DIY Granite Countertops – Yes, Really!

by RoxanneK, in category cheap decorating ideas, DIY, Kitchen

I live in a development where all the houses have pretty much the same layout. They were all builder grade basic to start out, and that is one reason I’m always trying to personalize it and add some interest. One of my neighbors was itching to upgrade her kitchen and asked me to help her out with it. She had seen how I painted my niece’s kitchen counters and wanted to do something similar to hers. We talked about it and decided to go with the look of granite countertops as opposed the marble look I did at my niece’s. The granite is better suited to my neighbor’s kitchen and style.

Here is what her kitchen looked like before. She had just replaced the flooring and had someone scheduled to come over and paint the cabinets. My neighbor wasn’t ready at this point to spend the money on new counters, or new backsplash so we matched everything to the existing backsplash.

The Giani Granite countertop kit I used last time worked so well that I wanted to use that product again. We decided to go with the Sicilian Sand kit* to compliment her existing color scheme. Here is her kitchen before:

As you can see, it’s very similar to what my own kitchen looked like before I remodeled it, it’s just flipped. Her’s is to the right and mine is to the left.

What You Will Need*:

Giani Countertop Kit (We used Sicilian Sand)

Painters Tape

Utility Knife

Small Artist Brush

Light Sanding Sponge

How to DIY Granite Countertops:

The first step is to clean the existing counters with a brillo pad. This does double duty. It cleans them as well as roughens them up a bit, no sanding required. Then rinse twice with water.

Next, I used painters tape all around the perimeter of where I’d be painting to protect the walls, cabinets, and appliances.

After that, you prime them with the black primer included in the kit. It also comes with the roller to apply it. I used a brush around the edges and where the counters meet the backsplash. Once it’s primed, let it dry for 8 hrs. My friend and I were saying we even liked how it looked at this point.

The kits come with 3 accent color paints and a sponge for sponging them on. Open all 3 cans, and pour a little of each into separate trays. Working in 2-foot sections, sponge color 1, then 2, then 3 without letting it dry in between, you want them to blend.

There is no right or wrong way to do this part. You can add as much or as little color as you like. One thing I did notice, was that as I was progressing along and the sponges became more and more saturated it was leaving more paint on the counters. I had to go back and touch up some of the areas where I started to make it match.

When that is dry, roll on your sealer (also included in the kit). Wait four hours before using a second coat and sand the first coat very lightly first if needed.

When everything has fully dried, score the painter’s tape with a utility knife before removing so you don’t pull any paint up with it. That did happen to me in one or two tiny spots. I used a small, flat artists brush to touch up those spots.

Also, keep in mind that real granite countertops are a natural stone so the pattern is never exact. This should help alleviate any fears you might have about trying this yourself.

Here is a full side by side before and after. Can you believe the difference here using only paint?

Using a kit to achieve granite countertops is such a great alternative if you can’t afford to update your existing counters right now. I highly recommend giving it a try. Especially if you have laminate counters, you really have nothing to lose! If you do try it, I also recommend reading the instructions on how to care for them. Even though the top coat is solid, you don’t want to use abrasive cleaners on them so that they last as long as possible.

*Thank you to Giani Granite for supplying the countertop painting kit. All opinions are 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links, you can read my full disclosure here.

May212018Sep 17 2018

Cheap Wall Decor Online

by RoxanneK, in category cheap decorating ideas, Home Decor

You should know by now, I’m all for budget decorating. Decorating your home really can add up fast, so I’m always on the lookout for ways to do it for less. I also change out my decor often. Home decor is what I do, so I need to keep it interesting. One thing I switch pretty often is my wall art. The constant urge to keep things looking fresh around here forces me to stick to budget-friendly ideas.

Kirkland’s has a large selection of wall decor in a variety of styles. Their prices are reasonable, but I always sign up for store’s emails and texts alerts. Kirkland’s often offers coupons from 20%-30% off so I wait for one of those when I need to freshen things up.

Botanicals are huge right now. I was browsing through a design catalog recently and saw these botanical prints for $75 each! To buy the set of four would cost $300! You can easily find similar prints with a quick search of eBay! You may have noticed one of these in my armoire makeover post, they were under $20 on eBay!

If photography prints are more your style, that’s easy enough to get on a budget. I have some very talented friends and family who have an eye for photography. You can use your own vacation photos and have them printed at Staples or Walgreens!

If you are interested in inspiration style wall decor, you can easily find these available for free! Search Pinterest for “free printables” and you will find dozens!

You can also check out websites that offer free prints. Pexels is one of my favorites, offering free instant downloads!

I wanted to also include some resources to make your digital prints look the best they possibly can. A good printer helps, this one* can print larger sizes (up to 13 X 19″). Also, I highly recommend printing on photo paper, using a piece of regular printer paper will not have the same effect.

As far as framing, Michael’s has the best selection of frames in my opinion. They always have coupons for 40-50% off. You can get a great deal on a good quality frame when they have those sales. I also recommend selecting frames one size up, especially for smaller prints, and using a mat. This will make the prints look more high-end, no one will ever know it’s cheap wall decor!

Apr22018Apr 3 2018

9 Creative Ways to Use an Embroidery Hoop

by RoxanneK, in category cheap decorating ideas, DIY

I’m really not a crafty person, I don’t have the patience for it. I do, however, love cheap decorating ideas and sometimes that requires a little crafting. Embroidery hoop wreaths are so versatile, there is no end to the creative things you can make with them. They only cost a dollar or two at the craft store, so they definitely fall into the budget-friendly category.

One obvious thing you can make with an embroidery hoop is a wreath. My little eucalyptus wreath is one of my favorite craft projects that I’ve ever done. It was so simple, it took less than ten minutes to make!

Here’s a genius idea, add succulents to mini hoops and hang in groups.

When it comes to embroidery hoop wreaths, more is always better. Make a wall of wreaths like you see here from Cotton Stem. Isn’t this gorgeous?

Another creative idea is to use two slightly different size hoops and create a lampshade.

This wall hanging made using several hoops hung from a large branch is beyond beautiful and would not cost too much to make for such a large statement!

You could also make a beautiful mobile for a child’s room that can be easily customized to fit your theme.

Orbs are a great decorating accessory, that can be used almost anywhere! Make a decorative orb using several embroidery hoops.

Take it one step further and fill that orb with succulents and make it a terrarium!

If you prefer more modern decor, try this boho wall hanging.

You can even use it to make a canopy for your bed! These crafty projects are cheap and easy while still making a big impact and those are my favorite kinds of crafts. Want to see more? Check out some of my favorite cheap decorating ideas that look chic here!

Aug242017Aug 23 2017

How to Get Perfect Chalkboard Lettering By Hand

by RoxanneK, in category cheap decorating ideas

Earlier this summer I shared how I made a raised herb garden. I used an old window in place of herb garden markers to mark which herbs I had planted. Using chalkboard paint and chalk lettering, it was a simple project. Today I wanted to show you how to get perfect chalkboard lettering.

First I needed to turn my window into a chalkboard. I taped off each pane with Frogtape to keep the paint from bleeding onto the perfectly weathered window frame (which I found at a flea market). Then I painted each window pane with the chalkboard paint. To get the chalkboard paint smooth, paint it on in very thin layers and use a really fine sandpaper to sand it in between coats.

To remove the painters tape after it’s dry, score all around the edges first so you don’t pull the paint up with it. Don’t skip this step, I found that out the hard way.

Then I typed out each of the words in Photoshop and printed them out. If you don’t use Photoshop, you can try PicMonkey.com, which is a free online tool and very user-friendly.

To use what I call the transfer method, you start by coloring the back side of the paper with chalk (or a pencil if you are transferring onto something other than a chalkboard), it usually works better if you just color the back of the printed letters rather than the whole area. After transferring the first word, I realized it comes out neater this way. Once the back side of the printed words are colored, place it where you want it on the window (or whatever surface you are transferring onto). Next use a pencil to trace over the front of the words, pressing firmly, this will leave a rough outline for you to color in.

Below shows the first one that I colored the whole back of the paper rather than just the letters, which is why you see the chalk all over. Live and learn.

Now that you have your outline, it’s time to fill it in. I used wet-erasable chalk markers*. I would call them semi-permanent. It can only be removed when scrubbed with water.

You simply just trace over the letters that you’ve outlined and color them in.

Super easy!

I’ve had this window outside all summer, and even with the rain the chalkboard lettering hasn’t come off. There is a little overhang on my house right above the window which helps keep it protected, but it has gotten wet and the words have not run or come off at all. They can be erased with a damp cloth, I tried it to see if it worked. Next year if I plant different herbs I can easily change this out.

Now that you know how to get perfect chalkboard lettering, the decorating possibilities are endless, no fancy equipment needed!

*This post may contain affiliate links, read my full disclosure here.

Jul102017Aug 7 2017

Rustic Sunflower Centerpiece

by RoxanneK, in category cheap decorating ideas

A blogging friend of mine recently had an idea for a new group series called Back to Basics. The concept is to create simple, inexpensive decorating ideas that anyone can do. No giant room makeovers or complicated DIY projects, just simple decor. I loved the idea so much that when 2 Bees in A Pod and The Crowned Goat asked me to participate, I couldn’t say no.

I especially like to keep thing simple in the summer months. The theme for this month’s Back to Basics is tablescapes. I opted to do a centerpiece as opposed to an entire table setting. I started with my rustic wooden tool caddy* as the vessel.

I filled the caddy with 6 small mason jars and filled those with water.

I used grocery store flowers for this. I found seeded eucalyptus and these big, beautiful sunflowers at my local store and bought one bunch of each. I added the eucalyptus to the mason jars first.

Then I filled it in with the sunflowers. I felt it needed just a little something more so I trimmed a few mini purple flowers from one of my outdoor hanging baskets.

The touch of purple looks just right combined with the yellow of the sunflowers.

I’m a sucker for the seeded eucalyptus, you can see a wreath I made with it here and an entire wall hanging I put together here. I’d love to buy some good quality faux eucalyptus but it’s surprisingly expensive!

They really brighten up my kitchen.

The total I spent on flowers for this sunflower centerpiece was $11, which isn’t bad! You can also see how I switched out the Sunflowers to Lisianthus for my living room makeover. Once those fade away, I’ll pick up another bunch or two of something else to keep it interesting. Be sure to visit the links below to see what inspiration my talented friends have in store!

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*This post contains affiliate links, you can read my full disclosure here. Linking up with Between Naps on the Porch.

Jun292017Jun 28 2017

Dollar Store DIY – Striped Flowerpot

by RoxanneK, in category cheap decorating ideas, DIY

If you happened to see my last post featuring my front porch, you may have had a sneak peek at this little project. I love being able to pull off makeovers on a budget, so when my friend Rachael from This Is Our Bliss asked if I’d like to participate in a dollar store DIY challenge, I couldn’t resist. But I have to admit, coming up with a project using only dollar store items isn’t easy! To further complicate matters, we also had a theme for the projects, which is red, white and blue.

I found a pretty blue flowerpot at my local dollar store (I forgot to take a before picture of it), and decided to paint stripes white stripes on it for the Fourth of July. I used painters tape to block off the areas in between the stripes.

When I removed the tape, my lines weren’t totally perfect, so I touched those up with a small paint brush.

It’s still not 100% perfect, but I am okay with slight imperfections, they add charm right? I added a small American flag and some white impatiens to complete my dollar store DIY project.

If I had more time, I would’ve done 3 of these and used them as an outdoor centerpiece.

Be sure to stop by and see what my friends created with our Red, White and Blue dollar store challenge!

This is our Bliss | Creative Ramblings | Southern State of Mind | The Honeycomb Home

May312017Oct 13 2018

How To Paint Kitchen Countertops!

by RoxanneK, in category cheap decorating ideas

I’m finally making some progress on the kitchen makeover at my niece’s house! We still have a few projects left to do, but I wanted to share where we are at now. Several months ago we painted her appliances using a liquid stainless steel appliance kit. The results were so amazing, we decided to try their kitchen countertop paint kit as well. The company who makes it is called Giani Granite*. We chose the White Diamond kit because we both agreed we preferred the look of marble as opposed to granite. We had to modify the directions a bit to get that look because the kit is intended to replicate granite. As a reminder, here is a before of her kitchen I snapped with my phone. This is before we painted the appliances.

What you will Need for Counters:

Giani Granite Countertop Kit in White Diamond

Extra White Limestone Paint (5 or 6 extra cans)

Gray Paint

Artist’s paintbrush

Paint pans and stirrers

How To Paint Kitchen Countertops:

The first step is to prime the counters. The kit comes with a black primer and two little rollers. It is super easy to apply. We had also removed the old cabinet hardware and spackled it with wood filler, which is why you see the brown spots on the cabinet doors.

Once that was dry we used the white limestone paint next. This kit only comes with a small can of the white paint, so if you are going for the marble look, you will need extra of that. It took about 5 coats to cover up the primer. We wanted a super white finish for our background. This shot was after about two coats. (Notice the Christmas decor, like I said we started this kitchen makeover last year.)

Once we had our desired shade of white, it was time to paint on the veining. We used our own gray paint for this step, because the kit doesn’t include gray paint. The color we used is called Dark Pewter, it’s a Benjamin Moore color but my niece had it mixed at Home Depot in the Behr brand. We used a small artist’s type paintbrush to draw on the veins. We practiced on posterboard first to get the hang of it.

This part was fun and easy. We were careful not to get too carried away with the veining because we wanted a clean, simple look.

The kit comes with a pearl colored paint and a sea sponge. So for the next step, we sponged some of the pearl paint onto the counters to add depth and interest. When that was dried we sponged a little more of the white limestone paint as well.

Once we were satisfied with the design we let it dry and then we applied the protective sealer that was included. It looked really good at this point so we called it a day. In the meantime, my niece had read some online tutorials for a DIY marble finish and decided she wanted to do another round of white paint and veining to give it a layered look. So we applied one more coat of white paint right over the sealer. Then we traced over some of our gray veining, but not all so some would be darker than others. After that, we lightly repeated our sponging technique. This time we also sponged on some more of the dark pewter gray paint that we had used for veining. It did give it a layered, more realistic look.

We could have left well enough alone and stopped there, but we decided to try out a glaze over top of the included sealer. My niece and I had read about another product (completely separate from the countertop kit) called Super Glaze. From what we read, it’s really messy to work with, but using it would result in a super high gloss glaze which we thought would make the counters look even more realistic.

What You will need For Glazing (Optional):

Superglaze kit** – 2

Disposable gloves

Disposable clear plastic cups

Disposable mixing bowl (we used bowls from the dollar store)

Plastic Drop Cloths

Plastic Spreaders

How to Apply the Glaze:

This part is not for the faint of heart. Whatever the super glaze gets on, it stays on so we took extra time to prep for this considering we had to do it right here in the kitchen. We read the directions several times before beginning. We covered everything in the kitchen with disposable drop cloths and painters tape before beginning, we even tented the sink area with plastic.

You need to measure part A and part B of the glaze before mixing. This is where the clear plastic cups come in. We drew lines on our cups with a sharpie to indicate 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, and 1 cup. We used mixing bowls from the dollar store to mix the 2 parts together. You will definitely want to wear plastic gloves when using this stuff, it gets very sticky and is hard to wash off your hands. I found that out the hard way.

Once it was mixed as directed, we poured it directly onto the counters starting with the backsplash. We worked in sections and carefully spread the glaze all around. Some of it will run off the front of the counters, which is why it’s so important to prep carefully. Another thing we found out the hard way is that you need to keep spreading the glaze around until it starts to set! It could be two hours or longer. Not realizing this, we spread it until we were sure everything was evenly coated and then stopped there. It took a box and a half of the glaze to do the entire kitchen. Once it was fully set, we noticed it had separated in some spots, like little dents or dimples. Ugh!

I was pretty horrified and wasn’t sure what to do to correct this. So we had to do round 2 to try and correct it. I started by lightly sanding down the trouble spots. Then we remixed what was left of our second box of glaze and patched these areas. This is how I discovered that as long as you keep spreading the glaze until it’s almost set, that you won’t have this issue. I wish I had known this to start with, it would’ve saved a big headache. If you do have this problem and have to redo it, make sure you use brand new spreaders so you get a smooth finish. Don’t ask me how I know that. Even with the issues, the glaze made a tremendous difference. It gives a really high gloss shine, almost like glass. It’s hard to see just how shiny it is in my photos. And honestly, because of our setbacks, it isn’t a perfect finish everywhere. If I had to do this project over again, I’m not sure if I would use the glaze again.

We also repainted the cabinets because they were looking dull next to the counters. We were going to use Super White by Benjamin Moore but when my niece went to have the paint mixed the guy suggested using the untinted base paint for a pure, bright white and I have to say it looks great! We also replaced the old cabinet hardware with new knobs and pulls courtesy of Amerock Hardware* and Wayfair. Aren’t these knobs and pulls pretty?

We just got around to repainting the walls last weekend. I took these photos the day we painted them, which is why the outlet covers are missing. The paint was still wet in these photos.

The wall color is called Rhinestone by Sherwin Williams (which is the same color I used in my daughter’s room) and I knew it would look good but I was shocked at just how good. It perfectly compliments and highlights the cabinets, appliances and counters.

These counters took us quite a while to finish because of our issues with the glaze. As for the countertop kit itself, it was really easy to use and made a drastic improvement in the kitchen. I would highly recommend it! Here is another before and after (actually before and in-progress because we aren’t done yet) shot.

Up next is painting the kitchen floors and installing the backsplash. We also need to repaint that door you see (which leads to a laundry room) to match the cabinet and trim color. I can’t wait to get my hands on those floors! (UPDATE: see how we painted the flooring here and how we installed the subway tile backsplash here!)

*Thanks so much to Giani Granite for sponsoring this post.

*Thanks to Amerock Hardware and Wayfair for the hardware.

**May contain affiliate links, you can read my full disclosure here.

Apr242017Jan 22 2018

Thrift Store Cane Back Chair Makeover

by RoxanneK, in category cheap decorating ideas, DIY

I was browsing my favorite antique store recently when I came across this caned back chair that I couldn’t pass up. Knowing that the desk chair I really wanted for my daughter’s bedroom makeover was just too far out of my budget right now, I decided that a thrift store chair makeover was in order.

I paid $20 for this chair and was on my way.

I had thought about recovering the cushion with some leftover dropcloth I had used on these fabric covered books. Then I got to thinking that I’d really like a ruffle on this cushion. I don’t sew and I never will so I started checking out Etsy*.

I found this adorable ruffled cushion from the Etsy shop Flowings*. I contacted the shop owner to see if she could make something similar for me. I would need it customized for my chair due to the cane back which wouldn’t allow for the ties. Fortunately, she agreed.

I didn’t take photos as I went along on this chair makeover, but it’s very simple. First, I unscrewed the cushion from underneath the chair and removed it. I painted it white with Annie Sloan chalk paint. (If you ever have a design question, the answer is most likely white paint. It never fails!) So I pulled out the chalk paint and lightened this piece right up. When that was fully dried, I sanded around the edges for a distressed look. Lastly, I sealed it with clear chalk paint wax.

As for the actual cushion, I removed the ugly floral fabric and recovered it with a dropcloth. Even though you can’t see it with the ruffled dropcloth cover, I feel better knowing that it’s cleaned up with new fabric. In this shot you can see the distressing I did around the edges of the chair.

This ruffled cushion cover really makes the whole chair.

I plan to attach it to the cushion underneath with a little velcro to keep it from sliding around.

I now have a desk chair for my daughter’s room and I didn’t have to spend $350 to get it. It may not be an exact knock-off but I’m happy with it! A big thanks to Flowings Etsy shop for sponsoring the beautiful ruffled cushion for this post!

*This is a sponsored post and may contain affiliate links. All opinions are 100% my own, you can read my full disclosure here.

Feb22017Aug 7 2017

How To Decorate Your Home on A Budget

by RoxanneK, in category cheap decorating ideas

Hello! I’ve been extra busy lately working behind the scenes so today I have a guest post from an up and coming writer, Rachel O’Connor. Decorating on a budget is something I always strive for, and Rachel has some great tips to share on the subject! Here is Rachel:
Let’s be real, sometimes aesthetics is not cheap. However, this doesn’t mean a home’s design has to settle for mediocre decorating. Listed below are some solid tips and advice for decorating a home that don’t involve breaking the bank:

1. Indulge in thrifting, flea markets, and vintage shopping.

Regardless of your personal sense of style, vintage and flea market shopping offers a timeless twist on finding one-of-a-kind pieces. In addition, hunting through a Goodwill or local thrift store is guaranteed to lead you to something as equally unique. Art pieces, old wine bottles, interesting frames, and funky sculptures are definitely treasures to look out for in these places too.

2. Craft your own decorations.

Embrace in the infinite scroll of Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration. Search up your desired hashtags and ideas to spark an idea for making a handmade item. For example, put flowers in mason jars, embroider basic curtains, or weave colorful baskets. What about hand-painting wooden coasters with favorite quotes and pictures? You don’t need to be Picasso – giving your home a personal and artistic touch makes a home all the better! And quite frankly, painting your own artwork and hanging it on the walls is something cool to show off during housewarming parties.

DIY Wall Art

3. Build your own furniture.

A great piece of furniture made by your own hands can not only be simple – but IKEA-worthy! From shelves, vanity pieces, and even headboards – DIY furniture saves a wallet from retail price purchases. Even a simple piece of reclaimed wood can be pressed up behind your mattress as the most prominent accent in a room. New windows can use a little pick-me-up with unique window treatments such as industrial rods and glass-writing pens to put up quotes or daily reminders on the windows themselves!

Cherished Bliss

4. Refurbish furniture.

Yes, that marble and rose gold trend can also make its way into your bedrooms and kitchens. It’s easy! Majority of the time, real marble and rose gold metals are expensive. However, you can easily find marble vinyl stickers that appear to be the real thing and spray paint rose-gold paint on furniture and decorations to save on the investments of the real thing.

Oleander and Palm

5. Add quirky colors to unexpected places – such as a door or vanity table.

Ever thought about painting a door yellow or a vanity table teal? Out of the ordinary colors can bring your fun personality to a room. It’s also scientifically proven that certain colors can affect your mood and cause you to feel happiness – so you might as well brighten up your home and your day with a splash of color!

Inspired By Charm

Thanks again to Rachel for these great tips!

Jan22017Nov 17 2017

DIY Mini Book Page Wreath

by RoxanneK, in category cheap decorating ideas

Happy New Year friends! I hope your holidays were happy! I took a short blogging break last week, but now I’m back now and I am ready for a new year and lots of DIY’s. I recently noticed some really cute book page wreaths on Pinterest, so I thought I would make my own, in a mini version. I started out with the idea that these would be ornaments for my Christmas tree and that I’d embellish them with holly berries. I ended up keeping them neutral, to be used all year. I hung them on my kitchen cabinets for now. These are so cute, and really easy to make. My husband was really surprised when I told him they were made out of book pages!

You will Need:

An old Book

A Mason Jar Lid

Hot Glue Gun

Twine

My favorite version on Pinterest was from this blog, so I started out doing it the same way as she did, but I changed some of the steps to make mine mini. The first step is to cut up the pages of your book into squares. I made my about 2″ X 2″. Then, crumble them around a pen or a marker to give it the ruffled look.

Next, remove the inner circle of the mason jar lid, you only need the outer ring.

I put a piece of parchment paper over my table, for easy clean up and to keep the hot glue from getting everywhere. Place a dab of hot glue on the inside of the ring and then attach one of your crumbled book pages onto it. I ended up using a sharpie marker rather than the pen shown to crumble the paper. It helps if you keep the paper around the sharpie when placing it on the glue, so you don’t burn your fingers.

Once I had the inner portion of the lid filled, I added another layer around the outside of the lid.

When it’s finished, look it over to see if you need to add a little in some spots, or trim it down in others.

Lastly, I added a piece of twine around the outer portion on the back of the wreath. My friends Vicki and Jenn used ribbon to make a similar wreath, you can see theirs here. I attached the twine with hot glue, but only in sections. That way, I was able to add a second piece of twine through that one, to use as a hanger. The back looks like this:

Once I got the hang of it, it only took me about 15 minutes to make each wreath.

I like these so much, that I will probably make a full-size version soon.

What do you think, aren’t they adorable?