose of having a chalkboard so that you can write, wipe off, write, wipe off etc? Yes, I thought so. Anyways, the same thing has been written on there for a year. Time to change that.

Here is the frame as I bought it. Yikes! Who would buy this and who would pass it by?



I made the mistake of trying to peel the eagle part off of the hard back. Well, part peeled off and other parts did not so I was left with a rough mess. I could not spray chalkboard paint over that, so I did the logical thing and turned it over. The back had little tiny bumps all over.... You know how that turned out! Here is a closeup of the price and you can see the little bumps peeking out.



I went to Home Depot and looked in the scrap wood section. Do you all know what I am talking about? In case you don't.......it is in the very back of the lumber section in a cart. This cart sometimes is full and other times not so full of any kind of wood or trim pieces. They are all different sizes, as they are left over from a bigger cut, or an error cut. They are all sprayed with a color and that color tells you how much they are. I think $4.00 is the most expensive.

I bought a smooth plywood for $4.00. It measures 24" X 48" X 3/16". I don't know exactly what type of wood it is, just that it was thin and I was hoping it would not be too thick for my frame.

I traced the shape of my bumpy board on it and cut it out with my circular saw. Then sanded it and sprayed it with chalkboard paint like the directions said.

It took a few days to spray and dry because we had rainy days. But this is how it turned out. Nice and SMOOTH!!! I can erase and write something new every day!!





Here is a close up of the frame. I LOVE those old frames that have this rough burlap between layers of the frame. Some are nicer and have a more linen looking fabric, but truthfully I love either look!



This hangs on the laundry room wall and greets us when we enter from the garage. You can see the whole wall with most of the frame here.



I'm sharing with: Savvy Southern Style, DIY by Design, Green Willow Pond, I Gotta Try That

Wall Ruler

Hope everyone is having a great weekend. I am enjoying doing my thing while the boys all watch golf! Everyone in the house is happy....

In my house growing up we had a door frame where the height of my siblings and I and ALL of our friends are recorded. It has never been cleaned off and my parents have lived there for almost 30 years! It is so fun to go visit them and read the wall and now my boys want their height recorded there too. I hope they never move, or if they do they will have to take the door frame with them!

I have my own version of this. It is not my idea, in fact I have seen several different blogs and a magazine with pictures of this. This is my version and how I did it.



I started with a scrap piece of wood - I have mentioned before that my scrap pile is really pileS and I have lots of stuff :-). It is a piece of pine with lots of knots which I was fine with. It is a 1 X 10 in a 6 ft length. Which means it measures 3/4" x 9 1/4"...... I remember my Dad explaining that to me when I was in junior high and it did not make sense then and it still does not.... anyways...it had been on the wall as a shelf that the previous owner installed. That is why some areas look lighter. That was against wood and not exposed to air. The other side is painted white and I did not want to use that side because it would be too much work to strip the paint. If I'm being honest!!!



I sanded it down and then cleaned it up. I used wood conditioner, which I rarely use, because of the discoloration in the wood. I also used a new stain color for me. Dark Walnut is what I chose. It is a little blacker that I thought it would be. Almost with a charcoal or ashy undertone. I usually prefer something that has warmer undertones, like a honey color, but I like this too.


Disclaimer: I am just an itty bitty newbie blogger and do not have any products I sponsor (or sponsor me??)... I just like to share what I used and how it worked, or did not work

So I applied the wood conditioner and stain as the directions on the can state. I used a clean rag (an old white cotton shirt cut up) to apply both. I also worked in the garage for ventilation purposes. After letting it sit for a day or so (cause I was working) I brought it in the house to add all the lines to it. I love the fact that when I walk into the family room carrying a 6 foot board and sit on the chair with it across my lap my hubby does not make a peep: no questions, no reaction, no raised eyebrows or funny looks no nothing. I guess he just knows me well!! I used a pencil and ruler to put the lines on, then went over them with a black sharpie. Yup, no painting......just a sharpie. I printed out numbers 1 - 6 in Microsoft word. I used 175 size font in American Typewriter. Then traced over the letter to make a slight indent (pine is very soft) and then colored it in. That is it.







The wood is far from perfect....there is a piece missing from the bottom below the 1. There is also a random red mark down there too. The stain took darker in some areas (as you can see in the photo above), but I love the imperfectness of it.



I started the numbers where I did so that I can hang it several inches off the floor and will just check the measurements when I hang it so that it is at actual height (if that makes sense). If I started at 1" (a little mark - not the 1' mark) I would have had to sit it on the floor to be an accurate measurement. I want to hang it on the wall and clear the baseboard by several inches and still be accurate height measurement.



Hope you have a great rest of your weekend and Happy Patriots Day to all my Massachusetts readers!!!




Linking up to:
Funky Junk Interiors