Trash to Treasure.

by Jill St. George on Feb 21, 2012

If  something is tucked away I tend to forget about it – as is the case with my jewelry. So I end up wearing the same pair of earrings five days a week – mostly out of convenience.

As I was pondering ways to display them, I remembered an show on HGTV where they used an old window screen to hang and display earrings. Brilliant!…except where do I find the screen?

Well, when I moved into my new (but old) house, I discovered a pile of old windows and screens leaning against a wall in the garage. And then suddenly that episode of HGTV came back to me. So I pulled out the screen, cleaned it up, and now it nicely display my earrings. I couldn’t be happier with it.

Put a cast on it.

by Jill St. George on Feb 13, 2012

I’ve been toting this old wood box around for most of my adult life. I bought it years ago at an antique shop, but to be quite honest, it usually ends up in the garage because I can’t find a use for it.

Lately, I’ve been very inspired by all of the furniture with caster wheels, so I decided to add them to the box. There are many casters to choose from, but I like the industrial look of the metal wheels. The ones I chose are $4 each at Home Depot. Using a hand-drill, I screwed the wheels into place.

I use it to store firewood. And when it’s empty, I simply roll it to the back door and fill it back up. I love the way it turned out – it’s functional and decorative.

Caster wheels before being screwed to the box.

Caster wheel screwed to the box.

Finished product!

I heart garland!

by Jill St. George on Jan 25, 2012

Since Valentine’s Day has taken over the holiday section of our stores, I figured I’d give it a go on our little blog here too.

In the Nov/Dec 2011 edition of our magazine we featured Jane Milford’s amazingly styled rustic romantic home. In an attempt to similarly decorate my house, I tried my hand at some projects that Jane might approve of. Well, I’m at it again. 

DIY Citrus Body Scrub

by Jill St. George on Jan 23, 2012

These cold winter months often lead to dry, itchy skin, so when I stumbled upon this DIY citrus body scrub, I thought I’d give it a try. Aside from the sea salt, I had all of the ingredients in my kitchen. The orange zest is optional, but I wanted to  give it some color, so I added it. Not only does it look great, it feels amazing. It actually reminds me of a sea salt scrub that I used to buy from Arbonne for $24.

This little ditty took about five minutes to whip up and cost about $2 to make. And like the Arbonne product, it’s made with all-natural ingredients.

DIY Burlap Ottoman Slipcover

by Jill St. George on Jan 12, 2012

Several years ago I bought a ream of burlap, with intentions to use it for, well something. Whatever something was, didn’t happen, so I’ve still got a full ream of burlap. Fortunately, burlap is all the rage right now in design, so there are many uses for it.

I’m currently in the process of moving into a new home, so I’ve got a million decorating ideas running through my head. My son Jax is going on four and suddenly his bedroom is a pretty big deal. So I’ve put his room at the top of my decorating priorities. I’m hoping we’ll be able to avoid the Lightning McQueen comforter, but there are no guarantees.

I own an unattractive ottoman that has been following me for years. With each move, it always ends up in the garage, and somehow seems to inherit a new stain. I’ve almost thrown it out many times, but then I remind myself how cute it could look with a slipcover. And then it clicked – an ugly ottoman plus a ream burlap – Bingo! And perfect for Jax’s new room. So I made this darling slipcover with nothing more than a little hot glue and some yarn.

Materials:

Burlap (amount depends on size of ottoman)

Hot Glue Gun

Yarn & Needle

Instructions (see photos as well)

Measure the length and width of the top and sides of the ottoman. Keep track of measurements. When marking the burlap, give an extra inch for gluing and stitching. Cut burlap for the sides. Do exactly the same thing for the top of the ottoman. Lay burlap out on the floor in a cross pattern (see below). This will give you an idea of how the edges will be glued. Next, glue the edges as if you are going to turn it inside-out. After gluing, turn the burlap right-side-out. Thread need with the yarn and then stitch the edges from the outside of the fabric so that the stitching is very visible. Repeat on all four sides. Cinch with a stitch around the bottom of the cover. Slip over ottoman. It’s handcrafted, so imperfections are ok!

Measure sides and top of ottoman.

Lay out burlap squares to prep for gluing.

Glue edges inside-out.

Turn fabric right-side-out.

Stitch edges.

Cover ottoman. Enjoy its cuteness.

D-I-Y that’s E-A-S-Y

by Robin Salts Beckett on Dec 5, 2011

I made a larger version (below) and a smaller version just by reducing the pattern on a copier. The stars are a simple hole punch.

They’re some sort of metal, but at first I thought they were made of paper or cardboard … which got me thinking, I could do that. And I’m not even crafty.

So I went online, grabbed a free printable crown pattern (different than a tiara, incidentally), ran to the craft store for some ridiculously cutesy paper and made these tea light holders.  It’s so simple.

Keep in mind, if it’s a paper tea light holder, you’re really going to want to use flameless candles.