Trash To Treasure Gallery Wall

This summer I worked on remodeling my bathroom by adding a fresh coat of paint, a new mirror, lighting and as a finishing touch, a colorful gallery wall. Can you believe everything I used came from thrift store junk? I choose the pieces that had an interesting shape and the potential for prettiness-because I know what paint can do!

Below is everything I used to create the look above: 
Stainless steel platters, outdated Avon recipe plates, cast iron owl trivets...stuff you might just throw away, or transform like I did!

Here's what I did to create my gallery wall: 

Denim and Burlap Name Pennant

Here is a project I worked on as a finishing touch for my Boys' Bedroom Makeover inspired by Land of Nod name pennants I've seen. (But, of course, this thrifty momma is not paying their price for something she can make herself!)

I created my rustic, all-American spin on name pennants using denim, burlap and twine. I was thrilled to repurpose a pair of jeans I was finally too small for and a burlap coffee bag for this easy project.

Here's what you'll need to make your own: 


scissors
burlap
denim
glue gun
twine or rope
colorful Sharpie permanent markers 
letter stencils


Here's how to make them:


1. First cut out triangles out of denim in the same shape.
2. Then, trace and cut out circles with burlap fabric

3. Hot glue your circles onto the center of the denim. 
4. Hot glue your twine to the tops of triangles forming your pennant.
5. Finally, take your letter stencil, hold down onto burlap circle and color in each letter with your Sharpie marker.

Pretty darn cute if I don't say so myself! And it actually cost me nothing since I already had the materials on hand-but if you don't it is still pretty cheap to make. And, the boys love seeing their names hanging in their newly remodeled room. Thanks, Land of Nod for the inspiration!

Thanks for visiting ReMadeSimple! Can't wait to show off some more how-to's and before and after's from my Boys' Bedroom Makeover with you in the next few weeks!

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Bleach Pen Stenciling

It's been a busy week with big painting projects around here! And baby boy is finally sleeping through the night = much more energy for me! I am finishing up the trim in my bathroom and my husband started ripping up carpet in our boys' room, painting the floors and walls. I'm excited about the vision I have for their space-it will be fun and colorful and 100% boy!

Now, whenever I'm doing a big project that takes weeks to finish, I need to take breaks for quick little craft ideas I've been storing in my head. So, I experimented with the idea of using a Clorox bleach pen and stencils on a t-shirt. I first saw freehand bleach pen shirts  last summer from a blog called Show, Tell, Share and did a freehand numbers one for my son that turned out cute.

And then, I started thinking about all the cool patterns I could make if I used stencils-turned out to be even quicker and easier than freehand because the gel is so easy to work with (and a great way to hide stains or in my case, paint spots on an otherwise nice t-shirt)

Here's what you need to make your bleach stenciled T-shirt:


Clorox bleach gel pen
plastic stencils (I used my Martha Stewart freebies)
safety goggles if you're smart (oops-I should do that next time-eyes are important!)
plastic bag or wax paper to line inside of shirt
rag or paper towels


First, lay your t-shirt flat and line the inside with plastic or wax paper to prevent bleach from bleeding all the way through.


Place your stencil where you want it on the shirt.


Put your safety goggles on to protect eyes from bleach (and open windows or do outdoors).


Use the wide brush end of your bleach pen to squeeze out gel in a circular motion onto stencil.


Carefully remove the stencil, wipe off with rag or paper towel and repeat with another design where you want your pattern to be.

Allow the shirt to dry for a few hours or overnight. It's dry when the bleach gel dries up into a whitish powder. 

Finally, wash and dry your shirt and get ready to rock an artsy, original, not-found-in-stores look! 

I admit I've been a little self-conscious about wearing what I create (I'm a little scarred from that Bedazzler look from the 70's/80's) but I'm pretty happy with how this shirt came out and can wear it with pride.

Hope you enjoyed this little project-now remember the big projects we've been working on? 

Here's a sneak peek into the boys' room floor and wall painting project-It's really coming along and I can't wait to do the bright blocks of color, huge chalkboard wall and more stenciling. I also can't wait until I can put the boys back in this room-they've been so crazy excited it's been hard to get them to go to sleep at night in a different room (yawn...)

Stay tuned for more sneak peeks and the big reveal of bathroom and bedroom! 

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Painting Technique: Faux Subway Tile

Well, I feel like I've been neglecting the poor blog here but I have been working on the big task of painting my upstairs bathroom-and with my three boys as my full-time priority, I can only squeeze in a few hours at a time for that (hello, bedtime!)

So, this week, I have paced myself each night, grabbed my Frappucino, paint brush, paint and rollers and done a little bit here and there and I am almost done. And I can't wait to reveal it to you! I love the colors I chose and am dreaming up some homemade salvage wall art to go along with it. The big reveal is coming soon, please stay tuned!

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you a painting technique I loved that I saw on This Old House's website.

Do you love the look of subway tile? If you're trying to save money or time and want a similar look, you can try this technique using painter's tape and either two different colors of paint or for a more subtle look, just two different sheens in the same color-try a flat sheen for the "grout" and a shiny sheen for the "tile" in a simple white or cream shade.  Pretty cool, isn't it?

Click on my Pinterest link below for the complete step by step process:

Source: thisoldhouse.com via Kristina on Pinterest

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Simple Greenery Display

Who loves Hostas? I know we do! My husband is the big landscaper around here while I pretty much take care of the inside, but while he was transplanting some Hostas, a few branches fell off. Because the leaves were so pretty I didn't want to just leave them laying outside, so I grabbed a jar, tied some lace around it, filled it with water and added the Hosta branches. 

I love having fresh plants around the house and they look just as pretty as a bunch of flowers to me and cost nothing. Wouldn't these be an easy and frugal table decoration for a summer party? Ferns would be another easy and pretty plant to add to water-filled jars. 

 By the way, if you noticed my chalkboard framed sign in the picture and want to know how I made this interchangeable photo/chalkboard frame,  click HERE for the tutorial. 

Thanks for visiting ReMadeSimple! I hope you enjoyed your time here and come back on Friday for the reveal of my Martha Stewart Mother's Day Campaign project! 

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Thrifty Spring Finds

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! 

These Irish eyes are smiling because the weather here is gorgeous-almost 

80 degrees with green grass and daffodils popping up (in case you're 

wondering, every other St. Pat's day I can remember wearing sweaters 

and seeing snow outside my windows...) 

Today I wanted to show you some thrift store finds I pulled together 

for a cute little spring outfit. I am excited because this spring, after losing

twenty pounds since last spring, I am two sizes smaller! 

(I plan on doing my official weight loss post with before and after pics

 once I actually hit my goal-only a few stubborn pounds to go! )

So, here you have my black H&M cotton dress, only $7--I've been

searching for something like this for a while-can't believe I found it so cheap! 

(I love how slimming and comfy it is).

And a cute little flower brooch (no I didn't make this one!) with the 

tag still on from New York and Co.: my price: $2 

Champagne ballet flats barely worn (I washed them anyway!)

for only $3

Besides the leggings and jewelry, everything  I'm wearing came from Saver's. 

Total cost: $12

Hope you enjoyed my spring "fashion show"--

(and yes, I'm smiling even though I'm sleep deprived from newborn feedings!) 

Thanks for visiting ReMadeSimple today! Stay tuned for more thrifty finds later next week! 

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DIY Panera Bread Asian Sesame Chicken Salad

So who loves the Asian Sesame Chicken Salad from Panera? 

I do!  It is absolutely delicious and my favorite.
Well, now you can make it yourself with this easy recipe.

If you can't tell, I'm ready for spring and summer!  I'm getting 

 excited about  picking fresh lettuce and cilantro right from the

 garden. This recipe really tastes exactly the same as Panera,  but
you can feed your whole family for a fraction of the price
you'd pay at the restaurant.

Salad:

2 Wonton wrappers
Canola oil, for frying
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
4 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces, loosely packed
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
3 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled and sliced thinly on a bias
1/4 cup Panera Bread Asian Sesame Dressing (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Asian Sesame Dressing:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil



Directions: 
Preheat, the oven to 350 degrees F. To prepare wonton strips, cut wonton wrappers into ¼-inch strips. In a deep skillet, pour canola oil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. Heat Oil to 365 degrees F. Carefully drop wonton slices into hot oil and fry for about 30 seconds, or until crisp and golden. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.

Arrange almonds in a single layer on a sheet pan. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes, toss nuts, then toast for an additional 5 minutes, or until golden. Remove from pan to cool.

To make the asian sesame dressing, combine all ingredients except canola oil in a medium mixing bowl with a wire whisk. Once ingredients are combined, slowly pour in the oil while whisking to form an emulsion.

To make the salad, toss the lettuce, cilantro, wonton strips, chicken and dressing in a large mixing bowl until combined. Place the mixture on a serving plate. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and almonds and serve.


Presented By: Panera Bread

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Shabby Fabric Chandelier

Source: crafteronabudget.blogspot.com via Kristina on Pinterest

I have been thinking about a light fixture for my bedroom for awhile now. Right now, it is

just a plain white ceiling fan, but I wanted something more unique than that.

As I was browsing through ideas for a DIY chandelier, this beautiful photo caught my eye.

I loved the look of this shabby chic style fabric chandelier-and I hear this particular

one is located in Paris. And, I was inspired to make something like this for my 

bedroom-but on a much smaller scale. 

So, I went to Scrap for Art (my favorite scrap supply store) and looked to see what I could find.

 I was so excited it cost me only $6 to fill up my bag with everything I'd need to create one

of these cool light fixtures. 

Here's what I used for my project: 

- embroidery hoops in 4 different sizes

-scraps of fabric in 4 different colors and textures

-low temp glue gun

-ribbon

-fabric scissors

-thread

First, I cut strips of fabric about 2 in. wide and 12 in. long, not

worrying about them being perfect-the shabbier the better.

Then, I hot glued the strips next to each other onto each embroidery 

hoop. 

Then, I tied 4 even lengths of thread around the largest hoop to 

connect it to the next smallest hoop, and repeated until all hoops

were connected. (Wire would also work for this).

Finally,  I glued ribbon to the edge of the largest hoop to cover over

the tops of the strips where they were glued to the hoop.

And I was done! 

I plan on hanging my chandelier in my bedroom after removing the 

fan blades of an outdated ceiling fan. I was happy that chandelier

inspiration led me to come up with a really thrifty and artistic solution
to updating my lighting. Not bad for only six dollars, huh? 

Hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for checking out ReMadeSimple! 

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