Entry 06: Pleated Table Runner

~ Inspiration Photo ~

I love these simple and rustic table runners, but you know me I'm not going to shell out the $63.00 they are asking. So, here goes........

Step One: Measure and cut to fit your table. I allowed for 4 inches overhang on each side.

Step Two: Hem both sides of the runner.

Step Three: Pin and measure pleats, I measured 2 inches in between pleats.

I'd say it should only take 30 minutes, mine.... well it took several hours due to my little 10 month old running around. He so intrigued by the sewing peddle and the power cord. :)

Entry 05: Merry Christmas!

Life at the K's has been busy! This year I had planned to do a lot of DIY holiday decor, with only 6 days till Christmas I don't think I'll accomplish it all. My favorite completed project this year is a music sheet wreath, I am in LOVE with how it turned out. Find the inspiration tutorial here: http://missmustardseed.com/2009/12/theres-nothing-new-under-sun/

In our house the holidays have already begun, I am very excited to celebrate our son's first Christmas! Stay tuned in the New Year, I have lots of exciting projects to share. Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Entry 04: DIY Chalk Paint

I found this beauty at the Antique market, just begging for a home. I visited it twice before I decided to pick it up. When I took it home it was in terrible condition, it needed a real cleaning. At the market they had it sitting outside, so it had a little bit of water damage. This is the before...


I sanded down the entire cabinet, I bought a new orbit sander last week...and seriously LOVE it! It's my new favorite thing. For painted furniture project likes this, I prefer to use Behr Premium Plus- It's painter and primer all in one. I painted the first coat with Paris Grey.



The recipe for the chalk paint (not to be confused with chalkboard paint) is very simple. I mixed 1 cup of paint with 2 tbls of Plaster of Paris. The consistency of a thick paste. I then did two coats of paint over the Paris Grey in basic base white. I then took my orbit sander and distressed. When I started to distress it revealed a pink color under the grey, which I think just adds more character.

I am sharing this over at:

Entry 03: Drop Cloth Re-Upolstery

This chair has somewhat been a pain for me, normally I love taking anything and giving it a makeover...however, I think this was a bit ambitious for my first re-upholstered project! Nevertheless, I am happy with how it turned out!

Before:After:

The thrift store chair cost $25.00, Spray paint $ 5.00, and drop cloth $16.00. Total cost of the project is $46.00!

I was planning to make this a tutorial project however, I would like to give all the credit and tips for this project from one of my favorite blogs- Design Intervention.

Entry 02: DIY Topiary

Before I start, I just wanted to say that I know I promised to post my thrift store re-upholstery project as this post. But, I'm a perfectionist and so have decided to postpone it till I'm 100% satisfied with the end result. So until then..

Topiaries have been popping everywhere on the home decor scene and I have been on a hunt to find some... but didn't want to spend $20 for each. So, I headed to the dollar store and did the whole project for under $5 for the pair!

I started out with terracotta pots, which I painted (in lienen) and distressed previously. I then used my trusty hot-glue gun to attach the moss to the styrafoam balls (watch out, this moss gets everywhere...I was vacuuming it up for days!). I finished by trimming off all the excess moss (rounding as I went) and they were ready to go!

Entry 01: Empty Frames As Wall Art

I don’t know about you, but I like my house to reflect my style and personality. While I do love Big Box stores, I don’t love my house looking like a carbon-copy from a page of their catalogs - especially when it comes to wall art.

My DIY project this week is turning old or unused picture frames into wall art. ALL of my DIY projects are done on a budget and this one cost under $10 total!

I started out by gathering all my frames and choosing a color to paint them. Tip: Don’t buy the budget brand spray paint because the dollar saved is not worth the sacrifice in quality. The brand I prefer to use is: Painters Touch. I chose a high gloss black for this project and sprayed all my frames with one coat of paint. I let them dry for a good 3-5 hours before handling.

Before hanging, I laid them out on the floor to play with the layout. Once I had decided on the layout, I hung the center frame and worked my way out to the sides. And if you are like me, pictures are never level once I hang them, so that's where MR.Kandlestix came in handy.

Once you you've hung all your picture frames, step back and make sure they are level and centered on your wall. It took some time to pick and prep the picture frames, but I am proud of how the project turned out!

I am sharing this project over at:

Stayed tuned for the next project, where I am going to reupholster a thrift store find!