A Recycled Accessory

...Here's a fun accessory I saw one day from the Thifty Decor Chick...she has so many great ideas, I just love her blog!  So I needed an accessory for above the shelf in our small mud room. And because we have slate floors and a very neutral color palette, I was looking for something that felt very natural and organic.

I found this tan rope made from hemp at Walmart, and loved it's color and texture. And was instantly inspired to create a natural accessory for above my shelf! I shopped the attic looking for an old vase that was the right size and shape but found nothing. Then I got the idea to use a large wine bottle...yeah, I love to recycle!

I started this project with tacky glue, but quickly realized that good ole' Elmer's glue works better. It doesn't set up as quick and gives you more time to make any adjustments to your rope. I started the rope at the bottom of the bottle and glued every other time I wrapped the rope around the bottle.

The bottom section of the bottle is where I used the most glue. The middle I used much less. And the top where the bottle gets smaller I used more glue again to keep the rope from gaping and showing the bottle underneath.

 

And here it is finished... I just love the natural n' organic feeling of this accessory! And wouldn't 2 or 3 of these be great in a grouping? Wow, accessories that start from the recycling bin...love that!

Frugalicious Friday...Mudroom Reveal!

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Happy Thanksgiving everyone...I hope you had a wonderful day spent with dear family and friends, I know I sure did! Welcome to the 9th edition of Frugalicious friday! This day's all about sharing your fabulous, thriftiest, most frugalicious home decor finds and Diy projects. So come on...link up, we want to see how you $ave!

Okay, today I promised I'd reveal my mini mudroom makeover (and I know your just on the edge of your seat), and here it is....tah dah!

Okay, okay so this makeover isn't the most exciting thing you've seen in blog land. And in my defense I still need to hang those cute little chalk boards on the baskets. But ya know...I really love my new mudroom! I love how organized this space is. And now everything has a place with storage for kid 1 & 2's stuff including shoes, coats, and book bags! Yeah...maybe now I can have my dining room back!

Now I'd love to go into further detail about this fun mudroom makeover, but yesterday was Thanksgiving day afterall, and I've been cookin' my tail off for days now ...I'm bushed! So next week I'll give you the full scoop on this wall o' organization and the simple ideas I used.

Until then...I hope you had a wonderful day and I can't wait to see all of your fabulous finds and Diy projects! So link up if you can, and show us how you $ave!

Frugalicious Friday Favorites

Wahoo, I'm excited...we had 34 participants link up their fabulous finds on Friday. Here are a few of my favorites from this fun day all about $aving!

Jane @ her blog Mamie Jane's showed us her Silver Pedestal Stand. She made this from a silver candle stick and a silver dish! So easy and pretty, and I love how she displayed this candle surrounded by Christmas ornaments.

The Mid Century Madam (yes, that's what she calls herself) from her blog Mid century Madness linked up this super hip cork lamp! Oh and she only paid $5...yup, I'd say she totally scored on this one. I really love this lamp and just look at the texture in that lamp shade...sigh!

Finally, Laurel from her blog Ducks in a Row shared her mirror project she put together for her little girl's room. Aren't these so pretty and at $6 each...super thrifty too! This is so cute and perfect for a little princess.

So that's a recap! As always, thank you for linkin' up! I love seeing every one's fabulous finds and projects and am inspired each week by your creativity and thriftiness!

Remember to check back in this Friday for another edition of Frugalicious Friday...where I'll be revealing my mini mudroom makeover. And link up while your here...we want to see more of your fabulous finds! See you then!

A (soon to be revealed) Mini Mudroom Makeover

We have a small mudroom that I've been wanting to add some organization to for quite some time. On a typical day after school, kid 1 & 2 run in this room, kick off their shoes and basically drop everything! And as a result, I'm constantly picking things up and putting them away. Hmmm...let's see, their book bags I keep in the dining room, shoes are in the mud room, but coats are in the hall closet. Well, not anymore! From now on this mud room will be kid central with storage to hold the kid's coats, shoes, book bags, etc.

I've seen many adorable mudrooms in magazines and in blogland with beautiful cabinetry, cubby's and custom built-ins, but with the Hubby and I's combined 40th B-day trip in the Spring, this is simply not in our budget. So our mudroom needs to be cute, functional and stylish...on the cheap of course!

Here's the shelf I bought at Michael's for just $12.

Usually before I paint raw wood I either prime or stain it. This way if i decide to go with a distressed finish, I've got some depth of color underneath the paint. Here I chose to stain the wood. One thing I hate is when black paint chips off, and you see the white primer underneath.

Here's my work station...our kitchen Island. I love hanging out with my family, watchin' a football game, while doing my latest project!

Next I spray painted this shelf black. Shocker I know, since I spray paint everything black! Super easy though...and took me all of 5 minutes in the garage.

Okay, here's our small mudroom space. I probably could have gotten a better shot here. But this wall is where I plan to hang the shelf. I've also got a few other simple, organization ideas planned. Nothing big...just a few spots for book bags and shoes!

Well, I hate to leave ya hangin', but I'm revealing my thrifty mudroom makeover on Friday! So check back in on Frugalicious Friday, and while your here...link up! We want to see your latest thrifty finds and Diy projects!

A Fabulous Feature

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Today I'm featuring Jen from her blog Livin' The Simple Life. She's a self proclaimed country gal from Texas, as well as a pro at Furniture Rescue, Diy Projects, and Painting! Swing by her blog to say hello when you get the chance because she's got a lot of great ideas and inspirations for you to Ooooh and Aaaah over. Here are a couple of her latest projects that actually made my heart skip a beat!

This project started as an old headboard. Yup, this baby is dark and dated!

Jen re purposed this piece into a totally one of a kind coat rack. I love this idea, talk about thinkin' outside the box!

And here it is finished...what a pretty and functional piece! And just look at this nail head trim, I love this added detail.

For this next project Jen made a custom wine rack buffet. And she started with this simple wine rack below that she picked up for just $30.

First she painted it black. Wow, that couldn't have been easy. Just look at all those wood pieces...Jen obviously has patience too!

Next, she used a leftover piece of ply wood stained with two colors of dark stain, and laid it across the top of the wine rack. Yup, that's it...how easy is that?

And finally she attached carved wood moulding spray painted black, with finishing nails. And be still my heart...here it is finished! I'm tellin' ya...this project is one of my all time favorites! It's thrifty n' chic, and super easy...all the things I love about Diy!

Great job Jen...you are one fabulous Diyer, and I can't wait to see more of your fabulous creations!

A Frugalicious Friday Recap

Wow...I gotta tell ya, I am having so much fun with Frugalicious Friday! And from the awesome 29 posts that were linked up last week...I'd say everyone participating is too! This is such a fun day all about $aving, being creative and just thinkin' outside the box...love that! Here are a few of my favorite fabulous finds!

Loulou at her blog The Life of Loulou created a beautiful monogrammed wall hanging using a vinyl monogram that she bought for $25. But instead of placing this monogram right on the wall, she painted a thrift store frame, placed burlap inside the frame, and then placed the vinyl letters on top of the glass of the frame! Okay, that was the biggest run-on sentence, but the point is I totally love this idea! And look what a beautiful focal point this frame makes above her bed. This is just such a fabulous idea!

And Jen from Mimi Bella Boo linked up her fabulous curbside find! Yup, believe it or not, she found this armoire on the curb in her own neighborhood...how lucky is she? I believe in it's previous life (down the street) this piece was a computer desk. I love how Jen reconfigured the shelving to maximize storage for her daughter's bedroom. She didn't even need to re-paint...that shabby chic paint finish is all natural! I love this fabulous find, it's functional n' stylish...just perfect for her little girl's room!

Finally, Cathy from The Stylish House spotted this idea on HGTV's Rate My Space and immediately added it to her design file. This is Frosted Window Film and is sold for around $20 at Home Depot and Lowe's. What a great idea for giving builder grade sliding mirrored doors a high end look. Take a look at this before and after picture...these doors went from tacky to chic in probably a matter of minutes! Now that's one fabulous product.

So that's a wrap! With 29 participants...Frugalicious Friday last week was a big success! If you participated...as always thanks for the linky love! And if you haven't linked up yet, Friday will be here before you know it! So link up, show us how you $ave...we want to see your fabulous finds!

A Fabulous Feature

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Wahoo, I'm so excited! Thursday's are my new day here at Finding Fabulous for a weekly feature I'm calling A fabulous feature! I'm constantly amazed at all the awe inspiring Diy projects & furniture updates I see in blog land. So Thursday's will be dedicated to featuring these amazing DIYer's who's hard work, creativity and of course thriftiness inspire us all!

There's something about taking an old, tired piece of furniture and giving it new life! And doing the work yourself, on a budget, for less...makes it that much more exciting! Today I'm featuring Julia from finding beauty @ home for her fabulous painted dresser!

before:

Isn't this dresser beautiful? The original wood is great, but Julia was looking to really update this old piece.

She used two coats of primer...very important step, never skip the primer people!

And 5 coats of Behr paint in Black Suede. Wow, 5 coats of paint! I think it's safe to say Julia didn't cut any corners!

And here it is finished...I love this dresser! This old piece now has a classic, updated look, yet still maintains it's original vintage charm. Great job Julia...you are one fabulous DIYer! Go check out her blog finding beauty @ home when you get the chance. She's new to blogging, so let's give her a warm welcome...and a follow while your there!

Have a great day!

A Frugalicious Friday...recap!

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Wow...Frugalicious Friday is gaining momentum, and I gotta tell ya...I am feelin' the linky love! We had 20 participants on Friday and I'm loving all the fabulous finds, crafts and Diy projects everyone has linked up! Here are a few of my favorites:

Fawnda from Fireflies & Jelly Beans shared her adorable wine gift bags she makes with scrap fabric. Isn't this a great hostess gift?

The two sister's from A Crafty Clan linked up this fun, magnetic chalk board they made using a picture frame, sheet metal and chalk board paint...I love this!

Teri from Mama Thompson scored these super cute beaded napkin ring holders for just .99 cents each...yeah baby! Don't you love this fresh green color?

And finally, Jen from Mimi Bella Boo shared her Pottery Barn look-a-like chairs! She painted and recovered these beauties, and don't they look just like the real thing? I really love the fabric she chose...very fun!

pottery barn
Jen's version
So there you have it, another Frugalicious Friday recap. Thanks to everyone who linked up! And if you haven't yet joined the party... Frugalicious Friday is all about $aving, so link up and share your fabulous finds!