Decorate for the season without a lot of fuss with these simple DIY wreath ideas.

Between Halloween and Thanksgiving, autumn is the season of entertaining. Welcome your guests in style this season by crafting up a simple DIY wreath for your front door or entryway.

9 DIY Wreath Ideas for Autumn

1. Scrap Wood Wreath – If you find yourself with leftover wood from a recent DIY project, upcycle those scraps into a decorative autumn wreath. With a little wood glue and a cardboard ring you can turn trash into treasure!

2. Wrapped Yarn – By the same token, use up all that leftover yarn from the various knitting or crochet projects that you’ve completed (or never got around to completing). Wrap sections of black, orange and white for a candy corn effect!

3. Upcycled Fabric Wreath – Turn worn fabrics that are headed for the scrap bin or the thrift store into a boho chic fabric wreath. Tear fabric into strips and tie them to a foam wreath ring available at the craft store.

4. Pine Cone Wreath – Pine cones and other found natural objects are great fodder for making a homemade DIY wreath for the season. Hot glue the pine cones, acorns, dried flowers, and sprigs of autumn leaves for an ephemeral seasonal decoration.

5. Felt Wreath – If you are looking for something more permanent, cut leaf shapes out of felt leftover from other projects and affix them to a wreath form.

6. Newspaper Wreath – For a spookier DIY wreath, spray paint newspaper with black paint, crumple it up and glue it to a foam wreath ring. Add fake spider webbing and felt spiders for an easy Halloween-themed wreath.

7. Burlap Wreath – For a super simple DIY wreath, wrap a foam wreath ring with burlap fabric and then crisscross autumn-themed sewing trims like ribbon and rickrack over the burlap. You can add a bow if you so desire.

8. Ribbon Dreamcatcher Wreath – Along the ribbon theme, you can go for a more bohemian wreath by tying long strands of ribbon, lace, and fabric scraps in autumn colors to create a dreamcatcher-like wreath.

9. Metallic Wreath – If you are going for something a little more glam, dip or spray twigs and dried leaves with metallic paints. Glue them to a twig wreath form that you have also painted with metallic paint. For extra points, mix and match your metallic colors for a cool effect–copper, gold and silver paint.

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Get inspired with these ideas for bringing a painterly watercolor effect into your home.

There’s something super chill and zen about watercolors. Whether you are into realism, abstractism, impressionism, pointillism, or any other kind of “ism,” watercolor evokes a sense of whimsy and of being a free spirit. And don’t think that the watercolor effect is just for the canvas–it’s possible to decorate your space with the lightness and color that is watercolor. Read on for some inspiration and DIY ideas for adding the watercolor effect to your home.

DIY Watercolor Effect Ideas

1. Watercolor Throw Pillows

One easy way to add color of any kind is with throw pillows. By using a fixative medium it is possible to actually paint with watercolor paints on fabric. For the how-to, check out this tutorial that lays out what you will need and how to do it. Don’t be afraid to  come up with your own design though!

2. Watercolor Wall Art

Turn your talents (even if they are limited like mine) toward making some DIY watercolor wall art. Pull out your trusty watercolor paints and your imagination to make some pretty prints for your space. If you think you can’t paint, think again. You can use stencils to guide your hand or stick to simple geometric shapes. Here’s a handy tutorial for making colorful word art with watercolors.

3. Watercolor Bunting

Let your creativity guide you in making a watercolor bunting for a fun space that needs a little color (like over your desk). One clever idea is to paint coffee filters with watercolor paints and tie them to Bakers’ twine. This tutorial can offer you some inspiration.

4. Watercolor Napkins

By the same token as the throw pillow covers, it is easy to add a watercolor effect to your dinner napkins. While you could use watercolor paints and a fixative medium, you can also use acrylic paints with a medium to get the look of watercolors. Check out this tutorial for the how-to.

Watercolor Goods to Buy

5. Ink Splatter Removable Watercolor Wall Mural

One super easy way to add any home decor trend to your space is with a removable wall decal like this stunning watercolor wall mural. This would work great even if you live in a rental.

6. Watercolor Duvet

And don’t forget about the bedroom when thinking about where to add a calming watercolor print. This gorgeous duvet cover is available in twin through king sizes.

7. Watercolor Forest Blind

One creative way to add the beauty of watercolor is with these eco-friendly roller blinds. Combine the noble beauty of a watercolor painting and make a statement with window styling.

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Gone are the days when you find your rings in the cereal box and your necklaces were made of candy. Take care of your jewelry collection and it will last a lifetime.

Whether your jewelry collection is full of priceless (not very likely), or not so priceless pieces, you have put a lot of time, effort, and money into creating it, so treat it well.

Odds are that your jewelry collection is a mixture of special pieces that have been gifted to you by family and friends, special pieces you have purchased for yourself, and plenty of trendy costume jewelry thrown into the mix. No matter the case, your jewelry collection deserves to be stored and cared for properly. Please do not toss all your treasured baubles on your bureau top and not expect them to suffer the consequences.

Jewelry Collection Care and Storage

The most impactful way to make certain that your jewelry collection holds up is to store it well.

Storage Tips

• Make certain to store strung necklaces and bracelets (like pearls) flat and do not hang them. Hanging can weaken the strands as well as stretch them out.
• Do hang chain necklaces where possible to avoid tangling, which can lead to breakage.
• Silver and gold are best stored in a closed case to keep tarnishing and other grime at bay.

DIY Cleaning

DIY jewelry cleaning tips abound on the Internet, but according to the expert gemologists  at Jewelers Mutual, there’s a lot of bad advice out there about how best to clean jewelry at home. Their advice is to keep the process simple by using dish soap, warm water, and a brand new baby toothbrush to clean away buildup from your favorite pieces.

DIY Jewelry Cases

If you don’t already have a case in which to store your jewelry collection, you can scour yard sales and estate sales for a find–or make one yourself. Here are some DIY tutorials to drool over.

• DIY Standing Ikea Hack
• DIY Chest Into a Jewelry Case
• DIY Tiffany Inspired Jewelry Case

Travel Tips

Extra care is needed when traveling and this is one of life’s experiences from which jewelry can really suffer.

• Obviously, if you are flying, pack your jewelry in your carry-on luggage.
• If you must check luggage, plan on only take those pieces that you absolutely need. If the worst happens and the airport loses a bag, you don’t want to lose your entire collection at once!
• Use care when packing jewelry. The best solution is to use a roll organizer. You can purchase one or make one yourself.

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Update your bathroom decor on the cheap with these easy DIY ideas.

According to real estate agents, updating the bathroom adds the least amount of value to your home. Pretty much anyone with a bathroom in need of a little TLC will tell you; that doesn’t matter, though. While updating your bathroom decor or remodeling the bathroom aren’t as sexy as making improvements in the kitchen or living room, no one wants to go in a sad and dingy space–and I do mean that literally.

Whether you are trying to sell your house, or you don’t have the budget to do a substantial remodel, there are plenty of bathroom decor updates you can do yourself to make your bathroom a more inviting and decorous space. From minor bathroom decor improvements, like swapping out an old mirror, to more labor intensive wallpaper or flooring projects, it is possible to add more character and design to the one room in the house that everyone uses. And it is completely possible to do it on the cheap.

DIY Bathroom Decor Ideas on the Cheap

1. Mason Jar Organizer – One easy way to improve your bathroom is to add organization. If your space is small, or there’s not a lot of available counter space, one easy project idea to add hanging mason jars to hold cotton balls, bobby pins, and more. Here is one easy tutorial to follow.
2. Upcycled Dresser Vanity – While it may take a little more know-how than the previous idea, one clever and cheap trick to updating a dated vanity is to turn an old dresser into a vintage inspired vanity.
3. Create an Accent Wall – Turn drab into fab by adding an accent wall to your bathroom. Paint one wall a bold or dark color like a dark navy, add floor to ceiling wainscotting, or some other clever idea to create a cheap but eye-catching effect.
4. Painted Floor – By the same token, if your bathroom has a less than perfect floor, but you it’s not in the budget to replace it, paint it instead. While it’s not suitable for all flooring types, this project for a painted chevron floor turns a worn floor into wow!
5. Pallet Mirror Frame – Pallets are quite useful for all kinds of DIY projects, including in the bathroom. Use pallet slats to create a frame for a bathroom mirror to give your boring bathroom some style.
6. Bold Ceiling – If all else fails, try doing something bold with the ceiling. Paint it black, add glow in the dark paint, plank it, add wall stencils, or some other clever and easy idea.
7. DIY Shower Curtain – One super easy way to add some style to the bathroom is with a bold and colorful shower curtain. Do it on the cheap and DIY one up yourself like this makeover project for a striped shower curtain.

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Vintage Bathroom Image Via Shutterstock

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Don’t worry. Whether you have leftover embroidery hoops from projects never started or never completed, I won’t judge you. Instead, I will share creative solutions with you for repurposing all those unused embroidery hoops.

At an estate sale years ago, I came across a large lot of embroidery hoops and other embroidery gewgaw. I snapped the lot up, brought it home, and promptly put it in the closet and forget about it. Recently, while closet cleaning, I came across the lot and thought, “Oh geez, what in the world can I do with all these embroidery hoops?” Here are some of the cleverest ideas I came across. I haven’t tried them all yet; I’m still working on the closet, but some of these are on my craft to-do list for certain.

Ideas for Embroidery Hoops

1. Front Door Wreath – Decorate your front door with a seasonal wreath made from a large embroidery hoop. Wrap the hoop in yarn and decorate with felt flowers or use two hoops, some cardboard, and fabric to create a double hoop wreath.
2. Photo Frame – Use both small and large embroidery hoops as quick and easy to hang photo frames.
3. Fabric Gallery Wall – Create a gallery wall by adding fabric to a bunch of embroidery hoops and artfully arranging them on a wall. You can even paint wooden embroidery hoops for a more gallery style effect.
4. Mobile Idea 1 – Make a DIY mobile using an embroidery hoop as a frame. Start with the hoop laying on its side. Ideas for mobile decorations are only limited by your imagination. Ideas include making felt feathers, paper flowers, or fabric scraps to hang.
5. Mobile Option 2 – Add lace to small hoops and hang those from a larger embroidery hoop for a boho style mobile.
6. Hoop Clock – Buy a clock kit from the craft store and turn a hoop into a wall clock. Make several clocks to display several different time zone for extra points!
7. Bed Canopy – Use a super large embroidery hoop as a frame for making your own DIY bed canopy.
8. Photo Display Mobile – Another mobile idea is to create a photo display mobile using embroidery hoops, wire or fishing line, and mini clothespins.
9. Corkboards or Chalkboards – Add cork roll fabric to hoops for instant cork boards to hang wherever you need to leave notes. Or paint canvas fabric with chalkboard paint for a handy chalkboard where you need it. Mix and match hoops with cork and chalkboard paint to create a fun and practical gallery wall.

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Handmade Fabric Felt Hoop Image from ItzFitz

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Decorate your spaces with pretty, yet sneeze-free, DIY paper flowers.

Everyone loves the look of fresh flowers throughout the house. Flowers can add instant beauty, color and visual interest to any dark corner, bare tabletop, or corner bookcase. Unfortunately, some of us aren’t blessed with a green thumb or are just unluckily allergic to fresh blooms. DIY paper flowers to the rescue. You can make paper blooms instead of fresh ones to decorate your office, powder room, or kitchen table to get the look of real flowers without the downsides of the real thing.

Aren’t crafty enough to come up with your own projects for making DIY paper flowers or just need a little inspiration? Read on some tips, ticks and ideas for how to make your own bountiful bouquets to rival the beauty of fresh flowers!

Ideas for How to Make DIY Paper Flowers

1.  Cupcake Liners

Use pretty patterned cupcakes liners to make easy peasy DIY paper flowers. This cupcake liner flower tutorial is a great example of what you could do with simple cupcake liners, floral wire and tape.

2. Crepe Paper

Crepe paper has been used a medium for paper flowers for eons–think high school prom–but you can make them more elegant by using the single-petal method. Use this template for making tulips, roses, peonies and lilies. Here’s another tutorial for making pretty ranunculus.

3. Book Pages

Before taking those old books to the thrift shop, turn the pages into pretty paper blooms. Use the pages from your favorite books to give more meaning to your flower displays. Use this tutorial to make rolled roses from book pages, letters, newspapers or other printed pages.

4. Cardstock

If you want to make paper flowers that are a little sturdier, and can handle a good dusting, try using cardstock or a heavier weight paper. Here is one project idea for making spider mums from brightly-colored cardstock paper and another tutorial for a dahlia-like bloom.

5.  Coffee Filters

Much like cupcake liners, coffee filters can be made into pretty paper blooms. They are actually great to make luscious peony-like blossoms. Here’s an easy how-to project for inspiration.

6. Tissue Paper

Tissue paper is also an old standby for making paper flowers, but it never goes out of style because of its versatility, affordability and ubiquitousness. Try this idea for making tissue paper poppies or this project for tissue paper daffodils.

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Image: Crepe Paper Flowers via Shutterstock

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Another clever device DIY’d out of salvaged wood.

Get yourself back to the dumpster, claim your piece, and get ready to drill. It’s time for another handy woman project. Quite literally, in a small amount of time you can make this makeshift clock, (ten minutes tops). Useful side note to add here: clock bits can be found at craft stores, usually for about $10.

Supplies:

Plank of wood, drill with 3/8” bit, clock parts, spray paint (optional).

Step 1. Wipe down the plank with a cloth and some wood soap and remove any old nails.

Step 2. Drill one hole centered in a position where you would like the clock hands to be.

Step 3. Spray paint the clock hands the color of your choice. The ones seen here were gold, thus not easily discernible against the blue wood. They have been sprayed red.

Step 4. Screw the clock hands on the front to the battery pack on the back.

Step 5. Lean it on a wall.

If you want to hang it, you will have to attach some picture wire to the back.

One of a kind.

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