you’ve probably gathered by now that i’ve got a thing for 1) old frames, 2) white paint & 3) diy projects.  whelp- this one combines all three!  i’ve got old frames all over my house, and i’m estimating that i didn’t spend more than $15 on all of them put together.  it’s amazing what you’ll find if you just do a little thrifting!

i used valspar spray paint (found at most hardware stores) to turn these ol’ frames into some of my favorite pieces around the house.

here’s the how to:

1) give your frames a good cleaning (i used simple green and a dry cloth), and let dry.

2) most frames will benefit greatly if you use a primer like this one (half way down, #65054), which helps the top coat stick better, cover better and go on smoothly.

3) after the primer has dried, spray paint with a high gloss white paint (i used valspar gloss in white).  let dry completely (only takes a few hours!) and your ready to start displaying them.

wrap up: {before and after makeovers} {diy} {frames} {project} {thrift} {white paint}

hi dear ones!  well, it seems that the hubba has passed his cold on to me. :(  i’m at home today with a scratchy throat and dizzy head, so i’m going to take the rest of the day off to relax.  i did however, want to thank you for all of your sweet comments lately, they are so special to me!

if you want to see more of our house and the small things that really make it feel like home, i’ve added a few new flickr albums that you can browse.

for lovely things :: home details

for more rooms shots :: our home

i’ll be back tomorrow with some handmade goodness and a little something else i’ve been working on. :) i hope you have a wonderful day!

xoxo, bonnie

wrap up: {after} {before} {diy} {flickr} {home} {projects}

after seeing this post over at design*sponge, i couldn’t help but run out and make my own business cards!

though i absolutely love my moo minis, sometimes it’s hard for me to commit to something so permanent.   i’ve always struggled with ordering so many cards at once- i mean, what if i open a new shop, start something new, or change the name of something?

by grabbing this stamp set at my local office supply store, i can now make my own stamp, and change it up any ol’ time!  all you need after you get the stamp set is a few blank business cards  (one isle over from the stamps!) and your all set to go.  you could easily make your own cards too by stamping your ‘card’ on scrap paper and especially your outgoing envelopes.  think about all the people who handle your mail before it reaches it’s destination- this is a great (free!) way to advertise.

voila!  easily editable, diy, hand crafted business cards!

i hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and i look forward to see you back here on monday!

wrap up: {business} {business cards} {diy} {handmade} {stamp}

hello lovelies!  i’m off to a snowy city this weekend!  i have to leave bright and early this morning to make it to a workshop.   i’m attending a yoga weekend to get certified to teach children’s yoga! i’m so excited!  but, though it’s fair weather right now, they are expecting to receive 10 inches of snow by saturday- eeks! that’s a lot for us southerners, i sure hope to make it back before monday!

heart in the snow

here are a few ideas and photos i’ve been lovin’ lately!

diy lamp 1 :: diy lamps 2 :: diy clock :: outdoor inspiration 1 :: outdoor inspiration 2 :: indoor inspiration

what have you been swooning over lately?

see you back here on monday, love! bonnie

p.s. don’t’ forget, tonight at 12:00pm est is the deadline to vote for the poppies awards, get your votes in now!

wrap up: {diy} {snow} {weekend} {yoga}

i’ve been trying to figure out how to tag my products for a while now.  everything online seemed expensive with minimum orders of 1000 or more, and i just wasn’t ready to take the plunge! so, i was really excited when i found this solution.   using printable fabric makes the job easy, affordable and quick- i made these in just a few minutes!

using printable fabric from printed treasures allows you to simply run the fabric, right through your printer.  you could use this technique for any number of personalized projects, but made my task of making tags an easy one.  your local sewing or craft store should carry this, but just in case they don’t…

there’s an alternative method! you can simply iron freezer paper to the back of any fabric you have, cut it to a printer-friendly size and run it right through.  who knew?! the freezer paper easily peels right off and you’re left with the same result.  you could then even iron it on the other side to make double-sided labels.

this is my sheet of 30 labels, and i made sure to leave plenty of room at the top for sewing them in to my seam.

tagging your items are an important step in selling, especially if you’re filling wholesale or consignment orders.  letting the customer know where the product came from and how to find it again is so important.  and, tagging helps keep your business fresh in the mind of your consumers!

i used pinking shears to cut them out so as to prevent the sides from raveling.  you could also stitch around them to prevent fraying.

sewn right into the seam of my aprons, it makes the task of tagging a cinch!

wrap up: {diy} {fabric} {labels} {make your own} {print} {tag}

have you all been reading young house love?  if you’re looking for design, decor, diy projects and home renovation, this blog is loaded with inspiring projects, useful information and tons of the ‘can-do’ spirit!

pssst! you might want to tune in to ace of base’s ‘the sign‘ to continue with this post!

from gathered inspiration from a recent NYC trip…

the lovely sherry & john whipped these two signs up right on there home computer.  that’s right- and just printed them from their home printer on regular ol’ paper.

after some magic aging techniques and mod podge.. (check this post for step by step instructions).

voila!  two beautiful, chic, diy and totally affordable art pieces!

if you want to check out more of young house love’s delicious diy’s- visit a few of their other homemade art projects: making a magazine monogram, whipping up custom pet art, making free inspiration art, using chalk for freehand wall decor, painting pop art over old art, and creating a bunch of other cheap wall art.

have a lovely weekend!  xoxo, bonnie

wrap up: {art} {craft} {decor} {diy} {handmade} {house} {project} {signs}

is it really friday already?  this week has flown by for me! but it has been a good one, has it been good for you?  today i’m going to spread some love by sharing a few diy projects that i found around the blogosphere this week.  i think you’ll really enjoy them!

first off is this *amazing hand made deer head from love, natalie!  i’ve been looking for just the right one to add to our home, and this has sealed the deal!  it comes from a book called dorm decor (not just for dorms!) and you can find it pretty easily (and cheaply) from amazon.  i think that my mom has this one at her sewing shop, and since i’m going in today i’ll check it out for you! hopefully i’ll be able to get back to you with an update on it later today.  meanwhile, head over to love, natalie to see how she created hers!

update!

well bummer.  she’s out of dorm decor.  but, i’ve put a few on order so maybe we can re-visit this next week? who knows, maybe i’ll have even made one by then!

wrap up: {craft} {deer} {diy} {project} {woodsy}

i found these eco chic ideas over at wholeliving- not only are they all eco friendly (find all 25 here) but some of them are really cute and totally diy!

i love this mixed glass centerpiece.  seems like i’m always falling in love with vintage glassware, but can never figure out what to do with them! this is also an easy breezy way of showing off your greens- bringing little bits of your garden inside!

i’ve  been re-covering a few chairs lately, and i love the idea of using an old sweater to do so! in fact, i just found one that our dear doggie chewed a whole in.  thanks, toaster, for making me materials for this project!

i’m sure you’ve heard about the dangers plastics can lead to.  if you heat food up in plastic containers, put hot food in them for storage, or drink from plastic water bottles that have gotten hot in your car- they can leach toxic carcinogenic chemicals into your system.  so, i switched to all glass containers a while back.  ikea offers affordable storage containers, and i often thrift for glass finds.  an easy and quite affordable way to cut your exposure to toxins!

this totally diy cork trivet is so cute, isn’t it?  what a great way to put those corks to use..

a scarf quilt- i love this idea! don’t you have some old scarves or maybe one from your aunt you wouldn’t be caught dead in? combining them in this quick quilt makes for a cozy, scrappy kind of look.

combining the wax from you’re almost burnt out candles can give them a little extra life.  as long as the candles aren’t in anything metal, you can just pop them in your microwave, melt the was, remove the old wick, and pour into a new container.  you can find brand new wicks at your local craft store and it’s simple to hot glue one into the bottom of a container.  this way, you won’t have to throw away all those almost-empty candles!

wrap up: {chic} {diy} {eco friendly} {green} {home}