DIY Archives - Average But Inspired

August 29, 2018 by Bre

DIY Hanging Mason Jar Storage

Most of the time I share “pretty” things on my blog – like decor or design projects. But sometimes projects that aren’t as “Instagram worthy” (as the kids say these days), are the ones that deserve the most love because they’re actually useful! That’s how I feel about this DIY Hanging Mason Jar Storage project, which is a BRILLIANT* way to gain some extra storage space for small things by using the space above your head (or under a cabinet or shelf, perhaps)! (*No, I’m not full of myself calling this project brilliant – it was my husband’s idea so he’s the brilliant one!)

We installed our hanging mason jar storage in our utility room and filled the jars with screws and such, but you could use the exact same concept to store things like spices, craft supplies, and all other small odds and ends! Keep reading to see just how easy this is to make!

Supplies Needed for DIY Hanging Mason Jar Storage

This post contains affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Wood Strip cut to fit the space where you’re hanging the jars (we used a 1×4)
Plastic mason jars (note: we used glass mason jars because it’s what we already had, but if it were up to me, we definitely would have used plastic)
Drill
Screws to mount the mason jar lids onto the wood (make sure you use screws that are shorter than the depth of the wood into which you’re drilling)
Screws to hang the wood strip (and also anchors if your space requires it) – we used drywall screws
Label stickers

How to Make DIY Hanging Mason Jar Storage

Begin by cutting a wood strip to the correct length (and depth, if necessary), for the space in which you plan to hang it.

Next, drill pilot holes into the mason jar lids.

Place the lids onto the wood strip and screw them into place.

Once all of the lids are in place, screw the wood strip into the ceiling or area where you want to hang it. Make sure to securely attach it to the ceiling! Find your studs and/or get anchors that will hold the weight! Obviously you don’t want this to come crashing down on your head. Ouch.

Put the objects you’re storing into the jars and screw them onto the lids!

Add labels to the bottoms of the mason jars to help you identify the contents of the jars.

And that is IT. So incredibly easy and such a great way to maximize space that would normally go unused!

Before making this hanging mason jar storage system, we had boxes of screws and nails all over the place. It was such a mess! This truly helped us get our utility room area under control.

So what do you think – was my husband’s idea brilliant or what?

-Bre

Looking for More Organization Ideas? How About My Linen Closet Makeover?

July 11, 2018 by Bre

How to Build a Custom Backyard Fire Pit

One of the most rewarding DIY projects my husband and I have completed is the building of a custom backyard fire pit in our family’s tiny backyard. Spending time together relaxing, roasting marshmallows, and eating way too many s’mores is the perfect way to enjoy summer and fall evenings! This backyard fire pit posed some construction challenges, but at the end of the day, it was not a difficult project, and it’s one that YOU can do, too! Let me walk you through it all. . .

Supplies Needed to Build a Backyard Fire Pit

This post contains affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Fire Pit Supplies:

36″ Galvanized Metal Fire Ring
Landscape bricks (we used approximately 65 3″ x 8.2″ Mini Flagstone Wall bricks from Lowes)
DAP DynaGrip Adhesive
Caulk Gun
Paver base
Paver sand
Pea gravel

Tools:

Tamper
Level (long length)
Hammer
Mallet
Chalk
Knife

Optional:

How to Build a Custom Backyard Fire Pit

Before Beginning Work – Things to Consider

Before you build a fire pit in your backyard, there are a few things to take into consideration. The first is whether there are any buried cables in the area that you need to be careful of when digging. The second is if your city, town, village, whatever has any codes or regulations that will impact your project. And the third is whether your fire pit will negatively impact any neighbors (smoke sensitivities, etc.). Think about all of this before beginning work to ensure a happy fire pit experience!

Phase One: Clear the Land

Once you have those things figured out, the first step in all of this is to clear out the area where you’re placing the fire pit. As you can see from this picture, we had a lot of plants (namely, giant hosta, which are difficult to remove), to clear.

Once the plants were removed, we got to work raking up the area and getting the ground level. The kids got involved in this part of the project, which was fun!

We used our level to make sure we got the ground as flat and as even as we could, and then we laid down the landscape weed barrier fabric to prevent vegetation (like those darn hosta), from growing up around our eventual fire pit.

Next, we figured out where we wanted the fire pit, and used chalk to make a circle several inches wider than the galvanized fire ring. Then we cut that circle out of the landscape barrier.

You might be wondering why we used a galvanized fire ring in our fire pit construction, when many other fire pit tutorials do not use one. The main reason is that we wanted our fire pit to be extra durable and for the landscape bricks not to get charred by the flames. One other benefit of using the fire ring is that you can purchase accessories, like grill grates and fire pit screens, that fit perfectly over the fire ring. Finally, we also thought it made it easier to create a perfect circle with the landscape bricks. While this added a little extra cost to the construction, it was worth it in our minds.

Phase Two: Preparing the Ground for Landscape Bricks

The next step was to fill in the circle with paver base. Once that was poured, my husband got to work with the tamper, pounding it down and getting a level surface that was slightly lower than the surrounding ground.

Next, we poured paver sand around the perimeter the circle – so where the galvanized fire ring and the landscape bricks would sit. We again used the tamper to make that paver sand flat.

Then we placed the galvanized fire ring into the paver sand, using a mallet to pound it into the paver sand, paver base, and ground ever so slightly, and we laid our first row of landscape bricks around the fire ring. NOTE: see how we left a space of about 2.5″ between the fire ring and the landscape bricks? This is important because if you place the landscape bricks right against the ring, by the time you get to the top row of landscape bricks, they will be too close to the fire ring and will be jutting out farther than your base row of bricks. You will have to disassemble and start over. (Prior to gluing our bricks together, we stacked all four rows to see how this would work, and it didn’t! That’s how we knew to put that space between the fire ring and the landscape bricks at the bottom.)

Once the first row of landscape bricks was laid, it was time to move onto the next row. We used DAP DynaGrip adhesive to hold our bricks together. We simply applied it to the stones and pressed them down, making sure to stagger them rather than laying them directly one on top of the other.

We repeated this process two more times, making our fire pit four rows of landscape bricks high. Note that once the landscaping went in, the first row of bricks was essentially “underground.”

We added inexpensive pea gravel inside the fire pit, and with that, our backyard fire pit was complete!

Over the following weeks, I spent time landscaping around the area to make it look nicer. I will be writing up a post on that process, too!

This project took us about 8 hours to complete, and that included ripping out all the pre-existing landscape and running to Home Depot a few times for extra supplies. At the end of the day I can honestly say that if you’ve ever thought about adding a fire pit to your backyard, you should go for it! It brings a huge element of fun to your outdoor space and is a wonderful memory maker for your family and friends.

I’d appreciate it if you’d pin this post to help others find out how to make their own backyard fire pits!

Once you’ve done that, come over and roast a marshmallow with me! 🙂

-Bre

May 2, 2018 by Bre

How to Make an Outdoor Hula Hoop Wreath

I hope I’m not jinxing it by saying that spring has finally arrived in Chicago, but with beautiful sunshine and temps in the 70’s, I think it’s safe to say that winter is gone! I, for one, could not be happier! I am really looking forward to sprucing up my backyard and patio this season, and I have the first project to share with you – my new outdoor hula hoop wreath! Yes – I turned a hula hoop into a large outdoor wreath and I’m going to show you how to make one for your outdoor space, too! Add a pop of color to your patio with a pretty DIY Outdoor Hula Hoop Wreath! Click here for the tutorial on how to make a hula hoop wreath, and learn how to protect it for outdoor use.

I wish I had some pretty backyard shots to show you, but my grass is barely growing, I have no flowers, and everything still looks kind of blah. So you’ll just have to see my wreath for now and check back later in the season to see how it looks with the rest of my backyard setup!

Supplies Needed for an Outdoor Hula Hoop Wreath

This post contains affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Hula hoop (I bought mine at the dollar store)
Faux greenery (I picked out two types at Michaels)
Faux lemons with leaves
Gorilla tape
Floral wire
Scissors
UV floral protectant spray
Rope
Fishing line

How to Make an Outdoor Hula Hoop Wreath

When I started, my hula hoop looked like this – it had a bright pattern all over it. Add a pop of color to your patio with a pretty DIY Outdoor Hula Hoop Wreath! Click here for the tutorial on how to make a hula hoop wreath, and learn how to protect it for outdoor use.

The pattern was just tape, so I peeled it all off to reveal a plain, brown hula hoop. Not so good for kids, but perfect for my wreath! If your hula hoop is not decorated with tape, you could spray paint it to get a solid color. Add a pop of color to your patio with a pretty DIY Outdoor Hula Hoop Wreath! Click here for the tutorial on how to make a hula hoop wreath, and learn how to protect it for outdoor use.

I started to transform the hula hoop into a wreath by attaching pieces of faux greenery to the hoop with Gorilla Tape. This tape worked perfectly because it is the same color as the hula hoop and because it is SO STRONG and waterproof – perfect for outdoors! Add a pop of color to your patio with a pretty DIY Outdoor Hula Hoop Wreath! Click here for the tutorial on how to make a hula hoop wreath, and learn how to protect it for outdoor use.

After I had a first layer of greenery on the hula hoop, I attached a different type of greenery to the hula hoop – also with the Gorilla Tape. The first type of greenery had large leaves; the second had small leaves and tiny white flowers. Add a pop of color to your patio with a pretty DIY Outdoor Hula Hoop Wreath! Click here for the tutorial on how to make a hula hoop wreath, and learn how to protect it for outdoor use.

Then, I used floral wire to wire in some faux lemons. I liked the pop of color the lemons added. Plus, they’re summery and fun. (If lemons leave a sour taste in your mouth, skip them. :-)) Add a pop of color to your patio with a pretty DIY Outdoor Hula Hoop Wreath! Click here for the tutorial on how to make a hula hoop wreath, and learn how to protect it for outdoor use.

Once I had everything on the hula hoop, I took it outside and sprayed it with UV Floral Protectant. You know how faux flowers can become a really strange color when they’re left outside? I do not want that to happen to my hula hoop wreath, so I made sure to protect them! I want those vibrant colors to last! Add a pop of color to your patio with a pretty DIY Outdoor Hula Hoop Wreath! Click here for the tutorial on how to make a hula hoop wreath, and learn how to protect it for outdoor use.

After that dried, I cut some rope and fastened it to the top part of the hula hoop (where the greenery doesn’t show), with the Gorilla Tape. Add a pop of color to your patio with a pretty DIY Outdoor Hula Hoop Wreath! Click here for the tutorial on how to make a hula hoop wreath, and learn how to protect it for outdoor use.

I then hung the hula hoop wreath from the side garage door (I have a detached garage that is next to my patio), with fishing line. I put the hook on the inside of the side door and strung the fishing line over it so that the wreath hanger is not visible on the door. Add a pop of color to your patio with a pretty DIY Outdoor Hula Hoop Wreath! Click here for the tutorial on how to make a hula hoop wreath, and learn how to protect it for outdoor use.

This outdoor hula hoop wreath is super cute and was such an inexpensive way to add a decorative touch to my (currently) bare patio area!

Add a pop of color to your patio with a pretty DIY Outdoor Hula Hoop Wreath! Click here for the tutorial on how to make a hula hoop wreath, and learn how to protect it for outdoor use.

Now I just hope some flowers bloom out there soon so we can really enjoy the patio and its pretty colors!

-Bre

Looking For More Outdoor Ideas? How About These?

DIY Solar Light Planters

Garage Wall Creation Station for Kids

April 12, 2018 by Bre

The Easiest DIY Wall Art Hanger

Once upon a time my husband and I decided to buy “real art” for above our fireplace. It was a great idea until we grew tired of it, because then we felt obligated to keep it because we knew how much it cost. It stayed up there much longer than I would have liked. Since then, I have only bought my “art” at thrifty spots (like Minted, World Market, or Target), or made my own, because I don’t feel guilty swapping the pieces out when I need a refresh.

After repainting the foyer and stairwell, it was time for some new art at the top of the landing. I turned to my favorite trick of using wrapping paper for art and made the Easiest DIY Wall Art Hanger ever, and now I have two adorable new art prints on my staircase landing! You won’t believe how simple this project is. I have a feeling you’ll want to update your “art” with some wrapping paper and a DIY wall art hanger, too!

Supplies Needed for a DIY Art Hanger

Some of these links are affiliate links. To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

Thin piece of wood trim (I purchased this kind to make two wall art hangers)
Wood stain (and applicator) or my favorite stain cloths
Saw and miter box
Pencil
Tape measure
Double-sided permanent mounting tape
Hot glue gun and hot glue
Twine or ribbon
Wrapping paper or poster (I used this sheet of wrapping paper and this sheet)

How to Make a DIY Art Hanger

Begin by measuring the width of the poster you’re hanging, and then add approximately two inches to that measurement. Mark your trim piece and cut it with the wood saw in the miter box.

Then, stain or paint the trim pieces however you like. I used my favorite wood stain cloths for this project because they have no odor (so I can use them indoors), and the stain dries really quickly! I love how using a light coat of stain on the trim left the leaf pattern unstained. The contrast is awesome!

Once the stain dries, flip the trim pieces over and measure about two inches in from each end of the trim. Mark that off with a pencil.

Cut a piece of twine to serve as the hanger (so, cut it to whatever length you want). Place a line of hot glue on the pencil marks you’ve just drawn, and press one end of the twine into each line of hot glue.

Once the hot glue is dry, press permanent double-sided mounting tape along the backside of the trim piece. If you can avoid it, do not run the tape from edge to edge (like I did) – leave a little bit at each end untaped since your poster or artwork is not that large.

Once the tape is in place, remove the top protective layer and press the trim piece into place on top of the art.

Do the same for the bottom piece.

Make sure the trim pieces are secure on the art and then you’re ready to hang and enjoy!

This easy DIY Wall Art Hanger makes it so easy (and affordable) to add new art to your home!

I’m already so happy with how this little spot in my home is shaping up, but I am SO EXCITED because I have even more big plans in the works for this area and I can’t wait to show them to you in the next few weeks!

Stay tuned! And until then, think about where you could use a DIY Wall Art Hanger in your home!

-Bre

April 4, 2018 by Bre

How to Paint a Mirror Frame Without Removing the Mirror

Last week was spring break for my kids and we had a lot of fun with little adventures and taking it easy at home! Being on more of a relaxed schedule gave me some extra time to get little projects done around the house, like repainting the mirror that hangs in my foyer. Here’s what it looked like, pre-paint job.

I purchased that mirror right before my daughter (first child) was born – thinking that once she arrived I would never again have time to go to a store in my life. So I rushed into the purchase and bought the first thing I found to fill the wall. Needless to say, the faux silver finish wasn’t really doing it for me anymore (ever, really!), and with our foyer freshly repainted and new brass ceiling light on the way, I needed to give the mirror some pep!

The problem was that I couldn’t get the mirror out of the mirror frame! I tried really hard but it just would not budge. Whoever made it did a great job with the glue. Having spent a lot of time trying to get the mirror out, I was invested at this point and ready to paint! So I figured out a SUPER EASY way to paint a mirror frame without removing the mirror, and I didn’t even damage the mirror in the process!

You won’t believe this trick. I rubbed Aquaphor all along the edges where the mirror met the mirror frame.

The reason I used Aquaphor is because it’s what I had on hand. You could absolutely use Vaseline or petroleum jelly, which is cheaper than Aquaphor! (Funny note about Aquaphor: I became addicted to it in college when I went on Accutane for my major acne problem. It saved my lips and my skin from burning to a crisp! Now I always have it at home, and I use it for everything!)

See that nice line of Aquaphor all around the mirror? It saved me during this mirror painting project!

Now that you know the trick of how to paint a mirror frame without removing the mirror, let me show you how I repainted my mirror and another fun way I used Aquaphor in this project! I started by painting the mirror with a red chalk paint. Notice that I got some paint on the mirror, but on the parts where the Aquaphor covered the glass.

After that paint dried, I used Aquaphor to help create a distressed finish on the mirror frame. Watch this video to see just how easy it is to distress painted furniture with Aquaphor or Vaseline!

Although the section I distressed in the video isn’t very dramatic, you can definitely use Aquaphor or Vaseline to make the distressed areas more prominent, like on other parts of this mirror.

After all the paint dried, I used a flat head screwdriver to gently remove any paint that made its way onto the mirror. It came up instantly because of the Aquaphor! I just wiped it up with a paper towel and then used glass cleaner to remove any residue.

It was so easy to remove the metallic finish on this mirror and give it a new look. But hey, guess what? I’m not sure I like the new look so I may repaint again!

Even though I’m undecided on the actual paint job, I can’t believe how easy it is to paint a mirror frame without removing the mirror! So, I’m not all that worried about repainting it if I still don’t love it after a month or so.