re-purpose – Page 5 – Love My DIY Home

Do You DWO or DIY?

Do You DWO or DIY? We are now through the Christmas season and it’s time to think about perspective and balance with the new year just around the corner. I heard complaining – a LOT of complaining about the “cost” of Christmas and how it has become a boring/stressful/unremarkable/frustrating time of year. This set me to thinking. Why do some people dread this holiday season? They forget (or don’t care) about the reason for the season. They wait until the last minute to buy gifts and end up spending too much money. They take no delight in the music or decorations, seeing them as commercial and garish – reminders of the stress of the Christmas season. They see their family and friends as sponges, trying to suck the life out of them – they are hard to buy for or appear unthankful and selfish. Their gift giving becomes an expected … Read more

Dresser Turned TV Stand

It is a new day. I woke at 4:45 this morning and couldn’t turn my brain off. As always my mom pops in my mind and since the stress of her dire condition is ever present, I couldn’t get back to sleep. At least it wasn’t like yesterday. I woke at 2am and didn’t go back to sleep until 6:30 and then it was only for 45 minutes. I had to go to work that morning and by the time I got to the hospital at 2:15 that afternoon, I was dragging. Fortunately they have a nice family lounge and I took a few zzz’s listening to music while Jillian and Taylor continued their vigil. Thank the Lord for power naps and music apps. So, I am delivering my Dresser Turned TV Stand I told you about. It seems so nostalgic to me to tell you about this project. Making … Read more

Gift Bag Tutorial {To Work With My Hands}

DIY Gift Bags at To Work With My Hands

Occasionally I like to share resources that I think would be useful to my readers. Today is one of those days… My friend, Karen, over at To Work With My Hands has a tutorial today on DIY gift bags …made out of TRASH! You should hop right on over there and check it out. …and while you’re there, leave Karen a comment, letting her know you stopped by. Blessings!

Fifty cent tile table topper | Love My DIY Home

What Does One Do With a Fifty Cent Tile?

What does one do with a 50¢ 12X12 tile? Tile a floor (a VERY small floor) Use it as a cutting board Use it as a trivit (for a VERY big mug) Paint it with chalkboard paint and prop it against the counter top for a menu Put it beneath a plant to protect your floor Use it as a centerpiece for a bowl of fruit (8 year old Isaac’s suggestion) What did I do with a 50¢ 12X12 tile? I found this tile at Habitat for Humanity for 50 cents and I immediately thought about my antique nightstand that holds my Young Living oils diffuser. I was a little concerned the mist would damage my table top, so when I saw this tile on the cheap I snatched it up. Here it is – notice I did nothing to it before I took the picture. Real life. I am … Read more

Are you tired of expensive planting supplies?

Here are two DIY planters you can make with trash. Yep, that’s right. Trash Free, easy, and green – literally. Cut the bottle in half. Remove the cap. Flip the top half and stuff it into the bottom half. Grab a coffee filter and place it in the top half. Fill it with potting soil. Plant a seed and watch it grow! See how the water drains into the bottom but no dirt falls through? Genius! You can cut off the bottom of another pop bottle and place it on top to create a green house affect. We did this back in May when we started our seeds. Here’s the little seedling I transplanted into the pop bottle planter. I used t’paper rolls for my first DIY planter. Yep. I said t’paper rolls. First, collect t’paper rolls for a few months. Pop them into a large planter and fill … Read more

The Thirteenth Colony Antique Store | Love My DIY Home

The 13th Colony Antiques of Minoqua

We came across The 13th Colony on our way to Minoqua. WI. There are three reasons I stop to shops like this: 1. I like to support Mom & Pop shops. 2. I enjoy getting ideas for my own home, mostly on how to use what I already have in a new and different way. 3. It helps me establish what I do and don't like for my decor. I rarely buy anything at places like this because I am a DIY'er and very cheap! But I did find their prices reasonable and the selection of never before seen products was intriguing. They were kind enough to let me photograph their store. I'll let the photo essay do the talking. I’m also planning to write a short essay for this one as I find this amusing. If you also like to create beautiful essays, then … Read more

Upcycle old photo frame into a French Photo Board DIY

DIY French Photo Frame Tutorial – Re-purpose Old Picture Frames Part 4

Here’s another frame project completed. In November 2013 I talked about upcycling old unused photo frames here. Let’s face it. We get tired of our old stuff and want need changes in our home. It’s who we are. No sense in fighting it. We can have change for pennies rather than spending money on something someone else did. Here is my inspiration photo: source I searched through my boxes and found an old oak framed sports collage and painted it with a light tan spray paint. To bet on sports events, sites like sip777 are always available. I didn’t sand it because I like the way the paint scatters somewhat and grain shows through just a bit. It will be hanging on the wall, so I’m not concerned about scratching or paint wearing off. Since I am in Wisconsin, I took it out in the garage, sprayed it with Satin … Read more

Visit My Guest Post at The Welcoming House Blog – DIY Pedestal Serving Dishes

Heather at The Welcoming House asked me to share a DIY craft with her for her blog as a guest post. Her blog features everything from DIY home decorating to recipes. Please visit her blog and read about my DIY Pedestal Serving Dishes. They were super easy and cheap to make and great for Christmas! Let me know what you think!

Easy DIY Christmas Pillows by Thrifty Decor Chick

Thrifty Decor Chick had a nifty Christmas craft on her blog Tuesday that I just have to share with you. You know, you think you've seen it all and wonder how anyone could come up with anything new – and then they surprise you and do. This is the cutest thing and I'm definitely going to do this for my Christmas decorating this year. Here's an excerpt from Sarah's "A Quick and Easy Holiday Project." "In the past couple of years I’ve fallen in love with holiday-themed pillows this time of year. I just think they’re a festive addition, and all you do is toss. Toss, toss! (Name that musical.) Throw one or two on a sofa or chair and the room instantly feels Christmasy. Try it. It works. Well the past couple of after Christmas sales I’ve picked up a few more placemats to make my favorite pillows EVER. … Read more

DIY Framed Wire Tool Hanger – Re-purpose Old Picture Frames Part 2

This is the second in my How-to Series on Re-purposing Old Picture Frames Here’s my first post with a list of 10 DIY projects to upcycle old picture frames. The plan was to do this last week, but we had a special delivery just after Thanksgiving. We welcomed in a new grandson. All my plans for the rest of the week went out the window! But, I’m back now with a nifty little project for you. It’s easy. It’s cheap. It’s useful. It’s a great decor item. I’m using it as a tool hanger in my craft room. but really, it could be used for just about anything. Use it to hang photos, craft supplies, kitchen tools, office supplies…anything goes. 1. I started with an old frame that I had used to display my kids’ sports pictures. 1. 2. To remove the glossy finish, I sanded the frame with a … Read more