DIY Fabric Scrap Banner

These banners are all over Etsy—at a whopping $50 a pop. A little too expensive for me. I couldn’t really find a great DIY anywhere, so I starred at the pictures, came up with some ideas, and really improvised the entire thing.

It started because my bathroom window is a bit on the tiny side, so I was having a hard time finding a rod and valance that looked right. So, I decided my crafty self would make something.

Then I thought—this would be super cute in pink for my niece’s room! I went out, bought different pink fabric, some ribbon, a spool of lace, and burlap. I hung my twine up by taping it to the counter, started cutting and ripping my materials, and tying away.  These kinds of projects are my favorite because they don’t have to even be near perfect. The messier the better! I loved the end result. I also thought it would be cute if she hung it in the background of her newborn pictures—until then, it’s hanging cute above her closet!

Valentine's Day.

Ok, I know Valentines Day was six days ago, but hey, every day deserves a little love. I made some homemade Valentines this year. You know that dollar bin at Michaels? Well every time I'm there I snoop through it and end up spending way more than a dollar. That's where these cards and stamps are from. The rest of the supplies I found around my house. There's something relaxing to me about getting all this together and taking some time to make some homemade love.

Valentine's gift from my BFF, Kate at Newlywed Kitchen!

Chalkboard Crazy

Okay, so I know that chalkboard paint isn’t a new thing, but I just recently felt the need to buy it for some new crafty projects. I bought the actual paint and the spray paint, and I think I like the spray paint better. I went to Michael’s and bought a picture frame—I love how the the frame looks like old wood.

The process is super easy. Take out the glass, sand it, clean it, and then spray away. I did four coats, alternating between horizontal and vertical sprays, with about 15 minute drying time in between. It’s hard to do, but let the paint dry for close to 24 hours. Once it’s completely dry, prime the board by rubbing chalk all over it, then erasing it off. Viola, your new chalkboard is ready to use!

I’m tea crazy and was getting sick of buying the ugly Teavana tea containers, so I went to Marshalls and bought some cute glass canisters and painted the tops so I can label my tea! I thought this was a better idea than actual labels, because sometimes I go through a tea pretty quick so this way I don’t have to peel off and reprint labels.

My best friend’s birthday is the end of this month, and she is one of the greatest cooks I know. I wanted to do something different so I made her a little cooking basket. I found these cute glass canisters at Marshalls, painted the front, and filled them each with a different spice—curry powder, Hawaiian sea salt, and apple wood smoked sea salt. This way when she uses them all up, she can easily reuse the containers!

This isn’t chalkboard paint related, but it is a chalkboard. I was cleaning and found this old chalkboard that I bought years ago when I was in Williamsburg, VA. I brought it in to work with me and each month I change the phrase—something fun to add to my office!

So, after all that, I think I owe a big thank you to whoever the wise guy was who invented chalkboard paint. You’re the best.