Photo Boards

I saw this on a blog and loved it so I made a few for myself. I purchased the boards at Michaels. I painted the back and edges of the board either black or brown depending on the color scheme. Next I cut scrapbook paper to fit the area I wanted covered. I used Modge Podge to glue the paper and picture to the surface. File the edges of the paper with a finger nail file until it's even with the edge of the board. Once the Modge Podge was dry I covered the entire surface with Modge Podge using a foam brush. Then decorate with buttons, ribbon, etc. Here are a few of the ones I made.

Craft Projects

My role as Creative Activities director for our local MOPS (Mother of Preschoolers) group challenges me to come up with crafts on a budget for our moms to do. Here are a few of the crafts we've done. I'm always searching blogs and Pinterest for new ideas.

Beaded Silverware

I purchased the serving pieces at the Dollar Store. We used pre-cut floral wire from Michaels and threaded the beads on the front side only. On the back you just twist the wire so it will hold. Needle nosed pliers made the twisting easy. They do have to be hand washed because eventually the wire will rust. Makes for a cute gift when you take a meal to a friend! Washer Necklaces

These were a huge hit at MOPS! The washers were super cheap at Home Depot/Lowes. I used scrapbook paper and traced a circle around the outside edge of the washer and the inside circle. Cut out the circle with scissors. I was able to cut out the inside of the circle by using and exacto knife. Glue the paper to the washer using E6000 industrial glue found at Michaels/Hobby Lobby. Make sure the glue is spread out evenly (use a q tip if necessary). Once the glue has dried take a finger nail file and file the edges of the paper so it's even with the washer. Other blogs suggested using Diamond Glaze on top of the paper and washer but I couldn't find it so I used Modge Podge Dimensional Magic. It works the same way and gives you a hard finish on the surface. It's self leveling to just squeeze a little bit on top of the paper and work it around the surface. If there are any bubbles use a tooth pick to pop them. Let the Modge Podge dry overnight lying flat. We just used black twine for the necklace and a twist clasp. There are so many possibilities with this necklace!

Magnets

Another super easy craft are these magnets. My 5 year old daughter even enjoyed doing this with me. All you need are those clear marble vase fillers that have a flat side and scrapbook paper. Cut the paper to fit the marble and glue using any clear drying glue. I used Tacky Glue. Affix a magnet to the back and you're done! Here's a picture of the clear marble, magnet strip and finished products.
Scripture Memory Cards

If you haven't noticed, I love using scrapbook paper. It's inexpensive and fun! For this craft we cut scrapbook paper to fit the back side of index cards. Glue the paper to the index card using Tacky Glue. Punch a hole through the index card and bind together with a ring holder (not sure if that's the technical name for it). On the index side of the card we wrote scripture verses to memorize. It's small enough you can keep it in your purse of car.

Weekend Projects

Another weekend project of ours was cleaning up the area around the AC units. Before we had pine straw around the units but found that the straw and dust getting in the units caused them to be inefficient. So we decided to replace the straw with rocks. First we lined the area with landscape fabric. Next we used metal edging around the units to contain the rocks. Much neater and hopefully the units will last longer.

The area around the garbage can was next on the list. Pine straw was here as well but became a muddy mess every time it rained. So out with the straw and in with concrete pavers. The garbage can is much easier to roll out now and without all the mess.

Installing Rain Barrels

Since we love working in the yard just as much as inside the house we decided to install rain barrels. Every time it rains they fill up and we use the water for our plants and flowers. Eventually we plan on having a garden and they will come in handy then as well.

So if you know my husband, we couldn't just put the rain barrels on the ground and be done with it. We cleared out the area where they were to go and covered it with landscaping fabric. Then we built a "platform" for each barrel using concrete pavers. In our case it all had to be level :) We elevated one barrel so that once it's full it will spill over to the next barrel.

Next we covered the landscape fabric with egg rock. The first barrel is attached to the down spout on the house. We purchased a hose online that connects the two barrels. We also purchased a diverter that connects to the downspout and the first barrel. It senses when the barrels are full and diverts the water into the yard. Pretty cool and saves a tremendous amount on the water bill. Now all we need is for it to rain!

Completed Master Bathroom

Finally!!! The vanity and tub have been finished for a while now, but we've been saving up for the shower glass. With all of this renovation it was very important to us to pay cash and not incur a lot of debt. So a year without a shower was a small price to pay. The glass was installed last week and we have been so happy with it!! I love the river rock floor and it doesn't hurt my feet. I've had lots of people ask me about that. Here are a few pictures of the finished product.I love the natural sunlight coming in but couldn't risk giving the neighbors a peep show so we frosted the window. At first we used this spray on frost but soon learned it didn't hold up when it got wet. So we ended up using the frosted window film which was surprisingly easy to install. It works like a charm!The vanities turned out great as well. I'm so thankful we decided to take down the extra large, cover the entire wall mirror and replace it with individual mirrors. I found these at Walmart for $35 each which was a steal! My next project is to find an old vanity stool to paint and recover. I've hit just about every antique store in the area.

Kitchen With New Lights

The last thing we had left to do in the kitchen was change the florescent lights and move a light. Well, we waited and waited while Jason educated himself on electrical work until I finally convinced him to hire someone. It was the BEST decision!! They were in and out in a day and no one got hurt. We (or should I say I) have learned that anything having to do with plumbing or electrical needs to be left to the professionals.This is the before with florescent lights. We replaced them with can lights (which I LOVE) and moved the other light. We needed one centered over our table. And here's the after...

Winterize Your Home

I haven't updated our blog in forever! Over the winter months we took a little break from renovations. There were a few things we did to help insulate the house. Jason caulked just about everywhere he could. He insulated the garage door by using construction foam glue to glue XPS Rigid Foam Board insulation to the door. You would be surprised at how much cold air was coming in through the laundry room via the garage. If you decide to do this on your own I will say that the insulation added weight to the garage door and it wouldn't open. We had to call the company and have them come out to re-calibrate the door. Not a big problem but definitely not expected. So you can learn from our mistakes!We added weather stripping to the bottom of all the exterior doors. This helped with the cold draft.

The change that made the biggest impact was in our master bedroom closet. We noticed that it was extremely cold this winter. On each side of the closet we have these little doors that lead to extra storage. Jason noticed that the storage areas weren't insulated and were on the exterior of the house. So he insulated the storage areas and added lights. Eventually we will sheet rock and carpet the space so we can store totes and luggage in it. But for now the insulation was a HUGE help. Our closet is no longer freezing cold!

One last change we made was to the attic door in Olivia's bedroom. Don't have a clue why they would put the access to the attic in a bedroom, but oh well. We noticed that her bedroom was colder than the others so Jason decided to try insulating the door to keep heat from escaping.

He used 1x4's and plywood to build a "box" inside the attic door. To enter the attic you simply push the box up. It's attached with piano hinges. The box is insulated with batt insulation on the attic side and XPS insulation around the 2x4 frame that it sits on. He sealed where those two meet with foam weather stripping.