Looking for a Classic Look? -Black and White Christmas Entryway

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year; I want people to feel that special feeling as soon they enter our front door. Black and white design is a common theme in my home, why, because it is so timeless!

FESTIVE WELCOMING ENTRANCE

This year I have added a new item to my Christmas decor, my sweet little flocked pencil tree from Michaels. I jumped at the chance to grab one of these trees for 50% off right after Halloween.

Here are a few pictures and links of the items I have added to my foyer this year. Look for my upcoming post with more of my Christmas favorites!

Sharing ALL the GOODS!

Check out my wallpaper tutorial here!

Farmhouse Style Bench– from Decor Steals. They no longer have this exact one but I found one similar.

Black and White Plaid Rug and Mat

Star Tree topper & Mirror -Target

Pillows & Throw Blankets- Home Goods and the BEAUTIFUL nativity scene is from Hobby Lobby.

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MORE of my FAVORITES here!

• Welcome Friends!
  Please share with your friends! Share Pin Email “I decided to create this blog to guide dreamers who need a little guidance in creating design in their home. I can provide you with the tools and skills to tackle these projects all on your own!” How to Guides: I can provide easy-to-follow guides to make DIY projects fun. Over the years, I have dabbled with many projects, making curtains, painting, reupholstering, woodworking projects, upcycling (always trying to stay within budget), crafts, organization, and the list goes on. I would love to share with you all of the tips and tricks I learned along the way. Don’t get Discouraged! I am here to help guide your DIY journey. Trust me, it hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows, unfortunately. I have experienced many failures, but it makes me want to work harder the next time. Something I heard many years ago has always stuck with me: “If something is worth doing, it is worth doing it right!” Oh, so true!! Knowing what works and what doesn’t is ALWAYS an excellent insight to have. I would have to say the reward has dramatically surpassed the failures. Weekly Updates:   Please join me weekly for tips on DIY, home décor, and organization. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you will continue to follow my journey!! My Beautiful Family More from my site 5 Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Builder Grade Kitchen Modern Bathroom Makeover-“I Painted My Bathroom Countertops with Spray Paint!” “Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Own Floating Deck” 6 Amazing Porch Decorations to Inspire You This Season The BEST Way to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets- (FOR LESS) 13 Tools that will Make Your DIY Projects Come to Life
• Beginners Getting It Done!
  DIY Beginners Guide Learning how to do things yourself- means having to depend on no one! I have spent the last ten years really focusing on how I can improve my daily life. This has come in many fashions, DIY, organizing, creating a space of my own through creating décor and design on all on a budget. What is DIY? DIY “do it yourself” a way to modify , personalize and style your home all on your own. Many people see a DIY projects as being “out of reach”. With a little determination ANYTHING is possible. How to get started with a DIY Project? Look around your home, take note of the items or projects you feel could be improved. Keep it simple, start with something small then work your way up. Common Questions/FAQ About DIY Projects How will I know if this DIY project is right for me? Make sure there are clear precise instructions, make sure this has been accomplished before. When something has been tested before this can give you the confidence you need to get started. Are you comfortable with time, energy, and cost for your project? Most DIY projects only require simple tools that more than likely you have laying around somewhere in your home. Most projects are very simple and easy to follow. DIY projects can be very cost-effective (the BIG reason I got involved), shop your home first. I can’t tell you how many times I have spent ZERO;) What projects can help me get started? Candle Holder DIY Wall Art Simple Wall Shelf Create a DIY Coffee Station Use chalk/milk paint to transform furniture Create a Custom Mirror Make your own wreath build a simple raised garden bed Why should I DIY? Save MONEY, have a product all your own -personalized just for you. Learning new skills, feeling a sense of achievement. Check Out My Favorite DIY Tools More from my site “Step-by-Step Guide to Building Your Own Floating Deck” The BEST Way to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets- (FOR LESS) 5 Simple Ways to Upgrade Your Builder Grade Kitchen Modern Bathroom Makeover-“I Painted My Bathroom Countertops with Spray Paint!” 13 Tools that will Make Your DIY Projects Come to Life Welcome Friends!
• I Built Two Massive Barn Doors for Under $350!
  DIY Barn Doors on a Budget We have a formal dining room that we rarely use. Well when I needed a place to work from home this seemed like the best option. I needed to close off a very large opening to the room, so I went online to see if I could purchase a barn door. Let me tell you the cost of one door was $700.00 to get something large enough for the opening. There was no way I could do that because I needed not one but two doors. So this is when we decided we needed a simple cost effective option, DIY it was. The materials I bought for these barn doors definitely kept me in the budget. I spent about $350.00 it would have cost me almost $3000.00 had I purchased them.  The first thing we did was decided on a template for our door. After looking at many posts online I decided to go with a modern style barn door with very clean lines, as this fit the style of my home. I also knew I was in love with black and white decor and this accent made my entryway just perfect. Tools Circular or Miter saw Hand saw Nail gun  1 ½” finishing nails Square Wood clamps Chisel Paint supplies  Materials (2) large pieces of 3/4″ plywood (I suggest going with the finished ( pre-sanded) wood.) Unfinished white wood (4) 1x2x8 -,(6) 1×4,×8 (1) 1x4x8 primed MDF board for your header Wood Putty  Primer Paintable Caulk Wood glue  Semi-gloss white paint Barn Door Hardware  Floor Guides Building the Barn Doors- time to shop! The first step was to to prep my plywood. I made the mistake of not buying prefinished plywood- if I could go back I would definitely spend the extra money and buy the pre-finished wood, this would save you so much time and energy. Next, we started laying out the 1x4x8 inch pieces for wood to measure where to mark our cuts.  We had a very large archway to cover ,so the 8 foot plywood was perfect for our space. There were no cuts for the two side pieces because they were already 8 feet long- so we decided to put those on first. I added these to the plywood by using wood glue and the 1 ½” finishing nails. We then then clamped them together just to preserve an extra hold. It did require my husband and I to hold the boards in place just to make sure they were perfectly straight. I let the clamps sit overnight before I moved onto the next step. Those cases of water really came in handy! The next day, we used the measuring tape to divide the space between our panels. We then followed the same process to attach the boards (1”x4”x8”)  to the door. Once everything was in place and dry  I gave all of the white wood pieces a coat of primer and let all this dry overnight. The next day we flipped the door over and primed the backside as well. We decided not to add panels to the inside of our doors.   Before I painted with the semi-gloss white paint I added caulk to the creases to fill the gaps as well as the nail holes. I let the caulk dry overnight and it was finally time to paint, this took several days as we had to wait for the coats of paint to dry before we could flip the door and move onto the next step. I used 2-3 coats of semi-gloss white paint to achieve a nice finish. Luckily I had a gallon left over from when our home was built. Installing the Door  We used a stud finder to find all the studs in the wall. This is a very important step, please do not skip. Next, I helped my husband hold the board up while he began to screw the header into the studs with long wood screws. This was especially important as we were hanging two doors and they were pretty heavy.  After, the header was up all we had to do was screw in the bolts that came with the hardware. We followed the instructions that came with the hardware kit for this step. Finally, we had made it to my favorite part -hanging these beautiful doors! I added a 1x3x8 to the edges of the door to fill in some of the space between the door and the wall. More from my site How to Make Your Cabinets Look Custom Welcome Friends! How to Hang REMOVABLE Peel and Stick Wallpaper Our Journey to 20 Acres: Building Our Forever Home Clean Up Your Bathroom Cool Toothpaste Hack! “5 Key Considerations When Buying Undeveloped Land”
• 13 Tools that will Make Your DIY Projects Come to Life
• Simple Patio DIY Privacy Solution
  “This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.” DIY Patio Screen – How to Build a Patio Privacy Screen? It’s always an excellent idea to have a fence that differentiates your property from your neighbors. On top of that, if you have a patio area, it makes a lot of sense to create your own DIY Patio Privacy screen—a creative way to give you that needed privacy in your backyard. You get an attractive look and a fantastic design, not to mention the added privacy. Since you’re able to create a DIY Patio Privacy screen on a budget, it’s well worth the investment too, and that’s what you want to keep in mind. What will you need to build your Patio Privacy Screen? We decided to go with a simple, easy to use approach. You don’t need a lot of complex supplies. All you need is just a few items like the ones below: ·         1”6”x8 ft decking boards ·         (4) 4”x4”x 8 wooden post ·         Black fence post caps ·         Decking screws ·         2-inch Wooden shim to separate boards ·         Half a bag of Quickrete ·         1 Gallon of outdoor stain Steps to follow… Dig a hole 2-3 times larger than your post. We went down about a foot and a half. This is an essential step, as it will give you a sturdy base. After digging the holes and adding in the wooden posts, we used half a bag of Quickrete packaged concrete to enhance the pole stability. Place each post in the ground in the designated spot. Repeat this same step each time. Starting at the bottom, place your decking boards horizontally and screw them into the post with decking screws. You may need a little help here to hold them into place. It’s important to note that adding the first board is the more difficult task since you want to ensure the first row looks flawless. After you do so, everything adds up without any problem.  Using a scrap piece of wood to the preferred size should be placed between each board creating gaps for airflow and visual appeal. Repeat placing boards until you reach your desired height. Using Landscaping Glue, place your fence caps on the top of the post for a more finished look. Once you finish, you will need to paint your DIY patio privacy screen. The color is up to you, but it’s crucial to use an outdoor stain to offer better protection from the elements. How to create your own freestanding DIY patio privacy screen?·       The DIY patio privacy screen was a great family project that my husband and I worked on over a weekend. We feel this gave our patio privacy and really enhanced our property. Plus, the great thing is that we just needed the skill saw to cut a single side due to not having the required length. However, you might not even need to do that. This shows that the patio privacy screen is a great, inexpensive home improvement idea everyone can do. It blocks all the neighboring homes while still delivering excellent visibility and airflow. I hope this is a great project for you, and it helps you as much as it helps us every day! More from my site Welcome Friends! Save Money with this Frugal Granite Cleaner! The BEST Way to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets- (FOR LESS) Make Your Walls Pop with Shiplap for only $40! Simple Buffalo Dip Recipe For Your Next Occasion Hot Cocoa and Gingerbread-Themed Coffee Bar