Awesome Frugal Home Decor

Wall Decals are ALL the rage right now, but they can also be pretty pricey. They are a great way to add character to a large wall that you are struggling with decorating, or add that final touch to your child's room or playroom, or spice up your entryway. I found kelcurtis, an Ebay seller, and LOVE the stuff found in his Ebay store! Creative, Unique, and the best part...AFFORDABLE! I ordered two decals from him.

One for Hensley's Room...

and one for my Entryway...

Check out all of kelcurtis' decals for sale in his Ebay store by clicking here and be sure to tell him The Crafty Charlestonian sent you!

No-Sew Fleece Blanket How-To

I have been wanting to make a No-Sew Blanket for quite some time now...they are just so cute!

I found some adorable fleece on sale and scooped up a yard of each of the two patterns and rushed home to make my blanket! Then I realized...I had no idea how to make one! Thank goodness for trusty Bing again, because it sure saved me this time.

I found this adorable site with wonderul instructions...All Kinds of Baby Stuff.com.

Make your own No-Sew Blanket with their instructions.

Here's the blanket I made in about an hour and a half. Even better, Hensley was able to help me with this project, so she really enjoyed the "Mommy Time."

Easy-Peasy, Super Cheapie Easter Buckets

I have been looking EVERYWHERE for cute Easter Baskets for my girls that didn't cost a fortune AND would last through at least a few Easters. As usual, my search ended with me making my own. ; )

Pretty stinkin' cute, aren't they?

Here's a side view...

These buckets cost me less than $5 each to make, and nearly no time at all. Read on to get all the How-To info to whip your own up in around an hour.

First, you'll need the buckets. Mine are from Lowe's, and I must give credit where credit is due...I did not find these. My wonderful friend Jessica made her kids' Easter Buckets using these same ones, so I just picked up a couple for my girls on her recommendation. Click Here to go to Lowe's website where you can see if your local store carries the same buckets.

Here's what they looked like pre-paint, ribbon, bows, and monograms...

I originally planned to make Hensley's pink and Daycie's purple, but I wasn't happy with the shade of pink that came out of the can, so I re-painted Hensley's to match Daycie's and in the end, I'm really happy they are almost identical.

If you're copying mine exactly, I used Krylon Brand Spraypaint in "Rich Plum" with a Gloss finish. The pink shade I bought was "Watermelon" also with a Gloss finish, but like I said, I wasn't happy with the shade that it turned out to be.

Ok, so you're outside and ready to paint. *TIP: Start with your bucket face-down!* That way, the rim of the bucket won't get all sticky from having tacky edges touching newspaper or something.

Spray a couple light coats, letting it dry between each coat. (That stuff takes minutes to dry, so you won't be waiting long.) *Another TIP: Make SURE when you buy your spraypaint that it has this little white nozzle on the sprayer...

As you can see, one of my cans was missing that nozzle. Thankfully, it was the pink can...but man oh man, it sure did make a mess when I tried to use it!

Once those puppies are all painted and dry, come on back inside and get your ribbon.

You're going to make your bows for the handle before putting them on...that way, they'll look perfect all the time and you won't ever have to worry about curious hands pulling them off. ; )

Making a perfect bow is super easy. Fold your ribbon into this shape...

The top part is going to end up being the actual bow, so that's the part you want to focus on...you can always trim the tails later.

Get your "bow parts" the size you want them, and then hold your bow like this...

Then, fold your bow just like you would for any normal hairbow. Never made a hairbow? Click Here to be taken to my favorite bow instruction site, Girly Things Bows. I'm specifically taking you to the Pinwheel Style Bow...scroll down till you get to the folding instructions...follow those and then come back to me. ; )

Ok, once you're all folded, use your craft wire to secure your bow. It should then look like this...

Wrap another piece of ribbon around the center part so the craft wire is covered. Secure it with a hot glue gun. Cut your ends however you'd like and your bow is done. Now, let's get it on that bucket...

Cut a 1.5" section of the same ribbon you're bow is made from and hot glue it to the center back of your bow...where your craft wire is. If you are using polka dot ribbon (or any other pattern), glue the patterned side TO the bow (so the un-patterned side is facing out). Then, run a line of glue vertically on that little strip right in the middle, and stick that bad boy to the handle of your bucket, whereever you want the bow to be. After that glue is set, wrap the little ends of that piece of ribbon around the handle and glue them down.

Make another bow and repeat the attachment steps on the other side.

For the ribbon around the base...find the seam in the bucket and run a line of glue about 3/4 the length of your ribbon right on that seam. Stick your edge of ribbon there, with it running along the front side of your bucket first. (It lays more smoothly that way) Wrap it all the way around and trim it to the length it needs to be. Run another line of glue over the top of your ribbon edge and glue it down. *TIP: DO NOT glue the ribbon all the way around the bucket...it won't lay flat and it will look messy.*

Use a paint pen (I like Elmer's Painters) in whatever color you like and decorate the bucket however you want. I originally planned to do my girls' names, but then decided their monograms would look better. Whatever you choose, it will personalize the bucket and give it that "something special."

That's it! You're all done! And your kiddos will have the cutest Easter Buckets on the block...guaranteed!

Absent...

I must apologize for my absence over the past few weeks...things have been super busy around here. We took a Mini-Vacay, and then I've had Coupon Workshops and preparing for Easter.

But, I'm BAAAAAACK!!!! New DIY and How-To Posts are coming!

Here's what you'll see in the coming days:
-DIY Cheapie Easter Buckets (that look like a million bucks!)
-DIY Dress-Up "Closet"
-Car Seat Cover/Blanket How-To
-DIY No-Sew Fleece Blanket
-Babywearing: What it is, Why its good for you and your baby, and Why the media has made it out to be a bad thing
-My new FAV Store, IKEA, and why its a frugalista's paradise

Ok, so check back often,become a follower (just takes a click over there on the right), and subscribe to my email feed so you get the latest Crafty, Frugal, Awesome-ness right in your inbox!