Beautiful DIY pedestal candles (using dollar store items!)

Hello there! Can you believe I'm writing to you at night? I haven't done this for years now! Ah, the memories! I was out of town in Chicago yesterday and most of today so I'm sharing this late. 

I'm continuing my dollar store candle DIYs with this beauty! You can see the snowy candles I shared earlier this week here. This is such a good one folks...I actually made these six years ago and I can't believe it's taken me this long to make them again! I think one of them broke a few years back and I never got to making a new match. 

I started over with two this time and they are so pretty! You'll need two things from the dollar store -- a glass candlestick and a glass cylinder candle holder: 

You can use any glue that will adhere glass. There's a few out there so just do what is easiest. This time I used this aquarium sealant I had from a past project: 

Just few put a few little dabs along the top of the candlestick holder: 

And center the larger candle holder on top. Leave it alone to cure for the recommended time -- my sealant said 24 hours so even though it was sticking fine within 20 minutes, I left them alone for awhile. 

There are so many possibilities with these candle pedestals! I threw a few together to show you the different options for Christmas. I used cinnamon stick filler and nestled a glass votive inside with a tealight candle: 

I love the simple look of some glittery berries too: 

This is where I must say -- remember to never leave these unattended! If you want to use something like these berries I'd recommend a battery-operated candle -- I was using what I had to share these options with you.

I had some pretty glittery strands that I put in the bottom: 

This simple one with a few sprigs of greenery is a favorite of mine!: 

I love the fake snow in the bottom -- how pretty would that be with red candles? I wish I had red!: 

I ended up using some gold sand I've had stored away -- it's so pretty!:

I felt like the new stacked stone fireplace needed some candlelight and these are perfect!: 

These are super pretty with just the candle too! No need to add more -- but it's fun to dress them up for the holidays. 

At two bucks a pop you could make a ton for a beautiful centerpiece on a table or buffet! They really are so pretty: 

This is one of my favorite dollar store DIYs! You can do so much with them! They'd be pretty and simple gifts too. Do you have any dollar store decor hacks you love?

Here's an image to pin if you are interested in saving this project for later or you can go here to repin:

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DIY snowy holiday candles (from the dollar store!)

Hey there all! Again, thank you so much for your kind comments on our fireplace makeover and Christmas home tour I shared last week! I have a fun and easy little holiday craft for you today. 😊These are nothing new but I've always wanted to try making them. 

I gathered some votive holders from the dollar store -- they're actually a great, big size: 

I used mod podge and brushed it on -- I'm guessing you could use Elmer's glue too! You just want something that will dry clear: 

Then I poured Epsom salts into a plate and just dabbed the votive into a pile of it: 

This is the brand we use (we already have it for soaks in the bath after work outs) and that price (linked) is the best I've found!: 

I used my glitter tray and knocked the excess off -- this tray is great because you can save the leftover glitter (or salts!) and put them back on the next item: 

Speaking of glitter -- a few shakes of that in the Epsom salts pile would be beautiful too! 

They are cute and snowy just like this -- but they really shine (literally!) when you put a candle inside!: 

This is such an easy and quick project and they are SO pretty all lit up! Pictures don't do them justice:

You can amp this up even more though -- I think this is a lovely idea for a holiday party and I plan to use this for a big one we have in a couple weeks. 

Grab some cranberries and floating candles: 

You can keep frozen cranberries (for this purpose) forever! Fill your votives with water and cranberries and place a floating candle inside: 

They are so festive and pretty! Perfect for a holiday table setting or on a buffet: 

I love the red with the snowy texture -- and of course you can't go wrong with candles this time of year: 

You can refreeze the cranberries since you're not eating them. 

Have you tried making these pretties? I made five and for $5 because I had everything else I needed. You could easily reuse food jars for this project too!

I made them all in about 20 minutes. Quick, easy and cheap -- my favorite kind of decor! I don't know if they will store well -- I imagine I will probably have to touch up the salt from year to year but I'm fine with that. 

If you've made these feel free to share them in the comments! I'd love to see different versions. 

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The lazy person's guide to painting furniture

Hey there! I've been thinking a lot about projects I want to finish up before the end of the year -- especially those that I promised myself I would finish up. One is our guest room and I only have a couple more projects to do that I've put off for months! 

I finally bit the bullet on a bigger one the other day. I decided I was going do it in the quickest and easiest way possible because sometimes you just want to get it done. This is a tutorial on the fastest way to paint furniture for when you're feeling the same. :) 

I told you about these inexpensive IKEA dresser/night stands a few months ago: 

I also shared some of the many ways you can dress them up. The possibilities are endless with these unfinished pieces! For now I didn't have any grand plans in mind -- I just wanted to get them painted. I may add to them later but I actually a little in love with how they turned out. 

In general I'm not one to say you need to do things perfectly when it comes to DIY projects. I think it discourages people from trying to do things themselves when people like me say it needs to be perfectly done. YOU will be the main person seeing what you do in your house. As I've said many, many times -- if someone notices that something isn't perfect then they get a cookie cause that means they are super observant. But really, it better be your mate, sister or best friend who would actually tell you it isn't perfect because anyone else saying it is just mean. Ha! ;) 

I will tell you -- this job would be much easier if I had done it before I built the dressers. Keep that in mind if you purchase these. I could have just painted the frame and the drawer fronts. But because these are made to "catch" and don't slide out all the way (unless you remove some stuff), I just taped them off and covered them with paper: 

Usually I paint furniture with a brush and roller, but we're talking fast this time. These dressers are so small I knew spray paint would make much quicker work of it. 

I've tried two primers in the spray paint version -- BIN and Kilz. I prefer BIN out of the can but their spray drives me nutty. It has never sprayed well for me. This time I used the Kilz spray and it performed MUCH better: 

I will be using this brand from now on when I need to spray prime. 

This furniture is super inexpensive because it's made from cheaper pine and it has knots in it. If you want to paint these a lighter color you'll need to prime well -- those knots will bleed through if you don't. Sometimes it takes a while but they always will (with white). Even sometimes with great primer they'll come through white paint -- I've touched up many spots over the years. 

Because of this I did a few coats where there were knots:

It's important when spray painting to use short, quick bursts instead of long ones. Don't hold the nozzle down and just spray. Numerous lighter coats will work much better than one heavy one. 

I used this light gray color to paint the dressers: 

Here's a video to show how you should spray: 

I always do a light sanding between coats, whether I'm using rollers or a spray. You'll want do a sanding after the primer as well:

It doesn't have to be intense -- a quick sanding is fine! 

I picked this color for the night stands because I wanted to pull in the light blue/gray I'm using in this room:

Then it was time to decide on the knobs! I really didn't want to go buy something new right now -- even at the cheapest place I've found they probably would have been three bucks each. I knew I could make the wood knobs that came with it work: 

I sprayed them with the same primer and then white paint and started on my little crafting project. I thought it would be pretty to add a little design to them and knew the perfect item to do that -- paper napkins!:

I had these already and the color worked perfectly! (I've used napkins on a few projects but these coasters are a favorite gift idea.) I used the cap to my decoupage glue to trace the size I needed.

I cut them out and then put a layer of the glue on the knob:

I flattened out the napkin: 

And then put another coat on top immediately: 

Then you can use your finger to smooth everything out. I made sure the napkin was flat during this part. After they dried for about 20 minutes I did another coat. When these dry they are hard and cleanable! 

I had Mod Podge but chose to use some Decoart stuff I had in my craft stash because it dries in a glossy finish. These glues come in both matte and glossy and either work fine! 

This seriously turned out so cute. I'm a little obsessed with these pretty knobs! I've walked into the room a few times just to look at them: 

This isn't a dramatic makeover by any means but goodness, I really like it. It's simple and pretty and perfect for this room! 

If something strikes me eventually I may add more detail someday but I'm really happy with them: 

The color is so nice and soothing, just like the rest of the room. They work so well with the gray/blue colors in the bedding. And those knobs are a sweet little detail that goes well with the nod to farmhouse style in this room. 

Spray painting furniture is quicker for sure! I was able to prep and paint both of these in less than two hours (including dry time). Sometimes you just want to get it done! Remember you can also use a paint sprayer to do a custom color if you don't like your spray paint options:

The only caveat with using spray paint is it can get expensive if you're using it on larger pieces. I used nearly a can on each dresser (two coats each). You just have two weigh the convenience with the cost. 

Now, just one more project in here and I'll be sharing this whole before and after transformation! I'm determined to finish this one up before the end of the year. 

Here's a quick in progress shot I took for Instagram that you can pin if you'd like to try this technique on knobs: 

And here's a quick list of the items I used again for easy reference: 

Wood knobs 

Decoupage glue

Spray primer

Light gray spray paint

IKEA dressers

Have you tried this technique on knobs? Paper works too but it will not conform to the round edges like napkins will. Do you have any furniture pieces that you've spray painted? Another bonus to spray painting furniture is that it's oil based paint and gives you a great, tough finish once it cures. 

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Cute and easy fall signs with dollar items!

Hey hey! I've been putting the new craft room to use and I LURVE it! I'm so excited about this new workspace, it is truly a dream come true. 

Of course I had to break it in with some fall crafts and I found most of what I needed at the Target dollar spot. You know, that place where you grab a few things and $30 later you have a cart of cute, cheap stuff? Yeah: 

I found the wood stickers and stencils (the two stencils came together) there a couple weeks ago. These projects were so easy (and cheap!). Even with drying time they took less than an hour. 

I grabbed some scrap wood and stained one piece in an ebony stain and painted one white. Then I used the leaf stencil and spray painted that in this gold spray paint:  

When that dried I placed the other stencil on top: 

Here's a tip -- spray the back of your stencil with a light coating of spray adhesive and then place it on the surface. It will help it stay put and avoid bleeding. (This spray adhesive is my favorite because the nozzle doesn't get clogged up. Most I've tried are useless after half way through because nothing will come out of the nozzle.)

You can use spray paint for this part too (just be sure to cover the rest of the wood!) but I prefer to "pounce" it with a foam brush:

I also wanted it to have a slightly worn look so this technique lends itself to that look more. After it dried I sanded it down a little bit as well.

The wood pieces for the other sign have a sticky back so I cut them out to play around with placement:

They stuck great on the wood sign. On the stained piece I had to hot glue them on. 

I loved this one as it was: 

But I ended up spending a little more on some fabric flowers and added those with a hot glue gun:  

SO cute!! Love it!

I just used the wood cut outs on the other sign: 

The large leaf was left over from a leaf garland I picked up, but the rest were from Target. I still have a few left to make something else! :) Hot glue felt to the back if you hang wood on a door -- if it bangs around it won't damage your door or trim. Not sure this one will stay here but it's cute for now! 

I'm slowly but surely adding some fall touches around the house and I adore both of these signs:

I spent less than $10 on both of them (most of that was for the flowers I added to the stained one) -- not bad at all! The white one was two bucks and I didn't use nearly all of the cut outs. :) 

I love making personalized pieces for our house, especially for the different seasons. Get yourself to the dollar spot my friends! :) Have you made anything fun with dollar store items? I'd love to see! 

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