Paint Color Selection TipsI read on a Facebook group I belong to that it is not necessary to purchase sample-sized cans of paint, or to order the peel-and-stick 12 inch x 12 inch sheets. What the poster did was to get several cards with the paint chip colors she wanted and to tape the same color chips together.
Don't Discard Weather Beaten and Discolored Outdoor FixturesOur dilemma was the case of the cream yellow fence caps with lights. When we purchased our fence (white), we also needed the caps to go on to the tops of the fence post. The caps were from a different provider and were great for the first 2 years. Then the caps began to turn more and more this creamy yellow color and the lights no longer worked.
New Life for Old CabinetI had this little cabinet next to my living room chair for a while. Then I went to a friend's house and saw that she had a similar little one in her bathroom. I was inspired! And then I went to work.
Comparing CFL And LED LightbulbsI have three 48 inch double fluorescent lamp fixtures mounted under an upper kitchen cabinet. I use them to start seedlings during late winter. Over time, all the 40 watt lamps have dimmed. Even when new, these 6 lamps did not produce near the light my plants needed. At a cost of $30.00 to replace all lamps. I decided to go a different route.
Easy Outdoor BenchThis outdoor bench makes for extra seating, not to mention a resting place when working in the garden! It is an easy, functional, and decorative addition to an outdoor space.
How to Fix Damaged Surfaces of Wood FurnitureWood is lovely, but at times it does not age well, or exposure makes the veneer or varnish suffer needlessly.
Converting a Twin Bed into a Day BedI recently moved into my own place after 28 months of home sharing. The apartment is tiny, so I gave up my bedroom for my "Croffice" or 'craft room/office'. I found I enjoy sleeping in the living room. I can stay up a bit and not disturb the lady below me.
Storing Foil and Waxed Paper BoxesIf you get a wire mesh document holder from the Dollar stores, they work great for those boxes you have to roll things out of. I found one in blue for .25 at a thrift store and did just that.
Bird Seed to Prevent Slipping on IceWe are having a really bad winter and have a lot of snow. I had been using Kitty Litter on my stairs and walkway but it was messy. I now use wild bird seed and it provides "grip", plus I enjoy watching the birds!
Gold Painted Branch As Home DecorLast summer, I found a nice branch that I spray painted gold. Usually it sits in a decorative basket in the hallway. This past Christmas, I hung some small red bells from the branches, wrapped the basket with a seasonal tea towel and placed it on a side table in the family room.
Blanket Curtain Without SewingThis blanket was the perfect size, color, and price to cover my closet. But my sewing machine is in storage so I got 10 binder clips and a package of shower curtain rings from the dollar store, and made them work.
Masking Paint with Press and SealSome jobs need all kinds of 'taping off'. Try using Press 'n Seal instead of tape. It adheres to itself and is so easy to get where you want covered up. I'm repainting a step stool here, and it was so easy to cover all the legs and step attachments. A lot cheaper than a roll of blue tape, too!
Handmade Fireplace LogsTo make handmade fireplace logs, all you need is a large amount of newspaper, a wooden dowel, a few drops of dish soap and some water.
Keeping Your Water Pipes from FreezingDue to cold weather and power outages over Christmas, many households had to leave their homes to find a warm place. My son was one of these. He was worried about his water pipes freezing and bursting.
Citrus Peels for a Great Smelling FireTo make your house smell great, save all your citrus peels and dry them. They can be used for kindling in your fireplace. They contain flammable oils and they smell just great when used for kindling in your fire!
Painting Formica CountertopsMy home was a mecca of ugly and strangely colored laminate countertops; hunter green, brown, navy blue, beige, etc.. I set out to paint them to improve their look, thinking "they can't get any worse, can they?" Paint was my frugal friend.
Curtain Rod HeadboardUse a curtain rod and a couple pieces of fabric to make the most elegant headboard. Headboards can be expensive, and if you try to make your own from wood boards and foaming, it can be a little tough. Mounting a curtain rod over your bed is very easy. You can also change colors whenever you like!
Prevent Cabinet Doors from Slamming with Glue DropsMake drops from hot glue as seen in the photo. Let dry. Glue the glue drops to the corners of your cabinet doors. The doors now shut with a soft sound.
Rope Lights Show the WayMy husband and I just got a new bed and it is slightly bigger, just enough for me to run into it during my middle of the night bathroom trip. A night light in the bedroom keeps my husband awake. So, my solution was to get a string of the LED rope lights in a soft white color.
Surprise Guests With Flowers in the BathroomHaving a party? Give your guests something more to talk about than the food and who did not show up. Surprise them with a bathtub full of lilacs. They're fun and inexpensive.
Old Door Knob VaseEven the tiniest flowers in the garden deserve their moment to shine. But how to display them? Most vases are way too large for these miniatures.
Improving Less Expensive FurnitureWe all know buying furniture at Goodwill or any thrift store will save us money. Not everyone has the time to find these precious few pieces. I watch so many shows on decorating, then put my twist on it.
Cabinet Door ChalkboardI never had a place to make a note and could never find a pen and paper when I needed it. I purchased some chalk paint at Home Depot. I taped off a section on a pantry cabinet I have and spray painted the section with the chalk paint.
Becoming Your Own Handyman"Bill, before you go, would you look at my toilet? It's been running for weeks."Soon after the bathroom debacle, Marilyn enrolled in a continuing education class: Basic Repairs that Anyone Can Do". She figured she could save time and money (and avoid inconveniencing relatives and neighbors) by learning how to repair or replace toilets and other household items on her own.
Uses for Christmas LightsDon't pack away the lights. When you pack away your Christmas decorations, leave out a strand of clear lights. You can use these to brighten a room on some of the dull, gray winter days ahead. There are numerous ways to include these lights in your home decor.
Brown Bag WallpaperI live in an old home and many times the plastered walls have cracks in them. Here is an alternative if the cracks keep showing up soon after you paint. I "papered" my walls in brown paper and rosin paper that have been painted.
Indoor Winter Air TipsIt's winter way before most expected it. However there's still time to help your cold body, dry skin, and other winter issues that are always there when it gets colder outside. Your source of heat is the other.
Decorating With BooksWhat do you do when your collection of books exceeds the space on your bookshelf? Make your books a functional part of your decor. Stack them on the floor, add a piece of glass or wood and use them as a base for a small table.
Add Water To Votive Candle HoldersBy pouring about one-fourth inch of water in the votive holder before adding the candle, I could easily remove the used candle and any wax that had accumulated before replacing it the next day.
Save Electricity By Installing Indoor Solar...Using outdoor solar spot lights indoors can easily light up any room. I've installed my lights in each room of my home, and it creates an ambiance atmosphere, reflecting off the ceiling, without needing any additional lighting.
Pool Noodles As Safety BumpersSomeone gave my husband and me their old chicken coop but the edges of the tin roof would scratch my head. I bought a couple of pool noodles and brought them home. I took some sharp scissors and put a split in each one.
Unique Place Settings Instead Of A SetWhy do my dishes have to match? Why can't I find unique place settings that give each guest a set of their own? So, at the local St. Vincent dePaul, I found these plates, saucers, and mugs and gave them a new home.
Makeshift Shelf For Bathroom CounterI moved into an apartment that has almost no counter space, especially in the bathroom.
Windshield Protector to Insulate WindowOur bedroom gets bright sun. I went to the dollar store and bought some of those shiny silver windshield sun blockers that you unfold and place in your windshield to keep your car from blistering.
Collect Water While Shower Warms UpLast year, my family ran into the not-so-fun situation of running out of water in our well. Oh, the things we take for granted! But necessity is the mother of invention and it lead me to do the following to conserve water.
Chandelier MakeoverWe just moved into our house that we have been renting out for several years and I noticed a few things are outdated. I hated the 70's era chandelier over the dining room table because of the smoked glass.
Peppermint Oil for Mice ControlThis is the time of year we get mice. We live back off the road and there are barns behind us so we get about 3 a year. My husband read in Mother Earth news, that you can make your mouse problem go away for good.
Painting a Faux Granite Counter TopI wanted to share my personal experience and tips for any of you considering doing this. I researched this project thoroughly before I actually took the plunge, and in my opinion, this method produced the best results.
Use a Throw as a Comforter for Toddler BedRecently my grandson moved into a toddler bed. The mattress is the same fit as the crib, but I needed a blanket that fit the entire bed. I found that the throws that are sold everywhere are a fit perfect. They come in variety of colors and patterns.
Homemade Door ScreenWe leave our front door open all the time but we need a screen because I hate flies. I put up a small pressure rod for a curtain at the top of our front door opening then I put one sheer white panel on the rod.
Keep House Cool Without ACWhere I live the summer's get pretty hot and muggy, many times temps will be 90s and 100s, with humidity at or above 50 percent. And if I ran the A/C, my electric bill would be close to or above $400 a month, way more than I can afford!
Make Your Own Thermal DrapesMake your own "thermal draperies". I did this: I lined my regular pinch pleated drapes with see through plastic (the kind you put on your windows to keep out drafts) or you can substitute any other kind you may have just lying around.
Binding Carpet RemnantsAffordable carpet remnants can be found at thrift stores and carpet discount outlets; however, it's extraordinarily expensive to have a carpet bound with carpet binding.
Ceiling Fan FaceliftMy family is currently working on a house to get it ready for sale. We have gone room to room cleaning and doing updates as we go. We had a ceiling fan in one room that was totally out of place.
Glamorous Bathroom Wall TreatmentThe walls in my bathroom were not in super good shape when I bought my 100 year old house, they had the old bumpy type plaster. After several attempts at painting, I finally came upon a solution.
Experimental Decorating With What You HaveI have a friend who is relocating for her new job and doesn't want to bring anything with her - or even buy new furniture, as she doesn't know how long she will be there. If I were her, I would use it as a chance to do some cheap experimental decorating.
Use Glass Etching on Badly Worn Shower DoorI bought a fixer upper home and it has a shower that was etched so bad with hard water spots. I didn't want to replace the glass, had lots more money to spend on other things.
Covering Ceiling Tiles With FabricI searched everywhere on the web to find a solution for the ugly drop ceiling panels on my ceiling when I decided to move our bedroom to the basement.
Use A Projector to Make a Mural in a Child's RoomRun out of ideas to decorate your child's room? Here's my tip. Find out what is their favorite show or book and paint a mural on the wall in their room. Super easy.
Using Carpet Samples to Carpet Your RoomMy husband and I were living on a limited income and our living room floor really needed carpet. So we started collecting carpet squares or carpet samples from the various carpet stores in our area until we had enough to do this room.
Repainting Outdoor FurnitureI decided to repaint my outdoor furniture this summer! They were a charcoal grey originally. I decided to go black, making matching new chair covers easier. I used Walmart's ColorPlace exterior paint in satin black. This paint can be used on all kinds of surfaces.
Attach Solar Lights to Your FenceHere's a unique way to use your solar lights. They aren't just for the ground! We took 2x4 and cut them into squares to fit the original existing posts.
A Beautiful Unique Kitchen MakeoverAfter sanding, priming, painting and adding antique silverware to my twenty year old, dark, dull and just plain outdated kitchen cabinets, putting in new counter tops, new appliances and painting the walls, I now have a beautiful, unique kitchen that I am proud to say was done by ME!
Display Cookie Cutters on WallsHere's a way to display my cookie cutters. Some are gifts, some are ones I bought, some are my mom's, and some are my grandmother's. I can't tell you what wonderful memories they all hold for me, as I can remember why I bought or received every one.
