DIY Projects & Ideas

Backyard Makeover

I had some questionable bushes boardering my backyard. They kept my 9lb dog in, but the neighborhood dogs easily found their way through the bushes.

Stage-One of My Up-Cycled Backyard--The Fire Pit:

My husband and I purchased a house for nine thousand dollars from my Great-Grandfather’s estate way back in 1988 (that rhymes! Who knew!) We’ve been plugging money into it ever since. At first it was to keep a roof over the heads of our four great kids but now it’s a labor of love. I like to up-cycle, reuse, convert, buy-sell-trade, craigslist, free or nearly free-anything to save a buck. My advice is, if you buy anything online, check rebate sites—ebates, honey, retailmenot-I’m sure there’s more. Using end of the season sales, rebate sites, free ship and no-interest financing is a big money saver. A couple years back on a store card I bought a $1200 outdoor table big enough to hold my grown kids and their families, for around $400. So, my backyard….Its small. It’s drab. Thank goodness my kids grew up on a block where they had neighbors with kid friendly backyards because ours wasn’t that place. The outside table was one thing off the list but the rest of my backyard project? What to do?

Building an Adirondack Bridge

This fall we decided that we finally needed to create a way to get from one side of our yard over a somewhat muddy gully to the other. The best way? Build a bridge. Not just any bridge, an Adirondack bridge...

DIY Garden Fence Using Picket Fence Panels

The deer were eating our tomatoes! We originally put a border around our garden using 2 x 8's, but we needed something more. Using picket fence panels to make a garden fence not only helped to protect our bounty from deer and such, but also added a pretty (and nostalgic) factor. Purchasing pre-assembled picket fence panels seemed the most cost effective way for us to fence in our vegetable garden area. Here's how we did it:

How to Make a Concrete Fire Pit

This article will show you how to make a fire pit for under $50

DIY Deck Gate Tutorial

I’ve got 3 kids, and 3 dogs, 1 of each currently falls in the “less than 2 years old” category, and let me tell you something that 1 year olds love to do.
They love to break free, run wild, and basically be anywhere that “adult” eyes or hands won’t catch them or see them.

Snowflake Wreath

A simple wreath to make out of dollar store snowflakes.

Decorate candles using Christmas jewelry!

One thing I do not need any more of is Christmas decorations, but I still love to buy them! I decided to decorate some of my everyday decor by adding some Christmas flair to it. I added ribbon, Christmas pins, and a bracelet to my candles.

Baby's Breath Submersible Centerpiece

Decorate your table with this beautiful submerged flower centerpiece. Complete with delicate baby's breath and romantic lighting, this arrangement is ideal for a wedding, dinner party or event.

Snow Globe in Vintage Bottle

Handmade with ♥

Holiday Pallet Art

I made a Give Thanks sign for the mantel which I love, love, love. From the same pallet, there was enough leftover wood for additional signs. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a sign for the holidays. I dressed it up with some garland and an ornament.

driftwood christmas trees

dreaming of a simple natural white christmas with driftwood trees i made and handstamped gift tags.

DIY Automatic Dishwasher Tablets

Combine citric acid, washing soda, baking soda and essential oils to make these simple tablets to make your dishes shine!

How to Clean the Dishwasher Naturally

If your clean dishes still have food stuck on them, it might be time to clean your dishwasher. Cleaning your dishwasher will help bring it back to performing at max efficiency. You can clean your dishwasher naturally with hot water, vinegar and a cleaning cloth.

How to Clean a Humidifier

With cold and flu season approaching, it may be time to pull out the humidifier. These are GREAT to use this time of year, but they do need to be cleaned. Follow these simple steps to get your humidifier ready to use! tips

Garbage Disposal Cleaning Trick

Sharpen, clean, and freshen the garbage disposal at the same time with this nifty little cleaning trick. Mix equal portions of water and vinegar together into an ice cube tray with one piece of lemon rind dropped into each slot. Let the solution freeze overnight.

Drop the ice cubes into the garbage disposal and grind them up completely while the water is running. The vinegar should clean the surface of the disposal while the ice cubes sharpen the blades and the lemon rinds leave a fresh scent.

How to Clean Your Dishwasher

My dishwasher is one of the hardest working things in my house (I basically run it everyday!), but it’s easy to forget that it needs a good cleaning too. When my dishwasher starts to smell, you know it's time to give it a good cleaning. With just two green ingredients you can have an Eco clean dishwasher (without using expensive dishwasher detergent).

Dishwasher Not Cleaning Properly? 5 Quick Tips to Make it Like New

There's nothing worse than seeing gritty residue at the bottom of your drinking glass.
This is especially true if you have company at your house, it's the holidays, and your wife is the one who spotted the problem. So what's the solution?
Here are a few tips that helped us with our dishwasher's efficiency ...

Quickly Remove Heat Stains From Wood!

You’ve seen them before. White splotchy heat stains that cover what used to be perfectly pristine wood furniture, and if you’re reading this, you probably have one or two of these marks in your home right now.

How to Remove Dried Paint From Clothing

If you are a DIYer, you probably have some clothing with dried paint on them. Here's how to remove it - for real!

We Have Just One New Years Resolution for 2018...

Thank you for a year of inspiring, encouraging, sharing and creating together with us on Hometalk! We can't wait to reminisce about all the amazing things we've done together this year, but before we get carried away...Our New Year's Resolution:

6 Quick Fix-Facelift Ideas for Builder Grade Bathrooms ALL Under $120

I'd like to share some bathroom face-lift projects we tackled a few months ago. EACH can be done in 6-12 hours, some less some more (if paint is involved) but nothing over a day. When I know I can finish a project in a day (or so) I am definitely quicker to start/try it. Our '06 builders grade bathroom was plain old ugly and odd! They put carpet in the vanity area & a one piece "acrylic" counter with single sunken sink (should be two) plus oak dbl cabinets.We would rather go on vacation than fund a full remodel, so a face-lift was all we could do on our modest income. Everything we did was under $120 total...and that was spent mainly on flooring & paint. ( I wasn't planning to post. I had painted the cabinets before I took my BEFORE Photo.)

Where Are My Keys ? NO MORE! $15 Solution

Ok.. It may be possible that I may be the only one… BUT I don't think so. I hate seeing keys on a counter rolling around with no assigned location. I also don't really like having them “exposed” on a key hanger. (specially since I don't have a “Mudroom” or something like it. I wish I did.) In my case they would just hang there in my middle of one of my entry ways, looking into my OCD soul. Too much? Ok.. well, you may be right, but I really don't like them just hanging there. Doesn’t really fit in the decor.. Sometimes I feel it take aways from the great looking key hanger out there.I ramble just to justify.. My great James Bond idea. HA! “Why don’t just hide them behind a frame.” The key (no pun intended) is finding the right frame. It’s has to be at least 1½ inches in depth. This way the keys will hide behind behind the frame without damaging it or not allowing the frame to close properly. The deeper/thicker the frame the better. It was really pretty easy and I think I may customize a bit more by adding fancier hooks, and maybe replacing the elastic with a small wood plate but I just couldn't wait to share. I hope you guys like it and maybe you can customize it to fit your needs, hopefully I gave you a head start. Check it out ! I had most of the materials which allowed my cost to be minimal.

Garden Herbs

I've had these wagon wheels, bought on a whim, leaning against our storage shed in a small neglected area of our yard forever it seems. I knew it was time to do something here. For a few days I just starred at them and thought how much they looked like clocks, but, I sure didn't have a need for an outdoor clock, much less two clocks, then I remembered seeing various wall gardens online and in magazines. So I decided to give it a try.

Quick and Easy Curb Appeal

What can you make with a $2 ladder, $6 worth of flowers, and purses by the pound? A very bright, eye-catching display to brighten the front of my home! This past winter has been so long and so cold, most of my plants froze to death, despite my taking precautions such as wrapping them in lights and putting cuttings in water in the house. I desperately needed some life and color to add to the curb appeal until the native plants grow back.

Garbage Can Planters

Hello and Happy Labor Day weekend peeps. Today I have a pretty TRASHY
post for you all!!! Last month while out shopping with a friend at LITTLE HILL FARM ,
I found these 2 trash cans. I have been on the look-out for some just like this for a while now, ...

New Life for an Old Farm Door

Antique Farm Door Turned Garden Art/Now Bird Nest

Tire-Turned-Planter

The next time you come across an old rubber tire at the junk yard, don’t pass it up! It could potentially be the next statement piece in your yard and this tutorial will tell you just to go about doing just that!

Wooden Salad Bowl To Succulent Garden

I love to junk and one thing I see over and over is wooden salad bowls. When I scored this beauty for $1 I knew it had a special makeover coming it's way!

A pile of salvage + a hutch top = a to die for potting bench

My bestie, Liz has been collecting parts, pieces and stuff to create a potting bench. She has been collecting these parts over thousands of miles. When she comes to NC to visit me or in Texas where she lives. She hauled, shipped and did a carry on for those watering cans. Nothing stops her when she is on a mission and has a vision to bring to life.
The whole piece is comprised of found items. The legs are old porch columns, the top is an old chippy door. The shelving unit on top is from an antique store part of an old hutch I think.

Tired Old Bench

I bought this bench in my local supermarket 12 years ago.
The weather and the dampness of the area took its toll on the wood.

EASY $20 Corner Bench

Need Seating for your outdoor space? I sure did. Ok so I am the queen of repurposing and salvaging things. And often I have problems throwing things out.DIY Corner Bench
So one day I’m sitting outside on my deck and I go to place my drink on my side table. It literally fell over at my very touch. Well needless to say, I didn’t expect that. Yes, that table was 10 years old and had been repainted every year for the past 5 summers, but I was sure it had at least another 2 or 3 summers left in it. So this prompted me to inspect my seating. To my surprise almost every seat that I had purchased from the thrift store and refinished (4..ok 5 years ago) had some level of dry rot. Darn, I needed to replace everything. But instead of getting down about it I took it as a sign that I needed to redecorate. So I put my thinking cap on. Problem: I needed seating. My budget:microscopic. But what I did have was a whole bunch of 2x3s that someone so graciously gave me recently because they were downsizing. So one Saturday morning while looking at the empty space where my table once stood I came up with a plan. I’ll build a simple corner bench.

SPiTTiNG on FABRiC!

Every time I go to my local Goodwill I find something that can be upcycled. Most the time a quirky desk, headboard or table catches my eye. Usually something tattered and abused and I feel like me bringing it home to slick up is rescuing it. Giving it an Afterlife! Well, one fine morning, walking in saying hi to my friends at the counter, the manager said, "Michelle, I have a treat for you!". Moses brought me over to not one, but two BRAND NEW end of the bed benches! With the TAGS! TWO OF THEM! I said, "OH, MY! How am I supposed to upcycle these?" He said "What if your Unicorn stuff could color the fabric?" I hadn't thought about that! I figured what the heck. I'll give it a try! I did and I couldn't be happier or more excited about the results! So today I'm here with step by step instructions with how to SPiT on FABRiC.

DIY Firewood and Kindling Storage

I wanted a firewood rack to match the corner bench I made and to continue with my plan to create an inviting front porch. Here's what I came up with!

Re-purposed bed to garden/porch bench.

It is not hard to make a bench from an old bed head & foot board. Finding the right one to make it something special is the problem. For instructions on making one go to my blog http://pjhdesignsoneofakind.blogspot.com

Decoupaged Terra Cotta Pots

Spring isn't coming very soon this year so I try to add happy colors to my home decor so at least I feel spring while at home:-)
My hubby had this awesome idea to grow yummy Florida oranges at home. Yeah, right?
He found a nice tutorial of how to start the growing process with a single orange seed. Anyway, long story short, he finally had the seeds split and he plant them in terra cotta pots and displayed them out in the kitchen window. ...

How to Save & Dehydrate

Summer comes to a quick close in September. Here are some helpful tips I learned from dear farmer friends and personal experience to preserve or dehydrate herbs, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Most dehydrators come with a manual or you can find their manual online.

Distressed Stamped Décor Pots...

Distressed with white paint, and stamped with cute pictures, these DIY décor pots, are fabulous for holding bits and bobs.

DiY: Flower Pot Makeover

I may not have a green thumb when it comes to keeping houseplants and flowers, but like all Turks, I love growing herbs around the house. From spring through summer, we Turks fill our balconies, terraces and tables with mint and globe basil. In Western Turkey, along the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, you will find potted herbs growing almost everywhere you look: houses, offices, restaurants and bars. Not only do they look and smell nice, but the globe basil especially keeps mosquitoes at bay.

Caring for Christmas Cactus

Starting in the late fall, the stores begin to blossom with colorful holiday cacti. Although not truly cacti like the plants you'll find growing in the desert, both Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) and the true Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) are popular house plants that begin blooming in November. With the right care, they can live for decades. It's not uncommon to find someone with "grandma's Christmas cactus", a venerable plant passed down through the generations and cherished! Caring for Christmas cactus ensures your plants will have a long, happy life.

How To Prune & Feed Mint In Pots To Promote Growth

This is all about how to prune and feed mint in pots (or in the garden) to promote the new growth that we wait to see happen in spring.

Fall Porch

I finally decorated my porch for Fall! See how I used a mix of textures and nontraditional Fall colors. ;) Check out my blog post to see all the details.

Mailbox Makeover

Mailboxes generally have the same look around where we live: a plain mailbox on a plain post which is so not my personality or style. After nearly 5 years of looking at our ratty mailbox and post, I decided to vamp it a little and I'm so pleased with how this fairly easy project came out!

Mailbox Makeover With Contact Paper Liner

I'm a big fan of restoring perfectly good items instead of throwing them out and buying new ones. One of those things is our mailbox. It works perfectly well, but is very old and has heavy rust stains. I decided to give it a makeover with a contact paper lining for an extra special touch. Enjoy!We want to help you DIY, so some of the materials in this post are linked to sellers. Just so you know, Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.

Mailbox Makeover

For three and a half years, Handan and I were the shameful owners of The Saddest Mailbox on the Lane. Each day, I would watch our neighbors waltz out to retrieve fan mail, love letters, large checks, gift packages and sweepstakes award notifications from their resplendent black mailboxes sitting atop flawless white perches, their posts tucked into rich, loamy soil bursting with all the colorful flowers of the season. I would wait at the window, watching and gnashing my teeth, until the shadows grew long, and then I would slink down the driveway to our nut-brown plastic disgrace to retrieve the day’s grim serving of unpaid bills, summonses, tickets, coupon books for products we never use and menus for the worst pizza joints in town. With furtive, sidelong glances, I would scurry back up the driveway like a wharf rat running from a drunken sailor’s boot. I would feel the eyes of the neighborhood boring into my back and my ears would ring with their clucking tongues.Holidays were the worst time. Once I tried to tip the mailman for Christmas. I left an envelope with $20 in the mailbox. When I slunk down to get the mail the next evening, I saw that he hadn’t taken the envelope. I opened it and saw $40 and a note. I unfolded the note and read:Please! For the love of God, PLEASE get a new mailbox!!Merry Christmas.(GET A NEW MAILBOX!)I think he was trying to tell me something.

How to Build, Paint, and Install a Custom DIY Mailbox

Imagine you saw this weather-beaten, decaying mailbox post, leaning over in one last honorable attempt to collect your mail?If you’re like most people, you’d run to Home Depot, buy yourself one of those handy mailbox kits, and self-install it in one afternoon.That’s what normal people do.Not me.I decided to DIY my own mailbox.

My Front Porch Makeover

After two years of residing in our house our entry has finally received a makeover. I started with a design board where I gathered my ideas. Next I came across some great finds for unique pots and planters to use for decoration. Then new paint, a fancier header above the door, a new light fixture and I love it! Check out my whole makeover at the link below.

Handmade Decorative Candy Jars

I'm sharing a DIY project that is super easy and uses items you probably have around your house already. These decorative candy jars can be used to hold more than just candy - they're perfect for jewelry, arts and craft supplies, coins, buttons - just about anything. They're a great hostess gift idea or something for a teacher, mail carrier or hairdresser. Fill them with your favorite candy and the recipient gets to enjoy a delicious treat and continue to enjoy the beautiful jar when finished!

Underground EZ Access Hose Storage for Less Than $10

The size of your garden is limited by the length of your hose. Mine was destined to grow from 50' in this area to 125' this summer. Just because that's the length of hose my hubby brought home to replace my older one. But now what to do with something that long?Often the best spot for your hose and reel is NOT at the faucet. I've learned to bury my hose to the spot I want access, then try to curl & hide it as best I can when I'm done using it. Today I thought of an even better idea. Why not make my own simple underground hose storage? Online examples were ridiculously overdone, attractive hose pots were ridiculously expensive. Let's get basic and improvise something that blends into my landscape.

5 Fresh Ideas for Organizing With Jars

When it comes to organizing, a glass jar (or two or three or more!) is a wonderful tool. Here are five Fresh Ideas for Organizing with Jars. These clutter-busting solutions are perfect for your kitchen, your workspace and your bathroom!

Hose Holder Made From Scrap Materials

My tangled hose in the front of the house was driving me crazy, so I was really happy when I came across a genius hose holder made by the talented girls over at Shanty2Chic.com. I was inspired by their design, however, I didn't want to buy any new materials. Instead, I used whatever I could find in my garage.

Washboards and Ideas

I love wash boards! They have so many uses! Usually I just clean them up and send them back out the door but when the odd one comes in that is damaged beyond restorative means, I change it up a little! Here are a few that just so happened to be in that situation. Would LOVE if you uploaded a picture of your own washboard recreations in the comments!

DIY Driftwood Hose Holder

For years my hose has been a nuisance and an eyesore in my backyard. It has laid around in numerous spots, mostly in the way of someone or something, so I finally decided to do something about it. I made myself a hose holder out a found piece of driftwood. It was easy, cheap and I think it turned out pretty darned good.

Personalize Your Screen Door With a Custom Stencil

We recently updated the back of our home by adding a vintage screen door. We painted it Sherwin Williams 6213 Halcyon Green and spray painted a custom stencil from Maison de Stencil. A totally updated custom look in less than a day. You can read more about it on our blog here: http://bella-tucker.com/2013/06/an-unexpected-place-for-a-stencil/

Stencil Basics: Stenciling With Discharge Paste

Discharging is the process of removing dye from fabric in a controlled manner. Jacquard Discharge Paste can be painted or stamped on dyed natural fiber fabric, and its thick viscosity makes it ideal for using on fabrics with Royal Design Studio Stencils. Discharge Paste will safely remove color from natural fibers and is also safe for use with silk. Unlike bleach, Discharge Paste will not weaken or deteriorate the fabric.
Visit our blog for more inspiring stencil pattern ideas and full How-to:
http://www.royaldesignstudio.com/blogs/how-to-stencil/12269389-stencil-basics-stenciling-with-discharge-paste...

Creating your own DIY Window Treatments

Learn how to stencil your own window treatments with Cutting Edge Stencils stencil patterns! Read our inspiring blog post:http://blog.cuttingedgestencils.com/using-wall-stencils-to-spruce-up-your-window-treatments.html

Painted Concrete Porch With a Stone Stencil

I pressure washed my porch many times but could not get all the stains out/off, so I decided to paint it and use the stone stencil to give it a stone look finish with more colors.
First I painted the whole thing with one color so that it would look like a mortar or grout when I used the stencil with the other colors. I used 3 other colors in each of the blocks of the stencil and used a brush to scrub them into the concert which made each one come out a different look or color of stones.
It made the porch a little cozier while sitting out in my swing. I spend more time on the porch now, in my swing.

Create Raised Designs on Just About Anything With Plaster Stencils

Stenciled Color Secrets Unlocked

Cutting Edge Stencils Shares Tips for Using Color Psychology In A Home
Good morning, my color enthusiasts! Cutting Edge Stencils is curious if this decorating scenario sounds familiar. You've disliked a room in your home for years and have finally made the decision to give it a makeover. It feels good to know you're going to build your dream room until you realize there's over 3,400 paint colors to choose from. Finding the right paint color can be a daunting task. Don't feel bad because you're not alone in the color struggle. Cutting Edge Stencils is here to hold your hand through the process. When we understand what moods are evoked by certain colors, we can use psychology in our homes to compliment the different functions of each room. We spotted this awesome psychology of color graphic that pinpoints which color to use in which room. http://blog.cuttingedgestencils.com/?p=12607

All Natural Bug Spray Recipe

I'm one of those people who mosquitoes seem to love - but their bites don't love me! I get huge, red bumps that drive me insane.

Homemade Flea Repellent for Home

Get rid of those nasty fleas the healthy, natural way! Make an easy homemade flea repellent for your home with a few simple, inexpensive ingredients you most likely have on hand.

Air Seal your attic before insulating

When one pops there head into the attic they may see something similar to the first picture & think that hey, I need some more insulation. I have lost count of how many people have simply seen something on TV or had an "energy audit" done where they recommended more insulation & I get called in later as they are still uncomfortable or having issues.
While I agree that the attic below definitely needs more insulation, there were a few things that need to be dealt with first. You see in order for insulation to work optimally it needs to be enclosed on all six sides which needless to say, doesn't fly when it comes to an attic. That is one reason why the R-Values are nearly doubled or tripled in the attic area when compared to walls. So what happens when you add air-leakage underneath – well it really cuts down on its performance.
While we had to remove the insulation in this area of the house,that is not always the case. If you don't have issues with mice, etc... you can simply move it out of the way & fix the problem areas. Some of the most common spots are; ...

Organic Pest Control That Works

Spring has finally arrived. time to get outside and do some spring cleaning and a few chores. Spring around here brings bugs. I mean crawling yucky bugs like ants and other unwelcome critters. No worries though, I use diatomaceous earth for organic pest control.

Terra Cotta Space Heater

Ok, I have to admit, this is pretty thrifty. This space heater is a clean and cheap energy alternative and also a pretty fun looking little piece. If you live in a place where one room tends to get colder than others, or you want to save a little cash money, or are like me and live in a space where you can't control your heat, this is great! This space heater is made from some simple terra cotta pots and hardware and can really heat up a space on the cheap.
We want to help you DIY, so some of the materials in this post are linked to sellers. Just so you know, Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.

The Simple Cure for Drafty Windows!

We finished our attic space as my home office, and the window above my desk faces due west. Since I live in Alabama, the summertime heat from this window was becoming unbearable. It was HOT in this room even though we took extra precautions and added foam insulation. We installed anIndow window insert and immediately the temps started dropping. The shade-grade window insert filters out 90% of the UV-light and made SUCH a huge difference in my heat gain up in this attic space. It's like a pair of sunglasses for my window. The standard inserts block out heat and cold drafts. They also make privacy inserts and acoustical window inserts to block noise. I am blown away by how much this shade-grade window insert helps with the temperature at my desk. The average cost of the window insert is $24 per square foot for the standard grade. Check out the before and after of my office space with this window insert...

How to Make a Old Tile Grout Look Brand New

This is a Bathroom that will be transformed with the grout shield color seal

How To Change the Look of Your Tile Grout for Less Then 30 Dollars

Cleaning your tile grout is always a choir and time consuming. Applying a grout color sealer like Grout Shield will not only save you time but make you feel as if your floors or wall are looking new again.

Custom Bathtub Frame

When we set out to renovate our bathroom, I wanted the biggest bang for my buck. This project is an ideal way to transform a builders grade bathtub into a custom looking built-in tub.

Fix Cracked and Missing Tile Grout

I have been living in my apartment for years now, and there is a huge chunk of missing grout between my kitchen tiles. I've noticed it for years, but I never did anything about it. It's gotten so bad (spreading to several tiles) that I finally had enough and decided to actually fix it! Grout is known for being daunting and hard to deal with, so I was nervous doing this project, but it turned out to be really easy! Once I got the tools together, it only took me a couple of minutes! And now those cracks aren't filling up with crumbs anymore. This project was definitely worthwhile. We want to help you DIY, so some of the materials in this post are linked to sellers. Just so you know, Hometalk may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page.

Warning (Still) Under Construction

Hello again! we finally took the next step in completing our walk in closet. We decided on a tile floor! We have been looking at the different types and styles at the local big box stores and decided on the aged wood look of these Ceramic tiles.

Make Your Grout Look Like New!

I can’t believe we’ve been in our current house for over two years. In a way, it feels like we just moved in here. It was our first single family home. We love having a spacious, private backyard for the kids. We love having an in-house washer & dryer to make laundry day a breeze. We also love our family-friendly neighborhood. However, there has always been one thing that bothered me about this place…The tile floor in the kitchen has seen better days. To be clear, the tiles themselves are in good condition, as in there are no cracks, chips, etc (although I probably would have chosen another color for the tiles). However, the overall floor in the kitchen has been a bit (a lot!) of an eyesore, mainly due to the condition of the grout.

An Old Ladder Gets Retired to My Closet as a Ladder Shoe Rack!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has seen the amazing things done with old ladders on pinterest! My favorite of all time was an old ladder shoe rack and I just happened to have an old ladder myself! It was Grandpa's and was used out here on the farm for many decades before being hung up on the side of the old garage where it hung for years upon years, just waiting for retirement. I never have the heart to part with anything I can make use out of and, from day one upon seeing this ladder, I tucked it away for just this purpose in our master bedroom closet! I knew it would make a fantastic ladder shoe rack for all of my high heels and, not to mention, beautiful throws and scarfs that I keep collecting... Ok, maybe "hoarding" would be another way of putting it, but I love them! And, I'm certain, one day I will wear them all at some point...

4 Ways to Turn Ordinary Items Into Pottery Barn-style Home Decor!

Got an old ladder, window or table legs lying around? Here are 4 perfect ideas to up-cycle your unused items.

Fire pit Table Top

Convert your square fit pit into an outdoor table with a removable top. See the details here. http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2012/07/outdoor-coffee-table.html. I used my Kreg Jig to build the top and then stained it and put a spar varnish over the top to protect it. This is perfect in the heat when we don't use our fire pit. I love when furniture has dual purposes!

Storage Ladder

I've been wanting a leaning ladder for as long as I've seen them out in stores and online. My husband and I acquired several ladders over the years and I finally decided to make it useful. This was surprisingly an easy project--intimidating because of the power tools--but otherwise easy.

Humming Bird Feeder planter and hanger

For more on this and how to you can make this go to
http://www.onemoretimeevents.com/2012/07/wall-planter-and-humming-bird-feeder.html

Two Upcycled Projects From One Old Ladder

We picked up this old wood ladder that had been left as trash a while ago, and finally got the inspiration for what to do with it! It started out as one project, but quickly turned into two. Here's how we upcycled it!