As for our rental, we’ve been able to make it “home”. We knew this home would be a temporary one and would be tight quarters. But it has been the best little starter home for us just getting settled back into California again and is just minutes away from family. We’ve added our own touch to the house to make it our own, so let’s take a tour shall we?!
First stop is the living room: I wanted this space to feel calm and inviting yet kept minimal. Our sofa is the Farlov from IKEA and while many may shy away from a white sofa with kids, it is my choice because of how easy it is to keep clean! Yes, you heard that right! I throw the slipcovers in the wash about once a month and it all comes out looking brand new! We are t careful with it either.. little dirty footprints and all come right out.
The girls room: Unfortunately we had to downsize and the girls now are sharing a room, but they have loved it, and I sure had fun designing it! I wanted a room that would work well for both of them and easy to keep clean. The bunk system we found secondhand and scored a major deal on. It was originally from Pottery Barn Kids and was a navy blue. We broke out the paint sprayer and gave it some love and cannot believe the transformation!
While being quarantined, we have had to become pretty resourceful when it comes to crafting materials... but I’m not complaining. It has actually been fun for a change to think of fun and festive holiday crafts to do with the kiddos using only what we have on hand! Today, I am sharing these easy to make, Easter wands. My kiddos have loved running around the house with them and even playing puppet show with the bunny wands. Below I will add a list of all materials we went with, but keep in mind, if you don’t have all of this on hand, get creative with what you do have! Let the kids have some fun and draw their own shapes, use ribbon instead of yarn, or even paint on cardboard instead of paper... happy crafting!
Materials Used:
1. Paper Straws
2. Watercolor Paper
3. Yarn
4. Hot Glue (to attach paper to wand)
5. Glitter & Glue
6. Watercolor Paint
How To Make:
1. Start by free hand drawing your desired shapes onto your watercolor paper.
2. Get creative and paint your shapes as desired with watercolor paint.
3. After letting dry, cut out your shapes.
4. Next, add a little glue and some glitter for embellishment.
5. Attach your shapes to the paper straws using hot glue.
6. Add desired yarn or ribbon.
Don’t forget to check back again tomorrow for another daily busy box activity!
Don’t forget to check back again tomorrow for another daily busy box activity!
MONDAY’S BUSY BOX: Paper Plate Easter Baskets
Welcome to the kick off of our daily busy box activities! Today, we are sharing this super simple craft, perfect for all ages. All you need are 4 supplies... so let’s get started!
WHAT YOU NEED:
• (2) Plain Paper Plates
• Scissors
• Paint + Brushes
• Hot Glue Gun + Hot Glue
• Optional: Yarn, Ribbon, Basket Filler
HOW TO:
1. Start by painting the back sides of your plates
2. Once paint is dry, flip the plate to the inside and
draw a straight line across the middle of the plate
3. Cut along the straight line and semi circle of both plates
4. Once both plates are cut, line up both plates face to face to match
5. Hot glue the rims of the plates together
6. Optional: Make a Pom Pom, add ribbon or basket filler
After your baskets are finished, decorate a few paper Easter eggs and slip them inside!
Check back tomorrow for another fun and festive craft...
Are you at a loss for how to keep your little ones entertained while schools are closed?
Each week we will be sharing daily activities to keep those little hands busy so they don’t completely destroy the rest of your house! We know that this time can be challenging, and money is tight. Our mission is to create activities using products you already have around your home. We are all in this together and will get through it one day at a time... our hope is that these ideas will spark creativity and will allow for some much needed quiet and bonding time while also being fun!
Each Sunday, we will post our daily activities for the upcoming week so that you have time to plan your boxes. In all, we have 5 boxes (one for each day, Monday - Friday). Each one labeled with the day and pre-planned materials in each box for that day’s activity. Easy for grab and go crafting!
We will walk you through each day’s activity and all that you will need, but feel free to get creative and if you don’t have a supply on our list, use what you do have around the house.
THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITIES
Monday: Paper Plate Easter Baskets
Tuesday: Easy To Make Easter Wands
Wednesday: Watercolor Egg Garland
Thursday: Printable Easter Crafts
Friday: Faux Egg Decorating + Berry Basket
Check back daily for the full tutorial and a list of supplies needed for each project!
Last week I shared the mood board for the girl's room, and while that project is the main focus right now, I couldn't help but put a design plan into motion for our living room. It is the space where we spend the most of our time as a family and I have been itching to have it feel a little more like home.
Moving into a new home, and in our case a rental, decorating a new space can be a challenge. As I stated in my last mood board share, in this home I am changing up my decor style and nearly starting from scratch. Because of this, I really want to pick pieces that I love and be intentional about what I am spending money on. Having a design plan/ mood board to work off of helps to keep all of that on track and allows me to see how each room will flow together in my home.
We sold nearly all of our big furniture before our move and started fresh upon arriving in California and one of the very first purchases we made was a new sofa. I have had my eye on the IKEA FARLOV SOFA and fell in love with its sleek modern lines but and slight curve in the arms. The biggest thing I look for in a sofa with young kids is washability, and while most shy away from a white sofa, I personally love it. You can use oxy-clean or bleach to get anything out!
Speaking of washability, I am excited to share a little more about the area rug I have added into our design plan for our living room... With kids, again, spills and dirt happen. Imagine if you could just throw your area rug in the washer? Well, with this one you can! Yes, you can wash it, literally. We decided to go with the SORAYA TRELLIS ASH GRAY RUG from RUGGABLE. I will go more in depth about the features of this rug in our room reveal, but you can bet the investment in a washable rug is worth it!
As well as the girl's room, I will be bringing you along with us as we start to put this room together and of course the full completed reveal. For now, I have linked all of the items included in this design for you to shop below. Disclaimer - some affiliate links used * A small comission from the purchase of these affiliate links goes to help support this little blog of mine and is greatly appreciated! No additional cost will be added to your transaction.
Moving into a new home, and in our case a rental, decorating a new space can be a challenge. As I stated in my last mood board share, in this home I am changing up my decor style and nearly starting from scratch. Because of this, I really want to pick pieces that I love and be intentional about what I am spending money on. Having a design plan/ mood board to work off of helps to keep all of that on track and allows me to see how each room will flow together in my home.
Speaking of washability, I am excited to share a little more about the area rug I have added into our design plan for our living room... With kids, again, spills and dirt happen. Imagine if you could just throw your area rug in the washer? Well, with this one you can! Yes, you can wash it, literally. We decided to go with the SORAYA TRELLIS ASH GRAY RUG from RUGGABLE. I will go more in depth about the features of this rug in our room reveal, but you can bet the investment in a washable rug is worth it!
As well as the girl's room, I will be bringing you along with us as we start to put this room together and of course the full completed reveal. For now, I have linked all of the items included in this design for you to shop below. Disclaimer - some affiliate links used * A small comission from the purchase of these affiliate links goes to help support this little blog of mine and is greatly appreciated! No additional cost will be added to your transaction.
Source List:
AREA RUG | SOFA | ARMCHAIR | OTTOMAN | CHANDELIER | FAUX FIDDLE LEAF FIG | COFFEE TABLE | SIDE TABLE | MIRROR | PILLOWS | STOOL | SURF SHACKS BOOK
Today I am so excited to finally share our DIY daybed build that we created for our oldest daughter's room makeover in our previous home. We wanted to create a bed that fit well with the overall design of her rustic bohemian room, but also was an easy build and all done on a small budget.
Since we already had a metal bed frame for her bed, we chose to cut down on costs by only creating a faux daybed frame around her actual bed. This may sound a little unconventional, but it turned out to be a great solution to cutting wood cost and utilizing what we already had, plus with a bed skirt you can't even tell that the bed is sitting on a separate frame.
Let's dive into the build and the materials that we used:
*This post was sponsored in collaboration with Milton & King Wallpaper - wallpaper material gifted.
One other unique aspect to this build was that we used wallpaper instead of wood. Yes, you heard that right, wallpaper. Let me explain; Originally I had the idea of cutting reclaimed wood pieces into a chevron or a herringbone pattern then attaching those pieces to the plywood backing and sides of the bed. After pricing out materials, it was going to be both costly and time consuming. Not to mention the weight that the bed would actually come out to be when finished. That's a whole lot of wood. Here's where the light bulb went off in my head... why not use wallpaper that looks like actual wood!
Wallpaper is not what it used to be, there are so many realistic looking patterns out there now and many of the styles are easy to work with and apply, even for beginners. Milton & King has a great selection! From real looking shiplap, to reclaimed wood to patterned tile.
For our project, I decided to go with the Rustic French Chevron.
For our project, I decided to go with the Rustic French Chevron.
While you may look at the price and question spending that amount on a simple diy project, let me break down why we went with this option over actual reclaimed wood. As stated above, I did my research on the cost of actual reclaimed wood. Let me tell you friends, it is not cheap. They make you pay for that rustic goodness! When working with reclaimed wood, you will need to over-buy to over compensate for any cuts that may go wrong, along with the fact that many bundles of reclaimed wood are not all of the same lengths, therefore there is bound to be a lot of wasted material. Secondly, all of those cuts take time... a lot of time. Piecing them together like a puzzle. Maybe you are someone that enjoys the challenge, and kudos to you! I on the other hand am what you call a "lazy builder". Give me the fastest, easiest way to complete a project!
This project is for the fellow lazy builder or maybe someone that is just diving into their first build and may not have all of the tools or experience to make all of those angled cuts, but loves the look.
This plan is just for the BACK and SIDES of the bed. Again, we assembled the 3 sides to fit around the existing twin metal frame and bed.
Wood & materials you will need:
2 - Sheets of sanded plywood, 4 feet x 8 feet
1 - 1x4 @ 6 feet long
3 - 1x2 @ 8 feet long
3 - 2x4 @ 8 feet long
2 - 1x3 @ 8 feet long
1 - 2x2 @ 8 feet long
Tools you will need:
MITER SAW
CORDLESS NAIL GUN
SPRAY ADHESIVE
STAIN SEALER
1-1/4" KREG SCREWS
120 GRIT SANDPAPER
GLOVES
COTTON RAGS
PAINT BRUSH
After we had all of our main pieces cut to size, the first step was using our Kreg Jig to drill our pocket holes into the sanded plywood. *This is important to do before adding the wallpaper! Also, do not assemble any pieces together until you have wallpapered your plywood and have allowed it to dry overnight.
With any diy, there are always bound to be some trial and error mistakes involved, and with wallpapering raw wood, we just had to dive in and see what worked best. I started off by using regular wallpaper paste which was recommended to me by the Milton & King team. Unfortunately, because of the weight of the wallpaper (which is amazing quality I might add) and the fact that I was applying the paste to the absorbent wood, the paper wasn't sticking like it would to drywall. After brainstorming, my husband was the one to suggest a heavy duty spray adhesive. We tested it on a smaller leftover board first and it worked better than we had anticipated! It was a winner!
Follow the directions of the spray adhesive as stated on the packaging, and always remember to spray in a well ventilated area.
This is important:
You will want to ONLY apply wallpaper to the sides of the plywood that DO NOT have pocket holes on them FIRST. You will apply wallpaper to the other sides (with pocket holes) AFTER the legs are assembled to them.
Before spraying the adhesive on your plywood, cut all of your wallpaper roughly to the sizing of your plywood, leaving an extra inch or two hanging off of the edges that you will trim up later. The brand of adhesive that we used stated to spray 3 coats quickly, let stand for 1 min until tacky then apply paper. I highly suggest that you have 2 people when working on applying the paper. You will need to work quickly, and because you are papering a smaller surface than a full wall, the paper has a tendency to curl up and be difficult to lay flat without 2 sets of hands. Once your paper is placed down, smooth out with your hands, making sure to always work outwards all of the air bubbles and extra adhesive.
knife to trim up the extra wallpaper around the edges.
Next, you will attach the 2x4 legs to the sides of the bed using your Kreg bit and your 1-1/4" pocket hole screws. Once both legs are attached, you can then wallpaper over the sides with the pocket holes in them.
First cut your wallpaper approximately to size again. Before beginning to use the spray adhesive, use a piece of cardboard, a scraper tool or tape the legs off to block the spray adhesive from getting onto the legs. You then can begin spraying and laying down your sheets of wallpaper and trim up the excess after it has had ample time to dry.
Once your side pieces are wallpapered on both sides, you can assemble each side to the back headboard, creating a 3 sided frame when complete.
First cut your wallpaper approximately to size again. Before beginning to use the spray adhesive, use a piece of cardboard, a scraper tool or tape the legs off to block the spray adhesive from getting onto the legs. You then can begin spraying and laying down your sheets of wallpaper and trim up the excess after it has had ample time to dry.
Once your side pieces are wallpapered on both sides, you can assemble each side to the back headboard, creating a 3 sided frame when complete.
Once your 3 sides are assembled, you are ready to slide your twin bed (on it's metal frame) into the 3 sided frame you just completed for an easy DIY (faux) daybed!
Hey there friends! It's been a long time since I have shared anything decor related on the blog... between preparing to move, actually moving across the country and getting settled here in California, decor projects have kind of been on the back burner. Later this week I plan to share more about where we are at currently in the decorating process with our new home and catch you all up on life after the move, but today I wanted to dive into sharing the very first project on our list to come: the kid's room.
In our previous house, the girl's each had their own rooms. After moving into this home, we had planned on having the kids each in their own room again, but our current home's floor plan has one bedroom being on the first floor and the other on the third floor with the master bedroom. Call me a paranoid parent, but I just couldn't sleep at night knowing one of them was so far away! Problem is, the bedroom on the third floor is small. We are talking tiny... and trying to fit two beds in there was going to be a challenge. But, you all know me, and know I am always game for a good design challenge.
Planning out not only how we would fit both kids, plus toys and their clothing all into a small space, but how to do it all on a tight budget, I knew I had my work cut out for me. I will let you into my process of how I begin to plan and design a room:
1. Set your budget - No matter if you have a small or large budget, planning out how much you actually want/ can spend total on your project(s) keeps you on track.
2. Plan your floor plan - For this I have always found the best process to be good old pen and paper. I begin by drawing out the floor plan (this does not need to be accurate) and then draw out each piece of furniture I need to fit into the room on a separate piece of paper. I then cut those pieces out and work different layouts within the floor plan and settle on a plan that works the best.
3. Find your style - Take to Pinterest or Instagram to search similar spaces to the one you are trying to design and narrow down your style for the space you are creating. Once you have a general idea of the style direction you want to head in, source items you would like to see in your space, screen shot or save them onto a designated Pinterest board.
4. Piece it together - Make a mood board. I never get started working on a project without completing this step first. It really find it a necessity for staying on course with my style, budget and layout. This allows me to get a final feel for how the room will turn out without going out and spending money blindly. Even if I cannot find a photo of the exact item that I want or I add in an image of a product that is far outside of my budget, I can use the image for reference to find what does fit within my budget and stay on track with exactly what items I need to purchase for the space. My favorite apps to use for creating mood boards are RHONNA COLLAGE and CANVA
Below I have linked everything in this mood board : Disclaimer - affiliate links used *A small commission from the purchase of these affiliate links goes to help support this little blog of mine and is greatly appreciated! No additional cost will be added to your transaction.
In our previous house, the girl's each had their own rooms. After moving into this home, we had planned on having the kids each in their own room again, but our current home's floor plan has one bedroom being on the first floor and the other on the third floor with the master bedroom. Call me a paranoid parent, but I just couldn't sleep at night knowing one of them was so far away! Problem is, the bedroom on the third floor is small. We are talking tiny... and trying to fit two beds in there was going to be a challenge. But, you all know me, and know I am always game for a good design challenge.
1. Set your budget - No matter if you have a small or large budget, planning out how much you actually want/ can spend total on your project(s) keeps you on track.
2. Plan your floor plan - For this I have always found the best process to be good old pen and paper. I begin by drawing out the floor plan (this does not need to be accurate) and then draw out each piece of furniture I need to fit into the room on a separate piece of paper. I then cut those pieces out and work different layouts within the floor plan and settle on a plan that works the best.
3. Find your style - Take to Pinterest or Instagram to search similar spaces to the one you are trying to design and narrow down your style for the space you are creating. Once you have a general idea of the style direction you want to head in, source items you would like to see in your space, screen shot or save them onto a designated Pinterest board.
4. Piece it together - Make a mood board. I never get started working on a project without completing this step first. It really find it a necessity for staying on course with my style, budget and layout. This allows me to get a final feel for how the room will turn out without going out and spending money blindly. Even if I cannot find a photo of the exact item that I want or I add in an image of a product that is far outside of my budget, I can use the image for reference to find what does fit within my budget and stay on track with exactly what items I need to purchase for the space. My favorite apps to use for creating mood boards are RHONNA COLLAGE and CANVA
Below I have linked everything in this mood board : Disclaimer - affiliate links used *A small commission from the purchase of these affiliate links goes to help support this little blog of mine and is greatly appreciated! No additional cost will be added to your transaction.
Source List:
BUNK BEDS | FLUSH MOUNT LIGHT | WALL SCONCE | LIFEGUARD TOWER PRINT | BASKETS | DRESSER | MERMAID DOLL | DUVET COVER | STARFISH PILLOW | SURF FLAG | BEDDING
*Sheets shown in image are no longer available but here are a few similar styles: MERMAID SHEET SET | SHARK SHEET SET | WHALE SHEET SET | SEA MONSTER SHEET SET
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