What do you do with your favorite outgrown baby clothes?

Make a clothes line! I am sure sad my baby boy is growing out of his small infant clothes. I don't know if I am ready to give them away or sell them all right now....sniff sniff. Wouldn't this be cute in a LAUNDRY ROOM!? I could pick my favorite infant clothes to display. Yes, I do spend a good deal of time in my laundry room. I might as well look at cute outgrown baby clothes!

Go here for the details on making a Clothesline

Darling Tissue Paper Wreath or table centerpiece for Thanksgiving

I think this would be a great hostess gift for the Thanksgiving table.Here's what you'll need to make this tissue paper wreath:

Styrofoam Wreath Form
Tissue Paper Flowers (You can make them easily!)
Wire
Hot Glue
Ribbon
Go to Sweet charli for all the details. I recommend hanging it indoors or on a covered porch door.I was thinking how this can also be inexpensive to make for the loved ones in your life. You could make it for a baby shower, the hard to buy for mother-in-law, Halloween, Christmas, Easter, a new baby being brought home, some one who is sick in bed so they can look at it! Oh the possibilities....watch clearance racks for tissue paper. I always get tissue paper on Christmas clearance at Target for 75% off.

Making your own wall art using art canvas-for less than $2.00 ea till 4/17 @ Michaels's!

Do you have bare walls and need something custom looking on them....this deal is for you (and me)!

Use wall canvas as a background to glue family photos, scrapbook paper, wall paper scraps, or fabric over them. The possibilities are endless. Oh this is nursery eye candy for me!!! My mind is racing with possibilities of using canvases in my home!

GO here to turn a picture of your child into pop art!

Go toThe Krazy Coupon Lady link for all the details of the canvas prices at Michael's this week only ending April 18th. If you didn't get this deal--keep it in mind for a future project!

Here's a sneak peek of one of the prices:

11×14 Canvas, 2-pack (Reg. $8.49) $4.79
40% off – Artist Canvas, reg or sale price – (michaels.com) 4th coupon down
Final Price: $2.87, or $1.44 each

Girly Shadow box

Is your baby growing up and your wondering what to do with her precious newborn stuff? You could make this shadow box (maybe a more attractive outfit instead, though). I saw this and remembered I have a shadow box unfinished like this in my basement. So maybe one day I will make something like this and use the box I already have on hand.

Thanks to The Mama Dramalogues for the mini-tutorial on how to make it. I like the pink and black accents.

Turn a picture of your child into Pop Art!

I love art....and neat Pop art with my cute babies face on it is SOOO CUTE! I read on Design Dazzle on how to turn a photograph of your baby, child or teen into a cool pop art portrait. It's a unique, clever, fun and a simple way to add color to a kids room. Jeanne Winters created pop art images for her daughters nursery using photoshop.

Here are Jeanne's instructions:

"I use Adobe Photoshop, but I believe most photo-editing programs have the capabilities for this project. Convert your color photo first to Grayscale, then to a Duotone. In Photoshop this is under "Image " then "Mode." Choose two colors for your piece. I used fuschia for my dominant color and bright yellow for highlights. In order to prevent the colors from blending into a third color - like orange in my case - you must now play around with the curves. My fuschia curve is at zero for 0, 5, 10, then 40 at 40 on up to 100 at 100. My yellow curve is at 50 for 0, 5, 10, then zero from 20 to 100. The curve adjustments will dramatically effect your image, so play with these until you like how the photo appears".
She printed out the pop art images and decoupaged the images onto canvas. Any copy shop can print large images this size or you can tile an image with your printer and print across multiple pages. You will need to cut and piece this together when done - usually 4 - 6 tiles will fit a similar size canvas. Doesn't this pop art look way cool hanging over the crib?"

To view more images and find some inspirational ideas - check out her blog jeannewinters.blogspot.com

Thanks, Design Dazzle

Homemade Christmas gift ideas for mother-in-law, grandma, and grandparents!

I saw this and thought...If you choose to you Staci, YOU can make this frame (or the just make the Home Depot free tile trivet craft from yesterday's post and use the wording on this frame). I like the grandchildren picture on this one: Photo in black and white, ariel view head shot, and close up. Great for the hard to buy mother-in-law and grandparents!For the mother-in-law (grandma or aunt) who loves to cook make this....recipe holder. It's a magnetic sheet metal cut to fit on a block. Just ask your local hardware store to cut it to the right size for you. Paint and use vinyl lettering for the wording. Wahhhlaaaa a neat gift.

What are you giving to the hard to give ladies in your life?

Cute frames from my shopping adventure

I thought these frames were neat.

I think you could make the concept pretty easy out of wood and use white vinyls or free hand paint the flowers. Don't forget to choose a complimentary background color to go with your home decor. I like the silver bird in the window on the right.

Plate collage

Decorative plates make unique home decor. I am attracted to plates displayed in a unique way.....AN artistic way. This grouping caught my eye. (I am not in love with some of the plate color combinations--but the grouping is GREAT!)

Now if you have a welder in the family he/she can make you this sturdy floating plate rack.

One day....One day.

Large entry wall hangings

"What do I put on this large wall?"

This is a frequent question from my residential clients. I saw this at a model home while on vacation. I really like this wrought iron wall hanging option. I am taking the picture from the staircase. I am always attracted to wrought iron swirly things. I think Tai Pan Trading Company in UT and CA might sell these types of pieces. I need to go there again and refresh my memory.

Guest bath shower curtain

A new trend in shower curtains is a stationary decorative ceiling treatment....that accompanies a functional treatment. It's a layering look. The treatment shown is not functional just for looks. This treatment would be in front of a coordinating fabric behind that is sheered on a rod and that one would open an close. This was used in a bathroom with a tub/shower combination. I wish I would have taken a picture of the whole application. Sorry.

Vinyl lettering on walls

I wanted to pass this on to those who love vinyl lettering. It was a creative entry way application with the metal scrolls below. The scrolls added some 3D dimension. I found it attractive.

Don't forget scale when it comes to mantel decor!

Do you have a small space above your fireplace?

I recommend a painting that matches the scale of the wall space above the mantel. Check out the scale of the painting in the picture shown. The rectangular painting IS IN scale and that is key. This was a neat house.

What do you hang on big walls?

Scale is important when placing things on walls.

I was at another Utah Home show a few years back and saw this breakfast nook shelf. I like the placement in the breakfast nook. So, I took a picture to remember. Sorry lady you are on my blog.

I like:

• The warm red paint
• The window topper shape with the three decorative ties/tabs (can't see the fabric really)
• The round silver platter on the shelf
• The black painted shelf placement with the dark table and chairs

I don't like:

• The shelf decor-In my opinion the galvanized steel potted trees are fine alone but to just put three of the same up there in that arrangement lacks interest.

Solution- Keep one galvanized steel potted tree and find two other similar but a little different shaped pot and some greenery in varying heights. Go to Tai Pan Trading company, Michael's, JoAnn's, or even Walmart and create your own. Rearrange the grouping with the three elements described and display them on the shelf- Now the shelf will have a common element (3 galvanized steel pots with greenery), the silver platter, and an interesting grouping. Is that clear as mud?

You don't always need mantel decor...Just a nice large painting!

Hey mix it up....Hang the over sized painting lower to the mantel ledge and put the fireplace decorations on the hearth instead. This allows the focus to be on the painting. This picture was taken at a Utah Home show a few years back. I didn't design this house.

I like:

• The slim delicate candles in a grouping of 4 for a change.
• The varying candle heights for interest. Nice!
• The plant fullness on the other side of the hearth
• The over sized painting hung lower to the mantel

A silver framed vanity...add some shine and S*P*A*R*K*L*E!

A classy realistic guest bathroom from a home show.

I recommend silver framed vanity mirrors often to my clients. It dresses up a simple bathroom in an instant, much like this photo. I find the spring green wall color refreshing. Every room needs some sparkle. In this photo it is a silver basket of washcloths, a silver frame over the commode, silver hardware and fixtures, and the silver framed mirror. I believe a bit of shine and sparkle help complete a well designed room of any style.

Hobby Lobby-Inspirational pieces

I was pleasantly surprised when I shopped at Hobby Lobby. They sell a lot of attractive Christian themed home decor items. I purchased this frame because of the brown metal scroll look and of course because of the verse from Phillipians.

Regular price was $11.99 but I know I used a coupon! I think I used a 40% off regular retail coupon printed from their website (newspaper might have one too) Happy Shopping!

Happy Valentine's Day! A master bedroom heart wreath.

My mom made us this wreath as a newlywed gift. She used the garland, toile, ribbon, and grapevines from my spring wedding decorations. It still hangs in my master bedroom.

Happy Love Day, everyone.

Front Door wreaths..from Target Clearance!

It's the thrill of the hunt at Target. I enjoy finding inexpensive and interesting home decor at Target. Here's a tip-I like to check out their "garden section" located by the electronics. They have nice fake plants/flowers and wreaths from time to time. If you watch them they go 75% off when the season is over. Here's some examples of what I find at Target.

My front door Smith and Hawkins wreath. I purchased it in fall 2008 because it was a summer item-75% off I paid $12.49. It is dried flowers, pinecones, cinnamon sticks, and dried greenery. It is now a bit sun bleached but from the curb you can't tell!

Here's a clearance Christmas wreath used for Valentine's Day. Again, I spent $12.48 and it was 75% off. I decided I liked this one enough to keep it inside for a punch of Valentine red in my house. The sun bleaches the dried flowers quickly outside.

Here's my Autumn Smith and Hawkins wreath I used last year. I purchased in later winter 2007 at 75% off! I took a close up so you could see the neat fall colors. This one was perfect for the front door. A side note: The dried flower wreaths shed-great for front doors.

The family command post!

Here's our family daily command post in the hallway off the garage and laundry room doors. I bought this wall piece from Target awhile back. It has slots I designated for: mail in, mail out, mail yet to be filed, and the backpacks hang below. I really like to keep paper clutter off my countertops and away from my kids hands. It looks like I need to do some filing. I dream of the fancy mudrooms and coat areas from the Pottery Barn catalog.....someday!

Hallway photo collages

I more than willing to admit I am a Stay-at-home mom with mild decorating-Attention Deficit Disorder. While it's not extreme and some decorations stay put, a lot changes seasonally, and photos in frames change A LOT! I get bored staring at the same walls day in day out. So I have to change it.

This is my hallway with a photo collage of frames, my kids, and a metal family sign in the middle. I like the balance of this arrangement.

NOTE: When doing a collage always include a common element.

As you can see frames are similar but not matchy matchy but have a common element...black and brown frames. The photos are in color and one in sepia…I want them to be all in color soon.

Here's a collage from a house on The Utah Parade of Homes Show. I didn't create this one but I like the spacing. I think the wall is too big for this small collage though.