How to Update Any Room in Your House in a Couple Easy Steps

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I love to change up the home decor in my house on a regular basis.  I find myself getting sick of all my old items and long for something new.  My latest transformation was my family room.  For quite some time I have had a red living room.  Everything in it was Red & Black.  Recently, I changed it up a bit.  It looks completely different and the best part is, it was rather inexpensive to complete.

If you are someone who has been longing to change up the look and feel of a room in your house this blog post is for you.  Keep reading to discover just how you can change your home decor in a couple easy steps.

Give Old Items a Makeover:  I am all about saving old home decor if it can be changed and used to match the new style of a home.    Recently when redecorating my living room I took some old frames that had been sitting on my shelf.  I had a couple different frames that were various sizes.  I took the frames, painted them white & glued them together to give them a more chunky look & feel.  I then distressed the edges and they look brand new.  I’ve had a million compliments on these frames that I made from old decorations that I otherwise would have thrown out.

Another way you can reuse old items is by painting them.  I had a large metal plate that sat on a shelf.  This plate was Red and seriously one of my very favorite decorations in my home.  I spray painted this particular plate glossy Yellow and applied a glaze over the top.  I love the new look of this plate just as much as the old look.  You really can do a lot with the old decorations in your home.

Update Your Throw Pillows on Your Couch:  Another tip that can totally change the look of your home is updating your couch pillows.  To save money I made my own pillow covers and placed them over my old pillows that were sitting on my couch.  I then used some heat transfer paper that I recently found at https://www.craftdirect.com/silhouette/material/heat-transfer.html to add some design to my pillows.  I added an “M” to my newly covered pillows and it totally added a charm to them that really made them pop.

Add Some New Curtains:  I absolutely love gray and white striped curtains!  When I was changing the look of my family room I knew that that was the style of curtains I wanted.  When all the decorating was done in my room the finishing touch was my new curtains.  It really helped change the look & feel of the room.

Now that my family room is newly decorated I love to just go in there and sit.  I love to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and vibe that I get from my room.

You too can change the look and feel of any room in your house by following my simple tips above!! Enjoy!!

Nutella Rice Krispie Treats

As you read my blog you will discover that I have a weakness for Nutella.  I love that stuff! I recently went to a party where someone made these amazing Rice Krispie treats.  Not only were they so delicious, but they were the best Rice Krispie treats I have ever tried.  It wouldn’t be a lie if I told you the very next day I went home and made some of my very own.  They turned out just as amazing and were pretty simple to make.  Of course I had to share the recipe with you today so you could enjoy some of these yummy treats at your house.

Ingredients You Will Need:

Base:

6 Cups Rice Krispie Cereal

1 Package of Marshmallows

¼ Cup Butter

1 Cup of Nutella

Topping:

½-¾ Cup Milk  Chocolate Chocolate Chips

1 Cup Nutella

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil or Shortening

To Make:

First you will need to place your six cups of Rice Krispie Cereal in a separate bowl.  Next, place your Butter, Marshmallows & Nutella in a saucepan.   Turn your heat to medium and continue to stir the mixture until it is completely melted together.

Once your Nutella, Marshmallow mixture is all melted together, immediately pour it into your bowl of Rice Krispie cereal.  Mix it all together until your cereal is completely coated with the chocolate mixture.

After your cereal is completely coated with chocolate, place it in a greased 9x13” pan.  Evenly press the cereal into the pan.

Next, place your bag of Chocolate Chips, Nutella & Coconut Oil into a saucepan.  Just like with the base mixture, keep your heat on medium & continue to stir until it’s completely melted.

Once your topping mixture is melted pour it onto the top of your base mixture and spread it around evenly.

Then, place your 9x13 pan in the fridge for at least a couple hours, or until your cereal is cool.  Once it’s cool, it’s ready to cut up and eat!!

This is the perfect dessert to bring to parties or to make for your families!!

All the Things You Can Do with Tim Holtz Distressing Ink

I am obsessed with Tim Holtz distressing stains, they are seriously amazing!!  If you have ever been to my house before you have probably noticed that i’m into rustic, vintage & love the distressed look of furniture and home decor.  You can probably guess why I love this line of distressing stains for all my craft project needs.  Not only are they simple to use, but there are a lot of fun projects you can create with these types of stains.  

Today I thought it would be fun to share with you some of my favorite projects to create with Tim Holtz distressing stains.  That way you can try them out for yourself & decide how much you like them.

Color Wheel-Before beginning any craft projects with your Tim Holtz stains it might be a good idea to create a color pallet so you know exactly what each stain looks like when applied to paper.  I created my color wheel with some simple 8.5”x10” piece of white cardstock.  I cut each piece of cardstock into 8 equal parts.  I then took each square and applied a different color of distressing ink to each one.  I then wrote the name on the back of each color, placed a hole punch in the corner and put my color squares on a metal ring so I could easily flip through each color when I needed to.  If you use distressing stains at all, I highly reccomend this project.  I can’t count the number of times I have used my color wheel.

Embellishments-I love to go to craft stores & find simple paper embellishments in the clearance section that nobody wants.  I usually can find extremely inexpensive products because of their dull design.  I love to take these simple designs and turn them into a work of art by simply using my distressing inks.  This is seriously one of my favorite things to do with these inks.

Cards-I make a lot of homemade cards at my house.  Once I discovered how to use distressing inks I use them on almost all of my homemade cards.  The ink gives each card a unique flare that it wouldn’t have without it.  These inks are a great way to jazz up all your cards.

Gift Tags-Another great way to use distressing ink is with gift tags.  You can turn a boring, plain & simple gift tag into something great with some simple ink colors.  I love to do this to all my gift tags that I create or find.  

Creating with Tim Holtz distressing inks really is very easy and can be a lot of fun.  If you don’t know how to use these particular types of inks it only takes a few minutes to learn and once you do you will use them the rest of your life!  They are amazing!!

I hope this tutorial helped you today.  If you need help finding distressing inks I like to get mine from https://www.craftdirect.com/supplies/inks/tim-holtz/distress-stains.html I’ve found that they have the best supply.  Feel free to share with us some of your ideas, or some great projects you have made with these unique stains!  Watch for more tutorials coming soon!

Make Your Own Love Notes Journal

I recently came across a great idea while browsing the internet and could not be more excited to share it with you today.  The fun project that I found was a Love journal designed to help you remember special times in your marriage.  The journal was made from  a notebook that is  put together from scratch.  Each day you sit down and either write special moments you had with your spouse that day, things you love about them or even a love note.  On your anniversary you can sit down with each year and read your Love Journal together or even surprise your spouse with it.  It’s a great way to show your loved one how you feel about them while remembering special times in your relationship.

Putting a love journal together is very easy and only requires a few simple items.  If you are wanting to put one of these cute notebooks together here is what you will need.

• Notebook
• Scrapbook Paper
• Ribbon
• Love Die Cuts
• Glue Gun
• Glue Dots

First you will need to cut out a scrapbook paper that will fit on the front of your notebook.  Measure your paper to your notebook before making your cuts.  Once your paper is cut out, use your glue stick to attach it on.

Next, cut a 3 inch wide strip the length of your notebook & attach it on the left hand side.

Once you have your narrow piece of scrapbook paper attached to the left hand side it’s time to add your ribbon embellishments & die cuts.  You can decorate the front of your journal however you would like, it’s up to you!

Once you have attached everything to the front of your notebook you are then ready to begin documenting your love story!  Not only is this a lot of fun, but it is the perfect way to cherish special moments with your loved one.

Check out more great ideas here at http://happybrownhouse.com/2011/02/14/love-notes-journal/

How to Make a Love Pallet Sign

I am completely obsessed with Cricut’s font cartridges.  There are so many great things you can do with these cartridges not only for your scrapbooking and card creating, but you can also use these cartridges for many home decorating projects.  Today I am going to share with you one of my latest projects I created using some of these cartridges.

This project was created using some old pallets my neighbors were getting rid of and really didn’t cost very much money to make at all.   I knew after the Holidays were over I would be changing up the decorations in my house and wanted something with Mustard Yellow in it.  I came across a picture of this design while browsing the internet and knew I had to try it.  I love how it turned out and could not wait to share it with you today.  Here is how you can make one of your very own.

What You Will Need:

• Old Pallet(You can usually find this for free at a warehouse or local retail store.)
• Sander
• Nail Gun
• Wood Stain
• Cricut
• Cricut Cartridges
• Vinyl (2 Different Colors)

To Create:

First you will need to get your pallet wood ready to be turned into a sign.  Cut your Pallet to size using some kind of saw.  You can make your sign as big or as small as you would like.  It would be a good idea to measure the area you will be placing your sign before cutting your wood to size.

After you have cut your wood, take your electric sander and sand each piece.  Be sure you don’t leave any rough edges that could cause slivers.

Once your wood is completely sanded, take your pallet pieces for the front of the sign and lay them face down on the ground in the shape of a sign.  Then take to scrap pieces of wood and place them on the back of your face down pallet pieces going the opposite way.  Next, use your electric nail gun to attach the sign together.  You can view a tutorial on how to do this here.

Once your sign is attached together it’s time to add some wood stain.  You can use whatever color or style you would like.  Apply a layer of wood stain and let it dry completely.  Over night is typically best.

Once your stain has dried take your sander and sand over it again to give it a more vintage look and feel.

Then, take your Cricut machine & cut out the word love with your favorite cartridge.  I used the cartridge Lyrical Letters from https://www.craftdirect.com/cricut/cartridges/font.html to create my “Love”.  I then used a different cricut cartridge to create the heart shape which goes on the front of the sign.

After you have created the text and heart for the front, attach it to your sign.  Be sure to rub any bubbles out that formed when you stuck the vinyl to the wood.

Once your vinyl has been attached, attach a hook on the back of your sign and hang it on the wall.

This sign is easy to make and seriously goes great in almost any room in your house.  Enjoy!!

How to Organize Your Home for the New Year

With the New Year coming it’s time to start coming up with New Years Resolutions.  Something on everyone's to do list is getting organized.  This is something I am totally obsessed with.  There is nothing I love more than a clean house.  I love the feeling after a long busy day to come home to a nice and neat house.  It’s seriously one of the best feelings in the world.  Today for my blog post I have come up with some tips to help my readers get their home organized for the New Year.  Here is what you will need to do.

Make a List

This is probably one of the very most important steps.  Each January my husband and I sit down and create a list of all the things which need to be cleaned in our house.  One week at a time we tackle that list until it is completed.  Making a list not only makes it fun to keep track of what needs to be done, but gives you a reason to complete your tasks.  There is nothing more rewarding then checking an item off the list when you have completed it.

Work on One Item at a Time

Many people make the mistake of trying to tackle their entire house in one day.  This couldn’t be any more of a mistake.  When you put your focus on one area at a time it’s much easier and less overwhelming to get the job done.

Buy Cleaning Products Ahead of Time

Nothing is more frustrating than when you are in the middle of a deep clean and you don’t have the right cleaning agents that you need.  Before beginning your deep cleaning process, go out and buy all the cleaners you think you will need.  Not only will you be excited to use all your new cleaners, but you will have everything you need the moment you need it.

Cleaning your house can be an overwhelming task, but by following my simple tips above you can have one in absolutely no time at all.  You will love the feeling you get when you walk into a nice and neat house.

To read more tips on organizing check out http://www.hgtv.com/design/topics/organization

How to Make 2x4 Believe Blocks

As Christmas time approaches I find myself wanting to make a bunch of new decorations for my house.  My latest project was these Believe blocks.  Believe is one of my very favorite Christmas words and I wanted to create some kind of design with it for all to see.  I came up with these blocks.  I totally love how they turned out.  They were simple to design, easy to create & completely added to the home decor in my family room.  Here is how you can make some of your very own.

Items Needed:

• 2x4 Wood(Cut to the size you will want your blocks)
• Christmas Colored Paint
• Vinyl
• Silhouette Machine
• Scrapbook Paper
• Embellishments
• Paint Brush
• Sander

To Begin:

Take your 2x4 piece of wood and cut it down to size.  These blocks usually look the best if they are stacked and not all the same size.  You can see in the picture above that the blocks I created were all different sizes.  Some were 3.5 inches tall, some were 4 inches tall, and some were even 6 inches tall.  This step is totally up to you.  Cut your blocks to the size that would look best in your home.

Next, Take each of your cut 2x4 blocks and sand them.  Be sure and sand each side until it is completely smooth.  If you leave any rough edges it will make it extremely difficult to paint your blocks.

Once your blocks are completely sanded it is time to add some paint.  I painted my blocks a Green color, but you can seriously do whatever.  You could paint the blocks Gold, Red, or even Silver.  It’s up to you!

Be sure and do a couple layers of paint on your blocks.  I let my blocks completely dry between coats which made it easier to paint a second layer.

While your paint on your blocks is drying you can pull out your christmas scrapbook paper that you want to attach to the front of your blocks.  I went through all my paper and pulled out the designs that I thought would go together best.  I then layed each paper out in front of me to design the order I wanted my paper to go in.  

Once I had my paper order picked I measured each block and cut the paper to size to match the block which it would be going on.

After you have your paper cut to size apply a thin layer of Mod Podge on the back of it and attach the paper to your blocks.  Be sure to rub out any extra bubbles & make sure that each corner is attached properly.

Next, get out your Silhouette machine and your Vinyl to make the word “Believe”.  I’ve found that for projects like this, Vinyl is usually the best and easiest type of paper to use, that way it’s already sticky for you and all you have to do is apply.  At CraftDirect I found this Vinyl Bundle with every color that I needed, if you need some vinyl for your project you can find some here, https://www.craftdirect.com/silhouette/starter-kits.html

Once you have cut out the word Believe on your Silhouette machine it’s time to attach it to your blocks.  Peel off the back layer on your vinyl so that the sticky side is exposed & place it on your blocks.  Smooth out any bubbles that form when you attach the letters.

Lastly,  add any ribbon or embellishments that you would like to finish off your project.

These blocks are always a hit and are very simple to make.  You will love this simple addition in your home.