I thought it was Labor Day

...and I was able to convince Cricket to finish some yard projects this weekend.

We built a new flower bed. I'd bought some blackberries, strawberries,  knockout roses, and perennials a few weeks ago, so we finally got them in the ground. We desperately need a new fence to gain some privacy from the neighbors, but the greenery will have to do until we can decide what we want to do.

It complements the dahlia garden quite nicely, too.

 

Lowe's had zoysia sod, so we picked up about 40 pieces to extend the area we sodded last year. We threw in a few more pavers too. Hopefully, the color will even out as the sod takes root. It's better than the roots, weeds, and crabgrass.

We also beautified the mailbox and driveway. Mulch is magic! The trees lining our driveway looked overrun with weeds and awkward. A little weeding and a bag of mulch greatly improved the curb appeal. We planted some climbing mandevilla and lavender near the mailbox to give it a little more pizzazz. And I finally re-potted my hanging baskets into actual baskets instead of the plastic tubs they came in.

Our garden is well on its way with a few cherry tomatoes about ready to eat. The rest of the veggies are dragging behind, but surely they'll be showing their leaves soon.

state of the art [part 2]

a while back, i designed some graphic art prints for our guest room. after framing them in ikea frames, i finally got them up on the wall. though i'm not quite ready to reveal the full room yet...you can let your imagination run.

[yep, the light switch is wearing a mustache + spectacles!]

you've seen the chevron rug i made.

now the art.

each state is a shout-out to family who'll likely be sleeping there the most.

california...

arkansas + texas...

ohio...

want the art? you can download it here for free.

full reveal coming soon...

chippy door coat rack

i introduced you to my chippy door in november, remember her? she was $40 (which was a little more than i'd hoped to originally pay for an old door, but given the odd size constraints my project required, i succumbed, and she was worth it.) poor thing was sitting outside at Scott's Antique Market, wasting away growing character in the elements just waiting to find a home.

[door awaiting her new lease on life]

 well, her time has come for a second life.

our hallway is host to our electrical panel, which, as we all know is an eyesore. but you can't completely block the panel because you'll inevitably be fumbling around in the dark to flip the breakers. our house doesn't have much of a foyer, mudroom, or entryway. this leaves our guests without much place to hang their coats + purses during their visits.

no more...

after bringing home the oddly-shaped door (i wonder where it was originally used...it's too short for a real doorway), we let it air out on the patio for a few days until we were able to gently sandblast it to remove the loose paint. be gentle--the chippy paint is part of the charm. the cobwebs are not.

once dried out, we applied a few coats of polyurethane to the door to make sure the charming paint chips wouldn't transfer to any guest's coats or handbags. let it dry overnight.

attach the hooks (mine were from anthro, on sale for $5 each).

to attach the door to the wall, it needs to be easily removable yet sturdy to handle the weight of purses (ahem...anyone else relate to Chief Brenda Lee Johnson of the LAPD?). we used simple bolts screwed into the wall's studs. it was most important to find the studs, then we adjusted the hangers on the back of the door to match. we had to be sure to cover the electrical panel while keeping it evenly spaced between the adjacent door frames. the height should be comfortable for those who will hang items here (or if things need to be out of reach of pets or kids). you don't need it to protrude from the wall too far, maybe 1/4-1/2 inch?

once you've installed the bolts into the wall, measure the distance between them. transfer those measurements to the back of your door. attach the hangers into place.

hang the door. voila!

i may add a few knobs to the center section of the door to hang smaller items, but i haven't gotten to that yet. we're pretty happy with our solution, and it looks SO much better when you walk in the front door. it hangs directly across the hall from the hall closet, so this is a super functional place for those pieces we wear daily--especially this time of year.

yeah, a piece of art would've worked, but this is also incredibly functional. design + function = win.

project cost:
reclaimed door: $40
hooks: $5 x 3 = $15
poly: already had
bolts & hangers: $5

total: $60

chevron rug diy

as i told you this summer, i was inspired by a jonathan adler rug during my trip to Boston. but for over a thousand bucks, it wasn't at all in the budget for the guest room. of course, this $69 option from urban outfitters would've been a decent option, oh well. i like the stripe scale of the adler one, but the price tag of the UO one. what's a gal to do??

[jonathan adler inspiration]

[urban outfitters inspiration]

i picked up an Erslev cotton rug at Ikea for about $40. i let the rug relax for a few weeks since it had a lot of kinks in it from being rolled up. this wasn't cricket's first time painting a rug, so that was all him. once it was relaxed, i vacuumed and began taping off the pattern.

we measured the rug and created a template from a scrap of cardboard. i used the template to mark off the stripes, then taped the lines. i used the green frog tape based on some suggestions of other bloggers--thanks all!

determining the color was the hardest part. i finally settled on Ocean Blue acrylic from Anita's. i mixed with textile medium, according to the directions, to allow the acrylic to permanently adhere to fabric. it took about 10 tubes of paint, and 5 tubes of textile medium. since hobby lobby only seemed to carry 4 tubes at a time, this project took longer than it should have.

i used a foam brush, which probably wasn't the best. towards the end, i switched to a regular bristle brush and it allowed me to get into the crevices much easier.

stay tuned for the reveal of the guest room to see how she looks in her new home. of course, after Mabel (my sister's black lab mix) visits, this will likely look entirely different. good thing we have the dyson!

by request, i've provided the dimensions of my template. i had to fudge a little where the points meet in the rug's center, but as long as you make sure the centerpoints all are aligned, you'll be in good shape! i'd love to see your works of art, so please share the results!!

state [of the] art, part 1

to add a little punch to our guest room, we wanted to add some pops of color. inspired by a blog post that referred me to a now-closed etsy shop, i fell for the idea of personalizing some graphic art prints of various US states. (i can't remember where i saw the inspiring post, sorry about that.)

since most of the folks using that room would be our family, we thought it'd be fun a fun way to make the room feel a little more like home. because i prefer collections in odd numbers, we picked the following five states:

arkansas: where my parents both currently live & my hometown
california: where Zenn [cricket's brother & sis-in-law] live
georgia: where we live, duh [and later realized no one would be using this room from here, so we scrapped this frame when we ran out of wall space]
ohio: where Hippie Sis + new hubs The Professor are saving the world, one water molecule at a time
texas: where Teacher Sis lives, shaping the future of America

i picked up 5 Ribba frames from Ikea, with aluminum frame & white mattes, for $17.99 each. the interior matted space is 11.5" square, so perfect for a 12x12 print.

[ikea ribba frame @ $17.99ea]

i played with the idea of using punch scrapbook paper as the background and cutting out solid shapes of the states. this would make them easily interchangeable if anyone decides to move elsewhere. but the scrapbook paper gods weren't on my side when i was shopping for the right mix of pattern + color, so i busted out photoshop to create the "custom" art. a little clip art & a few tutorials later, art was complete.

i shipped it off via the interweb to a print shop. a few hours and $3/each later, i popped them in the frames. determining the wall placement will be the hardest part. for now, they're just laid out on the bed. they'll make it to the wall eventually. as will the bird plates.

if you happen to have folks in the same states, or just a fondness of these particular places, you can download the art files here. i'd love to see how you use them!

arkansas
california
ohio
texas

the finished product reveal, coming soon.

upholstered headboard

my dad & sister are about to embark on a headboard project, and she asked me for my plans. ahem. well, um, hmmm... the "plans" involved some trial + error, and most importantly, figuring it out as i went.

we built the upholstered headboard a few years ago to replace my 2004 DIY'd farmhouse bed --a project that involved a borrowed circular saw, a hand-me-down drill, knotty pine boards, and stain. oh, and my apartment balcony. the moving men laughed at my construction a few years later, but i was pretty proud of my handmade product. i was poor, new to the city, single, and needed a "grown up" bed. where was Ana White when i needed her?

the upholstered version was to give us the option to change up the slipcover [read: wash it to remove dog hair] from time-to-time....which i don't think we've done since making the bed 3 years ago. oh well.

anyway, the first thing is to decide what style headboard you want to build. there are umpteen options out on the web:

nailhead trim adds some masculinity...

[nailhead upholstered headboard from west elm: $349-$599]

 a scroll shape is elegant and can be as intricate as you wish...

[scroll headboard from west elm: $399-$599]

 slipcovered allows you to change it up as you wish, but requires some sewing skillz...a simple square design is easier to slipcover, and an intricate scroll may require professional help.

[slipcovered headboard. fabric is Aviary by Robert Allen]

 tufted is more glam, but less changeable, but you can always be fun with color...

the shapes are limitless, too. a few standard options:

so once you decide your shape, determine your size.

width is determined by the width of the mattress frame. if only building a headboard, you'll need leg supports to be the width of the bed frame's attachments.

the height is really up to you. how dramatic do you want it to be? do you prefer a lower profile? just make sure the bottom of the headboard is low enough for the mattress to brace it to the wall for additional stability. it doesn't need to go all the way to the floor, just enough that the mattress "locks" it into place. the higher the headboard you want, the lower the base should be...make sense? you don't want it to topple over.

a 4x8 sheet of plywood or pegboard is an easy starting point, so try to stick with 4' high or less.

for the headboard:
create your pattern using a sheet of wrapping paper at least the height of your desired headboard, fold in half width-wise. the fold should be the center of the headboard. draw the shape you want on the headboard. cut it out. unfold to reveal a symmetrical pattern. if you don't have a piece of wrapping paper large enough, you can always create a one-sided pattern & flip it over when sketching onto your plywood.

with your pattern in hand, trace the pattern onto the sheet of plywood [use pegboard if you are creating a tufted headboard]. use a circular saw [or jigsaw if intricate] to cut out the top of the headboard.

build the frame:
cut the two legs from 1x4s to the desired length [floor to lowest point on each side of the headboard shape, less 6"]. if the center of the headboard is 6 feet tall, and the edges are 5 feet tall, the legs should each be 4'6".

place the legs frame-width apart, and cut two 1x1s to fit between them. screw a 1x1 brace at the bottom of the headboard's position. screw a 1x1 to the top of the legs. use "L" brackets to support each corner.

if building a headboard for a king bed, or a very high design, you may want to add an additional vertical 1x1 in the center.

now you should have a structure that looks sorta like this:

with the frame constructed, it's time to upholster your headboard:

lay the headboard cut-out right side up.
coat with spray adhesive and apply a layer of 2" thick foam, pressing firmly to affix.
coat with spray adhesive and apply a layer of batting on top of foam, pressing firmly.
repeat with another layer of adhesive + batting. continue to repeat until you've achieved the fluffiness desired. let dry. trim excess from edges.

if tufting, turn the headboard over and mark the desired placement for tufting. use the grid of holes as a guide to keep the tufts evenly spaced.

[pegboard marked for tufting. image source]

attach the headboard to its frame:
place the newly crafted frame on a large work surface. place the headboard, right side up, on top of it, be sure to center.
screw the headboard into the plywood/pegboard frame. be sure to attach along all edges. 
you can use extra batting to fill any screw "divots".

finish the upholstery:
cut muslin to fit the board, and wrap it tightly around the headboard (front and back). staple into place. the muslin layer will keep the batting in place and also ensure that a slipcover or decorative fabric cover has a smooth finished look.

for tufting:
using your decorative fabric, cover the front of the headboard and staple to the back of the frame, being sure to cover all edges with fabric. the fabric should be taught, but not too tight that tufts will rip the fabric.

[back of headboard tied off with buttons. image source]

with the fabric in place, use a needle and thread to work from the back of the headboard. thread through the marked holes, through the front of the board, and back through the back of the board. pull as tightly as you wish to get the preferred look. tie off the thread, using a button if desired to hold the thread in place. repeat with all tufts.

Brick City Love has a great video tutorial for tufting.


for slipcovering:
use muslin to create a pattern for your slipcover, as this will be nice to have on-hand for future updates. depending on the shape of your headboard, this could be fairly simple or pretty elaborate. enlist a pro if needed.

sew a slipcover in your desired fabric, and place on the headboard.

attach to the bed:
now that it's finished, position the bed frame against the headboard frame and screw into place. place mattress & box springs into position, so that the mattress braces the headboard to the wall. make the bed & enjoy a good night's sleep!

m3: mason chandelier

this week's magical mason monday feature is all about the mason jar chandelier. similar to the hanging lanterns featured last month, the chandelier is a cluster of lit mason jars, suspended overhead. whether hung over a formal dining table, a tree branch, an outdoor pergola, or the kitchen sink, it's definitely a conversation piece!

whether lit by battery-operated LED votives like here:

or hardwired like the exeter pendant for sale from PB:

here are some basic instructions for constructing your own chandelier, regardless of light source.

what you'll need:
mason jars WITH lids. pick a size + quantity to suit you. personally, i prefer odd-numbered groupings.
ceiling light plate
if going the hardwired route: you'll need a hanging lamp kit [like this one] for each of your mason jars + a low-wattage lightbulb for each jar [vintage if you prefer, like these]
if going the LED route: you'll need a sturdy twine or other string + a battery-operated votive for each jar

for the hardwired version:
1. remove the lid of each mason. use a hammer and nail [or larger punch] to punch a hole in each lid, equal in diameter to the width of your lamp kit's cord.
2. with a light bulb in one hand, feed the cord through the mason jar lid. tighten the lid onto the jar. you can use the kit's tension clasps to keep the bulb where you want it. repeat for each jar.
3. drill holes in your ceiling plate [either a single hole large enough to fit the multiple cords, or individual holes for each jar's cord]. do not drill a hole too big, as the cords will slip through + come crashing down!!

4. pull the cords through the hole until you have each jar at its desired length from the ceiling. once you've perfected your cluster, tie a knot in the cords to prevent them from slipping through the ceiling plate.
5. install + enjoy. if you aren't electrically qualified, you may want to have an electrician install the light fixture.

for the battery-operated version:

1. remove the lid of each mason. use a hammer and nail [or larger punch] to punch a hole in each lid, equal in diameter to the width of your twine.
2. feed the twine through the mason jar lid. tighten the lid onto the jar. you can knot the twine on either side of the lid to keep it in place. repeat for each jar.
3. place a glue dot on the bottom of your battery-operated votive. place in the bottom of each jar, pressing down to secure.

4. drill holes in your ceiling plate [either a single hole large enough to fit the multiple lengths of twine, or individual holes for each jar's twine ]. do not drill a hole too big, as the twine will slip through + come crashing down!!
5. pull all of the twine through the hole until you have each jar at its desired length from the ceiling. once you've perfected your cluster, tie a large knot in the twine to prevent them from slipping through the ceiling plate.
6. install + enjoy. this version will require you to access the battery lights in order to turn them on/off + occasionally swap out the batteries. be sure to install in an easy-to-access place + at an accessible length.

enjoy!

French Drain

As part of the landscaping patio project, we installed a French drain. We had some issues with water in our crawl space, so we were convinced the existing drain wasn't working.

The first step was to remove the existing French drain. It was improperly installed and didn't have a filter sock. As a result, the pipe had collapsed, and--much to the pleasure of Lula & visiting Abby--there was a dog toy stuck in the pipe. [i would be lying if Abby + i didn't take a little fetch break while cricket dug away at the trench. but it was a short break. i promise. the old girl needs her kicks!]

Deepen the trench to at least 12", so that it slopes away from the house. We extended the length of the drain so it would empty near a future flower bed instead of the middle of the lawn.

Fill the bottom of the trench with drainage rock:

Lay the perforated pipe into the trench:

We also tied in the downspout to the trench, to move that water away from the house, too. This was done by cutting a length of perforated pipe to the length where the downspout would join the trench. Both the downspout pipe and the perforated pipe were fed into the top of the "Y" and placed into the trench. Then, a piece of perforated drainpipe was inserted into the opposite end of the "Y" and laid into the remaining length of the trench.

The end of the perforated pipe should come to the surface of the ground, following a slight incline if necessary for the slope.

Once the drainpipe is in the trench, cover with drainage rock.

Cover the drainage rock with sand and topsoil and sod. Or, you could continue the project and cover with sod, pavers, and a fancy new patio!

Voila.

The hardest part is the digging. And the digging. Did I mention the digging? Since this was part of a larger patio makeover, we rented a tiller--which definitely helped the process along. Removing the existing trench's gravel was painful. I felt like we spent 5 hours moving dirt from one pile to another. But, so far, despite the crazy tornadoes and thunderstorms of the past week, we haven't seen much water in the crawlspace. It's definitely an improvement. SUCCESS!!

project costs:
25 foot flex perforated drainpipe with filter sock: $20
5 bags of sand: $16
7 bags of drainage rock: $24
tiller (though rented for another project too): $34

this was also a great excuse to purchase:
a wheelbarrow (for hauling the sand + rock)