Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY. Show all posts

Re-Creating a Relaxing Bedroom with @BreatheBedding #CBias


Recently my husband and I upgraded our bedroom furniture and the size of our bed from a queen to a king to accommodate our growing family (and the fact that our kids had all but kicked us out of our own bed!). It's been a slow process but I am finally starting to love the results. Especially with our latest addition of Breathe Performance Bedding.

I can finally relax and enjoy our bedroom now that we've completed the last step in re-decorating. I've finally tackled the wall space above our bed and have purchased the comfortable sheets our family has been aching for.

Now typically we purchase bedding at discount and department stores (think Tuesday Mornings or Macys). We look for name brands at discounted prices and hardly ever pay full price for a set of sheets. We almost always wait for sales and try to stick with higher thread count cotton sheets since that's what we've known to work in the past.

But we've always had an issue with sweat at night and needed a solution.


Learning More about Breathe Bedding
In order to accomplish this feat, the kids and I headed to our local Wal-mart to check out Breathe Bedding. Not only had we not heard of Breathe Bedding before, we had also never seen it at Wal-Mart. So I was very interested in learning more.

Breathe Performance Bedding isn't your typical bedding. It is made with technology to help transfer body heat and moisture to keep you cooler, drier, and more comfortable. With a daughter who sweats quite a lot, I can tell you that moisture wicking sheets are not only helpful, but essential to a good night's sleep!

I loved the selection and color of the bedding and found a set of King sheets in a tan color that would be perfect for  our master bedroom. Not only did it look perfect for my sweaty family, it also looked stylish as well. The packaging drew my eye and intrigued me. Especially with a photo of Mia Hamm on the cover.

To read about my experience in purchasing Breathe Performance Bedding, check out my Breathe G+ Album.


Why Not Cotton? 
Your probably asking me why are Breathe sheets not made out of cotton. Well, cotton does not allow heat to be released. It traps heat in when you fall asleep and throughout the night leaving some sleepers to wake up in a full sweat. There have been many a morning that I've woken up to a puddle next to me from the amount of sweating my daughter does during the night.

Inspired by athletic performance fabrics, Breathe Performance Bedding works while you sleep to regulate body temperature throughout the night and allows an increase of ventilation. This leads to a more peaceful, comfortable sleep without the worry of over heating through the night.


Gaining Inspiration from Others
Once I had my bedding figured out, it was time to get crafty and do something with these bare walls. Taking inspiration from a few pins I had recently added to my Master Bedroom Ideas Pinterest board, and rummaging through the house for odds and ends, along with taking into consideration the colors of our new bedding, I created a few pieces to add to the blank space.

With the help of some spray paint, plenty of leftover frames, my fabric stash, and a glue gun I was able to transform a few pieces into something new that fit well together. I started with the burlap I purchased at Wal-Mart and the largest picture frame.


By simply painting the frame white, hot gluing in the burlap and adding some fabric flowers and a felt S I created a personalized piece of art for our bedroom (tutorial coming soon!). I quickly followed suite with framed fabric and an embroidery hoop but was still missing something.

That's when I decided to paint the canvas I had on hand. I was going to go with a chevron pattern but it just didn't work out with the amount of tape I had so I went with stripes. This is the only piece I am not happy with and I've since decided that I'm going to find a mirror to take it's place. Unless I repaint it completely.


Putting the Pieces Together
Once I had all of the craft projects finished it was time to put together my new room decor. I stared by making the bed and grabbing the bedspread. I needed to visualize exactly what the artwork would look like on the wall so I layed it out on the bed and checked out the positioning.

Then I did what I normally wouldn't have done... I started blindly leveling and hammering to put everything up on the wall. Now normally I leave the measuring, leveling, and hammering to my husband. I've been known to just blindly go in and make holes everywhere until its to my liking and my husband doesn't quite appreciate my approach. But since I knew this would never get done if I waited I moved on by myself.


I have to say that I really like the end result. The combination of the new sheets and the added artwork to the walls makes the room feel complete and makes me feel accomplished! Finally our master bedroom is finished and I cannot wait to lie down and enjoy it.

Good thing it's naptime!

How have you spruced up your home lately? 

To find out more about Breathe Performance bedding, head on over to their website. You can purchase their bedding sets online or in select Wal-Mart stores. You can also find Breathe Bedding on Facebook and follow them on twitter at @BreatheBedding.

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. All opinions are my own. #CBias #SocialFabric

Smarties Are The Perfect Halloween Sweet Treat #IAmASmartie

One of my favorite parts of my childhood Halloween experience was racing home from trick or treating to sort out all of the Halloween candy I received. I was obsessed with finding my favorites (Smarties were at the top of the list along with chocolate). And one of my favorite parts of Halloween now are the decorations we put up each year. I absolutely love how festive and creative we get each year.

My husband is quite the Halloween decor enthusiast. Each year he purchases foam pumpkins from the store and creates a new face. And in an effort to keep up with him, I try to get creative as well in the decor inside our home.

Smarties Halloween candies #IAmASmartie

Gluten-Free and Allergen Free
This year I headed to Target to pick up some decorating supplies and candy to pass out. Since there are so many allergies and special diets these days, we went simple. Smarties all around! And I planned on decorating with Smarties as well.

Smarties are not only gluten-free, but they also contain no peanuts and are fat free! They're the worry-free, one-size-fits-all candy this holiday and are the perfect choice for passing out. I was able to pick up a large bag of Smarties and another bag of Smarties and Dum-Dums mixed together. My daugther was absolutely elated to put these bags into the cart to take home.

How to DIY a Smarties Wreath this Halloween #IAmASmartie

When we get ready for Halloween, decorations in our home are up there with Christmas. We decorate the whole house inside and out to celebrate for the whole month of October. Many of the decorations we use can be carried into November as well with a festive Fall theme but a few we make just for Halloween!

This Smarties Wreath is just that. The perfect celebration of Halloween and the excitement that each child feels as they go from door to door saying, "Trick or Treat!" This wreath is not only festive, it's easy to make as well! You only need a few simple items to put it together and it takes less than 30 minutes to make!

As an added bonus, it only cost me $5 to make. The $1 Spot at Target has these foam wreaths and the Smarties candies are only $7.99 for a huge bag and I only needed 1/2 the bag to make the wreath. I had the ribbon on hand from the end of season sale last year. And the left over Smarties will be passed out to trick or treaters on Halloween!   

Here's how to make a Smarties Wreath

What you Need:
  • 1 bag Smarties candies, in their wrapper
  • 1 wreath (I found mine in the $1 Spot at Target)
  • a glue gun with glue sticks
  • wire ribbon

What you do:

1. Lay out your wreath and candies as your glue gun warms up (I recommend not having the younger kids help with this part of the craft due to the hot glue gun).
 

2. Start with a single row of Smarties first by making a line of hot glue on the wreath.


3. Stick the Smarties candy seam side down so that the candies are sealed shut.


4. Continue to add Smarties candies all around the wreath. Make sure to leave room in between the candies on top so that the candies form a uniform circle around the wreath template. Make sure to leave a 1" gap for the ribbon at the top of the wreath.


5. Once the first layer is done, it's time to start the second layer to fill the gaps.


 6. Add a dab of glue to the center of the gap. Then add a dab of glue to the other end of the Smarties candy on the seam side. Firmly press down so that the glue adheres to each side of the Smarties candies next to it.



7. Once the Smarties candies are adhered to the wreath, measure out some wire ribbon in a coordinating Fall color.


8. Cut the ribbon to length.


9. Take both ends of the ribbon together in your hand and fold in half lengthwise.


10. Using the scissors, cut the ribbon ends at an angle to create a v-cut.


11. Once the ends are cut it's time to tie the ribbon onto the wreath!


12. Wrap one end of the ribbon around the gap at the top of the wreath once.


13. Making sure that the ends are even in length, tie a simple knot to secure the ribbon to the wreath.


14. Hang on your door and enjoy all season long!


And remember, Smarties isn't just the perfect candy to make a cute wreath, they're also the perfect candy to hand out this Halloween! They're low fat and gluten free! Not to mention that kids love them.

Stay tuned for more Smarties fun soon!

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Smarties. All opinions are my own. #CBias #SocialFabric

Recycled Portable Snack Container {How-To}



With a love of coffee and creamer comes a surplus of creamer bottles left over once I've had a few morning cups. So taking a spin on recycling a bit further, I removed the wrapper over one of my creamer bottles and cleaned it out very well after it was empty.

What resulted was simple recycled portable snack container. And it's perfect for little hands!


Here's how to make a Recycled Portable Snack Container: 

1. Grab an empty creamer container.

2. Rinse and wash thouroughly.

3. Remove outer plastic from bottle.

4. Fill up with your child's favorite small snack.

5. Enjoy a snack on the go!


Not only does it fit perfectly in my daughter's stroller, it also pours out just a few snacks at a time reducing waste and messes. Each time we go out for a run my daughter reaches for her portable snack container so she can enjoy her snack on the go!

What does your child love to snack on? 

How To Turn a Large Mirror into a Chalkboard {DIY Tutorial}


My baby boy started preschool yesterday.

I still can't believe he's old enough! But he's 3 1/2 and ready to go. He was practically shoving us out the door so he could get to school.

He excitedly grabbed his backpack (filled with a change of clothes and LOTS of dinos) and headed out. But not before I grabbed a few snapshots of him to mark the special day.

The chalkboard I used is something I made. Yup! And it cost me $7 + a can of chalkboard paint. And no, I didn't use all of the chalkboard paint. There is plenty left for lots more projects. Wanna know how I did it? Here's how!

DIY Large Chalkboard Mirror


1. Head over to your local furniture store. Check their clearance section to see if they have any cracked mirrors. The one above had a HUGE crack down the center of the mirror and was clearanced at $7. You can't find frames that inexpensive!

2. Carefully remove the glass by taping the mirror and lightly tapping on the glass with a hammer. Use gloves to remove the glass from the frame.

3. Once the glass is removed, tape the sides of the frame so no paint gets on the wood.

4. Paint a thin coat of chalkboard paint onto the backing of the mirror (ours had a nice piece of chipboard behind the glass)

5. Let dry for 2 hours, or as recommended on the paint can, and reapply another thin coat.

6. Allow paint to dry overnight or until completely cured. Then start coloring!

Thats it! This was such a simple craft that I enjoyed doing. And the possibilities are endless. Peruse yard and estate sales for older mirrors, check out the flea market and thrift shops, etc. Then change up the color of the frames with some spray paint, remove the glass, and start making chalkboards!

Displaying Your Child's Artwork

Lets face it, our kids love to create. Crafts, art, glitter, paint. It's all exciting when you're small.

And sometimes those pieces of artwork, no matter how small, need a place in the home to be displayed. But because of how MUCH artwork can be created, taken home, and demanded to be up, we've come up with a few solutions for displaying artwork in a way that isn't permanent.

So here are a few tips and tricks to displaying your child's masterpiece.

Framed and Clipped

This is one of my favorite ways to display my kids stuff. All it takes is an empty frame, a butterfly clip and a nail or two. 

Simply hang the empty frame (garage sales are an excellent place to find these on the cheap), add the butterfly clip, and hang whatever artwork your child wants to display. You can easily swap out pictures as frequently as you'd like! And you can even personalize each frame by adding your child's name inside (or outside) in vinyl letters to create their own space. 


Framed and Matted

We love to make crafts that are specifically for gift giving. One of the first craft projects my son and I made was this adorable footprint heart for Valentine's Day. To make it extra special and display it in Daddy's office we framed it in a matted frame to give it more depth. 


We also frame our children's drawing as well on an "art wall" in our hallway. It helps to use simple frames that we can easily change out the pictures in. Each child gets to choose one piece of art to display all month. It can be a seasonal piece or something they're proud of.


Framed and Pinned

This frame used to be a mirror. A mirror with a LARGE crack in it. We snagged it at our local furniture store for $7. Such a steal!

Simply put up a few letters to spell out ART and I have a customized large frame to thumb tack any artwork the kids might want to have showcased. Easy peasy!

And if you aren't lucky enough to score such an awesome deal you can easily put up a large cork board and achieve the same effect.


How do you display your child's artwork?

 

Getting Our Craft On!


Do you need a few ideas on what to do with your creative and artsy toddler or preschooler? Are you looking for step-by-step directions to help you with crafts and DIY projects?

Every Wednesday you can check out our crafty DIY projects over at Formula Mom!

The Simmworks Family has been sharing our creations with Formula Mom for the past four weeks and we're loving it! Looking for fun and educational crafts to do with the kids is definitely a wonderful way to engage my son and daughter. And now my son has come to start asking what craft we'll be doing next.

So remember to head on over to the Formula Mom's craft corner and check out what fun we have in store for you each week! 

Here are a few of our previous crafts:





Dinosaur Party Hats {How To}

When planning my son's Dinosaur Train birthday party I stumbled upon an Etsy store with printables for everything Dinosaur (you can check them out in detail on her blog). One of the things included in the kit was a dinosaur party hat. Since I wanted to make my party unique I opted out of purchasing the kit but I did find a way to make those adorable party hats! I used a template I found from Oh Happy Day for the base of the hat, picked up some cute cardstock from Michaels and got cutting and piecing together. Here's what I came up with! 



Dinosaur Party Hat

What you'll need: 

What you do:
1. Print template onto cardstock (save 1-2 colors for the spikes).

2. Cut out template by following the solid black lines.

3. Cut out slit on template.

4. Roll hat together and place tab into slit. You may have to bend the top tab a bit to get it to fit. Once the tab is in, lift the top tab again so it doesn't slide out.



5. Cut out spikes leaving a 1/4" space at the bottom of each spike row.


6. Bend spike row on the bottom at the 1/4" mark and cut the middle of the spikes to slide into the slot.


7. Tape spikes down from the outside and inside of the hat.


8. Using the X-Acto knife, make a small X on either side of the hat.

9. Place the ribbon or string in each hole and knot on the inside.

10. Decorate the hat more from here or leave as is for the perfect Dinosaur Party hat.

Do you have more ideas to make a party hat perfect? I'd love to hear them!