Blue and White Fall Wreath

September 29, 2016, in ,
It's starting to feel a bit like fall here in New York!  The weather feels cool and some of the leaves are changing color.  Does the color blue come to mind when you think of fall colors?  Probably not!  I'm the type of person that thinks outside the box, especially when it comes to decorating. I used a curtain valance that I already had and purchased the leaves to make a fall wreath using my favorite color blue.   
  
blue-and-white-fall-wreath-lovemysimplehome.com


What You'll Need:

 Artificial Fall Color Leaves

Wreath Form

Curtain Valance

Pine Cones

Hot Glue Gun

Staple Gun

Scissor

Small Nails

Needle & Thread
   


HOW TO:

Lay the curtain valance on a flat surface and flip upside down.  Wrap the valance tight around the wreath form.  Corn wreath forms can be messy, so leave the plastic intact.  After you wrap the valance, secure it with a nail until the form is completely covered.


NAIL IT
A few nails will do it!   
I pulled the fabric really tight and used about four nails.


You can push the nail straight in or if the fabric is too thick you can use a hammer.



Now it's time to add the leaves and pine cones.




ASSEMBLE THE LEAVES

Pull a few of the leaves off the branches and arrange them in a C shape on one side of the wreath. Use a staple gun to secure them in place.  Now glue the pine cones on top of the leaves using a hot glue gun.



I made a loop on the back of the wreath for easy hanging.  I simply used a needle and thread to make the loop.

HANG
Hang the wreath inside like I did.  Or outside under a covered porch on your front door.





Read
More

Five crafty fall diy's

September 22, 2016, in , ,
Get ready for fall with five DIY crafts, that you can make in a pinch!  

MONOGRAM FALL WREATH

Be the envy of all your neighbors with this show-stopping monogram wreath. 


NATURE INSPIRED THANKSGIVING PLACE SETTINGS

Create nature-inspired place settings by using leaves and pine cones found in your own yard.  I created three different styles for you to pick from; Pretty, Simple, and Country. What's your style?

PLUSH PUMPKIN


Re-purpose a knitted doll's hat to make a plush pumpkin.  

EASY FALL DECORATING


Use scrabble letters to create fun fall vignettes.

COLORFUL & SIMPLE FALL WREATH


Craft a playful wreath by adding a handmade monogram made from sheet music.

I hope I inspired you to welcome fall into your own home!

Read
More

Fall Broccoli Gratin

September 14, 2016, in
Warm up the cool temperatures with this savory broccoli gratin. This recipe works well for large gatherings and well as for small family dinners.  The leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and heated back up in the microwave.  It is the perfect blend of creamy cheddar cheese and nutritious broccoli.  You will never know the main ingredient is broccoli.


INGREDIENTS:
one head of broccoli 
6 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese
one and a half cups of seasoned bread crumbs
1 stick of butter
1 cup of sliced onions
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup of vegetable broth


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Combine cheese, bread crumbs, and 4 tablespoons of butter in a bowl and set aside.  In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, add the onions and sugar; Stir often. After about 5 minutes add the broccoli, salt, thyme, pepper, and vegetable stock. Cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes. Transfer into a buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle with half of the bread crumb mixture and combine. Add the remaining bread crumb mixture to the top along with 2 tablespoons of butter.  Bake until topping is golden, about 20 minutes.







Read
More

Repurpose a cardboard soda carrier into a flower box

September 08, 2016, in
I am notorious for giving junk a fresh new life and incorporating it into my home.  I created a flower box using a cardboard soda carrier!  Yes.....that's right, something that was destined for the trash has a new life as a weathered wood look flower box.

  

SUPPLIES:

empty cardboard bottle carrier

small glass bottles

acrylic paint in any color

foam paint brushes

wooden craft numbers or letters

craft paint

sandpaper

hot glue gun

INSTRUCTIONS:

I used gray exterior acrylic paint that I had on hand to paint the carrier.  

Use a foam paint brush and brush on one coat of the gray paint & let it dry. Then cover the gray paint with turquoise and burnt umber craft paint; let that dry. Then give it a final coat of the gray paint.

For the last step, distress the entire carrier with sandpaper. Now the turquoise, burnt umber and some of the original colors on the box show through. This technique gives the cardboard a weathered wood look. 

Now it is time to paint the numbers. I purchased the numbers at Michaels. 

I used several different craft paints.{turquoise, white, green, black and gold metallic} Paint the numbers using all of the colors one at a time, let dry between coats.  Then distress the numbers with sandpaper.  Next hot glue the numbers on the front and back of the carrier.   


 Place the bottles filled with water inside in each divider and place flower clippings inside each of the bottles.  I used these pretty hydrangeas from my yard. 


This flower box would look pretty sitting on a front porch. 
You can personalize it by gluing your house number or your last name on it.


Have you completed a repurpose project lately? 
 I would love to know what you repurposed!

Read
More

Monogram Fall Wreath

August 31, 2016, in , ,
Decorate your front door with a homemade fall wreath. I created this eye-catching monogram fall wreath in a matter of minutes and put together a simple tutorial for you to follow.
This post contains affiliate links 

Fall and summer are my favorite seasons!  Every season I decorate our front door with a wreath.
This year I made one using a large monogram. Monograms are a great way to personalize your decor.

I purchased the monogram and all of the supplies at Michaels Craft Store.  Whenever I shop at Michaels I always use one of their coupons to save money.  

Follow my simple step by step tutorial below and in no time you will have your own personalized monogram wreath to display on your front door.

 OK LET'S GET STARTED

Step 1:
Paint the monogram any color your heart's desire.  I used black craft paint with a foam brush.




STEP 2:
 Choose your wreath form.
 I used a corn wreath form that I reuse over and over again.  I wrapped it with burlap.  A grapevine wreath would also work.  You can even skip the wrapping part because grapevine wreaths are pretty on their own.



You will need floral wire, a swag, and or garland.  I used what I had... one swag and one garland.



STEP 3:
Place the monogram on top of the wreath form


STEP 4:
Place the swag and garland on top of the monogram.  Position it any way you'd like.  Using the floral wire wrap the swag, garland, and monogram together around the wreath.  I wrapped the swag first, then I added the garland to the other side and wrapped that as well.

It should look like this when you're done. You can adjust the leaves to cover up the wire.

STEP 5:
Hang on your front door to welcome your family and friends!

HAPPY FALL!

Read
More

Painted farmhouse style cabinet

August 18, 2016, in , ,
Paint is a great way to change the look of furniture.  I took a small curio cabinet and used white latex paint to give it farmhouse style.  I use the cabinet to display my collection of blue and white plates.

painted-farmhouse-style-cabinet-love-my-simple-home

This post contains affiliate links 

BEFORE


Before I started to paint, I prepped the cabinet.  I covered the mirror with paper and painters tape, took the glass off the door


AND
 Stripped the original stain using a palm sander.


Next, I was off to my favorite home improvement store to purchase the paint. I like to buy oops paint for my furniture projects, so I headed over to that section.  I was in luck when I found two sample jars of white latex paint for $1.00.  Paint samples are great for small projects like this.  In case you're wondering what oops paint is, it is paint that home improvement stores tint incorrectly and the purchaser is unhappy with the color.  If you want to save some money on paint, find out where the oops paint is in your home improvement store.


Now it was time to paint the cabinet.
  I gave it two coats of paint.


After the paint dried, I distressed the cabinet with sandpaper.


 I purchased a roll of chicken netting and used my wire cutters to cut the size I needed for the door.


Since I was going Farmhouse Style with the cabinet, I wanted the shiny chicken netting to look rusty. My solution....Shop Amazon.  I used  Burnt Umber acrylic paint from their Folkart collection. It is a water-based acrylic paint with great coverage and cleans-up with just soap and water.  I brushed it on with a foam brush and that was it.  Small screws and staples were used to attach the chicken netting to the door.


I love blue and white, so it was a no brainer as to what I would display in the cabinet.  I have been collecting blue and white plates over the years.  I have some displayed on my wall and on a plate rack in my kitchen.  Now I can display some in my new farmhouse cabinet.

painted-farmhouse-style-cabinet-love-my-simple-home


painted-farmhouse-style-cabinet-love-my-simple-home


painted-farmhouse-style-cabinet-love-my-simple-home


painted-farmhouse-style-cabinet-love-my-simple-home

If you like this project feel free to pin it!
painted-farmhouse-style-cabinet-love-my-simple-home
Read
More
© love my simple home · THEME BY WATDESIGNEXPRESS