Let the Fall DIY Decorating Begin!: Fall Banner DIY

Now that the Labor Day festivities have finished and we’ve officially settled into September. It’s time to think about FALL! At least for me it is. Fall is my favorite season. I love the bright colors, the crisp air, and warm bonfires. It’s such a cozy and beautiful time of year. 

I live in Virginia, which means that even though it's September it's still about 90 degrees during the day. But I am originally from PA where fall really did begin in September. I can remember going pumpkin picking in sweaters by mid-September when I was younger but that's no longer the case here in VA. 

Regardless of the temperature, in my world once we pass Labor Day it's time to break out the fall decorations and begin making fall festival plans! This year I finally have a mantle to decorate so I spent this weekend getting the decorations ready. 

The fireplace banner has become popular the last year or so and while you can buy gorgeous pre-made ones in the store, they are usually pricey and I get more satisfaction out of decorations that I can make myself or add my personal touch to. 

So here is how you can make your very own fall fireplace banner.

First you will need to gather your supplies. You will need:

• Burlap (I bought fall themed burlap at Michaels -- it was about $5 for 9 feet)
• Scissors
• Twine
• Stapler or craft glue (I prefer a stapler)
• Measuring Tape
• Fabric Marker or decorative paint

Next you will have to measure your fireplace and mantel and decide how many space you want your banner to take up. Once you have done that you then can decide on the size of your squares or rectangles.

I created rectangles because of the look I wanted. They are 6 inches high and 5 inches wide. I then proceeded to cut 4 rectangles that were the exact same size.

Once your squares or rectangles are cut, you want to lay them out flat on the counter. You want to measure out the length of your twine. I used about 3.5 feet of twine. I planned to have 2 inches of space in between my rectangles when  they were hanging. But the distance is completely up to you -- use your own digression. Now that you've gotten your twine ready, you want to grab your craft glue or stapler. 

You want to flip your burlap over so that the side you want facing out is facing down on the counter. My burlap has pumpkins and gourds printed on it but you can use any kind, including plain burlap. Once your squares or rectangles are flipped over you want to either glue or staple the flap down. If you're using glue you want to be careful to only put it at the bottom of the flap so that you can still thread your twine through the flap. If you're using a stapler then you can just thread the twine through or put the twine under the flap before stapling because it will still be able to slide through for space adjustments. Once all of your pieces have their flaps glued or stapled down it's time to thread the twine through if you haven't already. Don't worry about the length on either end of the banner, you can adjust that and cut off any extra after you hang it.

Now that your banner is assembled it's time to add your letters. I spelled out Fall but you could spell our autumn or leaves or whatever you may like, just make sure each letter has it's own square, I used a fabric marker that I got from Rite Aid to create my letters. I liked how thick it was and I had more control over it than a paint brush. But if you have a steadier hand than me go ahead and use the paint! I went over my letters a few times with the marker to get it as dark as I wanted. Burlap isn't easy to color on! Once your letters are on your squares let it dry a few minutes. Then you are ready to hang it!

Above is my mantle with my fall banner. I also used a leaf and acorn fall garland that I found for $10 at a local fabric store. The rest of my mantel is from Home Goods. I simply took a large clear jar and put fall pauperie in it. I placed a ceramic jar by it. And on the other side is an orange vase I also found at Home Goods with decorative sticks in, I use those sticks with my normal blue vases but they also fit this decor so I used them for my fall mantel as well. Feel free to mix and match your fall banner with any and all of your mantel decorations.

And as always ENJOY! :)

Budget, Budget, Budget...And Then Budget Some More

Budget: A 6 letter word that so many of us cringe at. But your budget should be of utmost importance whether you are buying a house or decorating your home, or even buying a car or groceries. Your budget is what will keeps you grounded and it's what keeps you out of debt.

Living on a budget has a lot of negative connotations, so many people think living on a budget means poverty or a life of the mundane basics. But that's simply not true. You can live on a budget and still enjoy your life and even splurge every once in awhile. 

I have been living on a strict budget for the last 2 years (and when I lived at home, my parents always had a budget). And it has already paid off dramatically. My fiance and I went from living in a 500 square foot studio to a 1025 square foot 2 bedroom apartment in just 14 months time. Neither of us make a ton of money, his current full time job is teaching and my current full time job is an entry level PR position. We don't make bad money but we certainly don't make a lot. But even with our meager funds we have been able to upgrade our apartment and lifestyle without breaking the bank-- All because we live on a budget.

How is this relevant to turning your house into a home?

Well if you don't have a budget in mind, it's very easy to spend more money than you can afford resulting in 2 horrible outcomes, you either go into debt or you stop projects that are only partially complete. Neither outcome is desirable. And both can be avoided if you work on a budget.

My fiance and I are working with a woman who had no budget in mind. None whatsoever. We came up with some designs giving her a range in pricing since we were unsure of what she could truly afford. She constantly choose the more expensive designs and furniture. But still had no budget in mind no matter how much we pressed her for one.

Besides updating the inside of her home, she also wanted us to tackle the outside of her home. My fiance willing complied because he loves landscaping. Before long we had a laundry list of things to do in addition to your initial contract. Again, no problem -- we were excited to turn her backyard into a beautiful retreat. 

But not long after work on the outside began, she suddenly realized that she could not afford all of the work she wanted done on the inside and outside of her home. And she began to panic. 

Exhibit A of one of the bad outcomes...stopping before projects are complete due to failed budgeting.

In order to help alleviate this, we had to sit her down and have her prioritize what was a necessity and what was a want. Sometimes you can't have everything on your list; at least not all at one time. Unfortunately, money does not grow on trees so there are limitations.

Again, this is why having a budget is so important for any and all home projects no matter how big or how small the projects may be.(I once budgeted $15 for a personal project of mine, and ended up coming in at $10. I was ecstatic; big or small a budget is vital.)

Luckily, we were able to wrap up a couple of the projects to the point where they no longer appeared to be in mid-completion without making any big dent in her budget. We also had a planning session with her for what she wants in the future so that she has designs and layouts to refer to. We have turned from doers to consultants for this client. But at the end of the day it has helped save her budget and has helped her better prioritize her necessary projects. It also has allowed her to still be able to get some small projects done on her house. 

And this is what we are all about...helping people turn their houses into homes. We want everyone to love their, whether you rent or own your place, you should love coming home to it and be happy to show it off.

Budgeting is OKAY, I promise.

Everyone's budget is different. And that's OKAY. I am a firm believer of setting a budget and sticking to it. It can be difficult at times, but with a little patience and hard work you can achieve just about anything you want for your home on a budget. You just can't be afraid to try something new or to get your hands dirty. 

I live frugally both by choice and by necessity. But I by no means feel cheated in life. I still am able to go out to dinner on occasion and take trips to the beach to visit my parents. And I still pay my rent, bills, and student loans. All the while making sure I am tucking money away to save up for a rainy day or more ideally for a home that I can personally own. 

So like I said, I know we all cringe at budgeting, but it truly is a lifesaver. I live by my budget and I live just fine. 

Stay tuned for some tips and trips on budgeting for home remodeling and daily life expenses. :)

DIY Coffe Table: Pallet Style

Do it yourself projects have become popular to all people, even those who claim to have no creativity. But with good DIY projects, you don't need to be creative, you just need to be able to follow directions.

Pinterest has cultivated a large environment of DIYers. Myself included. It's amazing what projects and ideas you can find when you take the time to look.

One of my favorite DIY's is the pallet style coffee table (as shown in the photo above). This also has been one of the most popular pins on our page in the past couple of days, so I thought it would be useful to share it with you all here.

The DIY pallet coffee table is incredibly easy to make. To begin you will need:

• a pallet (the size is up to you--you can find these at stores like Home Depot or from a lumber yard or even a neighbor's farm--ask before taking)
• sand paper or a hand sander
• stain or paint (your choice)
• a paint brush and cloth
• casters (aka wheels like in the photo above --you can find these at Home Depot for anywhere from $3-10 a piece)
• an automatic drill

Now that you have assembled all of your parts, we can begin!

Step 1: 

The first thing you will need to do is sand down your pallet. I recommend doing this outside or in your garage because the sand dust can get everywhere. Whether you're using sand paper or a hand sander you will need to sand down both sides and if you plan on using the pallet as a shelf as well as a coffee table, you will need to do your best to sand inside the pallet as well. This will make both sides smooth which is great for absorbing paint or stain but also it makes it safer. You don't want to have a coffee table that you get splinters from!

Step 2:

Once your pallet has been sanded down be sure to wipe it down. Make sure all of the dust from sanding is brushed off so that you have nice clean wood to work with. Once that is done, you can begin painting or staining your pallet. Depending on the look you want, this can take 1-2 coats. You will need to paint or stain both the top and bottom of your pallet, whether or not you paint or stain the inside of the pallet is up to you, it all depends on what look you want to achieve. (the pallet in the photo above has been painted on the top, bottom, and inside) Remember, if you have chosen to stain your pallet, you will have to rub the stain in with an old towel or cloth. You will have to do this for each coat you decide to do.

Step 3: 

You will have to let your pallet dry for at least 12 hours to ensure that the stain took to the wood and that the paint is fully dry. Once your pallet has dried, you can attach your wheels. First you need to decide which side of the pallet you like the most or has the best appearance. Once you have done that, put the best side facing down on the ground. Next grab one of your casters and place it on the first corner of you table, exactly where you place your wheels doesn't matter, again it's all how you want it to look. Once you place your casters on your pallet you can begin securing them with your drill. Once you have secured all of the casters with your drill, your coffee table is complete! 

With just a little time and effort you have successfully built your first pallet coffee table! Hopefully you will love it as much as I do. There is something so satisfying about making something with your own hands, it's even more satisfying when it comes out beautifully. 

Now that we've finished it's time for you to go enjoy your new table, or if you're just reading this for the first time it's time for you to go gather your supplies! Either way I hope you learned the value of building something with your own hands and I hope you enjoy your new coffee table. :)