5 DIY’s for long winter days

Hello Friends!! I don’t know about you, but after the house has been cleaned, and organized and everything put back in its rightful place, sometimes during this time of year, these long winter days can feel relentless. Well at least here in New England. Instead of wishing these months away, I tend to gravitate towards doing a project. It doesn’t have to be a big project, sometimes just a simple DIY to help the days pass and get out some of that creative energy from being cooped up inside does the trick. So I’ve gone through past post, and rounded top 5 DIY’s to help us get through these long winter days, just in case you happen to be craving something to do!

1. DIY Abstract Art – I’ve often said that I find painting my walls therapeutic. But sometimes I long to paint without having to re-do an entire room. You can use this painting technique on just about any sized canvas, I chose to buy a 2-pack, and make two identical paintings that can either be hung side by side, or one on top of the other.

It was a fairly simple process, and took less than an hour to do, all you need is a canvas and 2 different colors of paint. You could even use leftover paint you have on hand. You can read the whole tutorial HERE, and you might just be surprised at how easy it is to create your own artwork.

2. DIY Book Page Filler – On a trip down to Boston to visit Restoration Hardware, I was happily sipping my coffee as I perused through the beautiful store and stumbled across one of their displays. Vintage books tied in bundles and used as a vase filler. Instantly I thought “I can make these” and use them as a filler for my antique dough bowl.

I couldn’t wait to get home to work on this inexpensive project. Using paperback books from my local Goodwill and some bakers twine, I was able to re-create the same look, and shared the tutorial HERE, so you can too!

3. DIY Wood-Bead Garland – Long before you could buy these wood-bead garlands in the store or on Etsy for an affordable price, they could only be found in hi-end decor stores. Determined I could make my own, for a fraction of the price, I made my own.

Now you can find them more affordably at Hobby Lobby and on sites like Etsy, but sometimes you can’t always find the length you need. I promise it’s not as difficult as it looks, with the right tools, you too can make your own custom DIY wood-bead garland, exactly the size you need. Tutorial found HERE.

4. Chalk paint a piece of Furniture – Two years ago we did a little makeover in our downstairs bathroom. You may remember it, I shared it HERE.

See that cute little cabinet in the corner?! Well it didn’t always look so cute. I bought it from TJMaxx, because the size was perfect, and I loved the clean lines, with the more furniture-like legs. What wasn’t working was the color. But that didn’t stop me. Do you have a piece of furniture you are dying to refresh? Or perhaps one that just hasn’t been feeling right in your space. Now is the perfect time to give it a makeover. I used chalk paint found at Lowe’s, there really are so many different options now, and I will say this, it is NOT as difficult as it may seem. We aren’t painting kitchen cabinets. If you’ve never painted furniture before here’s a few things to know before you get started. Start with a small piece just to get a feel for the paint. Most definitely use “chalk paint”, it’s the only kind that covers amazingly, and requires no prep. Always sand lightly in between coats with a 220 sanding block – and after your final coat as well. This gives the chalk paint a silky finish on your piece, and makes it feel like it was done by a professional.

The one thing I love most about painting furniture with chalk paint, is that is gives you the MOST flexibility when using it. It’s so much easier and covers so much better than regular paint you use on your walls, and if you are going for that distressed look, just slightly sand down the corners and edges before you seal it. I promise you will be hooked in no time. You can see my DIY HERE, but there are so many great YouTube tutorials for painting furniture. My friend Rachel did one, and it’s great! She covers all your basics, and you can watch it HERE, before you get started!

5. Add fun with painted Stripes – If you aren’t quite ready to paint a piece of furniture, that is totally fine. Instead you can use painters tape and paint stripes on just about any surface. I was longing for a vintage wicker trunk look without the hi-end price. So I found these affordable wicker trunks from Ikea, grabbed my painters tape, and painted some stripes to give it the look I was craving.

I shared how I did it HERE, and love how much character it added to an otherwise simple storage basket. The best news, it’s been over 5 years, and my kids USE these baskets, and it’s held up just fine 🙂

Well, that’s it! 5 somewhat easy DIY’s for any skill set you may be at, to help chase away some winter blues. I always declare February and March our “project months” around the house. With plenty of snow days that keep us cooped up inside, instead of climbing the walls, we renovate them! LOL!