DIY Chalk Paint

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend!   We ended up finishing and starting some big projects around our house.  We finished our fence.  Yay!  We started painting our kitchen cabinets.  I will just say, it's a huge project and I can't wait to be done;  but it is totally worth it, our kitchen is looking better already!

Last week we revealed Steffany's new living room!  
Adding board and batten wainscoting 

and curtains really brightened up the space. 

 Today we get to show how we did the gorgeous teal TV stand using some homemade chalk paint!  We're not talking chalkboard paint, we're talking chalk paint.  That may not be new info to you, I was slower than most to figure out that the two are different. : )

Chalk paint for furniture is awesome!  You do not have to sand or prime before painting.  Just clean the piece and the chalk paint does the rest!  Hard to believe, I know, we had to try it and....... it worked perfectly!

The recipe:

1 C water

1 C Plaster of Paris

2 C Latex paint

Stir together the water and Plaster of Paris, then add the Latex paint and stir well.  Using a foam brush, paint 2 coats.  The chalk paint dries really fast.  By the time we got the first coat painted, it was dry enough to start the 2nd coat.  We sealed it with Minwax paste finishing wax, which is also very easy to use.
I can't wait to paint some other things with this DIY chalk paint!  It turned out so good, and was such an easy process.  

Living Room Makeover

The goal of this makeover was to brighten the space and add some pops of color.  This is Steffany's living room,  although gorgeous before, it was a little dark.

                            The room had dark floor boards, dark trim and dark blinds, 
                                           so the first step was to remove them.

 We installed bead board planks in place of the dark wood under the fireplace.

Then added a board and batten wainscoting around the entire room.  This is the same technique we used for my master bedroom makeover.

 After caulking and painting, the wainscoting looks amazing!  Instead of putting the dark blinds back, Steff and I made a trip to Ikea and found some curtains for the window.  We also grabbed some fresh new pillow covers. 

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Looks gorgeous, right?!  Did you catch the teal TV stand?  And the painted teal frame?  They really add that pop of color the room needed.  The stand was a thrift store find!  It was not that amazing teal when we bought it though,  we'll be sharing how we painted it soon! 

Our Top 3 DIY Cleaners

Homemade cleaners are a great way to help stretch a dollar.  

We have found and tried multiple recipes for a variety of cleaners, 

 and we're excited to share our 3 favorites!

 Let's start with the best homemade powder laundry detergent.

The recipe:

1 box Borax (76 oz.)

1 box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (4 lb.)

1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (55 oz.)

3 bars Fels Naptha

1 tub Sun oxygen cleaner (6 lb.)

*optional* 1 bottle Purex crystals (for smell)

Use:  2 Tbs. per load. 

All of these items are in the same aisle at Walmart.  Cost for all ingredients is under $20 and this will last 6-12 months depending on family size.  : )  That's some big savings!

 This is so easy to put together!

First, GRATE the Fels Naptha bars.  I tried to chop it up in my little Ninja food processor - didn't work.  Then I tried to shred it up in my Vita Mix - didn't work.  

The soap just stuck to the sides and made a mess out of my appliances.  So through my trial and error I can definitely say you must hand grate the Fels Naptha! : )  It grates easily though, and that's the hardest part of this recipe.

Then just pour all the ingredients into a big container and mix well.  That's it!

I had a helper mixing;  there may have been a happy meal toy "detergent diving" to help with mixing too. : )

I have been making my own liquid laundry detergent for about 3 years and have loved it. Powder detergent is easier to make though. I have been hesitant to try it because I was concerned it wouldn't dissolve well in our old, base model washing machine.  I am happy to say it dissolves just fine!  Steffany has been using this recipe for over a year,  I've been using it for a couple months and we both love it!

Next money saver: Glass and window cleaner!

The recipe:

1/4 C rubbing alcohol

1/4 C white vinegar

1 Tbs. Cornstarch

2 C warm water

Pour all ingredients into a spray bottle and shake.  

This stuff is amazing!  I know the cornstarch sounds weird, but it's like the secret ingredient.  No kidding, there is not one streak!  Just shake before each use and use a lint free cloth. 

And for the last of our favorite DIY cleaners:  Pots and pans (and cookie sheets)

The recipe:

Hydrogen Peroxide

Baking Soda

Just mix in a bowl to make a thick paste.  I found the thicker the paste is, the better it works.

Rub onto the pot, pan or cookie sheet and let sit for at least 15 minutes.  The longer it sits the less scrubbing you'll have to do.  (Learned that by some trial and error too. : )

And Ta-Da!

We're pretty excited about our homemade discoveries! 

 Have you tried any homemade cleaners you love?  

Linking up here:

Craft-o-maniac,

  Skip to my Lou,

Keeping it Simple,

Creatively Living,

Someday Crafts,

Gingersnap Crafts,

Lil' Luna,

5 Gallon Bucket Seat

We are finally getting some warm and even hot weather!!  Oh how happy this makes me : )  That means flip flops and popsicles and swimming and camping and gardening and the sound of lawn mowers and sweaty, stinky kids (you know that smell....when they've been out playing in the heat and they run into the house and fill it with their outside kid smell and they are so stinky and it's wonderful because they've been playing and having so much fun! : )   So with more warm weather just around the corner, we've got the perfect summer companion:  the 5 gallon bucket seat.

Think camping trips, soccer games, parades, even sitting around a fire pit in your own backyard! So  versatile and cute!

Supplies:

5 gallon bucket

1 Gamma lid

fabric or bandanna

wood circle

batting

hot glue

staple gun

spray paint (optional)

stencil (optional)

  

                                      

What would you use use a handy bucket seat for? : )

Linking up at these parties:

Someday Crafts,

Gingersnap Crafts
Lil' Luna

DIY Stamped Jewelry

With stamped jewelry being so popular right now,  we had to see if we could make some ourselves.  Believe it or not, it's EASY and pretty inexpensive.  We picked up a stamp set from the local Harbor Freight store for $10, grabbed some charms and got stamping!

What do you think?  Easier than you thought?  It was definitely easier than we expected! This makes for simple, inexpensive, yet very thoughtful and personal gifts!  Love it : )

                                                                Linking up at:

Craft-o-maniac,

  Skip to my Lou,

Keeping it Simple,

Creatively Living

Winners of the Purse Caddy!

We've got the lucky winners of our Facebook Purse Caddy giveaway!!  Hooray!!  

We wrote each name on some scrap paper and tossed them in a mixing bowl all official like :)  

Congratulations to:

 CARRIE CARNLEY!

And CHERISH CAMPUSANO!

                                A big thank you to everyone who shared our post!

Make sure you're a Facebook fan so you won't miss any future giveaways : )

  Be sure to check out our tutorial (below) if you didn't win, it's so easy to make!   This would make a great gift too (Mother's Day, birthday, graduation....)

Now for a quick sneak peak to a couple of our upcoming projects!

It's going to be AWESOME :)

Have a great weekend!!