DIY Curtain Rod

Not satisfied with the curtain rod selection at your local department store? Me either! So I made my own! I used galvanized piping and fittings from Lowes. 

Bring your dimensions with you and an employee will cut the pipe to the exact size you need. I used a floor flange to attach the pipe to the wall which was super simple!

I also painted the pipes black. They will come in a sliver color but with spray paint, you can make them whatever color you want!

Materials: 

Spray paint (optional)

Piping (cut to size)

Two floor flanges

Two 90 degree elbow fittings

Two 3 in nipples to attach the elbow and flange together

Helpful Hint: Purchase your desired color of curtain clips on Amazon--much cheaper! Also, place the curtain hooks on the piping before mounting to the wall!

  

Cute Coasters!

This awesome idea was sent in from a viewer of our blog! Here is a way to make cute, simple, water-resistant coasters that are long-lasting! 

All you have to do is take scrapbook paper and mod-podge it onto a piece of plastic and then you're done! She says these have lasted her over a year. The great thing about them is that you can customize them however you want! 

This Idea is Starting a Fire in my Heart

Looking for a use for that old fireplace in your house that doesn't even work? This is the perfect idea! It takes little to no time at all, and is extremely cheap. 

First, you must obviously clean out the fireplace. You will need to get all of the ashes and any other particles out, and then scrub it clean with water and a scrub brush to get the soot off. Once it is clean, all you have to do is paint it with high-temperature paint of your color choice, wait for it to dry, and put cute candles of different sizes in it! 

Well, that was easy enough. 

Spice Up Your Dresser Drawers

Looking for an easy way to make the ugly bottoms of your dresser drawers so much cuter? Here is your solution. All you need for this is wrapping paper, Mod Podge, scissors, a paint brush, and ,if you want, a measuring tape.

When I was painting an antique dresser I found for my new apartment, I looked all over the place to try to find cute contact paper to put in the bottom. As it turns out, cute contact paper is nonexistent. After searching for weeks for it in the darkest corners of the internet, a lightbulb finally went off in my head. You can totally Mod Podge wrapping paper to the bottom of the drawer and it will act like contact paper! This might even be cheaper than buying actual contact paper itself. 

So, the first step is to find cute wrapping paper. This is the hardest part because there are SO. MANY. OPTIONS. My personal favorite place to buy wrapping paper is HomeGoods because they always have really thick wrapping paper that is super cute (and cheap). 

After you have found your wrapping paper, you have to measure and cut the wrapping paper to fit in the drawer. This proved to be mildly difficult to me, but I think that is just because I'm not super crafty (and probably because my paper-cutting skills are equivalent to those of a five year old). Once you have it down the right size, all there is to do is Mod Podge it in there! You will need to put the Mod Podge both on the bottom and the top of the wrapping paper. For the top, I did three coats to make sure it would be secure and strong, although I think three might have been a little excessive. 

And there you have it! A much more welcoming dresser drawer than before. 

Quick and Easy Nightstand!

Looking for a cute way to add a pop of color to the furniture in your room? A simple night stand is a great way to do it! All you need is a nightstand (obviously), painters tape, and a paintbrush. 

The hardest part by far of this project is obviously finding a super cute nightstand for cheap. There are many places you can find them such as antique stores and the free section of Craigslist. This particular nightstand is from an antique store in Wake Forest, NC. I purchased it for only $50! Considering it has a real marble top and was in mint condition, this was a great deal! 

Once, you have found your nightstand, all there is left to do is paint! Easy, right? 

Rookie Mistake: Shower Curtains

Here is a post from another fantastic DIY blog, The DIY Playbook!

http://thediyplaybook.com/2015/07/rookie-mistake-shower-curtains.html

The DIY Playbook gives a little advice for your shower curtain. I never realized something so simple can make such a difference!

The above photo is from their blog post. They explain that the bathroom looks average right now but after replacing the shower curtain with an extra long curtain the rooms has a much more elegant feeling! 

This bathroom is now magazine ready!

Thanks guys are the DIY Playbook for sharing this easy hack for our bathrooms!

http://thediyplaybook.com/2015/07/rookie-mistake-shower-curtains.html 

5 DIY Must Haves

For DIY beginners, it can be frustrating to not have the proper materials when working on a project. I have compiled a list of key things that I keep on hand at all times for my projects!

• Paintbrushes!

You couldn't even imagine the number of times I have began a project without a durn paintbrush anywhere in the house! You can find cheap paintbrushes at Lowes or Home Depot just to have handy.

• Electric Palm Sander 

These can be purchases at your local home improvement store but can become a little pricy. I purchased mine from Harbor Freight Tools for $13.99 and it has come in handy many times!
http://www.harborfreight.com/14-sheet-orbital-palm-sander-61509.html

• Terry Cloth Towels

You are going to make messes--it's just a fact. I keep these towels on hand for cleaning my work station, staining wood, and even wiping down the wheels of my car!

• Drill and Screws

When starting a project, I have always been told that you need something to take the wood apart and something to put it back together. Screws are my fastener of choice. I purchased a decent drill on Amazon, after picking out what I liked at Lowes and I also purchased several different sizes of screws.

• Miter Saw

There are many different kinds of saws you can purchase but my favorite is the miter saw. You can turn and tilt the blade to cut angles and I feel like it is a safer tool because it is table top. It might take some getting use to but after you learn how it works, you will use it all the time!

So that about sums up the essentials--of course, every project is different and you will need different tools for different jobs but this will get you started. We start with taking the material apart (miter saw), putting back together in the fashion that you desire (drill and screws), preparing material for finishing (sander), putting the finishing touches on (paintbrushes), and finally, cleaning the project and working area (terry cloth towels).

Wire Spool Coffee Table

Moving into your first apartment? Looking to add to your current apartment or home? This simple DIY project is great for beginners!

I started by searching Craigslist in the "free" section in my area for a spool. After a couple of days of checking back I came across this beauty! All I had to do was give the store a call and they held it until I could get off work and pick it up.

I began by sanding all the visible areas. There were a lot of scrapes and cuts but I left some, I thought it added to the character of the spool. 

I purchased sand paper at Lowes ($3.97) but next time I will go with an electric sander--it would have been much less time consuming. I will provide a link for the sander I purchased after this project. It was only $13.99 and after purchasing you will have it for many other DIY projects (it's addicting!)

After sanding and making sure the spool is clean, you can start staining. I picked a dark, rich stain for this project. It was an 8oz interior stain for $4.77. I used an old rag that I found in my apartment (that probably should have been thrown away a long time ago) and wore rubber gloves to avoid getting the stain on my hands. Rub the stain on with the grain of the wood and let dry. 

After the stain had dried you can apply a layer of polyurethane. I found a spray can of poly at lower beside the stain and thought that this option would be easier for me, considering I was doing this project on the balcony of my apartment. The can was $7.77 and I had plenty--I put on three coats.

After the last coat of poly, give the spool time to dry. I would suggest 24-36 hours and then you are ready to add this beautiful DIY project to your living room! 

Total Cost: $20.48

Time: Three days

http://www.harborfreight.com/14-sheet-orbital-palm-sander-61509.html