diy Archives - Page 16 of 20 - Farmhouse Chic Blog

{ All Things Thursday Features #3 }

July 31, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: all things thursday blog hop, blog features, blog hop, diy, features, nautical decor, projects, Summer decor 4 Comments

Once again, thank you to everyone who linked up to last weeks All Things Thursday Blog Hop!

I really enjoy visiting and checking out all the projects shared!

I’ve rounded up a few that really caught my eye and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

What a beautiful Summer tablescape! Add those seashells the kids have been collecting for the perfect touch!

Seaside Summer Tablescape from Zu Haus At Home

I adore monogram projects and this one is beautiful for Summer!

Seashell Monogram from Purple Hues and Me

Enjoying the Summer sun can be a pain with a sunburn, but this spray will keep you cool!

DIY Cooling Sunburn Spray from Paula Parrish

I love the natural green of seaglass! Now find out how you can make your own!

DIY Seaglass from Orchard Girls

If you were featured, please grab a button!

See you back here this evening at 9pm EST to party!!

{ All Things Thursday Blog Hop #3 }

July 25, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: all things thursday blog hop, blog hop, crafts, diy, diy projects, link party, recipes 4 Comments

Welcome to week #3 of our blog hop!

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you will link up and stay awhile 🙂

Once again, I was so inspired by all the creativity shared last week!

Please be sure to check out what projects I featured, here!

Here’s what I’ve been up to this week!

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Now lets party!!!

{ All Things Thursday Blog Hop #2 }

July 18, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: all things thursday blog hop, blog hop, blogging, crafts, diy, features, projects, recipes 2 Comments

Thank you for everyone who linked up to our first party last week and made it a success! And to those of you who are back, or here for the first time, we’re so glad you’re here! I can’t wait to see what you’ve all been up to this week! So much amazing creativity was shared last week, here’s a few I picked to feature!

Absolutely gorgeous kitchen makeover! I’m in love with every detail!

Barn Kitchen Tour from The Poor Sophisticate

What a neat idea for repurposing your wine bottles!

Wine Bottle Wicks from Glitter, Glue & Paint

Beautiful wreath perfect for Summer!

Seashell Wreath from Purple Hues and Me

And here’s what I’ve been up to this week:

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{ Fab Pins of the Week }

July 12, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: blue and white, classy, color combination, country, diy, fab pins of the week, herb garden, no bake dessert, peach tart, Pinterest, summer dessert 2 Comments

Happy Friday!
This week I’m swooning over the non-traditional mix of blue and white!
This is such an eye-catching color combo and so classy!

1. source 2. source

3. source 4. source

1. I love the arched windows, beams and openness of this dining room! It’s a stunning color combo for this space! It appears a bit country but classy with the modern elements. Be sure to visit the source for the entire home tour! This home belongs to a Sea Captain!

2. No bake peach tart.. It had be at no bake! Not only is this pretty to look at, but I’m sure it’s just as divine to eat! The perfect dessert for a summer bbq or Sunday afternoon brunch with the family!

3. This photo incorporates the white and blue in a more subtle way by using them as accents. I’ve been finding many mismatched pieces from goodwill and Marshalls. You could easily start with a few small pieces and grow your collection as you find them! Buy beautiful vases and use shades of your favorite flowers to don them! I love the mix of peach and ivory used here!

4. I’m tellin’ ya, I think with all the adorable herb gardens I’ve been seeing around Pinterest, I could fill my entire backyard full, haha! I absolutely love this one! It would be perfect to have resting in the side corner of your deck or hanging on an open space on the back of the house! The white and blue plates are what make this piece super adorable! Head over to the source for all the details!

Please be sure to visit the source links for to view the original content!

Follow along with me on Pinterest!

{ All Things Thursday Blog Hop #1 }

July 11, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: blog hop, blog party, diy, projects, recipes 2 Comments

I’m so excited to announce I will now be taking part in a weekly blog hop with three other {fantastic} blogs! If you’re here and linking up, welcome to our FIRST party! Each party will be start every Wednesday evening! Each of us will share our own projects from that week and choose our own favorite features that were linked up! When you link up your project will be seen automatically on all four blogs!

I can’t wait to get started!! Please be sure to grab a button and save the date each week 😉

Here’s what I’ve been up to this past week!

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Star Wars 7th Birthday Party

July 8, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: boy birthday, boy birthday party, crafts, diy, Pinterest, printables, r2d2, Star Wars, Star Wars birthday party, storm troopers 8 Comments

When it came time to start thinking about my son’s birthday, I asked him to pick a theme and a few main colors. He chose Star Wars as the theme and red, blue and green as the colors. With that crossed off my list, I started browsing the web for ideas (cuz this Mama knows nothing about Star Wars!).

With the theme and colors in mind, I went ahead and ordered my invitations! I went to TinyPrints and browsed their fantastic selection and narrowed it down to one that fit our theme perfectly!!

I didn’t go overboard with the party decor because we wanted to surprise Christian by renting a bounce house for the day, which eliminated a lot from the budget! I got a lot of things from Michaels dollar bins, Target dollar corner, Hobby Lobby and a few things I lucked out on at Old Navy! I made a tissue paper tassel banner which was quite time consuming but I loved the end result! My husband had the fabulous idea of turning an old Pepsi cooler into R2D2, so one evening we transformed it and were thrilled with how it turned out! I bought 3 pool noodles from the dollar store, cut them in half and used duct tape and electrical tape to create lightsabers. The boys loved these!!

Christian spent the night away from the house, so when he came home that afternoon, the party was in full swing, bounce house was up and his friends he hadn’t seen since school let out were awaiting his arrival. He was so excited I thought it was going to cry! That made it all worth it 🙂

Party Invitations: Tiny Prints
Storm trooper printables: Clean & Scentsible
Storm trooper ‘thank you’: Unable to find the original source for the printable.
Treat bags & ice cream cups: Spiral Sage
R2D2 and Darth Vader Piggie Banks: Old Navy

Our inspiration….

Our own r2d2!

Sharing this party on these fabulous blogs!

{ DIY Housewarming Gift }

July 1, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: craft paint, diy, DIY gift, gift, housewarming gift, Martha Stewart, wooden utensils 27 Comments

We were headed to a housewarming party over the weekend, and I wanted to come up with a special gift to give the lucky new homeowners! While I was at Homegoods, I came across a pack of wooden utensils and snatched them up!

Once I got home I knew exactly what I was going to do with them, so I got started! First, I got my alphabet stamps and a permanent marker and began to spell out each utensil name. I colored over each letter with permanent marker and quickly pushed onto the utensil, repeat until completed. Next, I used a small piece of painters tape to tape around the bottom of the utensil, each one at different lengths. I then grabbed my Martha Stewart metallic craft paint and began to paint the bottoms of the utensils. I put them upside down in a mason jar to dry. I coated them a good 3 to 4 times for a solid coat. Once completely dry, remove the tape.

To dress them up a bit, I bought a white dish towel, tucked them into it and wrapped a piece of twine to secure. I also included a yummy Summer Berry Cheese Pie recipe! And there you have it, a fun and simple housewarming gift! I’m going to make us a set of these because I thought they were just darling! I love the painted tips < 3

Sharing this project on these fabulous blogs!

Red, White & Blue

June 24, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: 4th of July, burlap banner, crafts, diy, DIY flag, flag, fourth of july, garden flag, home decor, patriotic, patriotic decor, red white and blue 19 Comments

The older I get, the more I love to decorate for the 4th of July! I’m not sure if it’s the bright color combination, reason for celebrating or feeling it brings that makes it most special, but I love it! Last Friday I posted my weekly “Fab Pins of the Week”, which you can see here, all with 4th of July inspiration! Among my favorites was an adorable burlap bubble wreath with red white and blue ribbon. So I decided to give my burlap wreath a makeover, and something crazy happened… I got inspired for another project 😉

First I’ll show you how my burlap bubble wreath makeover went! The technique I used to update it was quite simple. I bought red and white striped ribbon, as well as, a beautiful bright blue from Jo Ann Fabrics. I grabbed 2 pipe cleaners I already had at home and cut them into about 2 inch pieces. To begin, I simply tucked the end of the red and white ribbon onto my wire form, left about 3 inches of ribbon vertically and secured with pipe cleaner. I continued until completed. I wouldn’t worry about fixing your burlap as you go, wait until the end to cover up the gaps, if necessary. Next, grab the blue ribbon and cut three lengths of ribbon in descending size (long, medium,small). Fold the length of the ribbon in half and tape into place. Layer the ribbon on top of eachother (again long, medium and small) and use floral wire to tighten the center. Grab a long piece from your extra blue ribbon and tie it into the middle of your bow, fishtail the ends, poke a small piece of floral wire to the back for attaching to the wreath, and voila!

I love how it turned out, it really makes our new black door POP!

And so now we’re onto the project I was pretty excited about sharing! I wanted to make my own garden flag for the stake in front of my house. While I was at Jo Ann’s picking up the ribbon for my wreath, I browsed the burlap (because everyone does that every time they’re at the craft store, right?!) and the silver polka-dotted burlap just had to come home with me! I got a half a yard, but that was more than enough. Once home, I grabbed a flag I already had to measure the size. I left about and inch on each side, as well as, the bottom. I left a good two inches on top since this would be the part that would be sliding onto the garden stake. With my sewing machine, I sewed the sides and bottom. I looped the top piece over and sewed the edge, make sure to leave that middle space open!! I took remaining ribbon from my wreath update, cut them at different lengths and sewed them together, then sewing them onto the middle of my burlap. For the finishing touch I fishtailed the ends of the ribbon!

I was quite happy with how it turned out and it looks beautiful blowing in the wind J

Sharing this project on these lovely blogs!

DIY Rustic Citronella Candles

June 4, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: candles, citronella candles, diy, DIY candles, DIY citronella candles, DIY crafts, home decor, rustic candles, Spring, terracotta candles, terracotta pots 25 Comments

Last week I pinned a super cute bunch of mini- candle terracotta pots and I thought something like that would be perfect out on our deck! The picture I had in mind, was different sized pots ranging from large to small, and making them into my own citronella candles. So, that’s exactly what I did 🙂

Here’s what you’re going to need:

terracotta pots ranging in size ( mine were 7,5 & 1.5 inch pots)
patio/outdoor paint
sanding block
dollar store candles or a block of wax from the craft store ( I’ll explain later in the post!)
6 inch wicks
wooden skewers or popsicle sticks
boiling pot and wax pot
citronella and eucalyptus oil
magazine or newspaper as working space

Initially, I went to Michaels and priced out the candle wax and supplies. For 4 pounds of wax was $19.99, 6 inch wicks were $3.99 and the wax pot was $16.99. Despite the fact I had never made candles before, I wasn’t sure I wanted to put out that money incase it didn’t work out. So, I headed home that night empty handed, but determined to find an alternative, and I did! I was talking things over with my husband and he suggested just going to the dollar store and buying a bunch of unscented candles to use for my wax, I would be melting them down anyway! I tell ya, that man is brilliant sometimes 😉 The next morning I scooped up 8 unscented candles from the dollar store. I went back to Michaels and bought the patio paint and wicks. I purchased my pots from Andersons (3 for $3.07!), which was cheaper than Michaels! I didn’t purchase the wax pot in hopes I would find something less expensive or something I already had at home. I opted for an old, small saucepan we hadn’t used in ages.

It was a beautiful day out, so I took the pots onto the deck and began painting them using a small wedge sponge. The patio paint dries really quickly which made it a breeze to get two good coats on all three pots! I let them dry thoroughly in the sun for a bit and then began roughing them up with a low-grain sanding block. I wanted the rustic, worn feel and I think I accomplished it with little effort!

Now onto the candle making… First, fill your boiling pot and bring the water to a slight boil and reduce heat. Add the wax pot and candles. The dollar store candles came wrapped in plastic and with a sticker on the bottom. Simply remove all the wrapping and you can pull the wick out of the bottom and save for a future candle project! While the wax is melting, prep your pots. For the 5 and 1.5 inch pots, I easily hot glued the wicks onto the bottom of the pots covering the drain hole, no problem! The larger 7 inch pot was a little more difficult. I added a small piece of double layered aluminium foil and hot glued into place. Then I glued the wick on the inside of that. I had a little (big) uh-oh moment, so I highly recommend the foil technique on the bottom of all of your pots for coverage! The wax melts rather quickly, less than 10 minutes. Once the majority of your wax has melted, add 10 drops of citronella oil and 5 drops of eucalyptus oil. I rested my pots on magazines incase of any drips or spills. Grab your wooden skewer or popsicle stick and rest your wick on it, and carefully pour your wax in. This can be rather messy without a spouted pot, but I made do! Center your wick and keep it remaining on the skewer until completely dry. Finish for the remaining pots.

I allowed mine about 5-6 hours of drying time. Trim wicks and enjoy!! We tested them out on the front porch this evening and I love them; and they smell sooo much better than the store bought citronella candles!! This is definitely a project I’ll be doing again 🙂

Sharing this project on these lovely blogs!

DIY Terrarium

May 23, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: diy, DIY terrarium, flower garden, garden, gardening, kids projects, Miracle Gro, plant food, summer project, terrarium, The Gro Project Leave a Comment

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Looking for a fun project to do with the kids this Summer? Why not make your own terrarium to watch grow! The kids will have a blast putting it all together, adding some character and enjoy it everyday!

Here’s what you’re going to need:

pebbles
Moisture Control Potting Mix
glass container
succulants and/or cactus
spray bottle of water
toy figurines for the kid to personalize with (optional)

You’re bound to have a glass container that needs put to use ( I seem to have many!). If you’re not able to find something you already have, check out the local thrift store or Marshalls. Line the bottom of your container with a layer of pebbles. Next begin with a small amount of your Moisture Control Potting Mix. Arrange your plants and add some remaining potting mix to hold into place. I added thyme to mine and I can’t wait for the frangant aroma to fill the kitchen! Allow the kids to each make their own and add a few of their figurines to personalize it!

Terrariums require little water, so grab your spray bottle and mist the plants daily, not saturating the soil. If your container is enclosed, mist with water and cover. A closed terrarium recylces moisture and doesn’t require watering for months!

Are you looking to start a garden? Check out the latest product from Miracle-Gro. An entire garden in one simple kit! To feed your flower and vegetable garden, use LiquaFeed All Purpose Plant Food Advance Starter Kit or Shake’n Feed All Purpose Plant Food. It’s the easiest way to feed your plants!

I will be sure to keep you all updated on more tips of fun terrarium fun 🙂 In the mean time make sure to stay connected and follow Miracle-Gro via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterst and YouTube. For more ideas and to share yours too, check out fun garden projects!

And be sure to join the The Gro Project, check out the video!

Well what are you waiting for, get growing!