How-to

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.

While browsing through Anthropologie, Heather from Poppy Haus couldn’t help but take notice of how they use everyday items to create their eye-catching displays. Thus, she was inspired to recreate their stunning paper chandelier using an item you very well have in your kitchen right now – cupcake liners! Heather shares at Design Sponge how she added depth and texture to a paper lantern by covering it with solid cupcake liners inset with striped petite four papers. The soft glow and graphic effect are simply stunning!

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!

It’s hard to say who is more excited about Jen’s latest build over at The House of Wood – Jen who got to “play” with her new table saw or her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter who graduated to a “big girl” bed! Jen teamed up with the lovely Ana White again to build the sweet little cottage style bed that features a gentle curved design and turned legs. I love how the side rails offer all the comfort and security a little one needs and also add to the style of the piece. So pretty!