You can certainly buy your own garland to hang over your mantle or wrap around your staircase railing this holiday season, but why not make your own? While garland made from real or artificial greenery is traditional, this ruffled burlap garland is more unexpected. And, it will add rustic charm to your holiday décor. Even better? You don’t need to be super crafty to make your own holiday burlap garland. It’s actually really simple. You’ll feel all cheery inside when you drape your completed DIY burlap garland along your staircase railing. Here’s how to make it. Made from 5-inch rolls of burlap fabric, there’s no cutting required. You’ll need just a few other supplies to get started. What you’ll need: – Burlap fabric roll (I used two rolls of 5 inch x 10 yards that I got at Walmart.) – String (a neutral color works best) – Safety pin – Scissors This is a great craft project to do while watching T.V. Once you get the hang of it, the repetition takes over, and you’ll be done before you know it! Step 1: Measure your string First, you need to determine how long you want your garland to be....
DIY Coffee Filter Wreath
Can you believe this fluffy, snow-like wreath is made from coffee filters? Bring a wintery wonderland vibe to your front door or above your mantle by making your own coffee filter wreath. This DIY coffee filter wreath has big style, but is low budget. Grab a stack of coffee filters, make a pot of coffee (you’ll need some caffeine to power through this DIY) and get crafting. A while back I bought a pack of 700 coffee filters from Costco. At $2.59 total, I thought it was a deal that was real, and I figured they would get used up over time. Well, even with my coffee-guzzling habit, at least 500 of those coffee filters were still around after about a year. Whether you’re like me and need to use up an ill-advised bulk purchase of coffee filters or you want to make a wreath for cheap, this DIY coffee filter wreath is the way to go. You’ll need just three more supplies (besides the coffee filters) to complete the project. What you’ll need: – Wreath form (I used a straw wreath form) – Coffee filters (200-300) – Hot glue gun – Hot glue sticks Before you get started,...
Before & After: Wooden Bench Makeover
Before you hunker down for the winter, we still have a few nights left to enjoy the fall weather. I finished making over a wooden bench for my porch just in time. Cast off on the side of the road, this sad wooden bench was destined for the trash. See how I refurbished the bench—with a bit of sanding and a paint job—and gave it new life on my front porch. Abandoned in front of a house with a “free” sign taped to its front, this sweet little bench sat waiting for me to scoop it up. Its maroon paint was chipped and worn, but more in a neglected way than in the farmhouse style that’s so popular today. Despite its shabby paint and scratched up surface, the bench was sturdy. No broken legs or wobbly parts. It just needed a little TLC and a fresh paint job. Fixing this bench started with a lot of sanding. And more sanding. And taking a break when my hands hurt from all the sanding. And more sanding. The boards that made up the seat of the bench were so scratched and worn that I would have had to sand them away...
A Bright & Happy Fall Front Porch
The front porch is the welcome center to your home. You see it every time you leave and it’s there, welcoming you, after a long day at work. Shouldn’t your front porch feel warm and friendly? And, what better time to spruce up your front porch than when guests start arriving? After all, it’s that time of year. Fall gatherings. Football watch parties. Thanksgiving. Before fall’s over (why does it happen so fast!?) I wanted to share my front porch all decked out for autumn. Dressed up with just a few fall essentials, my front porch is bright, happy and welcoming. Add some fall mums In pops of bright yellow and deep burgundy, fall mums add festive fall color to your front stoop. Pop the plants into unexpected containers, like woven baskets or my plastic pumpkin planters, and your plants will be anything but boring. Bring on the pumpkins No fall porch is complete without a display of pumpkins. Orange and white pumpkins keep it classic, but you could also add in green pumpkins or warty pumpkins. A place to sit If you have the space, a simple wooden bench makes the perfect spot to plop down, read a...
This is the Easiest Plastic Pumpkin Planter for Fall
With a little do-it-yourself magic, you can transform cheap plastic pumpkin buckets into the cutest plastic pumpkin planters for fall....
21 Reasons Fall is the Best Season
Fall is here! Bring on the fall boots and pumpkin spice lattes. The pumpkins and the gourds. The apple cider and the cozy scarves. We have to celebrate this season because it’ll be gone before you know it. Somehow Christmas seems to get closer every year. Am I right? The holidays usually crowd fall out of the picture too quickly. Decorating for fall is such a happy time. I like the shift in the seasons. It always indicates a fresh start. And I start to wonder what the new season holds. Are you itching to make your home feel ready for the new season? Guests will come to stay soon. Chilly nights are here. It’s time to make everything feel cozy. You probably don’t need a list of reasons to love fall, but just for fun, here are 21 reasons fall is the best season. 1. Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins You can’t have fall without pumpkins. Whether you’re picking one from a pumpkin patch or grabbing them at your local grocery store, they’re the ultimate décor to dress up your house or porch. 2. Unconventional pumpkins Move over orange pumpkins. You can easily find green pumpkins, white pumpkins, warty pumpkins...
Favorite Kansas City Things: September 2016
If you haven’t noticed, Kansas City is happening. This month, Vogue called Kansas City one of the ‘flyover cities’ worth “landing and lingering in.” That’s why I’m doing this blog series; to share the hidden gems, the local favorites and the places you have to check out in Kansas City. (Check out last month’s favorite Kansas City things.) Here’s what I’ve been exploring this month. Cider Hill Family Orchard Kick off fall by going apple picking at a local orchard. This year, I went apple picking for the first time ever and I can’t believe I haven’t done it before. Cider Hill Family Orchard in Kansas City, Kan., covers 38 acres and has 1500 apple trees with 18 different kinds of apples. Wander through the groves and fill up a peck, half bushel or bushel full of apples. If you’re hungry, there’s no shortage of apple cider treats. Grab some apple cider donuts, an apple cider slushie, or go the traditional route and ask for a cup of cold pressed apple cider. There’s also a hay wagon ride and pumpkin patch for the kiddos. The U-Pick apples are available as long as there are still apples on the trees. In October, opening...