Wednesday, July 31, 2013

DIY kitchen storage ideas: Repurpose food containers

If you're like I was you have a few stray baggies of spice mixtures or rubs you've mixed up (lucky you if you actually labeled them) and/or perhaps a half-used open-so-long-it-won't-close-correctly box of this or that in your pantry.  That was me - and I'm here to tell you all is not wrong with the world (or even your kitchen).

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

5 Ingenious ways to re-purpose cabinet knobs

If you're changing out the hardware on your cabinets, don't throw out the old knobs - there are plenty of other ways you can use them.  I've been using cabinet knobs in a variety of ways lately and I thought I'd pull them all together in one post just to show you their versatility.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Bedroom furniture makeover tutorial (and where to get cheap knobs)

Okay, I've been promising this tutorial on Stephanie's (aka the childless aunt to my two kids) nursery room furniture for some time.  I think we're getting closer to having a kid with this latest DIY - at least I would hope so!

Sorry, I have been a little behind - I am also editor over at The Royal Baby Blog and perhaps you heard Kate Middleton gave birth, showed off her kid (while wearing heels 25 hours after giving birth without an epidural to an 8 lbs, 7 oz prince), and revealed his name as George - that all happened last week...whew!  But finally I'm back and ready to share all of Steph's tips and tricks on this nursery furniture makeover.  (She did the work, I write the blog because that's just how we roll....she repays me by painting furniture for me.  I think I have the better end of this deal.) But anyway....I digress.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

DIY curtain rods on the cheap

Curtain rods are something I hate spending money on...and let's face it, attractive ones rarely come cheap.   That's why I was so excited when I discovered just how easy and cheap it is to to make my own DIY curtain rods -- plus they're fully customizable.

Everything from the size and color of the curtain rod and to the curtain rod ends can be made specifically to your liking and to fit your window perfectly.  All you need for this project is a dowel, a couple of cabinet door knobs or curtain rod finials, paint or stain, and curtain rod brackets.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Wine bottle crafts: DIY soap dispenser

Wine bottle crafts are really popular right now - if you are on Pinterest  (like we are...all.the.time!) you've probably seen everything from wine bottle lights to wine bottle tiki torches.   I am not a big wine drinker, although with all the cool wine bottle ideas out there, I almost wish I was. 

This week my husband handed over a wine bottle (he's finally learned never to throw glass jars and bottles out knowing I will re-purpose them) and I quote said, "Here, can you make something cool with this?" Um, ok..

Monday, July 22, 2013

PHOTOS: Baby Nursery Furniture Makeover REVEAL

Apparently Stephanie will be all ready when she finally decides to give me a little niece or nephew.  She and her husband have been working hard over the last few weeks days (they work fast!) on restoring her old bedroom furniture.  They are using it in what will eventually be their baby nursery...whenever the time comes (hint, hint/wink wink/nudge nudge). 

Sunday, July 21, 2013

DIY Bathing Suit Cover Up for Girls (from a beach towel)


If you're looking to make a cute DIY bathing suit cover up for a little girl - you're in luck.  I have an easy tutorial on how to make a bathing suit cover up out of a full size beach towel.  The beauty of this cover up is that it doubles as a towel so no more towel taking over the beach or pool bag and no more towels falling off or dragging on the ground.

Here's what you're going to do:

Lay your beach towel out in front of you with one of the long edges in front of you. Working on one of the short sides, cut right next to the seam so the seam is included in what you cut.  Keep the piece you just cut off - you're going to use it later.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Drain worms and DIY Re-caulking the shower

I can't even believe I am about to put this on the record, but we have these nasty things in our shower...WORMS! My husband claims he doesn't see this little black wiggly things, but oh, believe me, they are most definitely there.  And they have been now for the better part of a month.

We had a pest control guy come out and he said they must be coming from the drain..hence their name: Drain worms.   I had a hard time believing this since they are along the edge of the shower - where the wall meets the floor.  Anyway, before Mr. Bug Man pours any poisons into our pipes he suggested we clean them out first, as that's where the drain worms live.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

How to transfer text to wood without a stencil

There are several different methods to transfer text or ink to wood.   I have used the wax paper transfer method which works well if you have a large amount of text.  But since you print on wax paper, and then bring water into the equation, you run the risk of smudges and smears.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

DIY Herb Garden Box from an old toolbox (Pottery Barn Knockoff)

Can I just tell you how flipping excited I am to share my latest project with you. This DIY Herb Garden Box...or planter...or whatever you prefer to call it was one of my garage finds at my late grandparent's beach house. We believe my grandfather, who once owned a hardware store, actually built this tool box.

As soon as I saw this beat up old thing I knew I wanted to turn it into a vintage-inspired herb garden box.  I could not be more happy with the way it came out and I know my grandfather, who had quite the green thumb, would be proud.


Bringing new life to this toolbox took a little elbow grease, a fresh coat of paint, a trip to Home Depot for some water resistant sealer, pots and plants, and two little cutie pies who couldn't be were more than happy to help a mama out.

Monday, July 15, 2013

How to dry hydrangeas

I absolutely love hydrangeas.  The big, colorful, flowery blooms are among my favorite flowers.   Too bad I don't have much of a green thumb. That's why it comes in handy that my mother in law was happy to let me cut a few blooms from her hydrangea bushes.

I picked a few that didn't have too many brown petals, as some of the blooms were already passed their peak.  As you can see in the picture below, the blooms have various size petals.  I picked a few of each because I was curious how they would dry.  I also looked for blooms that were the most vibrate color.  (The purple hydrangeas are from a different bush, we left these in water and they just wilted.)
I was hoping to dry the blue ones to keep them longer and use the hydrangeas to decorate.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Rescuing family furniture pieces from the dump

Hi All,

I'm back from 10 glorious days at the beach with my family.  We had a great time biking, kayaking, enjoying the beach, swimming in the pool, and even a trip to
Home Depot for the kids workshop. (They're free the first Saturday of every month 9-12 at every HD!) 

Of course, I also spent some time dreaming up a few new projects....not to mention gathering some new materials. 

My family is in the process of selling my late grandparents' beach house and in doing so needs to empty the house.  Of course, I'm helping hoarding.  (They can thank me later!)

Anyway, I took it as an opportunity to rescue a few pieces of old family furniture from making their next home at the dump.  The mister isn't too happy that I brought home this old tool box (or as he calls it "junk") and that I've claimed a dresser...errr, three (shhh!), a nightstand, two lamp shades, some lawn tools, a full size headboard and footboard and an antique sewing machine that was my great grandmother's. 

His argument is that we already have most this stuff - only 50 years newer - and we don't have room for it all. Well, my dear, one of these days you will learn to embrace my inner hoarder, because it's just the nature of a DIYer.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Thrift Store Table Makeover/Re-build (Reveal)

The hall table, unfortunately, wasn't supposed to be a table we made over, but someone got a bit overzealous with the sander.  We ended up down to the plywood,so we had to redo the entire top.  
This project quickly went from a thrift store makover to a rebuild.

Here's how the original table looked...



And here's how we turned it back into something beautiful.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

DIY Stenciled Drop Cloth Curtains


I was on a drop cloth kick a few months back, having made an upholstered headboard out of a drop cloth, a Pottery Barn-inspired bed skirt, drop cloth covered boxes, and drop cloth curtains.  The first three have been some of my most popular posts...the curtains, however, I've been reluctant to put on the blog because there was just something about them, that just wasn't exactly working for me.  They were just too plain...that is, until now.

Here's what you'll need: (By now, hopefully you know the drill, I list all the supplies, then I gather them into an Amazon shopping cart for you so you can order them all or just what you need...easy peesy).
  • Canvas Drop cloth 
  • 2 Small Containers of Acrylic Craft Paint
  • Stencil  (preferably plastic, but paper would work)
  • Foam Paint Brush
  • Round Foam pouncers (optional)

So, let me start from the beginning...to explain how I made these drop cloth curtains. First, I measured my window, including the trim, to see how wide I would need the curtain to be.   Then I laid the drop cloth out to cut out my curtain.   TIP: If possible use two of the finished edges...this way you will only have to finish off one other one edge.  The top you will fold over and make into a pocket for the curtain rod. 

Thursday, July 4, 2013

July 4th food ideas: Red, White & Chew Fruit Kabobs

Happy Birthday, USA! You know how to get your kids to eat their fruits and veggies? Put 'em on a stick...oh, and in the shape of a flag!

Check out these adorable American Flag fruit kabobs I made today (in about 15 minutes) for a July 4th picnic we're going to. They're pretty straight forward, but I do have a few tips.

You'll need:

12" wood skewers
3 pints of strawberries (tops cut straight off)
1 large container of blue berries
4 bananas (cut in large chunks)



Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Toot, Toot: We're featured on Hometalk!

Hear that? Yup, that's the sound of us tooting our own horn. Cause guess what peeps....two months after launching 2IY we're featured on Hometalk.   It's just a little website that boasts itself as the "largest home & garden knowledge hub on the web."  With millions of users and 542,187 (and counting) faithful Facebook followers...it's a like kind of, sort of, maybe a big deal. 

That's right, these girls right here were recently asked by the Hometalk editors to curate a special clip board featuring some of the best and most genius (again just a little toot toot) DIY dowel projects. If it sounds kinda random, it is...but let me explain how this all got started and why we're so freaking excited about this...


See this DIY craft supply caddy? Yeah, I made that a few weeks ago for my craft room. I used an old lazy susan I found at the thrift store, drilled a hole into it for a dowel and it turned into an instant ribbon holder. That caught the eye of the Hometalk editors...and that led them to ask me to put together a list of other totally awesome dowel projects so without further ado here you are....


Posted by Melissa

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

2IY's July 4th Giveaway

We promised our first giveaway and now we're about to deliver, just in time for the Fourth of July.  Consider it a birthday present to you in honor of the grand ol' US of A.

For the first ever 2IY Giveaway, we're offering up one of these Pottery Barn-inspired Burlap Flags to one lucky person handmade just for our winner.



Rules: 
To enter to win you must be following on Facebook and you must share 2IY's FB page on your Facebook timeline to let all your friends world know we're out there and we're like totally awesome!   Be sure to mention Two It Yourself - DIY in your post so we can count your entry.  To make is super easy...here's the link  > https://www.facebook.com/pages/Two-It-Yourself-DIY/379219858853082 

Anyone who also subscribes to the blog by email will get an extra chance to win - that's double the chances of winning our first ever giveaway, people!!! You know you want it.

Drawing will be at 3pm EST on July 4th...so you must enter no later than 2:59:00 EST on July 4, 2013.

Monday, July 1, 2013

2IY June 2013 in Review

It's July 1 so you know what that means? Yup, it's time to look back at some of the best and most popular 2IY projects from last month.

The stenciled lamp shade was far and away the most buzzed about projects in June.  The Ikea hack was also among the easiest.  I simply bought a gray shade, taped a stencil to it, and had at it with some white craft paint and a sponge pouncer.  The results were incredible - and the reaction slightly overwhelming.

Some of my personal favorites from last month were the Pottery Barn-inspired Stars and Stripes Burlap Bunting, the dowel and pot toilet paper holder, and the personalized "Home of the Brave" sign.  It's great to recreate someone else's idea and use it for inspiration, but when it's something that comes from my own brain cells firing - I get super excited. 

15 totally awesome DIY wood dowel projects

I have been using dowels a lot lately and while simple wooden rods may not seem too exciting at first...let me tell you these inexpensive babies have massive potential and diversity for DIYers and crafters.  I have used them for everything from a toilet paper holder to a jewelry organizer to Pottery Barn knockoff.

A craft supply caddy I created with a dowel as a ribbon holder caught the eye of the editors over at the DIY home and garden website, Hometalk, and they asked me to create a featured clip board of some of the best DIY Dowel Projects.  Of course, I jumped at the chance and let me tell you there are some totally awesome crafters out there using dowels in some really creative ways.

First, here's a quick recap of how I've used wooden dowels...

Picture Frame Jewelry Organizer

DIY Toilet Paper Holder

July 4th Paper Stars

Craft Supply Caddy

Burlap Flag (Pottery Barn inspired)

And now some of my favorite dowel projects from bloggers around Hometalk:


Thistle Bird Feeder:  Using a plastic soda bottle and a dowel, Linda at Crafts A La Mode created a really cool and simple bird feeder.  She cut (or in her case, melted) holes in the bottle then stuck a dowel through to create a perch for birds to feed on the bird seed she filled inside the bottle.  Full tutorial...



Necktie SunBurst Clock:  Wouldn't this necktie clock be so cool for a man's office or a big walk in closet (of course, not mine since I have an insanely small - yet organized - closet).  Jessica at Dear Emmeline is a straight up genius when it comes to dowels, as I promise you'll see.   In this project - which I'll let her full explain in the full tutorial - she used dowels as supports to keep the shape of the necktie sunburst.


Embroidery Hoop Pendant Light:  Can I tell you how excited I was when I found this light? I came across something very similar in the Restoration Hardware catalog a few weeks back and I, too, imagined using embroidery hoops to create the knockoff version.  Lucky for me - and you - Jessica at Dear Emmeline has done all the work for us by providing the step-by-step DIY tutorial.   She used square dowels as part of the hanging mechanism.  See...this is why this girl is my new dowel hero!



Pumpkin Topiary:  This is one of those projects that you can stick in your back pocket until it's time to clear off the tiered front porch planters and replace them with pumpkins.  Jennifer at Decorating Made Easy used a dowel to create a gorgeous and very festive pumpkin topiary complete with a monogram.  How awesome would this look on your front step?   I'm thinking I'll be doing this one come September or October.  If you'd like to too, here's the DIY pumpkin tutorial.


Spring Topiary: While we're talking topiaries, Shanna at Restoration Redoux has put together a beautiful and bright sprint topiary.  She uses a wooden dowel to support the large flower bloom, but takes some of the weight off the dowel, by adding sand to her pot.  What a great idea and a perfect usage for a dowel.   For the easy spring topiary tutorial click here.
 

Ribbon Storage - Marty at Marty's Musings has some major ribbon
love so it's a good thing she is also not afraid to use a dowel - or five!  She's created a great system to store her dozens of spools of ribbon by hanging dowels horizontally on the wall.  This keeps her ribbons neat, untangled, easy to access, and out of the way.   For more on how to create this super easy ribbon tutorial storage project click here. 


DIY Curtain Rod:  Curtain rods can be so expensive - which is part most of the reason at least three rooms in my house still have naked windows 2+ years after we moved in.  Okay, maybe being a busy SAHM to two kids under 5 is also to blame. But...now that I know Jessica (at Dear Emmeline's) trick to creating fast and easy customizable curtain rods I have no excuses.   Jessica shows us how to cut down a dowel to fit the exact dimensions of a window, spray paint the dowel, then add drawer pulls to each end = instant curtain rod.  How freakin' great is this? Yeah, I thought it was pretty freakin' great too which is why I'm currently working on three for three different rooms.  I told you Jessica is nothing short of a genius! Full Tutorial...

Outdoor Tuna Can Lanterns: Diane over at In My Own Style has come up with a great way to make creative inexpensive outdoor lights that don't look like they were made from a dowel or a tuna can.  Yet, that's exactly what she did to light up her beautiful backyard.  For the full tutorial on these DIY lanterns click here.

West Elm-Inspired Wood Tile Dresser: This is like playing a game of "can you spot the dowel."  This use of a dowel was so ingenious I didn't even recognize it as a wooden rod.  Amanda at Love and Renovations created this stunning dresser and used wooden dowels as the drawer pulls.  They are disguised under a coat or two of oil rubbed bronze and I can assure you they saved her more than a few dollars.  Absolutely stunning...yes, I'm drooling over here! 


Idea Board from a Mirror Frame:  Suzanne at Pieced Pastimes used the frame of an old dresser mirror to create a beautiful vintage idea board.  She inserted dowels across the front to hang clips from so she can easily change out cards, tags, or embellishments.  Absolutely gorgeous piece and a great way to incorporate dowels. 

Well, that's it for today ... I certainly hope you've been inspired to use dowels in your crafting and DIY adventures.

Thanks for stopping by Two It Yourself.  If you like what you see we'd love for you to Pin it and share it with the world.  Also, join us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and, of course, Hometalk...whew that's a mouthful...but, yes, we're everywhere!

Posted by: Melissa

Pottery Barn knockoff: Mini Fourth of July Hanging Burlap Banner


I don't know about you, but I love a good Pottery Barn knockoff, especially when it costs mere cents.  That's exactly the case for this mini PB-inspired Fourth of July Hanging Burlap Flag.

PB's Original Burlap Hanging Flag
The project is actually very simple - so simple
PB's $34.50 price tag will leave you shaking your head.  Here's a list of supplies (as always, I have gathered them into a shopping list for you on Amazon so you can order them all or just what you need).
  • Natural-colored Burlap (9"x11")
  • 12" Dowel
  • Jute rope, twine, or ribbon
  • Printer/Computer
  • Freezer paper 
  • White acrylic paint 

To start, I used Pottery Barn's large flag as a reference to create the pattern on the computer.  Now because you are going to print this out on your printer, the flag will only be as large as a regular size sheet of printer paper (it is possible to make it slightly longer, but I'll get to that).  Because I am basically obsessed with Powerpoint and it's simplicity I used ol' trusty.  I've turned my template into two free printables so you can simply open them up, download and print.  (You will notice the star is on a separate printable.  That is because, as I explained here, the only way to print white is to print it on white paper, which of course we are not doing.  So... the star is perfectly sized, but you will have to add the star later as a stencil...but we'll get to that.)