home decor Archives - Average But Inspired

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

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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.

What do you think? Do you like the two-tone distressed finish, or do you think it would look better as a solid color?

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

-Bre

March 1, 2018 by Bre

How to Make Faux French Enamel Number Tags (That Look Like the Real Thing!)

I know I’ve said it a million times on here before, but I’m gonna say it again – I LOVE making simple updates to my decor with inexpensive items and supplies. A few years ago I made a set of chalkboard wall hooks for my front entryway (you can see that post with its embarrassing photography here – wait until you see how much my skills have improved!). I got tired of the chalkboard look, however, and needed to give it a new look. I wanted to add French enamel house numbers, but at over $20 a piece, that was too pricey. So I got to work and made my own Faux French Enamel Number Tags that look pretty close to the real thing!

Supplies Needed for Faux French Enamel Number Tags

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Oval wood cutouts
Acrylic paint (white, black, brown, orange)
Vinyl number stickers OR number stencils and black paint
Mod Podge (glossy finish)
Dark brown wax
Paintbrushes
Stencil brush
Drill
Material to hang or affix your French enamel number tags (I used decorative furniture nails to fasten mine to the wall hooks)

How to Make Faux French Enamel Number Tags

Start by painting the oval wood cutouts white. Regular acrylic paint does the trick for this step.

Once dry, place your number stickers onto the ovals or stencil your numbers onto them. I cut out numbers with my Silhouette Portrait but you absolutely do not need a vinyl cutting machine for this project! Regular black number stickers or stencils and paint will work perfectly!

Once all of the numbers are in place and/or dry, cover everything with a coat of Mod Podge in glossy finish. This is meant to give the ovals a glossy look like enamel. You don’t want them to be dull or they will look less realistic.

After they’ve dried, apply brown wax in strategic areas (like around the outside edges of the ovals), to help give the faux enamel number tags an aged look (you can see it on No. 47 in the below photo). I used this type of brown wax, which is what I use on furniture projects and had available. If you don’t use brown wax regularly, buy a less expensive brand of wax like this!

The brown wax will dry quickly, and then you can add some faux rust to the enamel tags with paint! I got a little carried away with my “rust” and wish I wouldn’t have put so much on. I’d recommend applying the paint very sparingly and in small areas to see how you like the look. You can always add more, but you can’t always take it away! All you do is dab a thick coat of black paint with a stencil brush, then a thick coat of brown paint over that, and then a little (but thick) dab of orange paint to create a bumpy rust look!

After all of that, you’re ready to drill holes in the Faux French Enamel Number Tags and use them!

You can fasten them to wood like I did, tie them to baskets with twine, use them as house numbers – whatever!

There are so many uses for them, but I do love them on my entryway hooks! And I love that they cost hardly anything to make.

How would you use Faux French Enamel Number Tags in your decor?

-Bre

February 21, 2018 by Bre

Free Printable Monogram Botanical Pitcher Art

One of my favorite low-cost ways to update my decor is to use free printables. There are so many amazing art prints and decor that you can get for nothing! (Just check out my Pinterest printables board and you’ll see what I mean!) Because I need to start freshening up my home for spring (wishful thinking that it will be here soon), I created this pretty monogram botanical pitcher art, and I decided to make it in all 26 letters so that anyone can enjoy this free watercolor printable in his or her home!

This printable is a great way to add some greenery to your home without having to take care of anything. That’s a good thing for someone like me! (My favorite plants are fake.)

It’s formatted to print best up to size 11×14″, but you can print it as an 8×10″ or even a 5×7″ – whatever works best for your home and the picture frames you have on hand!

I printed this as an 8×10″ at Kinko’s and the print quality is great! You could also print on your home computer or at a photo center (definitely a photo center if you’re going the 11 x 14″ route!). If you’re printing smaller than an 11 x 14″, you’ll probably have some excess white space along the edges to trim, depending on how you set up your print job.

Download Your Free Monogram Botanical Pitcher Here

Simply click on the letter you need and download!

A | B | C | D

E | F | G | H

I | J | K | L

M | N | O | P

Q | R | S | T

U | V | W | X

Y | Z

Once you’ve saved the file, print it out and enjoy! And please pin this post to Pinterest to help others find it.

-Bre

You May Also Like This Free Printable!

February 15, 2018 by Bre

Upcycled Mini Jello Mold Planter Tray

A couple of years ago my husband and I magically had a babysitter on a Saturday afternoon and we ended up at Goodwill. For the life of me, I cannot remember why! That is such a strange place to find yourself on a “date,” though, so there must have been a reason! Anyway, on that day I picked up these mini Jello molds because I thought they were cute and a bargain at .50 a piece. A totally random find on a totally random date.

At the time, I didn’t know they were Jello molds – I thought they were mini baking pans. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when I found these little guys in my project stash, and some valuable internet detective work revealed that these are, in fact, Jello molds. I knew that these Jello molds and some adorable faux succulents I got at Dollar Tree were a match made in Heaven. And that, my friends, is how I came up with this Upcycled Mini Jello Mold Planter Tray.

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

I started by staining a scrap wood board with my favorite stain cloths. I love these because they’re very low odor so I can stain indoors!

After the stain dried (really quickly, I might add!), I gave the wood a once-over with my new favorite find, Liming Wax. This gave the wood a beautiful gray finish!

After that dried, I hot glued my mini Jello molds onto the board. I used my super hot cordless glue gun, which definitely attached these Jello molds with no problem. If you don’t have a high-heat glue gun yet – get one! Life-changing.

At this point (the wrong point), I decided the board was a little too plain. So I headed downstairs to the basement to stain and cut some “craft wood” (that’s what the tag said on the back of it!), to serve as trim around the edge of the board. Now if there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s measuring poorly. So needless to say, my measurements were off and the wood did not meet perfectly at the edges. Oh well. I used my nail gun to attach the pieces and pretended like it looked OK. (You could use wood glue if you don’t have a nail gun.)

Then I attached some corner braces on the outer edges to add some more metal like the the Jello molds. This was purely decorative! Because my cuts were so bad on these trim pieces, I couldn’t even put screws in on some of the corner braces! Yikes.

After that, I popped some floral gems and faux succulents from Dollar Tree into the mini Jello molds to finish things off.

I bet the person who used to make Jello in these tiny molds never imagined someone would use them as planters!

In the summer I plan to take the floral gems and succulents out, and replace them with votive candles. I think this will make a perfect centerpiece for my outdoor coffee table!

For now I think this will work underneath the TV in my basement living room.

If you found mini Jello molds at a thrift store, what would you do with them? Think about that and pin this post to help others find this idea! 🙂 -Bre