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If there has ever been a DIY project that I have been obsessed with it’s this one! I have lost count of how many ugly containers I have turned into modern vintage looking faux pottery, and I still want to do more! It’s such a fun project that you really can’t mess up and will always turn out beautiful!
Supply list
- Container you want to transform
- Texture Spray
- Matte Finish Spray Paint
- Dirt from your backyard
- Matte Sealer Spray
You can use this technique on practically anything. I have used ugly pottery, glass vases, plastic pots, even a set of lamps!! Click here to see how my lamps turned out. I’m completely in love with them!
I love checking my local thrift store for cheap pieces to transform! Don’t be scared of the color or design of a thrift store piece, if it has good shape and is the size you like it will be perfect for this project!
Check out the first piece I did this faux pottery makeover on. Talk about a night and day difference!!
Let’s Make Some Faux Pottery!!
- The first step is to cover your piece with a texture spray, this one by Rust-Oleum is my favorite. There’s no wrong or right way to do this. You can see the texture overlaps when you spray it and that’s completely fine. This step gives your piece the truly authentic look of pottery so be generous with the texture spray!
- Let the texture sit until it’s dry to the touch, about 10-15 minutes. Next, spray paint it any color you want. Make sure the paint is a Flat/Matte finish. If you use spray paint with any kind of a gloss finish it won’t give you the same look. For this project I used this medium grey color. I love it and it gives my planter a little bit of a concrete look!
- Now comes the fun part. Grab some dirt from your backyard and add just a little bit of water. You don’t want to add too much water to the dirt, think somewhere in-between dry dirt and mud! Now rub it all over your project and let it completely dry!
- After the dirt is dry take a clean cloth and rub some of it off. You can take off a little or a lot, it’s up to you! If you have trouble removing the dirt, it may be because your dirt was too wet. Get your cloth damp and carefully rub the dirt off that way. If your cloth is too wet and you completely remove all the dirt you will need to repeat the last step to get some of that dirt back on your project.
- The last step is spraying the project with a matte sealer. This is optional but I do find that it preserves your project better, and because the finish is also matte it won’t change the look or feel of your project!!
This style of decor is so popular right now and you can find it all over from Pottery Barn to Arhaus but by DIYing it you can have the same look for a fraction of the price!
-Grey Birch Designs-
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I recently gave our loft/playroom a refresh that fits our growing kids and their needs. I loved how the room came together but the TV wall bothered me. When we replaced our old TV with this larger TV the photo wall didn’t look right anymore. I needed to come up with a different design.
I had a vision in my head and for a certain type of picture shelf but I couldn’t find it anywhere – so that meant I had to DIY it! The TV wall is long and I wanted one large shelf, not two put together.
For this project I used:
Since the wall is 12′ we cut the board down to 10′, which fills the wall but leaves a little bit of space on the sides. We used a circular saw to make the straight cut and then stained the wood with black wood stain and cloth rags
I found the best was to apply the stain evenly was to work in smaller areas and wipe off the stain quickly after applying it. If you have an extra set of hands it’s quick and easy to have one person apply the stain while the other follows right behind wiping it off!
I let the stain dry for a few hours before I put it up on the wall. To install the shelf we held the board up on the wall where we wanted it and used a level to make sure it was straight. Then we drew a level line on the wall across the top of the wood. This makes it easier to attach the brackets to the wall without having to also hold up the wood shelf.
Next we found and marked the studs. For this long shelf we used 4 of the metal brackets. We pre-drilled the holes and then attached the brackets to the wall with 2
inch screws. Once that was done we simply slid the wood into the brackets and then it was time to decorate!
inch screws. Once that was done we simply slid the wood into the brackets and then it was time to decorate!
I used a mix of large black and white family photos, hand cut silhouettes of our whole family, and some new house plants I picked up from Trader Joe’s.
I’m incredibly happy with how this simple project turned out. Finally I love every aspect of our new and improved loft/kids hangout room! To see this project in action check out this video of us putting the whole project together!
-Grey Birch Designs-
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There are so many different ways you can make a blanket ladder, and I have made a few different styles myself, but I think this is the most straight forward and easy way I have found!
Supplies list
- Miter Saw
- Finish Nail gun
- Nails
- Wood dowels (you will need 2 or 3 depending on how many slats you want)
- 1″x 2″ pine board (these are for the sides so you will need 2 of these)
- Wood Glue
Step 1
First thing you are going to want to decide is how tall you want your ladder and about how many slats you want to have. I made mine 90″ tall and cut my dowels to 11 3/4″ I wanted a thinner look with more slates so that’s why I picked those measurements. Once everything is cut lay out your pieces and decide how far apart you want the spacing to be, mine are 7″ apart. Then mark the side pieces so you know where to attach each dowel.
Step 2
Now to assemble it you will want to put a dab on wood glue on one end of the dowel, line it up with the mark you made on the side piece and carefully fire a nail into the wood. Attach each dowel to the piece of wood you are using for the sides of the ladder then repeating the steps until all your dowels are attached to one side. Once that’s done you can turn it on its side and attach the other piece of wood with the same steps!
Step 3
Sometimes you ladder can be slightly bent after its assembled and that is completely normal due to the face that the wood isn’t perfectly straight most of the time. To fix this problem lay your assembled ladder on a flat surface and put some heavy objects on the top and the bottom and leave them there until your ladder is dry, I let mine sit overnight. Once the glue is dry its will stay in it’s new straight position. Now you can paint or stain it whatever color you like!
Hope you enjoyed this super easy and quick DIY Ladder!
-Grey Birch Designs-
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How to Paint a Door
I have heard many concerns about painting doors, but I have a few tips to help you get that perfect streak-free finish!
1. Lets talk paint
The most important part of any painting job is to make sure you have the right paint and supplies. I always suggest a paint+primer. This will give you the best coverage, and because the primer is already mixed in with the paint it also saves you a step, and who doesn’t love that!! Since doors are excellent dirty finger magnets, you want to make sure you can easily clean them. I use a satin finish on all my walls and doors. I find it’s much easier to clean than a flat finish but not as flashy as a semi gloss or gloss.
2. Supplies
For this job you will need a paint brush and a small paint roller. These items are my products of choice when I paint doors for a couple reasons. The angled brush really helps you get into those detailed areas of the door that your roller just can’t reach, and since it’s cut at an angle it gives you better control then a flat cut brush. The rollers should be low pile or foam, and small since the area you’re working with is not a large space.
3. The Process
Before you start painting you should remove the door handles. Most handles have two screws on the inside of the door that are easily removed. I do not recommend removing the hinges as you can easily strip the wood out of the screw holes in the door. Start with your brush and trim all the tight edges where your roller won’t fit. You will generally need to do two coats on all these areas because the coverage with a brush is not as good as a roller. You also want to do this step first to avoid any brush strokes in your paint after it’s dry. I usually wait about 20-30 minutes between coats.
Once you are done with this step it’s time to get out that roller and finish up your door! Put a generous amount of paint on your roller and cover your door with thick even strokes. Work the roller in one direction (usually up and down), and watch out for obvious overlap or drip marks. After you’re finished, give your door the once over and check for thin areas. While your paint is wet it may look patchy, but this will disappear when it dries.
Once your door has dried overnight you can put your hardware back on and enjoy your beautiful painted door! Happy painting!!
-Grey Birch Designs-
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How to make your builder grade bathroom mirror look like a custom upgrade!
One of my favorite upgrades I have done in all the homes we have lived in is change the bathroom mirrors. It’s such a easy project and the difference it makes is huge!
In the past I have ripped down the builder grade mirror and just bought a nice mirror and hung that in it’s place. That works fine but it has be a pain getting the large mirror off the wall without shattering it into a million pieces……. So I have come up with a different solution and have been doing this for years!
I frame it!! So easy, right?? I decided to do the ones in our new house with reclaimed wood and some white trim. I then added a metal bracket on the corners just to give it a little more interest. This project is so quick, maybe an hour start to finish, and what a difference it makes in your bathroom!
Here is a little before and after
To do this project you will need the following:
-Wood of your choosing
–Corner Brackets (optional)
–Impact Driver or Screwdriver (if using the corner brackets)
I get asked about the lights over our mirror all the time so if you are interested in those as well I will link then here!
The light bar I found at Lowe’s (I could’t find the same one online to link it, but its just the light bar. It doesn’t come with light covers or light bulbs)
Step 1:
Mesure the the length and height of your mirror so you know how long to cut the boards. Once you have those measurements then cut your wood at a 45 degree angle on your miter saw so that the corners each meet up at a 45 degree angle. This takes a little bit of time and patience. If you don’t have much experience cutting wood I recommend cutting the boards longer than needed and slowly cutting them down until they fit.
Step 2:
Now that you have cut all your wood its time to put it up on your mirror. Start on the top and put a good amount of the clear adhesive on the back of the wood and stick it directly to the mirror. Then place a few clamps to hold it in place. Work your way around your mirror repeating this step until your mirror is completely framed. I use the Gorilla brand adhesive because it has a fast grab time. I have used others before and the wood has fallen off even after 24 hours with clamps holding it. This one grabs fast and holds strong!
Step 3:
If your not doing the metal braces on the corners your done!! If you are nows the time to put them on. Make sure the screws you use are shorter than the thickness of the wood. You don’t want to drive the screw through the back of the wood because you could crack the mirror. Once you have the right size screws just center them in the corners and use a drill or screwdriver to attach them to the wood, and thats it, simple right!
Hope you enjoyed this quick little tutorial, now go have fun and frame out those ugly builder grade mirrors and make them look amazing!!
-Grey Birch Designs-
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Throw pillows are one of the easiest ways to change up your decor and give it a fresh new look, and I love these DIY placemat pillows because they are very affordable! So here is what you need to make these cute pillows:
-Any placemat of your choosing (mine are from the Hearth and Hand Collection at Target)
Step 1:
Find the seam along the bottom and use your seam ripper to cut the thread and make an opening about the width of your hand.
Step 2:
Take your bag of Poly-fil and stuff your placemat to the fullness you like. I ended up using the whole 12 oz size bag for one pillow, but I like mine to be full and over-stuffed.
Step 3:
It’s time to close up your pillow! Take your fabric glue and run a little bit along the seam you opened with your seam ripper. Then pinch it together with your fingers for a few seconds until you can feel that it is holding. Continue this until you have completely closed your seam.
That’s it, pretty easy, right? And now you have a pillow!! I have also made these with down pillow inserts from Ikea instead of Poly-fil, and they work very well.
Hope you give this easy DIY a try!!
-Grey Birch Designs-
