Before and After of projects completed.
I decided that I could easily make this myself, rather than paying $35 plus shipping. So... see below for my directions on how I did it.
First, I started wrapping the jute around the M. I glued a piece to the backside to be sure it stayed in place, then just continued to wind around. I'd glue pieces down every so often, just to be sure they didn't slide around too much.
Below is the M once all the jute has been wrapped around it. The way I wrapped it was in 4 different sections. By doing it this way I could wrap and not worry about the direction I was going or strands overlapping in the tight areas.
After I was done with the jute, I had to figure out a way to hang it, of which I hot glued and stapled a ribbon to the backside (staples in case the glue doesn't hold well).
Through one of the blogs that I read, I saw this AWESOME "S" hanging wreath, which can be purchased through etsy.com.
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| Monogram Wreath |
I decided that I could easily make this myself, rather than paying $35 plus shipping. So... see below for my directions on how I did it.
Products used:
-Cardboard "M"
-Natural Jute (or other twine-like material)
-Hot glue gun
-Black ribbon
-Stapler
Total Cost: $5-10. All goods purchased from Hobby Lobby
First, I started wrapping the jute around the M. I glued a piece to the backside to be sure it stayed in place, then just continued to wind around. I'd glue pieces down every so often, just to be sure they didn't slide around too much.
Below is the M once all the jute has been wrapped around it. The way I wrapped it was in 4 different sections. By doing it this way I could wrap and not worry about the direction I was going or strands overlapping in the tight areas.
After I was done with the jute, I had to figure out a way to hang it, of which I hot glued and stapled a ribbon to the backside (staples in case the glue doesn't hold well). 
Then I added a couple of pearl beads to the front and wa-la, it's done and hanging with the wreath on the front door. I thought it added a bit to the traditional wreath. Plus the great thing is that how I designed it, I CAN hang it year-round if I want to. Whoot!
In an effort to decorate our house for fall, I decided to make a leafy wreath to hang someplace... On our front door, perhaps? I still have to get a door hanger if I decide to hang it there for good. There was a hole big enough for a screw to hang it on long enough for me to take quick picture.
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| Picture taken with my iPhone. Please excuse the crappy quality. |
Here is a step-by-step of how I created the wreath in under 30 minutes.
First of all, I started with an old leafy garland that I had laying around the house. I've never really LOVED the way it laid, so I decided why not make something else out of it. Everything I used to make this project I already had, but I know it wasn't very expensive.
Supplies Needed
-leafy garland or other leafy material
-12" wreath (I used a a straw wreath, still in packaging, but I'm sure a styrofoam one would work just fine)
-hot glue gun and glue
-scissors or wire cutters
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| Leafy Garland |
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| Leaves already cut out and bare wreath |
I attached the loose leaves to the wreath with a hot glue gun. I started attaching them by putting the largest on the bottom layer and staggering them around. I had them all facing outward til I realized it needed to have some leaves facing inward as well. So I basically had them going each and every direction.
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I actually only used about half of the leaves that I had from the garland, so you may end up seeing some leaves in another project around the house soon. :) Betcha can't wait, can you? :)
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| The wreath up close... and yes that is my dog behind it. I couldn't resist :) |
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Laundry Room Sign -8/15/11
Here I am in the beginning of the process. I had just sanded the board down and sprayed on the first coat of primer.
Next, I sprayed on some flat white paint. Once the paint dried, I pasted on some letters. Then came the glossy spray paint to set the letters and give the board a glossy finish, since all I had on hand was a flat white. After it was painted, I attached 2 coat hooks with screws. As you can tell I used hooks that were smaller so the ironing board could sit on top of the hooks rather than in them on the bottom row. This way I'll be able to hang some extra hangers or a clothespin bag below.
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The Garden - Posted 4/10/11
Step 1: Building the Box
We read someplace that cedar is the best wood to use, since it's untreated and will last the longest compared to other woods. We built at 4x2 box -- we figured it's best to start small so it's easier to move whenever we move from this apartment.
Materials needed to build box:
-2 6x8 pieces of cedar cut size
-4x2 piece of plywood for the bottom
-8 - 1 1/2 inch screws (2 for each corner)
-12 or so 3/4 screws for screwing the plywood to the top.
-6 L brackets for additional support on the corners and middle of the box
Step 2: Tweaking the Box
Once the box was built, we had to drill drainage holes in the bottom. We also added a garbage bag liner in order to "protect" the plywood, in hopes of it lasting longer. This we also added holes to. After adding the liner, we added some All Purpose Stone, to help with drainage as well. We are not going to let our veggies get moldy!!!
Step 3: Fill with Soil
We purchased Miracle Grow soil specific for veggies and plants. It stated on the bag for "in ground" use only, however we had multiple people from Home Depot tell us it should be fine. We will be dividing it up in eight 12" squares and plan on putting some dividers and labels. That will be coming in the next update once everything is planted and labeled.
Step 4: Plant Foods
We haven't planted most of the plants yet since it's not quite time. Since this is the first year for our garden, we decided to go with starter plants rather than seeds. This is a bit more expensive, but figured it was the best option for starting out the first time.
Here are the things we plan on planting:
-Strawberries
-Zuccini
-Cucumbers
-Radishes
-Jalepenos
-Tomatoes
-Garlic
-TBD
We've also planted a pot of marigolds, as they keep the pests away.
The Herbs
For the Herbs we purchased plain terracotta pots and painted them ourselves to add a bit of spice (pun intended), for just under $3 each --- the painted pots at the store are over $5. Again, since this is our first year with a garden and herbs, we decided to go small on the herbs too. We purchased 3 different herbs: Mint, Basil and Cilantro (for making homemade salsa!!)
