Love My DIY Home

Fall Splendor – Canvasing the Neighborhood

There are times when you find the unexpected all around you and are forced to pause for a moment and take it all in. I know I drove my husband crazy today, but I just couldn’t help it. He’s the quiet unassuming humble, let’s think about it a while and don’t be too hasty kinda guy. We’re a good fit, but I didn’t always see it that way. Funny how life can change your perspective. Anyway, back to my driving him crazy today. We went out canvasing today for our church, Northside Baptist of Wausau. I was uber tired, having been up half the night working on printing a trifold for today’s event. Long story, but basically, our printer guy failed to deliver our flyers on time so I was spending oodles of time printing them on an office inkjet so we’d have them in time for this morning’s event. … Read more

DIY Chalkboard Cabinet Doors {Love My DiY Home}

DIY Kitchen Cabinet Makeover – Chalkboard Paint!

This kitchen is just so adorable. While sitting in church I had a thought…Brad and Jen just re-did their kitchen, maybe they would like it featured. Now, now, it wasn’t during preaching, so don’t think I was playing mental hookey! Grass certainly doesn’t grow under their feet. As I’m printing church tri-folds after church, the pictures are rolling in… I’ve not seen this in person, so just I’m lovin’ what they’ve done. Their space isn’t big, but their ideas certianly are. This just makes me want to grab a cup of coffee and sit down at their table – well, it’s after five p.m., so I suppose it had better be decaffeinated… Enjoy your tour – I sure am! Can you tell Brad and Jen like coffee? They attached rope lights around the window above the sink. Here is a DIY canvas art that Brad created. I explain the … Read more

DIY Canvas Tutorial

Have you seen the newest DIY project for displaying family photos or signs and graphics like subway art and quotes? I’m in the process of setting up a store that will feature such things, but I ought not get ahead of myself…. When my daughter showed me how to create these canvases I was amazed at how easy it was. I probably shouldn’t share this. The mystery of such a nice piece of art is what sells it. I suppose there will be some of you out there that just don’t want to do it yourself, so I will offer to sell them in the future once I get a good selection. Here are a couple of canvases I have in my home. These are not on the stretched canvas, but on a flat canvas panel. For this project you will need an 8×10 photograph or poster. For this tutorial, … Read more

Kitchen cupboard deco with antique ware {Love My DIY Home}

A Sentimental Journey3 – Preserving the Past Through DIY Deco

A Sentimental Journey3 – Preserving the Past Through DIY Decor This is my last post about Lisa’s DIY decor. Meet Lisa Reese, guest writer for Love My DIY Home. Thanks Lisa, for sharing your home accents with us. The Series: A Sentimental Journey 1 A Sentimental Journey 2 A Semtimental Journey 3 (You are here) Here’s a picture of the top of her kitchen cupboards that I’ve thrown in just for fun. Lisa said about her collection, “I have a collection of antique enamel ware and even a very old snow white pitcher and basin set. They’ve been in the family probably a hundred years, and I’m delighted to have a place to display them that is well out of reach of rambunctious grandchildren or klutzy grandmothers.” Featured below is her framed bobbin lace doily along with her description and tutorial. “In my quest for interesting old stuff, I … Read more

Grandma's hankies made into a valance {Love My DIY Home}

A Sentimental Journey2 – Preserving the Past Through DIY Deco

A Sentimental Journey2 – Preserving the Past Through DIY Decor As promised, here are the valances Lisa made from her grandmother’s pillow cases. What items to you surround yourself with to remind you that you are/were loved? I have my dad’s Bible on my living room bookshelf – the one he used right up until his passing, 28 years ago when I was 26 years old. It sits right next to an original The Life and Times of Abraham Lincoln, an 1865 book, complete with an old fashioned wood spine and leather cover. Lincoln is one of my heroes of the past. On the bookself next to it is a copper bust of Lincoln, a gift from Jillian and Taylor. Yep, yep, do the math – I admit it – I’m O.L.D. I can see the candle holder my son, Andrew, bought me several Christmases ago, the Woodwick candle … Read more

DIY Foaming Soap

A couple of years ago I bought foaming dish soap with a coupon. I'll try new things if I can get it for a bargain. I decided to try to make my own once it ran out. After all, it couldn't be too hard, could it? There was no way I was putting out $6.00+ for that little bit of soap. Here's my recipe. Hold onto your seats! It's really complicated…N.O.T. I filled it with water to the top of the Dawn sticker – I did think about measuring it so I could give accurate measurements, but after all, it's not rocket science. I added some regular dish soap, and voila! It foamed when I pumped it. I felt so smart! Check this out. Do you think I should be a hand model? I should probably stick with being on this side of the camera. Back to soap… I've been … Read more

Fix Up That Old Piece of Furniture in the Basement – DIY Painted Bookshelf

FIX UP THAT OLD PIECE OF FURNITURE DOWN IN THE BASEMENT My oldest daughter, April, had an old bookshelf down in her basement that she wanted to use for her homeschooling books. It looked like it had been in a circus wagon! She bought white primer and a gallon of dark brown paint from Menards and used a hand sander on the bookshelf to ready it for the primer. I was supposed to help her, but had guests on the week she wanted it done so she forged on alone. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Here is the “before” bookshelf. She sanded it, primed it, and then painted it dark brown. After April painted the bookshelf, she took a sanding sponge to it to rough it up a bit to give it the old and worn look. The Shabby Chic look is in these days. Here it … Read more

DIY garden shed handle {Love My DIY Home}

Unique DIY Garden Shed Handle

My friend, Linda, sent this picture to me. She said, “Here you go. This is my garden shed my husband and friend built for me. The original handle fell off and I got another friend to put this up instead. I stained the handle so it looked aged.” It’s amazing the things people come up with! We have an unattractive shed on our property, well, actually two of them that I’d like to spruce up like this. My poor DH. I’m always thinking up new things to do around the house. But the thing is, he’s always saying, “Happy wife, happy life.” Anyone else out there have a cute shed to show? I’m definitely in the market for ideas. Click here for a slide show by HGTV (love that channel) of some really inspiring garden sheds. Please leave a comment below if you have any ideas to share.

Fall Porch DIY Decor

A local farm was selling pumpkins for $2.00, so I bought 3 to use on my porch. There’s something very satisfying about supporting local businesses. For my fall porch deco I used my funky candle holder, a basket I found at Goodwill for $1.99 (I painted the sign with chalkboard paint), and a mum plant I bought on clearance at Walmart for $3.99. I added some of my other diy projects and some fall finery from our yard. I’ll let the pictures do the talking. Easy project – spray paint an old banged up watering can! Click here to see more fall decorating projects on my Pinterest board. What’s on your deck?

Easy DIY Fall Kitchen Decor

Nine projects – one day. Add half a dozen more. Try ths easy DIY fall kitchen decor – you will enjoy your kitchen more if it's pretty to look at. Are you happy with how you store your kitchen goods? This is how I kept my dry goods for years tucked away in my pantry – pretty unimaginative, I know. Not being a "pink" person, I was glad to get rid of that bucket. What do you have sitting around that you hate to look at? There's nothing I can say about the baking soda. It is what it is. Enter the mason jars. Five dozen mason jars in varying designs allowed me to pick out some of the unusual ones to use for my kitchen fall decor. Paint mason jar rings your accent color and then fill them with dry goods. Make use of … Read more