I have always wanted a large, leaning floor mirror in our master bedroom but hadn’t loved the prices when I found ones I liked… big surprise.

So I went on the hunt when I started the One Room Challenge… online, back alley mirror stores… nothing.

DIY ideas started to swim around in my mind and on a trip to Ikea a lightbulb went off.  They sell mirrored closet doors… mirror… tall… cheap… dunzo! I picked up the Vikedal mirrored closet door for $50 and then set about making it my dream mirror.  Scrap trim to the rescue!

The steps are pretty simple…

1. Buy mirror (they do come in different sizes)
2. Buy some thin trim and cut to desired lengths.
3. Adhere wood strips with mirror adhesive.
4. Paint the trim and edges of the mirror to look cohesive.

Side note- I absolutely would have spray painted the wood trim pieces before I cut and glued them on but we have been in the middle of monsoon season here in TX so being outside to spray paint was not an option.

So for $50 and some change, I am happy! And loving it next to my painted accent chair (you can find the diy fabric tutorial here)

And just for fun because I love a good high vs low comparison, one of the mirrors I loved (link here) that inspired me next to my mirror and guess what… $400 difference!

This room is so close to being done! and good thing because we only have 2 weeks left in the challenge!

You can catch up below and don’t forget to jump over and see the progress in the Dining Room!

Week 1 Mood Board

Week 2 Accent Chair

Week 3 Fabric Choices

xoxo

B

Linking to:

Thoughts of Home

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This is my first year participating in Calling it Home’s, One Room Challenge, and because I am pushing to get a couple of rooms ‘complete’ in my house, I decided to work not only on the Dining Room but also my Master Bedroom!  So each week you will get two separate posts on Wednesdays  showing my progress so make sure you catch both!

So here’s how the ORC works!

Today kicks off week one where interior design bloggers challenge themselves to transform a room from start to finish, while documenting the process along the way in 6 weeks.

It’s just the motivation I need! I want to get all of my major projects done before summer hits and the boys are back at home to ‘help’ me

Here is a picture of the space after I did the paneling a few years ago (post here)…

| Mirrors | Link to French Provincial Hutch Redo |

And here it is now with my DIY Live Edge Table…

This room became my workspace once the summer heat just wouldn’t quit and furniture needed to dry.  So I made the table so that it could be moved easily but still give us a semi-nice dining space to eat on our fancy 4 meals a year

And that’s how it has sat for too long! No chairs… just ones we drag from other places and sometimes laundry drying on the floor.  Not proud of that, but it’s the truth.  So let’s make a list, because Momma loves to check off a list!

1. Finish paneling around the window
2. Find chairs that can be easily stored/removed as well
3. New curtains
4. Hang Artwork
5. Refurbish tea cart
6. Replace hutch with a larger sideboard for more storage
7. Utilize said storage to not have junk on counters!

So there you have it! It seems very attainable… until I add in everyday life and the ten other things that will come to me that I want to do in there as well.  Super excited! You can jump over here to follow the progress of my Master Bedroom as well!

I’m so excited to get started on both of my rooms and give you updates each week on my progress!

xoxo

B

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I see old shutters at thrift stores all the time, but it wasn’t until I was sent some by Jeanie, at Create and Babble, in our Blogger Swap Group, that I realized what a pretty lantern they could make!

Our fearless leader, and organizer, Charlotte, from Ciburbanity, got us all set to swap our $10 or less thrift store items with each other and off we all went! I received a few things but really narrowed in on the shutters and now all I can think is to look for more!

At first I was leaning towards white, but decided a fun green, spring color would be better.  Spray paint was a must for me because of all the nooks and crannies I didn’t want to have to do with a brush.  I knew I would probably spray some touch up once I was all done, but figured it would be easier to get the inside before I attached it all.

I measured and cut a piece of scrap wood to attach to the missing side of the shutters and used L-brackets to hold it in place.  I decided to leave the bottom open knowing that I wouldn’t be moving it around much and placing a flameless candle in it for safety with my little ones.

I wanted to attach some kind of handle but debated on what kind.  I considered wood and metal but finally decided a braided rope would be fun and give it a bit of spring and summer feel! I simply braided three separate strands and then braided the three together to give it a thicker look.

I should caution you though, that if you are going to be using a real candle inside you should not use any materials that would become a fire danger.  I had some string like this on hand that worked out great!

It was an easy project but I couldn’t love it any more! The pop of green with all of my blues looks really pretty and it’s just perfect on our mantel!

and yes, everyone should keep a disco ball in there home, I mean what if you need to dance?!

This whole week will be filled with fun blogger swap projects which I will come back and be linking here, but for now hop over to Jess at Gourley Girl and Guy and see what she did with this fun stuff I sent her!

Have a great week and don’t forget to check back for more links every day! Oh and pin here for inspiration later! –>

xoxo,

B

Monday Swappers

| Windgate Lane (you are here!) | Gourley Girl and Guy | Dogs Don’t Eat Pizza |

| Hearts and Sharts | 58 Water Street | I Am a Homemaker |

| Prim and Propah | Create and Babble |

The post Old Shutters into New Lantern appeared first on Windgate Lane.

This week I was so excited to share some of my new Christmas Decor and that included my DIY Cardboard Christmas Houses on my mantel!

I wanted big impact and no surprise… low cost… so as I was preparing to do wood cut out houses, I realized that it would A.  take more time and B. would have to be seriously attached so as not to fall on my children’s heads.

I decided to use my once a year Lightbulb Moment and came up with thick foam cardboard- easy to cut, and half off at Hobby Lobby Score (similar found here)! After I cut out the house shapes and some windows, it occurred to me that you can buy window forms for doll houses.  I popped back in to Hobby Lobby and sure enough- little windows, doors, and even shutters- why not add a little personalization?! (similar windows found here but more choices at Hobby Stores with coupons!)

I ended up not using the shutters because I liked the simpler look, but all I did was trace around the windows and then use an X-Acto Knife to cut out the foam.  I lightly pushed the wood window frames in and voila!

The doors and larger windows I cut looked a bit boring after the cute windows were in so I grabbed some Balsa wood trim that I used to create my Faux Tobacco Basket.  It is super thin and can be cut with scissors so I just measured, cut and hot glued it around the doors and windows! (also found at Hobby Lobby)

I also cut down the edges of the houses but not all the way through the foam so that they could stand on their own and block the view of the twinkle lights taped to the back.

The next step was to tape some battery powered twinkle lights up to the backs to add a nice glow!

See all of those fun accents that make the scene come to life? All found at The Container Store! The wood cut out trees, the red pom pom ribbon, the adorable little gift boxes… between those and their gift wrap, I was in that store for a long time and beyond excited!

To see the rest of the Holiday Decor, including my festive dining room, Click Here!

Let me know if you have any questions!

xoxo

B

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We have been without a dining room table for about a year now.  Hold your gasps.  I sold our old one because it was just not me and we never sat at it! It has been heaven to have the space to work on furniture during the summer as well, when I can’t possibly get paint to dry in the garage.

But the holiday season is upon us and I got an itch to have a nice dining area again! I knew I didn’t want to buy anything expensive and I also wanted to be able to disassemble easily should I need the space again.  So I decided to build one, but I wanted to try and give it some more interest than just a few boards.  This turned into me trying to recreate a live edge table!

I was aware that this might not turn out how I had hoped but decided I could sand it out if I hated it or make it into fire wood.  Here was my inspiration…

Source: Houzz

I wasn’t going to be able to create the gorgeous thick wood like this one due to the weight of it and the fact that I would need to be able to raise my children after I built it.   But I loved the pretty lines!

Materials Used to make a 72 inch Dining Table:

1. 2 8×12 boards (outer boards)
2. 1 8×10 board (center board)
3. 2 small backer boards (I just used scrap wood)
4. gloves
5. eye protection
6. belt sander
7. wood glue
8. wood screws
9. wood pre-stain solution (I used Minwax Pre- Stain)
10. stain (I used
11. poly (I used Triple Thick Varathane)
12. brushes

I have finally learned my lesson- make my list and have everything right on hand before I start! And yes, there are affiliate links included but that is just so you can easily see what I am using- I wasn’t provided with any product for this project.

I clamped down my first board (the belt sander will send your board flying if not clamped) and then with my eye protection and gloves on (safety first), I started sanding away! I was cautious at first but quickly realized that I wanted there to be bigger notches so I spaced them out but just started making notches and then smoothing them out to blend with the wood.  I also sanded down all the edges on the one side to be rounded.

I put wood glue between the boards, and also screwed a backer board with wood glue to the back on two places.  Once that was dry, I sanded the top all over to make sure it was an even surface.

At this point, I used the pre-stain.  It just ensures that the stain goes on evenly.  I then brushed on the stain! I used a mixture of Ash and Golden Oak.  Once that was dry, it was time for the poly.  I am super paranoid about letting poly dry so I always follow the instructions to a tee and sometimes even give it a bit longer to make sure it’s hardened between coats.

Enough chit chat, right? Once dry, I attached two trestle bases from Ikea for a whopping $15 each! But ya want to know what $15 gets you? No way to attach them to a base! what?! Annoying.  So I decided to add another cross bar underneath to let the base have a ridge holding it in place.  The pictures may explain it better:)

The stain really helped the sanded details to stand out and I couldn’t be happier with my 6 seat table for a grand total of about $80!

If I didn’t need it to be light and mobile, I would have liked it to be a thicker wood, but this is the perfect solution for my needs! And I’ll be back later this week to show you it all set up for Thanksgiving!

Update! I finally found the perfect chairs and the Dining Room has been completed! Head here for sources and details! 

Have a wonderful day~

xoxo

B

The post DIY Live Edge Table appeared first on Windgate Lane.

These 3 little wall hangings sent to me from Trisha at Black and White Obsession, had passed their prime.  It took me awhile to figure out what to do with them really, but when the boys started nagging about getting our outdoor Halloween stuff up I thought they could help me make a cute little sign!

First up was some black spray paint- and I didn’t let the boys do it- although they wanted to… #taggers.

Then I showed them some pictures of spiders and webs and gave them some white paint pens! I wrote the words Trick or Treat on them and then just screwed them into some scrap wood.  Pretty easy and the boys love that they made something special to add to the fun outdoor decorating!

Do y’all put up outdoor decor for Halloween? We do a little but it’s too much for me to do decor for every season Thats why I like my wreath (tutorial here) because it has spanned across several seasons!

Make sure you jump back to my Faux Marble Box post to find links to 40 other awesome thrift store make- overs!

xoxo

B

The post Halloween Outside Decor: #swapitlikeitshot appeared first on Windgate Lane.

While I have seen the baskets styled in more of a farm house fashion- I love them because they are grand in size and are so beautifully crafted as they were used to carry heavy tobacco leaves to markets.  Originally made from Oak wood, they held up very well!  I eventually would like to have several to use on the large vaulted staircase wall.  But here is an example of an original version!

I laid out a pattern that I liked and then wove the wood together.  I then hot glued any overlapping pieces.  And yes, I did do all of this on my good Persian rug because that’s where I landed and time was limited because the kids always want to be picked up from school for some reason

So to recap…

1. Buy soft wood (mine was Balsa wood from Hobby Lobby)
2. Lay out your boards and start weaving them (I used two different sizes)
3. Use hot glue or wood glue to attach in some spots to add stability
4. Glue thicker pieces along the edges to frame it out
5. Stain in the colors of your choice (I varied between several stains to get a worn look)

Hope y’all are having a wonderful day and let me know if you have questions!

xoxo,

B

The post DIY Tobacco Basket appeared first on Windgate Lane.

I really liked them but for some reason the gold was a bit much for me.  I grabbed my silver leaf pen (doesn’t everyone have one on standby?) and quickly went over the gold on the handle and rim to give it a bit of contrast.

I had picked up two of these unfinished branch slices at Hobby Lobby and drilled two little holes in them to attach to the baskets.

I then used PicMonkey to make little monograms for each boy and simply modpodged them right on!

Add some cute camo shredded fill and TaDa! Ready for the Easter Bunny to fill with goodies!

Pin and Share here!

I hope y’all have a wonderful weekend and Easter!

xoxo

B

The post Neutral Easter Baskets appeared first on Windgate Lane.

After a failed attempt at making my son a valance out of card board (don’t ask), I wanted to make him something that was sturdier!  I did this project during my Five Days/ Five Rooms Challenge but wanted to give you a better tutorial.

I had purchased this navy and white buffalo check at Ikea awhile back, knowing I would use it somewhere… and because I am obsessed with all checked things.

And after a quick search of my scrap wood in the garage- I found this old board that had the perfect aged look that I was hoping for!  I laid out my fabric and cut it down to the size I wanted with about an inch extra on each side.

I then used my trusty staple gun and stapled it along the back of the board.

After that- I folded the sides in that were hanging past the wood on each side and ironed them to the correct width.

I then used my Liquid Stitch to keep it all in place! It’s the sewing challenged person’s best friend! Just put some on and then iron over.  Easy Peasy!

The board already had two holes in it- so I held it against the wall- made sure it was level- and then colored in where the holes were with a pencil.  I did use anchors before the screws just to ensure that this one would not fall down like the old one.

I am the first to say that I hate blown out pictures- but unfortunately this room is the absolute worst for picture taking! So ya get what ya get!

The post DIY Valance appeared first on Windgate Lane.

I had just completed my 5 Days/ 5 Rooms Challenge and was ready to sleep for the next 10 Days in One Room!

And then this past weekend I attended an amazing conference in Atlanta, called Haven, which I will give all the details about soon:) Awesome time- awesome peeps, awesome tools, learned a ton that I can’t wait to share with y’all!

But today I want to recap the projects and let you in on some more details.

Day 1 was the Gallery Wall in my Playroom.

This looks simple enough- but involved painting the wall (Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter) and then hanging these blasted Ikea frames.  Such a love/ hate relationship with them- LOVE the price and look, HATE hanging them with their wires across the back.

Yes, I have seen different tutorials on making it easier, but I just decided to wing it and then tighten or loosen the wires to make sure they were all even.

Day 2 was the Gallery Wall around my tv in my master bedroom.

Keep in mind that most of these projects involved hanging things… if you are a psychologist you might read into that and think that I put off things that have to be hung on walls… you would be right!

I will have a DIY horse graphic up for you later this week~

Due to the walls in our house being made from cottage cheese and also as level as well… something really not level, it is a drive you to drink job!

But I always remind myself that worst case scenario is having to fill a little hole in the wall- and to bring down my stress a bit- I had my 3M filler and paint ready to go incase that happened.  and it may have happened… twice.

Day 3 was my oldest son’s new shelves over his dresser.

By utilizing more of the vertical space- we were able to remove his bookshelves on the other wall and now he has so much more space in there! Which, let’s face it- boy’s just want space to run!

Day 4 moved into my little boy’s room and was a closet clean up and organization and then a new DIY valance.

This shoe holder turned daily clothes planner is really more useful for me during school- but he loves it already and is getting us in a good habit.

This valance- which I will be sharing a tutorial on later this week- was so simple and replaced one that was thrown together too quickly and just kept falling down all the time!

Day 5 was making our family room look a bit more summery! I have been collecting these vases sporadically and finally got enough to have two pretty groupings on top of our entertainment center.

I love all of the blue and green tones in them- makes me long for the ocean!

And then a summer wreath for our front door completed the 5 Days of Chaos!

I already had this drift wood wreath from Hobby Lobby and when I saw this ribbon there- I knew the two together would be awesome, yet simple.

I hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for another organizational challenge coming up soon!
xoxo
B

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