Pottery Barn-Inspired Jingle Pillow

One I saw the Jingle pillow in the Pottery Barn catalog, I knew it would be a Christmas present perfect for my stepmom. But I didn’t want to spend $39.95 on something I was pretty sure I could make for under $8. And I enjoy making such things – though I must admit gifting a homemade craft can make me a little anxious when it comes to actually giving it to someone! But this was worth the shot.

I don’t know if this can be called a “knock off” since I took a lot of liberties with it. I mostly took the idea as inspiration and ran with it. I skipped the burlap…I love the burlap look, but I think it is perhaps one of the worst materials to put on a couch. So uncomfy! I used muslin instead. I had a 12×16 pillow on hand, so I used that instead of a longer lumbar pillow. And to go with a softer fabric, I went with a softer font with more curves.

I’m pretty pleased with it! I hope she will be too. And I’m pretty sure she doesn’t read this blog…but if she does, Merry Christmas Jerriann!

My Comical DIY Rug Redo

I had this brilliant idea: instead of buying a new rug for under the kitchen table (where My Girl will be spilling her food for the foreseeable future), I would revamp the one I have! Such a simple idea. Not such a simple project.

As you can see, the rug was looking ROUGH. (As are my floors – we’ll blame that on the dog.) But I’ve had it for over five years in a high traffic area, and I think it was like $60 when I bought it. So I didn’t have much to lose if the project was a total disaster.

My first brilliant idea was to use Fabric Spray Paint for Upholstery on the edges.  (Apparently I don’t know how to use the focus button on my camera.)

So I taped up the rug, got my cardboard out, and went to town.

As you can see, that was a bust.  The paint didn’t take at all.  My dog was really disappointed in me.

So then I decided to paint the edges with fabric paint, which looks a lot like the puff paint my mom would use on my sweatsuits in elementary school.  If it was good enough for me then, surely it would work for me now.
And it worked! I was so excited…

…until I peeled off the tape and saw the vague rectangle that my previous spray painting accidentally created. I could not stop laughing at this point. What a mess!

So then I thought I could paint the rectangle a solid color to make it not look like a total accident. Round 3: Paint the inner rectangle with fabric paint. If you have ever wondered if puff paint works on sisal, it doesn’t. Another total bust.

On to Round 4: Purchase real deal Luicile spray paint and spray paint the inner rectangle.

And this time it worked! The edges aren’t perfect, but I think the rug is worth keeping around. At least until My Girl can properly use utensils.

Pinterest-Inspired ABC Nursery Artwork

As I’m prepping Baby Boy’s room, I’ve also been reminiscing about the fun projects I did for My Girl’s room. You know, during the pre-baby days when I had the time to do such elaborate things. It is looking like Baby Boy will have a lot more store-bought pieces than she who came before him, so I’m taking a few posts to appreciate all of my previous Pinterest glory! First up…the ABC Nursery Artwork.

This was inspired by this pin from Knock Off Decor, which came from The Walter Family, which was inspired by Restoration Hardware. Oh how I love the connections of Pinterest!

I created mine in Photoshop using the graphics from The Graphics Fairy then printed each letter as a 5×5 photo from MPix. I then pasted the photos onto white cardstock paper, which I then Modge Podged onto my 16×16 canvases, which I painted a white-washed grey. Since My Girl’s nursery is pretty frilly, I decided to add the ribbon atop each canvas for a little more flair. Two years later, this is still my favorite Pinterest project to date!

I’m feeling inspired. Maybe I can find the time to tackle this pin for Baby Boy’s room after all?

Check out more project’s from My Girl’s “Bright Vintage” nursery:
Paint Chip Mobile & DIY Artwork
Baby Girl Nursery Rocker Revamp
Dresser/Changing Table Revamp

Amateur Newborn Photo Shoot

As I recently mentioned, there’s a new nephew on the block. And fresh off my photography class, I thought I’d give newborn photos a try. The final results aren’t bad with just two photography classes under my belt! There were definitely some mishaps, but I came out with about 35 pictures worth sending to my sister. I lightly edited the photos, but having only the trial version and very basic knowledge of Lightroom on my hands, there wasn’t much sprucing up. Here are a few of my favs!

I love this sweet expression…

Cannot believe I witnessed and captured this smirk…

The family photos with my nearly two year old nephew were definitely the most challenging. It probably didn’t help that we waited until 30 minutes before bedtime to do these! You live, and you learn. But we did get a few keepers, and below is my favorite…

DIY Wedding Bouquets

I recently helped with my sister-in-law’s Burlap & Lace wedding. We decided I would undertake creating all of the flower arrangements, and about two weeks before the big day, she asked if I thought I could make all of the bouquets too. My response? “I’ve never done it before, but how hard could it be? That’s what Pinterest is for.”

So off I went on a pinning rampage and figured I could make it happen with our white hydrangeas and natural wire. And here are the final results! (Please excuse these pictures taken by my iPhone!)

The bridal bouquet:

The bridesmaid bouquet:

I’m pretty happy with the results!

DIY Burlap & Lace Wedding

I haven’t had many Pinterest project-esque posts on this blog since its debut, and that is because I’ve been working on a massive project that has engulfed my time: my sister-in-law’s wedding!

“Burlap & Lace” was the name and DIY was the game. I did just about everything myself for the reception: made the table runners, designed & executed the floral arrangements, tracked down all of the vases, ordered the candles & materials, and created the banners & entry table art.

Here are some shots of the reception hall before its transformation. It was at a Knights of Columbus hall and didn’t offer much in terms of character. So we had our work cut out for us!

Here is a look at the tables after completion, while under the overhead lights:

And here are some shots of the reception hall as the guests saw it, under the lights of one large chandelier and candle light.

The S’More favors:

The entry table & one of my favorite projects with my Silhouette so far, the wedding subway art:

And the gift table:

And that’s the gist of the wedding weekend! More burlap & lace posts to come I’m sure…