Archives for September 2013

50+ Creative Pegboard DIY Ideas

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50+ DIY Pegboard Projects @savedbyloves[pinit]

Pegboards are not just for the garage! They can be used to create great organization in any room, as art, and to add interest and function to your home decor. Today I am excited to share with you 50+ of my favortie DIY pegboard projects from around the web. Enjoy!

Halloween Party Decor with FloraCraft® Make It: Fun® Foam

[pinit]Decorative Mesh Halloween Wreath[pinit]

*NOTE:  I recieved product and compensation for this project.  All opinions are mine and honest.

With just a month until Halloween, it is time to get down with some creepy decor.  Today I am going to show you how to do just that with a little help from Make it Fun: Crafts.  Using Design It:® Simple Style® Decorative Mesh and Burlap with FloraCraft® Make It: Fun® Foam we will create a festive orange rosette wreath, perfect for your Halloween festivities!

Decorative Mesh Halloween Wreath DIY

SUPPLIES:

Make it Fun Burlap Garland

 Design It:® Simple Style® Decorative Mesh

 Design It:® Simple Style® Burlap Garland

FloraCraft® Make It: Fun® Foam Sheet

FloraCraft® Make It: Fun® Foam Cutter

Black wired ribbon or burlap

Hot glue gun

TUTORIAL:

#Makeitfuncrafts

I cut my wreath form from a sheet of foam using the foam cutter (which you can find on the Make it Fun website linked above).  You could also just use a precut wreath form.

How to cut foam

Trace the donut shape onto the foam sheet.  I used two foam circles, one small and one big, for my “donut”.  You could use a plate or other round object.

Styrocutter Tutorial

Cut along the outlines with your Styro Cutter Plus®, like I showed you in my faux pallet flag post.

Deco Mesh Wreath

Wrap your wreath with the burlap garland.  This is to have brown instead of stark white showing through in any gaps that may remain after rosettes are added, as well as to give hot glue something to adhere to.

Make a rosette wreath

Once entirely wrapped, cut burlap from roll and hot glue in place on back of wreath.

How to make a spiral rosette

Cut a 1.5 inch strip of orange Deco Mesh about 10 inches long.  Twist into spiral shape from center towards the outside to make the rosette.

How to make fabric rosettes

Hot glue rosettes onto wreath form until it is covered.

DIY Halloween Wreath

Hot glue black wire ribbon or burlap to the back and secure on nail to hang.

There are tons of ways to use these products in y0ur fall decor.  Make sure to visit Crafts n’ Coffee to stay up to date on products and project ideas!

DIY Jewelry Display from Repurposed Vintage Grater

[pinit]How to make a jewelry display copy[pinit]

I am always on the look out for interesting jewelry display ideas.  While out junking with the ladies, I spied this cheese grater, all rusty like I like it.  Immediately “earring holder” came to mind.  Not because I am a creative genius, but because in my Pinterest browsing I have seen just that – a cheese grater earring holder.  This is the easiest project I have ever done.


DIY repurposed jewelry display

Vintage Cheese Grater to Jewelry Display

I bought the thing for $3, brought it home and removed the tag with Goo Gone Sticker Lifter.  You just apply the liquid, wait 2 minutes and scrape away the sticky.

DIY Jewelry Display from Vintage Grater
Unique DIY Jewelry Display Idea

 

Make Paper Mason Jar Garland

[pinit]Easy DIY Mason Jar Garland[pinit]

Mason jar crafts have become a phenomenon over the past 2 years, to say the very least.  I, for one, am a huge fan of incorporating them into my home decor whenever possible.  You combine mason jars with my papercrafting obsession, and it is almost more excitement than a blogger like me can withstand.  Well, those two worlds collided for me in this Sizzix Canning Jars Die by Eileen Hull.  Today I am sharing how I used it on some recycled cardboard and fall patterned scrapbook paper to make this fun garland adorning my headboard.

Mason Jar Decor

Eileen Hull Picket Fence

I told you about Eileen Hull’s Picket Fence Sizzix line a few months back, and am having as much fun with it as I predicted I would!

For this project, you will need:

Eileen’s Sizzix Canning Jars, 3-D

Harvest Deight Fall Paper

Fall or other patterned scrapbook paper; I used Recollections Harvest Delight

Corrugated Cardboard

Paper Cement

Jute or other twine

Mini Clothespins

Tim Holtz Distress paint Silver

Ranger Distress Ink Vintage Photo

3D foam adhesive squares

TUTORIAL:

Die Cut the larger jars out of paper and cardboard

Adhere paper to cardboard with Paper Cement or favorite adhesive

Cut tops out of corrugated cardboard and adhere to jars with 3D foam squares

Paint mason jars with distress paint

Paint tops with silver distress paint, or leave as they are.  they look cool either way!

Mason Jar Garland DIY

Ink edges with distress ink on foam applicator and attach to twine with clothespins.

I love my garland, and have several more projects in mind for this die alone.  Make sure you visit Eileen at her blog for tons of inspiration!  You will want to set aside a chunk of time and be ready to watch your creative project to do list grow!

Easy No Carve Pumpkin Decor

[pinit]Martha Stewart Halloween Decor[pinit]

If you want a quick, easy, no carve way to decorate your pumpkins, Martha Stewart Pumpkin Sleeves are a great solution.  They come in a pack of three and take 2 minutes to put on the pumpkin.  I love the lacy look, and the cute skulls and spiders with webs.  There is a drawstring at the top to cinch everything up around the pumpkin stem for that nice, finished Martha look!

DIY Halloween Decor

I love them.  I didn’t have a small enough pumpkin to use the smallest sleeve, but you can bet I will!

Easy DIY Halloween Decor

More Halloween Inspiration?  Check out what we’ve got!

Introducing Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat with Voice Control

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat with Voice Control for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

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If you thought you would never live to see the day when you could tell your thermostat what to do and it would respond, you were mistaken.  The ability to speak commands to control your climate is not as futuristic as you may think.  In fact, it is here now.  I am excited to tell you about Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat with Voice Control. This is the first of its kind on the market.  The Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat with Voice Control utilizes far-field voice-control technology, allowing it to break through the ambient noise of an activity filled home to carry out commands such as “make it four degrees warmer” or “make it much cooler” — even from across the room.

The thermostat immediately recognizes the homeowner’s voice upon installation, and adjusts the temperature setting based their commands. This is the first cloud-based solution and it will get smarter over time, with the ability to add more commands based on its interactions with the operator!

For those of you who are design sticklers, Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat with Voice Control allows customization to match your home decor. It also connets to WiFi, allowing consumers to regulate their climate and energy usage remotely. Users can control the thermostat via the Total Connect Comfort smart phone app – the top-rated thermostat app on Google Play™.

Honeywell’s Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat with Voice Control becomes available November 2013 at a suggested retail price of $349.

Visit Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat with Voice Control to learn more!

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50+ Things to Make from Cribs

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50+ Ways to Repurpose cribs and crib springs @savedbyloves

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Buying a crib can be a big investment, especially for something that is only going to be used for a few years max.  Then what do you do with it?  Well, you are in the right spot to have that problem solved.  Check out the 50+ crib upcycle projects below and be inspired to repurpose your baby cribs and springs into cool furniture and home decor.  If I missed your project in the collection, send me the link!

HAPPY STARTS HERE™ – ALPO® Brand Dog Food

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of ALPO® Brand Dog Food    for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you are like me, your dogs are part of the family.  I wake up excited to see them every morning.  We have our routine, which consists of the beagle, Ripley, drooling at the sound of my alarm clock because he knows that it is breakfast time.  The Jack Russell, Bovie, heads straight to the back door, determined to rid our yard of any squirrels or small animals that may be invading his territory!   Then he can focus on breakfast.   As different as they are, ALPO® Wet dog food is a favorite in both of their books.  They love the taste, and I love that it is nutritionally sound.  It comes in a huge variety of flavors, which you can see for yourself at ALPO’S HOMEPAGE.  I have yet to find a flavor that my boys don’t inhale in seconds.

Here it straight from the mouths of dogs in this HAPPY STARTS HERE™ – ALPO® Brand Dog Food Video:

ALPO® Brand Dog Food provides high quality protein, essential vitamins and minerals and all the nutritional requirements for health and longevity.    They demand high quality, safety and manufacturing standartds from the suppliers of each of their ingredients.  You can rest assured that your dogs are getting what theydogs need good nutrtition for a healthy coat, strong bones and a happy life.  Stay tuned for some taste testing by my boys in the coming weeks, and join me in following ALPO’s Facebook Page for news and updates!

I would love to see photos of your beloved canines.  Do share.

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Chalkboard Tray To Do List With Printable

How to make a chalkboard tray to do list

If you are like me, to do lists are a vital part of keeping it together!  They are just necessary, so why not incorporate some chalkboard paint and burlap into creating a pretty one?  Today I am sharing a quick, easy DIY chalkboard tray “To Do List”, complete with a free  printable template for you to transfer onto your painted tray using transfer paper.  I can’t promise your productivity and punctuality will skyrocket, but I can guarantee you will have a pretty list.  That’s something, right?

SUPPLIES:

Transfer Paper Tutorial

Old Tray – I got mine for $2 at a thrift store

Martha Stewart Chalkboard Paint – Black

White transfer paper

One inch foam brush

Burlap or other ribbon

White opaque gel pen

White acrylic paint

Tiny detail paintbrush

ThingsToDo

Printable “To Do List” – click the link or the thumbnail above to bring up the full resolution file, then print

Painter’s Tape

Stylus or other pointed object to trace printable through transfer paper (I used a mechanical pencil with no lead)

TUTORIAL:

Martha Stewart Chalkboard Paint Tray DIY

Clean tray off with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.  Let dry then paint with chalkboard paint.

How to make a Chalkboard Tray

I did three thin layers, allowing complete drying between.

Tape Transfer Paper In Place

Once the chalkboard paint was dry, I taped the transfer paper in place.

How to Transfer Text to Painted Background

Then I taped the printable list template on top of the transfer paper and began tracing it, making sure to use enough pressure to transfer the design through to the chalkboard background.  You can lift the papers to make sure the transfer is happening and tape them back down, being careful not to let them shift in the process.

How to transfer text to background

I removed the papers and was left with a faint outline of the list, which i went over with my white opaque gel pen.  I had to shake the pen often to keep the ink running, and I took some of the chalkboard paint off in a couple of places by pressing to hard.  Don’t do that.

How to make a handpainted sign

I used white acrylic paint and a fine detail brush to go fill in the title text, and to touch up here and there.  I ended up painting over the <<<>>> under “Things to Do”.  I just liked it better without, but I left it in the printable so you have the option of using it.

How to Transfer Text to a sign

Once dry, your sweet new to do list is ready to go.  Hang with a burlap ribbon or embellish as you wish!

Free Printable Chalkboard To Do List

 

Best Ever German Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

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Best CupCake Recipes
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It happened.  I baked.  From scratch.  It is a first.  These German chocolate cupcakes turned out to be delicious.  There was a minor set back with the glaze and I had to improvise, but you would never know they weren’t exactly what they were supposed to be!  If you aren’t a baker and want to impress your friends with a culinary treat, this recipe is for you.  If your an experienced baker, add this to your arsenal.  You can’t go wrong with German chocolate, right?  This recipe is from Anne-Thornton at the Food Network, with a couple of happy accidents that made my recipe differ slightly!

german chocolate cake recipe

Ingredients
1 Chocolate Cake recipe (see below)
Glaze:
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I bought a bar assuming it was 6 ounces and it was 4, so make sure)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon brewed coffee
Topping:
3 egg yolks
12 ounces evaporated milk
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups packed sweetened flaked coconut, toasted (if desired)
1 3/4 cups toasted pecans, chopped
Directions
You will need:  silver/foil-lined muffin cups, 1 (2-ounce) ice cream scoop and 1 (1/2-ounce) ice cream scoop
Make sure all of your topping ingredients are at room temperature, except for the shredded coconut which you should keep in the refrigerator or freezer just until needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 regular muffin pans with muffin cups.

Chocolate Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature for 30 minutes
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk (or 1 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together onto parchment paper. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 4 or 5 minutes. Add your eggs, 1 at a time, mixing until completely incorporated before adding each additional egg. Mix in the chocolate and vanilla, making sure to combine really well. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk, in 3 batches, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Make sure to let it mix thoroughly.

Use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop and portion out the Chocolate Cake batter evenly into the muffin cups. Pop the pan in the oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes, turning the pans halfway through. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean. Let the cupcakes completely cool in the pan on a rack.

For the glaze: Mix the cream, chocolate, honey and coffee in saucepan on low heat. Stir until smooth. Let it cool a bit.

For the topping: Put the egg yolks, evaporated milk, brown sugar and butter in a separate saucepan. Place it over medium heat and cook until the sugar dissolves and the butter melts. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until thick, 8 to 10 minutes or so.

Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, coconut and pecans. Allow to cool.

How to Make German Chocolate Cake Recipe

Dip the cooled cupcakes in the chocolate glaze. Place on the rack and let the glaze harden.


How to Make German Chocolate Cupcakes

Scoop the topping on the cupcakes with a heaping 1/2-ounce ice cream scoop.  Enjoy!!

 

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