How To Make a Cake Stand

Many bloggers have been using cake stands to decorate with. I love the look and have been wanting one but didn't want to spend a lot of money. I looked for one at places like Goodwill and thrift shops and couldn't find one. I decided to try to make one myself. I started out looking for some type of taller dish and a plate. I was shopping at Marshall's one day and came across a really lucky find. I found this stand in the clearance section that would make the perfect cake stand bottom for only $0.70! I bought this quiche dish at Marshall's a few weeks later to use as the top of the cake stand for $4.99.

I only plan to use this for decoration purposes so I used super glue to attach the top dish to the bottom stand. I had super glue on hand but you could use epoxy as well. Here is the finished product that came in at a grand total of $5.70!

DIY Art

We have a lot of DIY art in our home. I like to be reminded of the people and places we love and have meaningful and interesting "art" around us.

Since we were just married in September, we have a few special pieces framed from that day. One of my aunts wrote a very meaningful letter to go with the gift they gave me at my wedding shower. I framed that letter and it hangs on the wall of our bedroom.

Another reminder of the day that I framed is the maid of honor speech my friend Amanda wrote. She wrote a poem that talks about our friendship and my relationship with Lee. (I know...she is so clever! Best MOH!)

I made this simple piece on the computer. It is just a fun way to display our wedding date in the collage we have on our bedroom wall.

The last 2 pieces are in our master bath (although they used to be in our dining room of our old apartment). I made this painting a few summers ago. I bought the canvas and spray painted it brown. After it fully dried, I dipped the top edges of a bucket and a smaller cup in paint and put them randomly down on the canvas. It turned out pretty well. I like that the circles aren't perfect and there are a few paint splatters.

The last piece of DIY art I will show you cost less than $1. I bought this chunky frame at Goodwill and spray painted it brown. I went to Menards and picked up a few paint chips (for free!) that matched the other art in the room. Then I just cut up the paint chips and arranged them on the cardboard back of the frame and taped them down....cheap, simple and cute!

Have you guys done any DIY art recently? Do you have any fun personalized pieces in your home? I want to hear your ideas!

How To Make a Headboard

There are many DIY headboard instructions out there. Mine are a combination of trial and error and reading many other headboard instructions. There are a few things I want to point out. We used a foam mattress pad that we bought at Wal-Mart. We found this to be MUCH cheaper than buying foam at a quilt shop. Also, we used a white flat bed sheet from Wal-Mart instead of fabric. I wanted a white headboard so this again was a MUCH cheaper option than buying white fabric. Make sure you iron the sheet before making the headboard. We used a heavy duty picture hanger to hang the headboard to the wall. I hope you find these instructions helpful. Happy headboard making!

Supplies:
Lightweight Wood (cut to size)
2-3” Foam (we used a mattress pad)
Quilter’s batting
Fabric (we used a bed sheet)
Spray Glue Adhesive
Button-Making Kit
Long Upholstery Needle
Washers
Fishing Wire
Drill
Staple Gun

Instructions:
1. Cut your wood (or have hardware store cut it) to size.
2. Measure out and mark where you want the button tufting to go.

3. Drill holes in the board where you want the buttons.

4. Spray one side of the board with the spray glue and place the foam on top. Trim off any extra so the sides are even with the board. Note: If you are using a mattress pad like we did, make sure the flat side is up. Do not glue the flat side to the board.

5. Spray the top of the foam with the spray glue and cover with the batting. Make sure there is enough batting on all sides to wrap around to the back of the board.

6. Let it sit for 10 minutes to make sure everything stays glued down. Flip it over so the batting and foam side is face down. Wrap batting around to the back of the board and staple into place.
7. Lay the fabric (bed sheet) on the floor with the back facing up. Make sure the fabric is flat and there is enough on all sides to wrap around to the back of the board. Lay the batted side of the board down on the fabric and position it in the center of the fabric.
8. Starting with the middle of the headboard, wrap the fabric around the board pulling tightly. Staple every inch or so until you get all the way around the headboard. Make sure you are keeping it pulled tight. Fold and staple the corners like you are wrapping a present.

9. Cover the buttons with your fabric and follow the instructions to make them on your kit.
10. Take your upholstery needle and fishing wire and poke through the back of the headboard to the front through the hole you drilled. Once you are through the front, string the button and poke back through the hole to the back. String the washer on the fishing wire and tie tightly to get the tufted look.

11. Repeat the above step for as many holes as you drilled.

How-To Make Twine Trees and Moss Balls

These were both very simple projects. We will start with the twine trees. Here is what you will need for this project....

Styrofoam cones

Twine

Hot Glue Gun

All you have to do is place the hot glue on the cone and wrap the twine around the cone. Make sure to keep the twine close together as you move up the cone.

Here is what you will need to make the moss balls....

Styrofoam balls

Moss

Hot Glue Gun

Simply spread the hot glue on the styrofoam ball and cover with moss.