the clever chic

Pretty Pantries

2010-09-14T17:24:00.000-06:00

Running out of places to decorate in your home? Try making over the pantry! Have you seen the amazing pantry makeovers floating around blog land? Pretty awesome! I once had a nice big pantry and I wish I had made it over to something cute. Maybe one day I'll have a big pantry again! In the meantime, check out these gorgeous pantries.

House of Smith's Pantry Remix

Decor Chick's Pantry Makeover

The Stories of A to Z Organized Pantry

Amber Lane Living Pantry Redo

A Little of This. . .A Little of That Pretty Pantry

Kids boredom Busters...

2010-08-11T07:34:00.003-06:00

Each day this summer I tried to do something fun & crafty for my kids. I usually made it about once a week!! oops....

I would assign a letter of they day & my girls were in charge f thinking that something that began with that letter that we could make...Here are the pics from our letter "B" day. (I forgot to take pics for the other projects...another oops!!)

This is our magnet Bumble Bee. We used plastic bags for the wings & Pipe cleaners for the Antoni & mouth. I also attached a close pin to the bad so they could hang their other projects from them.

We also made Butterfly puzzles. I printed off a cute pic of a butterfly off the internet & the girls each colored them. They then clus them to a piece of constuction paper & once the glue was dry we cut out the puzzle pieces.

Children's Aprons...

2010-08-11T07:08:00.004-06:00

I have been OBSESSED with aprons lately. I am so excited about the one that I just made for my 2 oldest girls & my 2 of my nieces. I started out by measuring from their torso to their collar bone to hip & then from hip to the knee. I took it from there to come up with the pattern. I made 1 that is just one solid piece of material & the other 3 are 2 pieces....well the pink camo ones are actually 3 counting that I added a belt down the middle. I have NEVER made these before. I have just been blog stocking like I LOVE to do & have seen SO MANY cute aprons out there & thought "I can TOTALLY do this!!" It was a LONG day of sewing & making mistakes & re-sewing. Then I FINALLY got it!! I LOVE THEM & so do my girls. They beg me to wear them all the time...& I just want to frame them because I worked so hard..lol!!! =) But now I know how & so I have a few friends & sisters & more nieces, so I am going to be making a BUNCH more & I'll post pics when I make the adult sized ones. For my 2 nephews I am making some tool belts!! I don't have boys so I was a bit stumped but they are almost done & they are WAY cute!!! I'll post pics once I finish them as well. The hubbs was a bit tired of all the sewing mess so I am taking a break. Let me know what you think.....

I put a pocket on the front of each of them to hold a marker, 2 pencils & some scissors....

This is the one piece...

Hope you all enjoy & it sparks all you sewer's out there to try one out!! This was a Major challenge for me....which I TOTALLY LOVED!!!

PEACHY COOL!

2010-08-10T09:22:00.004-06:00

Holy Moly! I am so excited about these sites!!!!!!!! You probably knew about them long ago, but I just found out about them yesterday. Take a look!

Peachy Chic has the cutest do it yourself jewelry for way cheap. They send you everything you need to make trendy jewelry all by yourself!

Peachy Cheap has daily deals on scrapbook stuff!

A Side of Peaches has a special deal everyday on everything from jewelry and other accessories to home decor!

Dresser Redo

2010-08-07T15:03:00.003-06:00

I finally finished painting my old dresser for the girls' room! Take a look!

Here's the BEFORE picture:

Here's the AFTER picture:

Just in case you're wondering, I used the same technique on this as I did on the bunk beds!

Another great GIVEAWAY!!!!

2010-08-04T13:55:00.004-06:00

ANOTHER giveaway hosted by Lolly Jane Boutique!!! Can I just say that I LOVE THEM!?!! Check them out http://lollyjaneboutique.blogspot.com/

This is the fantastic prize to one lucky gal.......

We know, we ♥ it too :)

So, here's your chance to own a one-of-a-kind Lolly Jane home décor:

1. Be a follower of Lolly Jane's blog
2. "Like" us on FaceBook
3. Leave a comment so we know how to find you :)
aaaaaaand
4. For an added bonus, link it up!

Wait! There's more!
We have a SuRpRiSe twist when we announce the winners... oh darn, did I just ruin the secret? Wait 'n see............ ;)

You have until 08/05/2010 at midnight to enter

How to create a Football Lampshade...

2010-07-30T08:12:00.008-06:00

I had to steal this idea from my AWESOME friend over at Lolly Jane Boutique. It is completley adorable for those of you with boys or a hubs that wants a sports themed office. So here is how to Create a Football Lampshade... or should I say how to make your lampshade look like a football?! Either way, it's a great way to tie in the theme of your little guy's room!

(Seriously though all credit goes to Lolly Jane Boutique!!)

Supplies. What you will need:

Step 1: Measure the lampshade:

Measure the lamp's length and make marks lightly (in pencil) of how tall you want your "football stitching" laces to be. You will make 2 vertical laces. You will also make 6 rows of horizontal laces that will cross the vertical laces, (with 1/2" length remaining on each side after crossing the vertical laces.)

Step 2: Cut holes for the laces:

Using a sharp razor tip, slit a small hole vertically (approx 1/4 inch.) at your markings. Note: it should be conspicuous but large enough the shoelaces can easily slip through.

Step 3: Thread the laces:

Starting at the top, simply poke the shoelace through the top and bottom holes, creating a straight vertical line, leaving a 1/2 inch "tail" hanging from each side. Repeat so you have 2 shoelaces side by side with a 1/4" gap.

Step 4: Stitch the lace:

Stitch the 1/2" tail through the front of the shoelace, creating sturdy "football stitching." This will hold the vertical laces permanently in place. Repeat until both sets of laces are tight. Tip: Hot glue will work for this as an alternative for those who simply dislike sewing ;)

Step 5: Cross the laces:

Cross the horizontal laces over the vertical laces, leaving approx. 1/2" on each side, creating the look of football stitching.

Step 6: Make your whistle pull.
Note: I left my whistle hanging the same length as the original pull.

Step 7: Attach to the lampshade.
Instead of switching the original pull to the whistle pull, I clipped the original shorter (it should not be visible when looking at the shade) and simply tied the whistle to the lampshade.... yes it is strictly "for looks." Easy peasy, right? ;)

AWESOME Lolly Jane Giveaway....

2010-07-30T08:00:00.007-06:00

Today is the LAST DAY to enter so Head on over to........http://whippycake.blogspot.com

.........to enter in this FAMULOUS giveaway from one of my dearest friends. This is the spectacular prize for one luck gal...........

SERIOUSLY who doesn't want ALL OF IT!?!?! I know I totally Want it ALL!!!!

BUNK BED REDO

2010-07-23T08:26:00.006-06:00

Check out my bunk bed transformation! My husband and I had been in the market for a bunk bed for awhile. Wal-Mart has some cute ones in the $250 price range, but really I just wanted an old bunk bed that I could paint, because I LOVE painted wood!!!! I know it's probably trendy, but I LOVE IT! So, then one day we got pretty dang lucky. Back in May, my hubby was taking my daughter to school and on the side of the road he saw a bunk bed with a sign that said, "FREE BUNK BED." He called me and I immediately thought that it must be falling apart and ugly if it's free. Then he sent me a picture of it on my phone and I was THRILLED!!!! It was sturdy solid wood with cool rod iron detail. This is the bed I had dreamed of finding and IT WAS FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! I knew that after a little paint and magic, it would be PERFECT! Please take a look at the before and after.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I didn't even prime this beauty. Just 3 coats of white paint, distressing with sandpaper, stain to give it an antique look and one coat of polyurethane. Oh yeah. Do you like the cute damask bed spreads?? It's a bed in a bag from Wal-mart.com.

I am really into chandeliers right now, aren't you? Check out this one from IKEA. It's $39.99, which isn't too bad for a chandelier.

Cupboard Headboard

2010-07-20T06:05:00.005-06:00

My friend, Jennie made this awesome headboard out of cupboard doors. She bought the cupboards at a place called Restore. Habitat for Humanity gives their leftovers to Restore and then the proceeds of purchased items go to help local Habitat for Humanity Centers. Jennie bought these for $3/each. Then she painted them black, sanded them and hung them on the wall above her bed. I absolutely love the outcome! How creative, at such an inexpensive price and helping a good cause all at the same time! Thanks for sharing Jennie, we hope to have more of your craftiness on our blog in the future!

SPRAY PAINT....

2010-07-07T18:44:00.004-06:00

Can I just say how much I LOVE spray paint?! I LOVE paint in general but spray paint is particularly FABULOUS as far as I am concerned!! I have these 3 AWESOME sturdy lamps that were given to me about 7 years ago. They have been MANY colors. A few of them NOT so PRETTY but they are now BLACK & FABULOUS!!!!

Before:

AFTER:BEFORE:

AFTER:

Seriously who needs to buy a new lamp when all your lamp needs is some PAINT & Maybe a new shade?!

All you have to do is clean off any dust & chipping or peeling paint & once they are clean & dry SPRAY AWAY!!!!! SO EASY!!!!!

Homemade Lemon Sugar Hand Scrub...

2010-05-21T11:55:00.002-06:00

I figure that since I forgot to post last week I should post twice this week!!! =) Plus this was just too cool & TOTALLY me, so how could I resist sharing it with EVERYONE!!!

My Dear friend in Utah emailed me this today & I am in LOVE with it! It is a homemade hand scrub. All you need is:

~12 oz Mason Jar

~2 1/2 cups of Sugar
~1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
~4 Table spoons Lemon Juice

Mix really well until you get a gritty paste, then spoon into your mason jar.
You only need a very small amount and it may need to be mixed before you use it. Tie a spoon to the side of the jar & leave it with the jar!!

WAHLAAA.......

My friend used this for gifts for her son's teacher & for her friends birthday gift!!! LOVE IT!!! Hope you enjoy!!

***You can find this & other great things at www.childmade.com.***

Recycled Fabric Ideas....

2010-05-20T13:56:00.006-06:00

This week I have been REALLY thinking ALLOT about how I can reuse some of my OLD 'JUNK'!!! Well here are some GREAT ideas:

One of my very good friends over at Lolly Jane Boutique had this AWESOME idea. I have so much left over fabric & with having 3 little girls I should be reusing it for fun girlie things. So here is a great idea for reusing your scrap fabric or old T-shirts like she used.

Head over to www.lollyjaneboutique.blogspot.com/ for the full detail!

NEXT :

While I was 'Blog STOCKING' Like I so often do when my kids nap (I should be cleaning or I don't know doing laundry!! But I don't!) I stumbled upon this Great tutorial on making a hand bag out of a pillowcase! SWEET!!! Check it out here...

www.3punkmom.blogspot.com/

Diaper Clutch Tutorial...

2010-05-06T13:02:00.003-06:00

I LOVE finding new sewing projects to work on & I LOVE this one. I would have to say that this is one of the BEST tutorials that I have seen. Very details with great pictures.

I am hoping to finish mine tonight....but we will see what the hubbs thinks about me breaking out my sewing mess. =) I may loose that battle & have to finish it this weekend. But for those of you with kids or baby showers coming up, these make AWESOME gifts. I think they are so cute. You can buy material that matches your diaper bag & have them coordinate. Check it out & let me know what you think. I will post pictures as soon as I finish mine. I am also making a matching Wipes case. I will attach a link on how to make one of those as well. Even if you don't have a baby in need of wipes I LOVE these for the random messes that happen when you have kids or a messy husband ;)...

ENJOY...

http://mudpuddlesanddaisies.blogspot.com/2010/03/diaper-clutch-tutorial.html

Late Wednesday.....

2010-04-30T10:02:00.006-06:00

Oh man this week has been NUTS!! So sorry for not being able to post on Wednesday. I figure better late than never...RIGHT?! =) I have company in town & we have ALL been sick!!! So this week I wanted to show you a fun thing I made a while back & I enjoy it SO much that I have to share it. Since I use it EVERYDAY!!!

1st item: A dry erase board made out of an old picture frame. I painted the frame black & then to add some color I simply added scrabook paper to the back cardboard piece to the frame & added a ribbon & a scrapbook flower. Then I hot glued 6 heavy duty magnets onto the back & it hangs on my fridge. So when I am cooking dinner & I run out of something or I remember something I need to buy next shopping trip. I simply right it on here!! WAHLAH!!!!

2nd Item: My Menu board. Also an old frame that I painted black. I then used the same scrapbook idea. My amazing sister-in-law owns...www.vinylwallenvy.com & she ROCKS!! I had her print off a grid with all my meals & days printed in "mirror" format. I then carefully placed the Vinyl on the inside of the glass. So that when I write on it the vinyl wont start to peel off with multiple cleaning....Because I have some MAJOR cleaning O.C.D.'s!!!! & WAHLAH....A Menu board for the fam!!

I hope you enjoy & give one of these FANTASTIC crafty/organizing thingy mabobs a try!!! =)

Stop Me Now!

2010-04-30T07:14:00.000-06:00

Okay, I admit it. I love crafts. In fact, I enjoy looking at craft blogs almost as much as I enjoy crafting itself! And a lot of times my days are too full to sit down and craft, so looking at crafts is the second best thing. Of course that leads to finding all sorts of cute things I want to try which then leads to a list of items I need to get at the craft store so I can try them. And of course then I go to the craft store and get those items and add to my stash of "as soon as I get time I'm totally making that" craft supplies. So, since I haven't had a lot of time to craft lately, here are just a few things on my never-ending "must make" list:

Nursing cover from Sew Much Ado

T-shirt Hat from At Second Street

Candle Mirror Centerpiece from Thrifty Decor Chic

Picture Charm Bracelet from Stories by Me

Sunburst Mirror from Room to Inspire

And yes, I could go on and on and on because my list of bookmarked pages is quite long! Anyone else have this problem? I am a craft addict!

A dresser re-do

2010-04-27T15:05:00.000-06:00

My cousin Jenny was inspired to do a little before and after work with some furniture. She took the plunge and painted her dresser! Wahoo! Look how awesome it turned out!

BEFORE

AFTER

Close up of the hardware. She stuck with the original and it looks so good against the blue!

Way to go Jen! We love it! Isn't it amazing what a little paint can do?

Do it Yourself Wall Texture

2010-04-26T12:28:00.005-06:00

This is the BEFORE picture of my basement. I actually don't hate the green it was painted when we moved in, but after two years of living with it, I was ready for a change. The walls were pretty hammered, so instead of fixing every ding/hole individually, I decided to take on the not so small task of re-texturing the walls all by myself.

I absolutely LOVE how it turned out! Is it called old world texture? I'm not sure.

Here's a quick how to. I used light weight joint compound (drywall mud) for the texture. Using a 6" plastic paint scraper spatula thingy I smothered the walls with it. You want to thinly and smoothly cover a 3'x3' section at a time. Then with the clean side of the paint scraper, drag it slowly over the top of the wet drywall mud to create the different lines and/or spots. Try to avoid leaving paint scraper lines. You just want the natural looking lines that appear while slowly dragging the scraper downward. Hmmm. That sounds confusing. Maybe I will video tape myself doing it sometime for a better explanation.

Next, let the mud dry completely and then sand over all the walls lightly with a swiveling sandpaper stick? Wipe dust particles off of walls with a damp cloth. Now you're ready to prime. Priming on top of drywall mud is very important. I used two coats of primer because the mud soaks it up like crazy. AND primer IS less expensive than paint. Then I used one coat of beige colored paint on top of the primer. You only need one coat because you will be covering any imperfections with the glaze.

Last but not least, GLAZING. USE DISPOSABLE GLOVES FOR THIS. Get yourself a few cheap sponges. I prefer to use the car washing sponges at Wal-Mart, cut in half. I bought a quart of Van Dyke colored glaze from Kwal Paint and only ended up using 1/3 of it for the whole living room in the basement. Dip one end of the sponge in the glaze and don't be afraid to just start working it onto the wall in small sections. Really get into the different grooves that you made with the drywall mud. You want the grooves to be darker. The glaze is oil based, which makes it easy to play with since it won't dry fast. Then using the other end of the sponge, wipe it off. Use circular motion and heavy pressure to put it on and circular motion and lighter pressure to take it off. If you like the darker look, do it dark. If you like a lighter look, do it light. Clear as mud, right?

This is the accent wall. I didn't glaze the accent wall. The red is from Behr Paint called Red Red Wine. It took like three coats.

This technique is time consuming, but WELL worth it. I think it turned out great and now I want to do my whole house like this! What do you think?

REAL Tools for a REAL Boy

2010-04-23T06:00:00.002-06:00

My son is six years old and has always been obsessed with how things works. He loves to figure things out and he's pretty amazing at doing it. Any time I work with my tools he likes to be right there next to me. And whenever one of the toys in the house runs out of batteries, he is the first one to grab a screwdriver and batteries and replace them. (Thank goodness because I really don't like doing it!) I've never bought him play tools because he doesn't want to PLAY with tools, he wants to USE tools. So for Christmas I bought him his very own set of real tools! I found a small plastic tool box and filled it with a small hammer, screwdrivers, a tape measure, a wrench, pliers, oh, and some batteries so he can replace all the old ones to his heart's content. I also got him a small battery operated screwdriver.

I've been meaning to put his name on the outside.

Then, knowing his love for using a screwdriver, I made something for him to practice on. I got a wood plaque and the letters to his name, painted it, and then pre-drilled the letters to the plaque. I then outlined the letters with a sharpie so that when he removed them, he could put them back and match up the holes.

He loves his tools! And he has something he can really put together and take apart with them.

Linking up to the usual parties on our sidebar as well as:

Wednesday....

2010-04-21T20:53:00.004-06:00

Well Wednesday came too quickly this week. I had planned on finishing A LOT more projects than I actually accomplished while the hubbs is MIA! Well unfortunately there was a lot more to do than I had expected. Isn't that usually how it goes? I always seem to think I can do more than is possible!

So here is the one & only project I completed......My China Hutch. I have to apologize for the poor lighting. I will post better pictures tomorrow when the sun is in that room. I was tired of the all over white. I have white dishes & I wanted them to stand out. So I painted the inside a barn red. I LOVE IT!!! I then painted the outside an antique white. Once it was completely dry I then sanded the edges for a warn look & polished it off with a "rub" technique. I used a dark walnut stain & worked it into the corners & grooves to give it a hi-lite. I am so pleased with the out come. I hope you all enjoy.

Now I have to try to finish the Living room set before the hubbs gets back tomorrow night.....I just don't see it happening. We'll see though.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

At home with Jill

2010-04-16T09:18:00.001-06:00

My cousin Jill sure has an amazing eye when it comes to design. She has so graciously let us use her pictures for our blog. Thanks Jill! Her and her husband, Rylan bought his grandparents home last summer and have really enjoyed fixing it up. I mean check out these before and after's of the living room. I am drooling.

BEFORE:

(the fireplace is behind the picture)

AFTER:

Isn't this to die for?? I mean complete transformation, right? They just put the built in's and the new fireplace right over the old red brick.

BEFORE entry way:

AFTER entry way:

BEFORE (other angle of living room):

AFTER:

Look at the walls! Look at the decor! So perfect!

Thank you, Jill for sharing your remodel with us. I am excited to see more before and afters of your beautiful home!

Liberty of London

2010-04-15T15:07:00.000-06:00

I L.O.V.E. Target! Before we moved to our current home, the closest Target was over an hour away. Aggggg! But now, there are two Targets within ten minutes of my house. So happy about that! Anyway, I am absolutely in love with their new Liberty of London line. Love. Love. Love. Have you seen it? It's in almost every department. Here is just a sampling of what you can find:

There's a lot more, but I can't show it all! I have the bag. I also got a skirt and a swimsuit for my daughter, but they weren't on the website. They also have stationary. I realize it's trendy and will go out of style, but for now I'm lovin' it!

Gift Tag Exchange...

2010-04-14T10:35:00.004-06:00

One of my most favorite people in Arizona (Shye) started a gift tag exchange.

Since we moved to Nebraska I decided I would need some extra projects to keep my mind busy so I sign up for this year. One thing that all of you should know about Celinda is that I get myself into TOO many projects at one time! I always have & I am afraid I always will. So here are the tags that I created in a matter of 30 min. There are 18 women in our exchange so I will be getting some pretty darn cute tags back.

This months theme was "Birthdays".

Hope you enjoy & maybe it inspires you to make a mess in your

house & whip up some fabulous tags!!

Now onto my crazy crafting MADNESS!!!..........

The hubbs will be M.I.A. for 7 DAYS!!!! PARTY!!!!

Here are just a few projects that I will be attempting to WHIP together before he comes home & discovers my CRAZE!!

1st: This adorable apron. I have been OBSESSED with it since I found it on Etsy.com I will be making 3 of them, 1 for me, my sister Allison (whom you will here a lot about) & my very amazing friend Katie in AZ whom I miss!!

2nd: I will be PAINTING!!! That's right you heard me.....PAINTING!!! If you have read my "about me" blurb you must know that I have a true addiction to painting. I have 3 main pieces that I HAVE to get done before that hubbs gets home. #1 because he wants me to leave them the snot ALONE & #2 Because I am CRAZY!!

The 1st piece is my China Hutch (will post pics later) It is in DESPERATE need of a make-over.

2nd, My Bench for my Kitchen table that I recently revamped.

& Last but NOT least my 3 piece living room set, End table, Coffee table & Sofa table. This is a biggie! My hubbs will FREAK when he gets home & sees this. He wants me to Sand then down & stain them but for all of you who have read the "about Celinda" blurb, you know that stain is a BAD WORD I HATE STAIN!!! So needless to say I will just have to do it while he is M.I.A.

So it is official....I'm NUTS & I LOVE it!!! So till next week keep the creativity Flowin'!!

(I promise to post before & after pics next week!)

Who says you can't paint laminate furniture?

2010-04-13T12:14:00.006-06:00

People ask me all the time if you can paint laminate furniture! I say heck to the yes you can!! I mean is there anything you can't paint? Not really.

I am really sorry that I don't have a before picture of this desk. I got this beauty for free from a neighbor that was moving. It was a dark brown color. If you look close you can see that I was lazy and forgot to paint a part of it by the keyboard. So just imagine that color on all of the desk.

First of all I sanded the edges, because I wanted a distressed look and I didn't want the laminate to show through when I distressed it later on. That's the only sanding I did though. Just the edges. Then I painted (GASP!! I didn't even prime!) with a large bottle of black Delta craft paint that I found left over from a different project. It took about 3 coats of paint to cover. Next I sanded the edges, again to distress it a bit. Then I sprayed it with 2 coats of polyurethane. To finish it off I added new $3.00/ea. drawer pulls. Not bad for a $9.00 redo, eh?

Ruby Whipped Cream Cheese Pie

2010-04-08T08:46:00.005-06:00

Need a delicious dessert that's sure to impress? You must try Ruby Whipped Cream Cheese Pie. The recipe is on the back of the Danish Dessert box. Apparently Danish Dessert has been around for a long time. It's new to me though. My friend April made this delicious pie for me and I just had to get the recipe and try it for myself. Can you say taste bud arousal?!!

Easy as pie!

I used strawberries mixed in with the topping. Make sure the topping is cooled before you add the strawberries.

Like my daughter says, "SCRUMPTIOUS!"

Too lazy to type out the recipe so here ya go.

Fun stuff to try

2010-04-07T17:29:00.000-06:00

Here are a few projects I want to try sometime:

Fabric covered magnet board

Sarah has an awesome tutorial and I LOVE the damask fabric she used.

Family Rules Sign

These are all over the place and I want to make one. Like. NOW! Just gotta find a place for it in my house!

Ruffle Wreath

Can you say, "Caaauute!" Love this and my door needs one!

Family Tree

I have a wee bit of an obesession with family trees and this would be great, especially in a playroom!

Rolled flowers

Gorgeous! I've been dying to make some of these! And you can pretty much use them for anything (hair, necklace, dress up a shirt or purse).

The Amazing Armoire Makeover

2010-04-06T11:39:00.003-06:00

I LOVE armoires! I think they are pretty and interesting and offer great storage behind closed doors. I picked up this armoire for FREE from a school that was closing. Originally I was going to use it for supplies for a preschool I was starting. But we moved and the whole preschool thing didn't happen. So I started using this as my craft cupboard. It's perfect to hold all of my projects and supplies.

Well, the brown just wasn't doing it for me, but I never got around to redoing it until now (a year after I first acquired the beaut). It was suppose to be a quick, easy paint job. But when is it ever easy? The paint started chipping and I had to strip her down to the wood. She had about four coats of various paint on her. Can I just say that I HATE stripping paint?! This whole process took way too long because I just didn't want to do it. I started with a spray paint stripper, but it didn't do very much. So I picked up this awesome gel type paint stripper.

It worked amazingly! Plus, it smelled good (perfect since I was removing the paint from this thing inside the house). Anyway, after lots of paint scraping and some sanding she was ready to be made over. Here she is primed.

I added crown molding to the top. She was just too plain jane to begin with. Then I painted.

And then I stenciled the doors. After that I painted and wiped off a glaze over everything and finished with a coat of poly.

And finally, I added some bling in the form of hardware. Phew! Just typing it all makes me tired.

My husband is thrilled that I am done. He's not a fan of the mess I make with my projects (neither am I ). I'm thrilled that it's done because I was getting tired of working on it and it looks sooooo much better then it did.

Here is the before and after:

That's what I call an extreme makeover!

I'm linking this baby up to the parties featured on our left sidebar. Check them out!

General Conference Ideas for Kids

2010-04-02T13:23:00.005-06:00

If you're LDS then you know that this weekend is General Conference. I have found some printouts to keep your kiddos busy and help them listen to the speakers too!

I hope everyone has a HAPPY EASTER!

April Fool's

2010-04-01T10:08:00.000-06:00

Try out some fun foods for April Fool's Day and see who you can fool!

How to make a Keepsake Box

2010-03-30T11:35:00.010-06:00

These Keepsake Boxes are easy and fun. Your child will love them. When I was a kid I had a box that I would keep under my bed and fill with all sorts of "special" things. Valentines, Birthday Cards, the special handkerchief that used to be my grandpa's, sea shells and rocks I'd collected, etc. I decided I wanted my kids to also have a special box that they could put their special things in, but why not dress it up a little?

What you will need:

a box with a lid for each child - I found these 3 nesting boxes at my local craft supply store for 40% off
Mod Podge
paint brush
scissors
pencil
cute scrapbook paper to match each child's personality
embellishments

Trace each surface of the box and the lid onto the paper. Then cut out and make sure the paper fits on each surface.

Then start Mod Podging. First Mod Podge the blank surface, then stick the paper to the box and Mod Podge over the paper. Do this on all surfaces of the box and the lid and allow to dry. After dry, apply one more coat of Mod Podge over the paper. This will make it more durable and give it a really nice sheen. Allow second coat to dry.

Now it's time to add a name or a letter to each box (see below). Mod Podge a section of where you want the name to go, then stick the name to it and Mod Podge over the top of the name or letter. Let dry.

Last, but not least, EMBELLISHMENTS! You can find these pre-adheisived flower and jewels at any scrapbook supply store.

Give to your kids to fill with treasures and to put under their bed! :)

This and That

2010-03-29T14:54:00.004-06:00

Cool stuff I found at the D.I. Look forward to our "Meek to Sheek" posts!! Notice the adorable dessert dishes I found for only $0.50 each. Can't beat that! These pretties will basically stay the same besides a good scrub. I've always wanted cute dessert dishes for fun memories of eating ice cream and such. I love how they're all different too. Also stay tuned for white plate wall art and nifty jewelry holders.

Other stuff I'm working on: fabric velcro flowers and coffee filter garland. Tutorial coming soon.

My kids LOVE projects! What kid doesn't? Here are some fun and easy egg carton caterpillars.

Beadboard Shelf

2010-03-26T07:00:00.001-06:00

When I build furniture I stick with the motto, "Go big or go home!" I don't know why. For some reason I think that if I'm building something I might as well build it big. This isn't always the best policy, of course. I started building a shelf the other day with some scrap wood that I had leftover from other projects. Ummm. . .it was massive. I had it stuck in my head that this shelf would serve as a faux mantel since I don't have one in my home. But seriously, it was way too big! So I reassessed and cut everything down to a much more mangeable size. Yeah, sometimes smaller is better.

I painted two coats of antique white and then used a Ralph Lauren Tobacco Glaze to make the details POP!

Without glaze:

With glaze:

And then, of course, a top coat of poly. I got the Fleur De Lis hooks at the Hob Lob (love that store).

A little Easter-scape

(the pictures make my wall and shelf look the same color but they really are different)

Yay! I have a "mantel" of sorts! Love it!

I am in LOVE

2010-03-25T10:18:00.005-06:00

This GREEN piano painted by DESIGN MOM is amazing! I so want to paint my piano now! Why am I such a chicken? Do I really dare paint my piano? It's an oak color which I don't love and I do really like painted wood furniture! I'm pretty sure the hubs won't like it, he's one of those, "Why would you paint nice wood" kinda guys! Yay or Nay people, please weigh in on the piano painting situation.

Eggimals!

2010-03-24T11:14:00.002-06:00

Make some cute Easter Egg Animals for your kids!

Supplies needed:

plastic eggs

yarn

glue

felt

fine tipped marker

Glue your egg shut and then start glueing yarn around the middle working toward one end.

Continue wrapping and glueing until the egg is covered

Cut felt pieces to make heads and ears (I didn't use a pattern, just winged it!)

Draw faces on and then glue ears to head and head to body

And the finished product:

Cute little eggimals for your kids to play with

New, Refreshing Coffee Table Decor

2010-03-23T08:49:00.009-06:00

Before:

I don't mind the basket on top, but I've had it forever and was ready for a change. I am so embarrassed by the fake ivy! I hate fake ivy, but was always too lazy to change it! Thank goodness I finally did!

After:

So much better!!!!! Don't ya think?? And I used the deco balls I made. Check out the tutorial HERE!

BASKETS are so much better than FAKE IVY! They look cute AND serve a purpose!

I love my new Springy coffee table decor!! That's a plate charger and a place mat. I've never use place mats for what they're meant to be used for!

So Many Projects, So Little Time!

2010-03-22T16:34:00.002-06:00

I have about a dozen half-finished projects laying around. I really need to just hunker down and finish them! I have the tendency to see a cute craft or idea and immediately want to try it out. Problem is, I get distracted easily (not too difficult when there are five littles running around here like wild things, along with all the other duties of being a mom like cleaning, cooking, washing, etc.) So here is just a bit of what I'm working on, s l o w l y, and hopefully posting about someday soon!

Armoire Makeover

Spool Dolls

Ruffle Scarf

Building a shelf

Sewing Curtains and Pillows

Apothecary/candlestick thingys!

File Folder Games for the kiddos

And a few more! But you get the picture! What are you working on?

Crafting with Leftovers

2010-03-19T08:46:00.007-06:00

Balls, Balls, Balls! I love DECO BALLS! The possibilities are ENDLESS with these puppies!

I had a few leftovers from my Easter Tree Ornaments and Wire Hanger Easter Tree and wanted to put them to good use.

This is what you'll need. All I had to buy were the styrofoam balls.

1. Tie a double knot at then end of the yarn and poke a pin through it. Now wrap, baby wrap!

2. This is what it will look like. Couldn't I have just used a ball of yarn to get the same effect? Oh Well! :) Tie another double knot when you're done and poke another pin through the knot. You can hide the head of the pin by covering it with the yarn.

3. Do the same thing with the green yarn.

4. A moss of a mess! Just use your glue gun!

AND Voila!!!

Use to adorn a rabbit.

They make a great candlestick topper - my personal favorite.

OR stagger on a bookcase!

Taking Care of Business

2010-03-18T14:08:00.003-06:00

I thought I would discuss a few items of business concerning The Clever Chic. Our site is pretty new and we are looking forward to seeing it g r o w. There are a few things we would like to see happen here. First and foremost, we want this to be a place of inspiration for all sorts of ideas. We like crafting, so there will probably be a lot of that. But that's not all we like! We want to share our own ideas as well as others. We would also like to start featuring fellow bloggers with creative ideas. So if you have an idea and want to be featured, let us know! We love parties as well and hope to start up a linky party of some sorts soon. Also, if you are inspired by a project here at The Clever Chic, send us some pics and we will post them under our Created By You tab so that others can see and share as well. Like I said, our site hasn't been up for long, but we are already so thrilled with the postive comments and love from all of you! That's what this is all about! THANK YOU!

Seeing GREEN

2010-03-17T06:32:00.004-06:00

Green is totally my color. I don't mean the color that looks good on me. I mean the color that I'm drawn to the most. I guess you could say it's my favorite color. I love green. Every shade of it. I like to call it my trigger color. You know, like a trigger food... something that once you eat it, you can't stop. Green is so my trigger color. My couches are green, my bedroom is green, my nursery is part green, a lot of my decor is green. I try to force myself to use different colors so my house isn't just a big box of green. I painted part of my kitchen red... I wish it was green. I am planning on painting my dinning table white... I really wish I would paint it green. Planning on painting my entry table. Should I paint it green? I wonder if I did paint everything green? Would I still love it so much? And then there is another color... a color I'm afraid of. A color that I really like, but don't dare use. Or don't know how to use. Blue. I love blue. I have a lot of blue shirts. I love when other people use blue in their decorating, it makes me happy. What I want to know is, "What's your trigger color?"

On another note. Happy St. Patrick's Day! I didn't get around to making what I wanted (I need to build my stock up so I'll have what I need when I want to make something), but I will leave you with some cute St. Paddy's day ideas from other creative people...

I ❤ this trendy, homemade LUCKY banner! Check out the tutorial at Sweet Something Design.

Edible Leprechaun hats from Twiggle Box, what a clever idea!

Fun for kiddos Leprechaun TRAP:) Check out Holiday Haven.

LOVE THIS! Maybe cause it's Green? I will be making this darling lucky tree from Inspiring Creations for sure.

Easter Wreath

2010-03-16T08:00:00.013-06:00

I originally got these eggs for a different craft, but my idea for them ended up not working. Like, not at all. Oh well, on to plan "B".

For this wreath I used:

grapevine wreath
moss
eggs (I got these at Hobby Lobby for 50% off)
three Easter picks
hot glue
ribbon

Pretty easy. I put the picks in first, then added the moss, and then the eggs, glueing it all together.

Oh so pretty! But she's missing something. . . .

How about the Letter "E"!

Much better!

I'm linking to the usual parties on our sidebar as well as

Craftoholics Anonymous Easter Roundup

Go check out all the awesome Easter crafts!

Easter Egg Ornaments

2010-03-15T09:13:00.008-06:00

Remember this Easter Tree? Well, I have some fun Easter Egg Ornament ideas for you! They're inexpensive, cute and your kiddos will love to help!

What you will need:

2-3 different colored or patterned Easter scrapbook paper, or just whatever you may have on hand.
5-6 styrofoam eggs (I found these at my local craft supply store w/the other styrofoam stuff)
Mod Podge
paint brush
spring colored yarn
straight pins
ribbon
scissors
faux bird (optional)

1. Have your cute kids start by ripping up the colorful Easter paper into tiny pieces (the smaller the better).

2. Apply Mod Podge to the top part of the egg with a paint brush and then have your kids put their small pieces of paper on the Mod Podged part. Then brush the top of the paper with Mod Podge and allow to dry. When dry, Mod Podge the other side of the egg and apply more paper, followed by the Mod Podge over the paper. Allow to dry.

3. For the yarn eggs, Mod Podge half of the egg and start wrapping the yarn around the egg, starting in the center. When you get to the end of the egg, cut the yarn and allow egg to dry. When dry, Mod Podge the other side of the egg and wrap yarn, starting in the center. Cut the yarn and allow to dry.

4. Now you should have an array of fun egg ornaments of different colors and textures.

5. Cut 6" pieces or ribbon for all of your eggs. Make a loop with the ribbon and stick the straight pin through the ribbon and then through the styrofoam egg.

6. There ya have it.

I put some of the loops at the top of the eggs and some of them at the bottom of the eggs, because I wanted them to be hanging different ways on the tree. See above picture.

Painted Furniture

2010-03-12T13:41:00.012-07:00

Painting furniture is probably the easiest and cheapest thing you can do to give it a new look and life. I have slowly been re-doing some of my furniture to revive it and make it more my style. First up is my dining table.

Before:

After:

I love it! I love red!

Next up is my dresser. I like the traditional look with classy cherry furniture. But I'm ready for a new look.

Before:

After:

Black! And yes, I love it! I also updated the hardware because I was not digging the brass handles.

For both of these projects I: primed with Kilz primer, painted at least two coats of paint (more with the red table), and then finished off with a coat of poly semi-gloss. And no, I didn't sand a thing. The primer is great and can be put on without sanding.

Creative Organization for Small Spaces

2010-03-10T17:06:00.016-07:00

We are currently renting a three bedroom home and it's the smallest house we have lived in so far. We also have more people in our family then we ever have before (seven to be exact). Soooo . . .I've had to be creative about how to make everything fit! I realize that a lot of these ideas are no-brainers, but that's okay. Sometimes I see ideas that seem so obvious and I would have never thought of them if someone hadn't pointed them out.

Tiny pantry and not many cupboards so I hung a spice rack on the pantry door along with one of those over-the-door shoe holders. Love those shoe things by the way! I have one on almost every door and none of them have shoes in them!

There's this tiny space in the pantry that isn't easily accessible but still usable so I put stuff that I don't use very often in some gallon size baggies and pinned them to the wall.

I usually keep this stuff (tin foil, ziploc baggies, etc.) in a drawer but I only have two drawers! So more over the door storage to the rescue!

If I had a toy room obviously I would put the toys in there. So the closets will have to do. Again, they're small so I use some plastic shelves that I picked up years ago to keep things organized and vertical in the closet.

I am totally anal about "stuff" showing. Whether it's kid stuff, electronic stuff, computer stuff; I like things put away behind doors. Especially when it's mix matched toy storage and a plastic toy kitchen. Solution: a shower curtain and a sheet. What does that make? A cute little hide away for the kids and a way to close off the stuff.

I never seem to have enough dressers for the fam. But then, I don't have the room for them right now. So every single bed in our house has a bunch of under-the-bed clothes bins. Also, bed raisers rock the house. They give you a lot more room to ~~hide junk~~ store things neatly!

Again with the over-the-door shoe organizer. Did I mention that I love these things? This one is in my laundry/office area. (Yes, I have a laundry/office area, but that's another post). It holds office supply stuff like; stapler, push pins, paper clips, pens and pencils, crayons for the kiddos, post its, paper.) All right there and easy to reach. And out of the way as well.

Obviously more space would be nice! But until that happens, these clever storage ideas are working for me!

Wire Hanger Easter Tree

2010-03-09T23:42:00.022-07:00

This Easter Tree is easy to make and what's even better is, it's CHEAP to make too!! I love trees; especially holiday trees. Trees make me happy. Just follow the step by step directions below!

What you will need:

4-5 wire hangers
6" terra cotta pot
1 block of floral foam around 6" in size
white spray paint
bright green paint
dried sheet moss
heavy duty wire cutters
pliers
paintbrush
3/4-1 yard of ribbon

Gather unused wire hangers from around your house. Come on, no one uses wire hangers anymore. This is a great way to RECYCLE, do your part, go green. Okay, that might be pushing it a little.

Start by cutting apart your floral foam with a knife, so it fits nice and snug in the pot. If it doesn't fit as snug as you would like, use some glue to secure it. Using your pliers, start untwisting the hangers. Using the heavy duty wire cutters, cut your first hanger right above one of the large bends (if you were looking at your hanger in it's entirety, the large bends I'm talking about are the two bottom corners of the triangular shape). The first branch is about 22" tall. Stick the piece of hanger in the foam. Now cut each branch at different lengths and stick each piece in the foam in varying directions. I have a total of 5 branches on my tree.

Spray paint your entire tree, pot included and let dry. Then tie with the ribbon. The ribbon will help hold the branches in place.

Mix the bright green paint with some water to make a white wash or a green wash to paint over the white terra cotta pot. You want the white to show through like in the picture.

Last, glue some dried sheet moss at the base of your tree and you're finished! Now you have a beautiful easter tree!

But wait! What about the ornaments?

I will show you how to make these little beauties very soon!

Stay tuned!