West elm inspired

Living in an older home with smaller rooms, Shannon from So Pretty is as Pretty Does has one place to put her bed, and that’s in front of the window. A search online turned up some great headboard options that would still allow light into the room, but they all came with hefty price tags. Instead of breaking the bank, Shannon started a full-on Craigslist search that landed her a headboard with the openness and detail she desired. A few coats of paint, and Shannon says she loves her one-of-a-kind piece even more than her inspiration!

Jae from Design O.C.D. has a love affair with trays and uses them in pretty much every room of her home. When she found a tray at the Goodwill for only $2, she of course scooped it up for her collection. Jae decided she wanted her new tray to have a flashy, metallic look and pulled it off with a gold leafing kit. Jae also offers same great suggestions to make your own tray if you aren’t fortunate enough to nab one for a bargain like she did.

The crafty momma over at Henry Happened shares how she created a cute, yet durable, bag that’s perfect for summer adventures. The secret to the bag’s durability is the use of Plasti Dip, which created a thick, rubber-like coating on the bottom of a craft store bag. Beside from the fact that the bag is just adorable, I love the idea of being able to plop it on the ground while outside without any worries of dirt stains!

Cait and Robert of Hernando House recently came up with a plan to whip their large covered back porch into shape for summer. One of the items on their wish list was a outdoor sofa from West Elm. Well, not the actual $899 sofa, but a more budget-friendly DIY version! Cait and Robert worked together to plan, build, and upholster their cushy sofa. Looks like a great place to kick back after a long day!

Laura from The Steen Style has been hard at work decorating her master bedroom for the past three years. While she really wanted an over-sized, tufted headboard, she certainly didn’t want to spend bahoodles of dollars on one. Instead, Laura took on the bear of a project with the help of her fearless mom. Here’s what Laura has to say:  “The size made this project intimidating,but once we were finished, it was well worth the time…and definitely the money saved!”