DIY Archives - Stylish Revamp

Easy Ways to add Simple Fall Touches

October 11, 2020 By stylishrevamp Leave a Comment

Today I thought I would share some easy ways to add simple Fall touches to your home. Last year I went through my Fall decor and donated a lot of the things that I thought I would no longer use. When I pulled out my bins this year, I was kind of thinking I had made a mistake in getting rid of some of my decor. Things were looking a bit sparse at first but now I am enjoying the simple Fall touches and using items I have on hand with a few new additions.

It has been almost one year since my last post and it’s not like I have been too busy either. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March, I have pretty much been homebound. And I mean homebound. I started the shutdown full of nervous energy and completed a lot of mini projects that needed to be done. 4 months into the pandemic the energy started to fizzle. Now that Fall has arrived and we are entering into my favorite time of year, I am perking back up! I hope you enjoy my mini Fall Tour. Here we go!

A few new items this year is the mini riser that the pumpkin is perched on and the stems with the mini pumpkins. I ordered these from The Nested Fig. I love this online store. I also follow Wesley on instagram @FarmShenanigans. Love, love, love his stories! I have learned so much from him and have gotten a lot of great inspiration from all the decorating tips he shares.

I also added my Dollar Store DIY pumpkins. You can see the DIY here. I have also been using these battery operated remote candles from Amazon and I am loving them. The last items I bought were two vintage tablecloths from ETSY.

Decorating with vintage tablecloths help create a curated look that I adore.

I purchased the tablecloths from PollyFrog on ETSY. I just added them to my vintage copper pots on my buffet, a simple and easy way to add Fall touches.

Decorating my Teak Ladder with Mini Pumpkins

I rounded out the Dining Room decor with a few gourds that I have had for years and I added a couple of mini jack o lanterns to my teak boat ladder that we picked up at a yard sale a few years back.

In the kitchen, I kept it simple with my sign that I made two years ago. I placed it above the cooktop. Notice the toilet paper pumpkin my youngest made in preschool 14 years ago. Don’t think for a minute that I didn’t think about dragging that out at the beginning of the pandemic when toilet paper was nowhere to be found!

In the living room, I added pops of orange with pillows and a throw that I had from previous years. I also used my favorite pumpkin that my older boys picked out over twenty years ago which I guess makes it vintage now.

Adding Simple Fall touches with pillows and throws.

Using my favorite light up pumpkin which is now considered vintage.

On the hearth, I filled a basket with a Fall pillow, a cozy throw, and a pumpkin.

One of the most used rooms in our home is the sunroom. I kept it very simple in here. I scattered a few pumpkins and that is it.

Adding pumpkins and greenery to a bowl adds a bit of Fall in the sunroom.

I placed a mini pumpkin by my wire vine to add a bit of whimsy.

I love this little table. It has been moved from room to room but I think this is my favorite spot. I picked it up at a thrift store a long time ago and it’s been painted about three different times. A cheap and easy refresh!

As for the outside, I kept it very simple with pumpkins, a few mums and ornamental pepper plants.

Decorating with a vintage stool, mums, and pumpkins.

A pumpkin stack and mums finish of the side porch.

Decorating my vintage plant stand with ornamental peppers and mini pumpkins.

I have shared this plant stand before. When I went home to visit my parents, I took my mama thrifting and I found this. It used to be on the porch of my mom’s neighbor when she was a child. I just like that it is now on my back deck, it’s a little piece of home.

That wraps up my little Fall home tour. Now that we are into my favorite time of year, hopefully, I will be posting a bit more. I hope you all enjoyed this little glimpse into my home.

Until Next Time,

Dressing Up my Pantry with a Vintage Door

July 14, 2019 By stylishrevamp Leave a Comment

Where has this summer gone? In less than a week, we are going to be seeing back to school ads and the bus stop schedule. I’m not ready! It seems like only last week I shared my pantry organization. It’s hard to believe that was back in January. Well, today I am sharing how I dressed up my newly organized pantry with a vintage door. Not going to lie, I love it!

Back in January when I organized my pantry, I knew that I wanted a vintage half lite door. Trying to find the right door was a bit more difficult than I expected. After months of looking, I finally found one in rough shape, a little too wide and about 4 inches too short. Not to mention the smell!

I absolutely love this door. It was definitely a labor of love getting her to where she needed to be. It took a lot of stripping and sanding and painting but she was worth it, oh so worth it!

I actually didn’t mind the stripping process. Once I got the hang of it, I found it to be quite relaxing. I used orange CitriStrip that I had on hand. I painted on a thick coat of the CitriStrip then covered it with plastic wrap and let it sit for 24 hours. After 24 hours, I was able to scrape off the 4 different layers of paint. Then I flipped the door over and repeated the process.

My husband trimmed the door down an inch and a half on each side and we had to add four inches to the top. We added to the top of the door so the bottom still lined up with the door trim. We planed down a piece of wood to match the thickness of the door. We drilled three holes in the 4 inch piece of wood and the top of the door. We attached the extra piece of wood to the door with a dowel and wood glue. Surprisingly, it was easier than I had anticipated and the fit is seamless.

I originally wanted to keep the door with the raw wood but I knew I wouldn’t be able to match the new wood to the old door. At this point, I was getting so excited to finish it off and had to pace myself on the painting. I typically rush the painting process so I can finish a project but this time I left myself plenty of time to let the paint dry between the coats.

I had to order a new door knob because the original knob and lock set was missing several pieces. Luckily, I was able to find an exact match here. I adore the ceramic knobs.

We have managed to keep the pantry organized since January and the glass now keeps me motivated to keep up the neatness! I love the finished look and now I’m on the hunt for a bubble glass door for my cleaning closet.

I hope you all are enjoying your summer. FYI, I am watching Christmas in July on Hallmark as I type this. It is a true obsession and I do not use that word lightly!

To my dad, good luck tomorrow. I love you and will see you week after next! XOXOXO

Until Next Time,

Catching Up On Life in General

June 17, 2019 By stylishrevamp Leave a Comment

It’s hard to believe that 5 months have passed since my last post. It is so true that the days are long but the years are short, oh so short. So what’s been going on, a lot and then again nothing. So let’s catch up, shall we?

Last Fall we decided to sell our Island Home. As much as I loved that house, it was time to let it go to someone who was going to love it and use it. Once the boys were older, we rarely used it and when I say rarely, I mean never! Well, I take that back, they would use it with their friends – minus us! It was a home that served it purpose during a time in our lives when the boys needed a place to grow, heal and be.

Whenever I would go there, I would fall in love with it all over again. The views were absolutely stunning but maintaining two homes gets kind of old after a while. So I was happy to let that aspect go. We went to settlement on January 2nd. So, on December 26th we rented a uhaul and cleared it out. On the bright side, I was excited to bring home some of my favorite things from the beach house and merge them into our home. Not going to lie, after settlement, I did feel a loss that I didn’t think I would. Although we didn’t use the house a lot, it was always nice to be able to pop over there when we wanted a quick getaway. My friends ask me if I think we will ever get another vacation home and I can honestly say no. I absolutely loved that home but it was always on the back of my mind. If there was a storm, I worried about damage, in the winter I worried about frozen pipes, in the summer if we weren’t there, I worried that the air condition would go out.

Can you see why I loved her though, just look!?

In other news, our youngest just completed his first year of High School. It’s hard to believe in three short years, we will be empty nesters. I can’t imagine what it will be like not having any of the boys home. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around that one.

Some things don’t change though. Although, I haven’t posted in some time, I have continued with my love of thrifting and vintage collecting. I finally found a vintage half lite door for my pantry. She was a smelly, damaged, ripped from the door frame kinda gal but I loved her. She was definitely a labor of love. I will share the completed look early next week but here she is in “during” stage.

Notice Charlie in the upper right hand corner. He was so over this door. He would rather be inside, sleeping comfortably on the couch.

Now that school is out and we are on no schedule, I want to share more of my finds and revamps in the coming months. Well that is my plan as of now.

To my Dad, the one that instilled in me my love of tools and working on projects…I LOVE YOU! WE’VE GOT THIS!!!

Until Next Time,

How to Reinvent Your Space on a Budget

June 22, 2017 By stylishrevamp 2 Comments

I feel like this post has been a long time in coming. I started to reinvent my master bedroom sitting room back in April and I am finally ready to share it with you today. It started off when I added shiplap to the fireplace which you can see here. Today I am going to share the rest of it with you and show you how to reinvent and revamp your space on a budget.

I feel like our master bedroom and sitting room were the last two rooms to get a revamp. Actually, they never did really have anything done to them other than paint changes a few times. We are planning on adding hardwood in the fall. I am so ready to ditch the carpeting. Who knew that a little 12 pound pup could wreak so much havoc on my carpet? The boys don’t help matters either. Even though the rooms are not 100 percent complete because we haven’t done the hardwood yet it still feels like a completely reinvented space with just a few changes! I will share the master bedroom portion in a later post. Today it’s all about the sitting room which is where I spend my time watching all the shows that my husband or boys would never, ever watch. Yep, I am a reality tv closet watcher!

I love this reinvented space. The tv stand/credenza was a Goodwill find. It cost $40 and it is solid. Each drawer is over 15 pounds. Yes, I weighed them because that thing was a beast to move upstairs. Once we got it upstairs we added casters so I could move it around with a bit more ease.

Originally, I had this piece in my sitting room…

There is nothing wrong with the piece, it was lovely but it just did not fit the space. It was too short and the depth was too deep. I wanted something to fill the space and draw the eye up. That’s where the shelves came in and I have to say that I love them! I adore them. Here, take another look at them!

How to Reinvent Your Space on a Budget

So let’s start at the beginning. I found the stand at Goodwill for $40 which was a steal. I know this will sound bizarre but I cannot wait to decorate this at Christmas time. Yep, I said it!

So this is what it looked like when I spotted it at Goodwill…and it was love at first sight!

This piece is huge. It is 76 inches in length and I am obsessed with it! I gave it a light sanding, primed, and painted it with a flat white paint that I had on hand to brighten up and bring light into the navy blue sitting area.

Do the candlesticks and tobacco baskets look familiar? Yep, they were originally in the sunroom downstairs. My husband wanted a larger tv so the decorative accessories had to go…for now anyway. I have plans to dress up the extremely large tv that now dominates the sunroom that he has taken over! I changed the color on the smallest candlestick and went with a charcoal color instead of the pale blue which you can see here.

Adding Shelves to Draw the Eye Up

Next we added the shelves. This is such an easy and inexpensive DIY. All you need is Simpson Strong Ties (I found mine at Home Depot) and wood of your choice. On this project we used pine 1″ x 6″ x 8 ft lengths. I wanted the 2 inch thick pine but Home Depot didn’t have what I was looking for in stock and once I get started on a project, I don’t want to wait, so we improvised and trimmed the boards out to give it more bulk.

I sprayed all the Simpson Strong ties with black paint. While they were drying, I marked the studs on the wall with painters tape and decided the best placement for each shelf. Once the ties were dry, I screw each tie to a stud. I placed one on top and one below the shelf. Then I slid each shelf into place, and screwed the Simpson Strong ties into the shelf. It’s a very easy process and the impact to me is huge. It totally reinvented the space. I will share more on my shelf styling over the weekend.

I hope you enjoyed my newly reinvented space done on a budget! I am completely enamored with it and it did not break the bank!

Until Next Time,

How to Make an Easy DIY Feasting Board

February 16, 2017 By stylishrevamp 1 Comment

I am so exited that the weekend is almost here! It has been a long, cold and windy week, so motivation around here has been low on all fronts! Although, I was able to complete a small DIY project.

Earlier this week, I was browsing our local Home and Garden shop and ran across a lovely Feasting Board. For $95 though, I passed but I did use it for my inspiration this week.

How to Make an Easy DIY Feasting Board

Project List

scrap wood

wood stain

drawer pulls

nail gun (Hammer and finishing nails work just fine)

drill

combination square (called in the hubs for this part)

I had everything on hand. To begin, I found a piece of wood in my scrap wood pile. I would have preferred a longer piece of wood but I made do with what I had and it still worked out well.

For the feet or the legs of the feasting board, I cut two piece of scrap wood about an inch shorter than the width of the top of the board. I used my Ryobi brad nailer to attach the pieces together.

I stained the piece and let it dry overnight. Once dry, I applied wax to protect the wood. I like to use the American Decor Creme Wax from Home Depot. Then I brought the hubs in to attach the drawer pulls for handles. Normally, I would do this on my own but I could not center them on the top to save my life! He got out the t square or combination square, did some math and attached them perfectly.

Here is my version of the Feasting/Feast Board!

I had everything on hand so this was a free project…

Super Easy…

and adorable!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Until Next Time,

We Party Here:

4 Tips for Painting Like a Pro

February 5, 2017 By stylishrevamp 1 Comment

On the blog we are fortunate to have a Guest Post by Erin Holdgate from Zillow Porchlight. Today it’s all about painting, one of my favorite DIY’s for maximum impact. Enjoy!

4 Tips for Painting Like a Pro
By Erin Holdgate
Paint packs a powerful punch in the world of do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvement, especially when it comes to transforming interiors. A well-executed paint job can rejuvenate a dull living room or revitalize a tired kitchen.

To turn your skills from DIY to pro-level, here are some tips from painting and home improvement professionals:

1. Do your prep work
Before you head to the store, remember that paint is only part of the project. The surfaces you will be painting need to be clean and dry before you get started. If you’re painting walls, fill holes left by screws and nails, and patch any cracks – a pristine surface gives you the best final results. Be sure to let spackle or other patches dry prior to painting to avoid debris getting stuck in the dried paint. To prep a piece of wooden furniture before painting, wipe down any dust and vacuum the area thoroughly. This will ensure sawdust doesn’t find its way back on to the furniture after you’ve sanded it.

2. Invest in quality supplies
To get great results, invest in high-quality paint, brushes and rollers. The last thing you want is loose bristles or clumps of lint dried into your living room walls the next day. Opting for cheap applicators is a common mistake made by DIY painters. Save yourself time and money by buying quality materials upfront so you’ll only have to do the job once. And before you head to the store, make a list of what else you might need: sandpaper, primers, drop clothes or finishes. Once your brush is wet, you won’t want to pause to run to the home store.

3. Paint with a full line of color
Now comes the fun part: Painting! But learning how much paint to put on your brush can be a bit tricky. A common DIY mistake is attempting to use up all of the paint on a brush or roller before re-dipping. This actually causes the paint to dry onto the bristles of the brush and the fabric of the roller to become matted. To maintain the integrity of your paint applicators, make sure you always paint with a saturated brush or roller. You’ll know it’s time to re-dip when the color begins to break up and you can see faint patches of uncoated surface.

4. Store leftover paint properly
Once the job is done, reseal the paint can tightly by gently pounding on the lid with a rubber mallet. Some suggest storing the can upside down to create an airtight seal. For water-based paint, your best bet is to place a piece of clear plastic wrap on the surface before resealing the can. For oil-based paint, pour a thin layer of water on top of the paint before resealing. The water will act like a film to prevent the paint from drying out. Make sure to keep your leftovers: You never know when you’ll need to do a minor touchup. Even if you plan to move, the new occupants will likely appreciate having the paint, especially if you mark the can with the room you painted with it.

Whether you’re giving new life to a coffee table or finally implementing one of your living room ideas to makeover the space, many home DIY projects require little more than a gallon of paint. With thoughtful execution and these helpful tips from the pros, the power of a great paint job is at your fingertips.

Thanks Erin for these great tips!

Until Next Time,

How to Make an Easy DIY Christmas Sign

November 8, 2016 By stylishrevamp 1 Comment

I know we just got through Halloween and we have several weeks before Thanksgiving arrives but today I wanted to share with you an easy DIY Christmas project. Yes, I said it Christmas. I love, love, love Christmas but it is too early even for me to begin decorating.

Now having said that, last year on The Fixer Upper, I saw a Christmas sign that I loved and knew that I wanted one. By the time I saw it though, it was too late to make it and enjoy it over the holiday season. So I wanted to get a jump on it for this year’s Christmas Season, that is why I am sharing my “How to make and Easy DIY Christmas sign” before we have even had a chance to eat the turkey and stuffing!

The first thing I had to do was pick up a piece of plywood at Home Depot. Surprisingly, I did not have any scrap wood around that I could use. Apparently, the garage clean out this summer was a bit too thorough. Anyway, I trimmed the wood down to the size I needed to fit over my cooktop. Then I gave it a quick sanding before giving it two coats of white paint. Any paint on hand will do. I originally wanted to spray it with my chalked paint by rustoleum but it was too windy outside and I was impatient so I used some leftover white paint from a previous project and rolled it on…it took about two minutes. (Which reminds me, I need to share with you in a later post a tip on tacky/sticky paint…remind me if I forget)

While the paint was drying, I used my stencils to create a pattern for the lettering. It was easier for me to trace my stencil letters on computer paper then lay the design out on the wood. It made the placement and spacing of the words easier.

Once I decided on the layout, I placed carbon paper underneath the letters and lightly traced over them. I only wanted to leave a light outline of the letters. I wasn’t sure how well the paint would cover over the carbon imprint.

DIY Christmas Trees for Sale Sign

When all the lettering was transferred to the wood, it was time to start painting. I knew I would never be able to hand paint each letter neatly and stay within the lines. That’s where the Sharpie Paint Pen comes in…I LOVE these paint pens! I also used them on my DIY driftwood sign that you can see here. It makes painting letters so easy!

I had Gman finish painting for me. It really is simple. It is just like using a regular sharpie. I would never have been able to paint the letters freehand using a paint brush. This was easy and quick.

I am trying to decide if I want to add any trim to the border, paint a trim, or just leave it as is. Once I am really ready to decorate for Christmas, I will had some greenery or something on the vent hood surround to break up all of the white. Until then, I will continue with my Christmas projects!

Until Next Time,

How to Paint a Driftwood Sign the Easy Way

October 4, 2016 By stylishrevamp 1 Comment

When we bought our home on the Island, it already had a name or at least a little driftwood sign above the door letting people know that We Got The Point and that’s how people usually know where we are located on the Island. The previous owners named the home and everyone wanted us to leave the sign so several years later We still Got the Point. Our home is on a point of land that juts out to the water which is how the previous owners came up with the sign…so we are just going to go with it.

Since our home is out on the point, it gets a lot of wind and we get damage from the salt water. The driftwood Point sign was in need of a little revamp. I was a bit worried about painting it since I do not have the steadiest of hands when it comes to small detail work but I found a little something that made it super easy!

How to Paint a Driftwood Sign the Easy Way

I made a trip to Home Depot (for something totally unrelated to this project) and I always stop by the paint section. That is where I found this…

The Sharpie Paint Pen was super easy to use. I used it just as I would an actual Sharpie marker. I was worried that it might run or drip but it really worked no differently than a regular marker.

First, I painted the entire sign with white paint that I had on hand and let it dry completely. Once that was done, I traced the letters with the Sharpie Paint Pen. This helps create a border that I can work within.

The original lettering was grey but I chose to go with black. Sadly, I have not been back to the Island Home to install it but you can see it finished now and later I will share it once I hang it back on the house.

Yep, I love it! Even if I did not choose to label our home with this slogan!

I already have in mind the sign I want to make for Christmas with the Sharpie Paint Pen!

Until Next Time,

DIY Typography Project

March 14, 2016 By stylishrevamp Leave a Comment

I recently finished my corner cabinet that I found at the consignment shop. I will share more on that later in the week. I was in the middle of styling it when I came up with this easy little DIY typography project.

If you have been following me for a while, you know that I am a huge fan of The Fixer Upper on HGTV. I love when Joanna adds typography to her design. In one episode she added a large number 7, representing the number of children the couple have. In other episodes she adds a large initial of the family somewhere in her design. This past week it was the letter B.

I decided to make my design, on a smaller scale. I had all the material on hand, so this was a quick project.

DIY Typography Project

I bought the letter K from Michaels. It was left over from a previous project. The brass house number I picked up a few years ago in Maine when we were on vacation. I bought a glass jar full of different size letters and numbers from this shop we stumbled upon. The shop was a huge red barn that had so many things, they were spilling out into the parking lot and around the sides of the building. Good times!

You can see how I used some of the other numbers at the Island House here. I just love this idea. Check it out!

O.K. back to my DIY Topography Project…super simple. The brass number has some metal prongs on the back, I pushed it into the wood to leave an indent so I would know where to drill the small holes into the wooden letter. Next, I brushed on some stain leftover from my Home sign. While that was drying, I cleaned up my brass number a bit. Once everything was dry, I inserted the 5 into the K and that was it. I was finished! This little piece represents my family.

I hope you enjoyed this little DIY project.

Until Next Time,

I party here:

Designing a DIY Wood Sign

February 9, 2016 By stylishrevamp 1 Comment

First, let’s start off with… Way to go Denver! Umm, really I don’t follow football…at all. I just really like the Super Bowl party that we’ve been going to every year and seeing my friends, and I like half time, and let’s not forget about the Super Bowl food! Yep, that just about sums up my interest in football!

So, what I really do like at the moment is making and designing DIY wood signs. This past Christmas I made the Believe sign. The year before that I made the Christmas Countdown Sign. (Still my favorite) I am already thinking about the sign I want to make for next Christmas!

I wanted to design a wood sign with our house number on it. I have seen a few of these floating around on Pinterest but I wanted mine to look similar to a chalkboard. So, this is what I came up with over the weekend.

Making these signs are so easy and inexpensive. I used left over wood in the garage. However, I did pick up more stain and an extra trim piece at Home Depot.

**This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive compensation if you make a purchase using this link.**

The first thing I did was trim my wood to the size I wanted. I needed mine to be kind of small so it would fit within my shelves. Once I got set up and went to start the circular saw, it wouldn’t start. Talk about being frustrated! It was freezing cold outside, I got everything ready, plugged the saw in and nothing! I knew at this point to just put everything away and start again another day because I tend to get sloppy when I am frustrated. I ended up buying the Ryobi battery Circular Saw. I really like it. For one, it is so much lighter than the saw we had, plus the Ryobi battery pack it uses is the same one that I have for my Ryobi brad nailer. I find all of their products very easy to use.

So once the cut was made, on the board for the actual sign, I found a can of white paint left over from previous projects. I painted the board with two quick coats and let it dry overnight. The next day I used my Cricut cutter and cut the letters and numbers needed. I used the chalkboard font for the letters. I am not crazy about the font but I let Gman pick it out and he loves it so, I am fine with it. It is actually beginning to grow on me a bit. The numbers were already loaded onto the Cricut so I used those rather than the chalkboard font. I wanted the numbers to be a bit more precise if that makes sense. Again, if you do not have a Cricut, you can used vinyl stickers from Michaels, stencils or free hand.

Once the letters and numbers were added to my board, I painted over the entire board with a flat black paint. While that was drying, I made the cuts to my frame pieces. My husband tells me to measure twice and cut once. I measure about 10 times and cut twice as much as that. Sometimes I can make the simplest things the hardest! When I finally got the correct cuts, I stained the wood pieces with MinWax in Jacobean.

When everything was dry, I peeled the vinyl letters off the board. I gave it a light sanding to make the black paint look like a chalkboard. Some of the white paint is popping through which helps give it the look of a wiped off chalkboard. Lastly, I attached the stained wood trim with my ryobi brad nailer

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this quick DIY Wood Sign tutorial.

Until Next Time,

We Party Here:

Easy Ways to add Simple Fall Touches

Dressing Up my Pantry with a Vintage Door

Catching Up On Life in General

How to Reinvent Your Space on a Budget

How to Reinvent Your Space on a Budget

Adding Shelves to Draw the Eye Up

How to Make an Easy DIY Feasting Board

How to Make an Easy DIY Feasting Board

4 Tips for Painting Like a Pro

How to Make an Easy DIY Christmas Sign

DIY Christmas Trees for Sale Sign

How to Paint a Driftwood Sign the Easy Way

How to Paint a Driftwood Sign the Easy Way

DIY Typography Project

DIY Typography Project

Designing a DIY Wood Sign

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