Archive for the ‘DIY’ Category

Backyard Party Decor Perfect For Any Special Occasion!

Stephanie, one of my childhood best friends, has a fabulous decor blog offering incredible ideas on affordable home design!  She recently put herself to work planning her younger sister’s graduation party and transformed her back yard into a gorgeous chic lounge. I LOVE how it turned out!  Brides – this would be fabulous inspiration for bridal showers and reception decor!

Be sure to visit Stephanie’s blog for more fabulous decor inspiration at YouPaidMoreThanMe.blogspot.com

Tell us how you came up with the design?

I’ve always decorated this way, very airy, relaxed feel. I love clean whites and people feel chic when they are around this type of feel. This design was comfortable for all ages, and for this event, we had people from age 2, to 82, and it was a success.

How did you do those gorgeous drapes!?

The drapes are an old trick I’ve used before, it’s very simple. Cut the top “ends” off of a sheet (where the fold is, I used queen size) and slip a pole through the top. Gather to your liking!

And those adorable lounges for your guests to relax and chat the night away?

The lounges cost $35 to build, and $20 for a vinyl mattress. My husband whipped up the plan and went to work.

Any tips on ways to save money when it comes to decorating a space?

Look at the big picture. Dont focus on the detail right away. Make big statements with the simplest of things. Leave the details at the end, because you may find you dont NEED all the small things you thought, and this is where you save the cash. You may not need those small votive holders, you may already have jars or something to perch them on. It’s when you do the BIG pieces, that people will notice.

What’s your favorite part of the design?

Favorite part about design, is seeing the vision through. I’ve become an expert on hearing what you want, and applying it to your space. Some people have great ideas, but are hesitant or unsure how to execute it. Some people have no clue what they are doing, I deal with both types, and enjoy it thoroughly.

What is your biggest tip/advice for designing an outdoor lounge area?

Choose a color palette FIRST. You’ll find things fall into place much easier. If you start thinking about it as more of a living space, instead of outdoors, you’ll automatically start choosing things that are livable and inviting. Rugs, side tables, revamped wicker, old ladders, mismatched chairs, dining tables are all things that look very chic outside. Dont go buy a huge set of outdoor furniture, I dare you to mismatch something.

Thank you Steph for today’s Inspiration!!!

Aside from the wedding plans I am also planning Jonnathan’s Graduation Celebration!!!

He and I met almost 7 years ago while at school at Whitworth and yes, I immediately fell in love with him!!!  Since that time we moved over to the west side of the state and worked towards living out on our own, juggling different jobs and finishing school.  You can’t imagine how excited he is to graduate next week!!!! So, in honor of his academic achievements and for all the up hill battles we’ve overcome, I am throwing him a Graduation Fiesta!!! Mr. “I don’t really need a party…” is gonna have a great party!!! Set that humble attitude aside and let’s celebrate!

Decor:

As you know, I just LOVE throwing parties!!!  So, this one is turning out to be quite fun.  I designed the simple email invite with bright fiesta colors wanting to bring in the fun and vibrancy of summer, I then sent it via email and set up a facebook event page for our friends and family.  Then I took some of the bulk tissue paper I had ordered for tissue poms for our wedding and made one large and two small poms – they’re orange, bold and fun – see the DIY tissue pom tutorial here!  Of course, I had to try the tutorial I recently posted and spray painted some cheap glass vases from the thrift store a bright lime green, which matched the napkins and other design elements perfectly!  I’m going to fill the bright lime green vases with monochromatic flowers to create what I’m going to call “Fiesta Chic“! I think I’m now obsessed with the power of spray paint and its ability to make old things look super fabulous!!!  I also plan to take this gorgeous coral orange/hot pink vintage suitcase and display it open and place a sign on it for guests to put cards and gifts for the grad into. We already strung patio lights we had purchased for the wedding and had extra of and I’ll light a bunch of candles. Candles always make a party better. Along with the patio lights we’ll hang some Fiesta Flags!

The weather calls for sprinkles… We have a small condo – so not being able to open our french doors to the patio would mean cramming too many people into our home, soooo we HAVE to use the patio.  No worries!  I am going to find a 10×10 clear poly tarp to place above the entire patio above the patio lights! That way, the area won’t feel too closed in, we’ll be able to see all the gorgeous trees all around us and the night sky above. It’ll stay classy, fun AND DRY!

Food:

Mexican food is not only absolutely delicious, it’s super convenient for feeding large numbers of people.  My Mom and I did this for my brother and sister-in-law’s rehearsal dinner and it went over extremely well!!!  So, I’m going to make chicken enchiladas beforehand and have them ready to pop in the oven right before the start of the open house, so they’ll be fresh out of the oven when everyone is ready to start eating.  My Mom’s Black Bean Salad – AMAZING!!! Fresh guacamole and salsa. Lots of tortilla chips.  Jonnathan’s Mom will be making a spicy cornbread recipe and his step mom will be handling the margaritas and plenty of cold beer! I’m thinking fresh fruit as well!

Stay Tuned for Pics from the Party!!!

I found this fabulous DIY Milk Glass project from two of my favorite blogs Ruffled and Marry You Me!

Annie put together this easy tutorial on making your own fab milk glass!  Try it! It’ll save you a ton of money and time!  If you don’t want the traditional white, go for other colors! I’m thinking a flat black for Halloween, or flat pink for a girly birthday party!

From Annie:
For me, DIY is at it’s best when it saves you money and time and adds a special touch. Vintage milk glass is beautiful, but I know first hand how hard it can be to track down good pieces without spending hours driving around, scouring the internet, or paying a fortune. So I wanted to replicate the look of milk glass on a budget using some vintage glass vases and glossy white spray paint.

What you’ll need:

- Assorted vintage glass vases (I found mine at a local thrift store, 9 pieces for $5)
- Rubbing Alcohol (optional)
- Brown craft paper or newspaper
- Latex gloves
- White glossy spray paint (I used Krylon Multipurpose Indoor/Outdoor Gloss White)

Instructions:

Step 1: Use rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball or paper towel to remove any sticky residue from the vases. Wash vases with soap and dry completely.

Step 2: Lay down paper on your spraying surface in a well-ventilated area. Shake spray paint for 1-2 minutes before spraying. Shake between sprays as well. Wearing gloves, work from side to side spraying vases with spray paint. Don’t get too close to the vase to avoid drips/runs. (No need to spray paint the inside of the vases, just do the tops; spraying the inside then using them for flowers with water will cause the inside paint to flake off).

Step 3: Rotate vase until covered, let dry a few minutes before adding a second coat. Let dry completely.

Thank You Annie, Ruffled & Marry You Me

These are some of the fun craft projects I’ve been working on.  I’ve loved seeing the details from other weddings where brides took the time to make matching signage.

We purchased our wedding stationary from the Paper Zone here in Tacoma.  It was really affordable and I loved the texture.  The brown had a wood grain texture, which I loved especially since we’re getting married under Oak trees.  We designed out invites to be right about the size of a postcard, which allowed us to get by with only one packet of paper of each color.  Talk about savings!!!  You can see our invite details from a previous post (here).

I designed the signage and invites all in Adobe InDesign.  I’m pretty proud of myself for figuring the basics out of the program, of course with Jonnathan’s helpful tutorials.  I wanted a real vintage feel blended with french country to match all our other decor.  I’m really pleased with how it turned out! We’re not doing table assignments, since we’re going for real laid back, however it is important that we have reserved tables for immediate family and the wedding party.  No one wants their parents or grandparents stuck without a seat…

Now, I will say Moss is pretty, BUT it’s messy!  It gets everywhere when working with it, so be ready to clean up a mess. You’ll need a hot glue gun (a must have for many craft/home projects, as well as a staple gun – not that you need staples for this craft).  It takes a lot of time and patience to form the sheet of moss around your letters especially.  The frame took quite some time also, but the birdcage was nice and quick.  I found hot glue was the easiest and best. Spray glue……that was horrible!  My fingers stuck to the moss and it was not pretty… I suggest while doing these projects have a glass of wine at the same time

What I love most about what you see is how affordable all this was!  The frames all came from TJ Maxx under $10 each.  The birds came from Pier 1 Imports and a local boutique called the Apple Crate. The birdcage is from Ross and was only $8!!! And the old barn window is one of the windows we found on Craigslist for an awesome deal!