Suzanne McGrath Photography

Thrifty Thursday: How to Build a Barn Door Track

I really feel like this project was thrifty in that it was less than a hundred dollars (well, for the track, at least).  And the amount of bang for our buck was HUGE.  So, I wanted to make sure I wrote this post while the details are still fresh in my mind.  So here goes...

We have a typical house for our subdivision - a large open door between our master bedroom and bathroom.  It looks nice and all but we've never loved it.  In fact, years ago I sewed curtains to separate the two areas.  But they were a little too fussy and I took them down when I painted our bedroom a couple years ago.  But now - we are THRILLED.  Behold:

I personally love the doors open and they stay this way the majority of the time.  However, they easily slide closed which the hubby appreciates when I am up at 5:15am every morning:

 

I am not going to tell you how I built the doors themselves because they are pretty darn easy to figure out and there are a ton of tutorials out there.  In a nutshell, I built two doors and sandwiched them together.  I only used three sizes of wood:  1x4s, 1x6s, and 1x8s.  Here's a diagram:

I stained the doors black and gave them a coat of poly.  My only advice with the doors - especially if you are building two doors - make sure they are square!!!

 

OK.  Now that you've got your doors, you need to know how to hang them.  There are actually quite a few barn door tracks you can purchase on Amazon that are priced very competitively.  I can't vouch their quality, though.  I can only show you what we did.  And our DIY version - at less than $95 - was still cheaper than the tracks I found on Amazon!  I followed this tutorial and it was great.  I had a few questions so I'll show you what we did since it was a bit different.  

First, and the hardest part, was finding the steel track.  Home Depot only sells steel in 6' lengths.  Since my doorway is so large I really needed about 9' of steel.  (The width of the doorway doubled.)  I didn't want to purchase two pieces of steel and put a seam in the middle of my track so I did a little investigation.  (Investigation = googling)  If you are looking for a steel track - Google steel supplier.  Do not google steel fabricator.  Anyway, Royal Metal Industries for the win!

I was able to purchase a 9.5' of 2" steel track (3/8" thick) for $14.20.  Seriously.  That's it!  If I was thinking about it, I would have also purchased the straps for the door there as well.

 

Here is the Material list for the track:

(1) 1 x 4 x 10 common board to mount to the wall (cut to same length as steel track) $2.99

(1) Steel for the track - 3/8" thick and 2" wide.  Double the size of your doorway.  (My track is actually 6" longer than double the doorway.)  $14.20

(2 per door) Steel straps to attach the wheels to the door.  18" long and 1/4" thick  (We purchased 6' and cut it into 4 pieces with a hack saw)  $13.99 

(2 per door) 3" garage door pulleys $19.92  

(7) 3/8" x 2" black pipe nipples (plumbing section) $9.24

(7) 3/8" x 5" lag screws $15.40

(4 per door = 8 for me) 5/16 x 2 1/2 hex bolts (connects bracket to doors) $1.92

(4 per door = 9 for me) 5/16 hex nuts $0.88

package of 5/16 cut washers $2.68

package of 3/8 cut washers $3.14

package of 3/8 lock washers $3.82 

(2) 3x3 angle brackets (to stop door from rolling off the track) $5.14

(8) screws for the angle brackets $0.00 - I found them in my stash

I spray painted everything black because I just wanted all the hardware to just fade away.

 

Steps to Install:

1.  Figure out how high you want the track and mount the 1x4 to the wall with screws.     

• We have 1/2" clearance from the door to the floor.  
• We have 1.5" clearance from the top of the door to the bottom of the track.  Our track is centered on the 1x4.  So basically, the bottom of our 1x4 is even with the top of the barn door.
• I used a stud finder and a long nail to find all my studs before I attached the 1x4 to the wall.  
• I made sure to screw the 1x4 in at the top or bottom so I would be able to attach the lag screw for the steel track right in the middle.

The tape marked where my studs were in the walls.

 

2.  Paint the 1x4 the same color as the wall.

3.  Attach the "L" brackets at the ends.

 

4.  Mark and drill all the 3/8" holes in the steel track for the lag screws.  These holes will correspond to your wall studs.  Ideally they would be 16" on-center but our house is all kinds of wonky and nothing is on-center.  You will need special titanium drill bits for this process.  If you have titanium bits it's not hard at all!  (Make sure you drill the holes low enough on the steel track for the wheel to freely roll over the track.  I just drilled in the middle of the steel and it was fine.)

5.  Attach the steel track to the 1x4 at every stud.  This is the order:

• Lag bolt
• Washer
• Track
• Pipe Nipple

We only used a 2" pipe nipple because it was enough clearance for our track to stick out far enough from the wall and still allow the door to roll freely.  The pipe nipple is only there for spacing.  It really does not go into the wood at all. 

We pre-drilled holes and then used a hammer to get the lag screws started.  Once it was into the stud the hubby used a wrench to tighten it all the way.  Make sure your track is level - this is crucial!

Once you've got all your screws in the wall - you are good to go.  Your track is done.  Truly - it wasn't as hard as I expected.

6.  Drill 3 holes in each 18" strap.  A 3/8" hole 1.5" from the top, 5/16" hole in the middle, and a 5/16" hole 1.5" from the bottom.  Ideally, they would all be 3/8" but my Home Depot was out of 3/8" x 2.5" hex bolts.  Hence, I bought the 5/16" hex bolts instead.  Again, you will need a titanium bit. 

7.  Now you need to install the wheels to the straps.   

You attach the strap to the garage door pulley in this order:

• 3/8" hex bolt that came with the pulley
• flat washer
• 2" strap
• wheel pulley
• flat washer
• lock washer
• 3/8" nut

7.  Now it's time to attach the straps to the doors.  We set our door up on top of a book (to make sure we had a half inch clearance above the floor) underneath the track to figure out where to drill our holes.  Once we had it figured it out, we laid the doors down on the ground and drilled the 5/16" holes to attach the straps to the doors.  You basically attach them in the same order as above - just replace the wheel with the door.  If everything is square and level, you should be able to use the same measurements for both doors.

8.  Hang the door up on the track.  Roll it around and CELEBRATE!!!

(This is what it looks like from the side.)

9.  Attach the door handles.  

That's it!! You're done!  

And here is another picture of the finished product - to remind you how far we've come!

I hope this tutorial was helpful.  Honestly, I thought this would be a lot harder than it was.  It only took us a Saturday afternoon to get both doors hung up and we are thrilled.  Let me know if you have any questions or if I left anything out.  And if you do try this project, let me know how it goes! 

 

 

 

Thrifty Thursday...Our Master Bathroom Reveal

I am so happy to be making good on my promise to FINALLY reveal our master bathroom!  Much like when I revealed the shower, this project was definitely not what I would consider "thrifty" in the traditional sense of the word but rather "thrifty" in that we did it ourselves and did not pay a general contractor.  All in, this remodel was right around $13k.  I have to say, that figure shocked even me!  I hadn't added everything up until just the other day and HOLY COW!  We spent that much money???  But I guess we did and we are absolutely thrilled with how everything turned out so it's all good.  (After a bit of research, the National Kitchen & Bath Association puts the national average bathroom remodel at $16k.  And it is suggested you should spend no more than 5 - 10% of your home's value.  We're below both those guidelines so I feel confident in our choices and how we spent our money.  Phew.)

OK.  Grab a mug of coffee or a glass of wine, depending on the time of day, and get ready for picture overload!  Here we go...

This is the view of the bathroom from our master bedroom, specifically from the bed:

I'm still in love with that chandelier!  We put it on a dimmer so I can enjoy it at night but without too much light.

 

After stepping into the bathroom, this is what you see.

 

The toilet is behind the door you see in the picture above.  I built these two small shelves above the toilet because I thought this room could use a little cuteness factor.

 

Rather than doing some sort of built-in storage, I opted for a china cabinet.  I know it's a bit eccentric to put a china cabinet in a bathroom, but I love it and the storage it provides!  Not to mention, I needed the wood tones to warm up the space so it didn't feel too sterile with all the tile and hard surfaces in there.

 

This picture gives you a good idea of how much I mixed metals in here.  I absolutely love all the gold but thought it would be overload to do all the accessories in gold as well.  So I chose chrome for the light switches, mirrors, and vanity hardware.  I think it works because both metals are repeated throughout the space.  And isn't variety the spice of life?!

 

Here's a little bit more pulled back shot.  You can't tell from the pictures, but we actually have 10 foot ceilings in here.  I painted the ceilings black and then painted down the walls about 18 inches or so.  I felt like the space could handle all that black and I love the drama it creates.

 

Another gratuitous shot of the vanity.

 

I adore the Delta faucets and think they are stunning.

 

 

Last shot of the vanity.  I promise.

 

If you keep turning to the right, this is the view.

 

And how fun that the china cabinet lights up?

 

Here is the other end of the bathroom and my beloved bathtub.

 

Of course this shot is totally staged.  Duh.  BUT, this is exactly how it looks when I take a bath.  I love to have my wine and a good book.  

That little wicker basket is purely functional.  It holds all of #4's bath toys; goggles included!

 

 

I love the chrome switch plates.  I think they're so pretty I almost want to pet them.  (And maybe I do?  You'll never know!)

 

Another gratuitous bathtub shot.

 

 

I'm not going to focus very long on the shower since I did a full reveal post HERE.  But suffice it to say I still love this shower.  I think it feels like a spa.

 

I just found this rug at Target and I heart it very much.  The shades of pink are so pretty!  

 

Phew!  I think that more than covers it all.  If you stuck around with me this long, thank you.  I'm working on a post with sources and prices but I think this post is long enough so I'll stop here for today!  And if you read my last Sunday's post, you know I am now happily unemployed.  So if you have any projects or design dilemmas you need help with, just give me a shout.  I'm offering my services until the kids get out of school.  After all, I need something to keep me busy!

Until next time...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thrifty Thursday...How to Turn an Entertainment Center into a Play Kitchen

It has been a LONG time since I've done a Thrifty Thursday post!  But I feel like it's time to jump back into the groove.  Shall we?

Remember when I talked about this play kitchen way back in September!  Well, it took longer than I hoped just due to life and being busy, but we got her done.  Here's the final product:

And here is the $20 entertainment center after I sanded it down to begin this whole project:

 

We just used what we already had on hand for most of it.  I only purchased a few items and I'll list those at the end of the post.

 

I just glued down 4 CDs and bought 4 chrome knobs for the stove:

 

I cut out a square to make the oven door look more real.  I added in a pane of plexi-glass and moulding to make it a bit prettier:

 

And I glued a light to the top so it lights up like a real oven:

 

I bought new hinges so I could change the orientation of the doors.  I wanted them to open from the top rather than the side like in the entertainment center.  They were pretty darn easy to install, which was nice:

 

Here's the refrigerator side:

 

I love the apron detail on the front under the sink.  I think it gives the kitchen the little pop it needs!

 

I simply sewed a few different fabrics onto the back of a piece of curtain lining.  I googled how to "gather" and it was not too difficult, thank goodness.  I used a tension pole to hold the fabric:

 

The faucet was the old faucet that came with our cast iron tub.  And the sink was just a bowl from Target:

 

The curtain rod was made using a leftover dowel I had laying around the garage.  And two nuts glued together.  Then I just spray painted it all!  The curtain was sewed from leftover fabric in my stash.  It's just a rectangle with a pocket at the top:

 

Here's a close-up:

 

I love the back!  The girls wanted a restaurant so we created a Diner.  They actually have played restaurant quite a few times since this was complete.

 

I just cut a piece of 1" x 10" to length and gave it a coat of poly.  I attached it with cup hooks, rings, and chain:

 

And lastly, I put it on casters so the girls can easily roll it around our basement.  (We have stained concrete floors which are perfect for rolling.)

 

And there you have it!  How I DIY'd a play kitchen.  Pretty simple, really.  Here's one last picture of it because I think it's just so cute!

 

Cost Breakdown*:

$20 - Entertainment center

Paint/Primer/spray paint - Free, already had it

4 Casters - $15.92 (could spend less if only two of them had brakes)

Hinges - $8.31

Door pull for refrigerator - $9

Oven and Dishwasher lights - $3

Plexi glass and trim - $7

Chain - $4

Bowl for sink - $5

Total - $72.23

 

*Note: I couldn't find my a few receipts but it's a pretty good estimate.

Just give me a shout if you have any questions!

 

 

Thrifty Thursday...an Easy Lamp Shade Update

OK.  I admit it has been awhile since I've done a Thrifty Thursday update.  Do I have a reason for my lack of posting?  Not really.  I have completed projects but I haven't felt inspired to actually write about any of them.  But I'm here tonight to try and change all that!

This project is so darn easy.  And it costs next to nothing.  Truly one of my favorite kinds of projects.  But I'd probably just call this a tune-up.

Here is the before:

This image is from a reveal I posted nearly a year and a half ago!  Crazy to think it's been that long.

Here is a close-up:

Unless you remember the title of this post, you are probably wondering what, exactly, I am showing you.  Well, look at the lamp shades.  They're slightly boring, no?

I wanted to add Greek Key trim but couldn't find any in town.  So I went the lazy girl way and just added plain, black gross grain ribbon.  The result?  I love it!

 

Here is a close-up:

Such a fun little detail, right?  I mean for about $6 in ribbon (with a ton left over because I just barely needed two packages) it's a great little tune-up.  Am I right?  Or am I right?

I simply glued it and folded over the edge and then clipped it in place with a chip clip so it could dry.  

And that's my little trick for the evening.  

Can you think of a simple little project that gives you such bang for your buck?  I'd love to hear it!

Thrifty Thursday...Styling my Glass Front Cabinets

Hi there!  I haven't done a Thrifty Thursday post in awhile but I thought my little project this weekend fit the bill perfectly.  As in, this project cost me $0!  

It all started when I meandered over to the piano to grab my Christmas dishes to put away.  (They had been sitting there for weeks.  Oops.)  Well, it all snowballed from there.  You know how that works, right?  One thing led to another and the next thing you know, my floor looked like this:

My piano looked like this:

And my cherry china cabinet (as opposed to my 1940s white china cabinet) looked like this:

I may have a slight obsession with china and glassware.  I admit it.

Oh - and here is a little piece of trivia for you.  Do you know how you can tell if something is bone china?  If you hold it up to the light, you can see your hand behind it.  See?

Yes, that is the china we registered for when we got married.  It's Colosseum by Wedgewood.  I still love it - nearly 17 years later!

 

Anyway, from here, I started putting everything back.  When I was finished in the music room, my china cabinet looked like this:

I ended up moving my crystal Millenium by Waterford wine and champagne glasses to this cabinet.  I just felt they looked better in this china cabinet vs. the kitchen glass cabinets since they are more formal.  And I moved my (totally incomplete) set of wine and water glasses to the kitchen.  

Here are some detail shots.  I just love the milk glass!

If you want to know if it is possible to own too many brass animals, the answer is totally no.  The hubby may disagree with me, but I heart them.

 

OK.  Enough of that china cabinet.  Here is the one in my dining room.  I use this one to house my Salvation Army china and my grandmother's china (that my dad brought back from Japan when he was stationed there in the Army).  I think this set-up works because they both have gold details.

And here is the glass cabinet over my desk in the kitchen.  I think I need to paint the back because then everything would pop off a little more...

Notice that bare spot on the bottom?  You know what that means, right?  I NEED to fill it up which will require some thrift shopping.  I'm debating about adding more milk glass or should I get a few more Pyrex pieces?  Hmmm...

And now, the last set of glass door cabinets - the microwave wall in the kitchen.  If you remember, when I posted the final pictures of the kitchen I mentioned I didn't like how all the color was on the right side and the left side was all white.  It looked lopsided.  Here is what it looked like before:

And here it is now:

I actually moved all my cooking oils from the top shelf to my counters.  I think I will like the arrangment much better once I find a tray to corral everything.  If they are in a tray, they will feel more intentional and organized I think.  At least in my head!  But I do like having them down.  I didn't realize how often I reached up for them before and now they are at my fingertips.

Here's a detail shot of the right side:

And now the left side:

And there you have it!  If you made it this far, thanks for reading.  Have you tackled any free projects so far in 2014?

 



 

Thrifty Thursday...Painted Kitchen Cabinets

Well, hello!  The day has finally come - I can reveal my newly painted kitchen cabinets.  WooHoo!  I am so excited by this transformation.  WARNING:  This post is going to be long.  I have a ton of pictures to show you!  So sit down, grab a drink, and take a peek at my kitchen.  But first, here is what my kitchen looked like before:

So let's start with what changed from the picture above:

• bar stools
• curtains
• cabinet color - both uppers and lowers
• wall color
• frosted glass switched out for clear glass
• hidden hinges
• cabinet hardware
• added quarter-round trim 

Here are a couple more before views:

What was wrong with it, you may ask?  "It's a total Monet".  (You knew I had to quote Cher from Clueless!)  "From far away it's OK, but up close it's a big old mess."  

I give to you, cabinet doors that were askew.  (I love that word!)  Not to mention chipped paint.  And...

 

Last before picture.  Notice these doors hadn't closed properly in 10 years.  Yep, that's just how roll out here in the 'burbs.

 

And now for the finished product!  (I still need curtains and an area rug for under the table but that will come in time.)

I just realized I forgot to tidy up the desk wall and side of the frig.  OH well, that's how we live!

The shot below shows you the plain-Jane windows.  I am going to do Roman shades in black/white vertical striped fabric.  They will be so awesome.  But when I tried to order the fabric it was on back-order so they will have to wait.  And just today I ordered sample Flor tiles for under the table.  I love them on my computer.  I just hope I love them in real life, too!

I simply adore my glass cabinets but like I've mentioned before, they need to be styled a little differently.  I don't like all the color on one side and all the white and glass on the other.  But I'm kind of stuck.  It's a matter of function vs. style right now!

This picture below was taken while I was standing in the doorway to the formal dining room:

The pantry wall below.  I wish I had a walk-in pantry.  But alas, I do not.  Such is life with a house built in the early 90s.

OK.  So on to more details...

I have written it on here before, but I ADORE the hardware!

I found this hardware on Home Depot's website.  It's not available in their stores - at least not in mine. And actually, I copied Jenny Komenda of Little Green Notebook.  But seriously, this hardware is so pretty and you cannot beat the price ($1.98 EACH)!!  Here is the pull and here is the knob.  

This little area is our recycle and baking centers.  (Recycle is behind the double doors in the peninsula.)  This is the baking center for obvious reasons - the stand mixer and silver cannisters (from Target, of course).  We added the lights back in March when we had our ceilings scraped.  I love them.  And they're from Home Depot!

 

Below is the desk area in the kitchen.  

 

Here is that whole wall, as seen from the kitchen table.

As for paint, I tried Ben Moore paint this time.  I used their Advance formula for the cabinets which is a hybrid paint.  It acts like oil-based but cleans up with water.  I loved working with it!  I can't say for sure whether or not it will hold up like oil-based paint but I'll let you know.  (Since my cabinets were previously painted I did not prime them.  I just roughed them up with a little sand paper.)  I used Trout Gray but had them add in quite a bit of white to lighten it up.  And I used White for the uppers.  The wall color was also custom mixed.  It was halfway between Bunny Gray and Thundercloud Gray.    

I failed to mention how I filled in the old hinge holes and installed new hidden hinges.  But that is another post for another day.  But I do have to say, I am so very happy I did that.  The cabinets look so much cleaner without the hinges and also, they close.  Bonus.

I love my yellow bar stools!  They are so fun.  They're definitely bright but I think without them the kitchen would be really boring.  

And there you have it.  My newly painted kitchen!  If you made it this far, thanks for reading!  

 

 

Thrifty Thursday...a Halloween Mantel

I'm back with more Halloween decorations.  But I swear this is it.  I'm done.  

I had to wait to put together my Halloween mantel b/c I needed a new frame and I knew I'd find one when I went thrifting (#1 in Six on Sunday).  And guess what?  I did!  A $7 frame was perfect.  I love when that happens.

I will admit that I shamelessly copied Lucy from Craftberry Bush.  But I just love it!  And I'm good at copying - it's a gift:)

Here it is!

 

And with my also-copied Nevermore banner:

It looks good together, no?

And some details.  The only thing I bought for this Mantel was the $7 picture frame and the feather boa.  Oh - and the black net.  I had everything else on hand.  So I took it as a sign that this was meant to be.  

Do you see that two-tier wood serving piece?  Love it.  Acquired it thrifting.  I love it.  (But I didn't get it for this mantel - it just happened to work here.)

One last picture:

I hope you enjoyed my little slide show...

Have you started decorating yet?

Thrifty Thursday...Halloween and Fall Decorations

Howdy!  I am so excited for this post because I LOVE Halloween!  I seriously love decorating for it.  So tonight I'm going to show you what we've done so far.  (We're going to change up my mantel this weekend.)  Sit back, grab a drink, and take a look at a bunch of pictures.

First up...my foyer.  This is what you see when you walk in the front door so I think it sets the tone for the whole first floor.

(I'm not loving that cord so I might need to try to hide it somehow?)

 

Here it is at night.  So fun.

 

I've never decorated my round table but I had fun with it this year.  It's a nod to the Pottery Barn catalogue.

 

I moved our large spider web this year and I really like it up here!

 

And I added just a touch of fall with my hydrangeas.  Love them.

 

Moving on to my half bath.  I added just a few simple touches.

 

Actually, #2 came up with the idea to layer the towels and I have to say, I love it!

 

Moving on to my kitchen...

 

I haven't even officially "revealed" my re-done bar cart but here it is.  I got a kick out of doing this.

Since it was No-Spend September, I found that lamp in my basement but it was pink.  Naturally I spray painted it black since I have a huge stash of spray paint.  I couldn't buy a lamp shade (that would have broken the rules) but then I figured, Hey, leave it naked!  In the end it looks even more "spooky" to me without the lamp shade.  Perfect!

The bottom of the cart is a hodge podge of things that are near and dear to me.  The hubby made that jack-o-lantern when he was a kid.  I found those china dishes at Salvation army last year and I LOVE THEM.  And lastly, those beer steins were a wedding present from one of our dearest friends - brought all the way from Germany.  I am so excited to get to display them - only 16 years later:)

 

Let's move on to the dining room, shall we?

Up until this year, we haven't actually had furniture in here.  So this was a novel concept to decorate.  But I figured, Why not?  Bring it!

Those gray dishes are the ones from Salvation Army and the cream ones I inherited from my grandmother.  I love how the gold ties them together.  Plus, I just love gold.  Majorly.  

Oooohhh...spooky...

 

I love decorating with hedge apples.  First of all, they're free.  Score.  Second of all, that color!  It's such an amazing, perfect shade of green.  I can't get enough.  I even scored enough to use some at my sister's house.  

 

Last room, the family room.  Here's my little art caddy which is now just a fun fall display.  

 

I already showed you my fall mantel, but we added a few things this weekend.  Namely, two strings of lights and a banner.

 

I actually found that banner on Pinterest and copied the idea but made it my own.  I have to give credit where credit is due, though.  Check out this link to see the original!

Again, since it was No-Spend September I just used what I had on hand:  an old newspaper, black glitter and glue, cardstock, and black eyelets.

First, I cut out my cardstock into 5"x8" pieces.  Then I brushed on modge podge and covered the cardstock with newspaper and cut off the excess.  I printed out my letters on plain printer paper using Charlamagne Standard font and then cut them out.  I glued the letters onto the 5"x8" pieces and then applied glitter.  Lastly, I needed to be able to string them together so I added eyelets to the top corners.  Done.  All told it probably took an hour or so?  It was actually kind of fun to put together.  I just hid out so I didn't have "help" from the littles.

Phew.  If you made it this far, thank you.  I hope to have a new Halloween mantel done after my thrift shopping this weekend.  Hopefully I will have good luck.  

See you next week with another Thrifty Thursday!

Thrifty Thursday...How to Make Instagram Magnets

I admit it!  I am late to the party but these were SO FUN to make!  I wish I had more magnetic surfaces in my house.  I perused a few different instructions on the internet so but I learned a couple things so here goes...

First things first, pick out your pictures.  I re-sized mine to 2"x2" which is just about the size you see them on your phone.  I made a grid in Photoshop and uploaded that sheet to Costco.  I'm sure you could easily re-size them on a free app, too!

Once I had my pictures back I cut them with a ruler and an xacto knife.

Next, I cut mat paper (used to mat pictures so it's fairly thick) into 2"x2" squares as well.  I found mine at Michael's.  

Now the fun begins!  First I used regular Modge Podge to attach the pictures to the squares.  

Here is where I screwed up.  I just sort of slapped it on.  But I should have taken my time and made sure all the corners were covered!   This is what I ended up with - fly-away squares!

Oh well.  While it bothers me, it's not enough to make me want to do them all again.

Now the really cool part!  I used Modge Podge Dimensional Magic and applied a thin coat to the top of the picture.  It looks foggy until it dries.  You will likely end up with small bubbles after this step.  Just use a toothpick or a pin to pop the bubbles.

Once they were dry, I attached the magnet.  I bought a large magnetic square with peel-off backing.  So I just cut my magnet into strips and stuck them on the back of the picture.  Ta-da!  That's it.  You've got an adorable Instagram magnetic!

This is the final product (the phone is there to give you an idea of sizing):

You guys, this is so easy and fun!  Buy the supplies and save this project for a rainy, fall afternoon where football is playing in the background and the kids are bored.  It's rewarding and easy!  Enjoy.

 

Thrifty Thursday...Ombre Deck Stairs

I don't have many words tonight...mainly pictures.

I showed you our deck a couple weeks ago but didn't show you my stairs.  I love my stairs.  

Since the view between the treads was so ugly (underneath the deck is a concrete pad where we store things like the car topper and snow blower), we decided to add risers.  Problem solved.  

But since it was outside, I wanted to do something fun with the risers.  So I painted them in three different shades of blue.  In retrospect, I should have painted the bottom the dark color and the top the lightest color.  Oh well.  Maybe next time.

We used fence boards for the risers.  First we cut them to length and then the hubby ripped one of them so they would fit the height.  I sanded the heck out of them because they were pretty rough.  Honestly, sanding was the worst part.  Painting them was actually really quick and fun!

Add a few flowers and ta-da.  That's it!

Do you have any quick and easy ways to add a little oomph to your outdoor space?