Tag Archives: thrifty

From dress to binder cover {a DIY}

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Like many New Year’s Reso fans, I have a goal of getting our life organized this year. Really though, who doesn’t want to be organized? (Husbands… and men/boys in general don’t count ;)) What a serious {task} organizing is! Yikes! At the beginning of the year, I began a project I call “Organize Our Life” because I’m weird like that. And boy, is it a project.

Two pack rats (hubby more than me, not to throw him under the bus or anything, hehe), many temporary living situations, seemingly always on the go, etc, etc, excuse after excuse and boy does it pile up to huge mounds of odds and ends, some sentimental and memoury associated things (mostly my stuff because I save EVERY memorabilia), the we-can’t-throw-that-out-because-we-might-need-it-someday stuff crammed in boxes that aren’t properly labeled, bags and more bags (you know, because we go camping and hiking so much these days :)), my breast pump is somewhere in the pile of boxes we literally haven’t opened and used since we moved into our current temporary home of… ahem, a year.

We’re both at a place where we want to get rid of things, de-clutter, organize and simplify. Oh, that sounds so nice…but easy it is not. Right? So, I put together a binder titled “Organize Our Life” and began…


I was on a roll. So excited and inspired. WOOHOO! And then slowly but surely as each new week came, not so much. I began dreading it. This big ugly beast of a binder wasn’t helping much. I needed a break from the organizing, walked into our craft/office/playroom/pile-everything-in-here-when-guest-come-over room and swiped a binder from Ted’s little collection then headed right towards my crafty stuff and grabbed the following items.

Hot glue gun, sciscors, fabric scraps (in my fav shade of pink), a fabric flower, an old dress with a torn strap that I last wore when I was skinny minny me at 3 months pregnant with Chase and swore I would fix and fit into again someday (I think I now have 3 boxed full of clothes labeled ‘Jami’s skinny clothes’, HA! Someday, maybe. It will be like Christmas!! ;)) What you don’t see pictured here is felt (or just use some kind of fabric you could use for the inside covers).

Now for the ghetto fab DIY :) It’s not perfect but, I {love} it and it’s super simple. You probably have everything you need lying around.

First, I measured both the binder and a few inches to spare on the fabric so I could overlap it. You’ll see in a sec.

Cut the fabric.

Carefully hot glue the fabric on. It’s not pictured but you then cut any extra fabric you may have.

You can buy felt for $.25 a piece at Hobby Lobby. I decided on using felt because I liked the way it looked and I felt like it could hold the fabric down pretty well without me needing to use my sewing machine to make this entire cover.

Add some pretties if ya want. I used the ruffle from the dress and then added my little flare to it.

And, ta-da. This took me no time at all. This DIY will probably seem so weird to some and to others you might totally get why I needed this change. It does help for minds like mine that do not have the gift of organizing naturally :) Add a little creative spunk and perhaps peeking inside each day won’t be so bad. Wishful thinking? I’ll let you know at the end of the year ;)

A few tools that have  helped me IMMENSELY and I personally could not do this whole “Organize Our Life” thing without;

  • printables that other seriously awesome, gifted, organizing-love’n people created… for us… for FREE. You can go here to see some of the free printables I’m using currently. And this amazing site – where most of what I use are currently from. They have a totally free day keeper printable with days of the week and all sort of amazing things.
  • organizing tips and brilliant ideas from Pinterest.

Hope you are {inspired to create} and maybe (dare I say it on my blog? Who am I? :) get organized!!

the boys’ room {part 3}

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I’ve been doing a little series with photos of the progress on the boys’ room. If ya want, you can check out Part 1 here and Part 2 here. See what we started with :) Their room is really small and one of the main walls (with the window) is all cement (ick!) I was considering painting but since we’re renting and I’ve already painted on huge wall in our home (I needed colour in the living room for my sanity ;)) We decided against painting and instead have made the most with what we could. It’s turning out fun and bright! Chase is loving it! Especially the paper lanterns which he calls balloons :)

I added the boys’ names to the cement wall for colour. Boy S’s name isn’t being announced until Tuesday next week, so I couldn’t share a photo with his name. His name is painted in the aqua blue.

Not much change here with the changing table. A few baskets and the elephant my mom sewed for Chase when he was a baby.

The canvas you see was canvas I got on sale a year ago. I finally used all but two up! The paper lanterns I got on sale at Paperlanterns.com (AMAZING prices!) The curtain was thrifted at the price of $2.50! It is super thick and retro-ish but matches pretty well. I still need to cute and sew the bottom so it fits the window better, but for now…

This was a seriously fun project. I used tape to make my own chevron style pattern. I also used my cricut and vinyl to create the words you see. The “puffy” words are from 2 packages of stickers I bought half off at Hobby Lobby!

The boys’ closet is tiny so we added 3 poles to hold clothes and also a over the door rack for their coats and hoodies and such. I’m in awe how much a tiny closet can hold :) When I shut the door, I can pop up this thrifted green chair which I sit on sometimes as Chase falls asleep in his bed.

I still have some work to do on this wall but here is what it looks like currently. I need to move the You are my Sunshine canvas up so I can add a frame with a copy of Boy S’s footprints and stats.

I still need to hang this IKEA bar and hooks below the frames and above the dresser to hold little buckets of things.

The little tricycle you see was a thrifted find that I painted to make it a bit more modern to fit the boys’ room style. At some point, I want to hang the kid skateboard up on the wall (which isn’t pictured because it’s blank and unfinished) above S’s bed. I have a plan to do that entire wall with shelves like the skateboard and photos from pregnancy, newborn and different stages in both boy’s life.

The boys’ room is really, really bright during almost all hours of the day. This curtain is pretty thick and it helps to keep the room looking softly lit for the boys’ naptimes.

I’m pretty excited that their room is {mostly} finished before S comes in just {6 days} now!! Thanks for popping in :)

 

 

 

DIY Pretty and Thrifty Home Decor

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I’m pretty excited to share these two Do It Yourself projects because I actually did both of these projects {weeks} ago and haven’t had the right time to share on here yet!

The first DIY: Mason Jar Transformation (well, and other jars!)

Remember these random jars from one of my ‘Thrifted Treasures’ posts?

Well, let’s just say  a little bit of spray paint goes a long, long way!

I used Krylon spray paint (1-2 coats) and…

Look at the transformation! I really wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but I was {really} impressed (krylon sprays so beautifully, spend the extra $1!) so I got a little carried away and painted quite a few jars. I would like to paint some of my others black for more of a chic look, and see how that turns out. I will let ya know :)

I just love the way they turned out and still seem super vintage and now match our colours.

Try it out and let me know what you did! It’s thrifty and pretty home decor!

DIY #2: Fabric covered vase (idea found on Prudent Baby)

Supplies used:

modge podge

sponge brush

fabric

hurricane vase ($1 at hobby store or cheaper if you can find them at a thrift store)

Basically you measure the material to fit the vase. Modge podge and add fabric one section at a time. Smooth out any bubbles. Add modge podge on top after the first layer dries (opitonal). And you’re done!

Add something pretty inside (these are a bouquet from Ted on Valentine’s Day. It was so sweet because he got his two girls Valentine’s. The gerber daisies remind us of our Eisley-girl :)) 

 I used a small piece of some beautiful vintage fabric I bought at a thrift store. I am selling the actual fabric, but just had to cut out a small piece for myself!

Sorry this is a bit of a rushed post, I really wanted to get this out tonight while I can!

Hope you’re inspired to {create}!

Tomorrow afternoon I might do a ‘Favourite Finds’ just for fun to relax and inspire and be inspired! And UM, if you haven’t checked out Pinterest, more about that tomorrow!!

Pretty Storage Boxes (an easy-peesy DIY)

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I don’t know about you, but I’m always in need of more storage space for crafty purposes and for memoury type stuff. I wait for sales at hobby stores but even then you’re spending $4 or more for the super cute storage boxes. (I’ll totally admit, I’ve spent more money just because they were cute!) Well, today my mom pointed to a stack of boxes we had sitting out and asked if I had seen the cute storage boxes at Michaels (a hobby storre we had just gotten back from). I misunderstood what she said and that’s where this idea sparked from;

Why not make our own cute storage boxes today?!

Supplies used:

shoe boxes

modge podge

spondge brush

pretty paper!!

paper cutter or xacto knife

Here’s the DIY. It’s super simple!

Measure the paper to fit the box.

Apply modge podge, one section at a time and carefully place the pretty paper on.

Smooth out any bubbles. I did not add a layer on top but you can if you want to be super safe.

(mine remind me of spring, hope!)

And now I’ve got super CUTE storage boxes that cost close to nothing!

Hope you’re inspired! Another DIY coming soon :)

DIY “Love” Frame.

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I saw this super cute houndstooth frame on U-Create. It was made with a stencil, but I have many sheets of the pink houndstooth paper below (it reminds me of my Eisley-girl so I grabbed a lot for her scrapbook!) and I already had the frame, so I decided to try and make one myself! I can use it as home decor as well as Valentine decor too :)

Ready for this DIY?

Supplies used:

heart frame – $1 Michaels

modge podge

sponge brush

2 diferent colours of paper

stickers or vinyl or creative handwriting, etc (i used my Cricut and black vinyl)

Modge podge wood lightly and carefully place paper down. (Don’t worry about cutting anything first)

Let it dry and flip it over. Use an xacto knife (totally recommend you buy one!) and cut out the middle carefully.

Use the middle cardboard piece that came with frame and modge podge paper to heart.

Xacto cut it out.

Make sure there are no bubbles in the paper!

This is the part where I cut the letters out with the Cricut with the help of Chasey-boy who LOVES the cricut. He’s in awe of it. He loves to help momma create …in his own way.

Side note: I was talking with a friend the other day and it sparked an idea in me. I decided that I might do a post with creative ways for the little ones create with you (before their old enough to craft)! People often ask me what Chase does when I’m creating and I might just do a little blog post about it and how he joins in and creative ways to involve him. Would that be helpful? or not? (haha) I just feel really passionate about being a momma and still being you, and finding ways to do that, especially now that I know how therapeutic it really can be on a heart or even during grief… maybe soon I’ll do that!

And wa-la! SO simple and cute. And if you don’t have a significant other do something else in the little heart!

Okay, a few more DIYs next.

Thrifted Treasures {4}

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I’m pretty excited to share my thrifted finds with you this week! I always hope you’re inspired to go thrifting when you see these posts! And before you tell me there aren’t any good thrift stores near you, spend at least one hour in it, sifting through everything and if it’s still awful, then I have a few other ideas for ya. Write me :)

Friday we ventured up to Cheyenne, Wyoming (40 min drive) to have lunch with my Aunt Cynth and to hit up the thrift stores there. So most of these finds are from their thrift stores. Here are my finds, most of which are for home decor;

Remember this wall with the embroidery hoops? Well I’ve added to my collection of hoops in hope to someday have a wall similar to that. I love how some of them are oval too! Price: $.10-1.00

Yes, it’s true, I have a love for picture frames. Most of these will be painted and used for wall decor. Price: $.25-1.00

I have an even bigger love for the gaudy frames! These will be painted as well. price: $.25-2.00

I love these little vintage ceramics. These will be decor for our kid’s room, ‘The Sunshine Room’. Price: .50

Fabrics! Price: $.25-.100 Below are the up close photos of my favourite fabrics;

Remember this wall? I plan on putting these in one of the embroidery hoops I bought to create a similar look.

This will be made into some kind of decor in the kid’s room.

I absolutely love this piece! I was planning on using this as decor in embroidery hoops, but honestly, I don’t know if I can cut it up!

Ceramic that I will paint for the kid’s room. Price: .25

vintage avon pitcher and dish. So amazing because I had this picked out on the treasury list I made of inspiration from Etsy for our living room, ‘The Hope Room’. Price: $2

Vintage snoopy thermas for decor in the kid’s room. $.25

This was an Avon lotion bottle. I love the colours and well it goes with the plan I have the kid’s room! $.75

Chase’s favourite thrifted treasure was this little vintage horse my grandma found for $5. A steal!

This was a suuuuuper awesome find! We recently added plumb to our colour scheme in our kitchen and this pitcher was $.50 and this tea-pot was a $4.50!

 

All of this matches our living room decor {perfectly}. $.50 for the coral pieces, $.25 for all the rest! Almost a steal!

These were also on my Hope Room treasury. I would like to hang lace curtains inside of our main living room curtains (which I hope to make/thrift!) My grandma found this set for me!

I know this looks coral-coloured (ish) but it’s actually red. I plan to paint it coral pink. $.50

Another “set” of oddly shaped jars. I did something super awesome with these yesterday and will share soon!! If you need home decor, vases, things to store things in, etc, go buy some and I’ll show ya something very easy to do to transform theses! Price: $.25-.75

And finally, my favourite thrifted find this time around;

I fell in love with this giant (50″ x 30.5″) vintage frame a while ago and said if it was there next time, I would get it. I assumed someone snagged this treasure and I was so glad to see it still hanging there a little over a month later! A whopping $12!! This was my largest and favourite purchase of the day. Thankfully we somehow managed to fit it in my grandma’s Buick and now it sits in the garage until Ted and I find a home!

As we left our last home (a year ago this April), I promised myself that when we had our own place again, I would immediately make it our home and an expression of us. I’ve slowly collected, revamped, restyled and made items for our home and I am so very excited to piece it all together when we find a place to call home (we’re currently searching)! I can’t wait! I might do a fun little series on our decor ideas, colour and inspiration. I keep calling it  our “hopeful home”. Each room has specific inspiration behind it. I’ve even named each room, can you tell that I’ve been dreaming of our home for far too long?! :)

Stay tuned tomorrow as I plan on posting DIY “Valentine’s” decor that could be used as regular decor too, if you aren’t into Valentine’s day :)

Thrifted Treasures {3}

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Blog 3 of Thrifted Treasures! This time, I’m sharing items I found thrifting AND one item I found while going through my momma’s attic :)

Fabric, $1.75 all together

vintage mugs, $1.50 (I really want to keep these, but I think I might sell them too, they don’t match our kitchen colours)

with a little modge podge and fabric, these will be transformed into home decor for us!

This will be transformed into a jewelry holder and sold on  my etsy store.

This vintage toy I bought this summer at my grandma’s garage sale. It became my inspiration for the kid’s room (I’ve added coral pink things since we lost Eisley, in her honour). So with this in mind, check out a few more things I’ve added to the ever growing collection for the room;

I think this will look awesome on teal walls. Vintage frame, $.50

The book on the left was a book I read and loved as a child and the other I honestly bought, just for the colours! $.25 a piece

Searching through my madre’s “attic” this week and Chase found this which totally matched the theme and colours for the room, so we brought it home.

He {loves} it. I’ve let him play with it for a little while but this is actually going up on a shelf in his room when we get our new place.

vintage Bambi, $2. I had to get it. This was one of my favourite movies when I was a little girl. Kinda sad right? My first two favourite kids movies ever were Bambi and The Land Before Time! Haha. I also loved Backdraft and Pretty Women, which I even sung Pretty Women at my mom and dad’s wedding when I was 3. So those kid’s movies were actually pretty good considering ;)

jammies, $.50 and his new favourite book, $.25

I love posting these but you know what I’d really love?! If you’ve been inspired by this, blog it, comment here with the link. I’d love to see what {you’ve} found!

pretty jewelry holder {a DIY}

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“If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes.” – St. Clement of Alexandra

Today despite everything in me that aches….I hoped. This is what I did with a bit of that hope.

I’ve needed something to hold my jewelry for some time now because hides away in little boxes in the bathroom. “Out of sight, out of mind”, which means I rarely remember that I have it. So today, I wandered into our crafting room and grabbed a few things to create this.

Supplies I used:

Frame, paint and brushes, hot glue gun, black lace, white lace/doily fabric, cardboard.

That’s it!

How to DIY:

First, I painted the frame (you know me) black :)

Hot glue the fabric to the cardboard and then glue it to the frame.

Cut the lace then braid it.

Glue it to the cardboard.

Wa-la! Handmade hanger! (The frame itself is plastic so this lace will do the job, if your frame is heavier, maybe consider another option?)

Pin and hang jewelry!!

I hope you’re inspired to {create}.

Most importantly I hope you’re inspired to keep hoping “despite_______”.

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A Crafty Soiree

The DIY Show Off

Thrifted Treasures {2}

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(I actually wrote this post yesterday, so I’m just going to post it today. I don’t really have the strength to re-write it, so here we go :))

Today, we thrifted! This past week I’ve hit up the Fort Collins Thrift stores, all except one (that I know of). I decided to start doing “Thrifted Treasure” posts to share my finds and to hopefully inspire you to shop at your local thrift stores! I always love to see what others find a treasure! You’d be amazed at what you can find, but sometimes it just takes time. And sometimes it takes going in with a plan for what you want. My biggest struggle with thrift shopping is the moment I walk in I begin wondering how I could use, or what I could create, with such and such and sometimes have way too much in my cart when I go to pay and have to sort through what to keep and what treasure to leave for someone else to find. Oh the pain of being a thriftaholic ;)

Here are a few of my newfound treasures!

Fabric! All but the teal checkered one will be repurposed and sold on my Colour Her {Hope} Etsy store. The teal one will be made into something lovely for our (soon to be) home!

Ugly frames to be repurposed, definitely painted. :)

Mugs to paint and sell!

I’ve slowly collected vintage books and toys for our the kid’s room. Bittersweet, but I am still going to use the theme I had planned for Chase and Eisley. All things vintage, thrifted, and handmade.

Wreaths to create for my Esty shop.

Beautiful large {eclectic} rug! (My biggest spend; $10) This photo doesn’t do this rug justice, but it is a faded red, almost pink colour which I love. Ted did too!

Amazing… I will definitely change the colour of these to pink/teal balloons with white strings and hang them in our kid’s room. (My 2nd big spend; $6, worth every penny)

Now, my absolute, favourite treasure of the day;

I {gasped} when I saw these tiny pink baby girl converse. If you’ve followed our journey, when I was pregnant with my sweet Eisley, then you know, this was apart of one tiny dream I had.

{love}

It makes my heart ache a bit, but also remember how I felt when I was pregnant with my Eisley-girl, my precious time with her. I can’t decide what to do with these exactly but they will go in the kid’s room as well. A whopping $1.50, my last and best find of the day.

We’ve begun our search (again) for a new home for our little family!!! I am so excited about decorating our home!! I have this little dream in my head and my hope and vision is a handmade, vintage, eclectic home! Thrifting helps all of the above. :) Pray we find a home soon? We are in need of a fresh start.

(Edit from today; Another prayer request; Please keep up in your thoughts/prayers tomorrow? It’s hard for me to even say aloud (or type) what we’re doing tomorrow, I will just say it will be a very hard day for us. )

Project ReStyle {01}

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I am joining in with A Beautiful Mess and Smile and Wave. in their newly created ‘Project ReStyle’ where you take things that aren’t super awesome and you ReStyle them into amazing treasures!

As I was thinking about what to post, I realized, I already do this quite a bit!! Usually with thrifted finds or old things lying around the house so this will be a lot of fun and very inspirational! Remember my recent Thrifted {Treasures} where I found a punch of frames and a mirror? Well, I finished the mirror yesterday and absolutely {love} how it turned out!

You might have heard me say this many times before but when we get a home, the colours for our living room will be teal (not an ugly teal),  with black and white accents and splashes of this coloured pink (Eisley-inspired)! This is another piece that will someday adorn our home!

Chasey-boy love the mirror too. :) And I am pretty in love with painting everything lately, haha. Paint can transform {anything}…or most anything!

Do you have any ReStyling  you’ve done? Link me to your place for more inspiration or just join in with Elsie (do a double-take, not Eisley ;)) and Rachel and their little movement!

x, jami

OH and last night I was super honoured to be featured on U-Create (made my night!!!!!). Be sure to go and check out Kari’s site, it’s {super} inspirational!

U Create