Little Boy Bathroom

Today I’m finishing up my blog series about our twin nursery.  I thought I’d finish things up with a post about the bathroom off the boys’ room. 

First, we took down the light fixture and the mirror, filled the necessary holes and painted the bathroom “hearts of palm” by Sherwin Williams.

Then, we replaced the light fixtrure with an updated fixture that I found from Goodwill.  I kid you not, it was only marked $10. And even better is that I only paid $5 for it, because I purchased it on the first Saturday of the month when everything in the store is half off.

Next, we replaced the mirror with a $30 oval mirror found at Kirkland’s during their mirror sale.  I really think the updated fixture and mirror give the bathroom a lot of character.

Lastly, I spent less than $50 to decorate the bathroom by adding a shower curtain from Target, rugs from Wal-mart, little ducky soap dishes from the Dollar Tree, a red storage bin from Hobby Lobby, and a fun life boat décor for the door.

And that’s it.  I hope you enjoyed this blog series.  Check out my project gallery page to find all of the nursery projects and more!

Upcycled Nursery Dresser

AFTER

BEFORE

Like I said in yesterday’s post, I’m a big fan of finding old pieces of furniture at yard sales and thrift shops, and then refinishing them for a new purpose in my home.  Yesterday, I shared how I refinished a $25 Goodwill dresser and re-purposed it for a changing station.  Today, I want to share with you the other dresser in the nursery. 

This dresser was also a Goodwill find.  I actually purchased it a few years ago for $20 and was utilizing it in the guest bedroom.  I moved it to the nursery, because it wasn't really getting used in the guest room.

I refinished this piece the exact same way that I refinished the other dresser…..

1)    I started by cleaning the dresser with TSP cleaner. It can be found at most hardware stores.  I buy mine in a powder and mix it in a spray bottle. 

2)    Using a foam roller I primed the dresser with Zinsser Cover Stain primer.  It took two coats to fully cover this piece of furniture.  I keep this paint on hand for when I find furniture to refinish.

3)    I had leftover navy blue paint (“seaworthy” by Sherwin Williams) from the accent wall in the nursery, and applied two coats of paint to the dresser for full coverage.

4)    I updated the hardware with nickel knobs from Lowes.  The hardware cost just about as much as the dresser, making this dresser cost about $50 when it was all said and done.

5)    Tip:  Always take out the drawers when painting and let paint dry completely before applying a new coat.    

The only problem that I ran into with this dresser is that it had a laminate finish.  This was the first piece I had ever tried to refinish with laminate.  I found it more difficult for the paint to stick to the laminate, but after taking my time and making sure each coat was dry before applying another coat, I finally finished this piece.  I will say, that unlike other pieces that I have done, the paint is more likely to peal off on laminate.  I haven’t had any problems so far, but my kids are still babies.  It will probably get more wear and tear as the boys get bigger.

Re-purposed Goodwill Dresser - Nursery Changing Table

AFTER

BEFORE

I’m a big fan of finding old pieces of furniture at yard sales and thrift shops, and then refinishing them for a new purpose in my home.  Take a look at my project page, and you’ll see that I accumulated a lot of the furniture in my home by doing just that.

Both dressers in the nursery were Goodwill finds.  Today, I want to share a dresser that I purchased from Goodwill for $25.  The dresser is solid wood, and it serves as a duel purpose in the nursery.  It not only stores the babies’ clothes, it also works as their changing table.  I bought a changing pad from Once Upon a Child and found a changing pad cover that I liked from Burlington Coat Factory.  I added a lamp from Goodwill and a cute bin from Home Goods, and I had myself an inexpensive changing station.   And the best part is that when I no longer need a changing table, I can still use the dresser in a little boys room for years to come.

The original dresser was in decent shape, but I really wanted a navy blue dresser.  And because I only spent $25 on this piece, I had no problem feeling bad for giving a perfectly fine dresser a new look.

I refinished this piece the way I refinish most pieces with no sanding required……

1)    I started by cleaning the dresser with TSP cleaner. It can be found at most hardware stores.  I buy mine in a powder and mix it in a spray bottle. 

2)    Using a foam roller I primed the dresser with Zinsser Cover Stain primer.  It took two coats to fully cover this piece of furniture.  I keep this paint on hand for when I find furniture to refinish.

3)    I had leftover navy blue paint (“seaworthy” by Sherwin Williams) from the accent wall in the nursery, and applied two coats of paint to the dresser for full coverage.

4)    I updated the hardware with nickel knobs from Lowes.  The hardware cost just about as much as the dresser, making this dresser cost about $50 when it was all said and done.

5)    Tip:  Always take out the drawers when painting and let paint dry completely before applying a new coat.  The primer and the sponge roller are key to getting a streak free finish without needing to sand, so don't skip those steps.  

I'm linking up at:
A Creative Princess
Boogie Board Cottage
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
Coastal Charm
Create With Joy
DIY Show Off
Domestically Speaking
Elizabeth and Co.
Embracing Change
Flour Me With Love
French Country Cottage
Handy Man Crafty Woman
Lines Across My Face
Liz Marie Blog
Nifty Thrifty Things
Not Just a Housewife
Remodelaholic
Tater Tots and Jello
The Cottage Market
The Crafted Sparrow
The Girl Creative
The Idea Room
The Shabby Nest
The Thrifty Home
Serenity Now
Someday Crafts

Spray Painted Picture Frames & Photos as Wall Art

Framing photos can be a really inexpensive form of wall art.  Today, I want to talk about how I used photographs as décor in our nursery.

I’ll start with the three photos that I used above the changing station.  The photos were from our newborn photo session with Kingfish Photography when the boys were two weeks old.  I actually had the photos taken purposefully to fill these three frames.  I wanted a picture of both babies in the middle frame and their individual pictures on the left and right frames.  We received a CD from our photo session with permission to print the pictures.  I printed three 8x10 photos from the Wal-Mart one hour photo lab for $2.99 each.

The frames were from Ikea for only $2.99 a frame!  They are a light-weight frame with plastic instead of glass.  When I purchased them they were red.  I took the plastic out, and spray painted the frames white.  Then I turned the paper insert backwards, so the white part of the paper was facing out. Using double sided tape, I then centered the 8x10 photos on the white paper before putting the frames back together and hanging them on the wall.

The pictures on the shelves were from our maternity sessions with Kingfish Photography.  We took pictures announcing we were having twins at 12 weeks, pictures announcing their genders at 16 weeks, and pictures of my big baby bump at 30 weeks.  I printed a few of my favorite pictures from those sessions from the Wal-Mart photo lab for $.15 a print.

The frames were from the Dollar Tree.  Just like the Ikea frames, I spray painted the small Dollar Tree frames white.  They were black when I purchased them.  I found the shelves from Ikea for $10 each.  I love having pictures displayed underneath the “for this child I prayed” wall decal purchased from Amazon.

All of the frames, the two shelves and all of the printed photos cost less than $50.  I love using these photographs as art.  They are a beautiful reminder off how blessed we really are.

DIY Monogram Nursery Wall Art

I knew I wanted something simple to hang over the babies' cribs and thought that DIY monogram wall décor would be the perfect piece of art for the space.

Supplies needed for this project:  picture frame, burlap, wooden letters, paint, ribbon, hot glue gun

I re-purposed two identical picture frames from Goodwill for this project.  I purchased them on the first Saturday of the month when everything in the store is half off, so I only spent $2 for each frame.  I removed the glass from the frame, as I did not need it for this project.

I then cut a piece of burlap to fit the cardboard backing of the frame. Then I hot glued the edge of the burlap to the edge of the backing of the frame.  It doesn't take much burlap.  I had some leftover scraps from a previous project, so that is what I used for this project. 

Next, I purchased two thin wooden letters from Hobby Lobby.  I purchased an “A” for Aaron and “E” for Ethan, the monogram of each of my twin boys' names.  The letters are $2.99 each.   You can use coupons or wait for wooden crafts to go on sale.

I then painted the letters navy blue, using acrylic craft paint.  Once they were dry, I hot glued the letters to the burlap covered backing of my picture frame and placed the backing back into the frame.

Lastly, I used some scrap ribbon I had in my craft drawer and hot glued a piece of ribbon to the top of the frame. 

Because my frame, burlap, cardboard backing and thin wooden letters are light-weight, the hot glued piece of ribbon is strong enough to hold the finished product to the wall.

And that’s it.  I like having something so simple hanging over the boys' cribs.  Even better, this project was inexpensive and easy to make, costing me less than $10 total.  

I'm linking up at:
Embracing Change
French Country Cottage
The Idea Room
Liz Marie Blog
Tater Tots and Jello
Serenity Now
The Thrifty Home
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
Remodelaholic
The Shabby Nest
The Cottage Market
The Girl Creative
The Crafted Sparrow
A Creative Princess
Handy Man Crafty Woman
Someday Crafts
Not Just a Housewife
Elizabeth and Co.
Lines Across My Face
Domestically Speaking
DIY Show Off
Nifty Thrifty Things
Create With Joy
Flour Me With Love
Boogie Board Cottage

Coastal Charm

DIY Nursery Banner

Banners are all the rage as kid’s décor these days.  They are often used in parties, photo props or as room décor.  They are also incredibly easy to make.

Supplies needed for this project:  twine, ¼ yard of navy chevron flannel fabric, ¼  yard of  green dotted flannel fabric, ¼ of a yard of green chevron flannel, iron on letters, an iron, scissors, a piece of paper, a pencil or marker, a straight edge ruler, a hot glue gun

To begin, I made my triangles out of three different patterned flannel materials.  I purchased my material from JoAnn Fabric when it was on sale for 50% off.  I chose flannel, because I could cut it without having frayed edges.  I didn’t want to have to hem my triangles.  Felt is also a good material for this project.  You can buy felt by the sheet in the craft section, making it really inexpensive.  Burlap is also a good material that wouldn’t require sewing.  I chose the flannel, because I wanted the pattern and colors for our nursery.  I purchased ¼ a yard of each fabric, so the material only cost me a few bucks.  Obviously, I have plenty of material left over, because the triangles are small.  I may make a few small pillows in the future.  You could also just buy the sheets of felt material

To make sure each triangle was the exact same, I made a pattern from a piece of paper.  I just used a straight edge ruler to make a perfect triangle and cut the triangle out as my pattern.   Then on the back side of the felt, I traced all of my triangles. Then I cut my triangles out using a good pair of sewing scissors.  I made sure to cut about an inch above each triangle, leaving excess fabric to fold onto the twine. 

Once my triangles were cut, I ironed on my letters.  I bought my iron on letters from Hobby Lobby, using a 50% off coupon from the weekly ad.  I spent $3 on my letters.

Lastly, I folded the top of each triangle over a piece of twine and hot glued it into place.  

And that’s pretty much it.  I hung my banner underneath a chalkboard that we used as a photo prop in a maternity session.  I think the banner and chalkboard gives the room character, and I am pleased with how it looks.

I'm linking up at:
Tater Tots and Jello
Serenity Now
The Thrifty Home
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
Remodelaholic
The Shabby Nest
The Cottage Market
The Girl Creative
The Crafted Sparrow
A Creative Princess
Handy Man Crafty Woman
Someday Crafts
Not Just a Housewife
Elizabeth and Co.
Lines Across My Face
Domestically Speaking
DIY Show Off
Nifty Thrifty Things
Create With Joy
Flour Me With Love
Boogie Board Cottage

Coastal Charm

Easy DIY Board and Batten for the Nursery

Using leftover supplies from our wainscoting and board and batten projects downstairs, we were able to make a lovely accent wall in the nursery.  My husband is really the talent for this project.  When we do wall treatments, my job is usually to paint and fill the nail holes.  He does all of the measuring, cutting and nailing.  In this case, he even did most of the painting, because I was in my 19th week of a twin pregnancy and getting pretty big.  He did a great job on this project.  He really dislikes doing home improvement projects, so I was mainly there to encourage him and tell him how much nicer he was making the nursery look for me and the babies.

The supplies and tools that we used for this project were: colored paint, white paint, 2 disposable paint pans, 2 paint rollers, a paint brush, painters tape or masking tape, three inch strips of MDF board, two inch strips of MDF board, a stud finder, a nail gun, nail filler, and a miter saw.

All the paint was from Sherwin Williams. We waited until they had their 30% off sale to get our paint for the nursery.  The white paint is a semi-gloss interior acrylic latex paint for trim.  It is a bit expensive, retailing around $50 a gallon. We bought a gallon when we were working on several different wall treatments in our home, so it has lasted us awhile. The navy blue paint is called seaworthy and the light blue paint is called balmy.  We have found that buying the sample paints is a better bargain for us when we are painting small rooms, instead of buying a $30 gallon of paint and having a bunch of paint leftover.

We purchased our MDF board locally here in Indy.  I don’t have a table saw, so I needed the boards to be cut into strips for us.  After several phone calls and hours of searching the internet, the only place I found that would allow me to purchase cut pieces of MDF board was Chisholm Lumber and Supply.   We had just enough strips left over from our downstairs project to use in the nursery, so this nursery project didn't really cost us anything. 

To create this wall treatment in the nursery, we first needed to paint.  After painting three of the walls a light blue, we taped off the accent wall and painted the top part navy blue. We have nine foot ceilings, so we taped off a little less than 5ft.  We thought that 57in. from the floor to the top of the board and batten looked best for this project.

Next, we nailed strips of three inch wide MDF boards as the perimeter of our wall treatment.  Using a nail gun, we nailed horizontal strips of three inch wide MDF board against/above the baseboard and against/below the navy paint.  We also nailed vertical strips of three inch wide MDF board along the edge of the wall at both ends of the wall.  For the nursery wall, I think we were able to fit two full strips horizontally, and then we needed to cut a third strip to fit using the miter saw.  All of our vertical pieces needed cut with the miter saw. And of course, one should always be sure to use a stud finder and nail in the studs of a wall. 

Once we had the perimeter of our wall treatment in place, we were ready to fill inside the perimeter with two inch vertical pieces of MDF board. To figure out the spacing of the two inch boards, we had to use a little bit of math.  In this case, I only had ten two inch MDF strips left to work with from our previous project, so we measured the length of the wall, subtracted from that the inches of the 3in. MDF strips (6in.) and the inches of the 2in MDF board (20in), then we divided that number by the number of spaces we would have when using the ten 2in. MDF strips that I had left from a previous project.  So in our case, that left us with eleven spaces, making each space 17.25 in.  Before we started nailing the 2 in. strips, we marked where the boards would go with pencil, just to be safe.

When nailing the vertical boards, you won’t always have a stud to work with.  We have found that it nails just fine without a stud, as long as no one tries to pull the nails out of the wall.  You could glue the boards and then nail them.  We did not glue, because if I ever want to get rid of this wall treatment and do something else, it will be difficult to get the glue off of the walls. 

Once everything is nailed, we went in with nail filler and filled all of the nail holes and any small spaces where the boards were lined up against one another.  Once the nail filler is dry, we sanded it down until smooth.

Lastly, we painted the wall treatment white.  I find it is easiest to begin painting with a brush, and brush all of the MDF Board first, being sure to get all the edges nicely covered.  Then I go in with a roller and paint the actual wall.  After one coat, I apply a second coat for full coverage.

Once the paint is dry, step back and admire your work!  I am very pleased with this project.  I think my husband did a wonderful job!

I'm linking up at:
A Creative Princess
Boogie Board Cottage
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
Coastal Charm
Create With Joy
DIY Show Off
Domestically Speaking
Elizabeth and Co.
Embracing Change
Flour Me With Love
French Country Cottage
Handy Man Crafty Woman
Lines Across My Face
Liz Marie Blog
Nifty Thrifty Things
Not Just a Housewife
Remodelaholic
Tater Tots and Jello
The Cottage Market
The Crafted Sparrow
The Girl Creative
The Idea Room
The Shabby Nest
The Thrifty Home
Serenity Now
Someday Crafts

DIY No Sew Kid's Bench Cushion

 

This is a project that I really wished I would have taken pictures  of as I went along.  It’s not a hard project, but I’m not so sure it is going to be easy to explain.  I will do my very best to make it sound as easy as it was.

The first thing I did was cut a piece of one inch foam to fit the top of my bench (bench was purchased from Amazon and the canvas totes from Target).  I had the foam from a previous project so I didn’t have to buy it. Then I cut a piece of batting from a previous project. The batting needed to cover the top and sides of the fabric, so I cut a little extra and tucked it under the bottom of the foam to secure the batting to the underside of the foam using hot glue. Because I didn’t want to sew anything for this project, hot glue was my choice of adhesive. I know it sounds crazy, but I swear it works. 

Once my foam and batting were attached, it was time for the fabric. I basically wrapped my foam with the fabric the same way I would wrap a present. I took a piece of fabric that was probably two inches longer than the width of the cushion and two inches longer than the length of both the front and back of the cushion. And from there I just sort of wrapped it. Making sure everything was glued nice and neatly, and that all of my edges looked hemmed even though they were glued.

When the boys get older, I will probably Velcro the bottom of the cushion to the top of the bench to keep it secure, but for now the cushion just sits on the bench.

And that’s pretty much it. I bought the fabric from Hobby Lobby using a 40% off coupon from the weekly ad. I purchased one yard of fabric.  Like, the fabric for the curtains and the crib skirt, this fabric was thicker fabric for upholstery.  I loved the little blue and green automobiles.  I thought it went perfect with my blue and green canvas bins.  The fabric was marked $7.99, so this cushion cost me around $5 to make.

DIY No Sew Crib Bumper

Today I want to share with you how I made no-sew crib bumpers for our twin boy nursery.  Before I begin, I know that bumpers are controversial these days.  Some people are not comfortable with bumpers, due to recent studies saying that they can be a suffocation hazard.  Others prefer the mesh bumpers that they sell separate from crib sets.  Some still prefer padded bumpers, so their babies don’t bump their heads when they start moving around.  Personally, we have kept our babies in bassinets in our room while they are small, and will not move the babies to their cribs till they are bigger and sleep through the night.  We feel comfortable using bumpers on our cribs, but it is a personal choice that each individual parent needs to make for themselves.

Having said that, the first thing I had to do when making my own bumpers was to buy the following:

1) crib bumper inserts - You can find them at most craft stores. They are called Nu-Foam bumper pads.  I bought mine from JoAnn Fabrics. They are packaged as six foam inserts that fit the inside of a standard crib.  Regular retail price is around $30 for one standard crib. Remember, I had to purchase two packages, because I was making two crib sets.  I waited until inserts and pillow forms were half off in the weekly ad, and then I purchased two sets for around $30 total.

2) fabric -  I actually found my fabric on Ebay for $3.99 a yard. Unlike the crisp upholstery fabric I used for the crib skirts and curtains in the nursery, the fabric I purchased for the bumpers was a basic cotton fabric.  I bought two yards of the navy and white polka dot fabric and two yards of the white and navy polka dot fabric.  I spent $16 on all of my fabric.  That was enough fabric for both cribs, and I have fabric left over if I want to make some pillows in the future.  Fabric.com is also a good place to buy fabric, as well as Hobby Lobby, Michael’s or JoAnn Fabrics.  Just be sure to use a coupon from the weekly ad or wait for the fabric to go on sale, if you want to get the best deal.

3) ties for the bumpers -  The ties were navy blue ribbon and bias tape. I chose to use ribbon on the front of the crib and bias tape on the other three sides of the crib. I bought my ribbon from JoAnn Fabrics when ribbon was half off.   It took two spools of ribbon for each crib. The spools were regular priced around $3-4 a spool. You can find bias tape near the quilting section of craft stores. It is fabric cut into long strips. It usually comes with three yards in a package and cost about $2-3 per package. I used three packages total for both cribs. I spent close to $25 for all of ribbon and bias tape. Of course, you don't have to use ribbon at all. Bias tape on all four sides will work just fine.  I personally love the way the ribbon dressed up the front of the crib.

Making the no-sew bumpers was really easy.  First I cut my material to fit my bumper, allowing an additional one inch on all four sides of my fabric.  I ended up with eight pieces of cut fabric for each crib. Two short navy and white polka dot pieces, two short white and navy polka dot pieces, two long navy and white polka dot pieces, and two long white and navy polka dot pieces.

Second I cut my ribbon for the front of each crib.  I chose to use six bows on the front of each crib, three across the top and three across the bottom.  Each bow took two pieces of ribbon, so each crib took 12 pieces of ribbon.  I don’t know exactly how long I cut the ribbon.  I cut it just long enough for a good sized bow, but if I had guess it was maybe a foot long.

Next, I cut the ties for the remaining three sides of the crib.  I chose to use four ties for the sides of each crib and six ties for the back of each crib.  Each tie took two pieces of cut bias tape.  I cut each piece just long enough to tie a double knot.

Once everything was cut, it was time to start ironing with the Heat and Bond.  I started with the sides of the crib.  I turned two pieces of my fabric for the side of the crib inside out and ironed three sides together with the Heat and Bond (keep one shorter side open to insert bumper pad), leaving an inch opening on each side where each bow and each tie needs to go.  Then I turned the fabric right side out, and inserted a foam bumper pad.  Next I neatly tucked my fabric in on the remaining side and sealed it with my hot glue gun.  Lastly, on each of the openings I left for the ribbon and bias tape, I secured my ties to the inside of the fabric using my hot glue gun.  As with any bumper, store bought or home made, make sure the ties are secured well.  You don’t want babies pulling them off and choking on them.  I feel as though mine are secure, but you may choose to make them more secure by sewing each one on with needle and thread.  I repeated these steps for the remaining three sides of the crib.  With the two longer sides, I inserted two foam bumper pads instead of one.  Again, my version of my entire crib set was a no-sew version, but the steps would be the same if you were sewing with a sewing machine.  Just replace the Heat and Bond with thread.

 

The total cost for the finished crib bumper was close to $70 or about $35 each.  I know what you are thinking, that’s kind of high for a DIY project.  Maybe it is, but keep in mind that I only spent $15 for each DIY crib skirt and $10 for each green polka dot sheet from Target.  My mother-in-law made the crib blankets, for a cost of $40 for each blanket after shipping and supplies.  And in case anyone is wondering where I found the green and navy elephant fleece blanket, those were from Burlington Coat Factory for $15 each.   So the total cost of each crib set with a bumper, skirt, sheet, quilted blanket and fleece blanket is about $115 each.  Now I know that is about the same cost as a crib set from Wal-Mart or Target.  But I didn’t want a crib set from Wal-Mart or Target.  Unfortunately, I have a little more expensive taste when it comes to design.  I really wanted this crib set that I saw in Carousel Designs, which would have cost me a total of $500 a piece.  Rather than spending $1,000 for two navy blue and green chevron crib sets from Carousel Designs, I ended up spending about $230.  And I have to say that I actually like the look of my finished crib set better than what I saw in the catalog.  Plus, my MIL made the boys their quilted blanket, so my finished product even has a little sentimental value.

I'm linking up at:
Liz Marie Blog
The Thrifty Home
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
Remodelahol
The Shabby Nest
The Cottage Market
The Girl Creative
The Crafted Sparrow
A Creative Princess
Handy Man Crafty Woman
Someday Crafts
Not Just a Housewife
Elizabeth and Co.
Lines Across My Face
Domestically Speaking
DIY Show Off
Nifty Thrifty Things
Create With Joy
Flour Me With Love
Boogie Board Cottage

Coastal Charm