Instant Budget Decorating

I often talk about seeing the beauty in ordinary things. This can be both a gift and a curse (mild hoarding issues!). Take for instance, that cool looking burlap bag that comes with the Indian rice we buy. I just can’t throw the thing away, and it’s been hanging off one of my kitchen cupboards for about a month now.

I’d been thinking of using it as a beach bag (even though I have at least 10 real ones), or to store fabric craft supplies in (I have plastic bins for that), or you know, something….

Then the other day, I noticed that our kitchen is really sadly lacking in artwork. I always struggle to find something appropriate that I like – food art? Tacky! Roosters and pigs? Not my style! Suddenly, inspiration struck and I decided to frame the rice bag. A bit off the wall maybe, but my style is a modern rustic blend, so I think it actually works perfectly.

At a cost of under $10 ($9.99 for the frame at IKEA, bag free with rice), I consider this project a success. What do you think?

Putting Pinterest Ideas to the Test – Spray Painted Mason Jars

I love mason jars. They are so simple and pretty – I use them all over my house, and for packaging bath products. I saw this beautiful craft idea on Pinterest and thought I’d try it out.

Off I went to Canadian Tire to buy some spray paint. The store carried the Krylon brand, but not the “Looking Glass” spray. Instead I bought Krylon’s metallic silver.
I decided to also spray paint a stubby beer bottle that I love the shape of.

Let me start by saying the two different colours of spray paint are definitely not one and the same. I had really hoped that the metallic silver would have a somewhat reflective finish, but the end result was quite a dull finish on the glass objects, as you can see here.

I think that the project still turned out looking okay, but I can’t wait to try the actual “Looking Glass” spray.

The Cubby Make-Over

With a family of six, space is at a premium in our little lake front cabin. When we moved in, my eldest daughter refused to share a room with the two younger girls. The only other option was a tiny corner off the laundry room, which she not so affectionately refers to as her “cubby – because no one could call that a room! It’s worse than Harry Potter’s closet under the stairs!!” Although it was her choice, my daughter hates it! I can understand why….

Before

Although stripped bare in this shot, it’s not hard to imagine what a sad little space that is! I am doing a quick room makeover for her this weekend. I definitely have a vision in my head.

Step 1 – Priming

You can’t tell from the first shot, but we had to repair some patches in the drywall. If you can imagine, it actually looked even worse than the “before” shot. After taping and mudding, a good coat of primer was definitely needed.

Step 2 – Brighten it Up!

After letting the primer dry, a quick coat of white latex paint on two of the walls really freshens things up!

Step 3 – A Dash of Colour

The end wall turns into the feature wall and adds some personality with a splash of blue. I chose this colour based on my daughter’s favourite bedding.

Step 4 – The Accents

There is obviously not a lot of space for furniture in this room. I decided to repaint this old ugly night stand. Although hideous, it is made very well and has an interesting design on the drawer. All it needs is a good coat of primer, some black semi gloss paint, and new hardware to spruce it up.

These lights have always hung in my living room, but I knew they would look great in here.

After – The Finished Product

This mini room make over was a success! It took only a couple of hours and I think it looks great. My daughter absolutely loves it!

** I purchased brushed nickel knobs for the end table. But the screws that came with them were way too long! So – no knobs in these pictures, but I know they will look great.**