I’ve had this white cabinet door in my basement for over two years now. Today, I decided to make an easy farmhouse tray for my kitchen table. This project was took me just under 15 minutes including the time it took me to find the right bit for my screwdriver! This particular door had a cut out handle in the wood which you can see slightly in the image above. This made this project even easier because I did not have to fill any holes where the handles may have been. I found these two wrought iron type handles in a box of goodies in the garage and I think…
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DIY Craft Show Logo Business Sign
Let’s say you have an upcoming craft show. You have your inventory, you have your cash, but do you have a Business Sign to advertise your goods? I’m going to show you how you can easily paint your own craft show logo business sign by repainting a painting. Yes, you got that right! Bonus: No stencils or fancy software involved! Gotta love those old tacky framed paintings at the junk shop and garage sales! You may not like the painting or even the frame, but don’t walk on by! Have you ever thought of upcycling a painting by repainting the frame and background? You can make your own craft show…
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DIY: Natural Fabric Dye
Imagine transforming a dull duvet cover with something you might already have on hand. And even if you don’t have this on hand, you can find it in the spice aisle at your local grocery store for less than $3. I am talking about Turmeric! Turmeric is one of the latest health food trends but did you know it also is a natural fabric dye? It is no secret that my favorite colors are a bright and cheery orange and mustard yellow. Don’t believe me? Check out these Juicy Orange No-Sew Outdoor Cushion Covers. Recently, I was looking for a way for a give my dull duvet a pop of…
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DIY: Spray Painted Ceiling Medallion Mirror
I love shiny bright things. The DIY Spray Painted Ceiling Medallion Mirror fits the bill! Hubby is a carpenter and every now and then he will bring home some pretty neat finds from his demolitions. He knows the way to this girl’s heart. Never mind chocolate and flowers, bring me some architectural salvage! Ceiling Medallion to Mirror This fiberglass ceiling medallion was stored in my garage for years. I knew that I loved the texture, shape and design but I just did not know what I wanted to do with it until I made the connection with a gold round mirror I saw for over $100! In my excitement, I…
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11 Ways to Paint Wood Signs
Have you ever wondered how to paint your own wood sign? There are so many different ways to painting lettering and designs onto wood! Here I am going to show you 11 ways to paint your own wood signs! When I first started my sign painting business in 2015, Plaid and Pearls Design, I started without a stencil cutting machine. I Googled and experimented with every technique I could find! I was determined to find a technique that would give me the results I wanted Today, I will be sharing the 11 ways to painting wood signs that I have tried– 10 of them without a fancy cutting machine! Painting…
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Confessions of an Overthinking Shopper
Do you ever overthink your purchases? I have a confession that I am an overthinking shopper. I sometimes go shopping on my lunch hour. I love popping into Homesense or Marshalls once or twice a week just to see what’s new. I especially have a thing for home decor and linens. Puffy Pillows and Flamingos Perfectly puffy pillows in the latest patterns and colors are just the thing I need to refresh my sofa. The cute flamingo melamine dishes remind that I should probably upgrade my free-with-purchase juice glasses. I Found the Sheets In the Linens’ Department, I painstakingly file through the pillow cases, double sized duvet covers, dust covers…
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No Sew Outdoor Cushion Covers
Today, I’m going to show you a super easy, no sew way to cover your faded and tired outdoor cushion covers. Shower Curtain or Tablecloth? I’ve had the same patio cushions for over 6 years. Yes, they are a little faded and holey but they do the job. I wanted to brighten them up and thought that a shower curtain or outdoor tablecloth might do the trick. I’ve sewn outdoor cushion covers using a shower curtain in the past and this worked perfectly but sewing was not an option this time around as my machine needs a tune-up. Yellow Paint Fail My heart was really set on yellow but I…
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Garden Planter – Paint letters without a Stencil
This fun and sweet upcycled metal kettle planter idea with a hand-painted saying is perfect for your porch or patio. You don’t need a fancy cutting machine for this project! I’m going to show you how to paint letters without a stencil. Although Mother Nature has not quite gotten with the Spring weather program here, I am itching to get my hand hands dirty, gardening and freshening up our outdoor living spaces. Looking on the bright side, the one good thing about the warmer weather being delayed is that it gives me more time to brainstorm ideas and actually get to one or two of the many projects I have…
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5 Ways to Build Resilience in Your Creative Business
How do you handle complaints in your creative business? Today, I am going to share 5 strategies that I have used to build resilience in my creative business. As a creative business owner, you put yourself out there every single day – every sale, every client meeting, and every craft show. When you write a post for your Facebook page and snap a picture for your Instagram feed, you expose yourself. Every time someone wants to know more about what you do, you gulp and explain your passion. You invest hours, days and even weeks on perfecting techniques and your product to your high standards. Your love for what you…
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5 Alternatives to One-Use Sandwich Bags
It happened tonight. I opened the drawer, grabbed the box, and pulled out THE LAST SANDWICH BAG. I should put this on the shopping list for tomorrow but I just can’t bring myself to buy any more. Maybe it’s the news report I read a few days ago that is still bothering me, or maybe it’s the prospect that I may be responsible for screwing up the ecosystem for my non-existent grandchildren, and yes I have been known to overthink, but I just can’t bring myself to purposely buy any more single-use plastic. On any given week day, I would estimate that our household uses about 5 sandwich bags per…
