Article By: Mirna Cacic

We’re big fans of garden decor, and we think that these adorable glass spheres would be the perfect addition to any flowerbed or lawn. If you’re looking to add a touch of magic to your vegetable garden, lawn, or flowerbed, these spheres are super easy to make and budget-friendly, too. Made using flat marbles, silicone, and lamp globes, no one will be able to tell that they cost less than $20! Take a look at the tutorial below and make your own today!

Supply Checklist:

1) Lamp globe – Make sure you use a globe that is made of strong glass. You can find these at any hardware store in the lamp section, or check your local thrift store (you can also use bowling balls).

2) Flat marbles, beads, thrift store jewelery, or anything else you like to add a touch of magic to your garden spheres.

3) Silicone Sealant or Silicone Adhesive – Make sure it’s for outdoor use and is waterproof. In this project, GE Silicone II was used.

4) Caulking gun – These are cheap and can be found at any hardware store.

5) Bowl – To hold the globe in place while you’re decorating it.

Step #1:

Place the lamp globe in a bowl. When you’re applying the silicone, make sure it is at least 1/4″ thick.

Step #2:

Begin applying the first row of flat marbles to the lamp globe. Press the flat marbles securely into the silicone. Don’t worry if silicone spreads around it as you’re pressing, as it will help hold the marbles in place.

Step #3:

Turn the globe over and work from the bottom towards the top. This way, every row of marbles will rest on the rows below it. It’s okay if the marbles touch each other, this will help them stay in place. Make sure you read the label on the silicone packaging for the product’s drying time. You may need to work on your sphere in sections, allowing one section to dry before working on the next one.

Step #4:

After the silicone has dried, it’s time to place your new garden sphere outside! These look best in groups, so go crazy!

Photos: Empress of Dirt, Karen Weigert Enos.

Article By: Mirna Cacic

This adorable vintage-style beehive fits in perfectly on any porch during these warm spring days. With summer fast approaching, it’s time we get our porches in tip-top shape for porch season! This beehive would look great on a small side table next to your porch swing or patio furniture! It’s so easy and cheap to make and it costs less than $10 to put together! Everyone will think you purchased it at a vintage shop, since it looks so realistic! Make a couple of these to arrange in groups, maybe one large beehive with one or two smaller ones next to it. If the color isn’t suited to your tastes, break out the acrylic paint and paint it a fun color to match your decor!

Supplies:

1) Metal bowl

2) Hot glue gun and glue sticks

3) Rope

4) Permanent marker

5) Scissors

Step #1:

Begin making your beehive by wrapping the rope around the rim of the bowl. Add a few drops of glue as you go along to hold the rope in place. Remember, you’re only gluing the rope pieces together, not actually gluing the rope to the bowl!

Step #2:

Keep wrapping and gluing the rope until you have covered the entire bowl.

Step #3:

To finish off the beehive, leave about an inch of rope at the end and form it into a loop at the top, then feed it through the bottom before eventually cutting it.

Step #4:

To take the beehive off the metal bowl, you want to place it inside the freezer for about 20 minutes. Then you can gently take it off the bowl by wiggling it side to side until it slides off completely. Leave the beehive to come to room temperature, then cut a piece of rope for the entrance to your beehive.

Step #5:

Glue the rope in a circle and color in the entrance with the permanent marker. You don’t want wasps to take up residence by actually cutting a hole in your beehive!

If you like, you can paint your new beehive or you can add a few pom pom bumblebees to it! Place it on your porch just in time for this year’s porch season!

Photos: Confessions of a New-Old Homeowner.

Article By: Mirna Cacic

If the kids are putting in way too many holes in the walls and your house is starting to look like a block of Swiss cheese, have no fear! There is a way you can patch up your drywall yourself, and it’s oh so easy, too! Patching up those unsightly holes is going to take you less than an hour to do – and that includes drying time! Save yourself a couple bucks by following along with our easy tutorial! Let’s get started!

What You Will Need:

1) Peel-and-stick drywall patch kit

2) Utility knife

3) 6″ taping knife

4) Fine-grit sandpaper

5) Joint compound

6) Drywall primer

Step #1:

Cut away any loose paper from the hole using the utility knife.

Step #2:

Take your patch and peel away the backing paper. Place the patch over the hole and smooth it out.

Step #3:

Take the taping knife and press the drywall primer into the patch. Make sure the entire patch is covered.

Step #4:

Take the joint compound and cover up the patch again. Cover the patch in two thin coats.

Step #5:

Allow the joint compound to dry. This usually takes about 30 minutes. When it’s dry, sand it smooth with the sandpaper. Blend the edges of the patch to help it blend in with the rest of the wall.

Photos: This Old House, Dummies.

Article By: Mirna Cacic

Save your money and be environmentally-friendly at the same time by making these DIY dishwasher tablets! These tablets are much safer than store-bought tablets, and contain 0 harsh chemicals! They’re also Borax-free for those who are having a hard time finding Borax at the store! Each load of dishes will run you about $0.09! Make these today and make buying your own dishwasher tablets a thing of the past!

Supplies (makes enough for about 40 loads):

1) 1 cup baking soda

2) 2 cups washing soda – If you can’t find washing soda at the store, you can make your own! All you need to do is bake baking soda for about 1 hour at 450 F! That’s it! You can now make washing soda whenever you need it!

3) 1 cup citric acid

4) 1/2 cup salt

5) 1 tsp liquid castile soap

6) 1/2 cup white vinegar

7) 20 drops lavender essential oil (optional)

8) 2 ice cube trays

Step #1:

Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them together.

Step #2:

Add in the vinegar a little at a time. You will see some fizz, but don’t worry! This is to be expected.

Step #3:

Add in the castile soap and mix. You can also add in the essential oil now if you like.

Step #4:

Press the mixture into the ice cube trays. Leave them to dry for 24 hours before taking them out of the ice cube trays. Store the dishwasher tabs in a container with a tight lid.

Photos: Mom 4 Real, Pins and Procrastination, Hello Natural.

Dryer sheets can get pretty pricey, and they also make a lot of garbage. If you’re looking for an alternative to store-bought dryer sheets, this is for you! Keep your clothes smelling great and soft to the touch by making these homemade dryer sheets! All you need is a kitchen sponge and fabric softener to make these babies, and you’re ready to go! Take a look at the easy tutorial below and make your own today!

Supplies:

1) Fabric softener of your choice

2) A few kitchen sponges

3) A plastic container with a lid

4) Water

Step #1:

Fill the container about 2/3 of the way full with two parts water and one part fabric softener.

Step #2:

Take your sponges and cut them in half. Place them inside the container to soak up the fabric softener.

Step #3:

Place the lid on top of the container. Store your homemade dryer sheets in the fridge to prevent mold from forming.

Photos: Hometalk.

On a decorating budget? No problem! Dress up your bookcase or coffee table with these shabby chic wire baskets! So easy to make and put together, you don’t need many tools or time to make them. They’re great for those on a budget, and they work for any occasion! Use them as part of centerpieces for weddings, as gift baskets, or just to dress up and organize your home. Take a look at the tutorial below!

Supplies:

1) Woven wire or hardware cloth (you can find this wire at the hardware store in rolls with 1/2″ or 1/4″ openings)

2) Tin snips

3) Needle nose pliers

4) Metal or wood ruler

5) Graph paper and pen

Step #1:

Draw out your pattern on graph paper that has a 1/2″ grid. This step is optional, but it makes it easier to see where you need to cut the wire.

Step #2:

Cut your pattern out of the wire using the tin snips. Leave the wires long on alternating edges so you can use them to hold your basket together.

Step #3:

After cutting out the pattern, use your ruler to help you bend each side of the basket up.

Step #4:

Bend the long ends of the wire and loop them around using the pliers to hold the corners in place.

Step #5:

When you’re working on the top edge, bend over the cut tops to make a loop that curls toward the inside of the basket.

Step #6:

Now that you’ve finished your basket, you can decorate it any way you wish! You can line it with fabric, add tags, and fill it up with desk supplies, mail, or anything you need to keep organized!

Photos: Four Corners Design.

We just love shabby chic! When our furniture looks too new for our liking, the only way to remedy that problem is to make it look like its been in the rain for years! Wear and tear is the name of the game, and this tutorial is perfect for any shabby lovers out there! Iron brackets are an inexpensive way to add a bit of flair to regular shelves, but sometimes they don’t really match the rest of our decor. This tutorial will show you how to make them look old and rusty for cheap!

Supplies:

1) Iron brackets (you can find them at Hobby Lobby)

2) Chalk paint (for this project, Annie Sloan Old White was used)

3) Sponge brush

4) Paper towels

5) Antiquing Medium

6) Clear matte spray paint (optional)

Step #1:

Take your sponge brush and paint the entire bracket. You don’t have to worry about it being perfect.

Step #2:

Take a damp paper towel and begin wiping off the paint. Don’t wipe off everything! We still want the bracket to have a weathered look.

Step #3:

Take the antiquing medium and add a small amount to a damp paper towel. Rub the antiquing medium over the entire bracket.

Step #4:

If you want to seal your brackets, you can give them a coat or two of clear matte spray paint. Allow the spray paint to dry between coats and you’re done!

Photos: From My Front Porch to Yours.

This cute wreath is so easy to make and it doesn’t cost anything to make! Grab some green scrapbook paper and hot glue to put this together and you’ve got a great St. Patrick’s Day wreath you can hang on your door or mantle! Try making mini ones and string them together using twine for a shamrock garland! If you don’t have any green paper lying around, some green acrylic paint over white paper works just as well! Get out the scissors and let’s get our craft on!

Supply List:

1) Green scrapbook paper. You can use double-sided scrapbook paper, or you can use regular white paper and paint it using acrylic paints.

2) Seven 12″x2″ strips of paper

3) Seven 10″x2″ strips of paper

4) Seven 8″x2″ strips of paper

5) Green ribbon so you can hang up your wreath

6) Some extra paper so you can make the front decoration, and you will need it for some back pieces of the shamrock

7) Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Step #1:

Take a strip of paper of each length and stack them one on top of the other. Glue the ends together on one side.

Step #2:

Take the inside piece and make a loop. Glue the other end down.

Step #3:

Repeat the same step with the other two pieces of paper. You will end up with a teardrop shape.

Step #4:

Repeat these steps until you’ve made a total of 6 teardrops. Glue them together by the ends in groups of two. You will end up with a heart shape.

Step #5:

Now it’s time to make the stem of the shamrock. You should have 3 strips of paper left. Take the 12″ strip and make a fold mark 5″ from the left edge and 5″ from the right edge. There will be 2″ between the two fold lines. The area between the folds will be centered. Take the 10″ strip and make a fold mark 4.25″ from the left edge and a fold mark 4.25″ from the right edge. There will be 1.5″ between the two fold lines and the area between the folds will be centered. Take the 8″ strip and make a fold mark 3.5″ from the left edge and a fold mark 3.5″ from the right edge. There will be a 1″ area between the fold lines and the area between them will be centered.

Step #6:

Line up all the ends and hot glue them together.

Step #7:

Put your shamrock together. Cut out a small circle out of paper. This will hold all your points as you’re gluing them together. You can add an accordion fold circle to the front center of the shamrock. It will hide all the glued points. Glue a piece of ribbon to the back and hang up your ornament!

Photos: The Craft Patch.

There’s an easy way to bring some life into thrift store vintage plates! Why not jazz them up a bit with adorable vintage bug drawings? It doesn’t just have to be insects! Try rabbits, crown jewels, or cats! You can find loads of these vintage images over at The Graphics Fairy, which is our go-to site for all of our vintage picture needs!

Supplies:

– Vintage plates

– Clear waterslide decals

– Clear acrylic coat

– Scissors

– A small bowl

– Warm water

– Paper towels

Step #1:

Print out your images onto the glossy side of the waterslide decal paper. Allow it to dry completely, then spray it with acrylic clear coat. Leave it to dry, then cut out your images.

Step #2:

Place the decals in a bowl of warm water. Allow it to sit for 15 seconds. When the decal separates from the liner, you can apply it to your plate.

Step #3:

Place your decal onto the plate with the liner still attached. Slide the liner from beneath the decal. Smooth out any folds or bubbles using your finger. Blot with a paper towel and leave it to dry for at least 1 hour.

Step #4:

Remember, these decals aren’t food safe. You cannot wash them or place them in the dishwasher. If you need to clean them, spot clean them only with a paper towel.

Photos: Honestly WTF.

These gorgeous lanterns are easy to put together, and the best part is that they’re free! Scour your yard for various greens and drop a few cranberries in for a pop of color. This is an easy way to transform your front porch or yard into an instant winter wonderland!

Step #1:

Grab 2 different sized tupperware bowls. One has to be larger than the other.

Step #2:

Fill up the large bowl with water, stopping 1/3 of the way from the top. Add in your greens and cranberries .

Step #3:

Fill up the smaller bowl with water and place it inside the larger one. This will make room for your candle. Place the bowls into your freezer overnight.

Step #4:

When the lanterns are frozen, you can run the bowls under warm water to loosen them. Place a candle inside and put your new icy lanterns on your front porch or walkway!

Photos: Raised in Cotton.