Office Inspiration

Loving the nailhead detail on this office tack board.

Thinking that this would be an easy DIY project (I'll need just a couple yards of linen, a large homasote board, nailhead trim...  and a lot of patience).  Filing this away for a rainy day.

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DIY: Custom Linen Door Banner

Of all the handmade projects I did for my friend's baby shower, this one was one of my favorites.  It's SO easy, everyone can do it.  To make this door banner, you'll need a fragment of linen, a pack of Sharpies, and a wooden dowel.

I started with a design that I made on the computer.  I used Adobe Illustrator, but you could use any program (including the basic, boring Microsoft Word).

Since I can't print out a sheet of paper measuring 26 x 18 inches on my tiny home printer, I printed my design in "tiles".  Then, I taped each sheet of paper to the window:

Next, cut a piece of linen to size (mine was 18 x 26 inches).  I used a fragment of ivory linen that I had laying around my office, but any simple fabric remnant will do. 

Layer the cut linen over your design and TRACE.  Yes, trace.  It's as simple as that!!!

I used these Sharpie markers.  Ultra-fine point is the best and will give you the most control on those fine fonts... also, I was thrilled to see how the pigment was absorbed by the linen.  The black was nice and dark, and the yellow was well saturated.  I had initially thought about painting the banner, but using Sharpies was about one thousand times easier.  And, much cleaner.

(picture taken after I had finished tracing the design, and before I had given this thing a good iron)

Next, you'll need to attach your banner to a hanging dowel.  I purchased mine at this fine establishment:

where, clearly, everything's $1.00

including this plastic flag, which was attached to lovely wooden hanging dowel:

I kindly removed the flag, and using fabric glue (I like Fabri-Tac), glued the top edge of the banner to the dowel.  Then, I rolled the fabric over the glue line for about 1 inch (to hide the messy glue and create a clean look).

You're done!

It doesn't get any easier.

Wouldn't this be a fun little project for birthday parties?

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*first image and last two images, courtesy of Amanda Bevington Modern Photography*

Custom Onesie Clothesline

To add a little bit of spunk to my friend's recent baby shower, I made a group of custom onesies and hung them on a clothesline near the beverage bar.  Keeping with the "Bb" theme... each one said something a little different.  And, our Bumble Bee (that also made an appearance on the invites, menus, and note cards) was again a major star of the clothesline:

They were a festive accent to the party... and in about 8 months, they'll make cute little outfits for the new baby.

This DIY project was super easy. 

Here's how I did it...

I bought a 5-pack of white Gerber onesies at Michael's for $10.99...

And a pack of iron-on transfer sheets for $4.99...

Once I was back in my office, I opened the pack of onesies and got to work.  On the computer, I created four different onesie designs.  I used Adobe Illustrator, but any basic program would work (I've said it before, but Microsoft PowerPoint is a really versatile program that let's you import images, manipulate text, etc.  You could easily use PowerPoint if you don't have any fancy programs like Adobe Illustrator)

So, here's what I came up with...

I created four designs-- repeating the Bumble Bee to create a symmetrical look and emphasize the "Bb" theme:

Then-- this step is KEY-- I flipped each image so that it would print out correctly onto the transfer paper.  Flipping images in Illustrator is easy, but if you're using PowerPoint you'll need to go into "Format" and under the tab "Rotate" click "flip vertical".  It's as easy as that.  When you're done flipping, each one looks like this:

Load your printer with transfer paper, and hit "print".  Once printed, I cut out each design, getting my scissors as close as possible to the graphic.  I didn't want a lot of extra transfer paper around the design-- by cutting each image close, you'll create a clean transfer that's more professional looking. 

Place each cut out with the image side down:

image is centered and ready for a hot iron

I ironed and ironed and ironed again.  It took several sessions to get each image to stick.

once the transfer has completely cooled, carefully peel off the backer paper.

And, that's it.

Adorable custom onesie.

*hand wash in cool water, and line dry*

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last two images courtesy of Amanda Bevington Modern Photography

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DIY: Cookie Bag Party Favors

At the baby shower, we gave out tiny cellophane bags filled with lemon shortbread cookies as party favors.  Each one was labeled with "we 'heart' brooke" (our honored mommy-to-be)... and the backside read "thank you for coming!"

This DIY project was fun and very easy!  I think that it could easily translate to birthday parties (or better yet, engagement parties!).  So, here's how I made the cookie bags...

It all started with this heart-shaped paper puncher from Martha Stewart:

Then, I bought a book of colorful scrapbook paper at Michaels for $19.99...

you could also use plain construction paper, or even strips of colorful fabric.

and, about 30 cellophane bags.

On the computer, I created a label that was the same width as the cellophane bags.  I used Adobe Illustrator to create the graphic, but you could easily use Microsoft Word or even PowerPoint (which is a very versatile program, by the way). 

The backside of the label would look like this:

Since I wanted each label to fold over the bag, the backside design needed to be flipped. (If you don't have Adobe Illustrator and you would like a message on the backside, I recommend using PowerPoint.  You can flip images/text in all directions under the "Format" tab).  When it was all said and done, the file looked like this...

From there:  print, cut paper to size, and fold in half.

Punch each label with the heart-shaped puncher. 

Insert a colorful strip of scrapbook paper, and you have an adorable and festive label!

We had originally planned on filling the bags with candy, but then I spotted these cookies at Trader Joes:

Heart-shaped cookies to match my heart-shaped paper label!

Plus, the cookies were delicious so we knew that guests would love them.

(my friend, Kari, helping me stuff cellophane bags with cookies)

(me, cookie wrapping the day before the shower)

Once the labels are stapled into place, you're finished!

(if you're a perfectionist like me, and you want the staples to be hidden...  simply staple the scrapbook paper to the cellophane bag to seal it shut.  Then with double-sided tape, layer the pretty label on top.  Voila!  No staples showing)

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Yard Work 2011: Dry Stack Rock Planter

It seems that May is the month for yard work around here.  Last year, we busted our butts clearing out overgrown brush (and even filled a 30 foot dumpster!).  And this year?  We've been moving plants around, removing trees, planting grass... and building a dry stack rock planter!  It was a really fun project and I'm going to share the step-by-step process with you today.  Talk about instant gratification.  This project cost us ZERO dollars and about an afternoon of hard work.

Here's how it went down...

We started with the Walnut tree in our front yard.  It's a very large tree that stands prominently to the side of our house.  Since we have large rocks scattered all throughout the yard (in a flower bed here, behind the shed there...  they're sort of all over the place), my husband came up with the brilliant idea of collecting all the rocks and building a dry stack rock wall around the Walnut tree.  I thought "This is a great idea!" and at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon, we started working...

What's a "dry stack wall", you ask?  It's basically a rock wall without any mortar.  Stacked rock.  Dry, please. 

Simple as that.

Soooooo....

(bean boots)

At this stage in the game, it was after 8pm and the street lights came on. 

I think our neighbors thought we were crazy-- we stacked rock until it was dark! 

I must tell you...

And, this is what that tree looks like today!

Let's take another look, shall we?

(up close and personal with the dry stack)

Doesn't it look great?  We're so psyched about it. 

Plus, it makes for a much better view when enjoying the front porch. 

Do you guys remember what this yard looked like last year???

This is a wide shot from today:

Such a difference.

Can we talk about grass seed for a sec?  We tried both Scott's aaaaand Pennington's.  At about $50.00 a bag, you don't want to buy the wrong seed...  so, if I can help you out?  Pennington's is better.  And they are not paying me to say that.  For our yard, it was just better.

Hope that helps all you homeowners out there who have a difficult lawn.

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Repointing Brick

Over the Christmas break, my husband and I took on some winter projects around the house.  We made the inital steps to organize the basement by purchasing a few of these shelving units, and we repointed the brickwork on an old chimney in the attic.

Let me just say that before we bought this house, I didn't know a single thing about brickwork (why would I?).  But living in this place is like taking a college course in home maintenance, with some major hands-on work.  And, I get to share all of my new found knowledge with you!

What does it mean to "repoint" brick?  Repointing brick is a process of replacing mortar that has deteriorated between brick joints.  Basically, brick masonry can last over 100 years.  However, if it's exposed to extreme elements (like regular water penetration), the soft mortar between the bricks can erode and cause severe structural damage.  In our case, an old roof leak had left one of our chimneys in pretty bad shape.  The joints between the brick had completely eroded and a nearby support beam was starting to rot.

up close and personal with our nasty chimney.  see the rotted beam, mineral deposits, and eroded mortar... all are a result of water damage (from a previous roof leak).

mineral deposits and a rotting support beam

my husband raking away old, crumbling mortar (to make way for the new mortar).

after the mortar clean up, we removed the rotted beam.

I'm sorry, I didn't take any pictures of the mortar mix.  The ratio of your mix is very important when repointing brick-- you'll need the right combination of lime and sand (we used about 3 parts sand and one part lime putty).  If the mix is too hard, it can fight with your brick and cause even more damage.

Here is what the chimney looks like after the repair...

Since this chimney will be hidden behind the walls of the 3rd floor, we didn't take too much time making it look pretty.  However, you can remove some of the excess mortar with a mild acid wash.

repointed brickwork

my husband, securing the new beam (to replace the rotted one).

All done!

As you can see in these images, the 3rd floor and attic have new insulation!  I have yet to post about the new insulation, but promise to do so in the fear future.

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Is anyone else struggling to get back into the swing of things after the long holiday?  Or, am I the only one who can't bring herself to get out of a warm bed every morning?

xoxo,

Kelly

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