October 25, 2016 by Drafts & Crafts

What do you get when you combine a pumpkin and a succulent? A pumpculent- basic chicks are going crazy! Catch the details to this fall DIY.

{Materials}

• succulents (4 for a medium size pumpkin)
• heirloom pumpkin
• soil
• sharp knife
• spoon or garden spade

1. Cut the top of the pumpkin off with your knife.
   
2. Use your spoon or spade to scoop out the inside of the pumpkin. Spoon in some soil and place you succulents in the soil.
3. Tip: Water your succulents one per week. They do not need much water, but they do need sunlight to last a long period of time.

We are crossing another item off of our fall bucketlist with this “craft.” I love me some succulents! I would have them in every corner of the house if my husband would let me. Truth be told, I somehow kill cacti?! How do I even manage this.. it is because I am better at giving advice than taking it. I usually don’t give my succulents get enough sunlight. I am determined to keep this creation alive for as long as possible. This pumpculent (I am coining this term) would make an awesome center piece or front porch attraction. I used an heirloom pumpkin since they are more rustic looking and I love the cool colors they come in, like green and peach. Do you have any fall projects or fun crafts in mind?

Keep in touch,
Dani

August 22, 2016 by Drafts & Crafts

I wanted to purchase plant hangers for a blank wall in my living room and then it came to me, why not coerce my husband into making some for me! Here are the steps to create these DIY wooden plant hangers. 

In designing the hanging wall planter, we first created a test model using scrap wood. This way we could get an idea of what the proportions would look like in real life. And I’m glad we did, because the first model did not look so hot. We had used a stock 1″x 4″ set up in a equilateral triangle, which looked bulky and fat. That meant that we now needed to find a thinner wood stock, or make our own! So Jason broke out the table saw…

Step 1. Set the fence to your desired thickness and rip your entire board. We went with 1/2″. We also wanted the planter to be about 2″ tall, so step two is to set reset the fence and rip the board to the proper width. Using a table saw with a locking fence is the safest and easiest way to cut boards to a uniform size. It also helps to make sure you have a blade designed for finer cuts, not for rough cuts. And remember to keep your fingers away from that blade!

Step 2. Cut the two identical front sides of the triangle. Attach a piece of wood to your miter gauge to help you push the wood for the next cuts. Since these pieces are going to be small, you don’t want your fingers near the blade. And because they will be miter cuts, precision is key. Set the table saw blade to 45 degrees, and make a few test cust with scrap wood to make sure your liners match up. The entire project depends on these cuts! Cut your first piece, and use it to mark your second piece so that they match. Remember, if your piece is cut too big you can always take some more off, but you can’t put any back on! After the front two sides are cut, line them up and mark your cuts for the back piece. It is still a 45 degree cut so you won’t have to change the saw blade.

Step 3. LIGHTLY sand any splinters on your corners, but only use very fine sandpaper. Too much sanding will cause gaps in your miter joints. Dry fit everything to make sure you are satisfied with your joints. If so, make sure the sides of the wood are sanded and clean, and then stain the wood! Because we used pine, we first conditioned the wood with a stain pre-treatment to help even absorption, then applied about 4 coats of Jacobean wood stain.

Step 4. After the stain has fully dried the pieces can be glued. Dry fit everything one more time before you apply any glue. Once you know everything will fit, apply a thin coat of glue to both pieces and firmly press together. You may choose to use masking tape to hold the joints together, however we glued three of ours with no tape and they held together just fine. Wipe up any excess glue with a wet rag and allow to dry overnight.

Step 5. Use the triangles to mark the wood for the bottoms. Each triangle may be slightly different, so it is important to number each triangle and match it with its bottom. This time you will use the miter gauge on a 45 degree and set the blade straight, again using the pusher to keep your hands clear. Sand any rough edges and stain the bottoms. After the stain dries, glue the bottom into the triangles. They should fit pretty snuggly. Turn the triangles on their sides to dry so that they don’t glue themselves to your table.

Step 6. Use a wood sealer on the inside to make sure that water from the soil does not absorb into the planters. One or two coats should be fine. After it has dried, use a waterproof caulk to seal up the bottom joints inside the triangle. The only thing left is to find some succulents and a place to hang your new 

Step 7. Finally, to hang your planters, install gold eyelets from a picture hanging kit on the rear arms of the triangles. I found it helpful to use a hammer to lightly tap the eyelets into the wood to get the screws started. Then use your pliers to unbend a link of your chain, and attach it to the eyelets. We used 28″ of chain. The only thing left now is to pick out a pair of succulents to put in your new triangle planters!

A HUGE thank you to my sweet husband for making my vision come to life and creating these little planters for our living room! If more hours get added to a day, I thought about having Jason help me make some more hangers to sell in my Etsy shop. A girl can dream… have you made any good home projects lately?

Keep in touch,
Dani and Jason

May 1, 2016 by Drafts & Crafts

Hosting overnight guests is a wonderful time, yet preparing the house can be challenging. Here are some pointers to keep in mind when getting ready for company. 

My husband and I truly enjoy entertaining, whether it is a simple dinner or having out of town guests stay in our home. With that being said, I think we can all agree that hosting guests means doing some prep work.  Jason and I are very fortunate to have a finished detached garage with a kitchenette and full bathroom at our new house. It is just perfect to overnight company!! I wanted to share my tips that I use when we are expecting out of town guests.

• Give yourself plenty of time to clean. Sometimes we do our best cleaning right before company comes over! Give yourself a few days to vacuum, swifter, dust, wash, and wipe.
• Have a tentative itinerary. Be sure to know exactly when your guests are going to arrive and when their departure will be. It is always helpful to have some fun plans in mind to take your guests, like knowing the times that your favorite restaurants or museums are open.
•  Stock the refrigerator. You do not have to go crazy, but I am firm believer in making sure your guests have some food options. It is nice to have some snacks or a meal that you can quickly put together at home. Going out to eat for each meal does get expensive and keep in mind your guests most likely had to pay for travel so grab a few extra beverages and snacks. For instance, Jason and I do not typically have soda or juice at the house, but I do pick some up when we are expecting company. While you are at it, grab a bottle of your guests’ favorite wine too!
• Create a guest basket filled with some basic necessities. When traveling, you can’t pack your entire toiletry, medicine, and kitchen supply, so I like to be able to make my guests feel at home by ensuring they are accommodated with some basic necessities.
  
  Here is a checklist to create a welcome basket for guests:
• 2 beverages/2 waters
•  granola bars
• crackers
• advil, tylenol, or aleve 
• tums
• razors
• tooth brush
• tooth paste
• mouth wash
• make up removing wipes
• cotton balls
• Q tips

When you have out of town guests, chances are you are going to be on-the-go.  Creating a guest basket or bag with these goodies allows your company to feel at home. They can grab a quick snack in-between activities or freshen up if they would like. It is the little things like this that will keep your company wanting to come back! Do you have any tips or extra ideas for a welcome basket?

Keep in touch,
Dani