Mirror, Mirror on the gallery wall.

Yeah, I totally made that. On my own. Without a tutorial.

Late last night I got the crafting bug, and pulled out some of my stash. (Side note: I just had to google stash to make sure I was spelling it correctly. I think that's the first time I've ever typed it!)

Here's what I came up with. On my own. Without a tutorial. Yeah, I'm quite proud of myself!


Supplies I used:

Printer Paper
Circle Punch (1")
Cardboard
Mirror w/hanger
Craft Clue
Hot Glue/Gun

I have a box of circle mirrors from Target that I'm not using, so I used one of the smaller sized ones, along with the cardboard that it was packed in.

I started by gluing the circles around the outside of the cardboard, and worked my way around in a circular motion until I reached the center. If I was doing it again, I'd lay it out first and pay attention to the numbers so it was totally balanced. But I'm a lazy novice crafter, and even if I thought of that before gluing, chances are good I still wouldn't have done that.

After I had the circles glued to the cardboard I pried the hanger off the back of the mirror using a butter knife. I glued the mirror right on top of the paper circles, and the hanger right to the back of the cardboard.

Super easy and it looks adorable! It's hanging up now on the gallery wall, but it's so dark and dreary outside the photos won't do it justice.

Ah, what the heck, I'll take a better photo another day...I am way too excited to not share this right now!


Total Cost: $0.00

Update:

I'm participating in my very first linky party ever! Stephanie's $0 Budget Party over at Full of Great Ideas!



Check out Stephanie's totally amazing headboard makeover, and all the other totally free projects, here. Now these are ladies after my own heart!


And I also decided to get over my nerves, and am linking up over at The Shabby Nest for Frugal Fridays!

What company makes those over the door wreath hangers?

Because that's where I should invest.

No matter how many other projects I start, it always comes back to wreaths. I've made two in the last week.

I never even liked wreaths until I started crafting. And I only started making wreaths because they sold them at the dollar store, and it was a cheap project I could do and wouldn't hate myself for messing up. And now I can't stop!

I have this vision of myself at like 80, surrounded by wreaths all horder-style. Every square inch of wall, table and floor space taken up by wreaths. Instead of old newspapers, I'll have wreaths stacked in the corner tied up in string. Don't worry about finding decaying food or waste, it's just wreaths under those wreaths. I'm not a crazy cat lady, I'm a crazy wreath lady.

It's a sickness, and I must be stopped!

Project overload...

Am I the only one who sees a project, decides to do it and then leaves it unfinished when I see another project, decide to do it and then leave it unfinished when I see another project, decide to do it...

You see where I'm going here? It's a strange cycle! I know, just know, I would feel so much better if I just sat down and finished anything...just one thing! But I can't, because I keep finding other things that I love and want to do!

While I try to regain my novice crafter mojo, I thought I'd show you a picture of the living room. It's a work in progress, cut me some slack it's only been two months!

(Seriously, at what point does "Excuse this room, we've just moved in!" stop being an acceptable excuse?)

I'm off to work on at least one project right now...hopefully I'll be back soon with updates and pictures, or at the very least a post with links to the projects I'm working on!

Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Super adorable Erin from Crafts and Sutch celebrated her 1000th follower with an awesome week of incredible giveaways. Erin's blog is one of my favorites, and you should check it out now. (Like, right now, I'll still be here when you get back, seriously.)

See that amazing and oh-so-perfectly-me necklace? Yeah, it's going to be mine.

All mine! I'm already imagining rocking it. On a scale of one to ten, I already love it a babillion. Plus one.

Bev from Flamingo Toes made it. Aside from having my favorite blog name of all time, she also has an etsy shop that is chock-full of adorableness.
(Her "Field of Flowers" necklace makes me giddy just looking at it!)

And starting next Monday, she's kicking off "Anthro Necklace Week" where she'll share 5 tutorials and 5
giveaways for the awesome

necklaces she's made. Holla!

I haven't even thought of jumping into jewelry making just yet, but when I went to her site earlier I did find what might be my next project.

So big thanks and shout-outs to Bev and Erin, I am so excited!


Photo via Flamingo Toes

That's what's up.

Get it, because it's up? It's a light.

I can't help myself, when there's a pun available I have to take it!

The inspiration for this project comes courtesy of John and Sherry of Young House Love. (Like they need any introduction!)

YHL has a great "how-to" on covering the bottom of the lampshade with fabric so the light bulb doesn't show. But, I'm a lazy novice crafter and I didn't trust myself to go taking the fabric off of the lampshade. I guess technically I would trust myself to do that part, it's the reattaching it and not ruining it part that I didn't trust.

I did what any lazy novice crafter who was terrified of messing up would do...I attached it from the INSIDE! I cut the fabric approximately the same shape as the shade and hot glued it to the inside.

It's not pretty when we're looking in from the top, but unless my house is invaded by giants, I don't foresee that being an issue. And it's pretty sweet looking from the outside!

We finally got around to hanging some stuff on the walls this weekend, so consider this a sneak peek.


I know the room looks really matchy in that photo, but it's totally not. I'm excited to share photos soon, just as soon as I complete some more projects!

Thrifting Thursday.

This morning started out early with a surprise trip to the vet for my adorable dog, Ms. Phoenix. Someone who will not be named, and who may or may not be writing this blog at this very moment, may or may not have sat on her and injured her leg. But it's all good, she's now running around like nothing ever happened.

So needless to say, I got a late start on Thrift Store Thursday!

I took a trip to what I've decided is the world's most expensive thrift store. Someone there is totally on point with design trends, so anything that's hot right now is also more expensive. Well, expensive in thrift store terms at least. No .99 brass candlesticks that need a coat of spray paint. No $5 gaudy frames. No $15 cane chairs just begging to be recovered. Those items are there, but you're going to pay more for them.

Here are some of my favorite finds from today:


This has been in the store since the first week I moved here. I like to think of these pieces as the Pretty, Pretty Princess of dining room furniture. This is real. Someone really has/had this in their home. I have to meet the person who owns/owned this furniture.



In the frame section, I found these guys who made me giggle. Yes, those are 3-D tin pressed clowns, you're not seeing things.



Once I saw this guy, I got a little sad. He's a foot tall ceramic bust, who also happens to be a clown. This made me sad because, apparently, some time in the last week a small car pulled into the parking lot, fifteen clowns came climbing out along with their clown gear that they no longer needed...and I missed it. That's totally sad!

This cutie pie mirror was tucked under some items and I dug it out. It's just plastic, so it's lightweight, but it looked beaten and weathered. Decent price, too.

I have no need for a hutch, but if I did I would absolutely want this one. The $198 price tag is for both pieces, and it looked to be in great shape. I loved that there's no glass in the upper cabinet/hutch piece. It was so good I had to take a close up!



I did pick up two things for our home. First a small rug for $2, I'm not sure if it's better in the kitchen or laundry area. It was impossible to photograph! Up close looks blown out, and back far it looks like a green blob. So blown out, it is:



And I did find a drum shade that I think will work wonderfully in the living room. It was half off on the item's color today, so I paid $2.50 for this bad boy. I've got plans for it, and can't wait to get to work!

Coming Soon: To a Trash Can Near You!

Yikes. I was so tempted to just quit about ten minutes into this project. I totally under estimated how difficult this would be!

I realized that doing this in "sections" was making it lopsided, and at that point I couldn't correct it. Removing hot glue from paper and paper? Yeah. Not happening.

But, I did promise pictures.

It was totally free, so I didn't waste anything other than a few hours of time and a couple glue sticks. Yay for failure learning experiences!

And, now I get to pass on some helpful tips in case you're planning on making one for yourself:

(These first two were included in Nichole's original tutorial, but c'mon, I don't listen)

1. Plan on this taking a lot more time than you think. Patience, grasshopper.

2. This will be waaaaaaaaaaay bigger than you think. And heavier.

3. *Apply the filters in a circular motion around the paper lantern, starting at the top and working down. Don't just work in sections vertically, or you'll end up with something resembling my work, and we can agree that's not what you want. Right? Right!

4. The easiest way to attach the coffee filters and maintain a consistent look is to fold it in half, and then in half again, and then fold the bottom triangle piece up. Put the glue on the triangle piece and attach.



5. Be consistent with how far up you're folding for an even look.

6. Be sure to brag to me when your attempt is a success. Feel free to send me pictures and call me names. (Lopsided Lilly, perhaps? Super bonus points actually, because it totally makes me giggle.)


So lessons learned, and I'm now thinking I'll buy a drum shade for over the living room table. I was torn, but I'm glad I made the attempt and I won't constantly second guess that decision. I'm off from work tomorrow so maybe I'll hit up the thrift stores to see what I can score.

I'll post any awesome finds, and if not maybe share a project or two that I've been successful at!
Even a novice crafter like me can do things well sometimes!






*This was my super smart husband's tip. When I first started he recommended that I work my way around the top to figure out the spacing. Did I mention I don't listen? He was right, and I was wrong.