AN EARFUL

Out of sight, out of mind, out of rotation. That's how I feel about so many of my belongings, and most especially with anything I wear...clothes, shoes, and accessories. So this project does double-duty: displaying our beautiful baubles as dresser decor, whilst reminding us to actually wear them!

All you need to create this decorative earring holder are:

-a large picture frame (I used 14x17in frame)
-some wire (bead stringing wire)
-thumb tacks



1) Cut a piece of wire about three times the width of your frame. I cut about 42 inches. Tie a knot in the middle of your piece of wire.



2) Continue to tie knots in the wire until your "chain" spans the width of your frame. It's easiest to do this by anchoring your wire to something. I just anchored mine to the picture frame, using one of the thumb tacks. (In reality, I just held the wire between my teeth, but I wanted to spare you the awkwardness.)




3) Make as many strands as you desire, keeping earring dangling length in mind. I made four strands.



4) Tack the strands tightly onto the frame.


5) A couple minutes later, and you're ready to start hanging your pretty earrings!






My accessorizing has increased significantly. And I will also hypothesize that this project reduces thoughtless spending. My social scientist husband agrees: "What people don't realize is that organizing your clothes and accessories helps you make the most of what you have." I think we may have a budding fashion blog contributor on our hands.

TIME FLIES

It has been four years of blessings and bliss since this happened:



Each year has been better than the last.




In celebration, here are a few of my favorite DIY projects from that lovely day.

Hand-painted direction signs on reclaimed barn wood

Gold spray-painted IKEA votive lanterns, carried by my little "lantern girls"

My adorable "lantern girls"

Grocery store bridal bouquet

Monogram wreaths made with artificial flowers

Monogram wreaths - one of my favorite projects...Tutorial to come!

Ceremony programs

Cute sign to welcome you to the candy buffet favors

Favor boxes for candy buffet with personalized monogrammed tags

Gorgeous monogram decoration on my delicious cake

The wonderful thing about a cheap wedding is that all of your friends' talents shine bright like a diamond. Like an engagement ring diamond.

My friend Aaron went so far as to knock on the doors of people with old barns to ask them for old wood, and those old barn people weren't that nice. So four years later, I still want to thank my talented and creative friends and family for their help in making that day so happy.

A great introduction to a happy marriage.

*All photos courtesy of our wonderful friends at DSW Photography.

SO SUCCULENT

Succulent. One of those words that sounds like what it means, no? Juicy. Fleshy. Moist. But I promise this tutorial won't make you feel as uncomfortable as those words do.



Everyone needs a little greenery in their lives. Studies have shown that having plants in your home or office can actually improve your health and productivity! But if you're like me, and you tend to kill your plants before they even have a chance to make you skinny and successful, and you end up with a lower self-esteem and realize your lack of nurturing instinct, then succulents might be the plant for you!

One of my favorite indoor plant arrangements is the succulent garden. And I'm hoping it's as easy to take care of as it is to create! Here are the steps.

1) Choose a planter that will fit your selection of succulents. I found some containers at the local thrift store for a couple bucks. I used the large green bowl for this succulent garden. I still need to drill a hole in the bottom for drainage.



2) Choose which succulents you will be potting together. I'm not an expert on succulents yet, so this might not be the optimal grouping, but we love experimentation in this household. I chose varying colors, heights, and leaves. Put a little soil in the bottom of your planter. I picked up some cactus and succulent soil at the store, hoping that this will help my brown thumb.


3) Remove your plant from its junky plastic pot, and lightly loosen up the dirt and roots.


4) Place firmly in the planter, using more or less dirt to stand the plant up. Repeat with the other succulents, and play around with them until you're pleased with the arrangement.


5) Top off with more soil to cover the roots, and voila! An adorable little garden display to make your home a happier and healthier place!





Through my extensive research on Wikipedia, I learned that virtually all cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti. I'm not in love with prickly plants, so I lean more toward fat and juicy-looking leaves. We all remember how cacti survive in the cruel desert heat, right? A succulent's fleshy parts are adapted for storing moisture in times of drought. And there will be times of drought. In my home. Because I forget to water my plants. So this plant is well-adapted to my neglectful ways.

Click here for tips on caring for your succulents from our friends at the Cactus and Succulent Society of San Jose, of which I would like to be president someday.

THE GOLDEN TOUCH

Or in this case, the copper touch.

My previous post documented my infatuation with warm metallics, and you too can join in on the obsession with a simple DIY project using metallic leaf! Add a little gilded goodness to almost any surface--wood, plastic, glass, ceramic, metal, plaster, paper--you name it--you can bling it with metallic leafing.

Here's a brief tutorial:

You will need:
-Metal leaf (I've seen gold, copper, and silver. I used copper here.)
-Metal leaf adhesive
-A couple brushes (foam brushes/soft paint brushes)
-Metal leaf sealer
-Object to be metallic-ized (I did a small plant pot.)

1. After making sure your project surface is clean, apply a thin layer of metal leaf adhesive. Wait about 45 minutes for the adhesive to dry and get tacky.

2. Carefully apply a metal leaf sheet onto the tacky project surface, and use a soft brush to remove excess metal leaf. If you find the leaf too delicate to handle with your hands, you can press a piece of wax paper to your metal leaf sheet (so that it sticks to the wax paper), and apply to your surface. Continue until surface is covered as desired. It's difficult to handle the leaf without tearing, but it's all good if it does tear! I think the leafing looks better layered and a little distressed.

3. Apply metal leaf sealer, let dry, and BLING, you have a glamorous new accessory!

I've already added leafing to a couple planters, a clock, and some curtain rod finials. I'd cover my entire body in gold leafing if I could.

COPY THAT: PAPER ROSE WREATH

The blog world is crammed full of handy dandy crafty people, and in the Pinterest era, it's easy to flat out duplicate something cool that you find. I love sharing my own projects as well as sharing in other people's creativity. So I'm going to start a recurring post called "COPY THAT" to log various projects that have been inspired by bloggers and friends. My first COPY THAT comes from Under The Table and Dreaming, and a complete tutorial can be found here.

The holidays are over, but this wreath can hang year-round.

I dressed the wreath up with a glittery gold bow for Christmas.

Note: A Lord of the Flies and Fahrenheit 451 were harmed in the making of this project. So it's not just pretty; it's subversive.