DIY: 30-Minute Scrap Wood Project

Hi friends!

If you were following along with DIY projects on the Humble Hammock last winter, you’d have seen the Elfa linen closet makeover. Remember that first photo on the post? Oh, it’s all right I’ll wait… go look at the post….

Being the thrifty crafter that I am, I saved those pieces of wood for a rainy day project. Today happened to be rainy so I hammered the nails out of the corners of each piece, lined them up in a fun pattern and created a little wall piece for the dining room. Don’t worry ladies, it just took one vertical piece of wood on the back with two screws holding each horizontal piece of wood to the vertical piece. You can do it without help!

Yes, I'm wearing pants :)

Not sure what I’ll paint on it yet, but I’m thinking I’ll hand letter the prayer we use for dinner and repurpose those frames I designed from Decorate: Dining Room Prayer with some of our wedding photos instead.

What was the best part of this DIY project? It was FREE!

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock! If it were yours, what would you paint on the new wall art piece I created today?

Budget: I'll Side with Duramax

If you live in the glorious flyover state of Indiana, you’re certain to be experiencing a wet summer full of fluctuating 60 – 90 degree temperatures during the day and the occasional hailstorm or tornado. As luck would have it, our home wasn’t hit by a tornado; however, we did luck into some hail. 

So here we are, a couple of homeowners in the dark on who to call for siding replacement. When we have problems bigger than we can handle, I start by calling our realtor, Cate Waggoner, who over a year later still refers us to awesome contractors and keeps a pulse on our journey. Cate pulled through for likely the fifth or sixth time since we’ve had possession of our home and gave me a list of contractors.

The list dwindled quickly with no callbacks and no interest in repairing aluminum siding. Steve, the owner of Duamax Roofing and Siding, replied to an email almost instantly, visited our home and assessed the damage within a couple of days, and had an acceptable quote for our insurance at the visit.

Steve went above and beyond by giving us two quotes - one for two sides of aluminum siding (to replace what was damaged), and one for four sides of vinyl siding so that the home would be completely damage free and match forevermore. He came by with samples, made customized suggestions and even worked well beyond the required workday to be sure that the job was done right.

Here's the final product...

Before

After

After

His team consisted of four gentlemen who were incredibly tidy while they worked and constantly picked up trash and debris that came off of the home. They also didn't bring any materials for the job until they showed up on the first day of work - which meant our yard didn't have to be the eyesore of the neighborhood while we waited on work to begin.

It took three days (during which it rained and rained) to get the job done. Afterwards, the craftsmanship and attention to each detail was undeniable. Steve's crew even added some personal touches, replaced compromised wood that they weren't required to do based on the scope of our work, and fought off bees living under our siding. They even replaced the fascia above our garage door with a custom, handmade overhead detail that now sets our garage apart.

Garage door fascia replacement

Front detailing and rehanging of the shutters

Chimney detailing

Window trimming and caulking with attic vent detailing

New gutter with perfect color match for our back patio

More craftsmanship around the roofline, chimney and corners

Corner channeling and clean siding lines

We cannot give enough kudos and recommendations for Steve at Duramax. Check out his company if you live in the Indianapolis area and need a referral for roofing, siding, or an honest to goodness contractor with a knack for quality. You can find out more about Duramax on Angie's List, BBB and Facebook.

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock!
Cara

DIY: No-Sew Stagecoach Shade

If you aren't into sewing curtains; even the half window panels that are for beginner level decorators, you can try this little house hack that I recently conjured. I had two lime green sheer panels but decided to put up something a bit more neutral in our guest bedroom instead. 

Shortly thereafter, I found myself needing some curtains for our upstairs guest bathroom too. That lead me to hanging a full panel, staring at it for awhile, and eventually adding some leftover ribbon from wedding decor to create this masterpiece.

They would certainly look better had I cut a bit off of the bottom before gathering, but I wanted to preserve length incase I want to revert back to full double panels again.

I hope you've enjoyed this quick hack for curtains and if you make your own, please share your improvements in the comment section below!

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock! Do come back!

Cara

DIY: Half-Window Curtains

I know sewing isn't for everyone, but in the winter months I become especially handy with the sewing machine my parents bought me a few years ago. It's not super fancy, but it does the job and allows me to get crafty with fabric from time to time. 

This Spring I decided to make curtains for our downstairs guest bathroom to keep any guests in our back yard from seeing what goes on when the bathroom door is closed. Amazon was my saving grace and lent one yard of this fun feather fabric to our feathery bathroom. You can buy it here.

I cut the fabric in half and sewed all four of the edges to create a finished look. The sides were about .5" and the top of the curtains were made a little wider at 1.5", so that the tension rod could go through. Yes, I used a tension rod since these were half window curtains. They are $3-$4 at Lowes and are no fuss for those who don't want to break out the drill and screws. 

Here is the finished panel. While pinning and sewing, I compared the panels from time to time to be sure they were identical to avoid one panel becoming a different size than the other. I may be OCD in some respects, but when I sew, draw and cut, I always eye it.

And here you have it! This wall art is from Target and made a nice accent with the feathers in the curtains. It was actually my inspiration for this project. It was purchased in store and is not available online, but would be very easy to recreate with nails and string of your own!

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock! Do come back :)

Cara

DIY: Linen Closet Makeover

Remember last year when we put in an Elfa closet in our pantry? We loved it so much that we decided to do our upstairs linen closet this winter. Not only does this make a great indoor project, but the Container Store offers 25% off Elfa products each January. Did I mention that you make an appointment with a designer who walks you through various configurations to find one that suits your needs and budget? We just had to take our measurements with us and make an appointment (weekends during the sale are crazy!)

The wooden holders that were removed from the inside walls of the closet

We began by removing the wooden shelving that was already in our closet. The shelves were bowing and the space wasn't idea for our linens, vacuum and cleaning products.

Since the closet had been painted and there were areas that were covered with wood, the paint seams were uneven. My husband had to sand them down so that the new paint would provide even coverage.

Scraping the seams

Sanding

We were puppy sitting the week we decided to this. Here's our little helper, Buster :]

It's certainly difficult to see in this photo, but we painted the inside of the closet grey. In our first Elfa closet project I had purchased 'oops paint' from Home Depot for $3. There was still half of the quart left it covered the entire inside of the closet.

Painting

All painted!

The Elfa solutions are so easy to install. My husband had them up as soon as the paint was dry and I went to organizing shortly thereafter. There's even ample space for our vacuum too! We've also added a hanging rack to our door now that we know it'll close with the vacuum inside. It's great for the little things that often get lost in the closet - nail polish, shoe polish, toilet paper, bath bombs, etc.

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock and looking around! Do come back :)
Cara

Budget Wedding: Part 3

Did you read Budget Wedding: Part 1 and Budget Wedding: Part 2? If not, start there!

Our reception venue was an outdoor covered pavilion. I used simple, inexpensive decor to make it feel full, vintage and colorful. The $6 spider plants were one of my favorite touches. I wanted ferns, but they were already out of season and these 30 second decision replacements ended up to be spot on.

My father-in-law thought I lost my mind when I asked to borrow five large wooden shipping crates behind his barn to use as a focal point on the back wall at our reception. They were free, and a little rough, but I placed wine bottles, antiques and pussy willow branches into crates to tie in the theme. The pussy willow branches ran $8 a bundle and were from a nearby antique store - I'd have cut them myself, had I a tree.

This back wall I referenced was not the prettiest sight. Most parties at this venue covered it - in fact, I had never seen it utilized at a reception. Early on I knew I wanted to decorate it with what was available to me without spending additional money.

I found these free printables on Pinterest.

My in-laws had this awesome box already and I was so glad they brought it to add to the decor!

Isn't that wall stunning in the background?

Leave it to Pinterest for all the great ideas for center pieces. I recruited my husband to help me make wooden slabs that were sanded and later sealed with a satin sealant. I actually saw this idea pre-Pinterest at my cousin's wedding years ago. The wood was free, but we did spend $30 on sealant and a few dollars here and there for sander paper and paint brushes.

When we chose our reception site I was very intentional about the decorations that I would have. The space worked well for what I chose because I looked for hooks that were already in place, ceiling styles, outlets, etc. I chose these ceiling lanterns and hung them from the perforated metal ceiling by ornament hooks. Oriental Trading had one heck of a deal and I stole the whole lot of lanterns in a variety of sizes and colors for $40. The cream tulle-like fabric that I used as curtains was from the same company and would have run over $300. I caught it all on clearance right after prom.

Card box & frame

Early on I was set on making an old suitcase my card box. After it was full of cards, I could close it, snap it shut, and throw it into the car. My parents and in-laws loved this as they tore down our reception. The best part? It’d been in my closet since I was a kid and just happened to be the right color! Th

A few years ago when I lived at an apartment complex, I would find treasures from time to time stacked up outside of the garbage compactor. On this particular day I found a giant vintage mirror that still had the original wooden frame. At an antique store it may have sold for $50+ and there it was…. Free. So I snatched it up and waited a couple of years before popping the glass out and keeping the frame and backboard. I painted the frame with craft paint that I had lying around and wrapped the backboard in burlap which may have run me $6. Afterwards, I used fishing line to string a wooden monogram ($3) that I’d decoupaged with two sheets of scrapbook paper ($1) in the middle. 

Cake & cake table

Our cake table was a hodge-podge of antiques, items that were from my mother's wedding and ingenuity. I built the door backdrop by adding hinges to two thrifted doors and a pantry door from an old house. Hinging was easy but I wish I would have waited to attach them until we arrived at the site. Transferring them as one piece was difficult! I made the wreath and created quick streamers by looping vintage lace over a tension rod. I loved the finished product!

Our cake was a gift from a family friend - Miss Julie. Not only was it delicious, but I gave her dried flowers and the topper and left the display up to her. Didn't she do a fine job? 

And now, final references:
Limo
String Trio
Honeymoon
Jessica B. Photography
Negangards' Rentals
Jamz Mobile DJs

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock! Did you enjoy this series on wedding tips and tricks? What details would you like to know more about or tutorials would you like me to expand upon?

Do come back!
Cara

Budget Wedding: Part 2

If you missed Budget Wedding: Part 1, start there!

Guestbook

I salvaged a vintage mailbox from my parents garage, covered it with leftover spray paint from an old project and scuffed up the edges with sand paper. Then, I purchased unused, vintage postcards from eBay in assorted prints and stuck old stamps on them as a final touch. Upon arrival, before the ceremony, guests arrived wrote us messages on the postcards and later placed them into the mailbox as they exited the church.

Mason jars

Mason jars are a funny thing. They were really popular beginning at the turn of the century as people used them to preserve their food. As time wore on and much of our food became preserved and processed through grocery stores, their popularity dwindled to include hobbyists and rural families with large gardens. Today, Jarden produces these things nearly at the speed of light and they can’t stay on store shelves. I lucked out on obtaining my own. My parents had 6-8 boxes of these in their garage from my mother’s canning days and some leave-behinds from our homes previous owner. A little elbow grease had them looking like new and saved me some cash. For those pursuing the use of these fabulous fillers, I suggest asking relatives, grandparents especially, and letting them know that their use is as good of a gift as any!

Recessional Sachets
As if I didn't have enough to do, I decided to buy a vintage book, rip out the pages, and sew them together to make sachets for the recessional birdseed. I was successful at making 300+ sachets and stamped them with a variety of keys and monograms in gold ink (this tied into the keys from the boutonnieres and monogram at the reception). I finished them off with bakers twine to keep the seed from spilling out everywhere. They were adored by guests and the seed and any shredded paper was biodegradable. On this project I spent $3 for the vintage book, $2 for the baker's twine and used other on hand materials to finish the job. The handy carrier and produce basket below came from my parent's garage.

Unity ornament

Until the week before our wedding I wrestled with what we’d do as our unity activity during the ceremony. I thought the sand/bottle combo to be overdone and I didn’t want to be anywhere near fire/candles. We debated doing a unity cross, but for $100+ didn’t think it was that meaningful to us. So off I went to Hobby Lobby and picked up a 4-pack of clear ball ornaments. I decorated one with our wedding date and scraps from my wedding dress and made a little stand for it out of styrofoam, felt and bouquet pins. Total, I invested about $9. We then gathered some birdseed leftover from our recessional sachets and grass seed from the first time we seeded our yard at our new home. I bottled both seeds separately in vintage bottles, had our mothers walk them to the altar, and we poured them into our ornament during the ceremony. Didn’t it turn out great? Make your own with my earlier tutorial.

Ceremonial References
We used 317Limosines for transportation from our wedding to reception. When obtaining a quote, I was significantly under quoted. 317 stepped up to the plate and honored the quote anyway. We paid somewhere around $300 for an $800+ limo ride. Limos are tricky. If you were to reserve 3 hours, plan their drive-time to and from your pick-up and drop-off locations too. That means a 3 hour reservation may only really have 1 hour of drive time. Also ask for an audio jack/USB hookup. That'll keep your passengers happy. And finally, tip your driver before you hop in. That shows your gratitude for their time.

Our florist was ahead of the game and ordered large baby's breath buds for us without even asking. They provided the filler flowers for the mason jars and even delivered them to the church and reception site. Total, I spent about $200 on this filler, but thought it really added something to the pew ends and reception tables. When getting quotes around town, I was sure to share pricing of florists with one another so that they could attempt to beat it. Guess what, Gooseberry Flowers did just that and I saved over $100! 

A string trio was a nice touch at the ceremony. I hired college students who are part of the Deoc Ensemble. They were very reasonably priced, dependable and sounded fabulous. My guests commented afterward how wonderful they were. You can read my full review of them on their Facebook page.

Our photographer was Jessica B. Photography out of Greencastle, Ind. She took our engagement and wedding photos and was wonderful. We received our printing rights so we were able to reproduce our images as we wanted. I do photography at Miss Cara Photography and my business model is much like Jessica's - that's what drew me to her services. Here is a review I submitted for her work:

"In early 2013, my fiancé and I began interviewing photographers for our engagement session and wedding day. I contacted Jessica, as she had been recommended to be by a friend for being easy to work with, creative and affordable. Plus she waived printing rights so we could print any of our photos whenever we wanted. In our first meeting with Jessica we both felt at ease with her personality and comfortable with her creative offering. Before we parted ways, we put down a deposit and secured our wedding date.
Eight months later we met with Jessica to photograph our engagement session. She was punctual, prepared and down for all of our crazy ideas. After our session our photos were edited in a timely fashion and we were able to use them for our wedding promotions. They were of great quality and represented both our love and personalities well.Leading up to the wedding, Jessica collected our timeline, coordinated her personal timeline and double checked our preferences. On our big day, she was again punctual, prepared and managed our time well. She coordinated our large family for photos by being swift and concise, which was appreciated as we fought to stay on schedule. Her photographs were representative of our detailed day, both staged and posed as well as photojournalistic. She even stayed later than we initially agreed so that she could capture a very unique moment at our reception. Our wedding photos were available from Jessica shortly after our wedding – nothing near the wait of most professional photographers. The images were edited, sized and ready for reproduction and we did not have to contact her for any further adjustments.

We have not had a need for a photographer in the six months that we’ve been married, but my husband and I will certainly use Jessica B. Photography as we grow our family and are in need of a photographer."

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock! What was your favorite tip or craft from this post?

Cara