Merril, the Girl of a Thousand Dreams, loves the organic, natural look of tree stump tables but not the price. Individual tables can go for hundreds of dollars. Merril had to have them though! After finding some free tree stumps in good condition, the process was very simple. The bark was removed and the stumps were sanded and finished with four coats of polyurethane. The results are much better than Merril could have imagined, and her wallet is much happier!
When Valerie of The Caldwell Project saw a bird coat rack from West Elm that she loved but was terribly expensive and out of stock, her “DIY mentality” came into play. What really appealed to Valerie about the inspiration coat rack was the use of birds in place of ordinary old hooks. She kept a lookout at her favorite secondhand hangouts until she stumbled upon a set of wood monkeys that were perfect. With a fresh coat of paint, Valerie attached the monkeys to a piece of pallet wood to complete her unique new coat rack.
Gina from The Shabby Creek Cottage got the idea to turn a hollow core door into a simple, minimalist headboard like one she’d seen from West Elm. Gina didn’t let the fact that the doors are hollow and weak deter her… or the placement of her bed in front of the window. No siree! The clever gal just kept brainstorming ideas until she found one that worked. Gina says the headboard is one of her easiest builds ever and cost only $40.
While looking for a new headboard for her guest bedroom, Brit from House Updated found an upholstered headboard from West Elm that she loved. The clean lines and nailhead trim appealed to Brit’s design taste and had just the right amount of interest. But, best of all, it was nice and tall, which would make the bed a real showpiece in the room. Brit decided to build her own version, making it even taller and super soft by upholstering it with a velvet curtain from IKEA.
Sarah from {Home-ology} Modern Vintage was looking for modern outdoor lighting options and found beautiful porcelain hurricane lanterns at West Elm. She loved the idea of white lanterns, which would be especially pretty at night, and the modern look of the cut-out design. Just before Sarah clicked the purchase button, she realized these would be an easy knock-off project. The end-result was quite similar to the West Elm inspiration, not to mention super easy and super fun!
