AR's Room Redo

I've been thinking about painting AR's room for a while now, gathering ideas from magazines and pinterest, and I finally just bought the paint and decided to start working on it last weekend.  I bought some pale blue paint from Wal-Mart, read a bunch of painting tips from the internet (this is my very first painting project), and set to work clearing out the room, cleaning the walls, filling in holes, etc.  I was able to get the whole room ready for painting on Friday, and then I painted Saturday morning.  Saturday night I then painted on the tree and the leaves.  I had found a picture in a Pottery Barn Kids magazine of a cherry blossom tree decal (for $175--no way!!) that I loved, so I decided to try to paint one myself.  Here is a picture of my inspiration:

On Monday and Tuesday, I did finishing touches like painting more flowers on the tree, hanging things on the wall, putting up new hooks and decorations, and figuring out the final layout of the furniture.  Unfortunately, I do not have any "before" pictures, but just imagine a plain white, boring room, without much prettiness at all.  Here's the pictures I took today (keeping in mind, I am still looking for a cute curtain rod and curtains):

view from the door--
the tree and leaves I free-handed, the flowers are stenciled, and the butterflies are stick-on decals

other side of the room--
2 hooks I got from the thrift store and repainted, her closet, her dresser
and cute necklace hanger that happens to go perfectly

bookcase right by the door with a cute hand-me-down lamp from cousins, horse calendar,
and pretty framed verse handmade by Aunt Carol

close-up of the initials hanging from the tree branch--these I had from her nursery decorations,
but they were lavender gingham with purple ribbon that didn't quite match,
so I repainted them with the extra pink paint, and added blue ribbon from my stash

looking straight at the tree (the butterfly decals I found at Dollar Tree!)

I added the pretty scrapbook paper to this verse that was in her room previously so it would coordinate--Psalm 78:4

I am so excited about how well everything turned out, and the best part is seeing how excited she is about her new room!  How do you like it?!

DIY Fabric-Covered Bins

I have lots of diaper boxes around here, so when I saw the idea of covering them with fabric, I jumped at that.  I love bins, but they are fairly expensive, so I rarely buy them.  But now I have lots of bins around my house that are cute and very cheap and easy to make!  I love being able to use things I would normally throw away to make something useful.  For this particular project I covered one diaper box and one plastic basket that I got from Dollar Tree.  I found the fabric on the clearance rack at Hancock's, so it was less than $5 for all of it.  I just cut the fabric to a size that would cover the box, sponge-brushed on some glue (spray adhesive would probably work better, though), and carefully pressed on the fabric.  I just sort of folded and cut to make it work around the corners and edges.  See how it turned out!

what I started with...

the transformation begins...

how it looks on the bookshelf

I made the bottom pretty with some of the extra fabric.

the plastic basket looks nice on my front counter

DIY Coasters

I've somehow found the time to do some crafting since I've been inspired by so much on pinterest.  Last Saturday I was out picking up a couple things, so I decided to get what I needed to make some coasters.  I went to Lowe's and bought 12 4x4 tiles (16 cents each!), and I already had some really cute scrapbook paper as well as Mod Podge and spray sealer.  As I was making them, I got the idea to put a monogram letter on them, so I just found a nice font and printed out an "H" several times and then cut them in circles.  I wasn't sure if I would like the monogram long-term, but after posting the pictures on facebook to get input, everyone was in agreement that the monogram looked best.  So, if you would like to try your hand at making your own, here are some instructions on how to do it.

Here's what you need:
4x4 tiles
scrapbook paper
scissors or paper cutter
Mod Podge
sponge brush
monogram circles (if desired)
clear spray sealer
felt pads

1.  Cut the scrapbook paper into 4x4 squares.  Try to find several colors or patterns that go together well to make sets.
2.  Spread a thin layer of Mod Podge on the tiles.  Carefully line up the paper and press down to smooth.
3.  If desired, add monograms with more Mod Podge.  Let dry for about 15 minutes
4.  Spray with sealer in a well-ventilated area, following directions on the can.  Tip:  I did hold the can closer than the instructions said, and got better results.  Also, you will have to do at least three coats of the sealer, until you get the desired effect.  Let it dry for 30 minutes in between each coat.
5.  When the coasters are dry, apply the felt pads.

Enjoy or give away a set as a gift or both!