simply jess

So I’m pretty happy with the way my tray turned out!

All said and done, the whole thing cost me about 7 bucks to make, which certainly beats the $75 price tag on these trays that served as my inspiration. Not going to lie, this was a tedious process that definitely tested my patience, but for someone who is NOT artistic, I think I nailed it. Here’s what I did:

First, I painted the white base of the tray. Then using this pattern, which I blew up and printed off of a fabric website, I made a stencil out of black cardstock. I then traced the stencil pattern directly onto the tray with a pencil. Matching up the design was a little bit of a geometric nightmare, but it worked:

Then, using the traced pattern, I simply painted between the lines:

After doing a couple of coats, I painted the blue sides and then the rim/outer sides using a really pretty antique gold color. And… that was it!

What do ya’ll think? Cheap to chic?

DIY Inspiration of the Day: Ikea RAST Makeovers

These ideas put me in the mood for some serious arts and crafting this weekend. The RAST chest of drawers is only $29.99 and the makeover color/design options are literally endless. Here are links to the projects above:

1. white with gold hardware - Armelle Blog
2. black with gold hardware - Marcus Design Blog
3. turquoise and gold - Me, You and a Wiener
4. white with black hardware - For Me, For You

Martha Stewart’s DIY Baking Sheet Tray

Another one of Martha’s great ideas…

DIY Statement Sign | Apartment Therapy

I’m such a sucker for big bold word art. Not the overly-sappy stuff, but something simple like this… I love. Once it starts warming up a little bit (wtf was with the snow this morning), I definitely want to try this out.

(Source: scissorsandthread)

Finally got around to recovering this old, boring lamp shade over the weekend.

I had bookmarked a bunch of online tutorials on how how to do this, but ultimately followed this one because it was quick, cheap and didn’t involve any sewing (thank goodness). The whole thing cost me around $10 and, with the gracious help of my very patient boyfriend, took about 20 minutes to complete.

I might add some kind of trim to the top and/or bottom (we’ll see), but overall I’m really happy with the way it turned out! What do ya’ll think?

Sunday DIY Idea: $5 Oversized Metallic Letters

I’ve always loved Anthropologie’s infamous Zinc Letters, but paying $98 for a single frickin letter, to me, is absolutely ridiculous. Needless to say, when I found Kristen Davis’ super easy and inexpensive DIY tutorial, I got really excited and inspired.

Just need to figure out what word to spell out…

I have a not-so-secret new obsession with a blog that I randomly stumbled upon last week: I-Do-It-Yourself. As I was going back and reading through all some of her older posts, I found this ADORABLE vintage tin project idea that I can’t wait to try out! 

Check out these and these free vintage labels she links to that you can download, print and stick on anything you want. Below is just a sampling, but you’ll see there are so many cute ones to choose from.

Ah, I’m excited to use these! Project!

Today Kala and I made our own version of the beautiful (and expensive) Mitsumata Branches seen in so many home decorating stores. We painted birch branches (found outside) using white and gold spray paint, then sprinkled festive glitter to add the perfect holiday touch. You can throw them in a vase and hang ornaments, snowflakes, mini lanterns or small birds from the branches, or just use as a centerpiece or accent piece on its own. All for just under $10.

Happy crafting!

Kate and I were filled with the Halloween spirit on Saturday afternoon and decided to get crafty. A few girls stopped by and joined us in creating some pretty amazing treats. We decorated cupcakes, made cake pops, painted pumpkins, drank spiked cider and watched Hocus Pocus (such a classic). Now, I need to focus my energy on coming up with the perfect costume get-up…