Decorating Archives - Page 4 of 67

DIY Quote Sign with Faux Shiplap Detail

This month I will teach you how to make this DIY quote sign with a faux shiplap detail. It’s a home décor sign with a quote that you can choose! Quote signs are so popular right now and for good reason. They are a great way to express your specific style using a unique sentiment that appeals to you.

DIY Home Décor Sign with Faux Shiplap Detail

Hey all! This is Kristen from In Her Garage with another tutorial for you. I have made several signs and I believe this is the easiest way to make a sign that is inexpensive while looking clean and finished. The best part about this home decor sign is it looks like you made it with shiplap, but you really didn’t!

The sign in this tutorial measures 48” wide x 16” tall x 1 ½” deep. If you feel comfortable modifying the dimensions for the size sign you need please feel free.

Note: Please read through all the instructions before beginning the project.

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.)

1/8” x 24” x 48” tempered hardboard or backer board
2- 1 x 2 x 8 common pine boards
Paint for the sign background
Stain for the frame
Paint markers, fine and medium tip
Lead pencils
Saw-tooth picture hangers

Tools:

Prep:

Paint the backer board the color of your choosing. You need to this first for adding the faux ship-lap detail later.

Instructions:

Cut the frame pieces for the sign.

Using your miter saw or circular saw cut the frame pieces from the 1x2x8’s.

You will need:

Two 16” boards
Two 46 ½” boards

Next cut the groove for the backer board to sit into the frame pieces with the table saw. Raise the table saw blade 1/4” and set the fence to 1/2”. Carefully run each board over the blade, face down, so you are cutting a groove into the board that is 1/4” deep. Use a push block over the top of the board so you are not running your hand over the blade.

Now, move the fence over slightly, about a 1/16”, and make a second pass in each of the frame boards to make the groove wider.

Paint or stain the frame pieces whatever color you like. I used a 50/50 mix of Varathane’s Special Walnut and Briarsmoke stains. Set these aside and let dry.

Cut the backer board:

The backer board will need to be 1/2” taller and wider than the inner dimensions of the frame making the backer board 47” x 15”

Adding the Faux Shiplap detail

To add the faux shiplap lines, raise the saw blade just under half of the thickness of the backer board, about a 1/16”. You can eyeball this by laying the backer board next to the blade (for safety, unplug your saw during blade adjustments). Raise the blade to the desired height.

Next, set the fence to 3 ¾” and run the backer board over the blade to cut a line partially through the board.

Move the fence to 7 ½” and repeat

Move the fence 11 ¼” and repeat one last time.

Now you have 3 shallow horizontal cuts that mimic the look of shiplap. Super cute!

Adding the quote to the backer board

First, you will need to choose a quote. I chose the quote “Love Never Fails” and it will be printed on plain printer paper. I use Microsoft Word to create the template.

Note: I chose not to use my Silhouette for this because this is a large sign and I wanted to keep the printed paper as a template for future use. Plus, I didn’t want to waste vinyl!

In a word document set the orientation to “Landscape” and the Margins to “Narrow”

Type the quote of your choosing. Choose the font you want to use. There are a lot of free fonts available. I typically get mine from www. fontspace.com. The specific font for this sign is First Choice and it can be downloaded for free here.

Highlight the entire quote and start increasing the type size until you have the size you want. The size of this lettering is 350 pt.

Keep in mind standard paper is 11 ½” wide x 8” tall (landscape orientation) which should give you a rough guess as to how it will appear on your backer board.

An entire word will not fit on one page for a picture of this size. You will need to piece them together later.

Print out your quote and tape each word together

Using a lead pencil scribble over the back of the letters. Are you seeing where this is going? You probably remember this transfer trick from 2nd grade.

Once the back of the letters are covered with pencil, flip the paper back over and tape it in place to the backer board.

With a sharp pencil follow the outline of the letters until the entire quote is outlined. This will transfer your quote onto the backer board. It will be faint, but you should be able to see it without a problem. If it’s too faint, you haven’t pressed hard enough while outlining.

Using the fine tip paint marker trace the outline of the letters.

Using the medium tip paint marker fill in the outlined letters. Yes!! You’ve just painted a quote!

Assembling the Sign

Slip the backer board into the cut grooves in the frame boards.

Using 1 ¼” brad nails, nail the frame in place in each corner with two nails.

In the top corners of the back of the frame add the Saw-tooth hooks for hanging the sign.

That’s all there is to it!! I highly recommend watching this video where I’ll show you all the steps to make this DIY quote sign with faux shiplap detail:

Now you have a completely personalized quote sign you’ve made yourself!! Bask in the sense of accomplishment! Show off your sign to all your friends. But be prepared for the request from your friends to make more signs for them.

Find more projects and inspiration In Her Garage and follow my DIY journey on Instagram and Facebook.

Hi! I’m Kristen, from In Her Garage, and I am a self-taught woodworker and DIY fanatic from Minnesota where I live with my husband and our two daughters. Between being a wife, mom and, registered nurse, I try to make as much time for DIY as possible. My love for building came after our family built our current home in 2015. After we moved in, we needed furniture and instead of spending massive amounts of money to order the pieces we wanted I decided that I would build them myself. I started with a buffet table plan from the fabulous Ana-white and quickly set out to remodel my entire home office.

Since then I have started a side business building furniture for the people in my community. I love hearing my clients talk about the pieces they wish they had whether it be a rustic buffet table, a one drawer side table, or a toy box and then making it a reality for them. While starting my small business it made perfect sense that I would document my building journey so I simultaneously launched the In Her Garage blog and I love sharing my plans, tips and tricks.

Making something beautiful with your own two hands through a little preparation and determination is an amazing feeling and I hope to bring inspiration and know-how to those looking to tackle a big or small project.
I am so glad that you found me here and please feel free to connect with me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook to see what I am working on right now.

March 18, 2020/0 Comments/by In Her Garage

Build It, Crafts, decor, Decorating, DIY

DIY House Number Planter Box

It’s important to have house numbers displayed on your home, especially if emergency crews need to locate your house. Today I’ll show you how to build your own DIY house number planter box.

DIY House Number Planter Box

When we moved into our home in the Fall of 2018, I had no idea there were no house numbers on the exterior of it. I was clueless to the fact until a few months ago. A friend came to visit us from out of town and called from our driveway because she was uncertain if she was at the right house. All because we had no numbers on our home!

Ever since this issue was brought to my attention, I’ve been trying to come up with a creative way to add the numbers to our house, but make them stand out a bit. We have wood siding and brick around our front door, so I was also a little cautious about wanting to drill into either. I figured out a solution to all of those things with this DIY house number planter. It’s functional, creative, and I didn’t have to drill any holes into the side of our house.

Let me show you how you can build your own house number planter. Don’t be intimidated by the number of materials needed for this project, it’s actually simple to build.

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.)

1″x”6×6′ board
Miter Saw, Table saw or Circular saw
Tape Measure
Speed square
Nail gun, brad nails
Wood glue
Putty knife
Wood putty (if needed)
Palm Sander and varying grit sandpaper
Tack cloth
White outdoor paint
Sealant (optional)
House numbers
Drill, drill bits
Brick clip (if hanging on brick)
Wood screws (if hanging on wood)
Large sawtooth hanger (if using brick clip)

Instructions:

Step 1

Measure and cut a piece of wood to 24” long for the back of the house number planter.

If you have more than 3-4 numbers for your street address, you may need to cut the back piece longer.

Cut three pieces of wood to 6 ¾” for the sides and bottom of the planter box, and one piece to 7″ for the front.

Step 2

Using wood glue and a nail gun, attach one 6 ¾” piece to the bottom of the 24” board. This will be the bottom of the house number planter. Place a thin layer of wood glue between the two boards before securing with brad nails.

Repeat the step above to attach the other two 6 ¾” pieces to each side of the box, and finally add the 7” piece to the front of the box.

Step 3

Fill in the holes left by the nail gun or any imperfections with wood filler using a putty knife. Let it dry completely before moving on to the next step.

Step 4

Using a palm sander with 150 grit sandpaper, give the entire piece a good sanding (especially where wood filler was used). Follow with 220 grit and 320 grit if needed to achieve a smooth finish. Use a tack cloth to remove any sawdust left behind.

Step 5

If your wood has any knots, prime them first with a strong primer like BIN primer. Otherwise, the knots will start to appear after a year or so. Now give the house number planter 2-3 coats of white (or color of your choice) outdoor paint using either a foam roller or a foam brush. Let the paint dry in between coats. Lightly sand using 320 grit sandpaper when finished for a smooth surface.

Step 6

Attach the house numbers using the hardware provided. It may be necessary to pre-drill holes to avoid splitting the wood.

Step 7

If the planter will be hanging on brick, using a brick clip can be a cost-effective way to hang without drilling into the brick or mortar.

Attach a large sawtooth hanger to the back of the house number planter. Place the brick clip onto the desired location and simply hang the planter onto the clip. No drilling required! You can also hang the planter on a wood surface by using wood screws. I’d recommend drilling directly through the planter into the wood surface behind using 1 ½” screws. Add a bit of paint to the screw head if necessary to hide them.

Step 8

Add some flowers or greenery to the planter. I would recommend placing a few already potted plants inside the box, rather than planting directly into it.

Now you can have a beautiful planter box that is also functional. You should feel mighty proud you built it yourself! Depending on the season you may like to add different decor to the planter box.

It’s still Winter in the Midwest, so fake flowers will have to do for now, but I plan to add some potted succulents to our house number planter for the Summer months. In the Winter you can use some evergreen trimmings, or even fill the box with colored ball ornaments. For Fall wouldn’t it be beautiful with some small mums tucked in there?

I’m Amanda, and I am the creator and voice behind the food and DIY blog, Domestically Creative. What started as a place to share updates with friends and family after we moved from Illinois to Tennessee and then to Texas, turned into a passion for finding creative and frugal ways to feed us and decorate our homes.

I have always had the “make it myself” attitude and I’m not afraid to bust out the power tools or get creative when it comes to decorating our home on a budget. You can usually find me scouring the local thrift stores, garage sales and estate sales looking for my next makeover (like this litter box cabinet), or dreaming up ways to make our new house feel more like home. My most recent project was giving my home office a much needed facelift. Some of the plans included creating a fun inspirational accent wall and adding pegboard to store my craft hoards.

I currently call Missouri home, where I live with my husband, dog, and 2 cats in a pretty dull, late 90’s split level. My husband and I both love to travel the U.S and recently purchased a small travel trailer to tag along in our journeys. In our free time together we can usually be found working together on a home project, exploring a new place, or just lounging with our pup, Delilah.

I’d love for you to connect with me on social media via Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter!

See all of Amanda’s tutorials HERE.

March 11, 2020/1 Comment/by Domestically Creative

accessories, arts and craft, Birdhouse, blue, Centerpieces, Crafts, decor, Decorating, Holiday decorating, Home Decor, Paintbrushes, painting

Faux Blue Bird Eggs and Nest

Can you think of anything more spring-like than a nest full of blue eggs? Today I want to show you how to make Faux Blue Speckled Bird Eggs and a Nest!

Faux Blue Bird Eggs and Nest

Spring has arrived in North Carolina and I want to dance and sing and tiptoe through the tulips. Now that Valentine’s Day has come and gone, it is the perfect time to start decorating for Easter! A nest of Blue Speckled Bird Eggs makes a beautiful centerpiece! Mother Robin sure does create beautiful blue eggs, but we’d never think of disturbing those precious eggs.

Instead, I’ll show you how to turn regular chicken eggs…

…into a beautiful nest of blue speckled eggs to decorate for Easter or Spring.

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.)

Eggs (5-6)
Egg Carton
Rubber Gloves
Bowl
Old Toothbrush
Acrylic Paint: (at least have White, Black and Robin’s Egg Blue)
Paint brush
Paper Bag
Paper Plate
Pasta Maker, Paper Shredder or Scissors
Plastic Drop Cloth
Hammer
Nail

Instructions:

It’s time to get messy. Put down a drop cloth or tarp to cover your work area (and beyond.) First, I’ll show you a magic trick! Learn how to remove the white and yolk out of eggs without breaking the shell. Rest an egg inside the empty carton. Gently tap a nail into the top of your egg.

Turn the egg upside down and put another hole into the other side. Typically you’ll need one hole slightly larger.

Pucker up and blow through the smaller hole until the egg white and yolk drain out the larger bottom hole. (Of course, you’ll probably want to save the eggs for omelets or scrambled eggs.)

Once you have emptied your eggs, clean them off. Then close your egg carton and flip it upside down to create a raised support for your eggs.

Gather your blue, black, and white acrylic paints. Paint the egg a robin’s egg blue color and allow them to dry.

Put on rubber gloves. Pour a small amount of black acrylic paint onto a paper plate. Add a little water to create a runny consistency. Dip the toothbrush into the paint mixture. Aim the toothbrush at the eggs and stroke your finger along the bristles to spatter black dots all over the eggs.

Allow the black speckles to dry and repeat the process using the white paint.

While the eggs are drying, pull out your pasta maker. (Am I the only one who never uses my pasta maker for making pasta?) Cut the paper bag into sections wide enough to fit into the pasta maker.

Feed the paper bag through the pasta maker to shred it. (You can shred the bag with a paper shredder or scissors if you don’t have a pasta maker.) Arrange the shreds into a nest form in a bowl, urn, or basket.

Set your faux blue bird eggs into the nest and admire your beautiful Spring décor!

This centerpiece can be left out until you are tired of looking at it. Then store the eggs in the carton and bring them out again next year.

Have a great week! I hope the weather is warming up where you are!

Pin for later!

February 24, 2020/18 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

decor, Decorating, designer, Electrical, light fixture, Millie's Remodel

Mid-Century Modern Lighting Options for Millie’s Remodel

Mid-Century Modern design is a trend that is sweeping the design world by storm. While researching lighting options for Millie’s Remodel, I curated a list of possible light fixtures. Here are some of my favorite mid-century modern lighting options.

Mid-Century Modern Lighting Options for Millie’s Remodel

Mid-Century Modern design style is filled with sleek lines, golds, wood tones, and shapes reminiscent of galactic constellations. While looking for lighting options for the Millie’s Remodel house, I spent a fair amount of time curating lighting to fit with the modern style. Luckily I found a fair amount of light options and a few ceiling fans that would look perfect in any mid-century modern house.

Disclosure: Kichler Lighting is a Millie’s Remodel gold sponsor. I was provided with complimentary fixtures for the house.

Mid-Century Chandeliers

Chandeliers are often the focal point in a room and for good reason. Typically they are larger in size, elegance, and number of light bulbs than other fixtures in the home. Why not steal the show with one of these mid-century modern style chandeliers?

Mid-Century Modern Pendant Lights

Pendant lights might be my favorite light fixtures after chandeliers. With their smaller size, pendants can fit perfectly over a sink, paired in a set of two on either side of a mirror, or in groupings over an island or bar. These are some great options for Mid-Century Modern pendant lights.

Mid-Century Modern Ceiling Lights

When you have low ceilings, flush mount and semi-flush mount light fixtures are a necessity. Meet a whole crop of beautiful mid-century modern inspired ceiling lights.

Mid-Century Modern Wall-Mounted Lights & Sconces

Bathrooms are the primary location for wall-mounted lights, but look close for other opportunities to use wall-mounted lights. Sconces are right at home on either side of a window, doorway, or to add lighting on a staircase. Regardless of where you want to install them, here are some great options for mid-century modern wall-mount lights.

Mid-Century Modern Ceiling Fans

Those of us that live in warmer climates know sometimes you need a ceiling fan paired with your light. There’s nothing like a hot and humid evening to encourage some airflow over your skin to cool off. Below are several sources for ceiling fans that pair nicely with mid-century modern furniture and fixures.

Are you embracing the mid-century modern design trend? I’d love to hear which are your favorites.

Disclosure: Kichler Lighting is a Millie’s Remodel gold sponsor. I was provided with complimentary fixtures for the house.

February 17, 2020/2 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

Decorating, designer, kitchen, Kitchen Renovation, Millie's Remodel

Millie’s Remodel: Kitchen Design

The kitchen at Millie’s Remodel has been opened up by removing a wall and the moldy drywall and subfloor have been replaced. Now it’s time for me to start thinking about the kitchen design elements for this very important space.

Millie’s Remodel: Kitchen Design

Do you remember what the kitchen looked like when I first started working on Millie’s Remodel? The room was closed off and had two doorways from the house plus a back door.

The wall behind the refrigerator needed to come down in my opinion. This would allow for a much more open concept.

After tearing down that corner wall, it was amazing how much more light flooded into the kitchen area. Plus, it made the kitchen feel more spacious.

You may recall I worked with a local designer to create a fresh vision of the kitchen layout.

I still have some issues to contend with (like a very sloped kitchen sub-floor). But first I need to create a design plan for the kitchen. A design board will allow me to order cabinets, lighting, and other fixtures. I am leaning toward a mid-century modern vibe in this house, especially since it was built in 1957. Simple fixtures and graphic lines will maintain a minimalist modern look.

Sources:

(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.)

I’m excited to start putting this Humpty Dumpty of a kitchen back together soon and see the finishes installed. I think they’ll look beautiful together. What do you think?

P.s. Schlage, and Kichler are sponsors of the Millie’s Remodel project. I am so grateful for their support of this project.

A special thank you to the Millie’s Remodel Sponsors:

The Millie’s Remodel project sponsors have donated materials for the Millie’s Remodel project. As you know I am very particular about the brands I work with and recommend. As a general contractor, I choose the products used on my projects wisely to make sure they last a lifetime. Therefore, I have no reservations putting my name behind each and every one of these sponsors.

February 14, 2020/2 Comments/by Brittany Bailey