DIY Custom Built-ins from Bookshelves

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Today I finally get to show you my completed DIY custom built-ins we made using the 5 Shelf Bookcases from the Sauder website Four of the bookshelves cost less than $250, so we ended up getting four more to fill our space! These are perfect for the built-in project we had in mind, and we love the result!

Here are the assembled bookshelves.

I showed you these a few months ago, before we customized them to look like built-ins here: Stylish Craft Storage with Sauder Bookcases. They looked great then, but we wanted to add trim where they meet, and wrap the tops with crown molding and bottom with the room’s baseboard to tie them into the room.

We removed the room’s baseboard on the walls where we would be putting the bookshelves.

There were several things we ran into during this project. The first was we notices the baseboard was higher than the bottom shelf, so we added a new bottom shelf with 1×12 wood to be flush with the top of the baseboard. We attached the shelves with pocket holes using the Kreg jig.

Where the bookshelves meet, we had 1.75 inches to cover, and we found the perfect trim at our local hardware store. On the edges where there was just one bookshelf wall, we put 1×12 wood as shown so the 1.75 inch trim as flush on both sides.

We started with the baseboards and used construction adhesive along with the nailer.

Luckily we found baseboard to match what was already in the room!

We found this molding at our local big box hardware store and I was elated. We didn’t have to figure out any complex angles since the molding was solid to a right angle!! Phew. You can read about our first experience cutting crown molding here: DIY Kitchen Cabinet Upgrade.

For the molding, baseboard and trim, we used construction adhesive and our cordless nailer to attach. We started with the baseboard and molding, then added the trim to cover the seams.


We found corner trim that was perfect for the corners at the hardware store. We used an unfinished cabinet door we scored for free on Craigslist as a desk in between shelves!

Above the desk we placed three 1×6 shelves, attaching them to the wall stud and bookshelves on both sides using pocket holes.

To see how I made the shelves on the left check out this tutorial: DIY Pallet Wood Paint Storage Shelves.

We primed and painted the trim and added wood and that was that!

These bookshelves are great as they come. With just a few supplies and a day’s time, you can customize them for designer built-in style!

Visit Sauder for more than 30 distinct, affordable furniture collections in a full
line of ready to assemble furnishings for your home, including entertainment, home office, bedroom, kitchen and storage!

Visit my Woodworking Pinterest Board for more home decor and furniture ideas!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sauder. The opinions and text are all mine.

DIY Snowflake Window Garland

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DIY Christmas Decor Idea

 

Today I am sharing with you a simple way to add some wintery snowflake decor to your house for the season! This project is super quick, easy and cheap with the right supplies. I love it with the first snowfall of the season painting the landscape beyond the window.  Perfect!

DIY Snowflake Window Garland @savedbyloves

SUPPLIES

Snowflake Decor

White paper (I used filter paper I was given from the local recycling center)

Sizzix Snowflakes #3

Sizzix Snowflake With Texture Fade by Tim Holtz

Clear string

Hot Glue and glue gun

Sticky foam mounts or other removable tape

TUTORIAL

Die cut several snowflakes from white paper.

Add a line of hot glue to the back of the snowflakes and adhere the clear string.

                                                    Continue adding snowflakes this way until the strand is as long as you want.

Snowflake Decor DIY

I made 7 strands of snowflakes and stuck them to the window’s “ceiling” using removable foam mounting tape.

If you don’t have a die cut machine, you can make your paper snowflakes with this detailed tutorial from Instructables:

How to make Paper Snowflakes

For more Christmas inspiration, visit our 50+ Christmas Kid’s Crafts:

Christmas-Kids-Crafts-to-Make-Pinterest-Saved-By-Love-Creations1

Make gifts for your loved ones on the cheap with our 50+ Gifts to Make for Under $10:

50 Christmas gifts to make for less than $10

Upcycle Wine Corks to Business Card holders & More

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DIY Upcycle a Wine Cork to Card Holder for place cards, business cards and more @savedbyloves

Display your business cards in eco-friendly style with this simple wine cork to card display upcycle. The same cork can be used for placeholder cards, or to display gift cards, just in time for the holidays. This project is free and requires just a cork and a craft knife!

Wine Cork Business Card Holder

MATERIALS

 

Wine Cork Business Card Holder 2

Cork

Craft Knife

Gift card or Credit card

Business cards

DIRECTIONS

 

Wine Cork Business Card Holder 3

Wine Cork Business Card Holder 4

 Use the craft knife to level the bottom of your cork by shaving a small section flat, down the length of the cork.

Wine Cork Business Card Holder 6

 On the opposite side of the cork, make a slice with the knife down the length of the cork.

 Wine Cork Business Card Holder 7Make the slit wider by running a credit/gift card down the length of the slit.

 DIY Upcycle a Wine Cork to Card Holder for place cards, business cards and more @savedbyloves

I told you it was easy!  You could add a string to one end of the cork and hang these on your Christmas tree with gift cards, or set them next to the stockings on the mantel as a creative way to display your gift cards!

For more inspiration, visit our 50+ WINE CORK CRAFTS:

25 DIY Awesome Advent Calendars to Make

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25 Awesome DIY Advent Calendars to Make @savedbylovesSince the mid 1800’s, we have been counting down to Christmas with advent calendars, and the tradition continues.  It is a favorite childhood Christmas memory for people around the globe. Get a jump start on your Christmas anticipation with this round-up of 25 amazing DIY advent calendars you can make!


DIY Fused Mini Amber Glass Bottle Earrings

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DIY Fused Glass Bottle Earrings @savedbylovesSo, I am crazy excited to share today’s jewelry tutorial with you. These earrings are my go to piece for several reasons.  They are beautiful, unique and go with all kinds of outfits.  I got the idea when flattening wine bottles in my kiln.  I remembered the tiny bottles, or vials that people fill with mica powder and little notes and thought it would be so cool to flatten them.  I wasn’t sure what I would do with them flat, but as soon as the kiln cooled and I laid eyes on them, I knew I wanted to wire wrap and wear them!

MATERIALS

7 Gypsies Amber Apothecary Bottles

Round nose jewelry pliers

Flat nose jewelry pliers

20 gauge jewelry wire

Flush wire cutter

Earring findings

10 coordinating seed beads

Microwave kiln

 TUTORIAL

Fuse your bottles, one at a time in your microwave kiln.  I showed you how to use that here: DIY Wine Bottle Earrings. You can also use a regular kiln if you have that. Let them cool to room temperature before continuing.

How to wire wrap jewelry

Cut 7 inches of wire and string 5 beads onto it.

How to make fused glass jewelry

Place beads in front and situate wire at neck of fused bottle as shown.

How to wire wrap jewelry2

Bring the left side wire around the bottle neck and back to the front as shown.

How to wire wrap jewelry3

Wrap both wire ends around the neck a few times, ending with 2 wire tails in the back as shown.

How to wire wrap jewelry4

Wrap the two ends as shown so that they are vertical.

How to wire wrap jewelry5

Coil one end around the other as shown.

How to wire wrap jewelry6

Trim the end of the wire you just coiled.

How to wire wrap jewelry7

Use the flat nose pliers to bend the remaining tail to form a 90 degree angle.

How to wire wrap jewelry9

With the round nose pliers, form a loop as shown.

How to wire wrap jewelry10

Thread the ear wire onto the loop, then trim the excess tail.

Fused Amber Glass Bottle Earrings

I love them!  I can’t wait to make more.  Next I will use clear vials and color them with alcohol ink.  Exciting stuff!

DIY Recycled Glass Bottle Frames

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Photo In a Bottle Upcycle from @savedbyloves

Display meaningful photos in a unique way while busting through your stash of vintage buttons, ribbons, fabric scraps and found objects. These little medicine bottles can be found in thrift stores, at tag sales and online for cheap.  Use them for Christmas gifts, or as photo frames for yourself!

Photo In a Bottle 6

 

MATERIALS

Photo In a Bottle 1

-Variety of antique medicine and food bottles

-Photos sized to fit in bottles and printed in black and white or sepia tone on copy paper

-Glitter, sand or other filler

-Found objects, beads, vintage buttons, old keys and other embellishments

-Decorative ribbon, twine, lace, burlap and fabric scraps

-Corks for bottle tops

-Copper craft wire gauge 20-22

-wire cutter

-scissors

-hot glue

-Bamboo skewer or pencil

DIRECTIONS

 

  1. Clean bottle and remove any labels. Let dry.

Photo In a Bottle 4

  1. Add sand or glitter using funnel or folded paper scrap
  2. Drop in a few beads, buttons or other small meaningful objects.

Photo In a Bottle 5

  1. Roll the photo into a tube and insert it into the bottle. Use a skewer to unroll it and flatten it against the inner surface of the bottle.
  2. Embellish outside of bottle with ribbon, lace, twine, vintage pearls and other scraps. Glue on buttons and found objects with hot glue.

Photo In a Bottle 10

  1. Place cork in bottle and embellish with vintage buttons, beads or brooches. Secure with wire wrapped around cork and through button. Add a dab of hot glue at the base of the button to hold in place on top of the cork.

Photo In a Bottle Upcycle from @savedbyloves

Upcycled Frap Bottle Frosty Heart Lanterns

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Frosty HeartsDIY Upcycled Frap Bottle Votive Holders @savedbyloves

Handmade lanterns are all the rage. With adhesive stencils and paints made just for glass, creating fun designs on bottle is easier than ever. This project involves cutting the bottles roughly in half. Frost and glitter paint are used with heart stickers in a masking technique, so that light from the candles shines through the frosty heart shapes. Create a warm glow for your Valentine’s Day dinner at home!

 

Frosty Hearts Frap Bottle Votive Holders 7

 

MATERIALS

– Frappuccino bottles

–Martha Stewart frost glass paint in white

– glitter glass paint in red and pink

– heart stickers cut from foil tape or adhesive vinyl

– cosmetic sponge

– Rubbing Alcohol

– Lint free dry cloth

– Protective gloves

– heart stickers that adhere well to glass

-Surface protector such as newspaper or craft sheet

-bottle cutting supplies (See How to Cut Glass Bottles)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Remove labels with soapy water or Krylon Adhesive Remover. Clean and dry bottles.

Frosty Hearts Frap Bottle Votive Holders 2

 

  1. Cut bottles roughly in half. You don’t have to be exact. You just want to be able to lift off the top and place a votive candle inside when you are finished.
  2. Protect your work area with newspaper or craft sheet.

Frosty Hearts Frap Bottle Votive Holders 1

 

  1. Paint bottles by dabbing thin layer of frosty glass paint in white with a cosmetic sponge. Don’t go over the same area more than once. It is best to apply several light layers, allowing 10-15 minutes of dry time between to achieve the look you want. Applying too heavily leads to streaks and splotches that you won’t like. Once you are happy with coverage (1-3 coats should do it) let dry for about 30 minutes before moving onto the next step.

Frosty Hearts Frap Bottle Votive Holders 3

 

  1. Vinyl and foil tape work well for heart stickers. Cut out hearts using die cut machine, freehand or template (see Hearts page ?)
  2. Apply Heart stickers where you want light to come through the frosty heart. I went for almost center, spanning the cut seam.

Frosty Hearts Frap Bottle Votive Holders 4

 

  1. Paint one jar with glitter pink, and the other with glitter red. Several light layers with 10 minutes or more dry time in between is best.
  2. After your final layer, remove the heart stickers with tweezers or a craft knife, being careful not to smudge adjacent paint.
  3. Let dry overnight, with top and bottom apart so that they don’t dry stuck together.
  4. Lift off top and place candle.
  5. Light and enjoy!

 

EXTRA TIPS

￮ Masking Tips – Foil tape in the electrical section at the hardware store works great for these projects. It adheres well so that the paint doesn’t seep underneath, but doesn’t disturb any base layers of paint when removed. A large roll of it is under $8 and lasts years. Don’t leave the stickers on overnight, or the surrounding paint will peel away with them upon removal. You want to remove them soon after your last coat of paint.

 

 

DIY Upcycle Lighted Santa Bottles

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DIY Santa Light Bottle Upcycle Project @savedbyloves

 

This handmade Santa light-up bottle adds a warm and cozy feeling to any space for the Christmas season. This project requires a recycled bottle and drilling a hole in the lower backside of the bottle. Also required is a fun search for a Santa image. The choices are endless, ranging from recycled Christmas cards, magazines, printed images, and the imagination goes on. Most importantly don’t forget a strand of Christmas lights. Now let’s get started and enjoy the fun.

 

Materials for drilling a hole in glass

  • Drill
  • Drill Bit
  • Safety Glasses
    • Facemask
  • Spray Bottle With Water

 

image 1 Drilling Materials

 

 

Directions

  1. Drill a hole in the bottle. Through my research I found that using a 1/2 inch hole saw diamond grit drill bit works best for drilling a hole in a bottle. You can find this type of drill bit in most hardware stores and online.

 

  1. Safety first: Wear safety glasses and a facemask to prevent eye injury and inhaling glass dust.
  2. Starting on the backside and lower end of the bottle place the drill bit at an angle. This will allow you to start a groove in the bottle. Once you have the groove started you will begin to slowly bring the drill to an upright position. Apply pressure but not too much as this will cause the bottle to break. Periodically stop drilling and spray the drill bit and bottle where you are drilling the hole to keep the drill bit and bottle cooled off. This also keeps the glass dust level down while you are drilling.

image 2 drill at angle

image 3 b groove started

image 2b Drill Perpendicular

image 3c spritz with Water

image 3d Hole Drilled

 

Tip: I have also seen websites online where you can purchase predrilled bottles from suppliers.

 

 

Materials for Santa bottle

 

 

  • Empty Bottle (most types of bottles will work for this project)
  • Cork (optional)
  • Strand of Christmas Lights (20-30 bulb strand with a one-ended plug)
  • Santa Image (of your choice)
  • Raffia
  • Christmas Bells (two)
  • Glue
  • Water
  • Paintbrush

Santa Bottle DIY

 

  1. Removing labels from the bottle. Soak bottle in warm soapy water until the label is saturated with water. Use a putty scraper or a scraper with a razor blade on the end. Once the bottle is clean allow it to dry.

Tip: If the inside of the bottle has any residue from the drilling process you can tear off a small piece of a cleaning cloth and swish it around with the water in the bottle and that will help to rid of it.

 

  1. Apply the Santa image. I prefer to make a mixture of Elmers glue and ¼ water. If the image is on thick paper this mixture will work well. If the image is on a thinner paper use a thicker consistency of glue (less water). Note: Other types of glue or Mod Podge products will work. Check your local craft stores to see what products they carry.

 

Measure the Santa image up to the bottle to insure the placement of the image will be where you want it. Using your paintbrush brush glue on the area where the image will be placed. Starting from the center of the image place your image on the bottle and gently glide your fingers from the center to outer edges of the image. Once you have the image glued down brush some more glue over the top of the image. Start this from the center working your way out as well. If any bubbles occur on the image you can smooth them out with your fingers from center to outer edges. Allow image to dry. Note: Once dry you can add glitter or a coat of crafting varnish on the Santa image.

 

Santa Bottle DIY 2Santa Bottle DIY 3

 

  1. Wrap raffia around neck of the bottle. Two or three strands of raffia will cover the neck of this size bottle. More strands may be required if your bottle is taller. Start by tying one end of the raffia around the neck of the bottle leaving a little excess on one end to tie off in the end of the wrapping process. Begin wrapping it fairly tight around the neck of the bottle. If your strand starts to run out tie the next strand to the one you started with and keep going until you have covered the neck of the bottle. Now tie off with the excess. Note: Twine, yarn, or ribbon can be used in place of the raffia.


 Wrap Raffia around bottleWrap Raffia around bottle 2 

  1. Tying on the Christmas bells. Using another strand of raffia, tie the raffia around the top of the bottles neck, leaving a generous amount on both ends so that you can tie one bell on each end.Tying on Bells

 Tying on Bells 2

  1. Place a cork in the top of the bottle. (Optional)Place Cork
  2. Inserting the strand of Christmas lights. Turn the bottle upside down to insert lights (this helps the light strand to flow more evenly throughout the bottle). Starting from the bulb end of the light strand insert each bulb individually into the bottle. Once you have your strand of lights in it is time to plug in and enjoy.Insert Lights

Insert Lights 2

50 Plus Awesome Sharpie Projects to Make

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50 Plus Awesome DIY Sharpie Crafts and DIY Projects to makeIt amazes me that I have yet to curate my favorite Sharpie projects!  With all of the 50+ round-ups I have brought to you, seems like I would have covered this by now. You will be blown away at the beautiful DIY home decor projects you can make with these popular markers, and there are loads of handmade gift ideas just in time for the holidays.


DIY Wood Pallet Hanging Planters

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Wood Pallet ProjectKreg Jig K4 Pocket Hole System

I love decorating with mums in the fall, and it is well know that I am a wood pallet upcycling kind of DIY blogger. Today’s project combines the two for some easy, inexpensive wood pallet hanging planters. This is a great way to use up your scrap wood, and is a perfect project for those new to woodworking since it doesn’t require any fancy techniques. The metal chain and hardware with the wood give these planters a rustic, industrial feel that I adore.  Let’s get started!

Cut List

4 – 2×2 pieces 6 inches long for the side posts

8 – 1×3 pieces 8 inches long for the side panels

1 – 1×6 piece 1o inches long for the bottom (this doesn’t have to be exact – you can use whatever scrap wood you have on hand to make the bottom)

Materials

Metal chain and eye screws

Kreg screws 1 inch and 1.25 inches

Wood Glue

Kreg jig

Instructions

I made my planter to fit the plants I had on hand.  You can adjust the size to fit your plant.

Make Wood Pallet Home Decor

*I always use wood glue!

Begin by assembling the side panels with two pocket holes (I show you how to use the Kreg Jig here).  Set the depth of the jig to match with thickness of your pallet wood.  My pieces were 1×3 (which is really .75 inches thick) so I set the depth to 0.75 inches.  Use 2 – 1.25 inch screws to connect the sides.  Drill pocket holes one both sides of each side panel for attaching to 2×2 posts later.

Wood Planter Free Woodworking Plan

Next, attach the four posts to 2 of the side panels as shown.  I made the posts by cutting 2×4 to 6 inch pieces, then ripping those in half, all with my mitre saw.

Attach the bottom piece to the remaining 2 side panels with 2 pocket holes in each end.  Knowing what size kreg screw to use can be a process of elimination, but a general way to gauge pretty closely is to add the widths of the two pieces you are attaching and subtracting 0.25 from that to get your screw length.  So in this case 0.75 for the bottom piece + 0.75 for the side panel thickness – 0.25 equals 1.25 inch screws.

Free Woodworking Plans Hanging Planter

Finish the planter using the side panel pocket holes you drilled for the side post to attach the three pieces you assembled.

DIY Wood Pallet Hanging Planters @savedbyloves

Add eye screws into the 4 posts for chain and enjoy!

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