Home

Farmhouse Chic Blog

Taking expensive ideas & turning them into my own ideas!

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Featured On
  • Media Kit

Teacup Blooms

May 13, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: diy, flowers, gifts, Mothers Day gifts, Pinterest, simple gifts, Spring, teacup gifts, teacups 3 Comments

I know for me, one of my favorite gifts is one I can continuously enjoy. This year for Mothers Day the kids made and decorated bird houses for our Nana and my mother in law, but I wanted to give a little something special! We were going to be hosting a bbq on Mothers Day and I wanted to have something to give each Mom, so I headed to the local thrift store in search for teacups! I scored 7 di-cut glass cups for $1.49, score!!! Next, I headed for the local garden center in search for flowers! I opted for an eye-catching, small bloom, cockscomb. They were bright, beautiful and dainty enough to fit perfectly into the cup!

To start, add a small amount of soil to the bottom of the cup, remove the flower and roots from container, hold into place and fill with soil. I pressed my down to eliminate loose soil and to keep the plant in place. Water each day, making sure the soil is moist. I sat mine on the kitchen window sill where it will get plenty of sun and I can enjoy it 🙂

For the gifts, I used a small tag and wrote “true love blossoms…”; I hope they enjoy watching this flower bloom all summer long!

Sharing this project on these fabulous blogs!

{ Birthday Attire }

May 6, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: birthday outfit, diy, DIY birthday outfit, DIY tutu, shabby chic, shabby chic tutu, tutu, Vintage chic 11 Comments

Part of the excitement for me when planning my little ones birthday parties, is picking a fun, customized outfit for their special day! This year to go hand-in-hand with Isabellas vintage chic rag banner (here) I created an adorable tutu using the same technique!

You’re going to need your desired fabric, elastic, scissors, needle and thread or sewing machine.

Cut out your number, in my case 2, and turn it backwards and trace onto the fabric, then cut out. I decided to sew my number one using turquoise thread (I still haven’t busted out my sewing machine!!)

My husband got me this nifty tool to easily created snaps and buttons! I (he) decided to give it a try and it worked out perfect for this project. It’s easily hidden by simply sliding a piece of fabric directly over it!

And there you have it! A beautiful, one-of-a-kind tutu fit for any princess!! 
Sharing this project on these fabulous blogs!

{ DIY Mothers Day Gift Guide }

May 2, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: diy, DIY crafts, DIY gifts, gift ideas, gifts, Mother's Day, Mothers Day cards, Mothers Day gifts, perfect gift guide, Treat

Make Mothers Day special for those special Moms in your life! Yesterday I shared Kids crafts for Mothers Day, and today I’m sharing 16 perfect, DIY crafts! Whether it be for a picture lover, cook/baker, hostess or gardener, I’ve got a little something for everyone!

Great gifts don’t have to be expensive or hard to make! Keep it budget friendly by re-purposing things you already have, checking out the dollar store for supplies or a local thrift store. With a little bit of effort and time, you can have one-of-a-kind pieces that will be enjoyed for many years! So lets get to it..
Barnyard trio frame
DIY Terrarium kit
Chalkboard garden stakes
DIY tote
Stenciled picture frames
Roped coffee cans.
Could be used for storage or as a vase!
DIY Chalkboard mug
DIY Chalkboard serving platter
DIY Ruffle hand towel
Wood burned spoons
DIY lemon sugar scrub
DIY coasters
Washi tape frame
Sharpie embellished dishes
Personalized art
DIY Clip frames

Embellish any one of these fantastic gifts with the perfect card! Head over and check out the website Treat for the latest designs and easily personalized Mothers Day cards!
Here’s a few of my favorites:

For Personalized Mothers Day cards: Treat.com
Well, what are you waiting for.. Get to creating!! 

{ Kitchen Picture Update }

April 15, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: chalkboard, chalkboard paint, chalkboard pictures, crafts, diy, DIY crafts, diy project 16 Comments

Since buying our home last Spring, it’s like I want all new decor.. I’m not the only one this happens to right?! We put a good bit of money in our home fixing it up, so my budget for decor is slim to none! Instead of buying new stuff, I’m updating what I have! The pictures in todays project were a pair of pictures I bought when I first moved into my own place! I just wasn’t feeling those dreary old flowers anymore and I knew just what they needed… Chalkboard paint!!

First start by using painters tape to tape off the sides of the pictures. To apply the chalkboard paint, make sure you’re using a well ventilated space. Generously apply chalkboard paint in swiping motions (back and forth) until the entire piece is covered. Let dry. I recommend repeating this step at least three times for even coverage. Allowing the chalkboard paint enough time to dry, is very important!! Once fully dry, take a piece of chalk and lightly brush over the entire piece. This “activates” the chalkboard effect.

What I love most about these pictures is that I can change it up as often and I want! The chalkboard paint makes it super simple to customize for birthdays, holidays, grocery lists, and so much more!

After first coat!
In the process of drying!
Displayed the menu for a birthday celebration that weekend!

Sharing this project on these fabulous sites!

Set Your Price. Choose your Advertisers. Sign up for SocialSpark!

{ Silhouette Totes }

April 1, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: crafts, diy, DIY crafts, Easter, Easter crafts, silhouette, silhouette totes, totes 22 Comments

Every year I buy the kids Easter baskets, and every year I end up tossing it instead of re-using it (for one reason or another!). I love the thoughts of using something they can actually get some use out of, so that led me to my next creation, silhouette totes! I would use these in place of an Easter basket on Easter morning. These totes will be perfect to take in the car and fill with books, snacks, games, etc.; or even great as an over night bag! 

Out of my scrap fabric, I gathered two pieces that would have enough space for me to sketch and cut out a boy and girl silhouette. I used khaki for Christian and pink for Isabella. I found an image on the computer and free- handed it onto the fabric. Cut out. I bought linen totes from Jo Ann’s, they come as a three pack. I used some fabric glue that I already had and put it on the back of the fabric and pushed into place. Using a pencil, I wrote their names and traced over it with a permanent marker. I attempted using craft paint on one bag and didn’t like how it was turning out, that’s why I opted for the marker. It didn’t give me the desired look I was going for, but it works for now! 
I have to admit a little something to you guys.. I didn’t like the way the fabric glue looked when it dried, so I washed the totes hoping it would wash away.. Well it didn’t, it shrunk and made the bags all wrinkly! I ironed and dried them the best I could, but nothing seemed to work! Needless to say, I know these bags will get dirty since I’m intending on them to get used often so I will revamp the idea for next year!

Sharing this project on these fabulous blogs!

{ Adorable Easter Porch Sign }

March 25, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: diy, DIY craft, DIY sign, Easter, Easter egg hunt, pallet sign, shims 23 Comments

I was in the mood to craft, so I started looking around the house for things to use. I came across a couple handfuls of shims and had the idea of making a sign for the front porch.

I started by playing with a design, mis-matching lengths to give it an aged feel. With your heated glue gun ready, lay two shims parallel to each other horizontally, this is what you will use as the base of your sign; you will glue all the pieces to it. One thing I loved most about the shims I used, is they had natural wear and holes! Play around with a design your happy with and glue into place. I grabbed a pencil and began free-handing ” Egg Hunt –>”… I thought it would be super adorable on the front porch and couldn’t wait to bring it to life! I used a beautiful, teal colored craft paint called Sea Breeze. It took me awhile to  fill in the wording, I used a fine-tip paintbrush to edge the letters and a small paintbrush to fill them in. It made the letters on the natural wood sign POP! While that was drying, I begin working on the stand for the back. I broke a shim in two and glued one at an angle and let dry. The other I glued directly below it and attached it at the bottom. This made the piece more sturdy and less apt to fall. I let the entire piece dry for about an hour and then I went back and used a distressed ink and very lightly smeared it over the lettering. I wanted the sign to appear weathered and age and I think I accomplished it.. I think it’s a great addition to our front porch, what do you think?

Sharing this project on these lovely blogs!

{ Fab Pins of the Week }

March 15, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: diy, Easter, Easter treats, fab pins of the week, farmhouse table, mason jars, Pinterest, tea towels 3 Comments

It’s Friday, it’s Friday.. Woot woot!! Any big plans for the weekend? Spending time with my hubby and kids after a buys work week, meeting a close friends new little baby boy and relaxing is what’s on my agenda! Lets get to my favorite pins this week, enjoy!
1. { source }  2. { source }
3. { source }  4. { source }

1. These are just about the cutest tea towels I’ve ever seen! Head over and see how Taryn from Design, Dining + Diapers creates them! I think I will be making my own towels from now one, how about you? 😉
2. This stunning rustic farmhouse table is what caught my eye in this photo! I love the neutral tones along with the earthy feel.  I can see many memorable brunches or dinners being had here! 
3. I absolutely LOVE these adorable Easter Carrot Treat Boxes from Crystal at A Pumpkin & A Princess! These are treat boxes I would be thrilled to share with others! They are super cute and easy enough to assemble, that the kids could help you put these together for friends, family and neighbors! Head over and see how Crystal brings these to life!
4. I have never really considered painting my mason jars, but these worn, painted mason jars are cute! These would be darling donning fresh flowers for a birthday party! 
Follow me on Pinterest! 

Homemade Dishwasher Tablets

February 18, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: all natural cleaning, diy, homemade, homemade dishwasher tabs 59 Comments

Have you ever thought about making your own dishwasher tablets? If so, I encourage you to! I made my own for the first time the other day and they’re awesome! Previously, I would use Cascade liquid gels which run about $12 for 60. For all the ingredients needed for homemade tablets, it cost me around $10 for 300.

Here’s what you’re going to need:

  • 2 gallon bucket
  • tablespoon measuring spoon
  • measuring cup
  • glass bowl
  • 2 ice cube trays
  • 1 55 oz box of all natural super washing soda
  • 1 76 oz box of borax detergent booster
  • 1 two pound carton epsom salt
  • 1 bottle 100% lemon juice
Grab your two gallon bucket and pour in the washing soda, detergent booster and espom salt, mix well. I used a two cup- measuring cup to measure out my dry ingredients into a glass bowl. Begin pouring in small amounts of lemon juice and stirring. You will want a smooth, but slightly clumpy consistency. For every 2 cups of dry powder, I used about 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. Begin filling your ice cube trays and pushing down the mixture until full. I sat mine on top of the microwave, and it took less than two days for them to dry. I then popped them out of the trays and placed them into my dishwasher tab box I already had from before. If you find that your mixture is breaking easily, or crumbly, you haven’t added enough lemon juice. I encourage you to also use lemon juice in the rinse aid section of your dishwasher to prevent spotting on dishes.
You will have a lot extra to make as you need it! I placed mine in a plastic storage container. This is also great to add a small amount down the disposal, it smells wonderful!!
** Update: A good suggestion since doing these would be to fill the ice tray half way full, they will fit better in the dispenser!
** Also, if you’re having trouble with spotting and the lemon juice doesn’t help, try vinegar in the rinse aid department of your dishwasher.
Sharing this project on these lovely sites!

Cute Valentines Banner

January 8, 2013 by Fotini Filed Under: banner, book page banner, crafting, diy, DIY crafts, Valentines, valentines banner

Are you looking for a cute, simple banner to make for Valentines Day? I’ve got just what you’re looking for!

Create this cute little banner in just a few simple steps… Here’s what you’ll need!

  • 4 book pages
  • 8 paper hearts
  • twine
  • glue gun, glue
  • scissors
I found these super cute flat paper cards at the Target dollar corner, you guessed it, for $1! Perfect for this banner! Start by cutting your book pages close to the wording on the sides, fold the page in half and cut into two pieces. With your heated glue gun, glue the paper hearts onto your book pages and let dry. Turn your pages over and place four glue dots on the top of the page and push your twine into place. Leave about two inches between each book page. Ta-da, now you have a super cute banner to display! After my Fall Banner and Christmas Banner, I felt my mantle looked so bare with nothing on it, so I adore this 🙂
Sharing this project on these fabulous sites!

Beautiful, Simple Gift Wrapping

December 18, 2012 by Fotini Filed Under: Christmas, Christmas wrapping, craft paper, diy, gift wrapping, wrapping paper, wrapping presents

I love wrapping presents for Christmas! This year I opted for brown craft paper. I lucked out last year and found a large roll at the dollar store, steal!! After Christmas sales are the best, and last year at Target I found some really cute felt Christmas tree ornaments 70% off per 4-pack. So this year I used them with some of the left-over yarn I had from the letters for my mantle!

This wrapping style is simple, yet beautiful! Your possibilities are truly endless with craft paper.. You can easily personalize it for each person, add your favorite touches {bows, dollies, ribbon, stamps}, have the kids draw pictures for family, and so much more! I had fun using the yarn because it was simple to just cut a long length off and just wrap it around the present and tie!

In the pictures below, you can see how the felt ornament had the gold tie, I just cut it off and thread the yarn through to dress the packages up!

Sharing this project on these lovely sites!
  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • Next Page »
AntiqueFarmHouse

Archives

Hi! I'm Fotini! Welcome to Farmhouse Chic Blog, it's such a pleasure to have you here!! Let's get to know each other... Read More…

Fotini Roman, Farmhouse Chic Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
© Fotini Roman and Farmhouse Chic Blog, 2010-2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Fotini Roman and Farmhouse Chic Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Enter your name and email and get the weekly newsletter... it's FREE!
I'm so excited you've decided to get the latest from Farmhouse Chic Blog right in your inbox!
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.