Cluttered to Clean: Dining Room Wall

I've always had the vision of having a beautiful gallery wall in my dining room, but I've got to tell ya, I'm bad at it. BAD. AT. IT.

Case in point.

So I gave up, cleared house, and installed this. Is it perfect? Not yet. It is better? So much so.

Still not perfect, but better.

I just wanted to show you that everything in my home, and in my life, is a work in progress. And just like you, I get very overwhelmed about the number of changes I wish I could afford to make. But take it a room at a time and we'll all get there together. Eventually.

Kristina

Kids' Growth Chart

I love these things! They are easy, fast, and cheap. Oh, and a great memory for your kids that you can take with you if you move.

To Do:

1. Buy wood - and sand it!
2. Buy vinyl decals from Etsy and stick them on (or you can write them but I have bad handwriting)
3. Finish the wood with Shellac or Laquer 
4. Mark the height on your wall so it hangs properly
5. Hang it!

I made it tall enough to fit my 6'1" husband's height

I never do the stand and mark - I use whatever the doctor tells me they are

Cute, right? The whole thing took about a day including dry time for the shellac. Just an FYI - shellac dries yellowish over time. My ruler is in a dark hall so we've been okay, but when exposed to light the change is supposed to be noticeable. So be warned.

Kristina

Backyard Chalkboard

Backyard chalkboards aren't just the latest Pinterest craze - they're actually really cool.

Easy + Cool + Makes Kids Quiet = Magic!

Better tutorials can be found here, but this is what I did.

How to:

1. Buy the shower water-proof sheetrock, bolts, washers, and nuts. And the chalkboard paint!
2. Prime the sheetrock.
3. Paint the sheetrock. It took me about 3 coats.
4. Drill holes in the sheetrock to hang it on your fence. 
5. Hang it.

Wasn't really a birthday present, but I did it in the right month. So we pretended.

Kristina

A few more DIY bed pics...

If you read Tweet, Tweet, you may be wondering how this bed is put together. Here are a few more quick pictures of it.

Kristina

How to tell when your husband has a wood problem...

He makes this:

And forces you to take pictures of it.

Kristina

Don't buy crib teething bumpers!!!

You know those expensive teething bumpers for cribs? The ones that are usually AT LEAST $40 for the set? Yeah, you can make them in 10 minutes and for $5.

Are they gorgeous? Heck no! Are they effective? By all means!

I like messes, yo. They're authentic.

See? Protecting the crib from whatever my girls are thinking they are doing.

And protects from this!

 How to make your own crib teething bumpers:

1. Buy 2 regular towels. Mine were on sale at Walmart for $2/each. They should be about 54" long.
2. Buy a cheap roll of ribbon or string. I like grosgrain, but really it doesn't matter.
3. Cut one towel in half.
4. Fold the 3 pieces in half lengthwise.
5. Poke holes in the towels where you want to run your ribbon through to tie to the crib. I made 3 holes for the ends (sides and middle), and 5 for the front (sides, middle, and halfways).
6. Place the bumper around your crib rail, and use the ribbon to tie it on.

Done.

Warning: Do not stab your fingers and hand repeatedly while poking holes with the scissors. It's harder than it looks, and if you are clumsy like me it's dangerous. Enlist a coordinated/strong friend if necessary.

Just so you know my little monster isn't always a monster, here is Ari being adorable while she reads in her big girl bed.

No, I do not ever brush my children's hair.

Kristina

I Built a Dog Bed!

I always see those annoying Pinterest ideas of using scrap wood to build things, and I they all make me angry. I mean, who has that much scrap wood??

Apparently my husband does. But it took me an hour to find the 3 pieces I used to make my dog's new bed.

Objects on computer are less red than they appear.

Day One: I cut the wood to size with our miter saw, clamped and glued it together, and let it dry.

I used a steamer lid to create the curved cut out.

Day Two: I made my husband trim the wood to perfection with a table saw. Then he routed the tops. He doesn't trust me with the scary tools.

This is the real color of the stained wood. And the routing Husband did.

I put the box together, and Husband used a nail gun to finish it.

It's 4 sides with 4x4s at the corners to use as a platform for the pillow.

Day Three: After using wood filler on the nail holes, I used Walnut Danish Oil to stain the box while Husband used the table saw to cut the case to size.

The bed base rests on the 4x4s

Finished! I just placed a bed pillow with a case on it in the bed.

Dog still won't sleep in it.

Kristina