{DIY :: friendship.bracelets}

i think i may have been bitten by the "crafty bug" these past few weeks.  but i really dislike the word craft, sounds too much like crap.  sorry, it does.  let's go with the "DIY inspirational bug".  yes that's a mouth full, but much better. 

so today let's talk friendship bracelets... or as i like to say in my head "frannnship bracelets."  yes, those awesome bracelets you used to make as a kid are full fledge back in style.  HOLLA.  that's all i have to say about that.  when i saw the above images on Pinterest from the "honestly...wtf" blog ... side note :: i think that blog name is absolutely redonkulous.  i just like going there to giggle at it's name... among all the other beautiful DIY posts.  ok.  tangent over... i knew what i would be doing over the weekend.  insert the crap craft store and a little embroidery floss <--- again... hilarious in my book ... and i was ON it!

 

so to work i went....  i had exciting friday AND sunday nights 

with my glass of vino, streaming episodes of mad men on netflix

and some friendship bracelets.

  i am QUITE happy how they turned out.  now to make some more for my actual friends.  selfish me has kept these "friendship" bracelets all to myself. 

 on a side note... here's a little glimpse into my sunday afternoon...

 

all while wearing these bad boys from target. i'm SOOOO ready for fall!!

sooooo... you still want to be my "frannn"??

{aw}

{DIY :: repurposing.frames :: inspiration.chalkboard.frame}

i'm a sucker for a good frame "repurposing."  especially when they move from one of my closet floors to actually being used.  ahem...  moving forward.  i have a couple "repurposing" projects to show you today. 
project#1
first up is a little photo that's been hanging in my room that i just don't love anymore.  i bought this at target about 5 years ago and it's nice, but i wanted to change it up.  how nice of target to sell this where it's totally closed off (insert sarcasm) ...enter the handy dandy exacto knife. 

  anyone else remember exacto knifes from "technology" class in middle school??  i do.  i was that crazy kid that wanted to cut perfect straight lines in everything.  ok.  back to the point here...i was determined to use that frame because it was the perfect size for this...

  after cutting off the backing to the target frame and digging out the picture that was in there (wasn't as easy as i thought, but i DID IT!) ... this is the newest addition to my bedroom.  i love the pop of color it brings to gray walls.

katie daisy prints make my house so beautiful!

project#2

last week i found an awesome frame at goodwill for $4.99 that i knew would be perfect for finally making a project that my friend mary austin recommended to me after i tweeted that i could hang quotes in every inch of my house.  she recommended a chalkboard for changing out inspiring verses and quotes.  done.  well fast forward a few months and then it's "done." so here it it goes... a little DIY.  are you ready for this goodness?  well the AFTER is goodness, the BEFORE is straight up hideous...

here's what i needed for my inspiration chalkboard frame.  spray paint color of your choice.  not sure if this is even the appropriate type of spray paint, but it was the only one wal-mart had in the color i wanted, so i made it work. cost $3.77  the dry non-sanded grout i found at my local hardware store for $2.59.  this stuff will last forever. the paint is from wallyworld as well $2.47... we're going for a total cost of about $14 bucks folks.  that's not too shabby.  chalkboard paint alone can be that much.  plus making it this way you can actually make it any color you want AND make as much as you want.

here's our BEFORE frame after i took out the "lovely" picture.

throw on a few coats of turquoise goodness and booyah! 
it already looks SO much better.

back inside while i let that dry, i poured about 1.5 tsp of the grout into a cup and added about 1/4 cup of black paint.  i used a sponge paint brush to paint on the chalkboard paint.

time to say goodbye to this and HELLO to a brand new chalkboard.

 once i finished painting 3 coats on that one i realized i had a lot of chalkboard paint left.  insert stack of frames on my coat closet floor.  awww... how cute was my sister and how LONG was her hair?!?.  sorry sister... i'm not hanging you in my house, but thanks mom and dad for the frame!

so i threw some spray paint on that one too and painted the cardboard backing that was behind my sister's picture with the chalkboard paint.  once the chalkboard paint dried on both, i "primed" them by covering the whole board in chalk then washing them off.  honestly i don't think this step is necessary at all, but oh well...

and there you have it folks, not one, but TWO chalkboard inspiration frames for mi casa.  i'm in love with them. 

{happy.DIYing}

aw

{DIY :: inspiration board}

my "office" at home is still a wreck work in progress, but a few months ago i stumbled across a picture of a little inspiration board that i loved, but knew i could make much less expensive than buying so i set out to do just that!  sadly, i can't find the original image, but upon seeing it i knew it was definitely something i wanted beside my desk at home that i could change out whatever may be inspiring me at any given moment.   here's what you will need...

the hardware :: clear pushpins, bulldog clips, & a hanger

the pushpins i had, the bulldog clips i purchased at walmart, & the hanger i had. 

cost = $8

next you will need a board.  

you choose the size.  i just went into the plywood department at lowe's where they have a scrap section.  i found this lovely piece of wood below.  i loved the texture and knew it'd be pretty easy to press the pins into as well as the hanger. the guy working gave it to me for $FREE.99! yep.  he even cut the piece that i wanted in half so i could make 2.  

cost  = $0

so while you're at lowe's getting your wood, head on over to the paint department for the best part!  picking your color. lowe's and probably a few other paint places have these awesome "samples" you can buy for about $3 of most colors.  i actually bought 2 different colors a grey and a red.

cost = $6

so then i went to work... painting, measuring, pushing pins.  hard work i tell ya.  hard. work.

depending on the size of your board and the amount of clips you use, your space will vary in between clips.  i am definitely not too great at math so this was the hardest part for my feeble creative mind.

and there you have it!  

the most lovely (and cheapest... $14 buckaroos for 2!) little inspiration board. change out whatever whenever to what inspires you the most.  i threw a few things in there that have inspired me lately and just love how it turned out.  please excuse the unfinished state that is my office shelves.  i cringe at their lack of completion, but i digress. maybe one day i'll have some more pictures of that project.

 

so what are you waiting for?!?  get out there & make your own!

{happy.DIYing!}

aw