DIY Painted Chevron Border Rug

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FrogTape. All opinions are 100% mine.

The mini makeover on my pack patio took another step forward this week.  I painted a rug. Yes, I painted a rug. With the help of FrogTape® Shape Tape™ I took a plain ol' gray rug and added a little interest.

This project has been on my to do list for months. I wanted an outdoor rug for the sitting area in front of our patio fireplace. I didn't want to spend much money on a rug that would get rained on and be subject to hours of direct sunlight.   I spent less than $18 on this 8x10' indoor/outdoor rug.  To 'fancy' it up I added a white chevron border to the edges.

DIY Outdoor Pillows: The 15 Minute Tablecloth and Plastic Bag Method

A few weeks back I shared my ideas for a backyard patio mini makeover.  Well, I'm happy to say they're finally coming along.  I'll be sharing more on the full progress in another post, but today I want to talk about pillows and pops of color.

DIY Monogrammed Burlap Garden Flag and Stake

In case you haven't noticed I've been happily doing outdoor projects recently - ahem, my vinyl window garage door makeover and my patio makeover is coming together...finally.   Today I'm going to share another outdoor project, this one not nearly as involved...or as much of a commitment.  I made this flower pot garden flag using nothing more than a scrap of burlap, a piece of freezer paper, my inkjet printer and some craft paint.

Usually when I want a design on burlap, I just print it onto the burlap...but since I plan to keep this outside I wanted to make sure the ink wouldn't run so I used paint instead of ink.  I did, however, use my printer for the first part of the process.  I started by designing my flag in PicMonkey.  It's a free photo and editing site that is just full of awesomeness. It's easy to use, free and has tons of font and designs to pick from.

Since I have to cut out the design to make it a stencil, I tried to keep it pretty simple.  To make the circle I first made a black circle, then made a smaller white circle, placed the white circle on top and then added the 'V'.  Once the design was ready, I saved it.  I like to bring my designs into PowerPoint to size them since each slide is the size of a piece of printer paper and I can get a better idea of how big my design actually is.

DIY Mason Jar and Wood Box Flower Center Piece

A few months back I made this wood box using some scrap wood I had lying around.  It was similar to pallet wood.  Just a few even cuts, wood glue, some screws and paint and I had myself a long narrow wood box.  (Read the full tutorial to make the wood box here).

DIY Faux Carriage Garage Door Makeover (And a Giveaway)

Now that the weather is finally getting nice I've been spending more and more time working on outdoor projects. Over the last week my focus obsession has been on giving my garage doors - yes, the garage doors - a makeover.  The things you never thought you'd say.   There wasn't anything really wrong with the garage doors, I just thought they'd look a little nicer  - add some curb appeal - with a makeover.

Teacher Appreciation Week: Watering Can Flower Pot Gift (Free Printable)

Did you know that this week is Teacher Appreciation Week?  Totally is..and you're not too late to celebrate your child's teacher.   (And hint, hint Mother's Day and the end of the school year are just around the corner, too.) This is a really quick, easy, and inexpensive teacher gift..plus I'm making it easier since I'm including some free printables. Plus, I asked my cousin - who's a teacher - what one of the best gifts she ever received from a student was and she told me a potted plant with a sign reading: "Thanks for helping me grow."  So there you have it...this is a total win!

Patio Tour and Plans for a Mini Makeover

So I'm like super excited.  This weekend - after what seemed like the eternal winter - we finally were able to get out the patio furniture.  I know! I know!  The back patio is pretty much the reason we bought this house exactly three years ago.  It totally expands our living space from the spring through the fall and I am uber excited that the snow has finally melted and we got...wait for it...a 79 degree day on.a.weekend!

Here's a little patio tour of the bare space. See why we love it?

Wood Chair Makeover with Spray Paint (Before & After)

A few months back I was driving down the road and I see this guy putting a bunch of 'stuff' out by the curb with a big sign that said 'FREE!'  The luck!

I quickly pulled over and snagged this wood chair.  The chair - just as it was when I threw it in my trunk - sat on my front porch all winter.  that is until I took some spray paint and vinyl to it!  To read the full post including seeing the 'after' head over to my sister site Silhouette School.

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Pottery Barn Knockoff Happy Easter Burlap Flag

In case you haven't noticed I might be a little obsessed with Pottery Barn.  Aside from a rare splurge, however, I pretty much stick to clearance items...oh, and items I can knockoff.  Like say...this Happy Easter flag.  I saved myself a cool $39 bucks here and it only took me an hour or so to make this large flag.

DIY Front Door Spring Wreath

Another season, another wreath makeover here at Two It Yourself.  If you haven't caught on by now, I prefer to shop my home over the store and last week I went shopping.   Last week's hoist included this spring wreath.  It's seen better days on my front door, but I wasn't ready to completely let her go so I gave her a makeover.  The wreath is now hardly recognizable, but the job was a pretty easy one.

DIY Pom Pom Yarn Wreath on a Wire Hanger

Ah ha, you're back! I knew you'd be back to check out this awesome idea of what to do with all those yarn pom poms you made.   In case you missed it - I shared the tutorial on how to make poms poms from yarn here yesterday and now I have the perfect answer to 'what to make with pom poms?'

I made about 50 (or maybe it was more, I lost track....I was up to my eyeballs in yarn by the time I was done) pom poms in white, red, fuchsia and gray for a Valentine's Day wreath.   Of course, you can make them in any color and make a wreath for any season.  I was inspired by Britany at Just B Crafty's wreath.  She made a beautiful yarn wreath that's great to have up all winter long.   I think pom pom wreaths are perfect for the winter months because they've got that cozy sweater-like feel to it.

20 DIY Burlap Ideas: For the love of all things burlap!

I may be slightly obsessed with burlap for the moment  month  season year....but I promise you there is a good reason why.  Burlap, while it can be a real mess to work with, is one of the most versatile mediums (did I really just write 'mediums'?? Just trying to up my game from my usual 'things') I use to create.  I have made everything from toilet paper napkin rings to wreaths and pillows with burlap.

Since I love it so much I thought I would share my love of all things burlap today with a great big roundup of some really cool DIY burlap crafts and projects we've featured right here on 2IY...so here goes.  You can click each photo to be taken directly to the tutorial.

10 Christmas Front Porch Ideas {On The Cheap}

In case you haven't picked up on it yet from all my recent posts, I have been slightly obsessing over my Christmas front porch decorations.  We typically decorate with icicle lights and a pretty wreath, but this year I really wanted something more Pottery Barn front porch-ish - ya know with lots of textures, layers, and personality...something really welcoming and inviting.  Of course, I didn't want the PB prices so I've been slowly working on creating a budget-friendly Christmas front porch and I think I've finally got it!

I spent less than $60 to create this entire front porch and all I started with was the wreath - which I made-over this year.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: To keep your decorating budget down, shop your house before the store!

DIY Christmas Wreath with 'Merry Christmas' Burlap Bow

If you're a wreath in my house you better look out.  I've been on a mission to make over every wreath this year...my fall wreath got an update and this week I tackled my Christmas wreath.   My Christmas wreath had great bones, it was just tired and worn and weathered.  The ornaments were falling off, the bow was smushed, the berries were sagging.   It needed a makeover about as bad as I need a manicure...but I digress.

If you've been following Two It Yourself for any length of time you know that I like to shop my house as much as possible.  That's exactly what I did for my wreath update and I didn't spend a penny on it.   I gathered some of my cleaned and dried pine cones, I recycled a few of the ornaments and gold berries that were on the wreath originally, and I made a 30 second no sew burlap bow from scrap burlap. 

I plopped myself and my wreath in front of my fire place and got to work disassembling the wreath.

Large DIY Outdoor Christmas Trees from Tomato Cages

This Christmas I'm taking my front porch up a notch.  The icicle lights and wreath are just not gonna cut it this year.   Along with my Pottery Barn-inspired 'Be Merry' sign, I'm decorating my Christmas front porch with three DIY lighted Christmas trees - all of which I made from tomato cage and dollar store garland.  I shared my impromptu mini potted Christmas Tree earlier this week....

Well now, I have the details on how to make large lighted Christmas trees.  If you're looking for inexpensive DIY Christmas decor (for inside or outside) this is your project!  The tall tree are 54" and cost me about $15 each to make - a major bargain considering how much tall lighted Christmas trees sell for..think triple digits for a pair.

$2 DIY Small Potted Christmas Trees from Patio Tomato Planter

This is one of those projects that just sort of hit me. I wasn't planning on making a small potted Christmas tree - as I am in the middle of making two 4' artificial trees for my front porch - but when I spotted my very sad looking tomato plant on my patio I had an 'ah ha' moment, as Oprah would say.

Square Pine Cone Wreath with Burlap

So I finally got around to doing something with that huge basket of pine cones my kids collected a few weeks bake.  They were prepped (and by that I mean de-bugged) and ready for some fun fall craft, I just hadn't decided what.  

I was cleaning out my garage and I came across some nice scrap wood and I decided the two would meet.  

Pinecone Decor: How to clean and dry pine cones for crafts

Awhile back I shared how to clean and dry acorns so they can be used - bug-free - for crafting and decorating.  If the acorn is nature's symbol for fall, then pine cones are winter's.  So, now it's time to talk about pinecone decor and how to clean and dry them so you can use them in all of your late fall and winter decor including pine cone wreaths, table-scapes, garland, etc.

The process to dry pinecones is very similar to acorns in that you want to bake them to kill off any bugs that might be making a home in your next craft project.  Unlike acorns, however, you do not want to wash them before you dry them in the oven.   Pine cones close up when they are wet and are open when they are dry...and you definitely want the scales as open as possible when using them for crafting and decorating.

How to Make a {Real, Lighted} Pumpkin Topiary

I have been drooling over all the gorgeous pumpkin topiaries on Pinterest for the last month or so.  As I mentioned a few weeks ago, my front porch could definitely use some sprucing up.  After I scored five flower pots for $5 I decided I had a perfect excuse - not to mention a perfect base - for a pumpkin topiary.

I've been on the hunt for some large inexpensive fake pumpkins, but those babies don't come cheap in the peak of the season.  I plan to buy a few after Halloween when they're marked down on clearance, but this year I decided instead of going without I would go with a cheaper - real - version.  The problem with real pumpkins is they are heavy, they are not symmetrical, you can not drill into them (to use a dowel for support) or they'll rot within days.  Honestly, they're not ideal for a pumpkin topiary - but they are the cheapest way to go.  And with a few tweaks it is possible to make a real tiered pumpkin topiary, even one that's illuminated.

DIY House Number Sign (And how to drill into brick)

If you follow us on Instagram (you don't? GO DO IT NOW!)  you know I've been working on DIY house numbers.   We have one little house number on our mailbox, but if it's dark out people can't see it at all.  If I'm honest, even if it's daytime guests often miss us, because they're looking on the house for a number.   No more drive-bys...I've got you covered, my friends!

The actual house number sign only took me a few minutes to make, it was figuring out how to drill into brick to hang the plaque that delayed me more than a week.  It's not that it's that hard (well actually, it is hard...get it hehe) it's just you need the right tools to actually hang anything on brick and mortar.

More on that below, but first let's get to how I made this easy house number plaque.  I purchased the numbers at Home Depot for a few bucks each.  I could have just mounted them right one of the wood pillars we have out front or even directly onto the front door, but I wanted to jazz them up a little.

I found an old picture frame that was no longer being used for anything except collecting dust.  I took the frame apart because I literally only needed the frame - not the back, the mat, or the glass.  I made sure the house numbers would fit (they could have been placed vertically or horizontally, but I went with vertically) and then I spray painted the silver frame black to match the outside of our house.