Frugal Friday~

Welcome to this week's edition of Frugal Friday! So glad you're all here!!
Let's get right to the good stuff, shall we?

The Fan Favorite from last week was this lovely dresser redo posted by Liz Marie.  Love it! It's such a pretty color for spring.

 

And now for my Frugal Round-up:

I adore this "postal" chair redo posted by Marianne at Songbird.  It adds just the right amount of whimsy.

You'll definitely want to check out this tutorial on  how to make your own tufted headboard which was shared by Crazy Wonderful.  It's adorable!

La T Da shared her fabulous bling-y wall treatment.  What a great idea! 

And last but not least, Craftily Ever After shared an adorable FREE spring printable.  Hurry over and grab yourself a copy.

Now it's your turn!!

You know "da rules"...

1. Please link directly to your post and not just to your blog.
2. Please link back the Shabby Nest (you can use the pretty new button on my side bar to make it easy.) I only feature projects in my Frugal Round-up that link back to The Shabby Nest.  I have passed up some great features because they didn't link back..so please use common courtesy and return the link! MWAH!!
3. Please visit other participants and leave them comments! Help them feel "the love!" And don't forget to "like" your favorite posts so they can become the "FAN FAVORITE!"

Happy Homework Spot - A Client E-Design~

I recently completed an e-design project for a client who was looking to update the loft area in her home so that her daughters could use it as a computer/homework/hangout space. 

I just love the palette of blue and green...so bright and happy!  And isn't that Chesterfield Loveseat adorable??

If you're looking for help with a space in your home, I'm your gal.  Check out my e-design services here.

Out of respect for my paying clients, I do not share e-design sources on my blog.  Thanks for understanding.

Frugal Friday goes live tonight at 8:00 pm MST.  See you there!

Spring Craft Week: How to Make a Moss Monogram~

Hello Lovelies!  Welcome to Day 3 of Spring Craft Week at The Shabby Nest!

My front door was in dire need of a spring spruce-up and somehow moss seemed like an appropriate medium for spring door decor.  So I decided to create a Moss Monogram.  And today I wanted to share a tutorial on just how I made that Moss Monogram. (And since I believe in giving credit where credit is due, I was inspired by this tutorial on Dear Lillie that Jennifer shared last year).

Here's what you'll need...

• Foam Core
• Xacto Knife
• Hot Glue
• Sheet Moss (available in the floral section of your local craft store)
• Ribbon

 Here's what you'll do...

1. Cut a  letter out of your foam core using an Xacto knife.

2. Take your package of sheet moss and open it up. :-)  This particular sheet moss is 16" x 18", so I based the dimensions of my letter on that, leaving 2" all the way around to make sure the  moss would wrap around to the back of the letter.



3. Remove the protective backing from the sheet moss (if yours has a protective paper backing) and lay the letter on top of the wrong side of the moss.  Then trim around the letter making sure to leave enough moss to wrap around to the back of the letter.

4.  Using hot glue, attach the moss to the front of the letter.  Then wrap the edges around and glue them to the back of the letter.

Here's the finished monogram. Cute, huh??  But I wanted to use it for the door, remember? 

So I added some pretty ribbon. I simply hot glued the ends of the ribbon to the back of the monogram.  Then after creating a bow to hang it on the door, I tacked the ends of the ribbon behind the letter with a dot of hot glue.  Now my door is dressed for spring!

Happy Crafting~

Linking to the Spring Door Decor party at Southern Hospitality!
and

Spring Craft Week: How to Make Paper Medallions~

Welcome to Day 2 of Spring Craft Week at The Shabby Nest!

Today, I'm going to share a super-easy tutorial on how to make paper medallions.

You may recall a few weeks ago I made a few paper medallions for the Princess' 9th birthday and I promised you that I would share a tutorial.  Well, I know you thought I forgot, but I was really saving it for the fabulosity that is Spring Craft Week!!  There are a number of these tutorials on making these medallions out there in blogland...but here's my take on it...ENJOY!

Here's what you'll need:

• paper (scrapbook paper works best)
• scissors or a paper cutter
• ruler
• pen
• glue or sticky tape (I actually like to use hot glue because it works really fast)

Here's what you'll do:

1. Cut your paper to size.  Your medallion will be 2x the width of your paper strip. You will need approximately 12" of paper for 1" of width.  For Example:  if you want an 8" medallion, you'll need a strip of paper 4" wide and 48" long.  Since scrapbook paper is usually 12" long, you can simply attach 4 12" strips together end to end to get the appropriate length.

2. Score the paper every 1/2 inch.  (larger medallions can be scored every 1"). I use a pen to score my paper...just make sure you draw the lines on the wrong side of the paper.  Luckily my paper cutter has indentations each 1/2 inch, so I simply used them, but you can use a ruler and a pen to score yours.

3.  Fold the paper accordion style on each score line.

 

4. When you are done folding, attach the ends together to create a tube.

5. Gently press one side of the tube into the middle to create a medallion.  *this part can require a bit of patience.*

6. Step 6 is purely optional, but I like to weight the medallion down with something heavy like a glass or plate because they have a tendency to not want to lay flat at first.  You can do this now or after the next step...or not at all...it's up to you. (Kind of looks like a fancy coaster, no?)

7.  Glue a paper circle (or other shape) over the center hole of the medallion.

There you have it...pretty paper medallions.  Easy peasy!! 

Another craft tutorial headed your way tomorrow (if I get movin') Lol!

Have a great day~

Spring Craft Week: Glittered Easter Canvas & Cards~

Welcome to Spring Craft Week at The Shabby Nest!

With Easter right around the corner, I thought it might be fun to share a few Spring/Easter craft ideas with you all this week.

And today, I wanted to show you an easy way to create your own glittered canvas & cards.

Here's what you'll need:

• Cardboard
• Pencil
• X-acto Knife
• Mod Podge
• Paint Brush (stiff bristled brushes work better)
• Glitter
• Paper and Canvas

Steps:

1. Start by drawing the shape you'd like to use on a piece of cardboard.  In this case, I drew a rabbit for Easter.  Just  make sure that whatever shape you choose is a simple shape with few details.

2. Use an X-acto to cut the shape out of the cardboard.  This will be your stencil.

3.  Take your stencil, and a stiff-bristled paintbrush (paintbrushes work better than foam brushes) and spread the Mod Podge onto your paper.  Make sure you pounce the brush at the edges of the stencil and brush any excess Mod Podge toward the middle of the shape.

4. Remove the stencil and sprinkle glitter onto the shape.   Then gently press the glitter to the Mod Podge with your fingers.

5. Shake the Glitter from the shape.

NOTE:  Do not use your final  paper or canvas the first time you use the stencil.  Always have a practice paper to use for the first one or two tries.  As a matter of fact, the more times you use the stencil, the sharper the edges of your glittered image will become because the dried Mod Podge actually makes the edges of your stencil "cleaner".  To aid with this effect, allow the Mod Podge to dry on your stencil between applications.

Here is a finished canvas (with omber Easter bunnies...)

And a finished Easter card.

The possibilities are endless...and it's so simple and fast, even the kids can help!

Come back tomorrow for another great Spring/Easter craft idea~

The Shabby Nest is a Houzz Best of Remodeling 2012 Winner!~

I am so excited to share with you that one of my photos on Houzz.com was chosen as a winner in the Houzz Best of  Remodeling 2012 awards. 





I received the award for this photo of my boys' bedroom from our Massachusetts house. 

traditional kids design by salt lake city media and blogs The Shabby Nest

In short, the award basically  means that this particular image was one of the most popular design images on Houzz.com.  That is especially exciting because Houzz currently has over 374,000 photos. Holy crow!!  I feel so honored...and humbled.

Here is a press release from Houzz marking the occasion.

WENDY HYDE (The Shabby Nest) Receives

Houzz’s 2012 ‘Best Of Remodeling’ Award

First-Ever Survey & Analysis of More than 1.2 Million Members Reveals Top-Rated Professionals and Current Design Trends from Across the Country

[SALT LAKE CITY, Ut]  --  March 19, 2012 – Wendy Hyde (The Shabby Nest) of Salt Lake City, Ut has been awarded  “Best Of Remodeling” 2012 by Houzz, the leading online platform for residential remodeling and design.  The interior designer and DIY blogger was chosen by the more than 1.2 million registered members of the Houzz community.

The Houzz “Best Of Remodeling” award for 2012 is given in two categories: Customer Satisfaction and Design. Customer Satisfaction award winners are based on homeowner members who rated their experience working with remodeling professionals in 12 categories ranging from architects, and interior designers to contractors and other residential remodeling professionals.  Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the 1.2 million members, also known as “Houzzers,” who saved more than 16.5 million professional images to their personal ideabooks via the Houzz site and iPad/iPhone app.

“With 3.5 million monthly unique users and 80 million monthly page views, Houzz has rapidly become the largest community of active remodelers, providing homeowners and design enthusiasts with first-hand advice from Houzzers who have been through the renovating and decorating process,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of marketing for Houzz. “This is a real stamp of approval for Wendy Hyde from the Houzz community and we’re thrilled to welcome her to this elite group of ‘Best Of’ winners.”

With Houzz, homeowners can identify not only the top-rated professionals like Wendy Hyde, but also those whose work visually aligns with their own design goals. Homeowners can also evaluate professionals by contacting them directly on the Houzz platform, asking questions about their work and evaluating their responses to questions from others in the Houzz community.

About Wendy Hyde

Wendy Hyde has loved interior design for as long as she can remember. With a background in both fashion and interior design, she brings a unique perspective to creating a room. Wendy’s philosophy is that there are no design dilemmas, only opportunities in disguise. Creating beautiful spaces is both a compulsion and therapy for her. That’s what prompted Wendy to start writing her blog, The Shabby Nest. It is a way to share her design obsession with like-minded people. She loves to empower her readers with the desire to make their homes their havens, and to do so without breaking the bank. They say that if you do what you love, you never work a day in your life. If that’s the case, Wendy hopes to never “work” again. 

About Houzz

Houzz (www.houzz.com) is the leading online platform for home remodeling, providing inspiration, information, advice and support for homeowners and home improvement professionals through its website and mobile applications. Houzz features the largest residential design database in the world, articles written by design experts, product recommendations, a vibrant community powered by social tools, and information on more than 1.2 million remodeling and design professionals worldwide who can help turn ideas into reality. @houzz_inc

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A great big humongous THANKS to Houzz.com for this honor and to you,  my wonderful readers, for all your support and for coming here to read this little old blog of mine!

Frugal Friday~

Hello Lovelies!  Welcome to this week's edition of Frugal Friday!  So glad you're here!

No chit chat this week because I want to get right to the good stuff...

Last week's Fan Favorite was this darling DIY Orb Chandelier posted by My Covered Bridge.

 

Now for my Frugal Round-up:

First up, I'm completely in love with this faux wallpaper created by Meeha Meeha.  I mean in. love.   Yes, I said faux...but doesn't it look like the real thing?  I'm trying to come up with the perfect place to do this in my house. Seriously.

Next, I wanted to feature this great chair redo by Make Them Wonder for two reasons.  1 - because I love a good spraypaint makeover and 2 -because of the HUGE difference the two tone color makes.  Love it.

Finally, I love these fabulous DIY Wooden Countertops shared by Mustard Ceiling. And they only cost $100...what a steal! Simply beautiful!

Now it's your turn!!

You know "da rules"...

1. Please link directly to your post and not just to your blog.
2. Please link back the Shabby Nest (you can use the pretty new button on my side bar to make it easy.) I only feature projects in my Frugal Round-up that link back to The Shabby Nest.  I have passed up some great features because they didn't link back..so please use common courtesy and return the link! MWAH!!
3. Please visit other participants and leave them comments! Help them feel "the love!" And don't forget to "like" your favorite posts so they can become the "FAN FAVORITE!"

xoxo
Wendy

6 Tips to Help Stretch Your Decorating Budget~

You may recall that for the next couple of months I'm partnering with Apartment Guide as an official Apartment Guide Decor Blogger.  And as an official Apartment Guide Decor blogger, I'm going to share ideas for making the most of your space on a budget. I hope that you all will join me on this bloggy journey as I share my go-to tips for creating your dream space without breaking the bank.

One of the main reasons I started this blog was to share my ideas for decorating on a budget.  Let's face it. With the sheer number of times I "tweak" a space, I could drive myself into financial oblivion if I didn't find frugal ways to decorate.  I've found that the best way to decorate frugally is to think outside the box a little bit.  Being creative in my approach to home decor definitely helps stretch my tight decorating budget.  And today I wanted to share 6 tips with you on ways to stretch your decorating dollar.

1. Go neutral - mostly.  Okay, so this might not be the most creative suggestion, but it will definitely benefit your wallet and it creates the basis for the other more creative ideas I'm going to share.  When investing in large pieces for you home, choose neutral colors.  That bold print sofa might be appealing - very appealing - but investing in the neutral sofa will allow for longer use...and adding pattern can be accomplished easily (and less expensively) with accessories.

2. Create your own art.  Not everybody is an artist.  But EVERYBODY can create fabulous art on the cheap.  The following items can be used to create amazing art  - and they won't break the bank:  calendars, greeting cards, colorful fabric.   Just frame them up, and you'll have some great art that you can switch out often without investing your inheritance. ;-)

3. Make your own pillows.  As I mentioned in tip #1, accessories are the easiest way to inject color and pattern into a space.  And pillows are one of the best accessories to accomplish that function.  Find some great seasonal placemats and sew two together to create a pillow.  Sewing together colorful napkins is another super-easy way to create your own pillows on a dime.

4. Give a bookcase a custom look.  Find an inexpensive bookcase, and liven it up with a coat of paint.  Then use wallpaper, wrapping paper, or scrapbook paper to cover the back and give the bookcase a colorful facelift. 

5. Try mismatched seating.  Don't worry if you can't afford a dining set.  Mismatched seating is very popular at the moment and is a great way to add personality to your space as well.  Purchase several inexpensive chairs to use at your dining table...then freshen them up with paint.  Using the same color on all the chairs will unify them...or you can play up their differences by painting each one a different color.  Either way, you'll have a one of a kind look for your space.

6. Mix and Match.  Can't afford a matching sofa and loveseat/chair?  No worries.  Mix and match.  Nobody wants a room to be too matchy matchy anyway.  You can even combine different patterns in a single room...the key is to make sure that the colors in the patterns are similar.  You probably don't want to combine purple and yellow stripes with an orange and green floral, but a blue and white stripe will go nicely with a floral or a plaid that incorporates the same color blue.

Don't let your lack of a budget make you think that you can't make your decorating dreams come true.  Try thinking creatively instead and make those constraints work in your favor by coming up with unique and different solutions to your decor challenges.  You'll find that your space will be uniquely you without breaking the bank.

• “Like” Apartment Guide on Facebook at Facebook.com/apartmentguide, follow them on Twitter @AptGuideand “circle” them on Google+for real-time tips and updates on making the most of your space and living on a budget.
• If you’re ready for a whole new space or are looking to move, Apartment Guide has the photos, floor plans, features and tips to help you find the perfect apartment community.
• Whether you're living, looking or moving, Apartment Guide offers how-to tips for making the most of a space on a budget on http://www.movingtoday.comand http://www.apartmentguide.com/blog/.

Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. have partnered with bloggers like me as Official Apartment Guide Bloggers. As part of this program, I have received compensation. They have not told me what to purchase or what to say about the products used, and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

If This Outfit Were a Room: Home Office Edition

Hello Lovelies!

I have home offices on the brain since our latest project is transforming our loft space into a home office for this work-at-home mom. 

So today I wanted to share one of my "If This Outfit Were a Room" inspiration boards.

I found this fun and flirty dress on Ruche.com and thought it would make a great inspiration piece for a home office.  I have been loving kelly green lately...perhaps it's because I'm soooo excited for springtime!

Here's what I came up with...

I'm loving the vintage campaign-style desk, the funky wallpaper, oversize botanical print and pops of orange. This would be a space where my creative juices could really flow.  And perhaps I could get some work done as well. Ha!

Sources:
Desk via HGTV.com
Rug via RugsUSA.com
Chair via Ballard Designs
Pillows via Etsy
Ottoman via Target.com
Lamp via Bellacor
Botanical Art via Art.com

Have a lovely day~

How I Turned my Art into a Pillow~

Today I wanted to quickly share how I made the Ballerina pillow in the  Princess' bedroom.

 

I have posted the basic process before.  You can find the post here.

That post is actually for Halloween bags, but the mechanics of how to do the art transfer are there.  For the pillows, there are a just a few differences that I will touch on here.

First, for the bags, I used clip art.  This is a great option.  There are many sites online for free clip art.  For the Princess' pillow, however, I used one of my own drawings.  I simply scanned it into the computer and saved it as a JPEG file.

Then, (and you can read the mechanics of this process in the other post) I printed it out on photo transfer paper, and ironed it onto the pillow fabric.

For this particular pillow, I wanted the image to be a patch, so I cut it out and sewed it onto the pillow.  You can, however, simply use the ironed on image as the front of your pillow.  Then  just sew the pillow together and embellish if you'd like...you'll note that on the Princess' pillow I used antique buttons as embellishment. 

Finally, If you're not sure how to sew a pillow, I have a couple of different tutorials on the blog, but here is a link to one of them (just ignore the whole part about the ruffles. Lol!)

That's it.  It's actually extremely simple, but looks great...and is one of a kind!!   And they're great for gifts...especially for baby showers. (just sayin')

Have a lovely day~