Easy DIY Light Hack

DIY BASKET LIGHT

My inspiration for this DIY is the Shades of Light Serene Deco Pendant

Below I’ve listed three different lighting options to choose from, but of course you can find your own in store or even use an extra basket you might have around the house. You’ll also need some strong sheers or a cutting tool strong enough to cut through the basket, and possibly a mounting plate for the basket depending on which pendent you go with. I’ll be demonstrating during the DIY how and what you will need, but it will be something simple you can pick up at the hardware store.

Supplies:

Best Match:

Budget Friendly:

Semi Flush Mount

Anthropologie Mirror Hack

Anthropologie Mirror Hack Tutorial

Who else has a serious crush on the iconic Anthropologie ornate gold mirror?! I love everything about this style of mirror except for it’s hefty price tag. A mirror like this will put you back hundreds, even thousands of dollars. I wasn’t about to drop cash like that when I had a sneaking suspicion I could DIY myself a decent dupe!

Below are the supplies I used to create my on Anthropologie inspired mirror. Let me show you how I did it!

SUPPLIES:

A quick note on supplies. The mirror I used from Target is currently out of stock! I know right? It’s the perfect mirror for this project and with a price tag of $60, I’m glad I scooped it up when I did. I’ve listed a similar mirror, but as you can see, the dimensions are a bit different.

Once I had my mirror it was time to decide on which Onlay’s I wanted to use. Onlays are wooden appliques used to decorate furniture and trim molding. Amazon.com has a wide selection to choose from, and the sky is the limit on which direction you could decide to go when choosing a style.

The Onlay pieces I ordered ended up being just a little too large from my liking, so I cut them down to size with my jigsaw and tried them in a variety of positions before finding the style I was happy with.

I last minute decided to add an extra trim piece to the base of my mirror. I cut a piece of 1x2 board to the length of the mirror, and felt like this piece really took the mirror design up a notch!

Once I had all my pieces together, I spray painted my mirror frame, trim piece, and the wooden Onlays. I used Rustoleum spray paint in True Gold, and because I wanted my mirror to have more of an antique finish, once the spray paint had dried, I rubbed each piece down with Rub ‘n Buff in antique gold. This gave the mirror more of a dimensional look. It’s the perfect touch for Spring in my living room!

Once the pieces were dried, I attached them to the mirror frame using Liquid nails construction adhesive and let them dry overnight. That was IT for this super simple mirror project. My total cost for this project was $85 dollars when I was finished. I love the romantic Parisian feel it lends to my living room. Using the mirror as my mantle center piece, I added taper candles, vintage books, and fresh florals for a vintage romantic look.

Looking for more diy’s?

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Plant Wall Display

Living Wall Tutorial

When it comes to decorating a house, filling the walls with art and special things can become overwhelming. It’s easy to get into a rut of repeating the same types of displays over and over again (gallery walls anyone?).

For the accent wall in my living room I wanted to do a little something different, and a living wall seemed like the perfect option!

Some things to consider before deciding whether or not a plant wall is right for your home is whether the space gets amply natural light, and if you have the ability to keep those little plant babies alive. If you answered no to either of those questions, while a living wall might not be the best option for you, you could always do a version using faux plants. Hobby Lobby has a great selection of realistic faux plants that would look just as beautiful but with zero maintenance.

I’ve listed the supplies I’ve used below, but feel free to make this project your own, experimenting with different pots, sizes, or placement. The sky really is the limit with the different looks you could go for here. I decided to paint my planter rings in a matching color to my pots for a more minimalist look. I used Krylon’s Satin Spiced Amber and it was a perfect match.

SUPPLIES:

TOOLS:

Once you’ve decided on the size and placement of your planters, use your level and make sure all your markings are level and the correct distances apart. Then it’s time to install sturdy anchors to support your planter rings.

Unless you’re screwing the planter rings straight into a 2 x 4 behind the drywall, you’ll need to install a drywall anchor first. The last thing you want is a potted plant falling from the wall and breaking to pieces leaving broken pottery and dirt all over your floor.

My favorite anchors are these Toggle anchors. They are incredibly easy to install and are super sturdy. Using your drill and a 5/16 -inch drill bit, drill a hole in the drywall where the top screw will go into the ring. Next push the anchor into the hole. Using the red pin that comes with anchor, tap into the center hole with a hammer. The flaps of the anchor will expand behind your drywall, creating a sturdy hold for your screw. Now you are ready to screw in the planter rings. Because the particular anchors I choose hold enough weight, I only installed one per planter. You of course could do both holes, although I find that sometimes it’s hard to line the anchors up perfectly and it can leave a crooked ring. Instead I just drove a long screw in the second hole and called it a day!

Once all the anchors were in, before I actually installed the rings, I last minute decided I wanted my project to have a bit more pizzaz! Using chalk I traced out a simple wall mural, then painted it using paint I had in the basement from previous projects.

The colors I used are as follows, top to bottom: Florentine Clay by Valspar, Peach Maison by Sherwin Williams, Warm Beige by Valspar, and Honeycomb by Sherwin Williams.

Once the planters were installed, finishing my living wall was as simple as screwing in the planter rings and popping in their corresponding planters.

Since my planters have holes in the bottom, I’ve kept my plants in their original plastic containers. This makes them incredibly easy to pop out and water in the sink!

I’m loving the whole feel my new living wall had added to my living room! I love the way the terracotta pots seep up the water after I’ve watered the paint and look like pieces of watercolor art! And I’m loving how incredibly easy this DIY was.

Until next time!

Jodi

We Transformed our Yard into a Haunted Graveyard for Halloween

Creating a Haunted Graveyard for Halloween

It sure has been a year, hasn’t it? With Halloween only a few weeks away, and so many uncertainties surrounding the Holiday season of 2020, I’ve realized the only thing that I can really count  on this year is celebrating the season through decorating! We may not have trick-or-treating this year, but that doesn’t mean I can’t spook my neighborhoods passing by, and spread them some Halloween cheer!

I decided to go ALL OUT this year, creating a frightfully fearsome graveyard scene right in my front yard. Home Depot hands down has the most realistic Halloween Decor in my opinion, so I made them my one stop shop and was able to order everything online and have it shipped directly to my house using contactless shipping! I’m all about that contactless shipping, and thankfully the Home Depot had everything I needed this year to decorate!

To reach my front yard, you must take a spooky path up the front walk, canopied by overgrown oak trees and surrounded by groupings of azaleas and ferns. I began the haunted experience at the beginning of the path with a ghostly doll, calling those who pass by in her chilling voice.  

To bring the setting to life, I surrounded the doll with colorful pumpkin, a few graveyard bones,  and placed caution signs, hand painted on pallets wood, along the path, warning intruders to turn back! 

As you look past the doll, you can see her lonely pet dog, spooking a Skelton behind a tree. An oversized spider web flanking the scene, and a path of orange pumpkins beckoning you to follow their path to the graveyard. 

As guests wander further up the path, they are greeted by the terrifying Gravedigger. His realistic animated features and glowing eyes are chilling, as well as the words of doom he speaks to any approaching guest. 

Standing at seven feet tall, the Gravedigger is truly a master piece of a decoration! I’m not going to lie, he’s spooked even me as I’ve been alone outside with him in the dark! 

But the Gravedigger is only just the beginning. Past him lie a host of Skeltons throughout the graveyard! One breaks free from his crypt, climbing up through the broken tomb.   

Three Grim Reapers call out enchantments togethers, their eyes aglow, and their bony hands reaching out! 

A collection of tombstones, surrounded by pumpkins, scattered bones, and a few lanterns bring the entire scene to life.  To complete our scene, the cemetery watcher stands tall in the back of the graveyard, hour glass in hand, counting down the hours until the final doom!

If you couldn’t already tell, I had so much fun creating this Halloween scene, and I know my neighbors are enjoying it as well! I’ve already had multiple tour requests! 

A big thank you to Home Depot for sponsoring this project! If you are decorating for Halloween this year, you MUST CHECK THEM OUT! They truly are your one stop shop for all your Halloween Decor needs! 

 ITEMS USED IN MY HAUNTED GRAVEYARD 

ANIMATED DOLL CRYPT AND MAUSOLEUM FLOATING REAPERS CEMETERY STATUE

GRAVEDIGGER                 SKELETON               SPIDER WEB             TOMBSTONES

SKELETON HOUND BAG OF BONES

Small Space Bathroom Makeover

I remember the day I naively suggested to Tim that we tackle the kid’s bathroom remodel over the weekend. In my mind the project would be a hefty week’s project at most. Oh innocent me. I had truly no idea what an undertaking a bathroom remodel would be!

Here we are, 2 months later, and I can proudly say through my exhausted smile that we are finally finished. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that we had trouble at every turn. Every single turn. But we pushed through and have learned so much! Let me give you a tour!

Our bathroom was original to the house, not seeing any updgrades since it’s 1980”s builder grade beginning. Outdated fixtures, a yellow tinted plastic shower and tub combo inset, dark brown trim, and stained grout graced our bathroom desperate in need of a refresh!

I went for neutral choices in this bathroom. We were working on a slim budget, so choosing classic color tones and tile options helped keep the bathroom costs down while allowing us to play with color using accessories..

For the shower I used budget friendly subway tile, but installed it in a basketweave pattern to creating an unexpected play on lines.

We originally hit a snag with our tile. Leaving a gap for grout lines between the tile was throwing off the dimension of the square in the pattern, as you can see from the photo above. We ended up installing the tile end to end with no gaps to solve this problem. Subway tile has a slight groove around it’s edges, creating a slim grout line even with no spacing between the tiles. Installing them with no gap ended up being the perfect solution. Our modern shower head and tub faucet are from Peerless Faucet and part of their Xander Collection, you can find them HERE.

For the walls we added interest by installing faux shiplap using strips of plywood board cut into 8 inch wide strips. We applied them using liquid nails first, and then air nailed them in place. To finish the shiplap detail we added a small piece of trim at the top.

The Vanity is GODMORGON from Ikea. We had to configure our plumbing and the cabinet drawers quite a bit in order to get the vanity installed correctly. If you are considering the GODMORGON bathroom vanity, I would suggest watching a few Youtube videos on how to install it first and make sure you’e up for the challenge! In the end we lost a bit of drawer space on the bottom, but felt it was worth the trade to get it’s sleek modern look.

For the sink faucet we choose the Xander Single-Handle Lavatory faucet from Peerless Faucet in the striking Matte Black finish, matching our shower fixtures, you can find them HERE. I love the simple modern lines paired with the light wood of the vanity and the classic subway tile.

We tore down the old shelving unit about the toilet and added two minimal shelves from Pepe and Carols. Also from Pepe and Carols is the vanity wall sconce and the brass toilet paper holder.

No bathroom is complete without a splash of color. We added this floral shower curtain from Society6, bath mat from World Market, and a colorful set of towels to complete the bathroom look!

I’m so happy to finally be finished with this what seemed like a never ending project! At the end of the day it was worth all the struggle, and we learned so much!

So what do you think? Should we tackle the Master Bathroom next!?

Master Bedroom Design -Adding a New Bed and Changing the Layout

I’ve finally made good on my word to myself to design a Master Bedroom that makes me excited to go to bed at night!

I spend approximately a third of my life in my bedroom room, but for some reason it’s been the hardest of all to prioritize as I’ve remodeled my home.  It’s been much easier to simply close the door to that room and forget it during the day, only to remember again as night comes that it still has some *ahem* work to do

I wanted to design a room that reminded me of traveling overseas and staying in a swanky hotel room in London or Paris. 

Last week I added the Annette bed frame from Zinus to my bedroom, and it elevated the look of my bedroom so much. Did you know I’ve never had a bed with a comfortable headboard? I feel so grown up right now!  It was also exactly the motivation I needed to finish the rest of my bedroom and freshen it up for Spring. I’ve always wanted a bed with a headboard soft enough to lean back in.

Confession time, I actually do a large portion of my work in bed! Much of my work is done on the computer, and I love being able to sprawl out as I write.  Before adding the Annette bed frame with it’s upholstered headboard, I had to carefully prop up precisely 4 pillows behind my back, and make sure I didn’t move around too much lest one fall from behind my back into the floor between myself and the wall.  Having a comfortable tufted headboard has solved the problem for me, and there’s a chance I’ve been doing even more work from bed than ever before!

I chose the Annette bed frame in Light Grey because it adds to the overall calming color scheme I’ve chosen for my bedroom.   They grey not only seamlessly connects the white room to the black accent wall, but it’s also the perfect counterpart to the soft mauves, pinks, and blues that I’ve used to decorate around the room. 

On a whim, after I assembled the bed, I decided to experiment with positioning it in front of the windows instead of on the black accent wall. I honestly didn’t think I was going to like this arrangement, because I am typically trying to maximize the light situation in every room and I’d never want something to block a window.  However, as soon as I moved it, the whole room just felt SO right! I don’t know much about Feng Shui at all, but moving the bed definitely seemed to shift the energy of the room to one that was both completely welcoming and regal all at once. Tim did a little gasp when he walked in the room as well. Needless to say he loved it. 

A little word on Zinus by the way - I’ve ordered furniture from them before, and have always been so pleased. If you’ve followed my journey for long, you’ll know I believe that anyone can create a gorgeous home that they love no matter their budget. This year Zinus is focusing on #affordtobeyou, sharing how their stylish products can elevate a space even for those with a small budget!  Zinus goes the extra mile with things like their easy to assemble furniture, their in-house manufacturing to keep prices low, and focusing on adding health conscious additives to their mattresses. Zinus also offers a 100 day return policy on their products, as well as a 10 year warranty on their mattresses, so you can shop worry free!

Once the bed was in place, I added a two inch memory foam mattress topper from Zinus which has upped the comfy factor of my night’s sleep by a long shot!

With the bed in place, I did a little dosey do with the rest of my furniture, and added a few small things to the room in honor of Spring. I did a quick throw pillow refresh (These ones are from TJMaxx), added a little stool to the foot of the bed which pulls in the colors of my curtains, and added couple scented candles with floral aromas to remind me that Spring is just around the corner. 

I finished the bedroom refresh just in time for a few sunny and warm days to appear here in Georgia, which means I’ve been able to crack a window at night while I sleep, waking up to the birds singing. Favorite season ever!

Make sure you tune in next week when I’ll be working with Zinus again, but this time creating a cozy nook in my bonus room, with a fun budget friendly DIY that you will not want to miss!  Stay tuned!

-XO

Jodi

Hanging Bistro Lights on our front porch with Placement by National Hardware

Christmas 2019 marked the first year we hung festive lights outside on our House on a Sugar Hill. However, hanging a good set of lights is trickier than I imagined it would be, and our first attempt didn’t go exactly as we had planned. Still, even though our icicle style lights never fully unraveled or hung straight, we loved them for the welcoming glow that they cast on the house as we would return home in the evenings.

When the Holiday season was over we weren’t quite ready to say goodbye to our sparkling front porch.  Our solution? Put up twinkling cafe lights instead. So we did!  Immediately. No joke. We took the Christmas lights down and added the cafe string lights the same day. You’re welcome, neighbors.  Because our Christmas light installation was pretty unstable (again, first timer problems), I was looking for a sturdier solution to install our cafe lights considering they would be up potentially all year.  Enter, Placement by National Hardware!

National Hardware has taken it upon themselves to remove the hassle from small project installations. Part of their collection is the Bistro Patio Light Hanging System.  The Q-hangers have made hanging their bistro lights an absolute breeze. The screw base and looped top were as easy as inserting into the surface, and then slipping the cord inside the loop. Tim was able to put up the strands in about 20 minutes. 

We debated whether to hang them on the inside of the porch going back and forth across the ceiling, or to swag the lights around the edges of the porch.  We opted for the edges of the porch because we were able to screw the hangers into wood only and avoided having to drill into the siding of our house. It’s also much more visible from the road this way, which I absolutely love.

Once the bistro lights were hung, I was ready to add some seating.  I found a bistro seating combination from Ikea that reminds me of something you’d find on a patio in Paris.  To make it cozy, I surrounded the table with plants and a few small lanterns.  Adding a bouquet of fresh hydrangeas completed the look.

I love that my patio now radiates charm whether it’s morning, afternoon, or evening with the addition of our glowing Bistro Lights. I have a feeling we will be using the space often. 

A big thank you to National Hardware for sponsoring this post and introducing me to some of their incredible hardware solutions!!  Make sure you check out not only their Bistro Hanging kit, but their easy gallery wall installation, and level picture hanging set as well.  We own them all and love them!

Some Romantic Updates to my Master Bedroom

Who else leaves their own bedroom as the last one to be decorated in the house? It’s the one I can close the door to when guests arrive, declaring if off limits to all. But let’s be honest, what a tragic declaration of my own self worth.

When we moved into our Sugar Hill house, I was determined to not wait as long to make my bedroom a room that I loved to be in. One that I could retreat to, and look forward to closing the door at night. When we first moved in, it I gave it a little design love by painting an accent wall behind my bed dark black, but…. that’s about it. Until now.

After just a few more intentional projects, my bedroom feels like an upscale hotel, so moody and dramatic. For the first time I’m drawn to this space. And wanna know a little secret!? I didn’t do much in here -Just a few low budget DIY’s, and some affordable furniture. But that small investment payed off big time.

The first upgrade I made to my bedroom was adding some decorative trim to the wall. After deliberating over multiple patterns, I went with my gut and designed it off of a photo I found on Pinterest. The entire project cost $100 and took a couple days to put up, but BAM, what an instant upgrade it gave my bedroom.

I’m slowly adding art to the walls. I tend to take my time when adding wall decor. I want to get it right, and I usually regret rushing the process. I’ve still got some more space to fill, but I’ll patiently wait until I find the right pieces.

The next thing I worked on was getting my bedding right. This was the one area of the room that I did splurge on. Let me tell you, it was WELL worth the investment. I wanted a low profile bed and I found one at the Futon Shop that is incredibly solid and well made, an heirloom piece for sure. I also ended up splurging on my bedding - again, so glad i did. The marbled peach and dark blue of my sheets, toned down by the soft grey of my linen bedspread makes me swoon every time I walk in my room.

The window treatments were another low cost project that made a massive impact in this room. We invested in roller shades with blackout lining to make our Saturday mornings amazing. I went with a textured white fabric so the shades blend naturally in with the wall. Then we hung velvet curtains as high and as wide as as possible to cover the entire wall. It’s so dramatic and lovely, and I feel like a princess in this bedroom.

We added a soft sage green velvet lounge chair in the corner, and a full length mirror for dressing. Our dresser is an IKEA hack, you can read about it here.

The last thing I need to add in our bedroom is a rug. I’m on the lookout for a soft neutral to compliment the feel of the bedroom. I’ll also change out the overhead light.. eventually!

But until then, I’m feeling the vibes of my moody bedroom updates.

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Sources and Similar

My Colorful Boho Christmas Mantel

deciding on a colorful Boho Christmas Mantel was an easy choice for me this year…

With the addition of my vintage pink couch, the look of my living room had changed drastically, and I knew a classic red and green Christmas color scheme wouldn’t fit the style of my living room anymore. Not that I minded at all, I’ve always been drawn to unconventional color schemes, and Holiday decorating was no exception.

I started the look with this star shaped Mirror from World Market. I typically hang a circular mirror in this space, so adding the star version was a more festive version of what is normally in place.

I knew I wanted to incorporate an array of colorful candles at varying heights across the mantel. I choose from World Market’s selection of candles because while colorful, they are warm toned and a little muted, reminding me of the large vintage Christmas lights you can sometimes see resurrected.

Finding the right candle holders was a little bit more tricky. With the amount of candles I was going to add, I couldn’t find any varying height taper holders that weren’t going to be out of my budget.

I ended up going with simple glass taper holders found at Walmart (or I’m sure you could find them at the Dollar Store as well) which only cost me $1. Since they were all the same heights, I ended up using small blocks of wood underneath to stack them at different heights. Since I was going to add a garland I knew it would be easy to cover up the candle holders so it didn’t matter so much what they looked like.

To add a little more boho charm, I strung a colorful tasseled garland across the front of the mantel, and then hung some mismatched stockings.

A kind neighbor let me snip some branches from their overgrown cypress trees. I used these branches to create my garland, by simply typing them branch by branch together with floral wire.

For a casual and playful look, I hung the garland asymmetrically.

To finish everything off, I scattered some colorful pillows around the hearth for seating, and tucked warm blankets into wicker baskets for some added texture and warmth.

And that’s all there is to it to create a fun colorful boho Christmas mantel. I’ve added a little vid if you want to see the creation in process (I snagged the short clips from my Instagram Stories, so bare with the choppiness of it all).

You can find all the products I used linked below!

Merry Colorful Christmas my friends!

-Jodi

How to Easily Decorate you Front Porch for Fall

There’s nothing quite like getting ready for Fall. Of all the season’s, it’s my personal favorite. The chilly mornings, pulling out the thick blankets, and can anybody else say SOUP SEASON!?

This year, with the help of Bed Bath and Beyond, I’ve turned my blank slate front porch, into a charming Autumn Welcome. You can check out everything I did below!

HOW TO STYLE A FRONT PORCH FOR FALL

My hubby and I sit on our front porch nearly every night after the kids are in bed, so I wanted to make sure while decorating, I kept functionality in mind. I choose two rocking armchairs that are both comfortable and also stylish.

Because we also store our firewood on the font porch, using a stylish hoop log holder let’s it become a part of the design instead of it looking like a mess. I love the vintage nod it adds.

I found two massive mum plants, and instead of using regular planters, I used metal baskets, just for variation.

I wanted to make the front door the focal point, so I added two X-large planters to both sides of the door, and then added a purple eucalyptus wreath that pops in front of the mustard yellow door.

Since I often layer rugs indoors, I thought I would take the concept outside for my fall porch makeover. I love being able to add some visual interest with the pattern as well as the texture. The stripe rug gives some softness, while the bristle rug is more functional.

For the cozies I brought out two buffalo checked pillows that are oh so soft. Since they are not outdoor cushions, I just have to be sure to bring them in when I’m not using them. The same goes for the mustard yellow throw blanket I draped over the chair. It will come in handy when the weather starts to drop.

For the Holidays I picked up this yellow Thankful print pillow, and customized the Happy Fall y’all cushion for our family. I think it’s a dear.

Decorating the steps was the really fun part. I nestled pumpkins together like they were giving each other big hugs. It lends a cozier feel them having the pumpkins standing upright in rows. After I added the pumpkins, I tucked in a few pots of mums here and there in alternating colors. I skipped the planters for the mums (shhh, don’t tell), and just leaned them to the side a bit and then surrounded them by pumpkins. This kept my cost down, but also let’s me be a little more flexible in how things go together. Using pots would have made it hard to nestle everything in together close, and I really didn’t want to miss that.

The final touch was adding in some lanterns for candles. There is nothing like a little sparkle on a cool Autumn evening.

Now that I’ve got my front porch ready, I just need the Atlanta weather to cooperate!

I hope you enjoy reading how I put my Autumn Front Porch Decor together. This makeover was sponsored by Bed Bath and Beyond. I’ll list all the products I’ve used below!

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OUTDOOR ROCKING CHAIR TALL BLACK PLANTERS HOOP LOG HOLDER BLACK AND WHITE STRIPED RUG PERSONALIZED THROW PILLOW THANKFUL THROW PILLOW PURPLE WREATHE LANTERN BUFFALO CHECK THROW PILLOW METAL BASKETS HEY Y’ALL DOORMAT MUSTARD YELLOW THROW BLANKET

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Happy Fall, Y’ALL!

XO -Jodi

How to Paint a Range Hood

If you are like me, you may have asked yourself ‘Is it possible to paint my vent hood?’

I recently updated all my appliances from stainless steel, to white. However, because of my cabinet situation, I wasn’t finding anything that would fit quite right that I loved. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a new vent that was just ‘meh’, I decided to find out if I could spray paint my vent hood black.

Sure enough, it’s actually quite possible, (and easy) to paint your vent hood! I was able to paint mine in an afternoon and even have it reinstalled again after a couple of hours.

Here’s everything you’ll need to know for your own range hood makeover.

While I took my vent hood down, it is possible to paint a hood while it’s still installed. If you do, make sure you turn off the breaker connected to your vent so you don’t risk an electric shock. Since I’d be using spray paint, it was just easier to take it down.

Once my vent was in the garage, I did a thorough cleaning with warm soapy water, and let it dry completely. When the hood had dried, I taped off the bits I didn’t want painted with painters tape, and using an exacto knife, cut carefully around each knob so the painters tape covered it precisely.

It is recommended to use High Heat Appliance Paint for your vent hood, and I’ll link that here. I talked to quite a few people who used regular paint for metal and said it worked just as well, so I went with that option because I had that lying around. If a day comes when it malfunctions, I’ll come back and edit this blog post to let you know!

I used THIS paint primer meant for metal, and it went on SUPER smooth and easy. The recommended wait time before recoating was around 30 minutes, so after the first coat dried, I came in with my black spray paint and gave the vent hood four thin coats to cover completely. Each spray paint may have different recommendations of application, so make sure you read the instructions carefully.

One mistake I made was spraying one of the coats too thick, which caused the paint to drip on one side. It’s much better to do multiple thin coats then one thick coat.

We were able to reinstall our newly painted vent hood an hour after I applied the final coat. It’s recommended to let the paint on the vent hood dry 24-48 hours before you use it.

Look how great my spray painted black vent hood turned out!. Such a simple DIY, and WHAT an impact in my kitchen.

Great to know with just a little effort, it is absolutely possible to give your range hood a color makeover after all!

I want to hear from you, would you ever paint your range hood? Drop me any comments or questions below!

xo

Jodi

Interested in discovering more DIY’S?

How to Replace Old Carpet on Stairs with an Inexpensive Runner.

10 Creative Ways to Decorate a Wall Without Using Framed Art.

How to Build an Inexpensive Desk in Around 15 Minutes.

BOREDOM BUSTERS - 90 fun activities for kids to do over the summer

AN ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR SUMMER activities

READY OR NOT, IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN! Whether you can’t wait for these slow lazy days OF SUMMER, or they make you QUAKE in your boots a little bit, one thing I know for sure is that you want this TO BE THE BEST SUMMER for you and your kids.

One of the biggest challenges our family faces during Summer Vacation is the dreaded ‘B’ word (BOREDOM). I’ve found that even just a small amount of intentional time spent with my kids at the beginning of the day can set the tone for the rest of the day to be joyful, successful, and restful.

That being said, I’ve created a list of 90 fun activities to do with your kids over the Summer. One for each day of Summer Vacation. Most of these ideas are easy, low cost, and technology free. I hope reading this list will kickstart you into having YOUR best Summer yet!

So without further ado, here are 90 fun activities to do with your kids over the Summer.

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1. Go Berry Picking

Strawberries! Blueberries! There are so many different things in season over the summer. Do a simple online search, and see what’s ripening around your area.

2. Make Beaded Buddies

This is such a fun craft for all ages. As a bonus, the kids will have a fun little pet to play with when they are finished. If you aren’t familiar with Beaded buddies, you can watch this tutorial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bozQHrHS1GA

3. Bring books to a local coffee shop and read

My older kids love this one, and would be content for an hour or two sipping their London Fog and reading a few chapters of a book. Our local Barnes and Nobles has both a coffee shop, and a little play area for younger kids to entertain themselves as well.

4. Geo Caching

If you haven’t been Geo Caching before, you have to check it out! It’s such a cool community activity. You can read about it here.

https://www.geocaching.com/play

5. Make a dinosaur dig out of ice

http://parentingchaos.com/excavating-dinosaurs-ice/

6. Build a fort out of boxes 

You could go all out and make a giant fort using X-Large furniture boxes, or keep it simple and make a house for a doll or stuffed animal using a small box.

7. Have a picnic by a lake (don’t forget to save some bread crumbs to to feed the fish)

8. Go on a Family Adventure Day Trip

One of our favorite family activities, and one that takes a bit more intentionality, is taking a day trip to a nearby city to explore. You can read more about it in my blog post below.

https://www.houseonasugarhill.com/blog/2019/2/20/chattanooga-family-adventure

9. Go on a progressive dinner and discover local restaurants in your community

Grab an appetizer at the first restaurant, dinner at the second, and dessert at the last.

10. Build something together out of wood

This could be a big project, or a small one. But some of my kids, especially my boys, love getting to work together using tools.

https://cutthewood.com/inspiration/woodworking-projects-kids

11. Bake cookies for the neighbors, and deliver them with a note 

12. Sign up for a VBS camp

Where we live, there are so many Vacation Bible School’s offered over the Summer at local churches. They are a drop off camp that will usually run for a week, about 4 hours a day. The best part? They are free!

13. Make bath bombs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OSM7M0Zm48

14. Make slime

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9B3bsUDoRo

15. Play ‘School’

Costco has fun workbooks for K -3rd grade, to help keep your kids fresh over the summer. Add in a little imagination -You’re the ‘Teacher’, they’re the ‘Students’, turns this activity into a game.

16. Allow them to use some educational tech

 

Some Technology that we have found usueful and educational over the Summer are the app Duolingo, and the educational websites Prodigy Math, and ABCmouse.com

https://www.prodigygame.com/

https://www.abcmouse.com/abt/homepage?8a08850bc2=T415607038.1559916830.5358

17. Make ‘street art’ with chalk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgC_KU0ce4A

18. Learn Macrame

There are some simple plans out there that older kids could easily pick up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaeUZP1zP3w

19. Paint By Number

20. Learn how to finger knit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsZsUBYU0qU

21. Make a ‘movie’ 

Download iMovie, and let them act out a play or script. They could even make their own commercial. 

22. Organize a neighborhood 5k

23. Learn magic tricks with a deck of cards 

23. Go to a pottery painting class

24. Tie Dye t-shirts together. 

25. Make a tree swing 

26. Play Sardines 

https://www.icebreakers.ws/medium-group/sardines-reverse-hide-and-seek.html

27. Make a Thunder cake

Based off the Book Thunder Cake from Patricia Polocco. Make sure to read the book together first, and when the next Summer storm rolls in, get ready to build your Thunder Cake. I recently did this with my daughter and the timing ended up being absolutely perfect, just like the book, I nearly cried with joy. It was pure magic.

28. Sign up for MasterClass and let them learn a new skill from a ‘Master’

https://www.masterclass.com/?utm_source=Paid&utm_medium=AdWords&utm_campaign=MC&utm_content=Brand-{keyword}-US_EM&utm_term=Aq-Prospecting&gclid=CjwKCAjwlujnBRBlEiwAuWx4LQzj6JhkPt_Gh07SnB5WjE8WYkJ93i8kQ9elLI30xbGKJ3v-_0U4GhoCDqkQAvD_BwE

29. Face Painting

30. Learn how to make balloon animals together

31. Make pins together

Always wanted a pin with Grandma’s face on it?

https://www.amazon.com/Package-pieces-Design-Button-Plastic/dp/B001685KSM/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=customizable+pins&qid=1559917388&s=gateway&sr=8-6

32. Learn how to play the cup song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZf_joR1Srk

33. Visit a farmers market and get familiar with local produce

34. Learn how to braid hair

35. Give a lesson on proper table setting 

36. Easter egg hunt

My toddler age kids LOVED doing an Easter Egg hunt in the Summer. I’d simply fill the plastic eggs with little treats like fruit snacks, or even their tiny toys, and hide them around the house.

37. Visit a community pool

38. Plant a garden

39. Play games with the garden hose or sprinkler

40. Build a bug house

41. Play hopscotch

42. Make a giant bubble wand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGvw0-sWJRw

43. Play a favorite or new board game

Some of our favorites are The Game of Things, Ticket to Ride, and Settlers of Catan

44. Make a bonfire (don’t forget those marshmallows)

45. Play in a slip and slide

46. Bring an ENO or another hammock to the park

47. Play ‘the floor is lava’ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_floor_is_lava

48. Play a neighborhood game of bigger and better

https://www.thegamegal.com/2016/01/07/bigger-or-better-scavenger-hunt/

49. Join a summer book reading club

A local library would be a good place to sign up, but some book stores offer book clubs as well (Barnes and Noble is one). When you kids have completed their chosen amount of reading, they get a free book.

50. Join a summer fitness club

51. Get involved in a community treasure hunt

Similar to Geo Caching, but .more organic. See if you can find one by searching online, or create your own as a family.

52. Visit an afternoon Movie matinee

53. Go camping in the backyard

54. Go on a nature scavenger hunt

55. Create a stuffed animal pet shop

My daughter would play this all day everyday, so I thought it be a good one to put on the list. Set up all the stuffed animals as a pet shop, and then let her come in and shop.

56. Catch fireflies

57. Make a car track on the floor using duct tape

https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/17823/build-a-track/

58. Go on a hike

60. Make a lemonade stand

61. Find a new park to explore

62. Throw a garage sale together 

63. Make a special dinner for the family together

Go all out, light some candles, add some music, and pull out your best serving wear

64. Learn how to knit

This is a little harder than finger-knitting, but my 8 year old recently picked it up, and it’s kept his mind and fingers busy for hours already this summer.

65. Go iceskating

66. Play in a splash pad

67. Have a water fight

68. Visit a Children’s Museum, Zoo, or Aquarium

69. Sew a quilt together 

70. see a show at a community theatre

71. Throw a dance party

72. Get a job (pet sitter, baby sitter, simple lawn care like raking leaves)

73. Volunteer together at a local animal shelter or food bank

74. Put a sprinkler under the trampoline

Add some dishsoap to the top of the trampoline if you dare.

75. Backyard games like Badminton, Four Square, or Wiggle Ball

76. Play with Playdough, Moonsand, or Sensory Sand

77. Make your own popsicles

https://www.jessicagavin.com/make-your-own-homemade-fruit-popsicles/

78. Make little ‘bugs’ by painting rocks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuqJXJLMCQ8

79. Create an ‘Art Room’ for the summer

80. Play dress up and have a fashion show

81. Visit a farm or petting zoo

82. Invite the neighborhood crew over for some organized backyard games

83. Learn how to make String Figures, like Cat’s Cradle and Jacob’s Ladder

https://www.amazon.com/Klutz-9781878257536-Cats-Cradle-Book/dp/1878257536/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ETPNGDAZR2OP&keywords=cat%27s+in+the+cradle&qid=1559919614&s=gateway&sprefix=cat%27s+in+the+%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-1

84. Do a puzzle together

85. Write a letter to a distant relative or friend

86. Make a fort out of sheets

Bonus, let them have a sleepover in it!

87. Build a tee-pee or fort outdoors

88. Make paper airplanes

We sometimes draw little people, cut them out, and let them ‘ride’ in the airplane. The little ones love that.

89. Learn to Jumprope

90. DIY Foam Paint

https://thetiptoefairy.com/diy-sidewalk-foam-paint/

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I hope this list has given you some great ideas of how to spend time with your kids over the Summer. I’ve been trying to choose one activity a day with our kids, and so far, this truly has been our best Summer yet!
Did this list make you think of some more summer activities? What where some things you loved to do as a kid? Drop me a line below! I’m always looking for new ideas!

10 Easy Ways to Decorate a Large Wall (without using Framed Art)

10 EASY WAYS TO DECORATE A BLANK WALL (Without using framed art)

I don’t know about you, but the thought of “What do I put on a large wall?” can be overwhelming at times.   I’ve comPILed a list of 10 Easy DIY Wall art Projects that anyone can pull off. So Start Reading and say goodbye to blank walls forever.

10 Wall Decorating Ideas:

1. Decorate your wall with Plants:

There are so many ways to incorporate a living plant wall, ranging from full blown built in’s, to hanging simple planters.   I love how Christine from @_forthehome decorated her walls with simple terra-cotta pots.  You can read her entire process HERE. This is such a beautiful way to cover a blank wall.  If you nervous about keeping so many plants alive, don’t be shy about using faux versions, there are so many realistic looking ones to buy these days.

2. Make a statement wall with a statement

The home decor world has gone through a few iterations of the classic letter board.  I love this oversized version from Alexi over at SeekingAlexi.  This X-large letter board is perfect for decorating a large wall in one shot! You can get a closer look at that awesome letter board on Alexi’s Blog HERE!

3. Fill a Blank Wall with a Flag

There are so many cool flags to be found out there. Etsy is full of customizable options! I love this one HERE from Wild Standard, but using a vintage flag would be just as gorgeous. Some of the authentic flags are quite large so you could cover a large area with one of those. I’d love to find a vintage State flag to hang in my living room at some point.

4. Decorate a blank wall with a DIY photo ledge (or Two)

Okay, Okay, so technically this still incorporates using framed art, but the addition of the photo ledge gives some super awesome structure and interest. Depending on how long you make your ledge, this is a really easy way to cover a large wall. Bridgett from This Minimal House has a great DIY on how to make your own Photo ledge. You can read all about it HERE.

5. Decorate your wall with hats

Have you been seeing this trend everywhere like I have? So fun and easy.  You can buy a simple hat rack from amazon, or do what I did in my bedroom and throw a couple nails in the wall to hang your hats on.  Use just a few hats like Sara Mueller did here, or cover your entire wall with hats! Both are equally stunning. Decorating your wall with hats is not only super cool and easy, it’s also practical, so there you go!

6. Paint a Wall Mural

Painting a Wall Mural is a fun way to transform an entire wall into a piece of art in and of itself.   There are so many amazing versions out there. Recently I painted this accent wall in a terrazzo pattern.  You can read all about the process HERE.   Painting your wall is an easy DIY wall art project that will really make an impact.

7. Decorate your wall using Macrame

Whether you purchase on Etsy, or make your own, the options are endless when it comes to macrame and weavings.   Fill in a corner of your wall, or make the macrame the focal point of the wall.  Either way, I’m still loving this breezy boho trend. The beautiful weaving you see here was made by my friend Happy Mountain Designs

8. Use washi tape to hang photographs 

Image Via Domino

For an easy wall decor DIY, hang your photos or prints on the wall using colorful washi tape.  I love how unexpected (and also temporary) this wall solution is.

9.  Decorate a large wall with a mirror collage

Image VIA House Beautiful

If you want to make a dramatic impact, try collection vintage mirrors and displaying them together to create a gallery wall.  An added bonus is that as the mirrors reflect light, they create the illusion of a larger room.

10. Frame fabric

Another way to Decorate a large wall is to frame fabric. You could use a vintage piece, an authentic Batik, or try this simple DIY Mixed Media Art from Hunker Home.

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I hope this article gives you some ideas of where to start next time you’re faced with that blank wall syndrome. Or maybe it’s sparked you own ideas of how to cover a large wall? If so, drop me a line below! I’d absolutely love to hear!

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Interested in more decor ideas from House on a Sugar Hill? Here are some articles other readers have found interesting…