Tag Archives: DIY

Christmas DIY Glitter Ornaments

My Grinch Glitter Ornaments

I love crafting, and one of the best things I learned to make was glitter ornaments using clear plastic ornament shapes. The first time I made them I used Polycrylic and extra fine glitter. I eventually tried the Mop and Glow instead of the Polycrylic. I think both products worked well, but I do think that the Polycrylic may hold up better in the long run.

Watch My Tutorial

I used my Cricut Maker to further decorate the ornaments with words or the Grinch graphics. I gave them as presents to family, friends and my children’s teachers. For their teachers, I personalized the back of the Grinch ornaments with their names. The teachers absolutely loved the ornaments, they were a huge hit!

My Glitter Ornaments
My Grinch Glitter Ornaments
My Glitter DIY Ornaments

You can check out my videos and also my Instagram. Please subscribe to us on YouTube. Merry Christmas and please leave a comment on what you think and let me know if you try this.


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Coffee Filter Flowers – Hydrangeas and Peonies – DIY Video Tutorial

Who would ever guess that basket coffee filters could be transformed into the most realistic, beautiful hydrangeas and peonies? They certainly can, it is so amazing and you will swear they are real.

You will need:

  1. Coffee Filters 
  2. Floral Tape
  3. Floral Wire
  4. Chenille Sticks
  5. Food Coloring 
  6. Scissors
  7. Pencils 

In the video below, I will take you step by step through the entire process. You are in good hands, so let’s get started by pushing the play button.

Please tag me on Instagram to show me your creations. #MommyRamblingsBlog


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3 Easy DIY Garden Projects

garden walkway

A lush garden not only helps beautify your surroundings, but it can be  beneficial in reducing your stress levels. A garden is going to be far more beneficial if you work on it yourself. After all, nothing can match that fulfillment  you feel when something beautiful comes out of your own efforts.

In this article, we present three of the most worthwhile DIY projects that you can do in and for your own garden. They are chosen based on the ease with which they can be done and their relative practicality.

Repurposed Container Gardens

Many environmentalists are making their voices heard nowadays. They say that the earth is slowly deteriorating because of the activities that we humans take part in. When we examine the actual state of our environment, it appears that they really are speaking the truth. So there is a need to respond.

Recycling is a great way to do our part to reduce the amount of trash we produce.  To achieve this, it is as simple as finding ways to reuse or repurpose items that we otherwise would throw away.

If you have an old tool box or an unused crisper just lying around the house, you can actually poke holes in the bottom, fill with soil, and then use it as your own container garden. The beauty that comes out of this project is not only for outside your home; you can use these techniques to accent your interior decor as well.

garden containers

Garden Walkways

There are types of grass that look very pretty. An example is the bluegrass, which can grow lush enough to really cover the ground. However, if you read WikiLawn and other gardening websites, you will learn that grass is very sensitive to foot traffic. Due to the sensitivity of grass, there is a need for you to create walkways, and it’s a project that you can very well do on your own.

garden walkway

All you have to do is collect good gravel and then lay it out in the path that you want. If you are looking to do something more elaborate, you can add tiles that contrast the color of the gravel. This immediately adds an air of sophistication to your walkway.

Wall Gardens

Usually, gardens are filled with flowering shrubs and small trees. However, there are species of plants that look their best when they are elevated or even hung. This is because they have flowers or leaves that cascade down, creating a gorgeous flowing effect. To take advantage of such flora, you can create a wall garden using empty bottles and other light plastic containers. This way, you will not only be able to beautify your environment, you also get to preserve it.

garden walkway

Doing certain garden tasks on your own makes the whole endeavour much more meaningful for you. Sometimes, what matters is not really the outcome, but the process of creating it. This is perhaps the main reason why DIY projects, no matter how time-consuming they are, are so rewarding.

garden

This is a collaborative guest post. The views and ideas expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Mommy Ramblings.

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How To Make A “Real” Coat Tree

I care deeply about the Earth, I love to repurpose things and use the natural resources around us.  It’s funny, even though our house has many closets, my children and husband leave their coats and backpacks all over our kitchen chairs.  This drives me crazy! Since closets and wall racks did not work, I thought maybe a coat tree placed in the side hall would. The coat tree would be prominent, they could easily hang their coats, hats and backpacks as they walked by.  I choose my battles, and would rather have the coats on a coat tree in the side hall than on my kitchen chairs.

When I started researching coat trees, all I saw were flimsy or unattractive designs.  I looked further and found some really unique looking coat trees made out of TREES!  Can you imagine?  After seeing that, and living on acres of wooded property…I think you can imagine my thoughts.

I called out to my husband  and showed him my idea, he was all for it. We couldn’t have picked a better time, many trees were recently cut by the town because they were too close to electric wires.  We gathered our tree supplies and started the process of assembly.

For the base my husband split a large log in half. Then he used a chainsaw and chisel to make a hole in the top of the base for the tree trunk.  He also hollowed out the underside of the log right beneath the hole on the top. Hollowing the bottom made it possible to get the screw/bolt used to attach the trunk to the base, deeper into the trunk. We wanted to make sure the base was very safe and secure.

We also put wood glue around the base before attaching it.  Then my husband cut the coat pegs from long lengths of tree branches. After that, he drilled holes in the tree trunk for the coat pegs.  He put wood glue on the base of the branch pegs, then placed them in the holes and knocked them into place with a 2 pound sledge hammer.  Right now, we have three branch pegs on the bottom for the little kids, and three on the top for adults, but we plan to add a few more.

We are going to take the coat tree outside and seal and protect it with marine varnish.  We are really impressed with just how amazing our unique coat tree turned out, and have more projects in mind that we will share with you in the upcoming weeks.

We’re happy we were able to utilize the natural resources on our property to make something we needed.  In the end, we have something we’re proud of and best of al. it was made in the USA by us! You know what else I love? Coat free kitchen chairs around my table! Yippee for small but gratifying victories! Let me know what you think of this natural project in the comments.

 

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The Quick and Easy Way To Securely Hang Almost Anything

If you love to decorate with artwork, prints, shelves, box signs and more, you are not alone. I think decorating our walls really helps to personalize our homes and lets us show our style.

However, every time I go to hang something, I want to be sure it is secure. I don’t want something falling off the wall and breaking, or worse, hurting someone. If you are lucky and have a stud where you want to put something up, you are set. If you don’t find a stud, you have to go a different route.

That is why I like GripIt Drywall Anchors, they can hold up to 250 lbs of weight letting me hang even heavy items right on my sheet rock walls. I find the 8 pack with reuseable screws perfect, it is nice to have several on hand for when I want to hang a few things or create a gallery wall.

 

Another great tool is the Marxman marking pen, which is a deep hole marker that lets me easily mark even hard to reach places and perfect to use on any surface. It is great for so many of my DIY projects.

My husband loves the Marxman too! He finds it so much more effective than pencils or traditional markers. You can send a burst right through a small hole to the surface beneath and you are left with a flourescent green spot that shows you exactly where to drill.

With these two tools in our tool box, we are ready to put up anything we need to, even very heavy items are no problem. You can learn more about GripIt on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

GripIt and Marxman are available on Amazon. Let me know what you think of them in the comments. What kind of projects would they help you out with?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Candy Corn Painted Rocks-DIY Craft Tutorial

It seems that rock painting is all the rage now. I certainly was ahead of my time and ahead of this craze. I love painting rocks, river rocks are my favorite. Gathering them is a fun family adventure we all look forward to.

Sometimes I know exactly what size and shape rocks I want. This is due to the fact, that I have a specific project in mind. Other times, I try to find rocks that inspire me.  You might not think rocks can inspire people, but they can!  I see them as a blank canvas and they speak to me…well, some of them do.

A few rocks I made for my daughter.

I can  clearly visualize the masterpiece they can become. Sometimes it is a fish, ladybug or owl, and other times it is a heart. One of my favorite projects was making rock candy corn.

The one that started it.

It was so much fun to find the shapes I needed. Since I wanted to make a candy corn family that represented ours, when I found the especially tall and thin triangular river rock, I literally squealed with delight. That rock clearly represented my son Michael, it was so easy to see. I asked my youngest sons, who were gathering rocks with me, and they wholeheartedly agreed. It was definitely Michael, no doubt about it.

A Trip to find triangular rocks.

All you need is some acrylic craft paint, paint brushes, paint markers for detail painting and ModPodge sealer. If you want you can paint your rocks white on both sides first. It will take at least 2 coats of paint to get nice coverage.

When the tri color rocks are dry, you can then add personality with the paint markers.

He reminds me of Bozo!

Use ModPodge to seal and protect your creations.

This guy makes me laugh!

Please let me know if you try this project, I would love to hear about your results.

 They needed personality, so I gave them some!!!

 

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Filed under Crafts, DIY, Halloween, Tutorial

You’ll Never Believe What You Can Do With Reclaimed Wood

Using wood and other natural materials, is huge in interior decor this fall. It’s with good reason, too. Wood finishes are the perfect way to bring the look of any interior design concept together as well as, adding a personal touch to the family home.

Wood finishes add a sense of warmth, richness and comfort to whatever colors, finishes and materials they’re paired with. The sheer range of woods available makes this material extremely versatile. Pale ash, for example can give a room a fresh yet neutral tone, while a deep mahogany adds warmth and prestige to any living space and oak is perfect for more or less anything.

While many of us love to use wood in our interior design, few are aware of the benefits of reclaimed wood. Just go ahead and look at Plank and Mill’s website and you’ll see the distinctive finish that reclaimed wood has, as well as its enormous variety of applications. Using reclaimed wood is not only good for the environment but is also perfect for a wide range of interior uses, including…

Headboards

The bedroom should be a restful, tranquil place decorated with neutral tones and unimposing natural materials. Thus, a reclaimed wood headboard can be a subtle yet distinctive addition to the bedroom. The type of wood you choose to use will depend on the overall aesthetic of your room and the other tones and types of wood already present in your bedroom furniture.  For example, a headboard made of reclaimed driftwood can strike the difficult balance between making a statement and compromising the soothing neutrality of the room.

 

Feature walls

Every now and then you’ll want to call attention to a particular wall and neither paint nor wallpaper will quite cut it. For an accent or feature wall that’s little more distinctive, reclaimed wood creates a pleasing contrast with paler tones elsewhere in the room. It’s important to remember that wood has a tendency to absorb light, so it’s best utilized in spaces where the furniture and decor is light and airy. Wooden feature walls can be dressed up or down, recreating either a rustic log cabin feel or a more sleek, contemporary look. While versatile, reclaimed wood is, of course, unique meaning that your reclaimed wall will look like no other anywhere in the world.

Dining tables

If you’re looking for something truly unique, a dining table made of reclaimed wood is a wonderfully distinctive piece of furniture that doubles as a fun conversation piece among dinner guests. The great thing is that you’ll never need another dining table as the look of the finish will change subtly with age. While a reclaimed wood dining table is seldom cheap, it may well be the last one you ever buy.

Flooring

If you’re aiming for a rural, country effect, distressed reclaimed wood will look (and feel) fantastic under your feet. However, if your tastes lean towards the classic and elegant, a darker tone will give the room warmth and grandeur while subtly complementing any antique furniture you may have in the room.

This is a sponsored post that may or may not represent the views and ideals of Mommy Ramblings. Photo Credit-Plank and Mill’s website

 

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Part 2 of our Kitchen Transformation

If you have not seen Part 1 of our Kitchen Transformation click HERE.  You can also see our video constructions updates for a more in-depth, up close and personal look at everything, including the lessons we learned along the way.

So, the was the first piece of quartz installed. Sorry for the poor lighting, they still had not installed all the lights at this point. Also, outside the kitchen window is a temporary storage shed that will be moved, once we can move our stuff back in.

There will be a false drawer front that matches the cabinets surrounding the farmhouse sink. It is still being made in the factory, but we will show you what a difference it makes when installed. Again, the shed in the back is just temporary.

That is my plumber checking out the island top. I noticed after they left it was not even so they had to come back and redo that and the sink. Fun times.

The opening for the cooktop is cut on site. They bring in a fan that sucks out the dust and through an attached large tunnel tube it is blown outside. They also have a vacuum running.

Once the sinks had set, the faucets were installed along with the dishwasher and cooktop. We also installed the 3 pendant lights over the island and the one over the sink.  Then, the rest of the cabinets could be installed.

We need to get the crown molding installed on top of the cabinets and most of the interior cabinet lighting as well as the under cabinet and upper cabinet lighting. The cabinets still need to be aligned and the hardware installed. My biggest problem is, I cannot find a backsplash tile I like. Hope to do that this weekend. We have some more work to do but we have come a long way.


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4 Ways To Save on Home Maintenance

The following is a sponsored guest post that may or may not represent the views of Mommy Ramblings.

As a homeowner, it’s easy to shell out a nice chunk of money keeping your home in good condition. However, that doesn’t mean all your hard earned cash needs to go into home maintenance. Instead, you need to think about ways to save on home maintenance, and then actively work towards doing so. While everyone’s situation is slightly different, the following are a few simple ways you can save on home maintenance and put your money away for something you’ll enjoy.

Opt for DIY

When you want to save money, consider doing some maintenance on your own instead of hiring someone else to do it. There are plenty of small jobs around your house that you can easily do yourself, such as install a sink, replace a light fixture, or even update your front door. Before you get quotes on different jobs, be sure to look at the task at hand and see if it’s something you can spend a few hours tackling. By investing a little bit of time, you can end up saving a fortune.

Know when to hire a professional.

Although you can save money by doing things yourself, it’s also important you realize when you need to hire a professional. After all, putting certain jobs in the hands of trusted professionals can ensure the job gets done right the first time and can save you from spending more money trying to do it again. For instance, if you have an intricate plumbing problem, it’s smarter for you to hire a trusted plumber than to do the job yourself and do it wrong. If not, you’ll end up spending almost twice as much having someone come in to fix your mistakes.

Don’t put it off.

One of the biggest reasons home improvements are so expensive is because homeowners put them off until they’ve become too big to tackle. When this happens, the cost inevitably goes up. Make it a point to inspect your home thoroughly at least once a year, if not more. This way, you can make note of areas that need your attention before they get out of control. If you’re ever unsure, have a professional come in and do a home inspection every now and then. This can make you aware of underlying issues you may not have known existed, and it could save you a ton of money in the end.

Make smart decisions.

Unfortunately, there’s not a product out there that will look good and last forever, but there are products out there that are better than others. For instance, if you are building a home, opting for materials like brick or stone is a good choice. They will hold up better and stay looking newer longer, even when exposed to harsh weather conditions. By making the investment in stone or brick, you are helping your house stay in better condition with a product that doesn’t need as much maintenance. If you make smart decisions like this throughout your home, you can save money on home maintenance in the future.

Maintaining your home may not be the most enjoyable thing you have to do as a homeowner, but it is a necessity. If you make smart decisions and follow these tips, you can end up saving money on your home maintenance, which will make you happier in the long run as well.

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Kitchen Renovations-What You Should Know

Kitchen renovations are much different today than they ever have been before. It used to be that when someone did a kitchen renovation or a remodel the only real options they had were the design and architectural features of the room such as arches/doorways, walls/ceilings, and flooring or additional space options.

These days, though, you have many other elements you can add such as smart appliances and products for a smartly designed kitchen. If you are curious about the different smart kitchen ideas available, consider reading the article below for some cool and technology driven ideas to make your kitchen more forward friendly, convenient and comfortable.

smart appliances

Smart Appliances For A Smart Kitchen

Most appliances in the kitchen are already pretty darn smart in terms of timers and knowing when to stop cooking a product. But, you also have a lot of other different “smart” options available to you, such as:

– Touchscreen Stove Tops: Not only is this a really cool type of cooking technology, but it can also be used in a kitchen with children as well, since it’s a very safe product to use. Essentially the cook top uses conduction to heat things like pots and pans. But, the other parts of the stove stay cool – to the touch. You can actually use the touch screen to browse the internet, look up recipes to make, check out cookbooks in digital format and more.

– Home Chat: This cool little app is meant for specific things like the fridge. It will essentially keep track of items and ingredients inside the refrigerator and you can ask it questions such as: Do we have butter and it will reply back via text yes two sticks or no we do not. This is really efficient because you can use the app even out of the house.

Smart Fridge

This is a really cool option but in the near future, we will also have an even cooler option (it’s a concept right now) that will actually order food, keep track of what’s in the fridge and alert you when you are running low, and do a plethora of other cool options. For now, though, you have these smart refrigerators. The LCD display allows you to watch TV, listen to the radio, check the news, leave memos for yourself or other family members, check out the calendar and leave notes on specific days and more. It’s quite expensive, at around $3600 but if you want a tech driven kitchen, this might be the addition for you… for now anyway, until that higher tech fridge comes along!

Pair 3D Design Application

Okay, this is a really cool app and unlike any other smart application above. It’s only an Apple App right now, though. Essentially what you do is you bring up the camera on your iPhone and the app will give you different furniture options for that camera viewer. In the camera viewer, you can see how that piece of furniture or an appliance would fit in your space, what it would look in a 3D manner and more. The app can also be used by brands and businesses as well. But it’s also a great design tool for home owners that allow you to set up a room in real-time.

Radiant Flooring

In a lot of cases, you see radiant flooring done in a bathroom. But, since more and more people are also using porcelain in the kitchen as well (its durable, budget friendly and beautiful) some manufactures have started to make radiant flooring options for the kitchen too. This is a perfect option for any flooring in the kitchen, but especially stone or tile like porcelain because even though it does have a lot of benefits, one of the disadvantages are that it can get quite cool to the touch in the winter. In order to fix this, you can use radiant heating underneath the flooring to warm it up before you ever set foot on it.

Radiant flooring can be set on a timer so that it turns on every morning before you wake up to make the floor nice and toasty so when you come down for breakfast or coffee the floor is already heated up. You can also use Wi-Fi with a lot of radiant flooring systems so as soon as you wake up you can turn on your app – and have the floor heated so by the time you make it downstairs it’s warmed. Tile flooring like porcelain is a great conductor of heat. In fact, the two best materials to use a radiant floor on are porcelain and wood. Porcelain is a really good option though because it won’t expand as it warms and cools which means it won’t crack which means your flooring will last for longer!

radiant flooring

There you have it, kitchen renovation ideas that you should know before you start your project.

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