DIY mix and match photo frames

The living room has finally had a fresh lick of paint - no more bright red!! We choose an earthy cream colour for the main walls, and will be adding the green to the alcoves either side of the fireplace. 

I have also finished the frames! I had a frame draw - a draw full of mismatched boring frames. Here's what they looked like before:

As you can see, a few of the frames had pics in and a few didn't. I used the same green Valspar spray paint that I used for the top of the coffee table and the lanterns. I spray painted them outside on a large piece of cardboard. 

I am really pleased with the results! I used picture hanging hooks from B&Q and just tapped them in lightly until I could see that I was happy with the design. I did have to move all the frames up slightly as they came down quite low in the end. Once I was happy with the design, I hammered the hooks in fully. Here's the final result:

You'll notice that there's no pics in them yet - My hubs didn't want personal photos to go up on the blog :-)

And here's the before and after of the living room wall:

With the cream carpet we have ordered, and new white doors on the way as well, the room is starting to look so different! I'm really pleased with the result, what do you think?

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Hide all your living room electronics - Up-cycled coffee table

I sit on my sofa staring at all the black electronics under the coffee table, gathering dust and generally looking ugly:

As you can see, it's totally uninspiring, as is the red wall (the painter and decorator is here today hurruh!)

The living room and dining room are having a green theme, with only the alcoves of the fireplace being painted green in the living room area. I spray painted the top of the table with green spray paint and made some 'curtains' to hide the bottom section:

Excuse the photos, it was a breezy day. I simply attached net curtain wire inside the table, hemmed the material and attached! The dvd player and Wii can still be easily accessed and the room looks much prettier. Well it will do when it's been painted. . . 

Let me know what you think?

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Step-by-Step guide to Gorgeous Lanterns

Here's my step-by-step guide to making these gorgeous, rustic lanterns. Fab in the home or hanging in the garden!

1. Start with two tin cans:

2. Peel off the labels and wash well:

3. Practice sketching your dot design and then using a permanent marker draw it onto your can. You can do this freehand, or you can stick a piece of paper of the can:

4. Fill the tin cans with water and freeze. This will stop the cans from denting when you come to punch the holes.

5. Using a nail and hammer, make a hole on each dot. It only takes 3/4 light taps with the hammer to create each hole:

6. Pour hot water over the cans to melt the ice and dry well. Using a metal friendly paint, paint your tins in your chosen colour:

7. Pot a tea light in and your good to go!

I'm not the best photographer, the lanterns look really lovely glittering away in the living room. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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Upcoming projects and DIY guides

As well as building a new kitchen for my house, I am also very busy up-cycling and making pieces for the house. Most of the projects are half finished, so I thought I'd give you a sneaky peaky at some of the projects that will be coming up soon, including my first step by step DIY guide!

1. Spay painted frames

2. Step by step DIY lanterns

3. Up-cycled coffee table (before picture below)

4. Bunting

These projects will also feature on the Homemade by Hail website. 

If you have any ideas or anything you'd like to see featured drop us a comment below!

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3 Tips for Finding your Design Style

It all started with a new kitchen. Having planned to move house and in the end it falling through, we decided to (in the words of Kirstie and Phil) 'love it' and redecorate the whole house! The main room to start on was the kitchen, which was a 60's kitchen that had been spray painted red and black. Friends of ours had nick named it the Dennis the Menace kitchen. Ordering a cream gloss modern kitchen with green tiles, sparked a redecoration and design frenzy.

I am still learning and day by day I learn a little more. I am trying to find out what my style is and what I enjoy creating. I definitely enjoy up-cycling furniture and upholstery projects.

Mood boards and scrap-booking have made a real impact on my journey. So here are my tips to finding your style:

1.Research

I started off buying one interior design/house keeping magazine, and now I've always got at least one hanging around the house. I cut out pictures, colours and ideas that I like - anything that inspires me. I was also given a book by a parent of the school I work at who knew that I was re-decorating. Its a book all about design blogging - and here I am blogging. I owe that lady a huge thank you!

2. Create a mood board

A mood board is a place for you to collect your thoughts and ideas in one place. I started with a large piece of cardboard and some colour swatches cut out from paint booklets (free in any DIY shop). I've added pictures from magazines, newspapers, pieces of material. I didn't think I'd ever decorate my house with green, but it turns out I love it!

3. Keep a Scrapbook

I have chosen a folder for my scrapbook (Cath Kidston of course, if you hadn't already guessed), using the different compartments for different scraps. I pick up and keep business cards and leaflets from other up-cyclers, furniture shops, etc. I also keep cut outs of any home making projects that I like the idea of. I aim to make them all, and hope to put my own spin on them, and then add my makes to the blog!  

In theory, these three tips could be applied to any hobby/new blog. Don't forget, I'm completely new to this as well. I would love to hear from fellow bloggers with any other tips and ideas.

  

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DIY spray painted frames

I have a very bare looking wall in the living room, and a drawer full of mismatched old frames. I am going to be painting the frames in a range of shades of green as a way of connecting the dining room section and living room section together. 

I am going to paint the frames with the different shades randomly. . . those of you who know me will know how hard this will be! I like order and organisation. Randomness will definitely make for a better looking wall though. The positions they are in on the photo is how I'm going to position them on the wall.

This will be my first time using spray paint, so any advice will be greatly received? 

And don't despair . . . all the doors are being replaced with lovely white ones eventually!

Visit my website to see more projects - Homemade by Hail

Up-cycled Antique White Welsh Dresser

After up-cycling the dining room table and chairs, the welsh dresser which is also in the room, looked so out of place. More pine furniture on parquet floor! Erugh! 

As were are going to be redecorating the dining/living room using a green palette, I decided to paint the back slats and the knobs a shade of green, with the rest of the dresser an antique white. To do this, I had to remove the back slats, which my husband helped me with! And here it is:

In a different room to dry, but I am so happy with the results. It looks so much brighter. When it goes back in the dining room, I am planning on attaching hooks and hanging my Cath Kidston mugs from them in a real country cottage style. The Cath Kidston mugs will also tie in with the materials used for the dining set. Fab!

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Cushions Galore! DIY envelope cushions

So, what did I use the old Cath Kidston table cloth material for? Cushions of course!

I made three cushions for our three seater sofa, and I made one cushion and a chair cover/throw for the arm chair. As you've already seen, we have parquet flooring through the dining room and living room (which are connected) and this combined with the brown leather sofas means that the room can look quite dark. Hopefully these cushions brighten up the room a bit . . . until I order a carpet ;-)

I'd love to hear what you think of my creations so far!

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Cath Kidston Dining table and chairs

The table and chairs we have in our dining room are second hand, and have been with my husband for the 9 years that he's lived here! Time for a refresh. I had already tried brightening up the dining room with canvases of our wedding and Cath Kidston material used as a table cloth:

I just couldn't stand the blue seat coverings. Here we go with another re-upholstering job. I love my staple gun! I purchased more Cath Kidston material, a large piece for the seat pads and a matching piece of oilcloth to be used as a table cloth. 

 And here's the final set:

Looking much better, I hope you agree! Just a shame about that dull parquet flooring - but don't worry, I have plans for this! Let me know what you think . . and stay tuned to find out what I used the old Cath Kidston material for.

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