DIY Pallet Night Stands and Wall Hanging

Continuing on with the Pallet Furniture theme from last week; we made matching night stands.  Another item our room was lacking in. We wanted to continue making things with as little cost as possible; the only thing purchased were $3.00 worth of flowers from the dollar tree. 

We wanted to stay with the barn door style and the rough, raw wood. I didn't snap any pictures as the hubby was working on these. :( But, I can give a brief explanation. :) 

He made two square frames the width and depth we wanted them to be. Then he cut boards the height we wanted and nailed them to the four sides of the frame. Added the accent and a quick run over with the sander and voila! Repeat and there you have it! Two night stands. 

I love the combination of these candle holders, the flowers in a jar and the raw wood. Its beautiful!

This little beauty is one of my favorites so far...

This wall hanging was an interesting piece. After cutting the boards the right length for the night stands, we had this ladder looking piece left. It was too unique to just throw into the burn pile. We sat in our room just looking at it. I checked my "My love of Pallets" board on pinterest for ideas I had liked. Searching for some way to incorporate this wood. Then it hit me! I saw this cute pin..

That's where the mason jars came from! We added the flowers to tie it in with the headboard. Then we stood back and said, "Wow". It just created itself! 

Capturing its beauty I found is not happening with my POS camera! 

Tell me what you think! I would love any more suggestions in this bedroom revamp of ours! We are currently working on a corner bench for our room! Stay tuned..

Happy Building! 

~Keli~

DIY Pallet Headboard

Thanks to Pinterest, I have an obsession with all things made from pallets. There are so many wonderful ideas to upcycle pallets. Plus, they are found in abundance and most places just give them away. I started pinning ideas that I liked, shared them with my husband and soon we both couldn't keep pallets off our minds. I checked craigslist for free pallets and found tons but most were an hour away. (The joys of small town living.) I decided before driving to get something that is free I would call around town. Well, my first call scored me with a lovely stack of 15 pallets. I am also told they have 10-30 on a regular basis. SCORE!! :)

Our first project we knew had to be a headboard. Our poor bedroom has been the most neglected room in our house! Complete with mismatched, garage sale furniture. Only thing new was our mattress that we bought two years ago. 

It started something like this: A 6' x 4' pallet. We moved the boards together to remove the gaps. 

Added a couple helpers. :)

Next, the hubby surprised me with barn door style accents. Which I absolutely LOVED!!

Lastly, we needed a finishing touch. I thought a monogram would have been best. But, if we ever wanted to get rid of this we decided on a heart. So, I grabbed some newspaper and made a stencil. 

We used some left over chalkboard paint. 

(Another love of mine.)

Here is the finished project. I am absolutely in love with its rustic charm!

I find myself walking past my room and just staring at it. 

It was that simple. Took about 3 hours to make. Start to finish. We used one big pallet and a third of a smaller one. All materials were what we had laying around or free. Completely free new piece of bedroom furniture! We still have 13 pallets left! :)

Stay tuned for more projects with pallets.

~Keli~

Easy No Sew Scarf!

The days are getting colder and snow is in the air. My boys still love to go outside to play regardless of the weather. They asked a couple weeks ago for scarves and I didn't think much about it. All bundled up, they once again asked for scarves of their own. So, taking them serious this time I got right to work. I had some left over fleece from these snuggies I made them a couple years ago. I cut each piece 60" x 7". Then cut each end up 4" into 1" strips. It was that simple. Just a couple minutes. No Sewing. Free Leftover Fabric. Happy Boys! :)


















Happy Crafting!

~Keli~

Homemade Glass Cleaner!!!!

I was in a dilemma.

I was rushing through the house cleaning while the boys were gone and Holly was napping. Time is limited, right?! I just got done scrubbing floors and counter tops when it was time to clean the mirrors. I went to the cleaning closet to find our Windex was empty. (An empty Windex bottle left in the closet? No surprise there, love ya Honey!)

Anywho, I really wanted to get the cleaning finished when I remembered my pin on Pinterest for the Homemade Glass Cleaner. Just my luck, I had all the ingredients!! ChaChing! So, I got to mixing. Here is what you need.

A spray bottle
1/4 cup Rubbing Alcohol
1/4 cup Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
2 cups Warm Water
Shake together and voila! That simple.

Really this is a "better than the store bought stuff" item. Something I never have to buy again and just costs .48 to make!!!

A big thanks to Crunchy Betty for the effort in testing four different recipes in the battle to find the best homemade glass cleaner. She found the true winner and saved us all the hassle of testing them ourselves! Thank you!

Happy Cleaning!

~Keli~

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10 Things You Didn't Know About Me!

1. I have a google obsession. I love to know details and whenever something comes to mind my first instinct is to google it!


2. I love to cry. I think it is the best release of any emotion. I cry when I am happy, sad and mad. I hate crying when I am angry. I feel its a sign of weakness and makes it so hard to stand your ground.


3. When shopping I only buy things in even numbers. Weird, I know! I don't have an explanation for this one!


4. I only go in the left side of a store and ALWAYS shop from the left side to the right side. Again, it just feels right. I have tried the other way and I always forget things and leave feeling wrong.


5. Reading is my most favorite pastime. I can finish a novel in a day. I think in some way this has to be hereditary because my mom is the same.


6. I love my kids and husband more than life itself! No explanation needed!


7. I have a passion for all things homemade. Being self-sufficient is a dream! Sometimes its more affordable and other times its just cooler. But, regardless its what I love to do. I am always looking for new things to try!


8. I was meant to be a pioneer woman of the early 20th century. Homemaking and being domestic are a woman's job. I know hate me if you will; but, its just how I feel. We both work. So, my husband and I share many of the household duties and I still feel guilty about it.


9. I don't believe women should drive. I drive because its necessary. But, if I could live in the days of self sufficiency and monthly trips to town I would. I would not drive at all. I feel like women have too much on their minds at one time and driving is a skill that takes serious focus. I know I always have ten thousand things on my mind and am never totally focused on the road. I will also admit I am probably the worlds WORST driver.


10. I am obsessed with planning, routine and lists. I drive lots of family members and friends crazy because of it. Maybe I should be called a control freak.  I just prefer to know what is happening and where its going to lead. I am not a flies by the seat of her pants type of girl. I hate surprises. I want details.

Hope you all have enjoyed these 10 facts about me!

If there is anything else you want to know just ask! 

~Keli~

The Easiest Infant Peasant Dress!

As I was lost in blogland one day; I stumbled across this adorable tutorial for a peasant dress. I was blown away with how easy this would be to make. An hour for one dress? My kinda project!

 So, while the kids were napping I gathered my supplies and set out to work. 

<3

This bow was made using the same material of the dress from a great friend of ours over at KayCie Kreations! 

Yes, I know those beautiful blue eyes are going to break many hearts someday! 

Since the measurements called for in this tutorial are for a 2t/3t, I had to make some adjustments. I needed a 9 month size. 

I went with 12"w x 16"l for the body of the dress. 

Sleeves were 10"w x 12"l. 

The contrast part at the bottom of the dress was 12"w x 4"l. 

My dress after seam allowances, ironing and all the other details ended up a little smaller than I wanted. I didn't end up putting the elastic around the chest since the chest was already form fitting. I would estimate this dress with my measurements to fit a 6-9 month old. My sweet girl is 9 months and it fits but not with the flow of a standard peasant dress. 

My recommendations for a 9-12 month dress would be:  

Body 14"w x 16"l, Sleeves 10"w x 14"l and Contrast 14"w x 4"l.

Check out many other great tutorials by Sew Like My Mom here! 

Happy Sewing! 

~Keli~

2012- The year of new beginnings!

Welcome to 2012 my friends! This is the year to say good bye to the past and live only for the future!

As with every new year we all ponder what resolutions we can make. I have to admit that I have never been one to make any new years resolutions. Why? Because I hate how others make theirs so far fetched and unobtainable. I want REAL. I want SUCCESS. So, with the turn of the new year I will...

Smile more.
Laugh often.
Yell less.
Live in the moment. (Be here now.)
Make more time for ME.
Monthly date nights.
Take a trip only the husband and I. (NEVER happened before!)
Dedicate myself to Weight Watchers.
Craft weekly. (at the least)
Spend quality family time daily.
Get rid of my potty mouth.
Help others.
Love with more passion.

I know some of these may be a little harder for me than others. But, that's the point right? To stretch out of your comfort zone without setting yourself up for complete failure.

2011 was a year of changes and rebuilding for our family. 2012 holds big plans for us and I can't wait to see what's in store.

Many wishes for a Happy New Year,

Keli