Diy Hot drink Station

With the colder weather fast approaching, I thought I would set up a hot drink station. Of course I had to get a little creative with placement since I don't have a lot of counter space. But, since I painted the countertop, I had switched the placement of my toaster oven and coffee maker, which made better use of the space. 

Since the coffee maker is now in a corner where the counter is rarely used, there is an area where a small shelf will fit perfectly. And where do you find a small enough shelf? Dollar tree of course. I used one of the small cabinet risers to create a cute little shelf.

To make a shelf out of the cabinet riser I used foam board and contact paper, also from Dollar Tree.

First I measured the riser and cut a piece of the foam board to fit on top

I also cut out a second piece to fit the under side of the riser

 - I used hot glue to secure the foam board on the riser so it wouldn't move while applying the contact paper

I then measured and cut out two pieces of the contact paper to cover the foam board and any visible pieces of the top part of the shelf riser.

*If you've never worked with contact paper check out my dresser update .

Lastly I repurposed a paper towel holder to use as a mug tree.

To complete the drink station, I added a coffee can (from which I removed the label), a small container with stirrers, and a glass jar underneath for hot cocoa.

I'm on the hunt for a hot cocoa recipe that doesn't call for a load of sugar. Any recommendations? 

How I'm preparing to do a Fall Fair!

Today’s post is a little different than usual. I don’t have a tutorial to show you, but rather I wanted to share what I’ve been working on for the last month or so. Besides working on my home projects, at the end of August, I decided I wanted to apply for a vendor table at my local fall fair. I thought to myself “how fun would it be to sell my crafts”! Now, the fair is on October 21^st which meant that I had to prepare for this event in about a month and a half. Are you catching my drift?

Can you imagine the preparation that goes in to setting up a vendor booth at one of these events! Well, I’ll give you a little synopsis. First of all, you need to have products to sell. Ok, no biggie I had brainstormed a few different things I could make easy enough. Then, there’s all the other stuff that goes into making the event successful as a vendor i.e. how-to setup the booth, what displays to use, and how to prep personally. I’ll expand a little on the details but let me show you the state of my home during this process.

Please do not judge. Yes, my living room looks like total chaos! But, it’s semi-controlled chaos. If there is such a thing. Lol. Keep in mind that the living room is open to the kitchen, and the front door opens into the kitchen. But, luckily the fair is only a couple of weeks away and things will soon be back in order.

So, what am I making?

• Wreaths- because you always need a wreath! And I love that there are so many different ways to style them.

• Decorative trays- because I’m just in love with decorative trays right now.

• Mason jar organizers- because, well mason jars are just soo cute!

• Decorative vases- because as much as I like clear vases, I love to personalize them.

• Canvas monogram art- because monograms! Need I say more?

And a couple of tiered trays I made with thrift store finds.

How am I prepping?

• Working on projects late into the night, after the kids are in bed. And, no I do not get to sleep in because I’m entertaining my 3-year-old during the day.

• Shopping, shopping, and more shopping! I have to get the supplies I need to create.

• Researching

1. Booth staging: the booth should be attractive and tell a story

2. Display setup: the products should look like they are in a storefront

3. Business stuff: how will I take payments; what packaging will I need; how can people find me? (business cards)

4. Personal stuff: what to bring for myself, i.e. comfortable footwear because I’ll be standing, water/snacks

Needless to say, I have been a busy bee! Which is why I don’t have a project for you this week. But, in the weeks to come I will be sharing a series of organizing projects focusing on the kitchen. I hope you will pray for me to have a successful event! And if you follow me on social media I’ll be sharing a couple of product sneak peeks. Thanks, and God bless!

Living Simply,

Mindy✿

How to make Storage Shelves

I am a firm believer in taking advantage of vertical space for storage. I decided I wanted to add shelves to our small bathroom above the toilet, because no one has ever said "I have too much storage". Am I right? Lol. The bathroom layout made this space the perfect area to add shelves without it looking bulky. Adding shelves to a bare wall can open up storage possibilities in a space that doesn’t allow for multiple storage units on the floor.

Of course, I could’ve gone and bought one of those shelf stands that are made to fit over the toilet, but I wanted a clean look. And for the cost of one of those units (a good quality one) I didn’t want the hassle of having to replace it in a year due to rust from the bathroom humidity. There was also the option of purchasing shelving from the hardware store, but for the look I wanted, the selections available were priced at about $20 per shelf. My diy shelves only cost around $35 total!

I started with a 2x8 piece of wood that was in my basement. This was also left over from renovations. It was the perfect sized depth for my wall space.

Step 1:

used a circular saw to cut the shelves to size.

-my shelves measure 22 ¼ inches long

Step 2:

sanded the wood, first with a 60 grit (course) and then with 150 grit (fine) sandpaper

-Yes, I sanded these by hand…I don’t have an electric sander. Not yet, anyway!

Step 3:

stained the shelves on each side and all edges

-I used Minwax penetrating stain in Ebony. It is a very dark stain, almost black to match the vanity cabinet.

Step 4:

sealed the stain with polycrylic in a satin finish

-I used the sealant on all surfaces as well. I did 2 coats, sanding in between each coat.

Step 5:

attached the shelves to the wall using shelf brackets, using drywall anchors in the wall.

- I did not have a second person around to hold the shelf while I attached it to the wall. So, I attached the brackets to the shelf first, then held it up to the wall to level and measure for the wall screws.

The last step was the most tedious because I was doing this on my own. I would recommend having a second person to help when attaching the shelves to the wall.

And here is the finished product!

I love that these diy shelves are custom fit to my space! If you're in the mood for a weekend project, this is a good one to tackle. And if you don't have wood laying around the house you can easily get a long wood board in any size you want at the hardware store. Some stores will even cut it for you!

Let me know what you think and if you would do this on your own. What would you have done differently? Thanks, and God bless!

Living Simply,

Mindy✿

Dual sided Mirrored Vanity Tray Diy

I get inspired in different ways to create décor pieces for my home. YouTube diy videos are one of the sources that sparks ideas for me. And, this project was inspired by a you tuber who created a mirrored tray. Her tray was uniquely different from other mirrored tray projects I had seen. She used a wired ribbon to create a tray border.

When I saw her video, I knew I had just the thing to create my own version of a mirrored tray. You won’t believe what I repurposed (from home renovation scraps) to create this tray. And, I even took it a step further and made this a dual-purpose project that only cost me $3. I am so happy with how this came out, and it’s a great addition to my dresser.

Here’s what I did…

I started with these supplies

-2 framed mirrors

- wall decal

- gold thumb tacks

- gold spray paint

- a vinyl corner bead (used in construction to reinforce drywall corners)

- heavy duty scissors

- ruler

Step 1: measured the vinyl to fit the outer edge of the frames and cut to size

-You end up with 2 long pieces and 2 shorts

Step 2: cut 2 mitered corners on each piece of vinyl

-I cut each angle inward to create a 45 degree angle

Step 3: spray painted the frames in metallic gold

Step 4: glued the frames back to back, after reassembling the framed mirrors

-I used super glue for this step, but I think even hot glue would do

Step 5: I added the wall decal to the mirror that would be the bottom of the tray

-I initially put the decal on the wrong way (lol), but I fixed it later

Step 6: attached the vinyl bead to the frame using the thumb tacks

-I attached the tacks to the center hole (alternating each hole) on the straight edged side. I did this around the entire frame. 

Step 7: attached gold beaded ribbon (using hot glue) to each corner to cover up the jagged edges

Step 8: attached flat glass gems on the bottom mitered corners using hot glue

And here is the result. A dual purpose mirrored vanity tray/ framed mirror décor!

I am totally loving the look of this. I plan on using this as a tray for now, but I have the option of simply turning it over and using it as décor. I hope this inspires you to create your own unique décor piece. Let me know what you think. And until next time, thanks and God bless!

Living Simply,

Mindy✿

No Sew Table Runner

This no sew table runner is soo easy to make you could make one in every color! Not that you need one in every color, but you'll see what I mean. Because this is made using placemats from Dollar Tree, you could change this out seasonally by using different colors or patterns. Or, you could easily add details with ribbon or other embellishments. The best part? It only costs $3!

Here is how mine came out...

To make this no sew runner, all you need are placemats and hot glue. And any embellishments you want to add.

Before starting I measured the length of my table. I used three placemats.

To put the runner together:

- fold over the seam on the end of one placemat

- glue the seam onto another mat while overlapping by about 1 1/2 inches

- turn over and glue the over hang

- seal the gaps created by the overlap

Repeat these steps to add the third placemat. The folded seams will be on top, creating a tiered look. 

You could stop here and have a nice simple table runner. But, I had to take it a step further to match my color scheme.

I added tassels using twine:

- cut a bunch of strips of twine about 2 inches long

- wrap the twine around hand (or any flat object the desired length of your tassel

- using one the strips, tie on to one end and create a knot

- cut the other end open to create strands

- using another small strip, tie around the strands about 1/2 inch below the top knot to create a loop

I attached the tassels using hot glue.

And here is the final result.

This was my first time making tassels, and I'm loving them! What do you think? Until next time, thanks and God Bless!

Living Simply, 

Mindy✿