Her Idea His Project

I love pretty much everything cane right now (like the rest of the world) and I had been searching for a reasonably priced cane cabinet. Here’s the thing, they don’t exist. So I decided to look for an old cabinet on FB marketplace and add my own caning. I found a cabinet that had the perfect layout to add in cane, I just had to make cutouts in the doors to replace with caning.

I started by removing the doors and cutting out the squares in the doors with a jigsaw. I had never used one of these before but it wasn’t as scary as I thought. I was lucky enough to have my dad let me borrow his which also came with a safety lesson. The hardest part was getting the cut started. So we drilled a hole in all four corners of the square being cut out and then it was easier to start the jig saw cut by inserting the blade into the drill hole.

I followed the lines that were already established on the doors but if you’re starting with a door or drawer that doesn’t have those you could measure and draw out your own cutout lines.

Once the cutouts were made I started sanding. This part took the longest by far since I had to sand down all of the new edges I made that were not perfect to begin with. I actually went out and bought an orbital hand sander because doing this by hand may have taken decades. I bought the DeWalt orbital sander that was only $50 and it worked like a charm.

First I used 80 grit sandpaper to smooth the edges and then went over it with 120 grit which made it very smooth. I also sanded the rest of the surfaces of the cabinet with the same grits so I could repaint it.

Once the sanding was done I painted the doors and the base of the cabinet with Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams. I used an enamel paint vs. a wall paint. It took 2 coats to fully cover the cabinet/doors.

Next came the fun part. Adding the caning! I bought cane webbing off of Etsy. It is sold by the foot and also by the inch (depending on the shop you buy from). So I measured the doors and ordered enough to cover the length of each door. First I soaked the cane webbing in the bathtub for an hour. Then it was much easier to flatten and work with. Then used a staple gun to adhere it to the back of the cabinet door.

I was going to do a fine box caning on the bottom cutout but my shipment was delayed due to Covid and I still don’t have it. So I caned the entire door with the same type. The good news is you can always take it off by pulling out the staples. I plan to change it up at some point which will also change the look of the cabinet to keep up with the type of caning I like at the time!

Last came the handles. I was originally going to use a 1×2” for the handles but then I saw Karla from @thefisherhouse make handles for her cabinet out of dowels. It was a little more time consuming but it was worth it because the handles are now my favorite part!

For the handles you take two half inch wooden dowels and sand one edge down on each so they can be glued together. Karla had a belt sander but this girl did not. So it was extremely difficult but I managed to do this using my orbital sander. It was not ideal but it got the job done.

I glued them together using liquid nails and then I caulked the joints with almond colored caulk to make them look more finished. I left them natural since my cane webbing was the same color. Be sure to drill pilot holes in the dowels before drilling them into the door because the wood seemed like it would split easily.

Finished product——Happy caning! Tag me if you try this, I love seeing the different caning hacks everyone is trying!

I was the very lucky guest at the best bridal shower I’ve ever been to….and it happened to be mine! I am putting together some ideas for a bridal shower just because I thought mine was so fun and well thought out. I am taking zero credit for any of this, but I did want to at least write up the fabulous ideas for someone else to enjoy as much as I did

Top 10 Ideas

1) In lieu of a game: Rather than games (which lets be honest, no one wants to play), set up a station for everyone to write a date night idea. The girls at my shower wrote them on tongue depressors and put them in a mason jar.

2) Keepsake: Another idea instead of a game is to bring a monogrammed sign for everyone to write a message on. This is such a great keepsake and can be hung in so many places.

3) Shower sign: Have a shop on Etsy design a sign for the shower and frame it. These can be very cost effective especially if you order a digital design and print it off yourself. My sister-in-law also had a drawing made of us which was the sweetest detail and one of my favorite gifts.

4) Photo “booth”: One of my favorite things at the shower was a makeshift photo booth. It was a sign designed on Etsy and printed off on white cardboard with a cutout in the middle to take pictures with. There were even matching props!

5) Fresh Flowers/Dried flowers: One of my bridesmaids put together the most unique and beautiful flower arrangements that added so much to the shower. She did it using a variety of flowers at Trader Joe’s so they were also cost effective. There were also mason jars filled with dried lavender and baby’s breath.

6) Party favors: My bridesmaids also had mini candles in tins made for party favors. The flowers on the labels even match my wedding flowers. They were adorable and also easy to throw in your purse and take home.

7) The best spread: I loved the variety of appetizer type foods served at my shower. There was a cheese/meat board with Brie and jam, pulled pork sliders, and fruit and veggie trays. The desserts included brownies and wedding cake sugar cookies. The cookies were made by a bakery and were such a cute detail.

8) Safety: Being a Covid shower, masks and hand sanitizer were provided. I feel this is a necessary detail in today’s world.

9) Icebreaker: I cringe at this word but the icebreaker was just an introduction. We went around in a circle and each person said their name and how they knew me. It was short and sweet and it was an easy way for everyone to know who all was there celebrating and how we were connected.

10) Vintage Venue: We are lucky enough to have the most adorable vintage cottage venue in Kansas City. It is in downtown Overland Park if anyone is local. What was so nice about this cottage is that it was already decorated in every room. The only thing we added were the flowers. Everyone loved how adorable each room was and that there was a large patio with charming details.

My friend Julie, who is also a bridesmaid in our wedding, is an artist and made us the sweetest watercolor painting for a wedding gift. I knew I wanted to do something more special that just sticking it in a store bought frame, so I decided to matte it with gauze fabric. I wanted it to look somewhat fancy with a vintage vibe.

You will need:

Gauze/muslin fabric

Cardboard

Frame (without glass)

Small pins

Scissors

Spray adhesive

I started with a $12 frame from Homegoods. It was not my style with a mirror border but I liked the vintage looking detail on the edges. So I first covered the mirror part in gold leaf Rub n’ Buff.

Then I used the paper backing that came with the frame to use as a guide to cut a piece of cardboard to fit the frame.

I cut my fabric with an extra 2” on each side to have enough to fold it over and pin it to the cardboard. I put 2 pins in each side while pulling the fabric tight around the cardboard. Make sure the pins are not poking through the front. Then place the fabric covered cardboard right into the frame without the glass.

The last step is to use spray adhesive to adhere your print to the fabric. And you’re done! Such an easy and thrifty way to matte your own art. Total cost was only $20!

I’ve been slowly filling our living room with furniture and even though I loved the pieces in this room, it still felt a little blah. And then I saw an inspiration photo from one of my favorite pillow shops, @collectivco. They had a very similar setup to my own but had an accent wall with a simple shelf that made all the difference. So I went and bought pine boards and a quart of paint and got to work!

You will need:

3 pine boards to span the length of the room (the following order is how the shelf is laid out):

1×4”

1×2”

1×4”

Drill/drill bit

Nails

Hammer

Stud finder

Wall putty

Paint color for shelf

Paint color for wall below shelf

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First you’ll want to decide how high up you want the shelf. I wanted it high enough above my daybed that I could see a significant amount of the accent wall. Then we put up the first 1×4 by pre-drilling holes into the board strategically over the studs. Finding the studs in an important step to ensure your shelf will be sturdy enough for whatever you want to put on it. We then hammered in the nails but used a nail set to set the nails in flush to the board without marking it up.

The second board to place on the wall is the 1×2”. You’ll put this overlapping and lined up at the top of the 1×4” already on the wall. Again, pre-drill holes in the 1×2 where you’ll place it on top of the 1×4 and nail in. The last board to place is the shelf (the other 1×4” board). This time you’ll want to pre drill nail holes at an angle into the shelf board and nail in. I then filled in all the nail holes with wall putty and sanded them down until smooth.

The last step is the fun part. Painting!

I bought already primed pine boards but you can also use Premium Pine boards. When I have used these in the past I primed them before painting. I painted the shelf white, Bohemian Lace by Sherwin Williams, and the wall beneath it in Salamander by Benjamin Moore.

Choosing a bold color was a bit out of my comfort zone as I am a neutral lover at heart, but I think it turned out to be the perfect amount of color.

Total cost: $48. Totally worth it to change the look of the room entirely!

I’m so in awe of all of the fun DIY ideas out there and how creative people are. That is the main reason I am on Instagram; to find inspiration and to hopefully give some along the way. This project was a must try for me because I am loving vintage looking planters/pots/vessels right now. I also want to try this on a lamp. That will be my next thrift find I use this method for. The problem with buying vintage/found pots is that they are SO expensive. However, there are clever people out there like @jaci.daily who have figured out a way to create them with cheap vases or lamps, hence how I created a vintage looking pot for $20.

This project took several tries to get right so let me tell you what helped me to finally arrive at my desired outcome. I started with two IKEA pots that I used specifically because I didn’t want to mess up something I cared about. The problem with these is that they were the wrong texture and didn’t create the right look. It basically looked like I spray painted them then rubbed them in dirt. Not exactly what I was going for. Ha! These pots are smooth where this method works much better with a textured pot such as terracotta or cement. I thought the larger one with the ribbed texture would work but that was not the right kind of texture.

What you’ll need:

Terracotta or cement vessel

Flat spray paint

Mud

Gloves

Here’s how I was successful. I finally went out and bought a terracotta vase that I really liked which was only $20 from HomeGoods. I sprayed it with one coat of Rustoleum flat black spray paint and left just a little of the terracotta color peeking through. I then wore gloves to spread mud in a horizontal motion around the pot. I went with the natural grain of the pot. I was also a little more strategic with how I applied the mud than the first couple of pots. I rubbed on more mud in some spots than in others which added to the natural vintage look. Also, make sure to let your pot dry overnight between steps (after applying spray paint, then after applying the mud before you wipe it off).

I may even go back and add a little more mud in a couple places but I was pretty happy with how this turned out. I can’t wait to try it again and continue perfecting the method. Happy vintage potting!

If you’re like me you have lots of old frames and pictures that are in storage because they aren’t your style anymore. After finding some inspiration on IG and Pinterest I decided to repurpose an old frame that no longer went with the style of my home. The first project was so easy and the longest part of the process was waiting for it to dry in between steps. This particular project was inspired by Sarah from @graceinmyspace.

I started with this frame but you could use any picture frame or old framed art. You can also use either side of the frame. I used the front because the frame looked better on this side. There are only three steps to this project which is the best part!

1) Tape the frame to protect it from the next two steps (shown above).

2) Use a putty knife to apply joint compound or wall putty to cover the old photo. This creates an interesting texture. Then let it dry completely. In my case I had to let it dry overnight. But if you only do a thin layer it will be dry within 2-3 hours.

3) Place a line of tape through the lower third of the frame (or wherever you want)! Then choose a paint color and paint the lower half.

Removing the tape from the frame edges may have been the most difficult part of the project. I had to break out my tweezers to pull out parts of the tape that got stuck under the joint compound. To prevent this I would be more careful to only put a thin layer of compound/putty around the edges.

I love this project because it’s so simple and there are so many directions you could go with the design and colors. I was going for simple but you can make it as creative and colorful as you want!

Do you know what you’re doing when it comes to styling shelves? I can timidly halfway raise my hand??? I struggle with this, and then I watch the pros do it so effortlessly. So after reading many styling tips and trial and error of my own, I have put together a few tips that can help with styling shelves you love to look at.

1) Only buy or thrift items that bring you joy

It’s easy to get caught up in what you think looks good or what someone else has styled with, but when you buy a piece you love, you will find a place for it that you love also. When trying to purchase items to decorate with it can be very overwhelming, especially if decorating does not come naturally to you. I am creative, but only to a certain point so I look to many of my favorite designers for inspiration and ideas first. Then I find things from my favorite shops that I love, and even though I sometimes don’t have a specific plan for that item, I know I’ll find one that works because I love that particular item.

2) Have a variety of different items to style with

Finding different objects, textiles, frames, etc. will help you create an interesting shelf or table. If I don’t know where to start with styling a shelf, I start with books. Vintage books are my favorite and the most interesting to style with in my opinion. I’ve realized you can never have too many either, because once you start styling with them you’ll use them up on one part of a shelf or table quickly. Here is a list of items you can’t go wrong with when it comes to a shelf:

-vases, vessels

-framed photos, paintings

-books

-candle holders

-greenery/dried flowers

3) Try, Try Again

The first time you throw some items on a shelf, it may not look great. The more I move things around and place items at different heights on top of books or a riser, the more interesting and put together it starts to look. Placing items at different heights and placing things in sets of three will help achieve an interesting look without looking too perfect. I like shelves to appear as though I set things on it but didn’t overdo it and also didn’t try too hard (when in fact I tried very hard). But no one has to know that, ha!

4) Change things up

Once I look at a shelf for a while it gets boring even if I love everything on it. Moving items together that were not previously placed together or changing up even one or two items on your shelf will help keep it interesting and like me, you may find you like it even better than you had it styled the first time.

One of the things I loved most about our home when we bought it was the front door. It is an arched doorway and super heavy duty. However, the condition of our door was terrible. The front of our house gets all day sun so the stain had been very badly faded and it was chipping all over.

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We had never refinished any door or table or anything for that matter. So we made this a lot harder than it needed to be. First, project guy sanded the door (by hand) for hours and hours. He even took a credit card covered with sandpaper to get into all of the grooves. Many more hours.

After all of the sanding we wanted to try and stain the door a similar color to what was on it before. Did we use a wood stripper before we did this you ask? Nope! Didn’t know that was required after sanding. So here is the terrible result of what it looked like.

The stain didn’t absorb in many places and it was blotchy because we didn’t use a wood strip agent which we found out by this point was completely necessary. So, we scratched the staining idea and picked a paint color that ended up looking very similar to stain. It’s from the SW Historic line, Polished Mahogany.

This was the best decision we made throughout the entire project. It resulted in a very rich looking color that looks similar to stain. We used a poly top coat to protect the paint for the final step. I could not be happier with the result! We will also be investing in an electric sander. Face palm.

We all have spaces in our homes that are semi useless space. A space that’s not big enough to do much with or in an odd place to spend time in, i.e. the landing of a staircase or an entryway.

In my case I wanted to bring interest to the landing at the top of our stairs that is a common area to all the upstairs rooms. Even though zero people are going to be sitting here, I started with a bench and added onto it from there. I had 3 framed prints/paintings I bought from Kirkland’s I wanted to hang together. I chose these because each one individually made me happy but they looked interesting together as well, with variable colors, textures, and styles. I added in two of my favorite throw pillows with different patterns and colors.

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I love this bench, but it blended in too much with the colors of the walls and carpet (see post in 5-7 years where I’m on cloud 9 because I get to replace all of our upstairs carpet with hardwoods). So I changed the bench with a darker woven one I have. Yes, I’m obsessed with benches.

Once I changed the bench I added in books. Vintage books are the best item to style with. You can put them anywhere and they can add color, pattern, and height. The more the better. I find them in local thrift stores or on Etsy. Many sellers will curate sets that look cute together or are themed in a certain color. That is the quickest way to find a coordinated set, but finding them yourself is definitely cheaper.

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In addition to the pillows and books, I added in some hats to add a little boho/relaxed feel. I added some baskets with different textures under the bench. I finished it off with a small vase with some greenery. I love using eucalyptus (all varieties) and dried florals. I have greenery/florals in pretty much every room of my house. Most of them are artificial because let’s be honest I can’t remember to take care of all of them all year round. I do baby a few live plants indoors. Well, one. But who’s counting? So here’s my styled little corner. It may not be used per say, but it’s a lot more fun to walk up the stairs while looking at this pretty little space.

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So, if you’re questioning how or what to style with, here are items you can’t go wrong with:

-Throw pillows

-Framed prints or paintings (even better if they’re thrifted!)

-Vintage books

-Vase/vessel with greenery

-Baskets

-Vintage rugs (expensive but well worth the investment as they are so unique). These little mini guys aren’t too bad if you’re looking to start small 🖤

*You can use two or three of these items in some places, you don’t have to go crazy like I did here, ha. My dining room table currently has just a runner and an oversized vase with some floral sprigs and it makes me so happy. Sometimes simplicity is best!

We all have lived with the builder grade giant, frameless mirror over a bathroom vanity. They are boring and there’s nothing cute about them. The problem with taking those down and replacing with a framed mirror is how expensive mirrors are! I never realized how expensive they actually were until we updated our bathrooms at the townhouse we lived in before buying our house. It wasn’t terrible replacing those because the bathrooms were smaller and didn’t require huge mirrors. But if you have a large vanity it looks silly to have a tiny little framed mirror above it. This was my predicament when deciding what to do with our mirror during our master bath refresh. Instead of demoing the mirror we had, we decided to frame the current mirror and instantly we had the look of a custom built-in mirror. The best part is we bought all of the frame materials for less than $30.

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Before we built the frames, I had just painted our bathroom vanity a gorgeous shade of greenish gray, Conduit Gray by SW. It was already a huge improvement over the white vinyl covered vanity. I also replaced the drawer pulls with some brushed brass pulls that gave it a completely updated look. I knew, however, that I would never fully love the vanity with the mirror as it was. To remedy this we built two frames, one to cover each half of the mirror. We built two instead of one giant frame because I wanted the look of one mirror over each sink.

You will need these supplies:

1x4x8 pine boards

Wood filler

Sand paper

Kreg Jig (or in my case a nice brother who has one)

Saw (we used a skill saw)

Pocket Screws

Drill

Primer

Paint color of choice

Step 1: Measure the length and height of the entire mirror and determine how many 8’ boards you will need to make a frame for each half of the mirror. I needed four 1x4x8 boards. I used pine because it looks high quality and it’s cheap.

Step 2: Cut an 8’ board down to the length of the entire mirror. Then cut this this in half. Repeat. Then cut other 8’ boards into the height of the mirror. Cut in half and repeat.

Step 3: We did not miter cut the edges of the boards because we had a Kreg Jig in order to be able to connect the boards together to make the frame. If you don’t have access to one of these you can miter the edges which will allow you to attach the boards with an air nailer. This was my first experience with a Kreg Jig so I had to read up on it to learn all the tricks. This post is very helpful https://www.anikasdiylife.com/pocket-hole-tips-and-tricks/

Step 4: Connect boards using drill and pocket hole screws or if edges are mitered, an air nailer. Then apply a thin layer of wood filler in the seams on all four corners of the frames. When they are dry, sand down the seams. They will be completely filled and once painted, you won’t be able to see them at all.

Step 5: Prime and paint!

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I used Valspar primer from Lowe’s. Then I used my leftover SW paint from the vanity in Conduit Gray. I did one coat of primer and two coats of paint. Tip* this sounds odd but make sure to also paint the back of the frame because you can see the unpainted edge of the frame when it’s against the mirror. I learned that the hard way!

Step 6: Adhere frames to the mirror. This part takes some patience. We used construction adhesive to adhere the frames to the mirror one at a time. One of our frames was a little bowed which was nearly impossible to get to stay flat against the mirror. We had to hold the frame onto the mirror for about 20 minutes before the adhesive started to dry and it stuck down completely. The side that was bowed never stuck down completely but visibly we couldn’t tell in the end. The next frame was easier because the boards were not bowed. We made sure to push it against the mirror for a good 15 minutes to make sure the glue was dry enough to let go. Two of us held each frame down so we could put equal weight distribution on all four sides.

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Yay! The look of the entire bathroom has changed for less than $30 and some elbow grease. It didn’t go entirely as planned but still came out great in the end, a true DIY project!