Nail & String Letters {Diy}

Here is a quick tutorial of the wooden nail and string letters I made for our recent gold shoot. By the way, when I say "quick tutorial" I mean it... I hardly took any pictures, and the pictures I did take were with my cell phone. So this is a rough explanation just in case you want to make your own.

#1- Cut your wood boards to any size you want your letter to be, these were about 20"x30" pieces made from 1/2" plywood. I was using these letters I got at JoAnns as a template which made it very easy to know sizing and to trace them.

#2- Stain wood boards if desired

#3- Trace letters on to boards

#4- Spray paint every single nail shiny gold... Oh wait, that's only if you're crazy like me... I suggest skipping this part if possible. :)

#5- Hammer a nail about 1/4" into the wood in all the corners of the letter (see image below), this will give you good starting and ending points. It also helps with spacing your nails.

#6- I used a nail for my spacing, it seemed easier than measuring. Now repeat this step about 150 times and you've got it! For smaller areas where the nail space wouldn't have been even, I eyeballed and adjusted accordingly.

This is what it looks like as things start moving along... pretty little nails all in a row.

#7- Tie your embroidery floss to one of the nails and begin weaving it back and forth, around, up and down, catching all the nail heads as you go. This part actually moves pretty quickly. I believe I used 4-5 threads in varying colors on each letter.

Fill in the gaps and spaces as you go until you have a uniform look

#8- Trim all loose strings and you're done!

Here you have it! I absolutely love the way these turned out. They would be fun to use as a headboard (secured well to the wall), wedding decor, or even over the mantel in your living room.

Here is the final image and how I chose to display them in the photo shoot. They made a really sweet backdrop to our mock engagement party.

I hope the directions weren't too hard to follow. Please leave a comment with any questions you have and I'd love to help you out. 
Also, all of my new blog design is in the works so come back soon for info on that!!

Kitchen Cabinet {Refurbished}

I had originally purchased this cabinet for my little workroom, but  it was too large for the space so I started searching for somewhere else to put it. We have the most awkward nook in our kitchen. If you look at the picture below, it's on the right side between the fridge and the wall by the sink. In this photo we had two small butcher block carts to fill the space, but they were just too small. So, when we realized the cabinet would fit perfectly in that spot I was all too excited.

Here is my $5 cabinet. I forgot to take a before picture so I quickly stuck a couple drawers back in just so you could get the idea.

It has two cutting boards built in as well. Look at that lovely mixture of random white paint and old, chip-y stain.

Before painting I laid down a drop cloth and propped the cabinet up with four paint cans so I could paint all the way to the bottom.

I lightly sanded the piece. I'm not a big fan of sanding projects but all the chipping stain made it mandatory for this job.

 Then I got to painting!

I painted it with two coats of paint. *Hint* Don't paint the bottom of the drawers or the track, it will likely get sticky and not slide as easily if you do.

And here it is in its new home! We plan on adding a new butcher block to the top to extend the piece out. I think it would make a nice little spot for the girls to sit and help me while I cook. 

By the way, the cabinet hardware is by Martha Stewart, you can get them at Home Depot for about $5. I love these, they make me want to add pulls to everything! Kinda funny to think that each pull cost the same amount as the whole cabinet. 

For those of you who like all the nitty gritty details, here it is!

Cabinet, thrift store (half off from $10)- $5.00
Paint, Behr Premium Plus Ultra- I bought a gallon but used about $10.00 worth
Martha Stewart Pulls- $32.00


Total= $47.00

Dining Buffet Gone Bad {Refurbished}

I mentioned over here that I would show you all some pictures of the dining buffet we found on the side of the road for free. About two years ago when we found this gem I had no idea I would be blogging about it one day; hence the odd before photos. I knew that under the funky paint and murals there was something worth fixing.

Originally the pieces had green and gold crackle paint on the sides and top, and 3 doors painted with various food related images on them. Here is a picture with the top already painted. The inside of the piece was a subtle beige color, which I appreciated because subtle color = less coats of paint = less work for me!

If you can't see that unique green/gold paint above, here is a

 close-up of what it looked like. It was bad.

The piece originally had 3 doors on it. I chose to take the two outer doors off to make way for some baskets. I left the middle one on to store my cookbooks and junk I don't want people to see.

Once all the paint dried, I roughed up the edges and top a bit so it didn't look so perfectly painted. And there you have it! I definitely think it was worth $30 in paint and supplies and a few hours of labor. 

 P.S. Ignore the yellow paint test strip on top, it's about to get another update.

Hanging Mason Jar Candles {Tutorial}

Here is the little tutorial for the hanging mason jar candles seen in the vender shoot I did in this post here.  I know this is a pretty simple idea but people have been very curious on how this all came together so hopefully this will help you out a bit!  

I hope that makes sense. :)  Let me know if you have any question and I'll try and help!