DIY Holiday Napkin Rings made from inexpensive Garland

Festive DIY Napkin Rings for your Holiday Table

Happy Holidays! I thought it would be very apropos to share this easy last-minute holiday napkin ring tutorial with you all. It’s that time of year when time is short and things are busy.  The last thing we need is to stress about table settings.  If you happen to need something quick to dress your tables,  these festive DIY napkin rings will have you covered!

I got the idea for this while I was in Target. Of course, I love to peruse their home decor aisles, which are filled with holiday decor at the moment. I saw this lovely little green garland for $8! Bargain! I am picky about my faux greenery, but this one looked pretty good (especially for the price). I knew I could make this into a cool centerpiece or napkin rings.

Greenery Napkin Ring DIY

You can follow these same steps to make napkin rings out of any holiday garland.  Dollar Stores might be a good source for inexpensive garlands.  It’s helpful if your garland has a bendable wire with it, this makes shaping the rings easier.  I would also like to suggest that you use wire cutters for cutting the wire.  Strong scissors may do the job, but it can be tough. And why ruin your good scissors?

wire cutters for cutting wire garland

Let’s get started, shall we?

Materials:

(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.)

inexpensive christmas garland

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut a small piece of garland.

cut off small piece of garland

Take your wire cutters and cut a piece of garland. The length will depend on how thick your napkins are. I have these frayed red buffalo check napkins that I made for the 4th of July, and I’m reusing them for the holidays! (You can check out the tutorial for those red napkins right here.) The material is somewhat thin, so I cut about a 4-inch piece of garland.

Step 2: Bend Garland Piece into a ring

shape your garland piece into a ring

Bend your garland piece into a ring. This is why it helps to be using garland with wire! All you have to do is mold it in a circle and twist it together. Then you can fluff up the greenery on the ring any way you like.

ring of garland

Definitely ensure that your ring doesn’t have any sharp, exposed wires. If so, just clamp it down with pliers.

Step 3: Insert your napkin

Red Napkins with DIY Napkin Rings made from garland

Now for the fun. Take the whole napkin and pull it through the ring. But here’s another way to do this.

Take your napkin and lay it out flat. Grab the napkin in the center and place your napkin ring over the center fold. Voila!

close up image of green napkin rings around a red holiday napkin

I think napkin rings really add to place settings, especially if you’re like me and only have a small round table. It’s stylish without overcrowding the table. I think these extra touches really make the holidays feel special. And instead of spending $5 on each napkin ring, you spent $8 on the whole project. As a bonus, you’ll probably have garland leftover to decorate with!

If you want more great ideas for your Holiday table, check out this gorgeous Holiday Tablescape.

Christmas Table with candles and red napkins and festive napkin rings

I want to take a moment to wish you all a Happy and safe Holiday and a Joyous New Year. I’ve now been writing for Pretty Handy Girl for a year, and I couldn’t be more thankful for this opportunity to connect with you all. Thank you so much for being a reader! It means so much to me to have you here.

karen signature

~ See More of Karen’s Tutorials ~


karen from decor hintHello!  I’m Karen, the creator of the Home Decor and DIY Blog: Decor Hint. I’m a Native of the East Coast, but I currently live in beautiful Seattle with my hubby, our two wonderful children, and our spunky wheaten terrier.

You can usually find me with some sort of craft in one hand and a coffee in the other. And I’m always rearranging furniture or moving lamps from room to room. I have a passion (read: obsession) for decorating, DIY, and gardening. In short, I love making my house into a home.

Like many, I’m inspired by what I see in home decor magazines, but I’m not so inspired by the price tags.  Consequently, I love finding and creating beautiful budget-friendly home decor items. In a head to head competition, I bet you’d never know the difference between the designer items and my DIY creations!  Many of my DIY projects focus on sewing, crafting, upcycling and organizing. Some of my favorite projects have been making pretty wreaths, sewing my own tassel hand towels, and crafting these trendy wood bead garlands. I can’t wait to inspire you and spark your creativity through my DIY projects.

You can always connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.

 

DIY fabric tile coasters

DIY Fabric Tile Coasters

Hello! How are we all doing?

The holidays may look a lot different this year, but the same sentiments and traditions are still here. If you have a tradition of making handmade holiday gifts, I have the perfect craft for you today! These DIY fabric tile coasters are a cinch to put together and you can customize them with any fabric you like.

This project is not only easy, it’s inexpensive too. Pick up square tiles from a home improvement store for as little as 15 cents. Then grab some fabric scraps to make these coasters come together.

I’m sharing the full tutorial plus some tips on making your coasters waterproof! So, let’s get started.

How to Make DIY Fabric Tile Coasters

Materials:

(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.)

Instructions:

Step 1: Cut Fabric to Size

The first thing you need to do is cut your fabric to size. I tried this many different ways and by far the best looking option is to cut them slightly smaller than the tile. This will leave a small white border around the top of the coaster but it will look neater. Plus, it is much easier to apply this way.

Use a rotary cutter to get the neatest cuts, but if you don’t have one, use a pair of very sharp scissors or fabric scissors.

Step 2: Apply Fabric to Tile

Take your foam brush and paint a layer of Mod Podge onto the top of your tile. Then, apply your fabric square to the tile, Smooth out bubbles as you apply.

Once your fabric is aligned properly and smooth, apply another layer of Mod Podge on top of the fabric.

Set aside your tile coasters to dry.

Step 3: Waterproof and Seal your Coaster

Once your Fabric and Mod Podge fully dries, you will notice it feels a little stiff and tacky. Eventually, this will go away but if you don’t have time on your hands and you really want to waterproof them, you’ll need to seal them.

With any of these sealers, you want to spray outdoors or in an area with really good ventilation – as the fumes are pretty strong.

One way to seal them is to use an acrylic sealer spray from Mod Podge. You can buy this in gloss or matte. I only had matte on hand but I do think gloss is the way to go here.

Another sealer (which I haven’t personally tried yet) is called Engine Enamel. This is made by Rustoleum and is actually for cars! But I’ve heard it works here too. It will give a glossy finish to your coasters and protect them from water and heat.

Finally, a third option is to use resin. Resins can be more expensive than the first two options, so keep this in mind. EnviroTex Lite is a resin sold at Michael’s and other craft stores and gives your finished coaster a very high gloss, polished look. It’s really beautiful so if you are serious about your coaster making, this is definitely the winner here.

Step 4: Apply Cork to Bottom of Tile

After your coasters are dried and sealed, let’s finish the bottom. Tile squares can be a bit rough on the bottom, so we need to cover them.

I found these cork squares on Amazon and they fit perfectly! They are also sticky on one side, so you just need to peel off the back and apply.

Another option is to use felt squares and hot glue them to the bottom.

These coasters are easy to create and make wonderful handmade gifts – even for a hostess!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Enjoy this holiday season, even if it does look a bit different. 🙂

karen signature

~ See More of Karen’s Tutorials ~


karen from decor hintHello!  I’m Karen, the creator of the Home Decor and DIY Blog: Decor Hint. I’m a Native of the East Coast, but I currently live in beautiful Seattle with my hubby, our two wonderful children, and our spunky wheaten terrier.

You can usually find me with some sort of craft in one hand and a coffee in the other. And I’m always rearranging furniture or moving lamps from room to room. I have a passion (read: obsession) for decorating, DIY, and gardening. In short, I love making my house into a home.

Like many, I’m inspired by what I see in home decor magazines, but I’m not so inspired by the price tags.  Consequently, I love finding and creating beautiful budget-friendly home decor items. In a head to head competition, I bet you’d never know the difference between the designer items and my DIY creations!  Many of my DIY projects focus on sewing, crafting, upcycling, and organizing. Some of my favorite projects have been making pretty wreaths, sewing my own tassel hand towels, and crafting these trendy wood bead garlands. I can’t wait to inspire you and spark your creativity through my DIY projects.

You can always connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.

One of the easiest storage solutions is to create your own DIY ladder display shelves using an old ladder for the frame. Not only will you save time, but the money saved makes this project a winner in my book!

DIY Ladder Display Shelves

DIY Ladder Display Shelves

If you’ve been around for a while, you know these ladder display shelves start at $99 and go up depending on size. But, today’s tutorial shouldn’t cost you much and the result will be more personalized to your style (depending on how you finish it.)

pottery barn ladder display shelves
I know you’ve seen them, those adorable ladder display shelves, I really wanted one.  But, the price tags were enough to send me running from the store with my purse gripped tightly in my hands. I mean, really? The one above from Pottery Barn costs $229! I don’t know about you, but I really don’t like spending more than $50 on something I can build myself.

Fast forward a few weeks, and when I saw this ladder at the Habitat ReStore for $15, I knew it had the potential to fulfill my ladder display shelf dreams.

old rickety ladder
The skeptical cashier tried to persuade me not to buy the ladder, warning me not to climb on it because it was too rickety. But, who cares about rickety, I was in love with the paint splashes all over it!

old ladder resting against white porch wall

So, I hauled the old ladder home (and received funny looks along the way because it was hanging several feet out the back of my car.) Little did they know that I was about to transform that old ladder.

Materials:

(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.)

Instructions for Building DIY Ladder Display Shelves:

For this project, you can leave the back of the ladder intact, or pry off the top rivets to separate the front from the back. This gave me the ability to make two things from one ladder. (Be sure to read to the end to find out what I made with the backside!)

Start by measuring the width of each step (and subtract 1/8″ to account for the slant of the ladder.)

measure width of ladder steps

Use 1″ x 12″ pine boards or any size you choose. (I had some leftover shelving material I bought from a yard sale, so it was already pre-finished.)

Cut the boards to the appropriate width on a miter saw or ask the lumber store to cut them for you. Yes, it was a total coincidence that my boards were covered in paint splotches too!

stack of 1x12 boards

Dry fit the boards to make sure they fit your ladder. My heart was thumping now because I could really see the project taking shape!

dry fit shelves on ladder

Next cut some 1″ x 2″ strips the same width as each shelf. These are for the backs of your shelves. If necessary stain your shelves or paint them to match your ladder. Or paint the entire ladder and shelves with chalk paint or a paint plus primer.

dry fit 1x2's to front of shelf boards

Attach the 1×2 strips to the back of the shelves, using wood glue.

adding wood glue to front of shelf

Hold until the glue has gripped the trim piece.

attach shelf front

Or nail the 1″x2″ pieces to the shelves.

attach front of shelf using brad nailer

Choose how far back you want your shelves to rest on the ladder steps. Using a combination square or ruler, mark a line on all the shelves. (I chose a 3″ setback.)

using carpenter square to measure depth of shelves

Pre-drill the location for the screws on each ladder step. Turn your ladder upside down and set the screws inside the holes. Line up your pencil lines on the shelf to your ladder step.

2 screws under ladder step into shelf

Clamp the shelf, or get a buddy to hold the shelf as you drive the screws into the bottom of each. Repeat the process for all the shelves.

3 screws under ladder step into shelf

Then flip the ladder back over and admire! My total cost was $15 because I had the other materials on hand. But, even if you have to buy the screws and lumber, it should cost a lot less than a Pottery Barn shelving unit at $299!

My favorite part about this shelf is the paint splashes.

This DIY Ladder Display Shelf sits on our screen porch. But, this beauty would look good anywhere in your home.

close up ladder shelves decorated with coastal decor

I’m contemplating making one for my new master bathroom.

close up rustic ladder shelves

The minnow trap hanging pendant light is also an easy DIY project.

ladder display shelf resting against wall

So what do you think? Do you like it? I bet you could build one of these ladder display shelves for yourself in an hour or two.

Oh, I almost forgot, if you are wondering what I did with the back of the ladder. You can see how I gave it a quick makeover turning it into a display easel.

ladder easel

Have a great week and I’ll see you soon.

Pin this project to save it or share with a friend!

DIY Ladder Display Shelves

In the interest of saving Halloween, here are several ideas for contactless trick or treating!

11 Contactless Halloween Trick or Treat Ideas

11 Contactless Halloween Trick or Treat Ideas

Halloween is a mere two weeks away. Let’s get real, 2020 has been hard enough on the kids. Cancelling Halloween would be the biggest disappointment for our little ones. With that in mind, I’ve been scouring the web and my brain for some excellent contactless Halloween Trick or Treat Ideas. Here they are in no particular order.

Ship Your Candy:

This Ohio Dad Saves Halloween with a Shipping Tube and Spray Paint!

 

Spooky Candy Chute:

Wicked Makers breaks out the spooky decor and a plumbing pipe for this Skeletal Candy Chute.

 

A Twist on a Scavenger Hunt: The Candy Graveyard

With a few props and pre-packaged candy, you too can create this fun Halloween Candy Graveyard.

Halloween candy Graveyard

 

Table Halloween…Definitely Not!

Many of our neighbors are planning on leaving pre-packed treat bags on a table by their door. Craft Box Girls, upcycled this sofa table with a little spray paint to create a Halloween Decorated Treat Table.

DIY Halloween Trick or Treat Table

 

Easy Driveway Trick or Treat Table

If DIY isn’t your thing, you can take the easy path and gather a few supplies to create this driveway trick or treat table in no time.

Easy trick or treat driveway table

 

The Giving Tree

If you have a tree in your yard with low branches, you can attach treat bags to the branches. Or cut a branch and add a few treat bags like The Craft Train did.

DIY Treat Tree

 

Hang Up Halloween

Let’s not hang up the idea of trick or treating altogether. Take a note from Little Sooti’s birthday favor idea and hang those treat bags out for the children to grab and go. You can attach them to the door, or on a clothesline between your porch posts. Get creative!

hanging treat bags on a line

 

Door Decor

Hershey comes to the rescue with this fun DIY Door Decor idea for a contactless treat dispenser.

Contactless Door Treat Dispenser

 

Scavenger Hunt

If you don’t feel comfortable letting your kids trick or treat this year, I’ve got an idea for you! A Trick or Treat Scavenger Hunt from Hey, Let’s Make Stuff. Or you can adapt this idea to your front yard for trick or treaters. Simply give one clue to each kid to find their treats.

TRick or treat scavenger hunt

 

Is There Junk in Your Trunk

Trunk or Treat parties have been around for decades, but this year you can park it in your own driveway and open the trunk to your trick or treaters.

Trunk or treat for contactless trick or treating

 

Buckets of Fun:

If you have a two-story window over the front door, you could create a simple bucket and pulley system to deliver treats to the children. Keep the rope in your hands to keep it contactless for the kids. You might also consider wiping the bucket between trick-or-treaters. Don’t have a pulley? No problem, you can simply run a clothesline from the window to a stationary post (light post or fence post) and then loop the bucket handle over the line. Send it down to the trick or treaters (just be sure to attach a second line to the bucket handle so you can pull it back up).

Bucket on a Pulley for contactless trick or treating

How about you? Do you have any idea for a safer contactless Halloween? I’d love to hear them. In the meantime, pin this image and share this post with your friends so the kids can enjoy Halloween even during a pandemic.

11 Contactless Halloween Trick or Treat Ideas

mid-century-modern-house-number-sign-how-to

Finally, I’m back with another Millie’s Remodel project and this one is simple enough anyone can make it. Learn How to Make a Modern Address Number Sign and then learn my tips for hanging things on a brick wall.

DIY House Number Sign

How to Make a Modern Address Sign (and Hang it On Brick)

(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.)

The address sign numbers at the Millie’s Remodel project were hung on the old vinyl shutters before. And if you look closely you’ll see the zero is upside down. Can you spot the other upside-down thing on this house? It must be a theme here.

As you can see, poor Millie really needed an updated address number sign. In one of my many trips to the Habitat ReStore, I scored these two modern numbers for $3 each! Given that they are usually $11 new, this was a real steal. But, I still needed the number 5. Luckily, I purchased a number 5 on Amazon.

But wait, did I screw up and order the wrong finish? Come on, you all know me better than that! I have plans to make them match with a new beautiful gold finish.

How to Repaint Metal Hardware:

Before repainting any metal hardware (numbers, handles, hinges, hooks, knobs, or other metal hardware), you need to complete a little bit of prep work. Start by lightly sanding the hardware with a fine-grit sandpaper. This will give the finish a little tooth for the paint to stick to.

Alternatively, you can use a liquid sander deglosser. Just wipe it on and then buff with a clean cloth.

Set up your numbers outside or in a well-ventilated area. Raise the numbers on shims or scraps to keep the paint from puddling underneath. I chose to use Rustoleum, Bright Coat Gold paint on these numbers.

Spray the numbers with several light coats, allowing each coat to dry before the next one. Avoid the temptation to spray a thick coverage coat, you’ll get better and longer lasting results with several thin coats.

Building a Modern Address Number Sign:

Now it’s time to build that sign. Let’s improve your curb appeal with this easy Modern Address Number Sign!

Materials:

Instructions:

Lay your numbers on a piece of 1″ x 6″ wood.

Figure out how tall you want your number sign to be. You can also make this sign with a horizontal orientation if you prefer. I chose a cedar 1″ x 6″ board (actual dimenisons are 3/4″ x 5.5″ wide by 22″ tall before adding trim).

Cut your board to size and sand off any rough edges.

To give the wood a darker mid-century modern color (and to create more contrast between the numbers and the wood) I stained the cedar plank with a combination of Pecan and Provincial stain from Minwax. After brushing the stain on, let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe off any excess with a clean dry cloth. If you want a darker stain color, repeat this process.

After the stain dries, finish your board with an exterior grade topcoat. I prefer this General Finishes top coat in flat, to allow the grain to show and downplay any glossiness.

Sport Gear Storage Shelves in a Small Space | Pretty Handy Girl

Adding the Numbers:

Remove the templates from the number packages. Cut, them out.

Layout the numbers and the templates on the board until you get the desired layout.

Remove the numbers and use a nail, screw (or another sharp object) to make in indent where the hardware posts are located.

These are denoted on the template as circles.

Select a drill bit the same width (or slightly smaller) than the posts. Remove the templates and drill into the board at the indents. (I use a piece of painter’s tape on my drill bit to mark the appropriate depth to drill.)

Modern-Address-Sign-Tutorial

After the holes are drilled, insert the posts into the back of the numbers.

For exterior use, you may want to add a dab of clear silicone into each hole. This will seal the hole and prevent water from seeping into the holes.

Set the numbers into the holes and gently press them into the sign.

Note: The numbers I used have a 1″ threaded area at the bottom. I ended up pushing the posts through the back of the 3/4″ board to hide the threaded area later. If you are making this sign, you might choose to use a true 1″ board, or you might want to position the frame to cover the excess post poking through the back of the sign.

How to Cut Perfect Mitered Trim:

I try to use rot-resistant materials for exterior use, therefore I chose a PVC 1″ x 2″ trim to frame the house number sign.

Start by cutting two pieces at a 45-degree angle (for one corner, cut each end at opposite angles). Set the trim onto one corner of your sign. Mark the inside corner for the opposite corner.

Line up your saw blade on that interior mark and cut. It’s better to cut it a tad long and “sneak up” on the angle. As you can see below, there’s a gap against the sign.  Simple make another mark and cut again until you get a nice tight fit.

Cut your other sides and dry fit them together around the sign. Perfect mitered corners!

Secure the trim to the sign, and then add a nail or two into each corner.

To get a beautiful corner before painting, run a bead of white caulk over each miter. Wipe off any excess.

Use an exterior grade paint to paint the trim and make it look top-notch!

To hang your modern address number sign, add D hooks to the top of the back of the sign.

2 Ways to Hang Things on a Brick Wall:

Watch my video to learn the easiest way to hang something on brick.

This street number sign is the perfect amount of modern Millie needed.

Well well, I’d say this was a huge improvement. Miss Millie is certainly looking much better!

I’ll share how to build those modern shutters in the near future. Stay tuned.