2016 was a full year for me. As a personal recap, I accomplished a lot. In January I passed the North Carolina Residential General Contractor exam to become a licensed general contractor. I’m still in disbelief that this actually happened.

Shortly after passing the exam, a friend hired me to get her home ready to sell. I spent two months acting as a general contractor hiring subs to help fix and spruce up the house. I gave one of her bathrooms the equivalent of a remodel on a shoe string by replacing the light fixture, framing out an old mirror and painting the vanity. Here’s proof that you don’t need to gut a dated bathroom:

STOP! You Don't Have to Gut Your Dated Bathroom | Pretty Handy Girl

The master bathroom already had a head start with new tile and vanity. But, I finished the transformation by installing new oval frameless mirrors.

How to Hang a Frameless Oval Mirror on the Wall | Pretty Handy Girl

I’m thrilled to report that her home sold in four days for a lot more than their asking price. Woot! This experience helped me realize that although I like fixing up houses and making them beautiful again, I prefer to be the primary decision maker. I’m back to focusing on looking for a house to flip (this was the main reason I pursued my license.)

We finished a boat load of projects around the exterior of our home after a major backyard landscaping project.

Outdoor Garden Patio Party Decorating Ideas | Pretty Handy Girl

I built a Pergola Trellis Screen to hide our trash cans. Lucky for you, I drew up detailed plans so you could build your own.

Build a Pergola with Trellis to Screen Your Trash Cans | Pretty Handy Girl

And should you need somewhere to store firewood, I built and created a tutorial for this wood storage shed.

Build a Wood Storage Shed | Pretty Handy Girl

I also found a use for some old lattice panels by creating a living lattice privacy screen. This was such an easy project, I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner.

Create a Living Wall Lattice Privacy Screen | Pretty Handy Girl

The landscape designer wanted to remove our swing set since the boys had outgrown it, but I couldn’t part with it. You could say the swing set matured with this idea for creating a swing set for grown ups.

Grown Up Swing Set | Pretty Handy Girl

One of the projects I was most excited about was building two rot resistant raised planter beds.

How to Build a Rot-Resistant Raised Planter Bed | Pretty Handy Girl

For years I’ve craved a garden to grow our own vegetables. 2016 was the year it finally happened. We enjoyed baskets full of cucumbers, basil, tomatoes and salad greens. Hopefully we’ll have more vegetables next year.

Behind the scenes I built a shed in the heat of the summer. I’ll be sharing the process in 2017. In the meantime, you can see a peek at the shed in this tutorial for how to build lattice window boxes.

How to Build Window Boxes | Pretty Handy Girl

As a mother of two boys, we struggled with the boys doing too much screen time which prompted me to build this industrial style charging station and lock box.

Industrial Charging Station and Lock Box | Pretty Handy Girl

This year our hearts were broken twice. First we had to say goodbye to Buddy aka Handy Dog after he developed a tumor on his heart. Within a few months, we opened our hearts and home to Lena the Lucky Dog but sadly we had to give her back to the rescue when she couldn’t be trained (or medicated) to stop guarding me from everyone in the family. (Good news, she was adopted the next day by a couple without children. They were a much better fit for her personality.) While she was with us, I made an industrial dog bowl feeder that was a better fit for Lena.

How to Build: Industrial Dog Bowl Feeder Stand | Pretty Handy Girl

I never officially shared it on the blog, but in October we adopted Bandit the Rescue Dog. He’s a one year old ball of energy. I never thought we’d have such a young dog, but his antics are filling our home with lots of smiles and laughter. He is truly one happy go lucky pup.

One of the before and after transformations I’m most proud of is the drab to fab screen porch makeover I gave to my stepmom. She loves it and is spending a lot more time writing out there.

Installing the Most Beautiful Ceiling Fan | Haiku Copper Luxe Ceiling Fan | Pretty Handy Girl

2016 could be called the year of copper on the blog. I had so much fun working with copper pipes. From creating a half round copper pipe side table. . .

Half Round Copper & Wood Side Table | Pretty Handy Girl

to a copper pipe centerpiece:

DIY Copper Pipe Centerpiece | Pretty Handy Girl

I even discovered a way to turn copper pipe into jewelry!

DIY Copper Ring Jewelry | Pretty Handy Girl

To finish out my 2016 recap, I enjoyed indulging my creative artist side by painting with alcohol inks.

Painting with Alcohol Inks | Pretty Handy Girl

These were so fun to play with and anyone can create stunning art with alcohol inks! Just follow my video tutorial for tips and tricks using alcohol inks.

Finally, if you ever wanted to find the perfect vintage sign, now’s your chance to stop looking and learn how to make a vintage rustic sleigh ride sign (or any other sign you desire.)

How to Make a Vintage Rustic Sleigh Ride Sign | Pretty Handy Girl How cool! You can use this technique to make or transfer any sign graphic.

I hope you enjoyed some of my tutorials this year. Did I miss any of your favorites?

I have a lot in store for you in 2017, so stick around!

Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl

Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl

Hi all, Pretty Handsome Guy here filling in for Brittany. Last night Brittany and I were wrapping presents and I thought I’d share with you some common gift wrap problems and how to deal with them.  Think of this as the polar opposite of her Creative Gift Wrapping series of posts.

The Squish and Tape and Tape and Tape

Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl

Do you ever end up with a present that hangs out of the wrapping paper?

Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl

No problem, simply squish the gift inside the packaging as far as you can…

Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl

…and quickly fold over the end and slap on some tape. Then use some more tape to close the gaps,

Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl

and just for good measure add some more tape. Hey, tape is cheap, no need to be stingy with it!

Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl

All done, and the goal of hiding the present has been achieved!

The Panel (not to be confused with the type of pants pregnant women wear.)

Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl

How many times have you cut your wrapping paper only to realize that it is too short to go around the package? When it comes to wrapping presents I adhere to the adage “measure never, just cut it”.  I mean seriously people we aren’t building a house here, what you are wrapping is meant to be destroyed anyways.

Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl

Here is the solution! It is called the panel. Simply cut another piece of wrapping paper the width of the gap (or maybe a little wider.)

Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl

Tape it on (no need to match up the pattern, no one will see the bottom when it is under the tree.). Bonus points if you can manage to use 2-3 different types of wrapping paper – just tell everyone it is a “holiday medley”.

Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl

Super easy solution and the best part is that you don’t have to go back and cut a whole new piece of wrapping paper.  The environment will thank you for this one.

The Nip, Tuck & Roll

Now we are down to one of the most common wrapping problems. What to do when you have too much wrapping paper on the ends of your package.  And yes I realize most of these “problems” are a function of not measuring in the first place but whatever.

Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl

Normally I would simply roll the sides in until they meet the package, but in an effort to neaten things up a bit, you can simply gather the end in your hands and snip off the excess.

Now simply fold in the end towards the box.
Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl
Continue to roll the paper in…

…until you reach the box, then smash the end down with your hand to flatten it.

Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl
And tape your end down.
Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl
Done. Problem solved, any questions?
Adding a Gift Tag (bet you’ve never seen it done this way!)
Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl
I found the little key tags that Brittany bought for tagging her presents. Creative idea and all but sheesh a lot more work than a stick-on “To/From” tag.  But I devised a new way to attach them to the gift without ribbon.
Simply grasp a corner of your package and use a hole punch to make a hole in the gift wrap.
Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl

Then take a piece of tape and twist it into what I call a “tapepick” (looks like a toothpick.)

Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl
Thread the “tapepick” into the hole you made in your gift wrap.
Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl
Then grab another piece of tape and fold it over the ends of your tapepick to secure them.
Fixing Common Gift Wrap Problems | OMG! So funny, you have to read this. | Pretty Handy Girl
That’s it. Thanks for reading my post today. Hopefully Brittany will invite me back to show you how I make a bed in less than 10 seconds!
– Pretty Handsome Guy

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how to fix common gift wrapping problems
Easy Peppermint Snowflakes | Pretty Handy Girl

Easy Peppermint Snowflakes | Pretty Handy Girl

Last year I made these Easy Peppermint Star Ornaments. They were a lot of fun to watch as they melted and fuzed into a snowflake ornament. My son asked if we could make them again this year. Because the kids are officially out of school now, I thought this would be the perfect holiday activity today.

Won’t you join us as we make these Easy Peppermint Star Ornaments?

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Materials:

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 300ËšF.

Unwrap the candies. You’ll need 13 candies per star. Lay the peppermints onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Arrange them into a snowflake design:

Easy Peppermint Snowflakes | Pretty Handy Girl

Place the baking sheet into the pre-heated oven. Bake for 8 minutes.

Remove the tray and immediately use a large needle to create a hole in the top of one of the outer points of the snowflake.

Easy Peppermint Snowflakes | Pretty Handy Girl

Allow the peppermints to cool and thread a green ribbon through the hole and tie.

Easy Peppermint Snowflakes | Pretty Handy Girl

Wrap up the Peppermint Star Ornaments in treat bags and give them to your friends and neighbors!

Easy Peppermint Snowflakes | Pretty Handy Girl

Or hang them on your tree ;-).

Easy Peppermint Snowflakes | Pretty Handy Girl

Here’s the quick video wrap up for how to make Easy Peppermint Star Ornaments:

Be sure to plan on making more than you need. The melting process can create some not so desirable snowflakes, but they still taste good ;-).

 

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Hello readers, it’s Jaime from That’s My Letter here and we are nearly to the end of 2016!  I have a super easy and fast last minute gift idea for kids – a switches and locks playboard that uses up all those spare hardware bits lying around your workshop!

I scoured my workshop pulling together all the spare pieces of hardware I had stashed away to use on this playboard.  Anything that moves, turns, twists, flips, or latches will be great for this project.  I always save random pieces of hardware from renovations or from previous projects and today they are coming in handy.

This playboard makes a great gift for toddlers and young kids to keep them busy with all the different hooks and latches.  Just be careful to steer clear of anything that could pinch or snap little fingers.

I added the pine board frame to finish off the plywood and make this board a nice, completed, functional board perfect for my almost 3-year-old nephew.

Supplies:

  • 3/4″ plywood scrap piece about 19″ x 19″
  • Paint
  • 1″ x 2″ x 8′ pine board
  • Misc. switches, locks and hardware pieces
  • Nail gun
  • Wood glue
  • 1 ¼” finish nails
  • French cleat

Instructions:

Step 1: Paint the plywood and let dry.  Gather all your miscellaneous switches, knobs, locks, pulls, chains, magnets, etc.

Step 2: Attach all the hardware pieces to the plywood.

Step 3: Frame out the plywood using 1×2 boards attached with wood glue and 1 1/4″ finish nails.  Add a french cleat to the center top back and hang on the wall:

Now you’re ready to add a giant bow and give to that special little someone!  Take a look through your workshop and I guarantee you’ll find a few miscellaneous hardware bits that would be perfect for a switches and locks playboard.  Happy Holidays!

~Read more of Jaime’s tutorials~

 

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How to Make a Vintage Rustic Sleigh Ride Sign | Pretty Handy Girl How cool! You can use this technique to make or transfer any sign graphic.

How to Make a Vintage Rustic Sleigh Ride Sign | Pretty Handy Girl How cool! You can use this technique to make or transfer any sign graphic.

How to Make a Vintage Rustic Sleigh Ride Sign:

You guys, I’m super excited about this Vintage Rustic Sleigh Ride Sign I made using scraps from my workshop. This sign turned out 200 times better than I imagined in my head. I knew I had to share the tutorial with you so you can make your own vintage signs for any holiday! Let’s get this party started.

Sign:

First I suggest measuring the space where you want to hang your sign (it would suck to build it too large or too small.) Begin laying out your scrap wood. It’s best to line up the same width boards along each row. If you need to, you can rip down scraps on a table saw.

scrap-layouts

Once you have the scraps laid out, add any stain or paint if you desire. I added a combination of glaze, stain and burned some boards to give them a similar color value but still let them look unique.

scrap-wood-assembled-2

Supports:

The key to building a sign with lots of scrap wood is to space your supports well. Each board should have two vertical support pieces on the back, unless the board is really short. You might be able to get away with just one support for those shorties.

Cut 1″ x 4″ boards to the height of your sign. Flip the scraps over and glue each support board.

add-back-support-boards-wood-glue-4

Nail each support board 3-4 times to each scrap.

secure-supports-finish-supports-6

I ended up using 5 supports for my sign.

scrap-wood-sign-support

Allow the glue to dry. Flip your sign over and make sure the scrap boards are well secured.

scrap-woods-layout-2

Transferring the Image:

Now it’s time to have some fun. I made a shoebox projector by following the directions in this video:

I created a basic sketch for the sign. (You are welcome to use this image, but please use for personal use only. Do not resell products with this image on it. And please be sure to credit and link back to this post if you use my image and blog about it.)

How to Make a Vintage Rustic Sleigh Ride Sign | Pretty Handy Girl How cool! You can use this technique to make or transfer any sign graphic.

For your convenience, this image has already been flipped and reversed for projecting it in the shoebox projector.How to Make a Vintage Rustic Sleigh Ride Sign | Pretty Handy Girl How cool! You can use this technique to make or transfer any sign graphic.

Send the image to your phone. Insert the phone into the shoebox. (The brightness has to be turned all the way up and you might want to change the display setting to stay lit longer.) Turn the lights out. Move the shoe box back and forth until you have the image sized as large as you want. Then move your phone forward and back to focus.

shoebox-projector

I will say that my image isn’t as clear as I expected, but my magnifying glass is old and scratched up. However, it gave me enough information to trace my image. Use chalk to trace around the design.

chalk-outline-sign-image

Painting Your Sign:

Now you’re ready to paint your sign. It’s not hard at all, think of it like coloring in the lines of a coloring book. Here’s my video tutorial to help you learn all my tips and tricks while painting signs:

All done? Great! Hang your “new” Vintage Rustic Sleigh Ride Sign with pride.

Holiday Home Tour 2016 | Pretty Handy Girl

I won’t let on that you just made it. Let’s let everyone think we scored this fun sleigh ride sign at an antique shop. 😉

Holiday Home Tour 2016 | Pretty Handy Girl

Holiday Home Tour 2016 | Pretty Handy Girl

Where are you going to hang your vintage rustic sign? I think I’m going to make another one for our kitchen. Maybe a market sign with a pig silhouette?

Holiday Home Tour 2016 | Pretty Handy Girl

Hope you are enjoying the holidays!

PHGFancySign

 

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Add vintage charm to your holiday home with this DIY Reindeer Sleigh Sign | Pretty Handy Girl #DIYholiday #holidayhome #holidaysign