diy home improvement | Grey House Harbor

Mar 25 2014

wood sunburst mirror {a tutorial}

Posted by hayley

Know what I love? A good knock-off.

Know what else I love? Mirrors.

I adore they way they instantly lighten and brighten any space. Sunburst (or starburst) mirrors have been en vogue for a few years now and the trend isn’t fading. But they can cost some serious coin.

Ballard Designs was selling this rustic beauty for $340.

This one is from Lamps Plus is more reasonable at $55, but it’s pretty small.

I’m working with a one-income military family budget here! While not against spending good money on quality things, if I can make it myself for less, I will. Or at least I will try…

Supplies:
– one package (42ct) of dry cedar shims (make sure they are the 15″ ones)
– 14″ diameter mirror
– 12″ mdf floral craft ring
-18″ mdf floral craft ring
– Powergrab Loctite Adhesive
– D-rings & picture wire for hanging
– sandpaper

Tools:
– miter saw (power or handheld)
– square
– measuring tape or ruler
– caulk gun
– screwdriver
– clamps

1. Start by thoroughly sanding all the shims. I actually put on gardening gloves for splinter protection after taking this picture.

2. You need a total of 40 shims and some will be bad due to warping or unwanted holes. Pick the 8 straightest, most lovely shims and set them aside as your center pieces.

Now you need to cut the very tops of 32 shims at a 45º angle. Make sure you are cutting the thicker of the two ends; I stacked and cut them 4 at a time.

3. Use the Powergrab adhesive to glue the edges of 4 angled shims to 1 straight one. Do this on top of wax paper. Let dry.

4. Once dry, use your square to mark 10″ down from the top on 4 sections. Cut at a 90º angle perpendicular to the shims.

5. On the remaining 4 sections, mark only the two outside shims at 5.5″. Use your saw to cut a 45° angle inward to make a point.

You should have 4 straight sections and 4 angled sections.

6. Arrange the 8 sections like this and glue the edges together. Again, wax paper will protect your surface from stray glue.

7. Once the shims are dry, gently flip it and glue both wreath forms to the back.

I highly recommend clamping the rings while the glue cures. These medium-sized clamps can be found at Home Depot for $1 each.

I scored the mirrors for 50% off during a sale at Hobby Lobby. $10 each, but the black frame wasn’t jiving with the look I wanted – nothing that spraypaint couldn’t fix.

8. Use the same Loctite Powergrab adhesive to secure the mirror to the shims.

9. Finally, attach D-rings and picture wire for hanging.

A finished mirror has a 27″ diameter. The only supplies I purchased for this were the shims, the mirror and the floral rings. Everything else I had on hand; which brought my grand total to $28 per mirror.

So successful was this project that I actually ended up making four of them! One for myself and three for a friend’s bedroom makeover that I’ll be sharing soon.

Knock-off? More like knock-out!

Tags: diy, diy home improvement, home decor, tutorials

2 comments

Feb 1 2014

dryer balls update

Posted by hayley

Have you tried the wool dryer balls yet? If so, you may have noticed the same thing I have… serious static cling! Just wanted to share an easy solution that seems to be working for me.

Roll regular kitchen tin foil into tennis sized balls. Make them as tight as possible.

Toss them in the dryer with your damp laundry and your wool dryer balls. After one cycle they will get smaller and smooth.

These babies have dramatically reduced the static in my dry clothes. They are pretty loud rumbling around in there, but I’ll trade noise for electrically charged clothing any day. It is important to note that, while perfectly fine on most cotton laundry, I did end up with a few snags on a knit shirt – so remove the tin foil balls if drying anything delicate (or maybe place them in a mesh bag).

*** Extensive online research, as well as my own personal experience has upheld that tin foil in your dryer will not cause fires. It is intense heat, but not microwaves.

Tags: diy home improvement, laundry

1 comment

Jan 23 2014

washi tape door decor

Posted by hayley

Bug and Songbird’s rooms are still white. They look the same as the day we moved in, more or less. I would rather wait to pull a room design together in it’s entirety than slap something up on the walls just because. But patterned washi tape along the bedroom door edge adds a little hidden pop of color and fun!

If you’re unfamiliar, washi tape is similar to masking tape. Translucent and non-permanent, but strong enough to stay put. Scotch Expressions masking tape is what I used for the doors. You can find it at Target, Staples, and from lots of online vendors.

Tags: diy home improvement, home decor, kid stuff

4 comments

Jan 6 2014

homemade wool dryer balls

Posted by hayley

When we moved to this house, we purchased a new moisture-sensing dryer. We were told that fabric softener sheets were a big No-No because they can frizz out the sensors. So I started using liquid softener in my washer. Then I was reading how the average American family spends $80-100/year on softener! Dang.

Now, I’m not what you would call “granola.” My kids eat blue box mac n’ cheese, I rarely buy organic produce, and I’ve never attempted cloth diapering (cheers to those of you who do!), but I am always down for saving money. So when I saw these wool dryer balls on One Good Thing, I thought I’d give them a whirl. They eliminate the need for fabric softeners, cut drying time by 20-50%, and gently fluff your clothes.

Here’s how to make ’em yourself:

1. Purchase two skeins of 100% wool yarn. It must be 100% wool or it won’t properly felt.

2. Start by wrapping one end around your fingers about 20 times.

3. Then turn the bunch sideways to wrap another 20 times around the center.

3. Fold the two sides of the “bow” together and continue wrapping the yarn tightly around to create a sphere.

4. Wrap one direction and then grip the yarn with your thumb to turn and wrap it 90º the other way.

5. When the ball is the size of a tennis ball, cut the yarn and tuck the end under several threads to secure. One skein will make about 2 balls.

6. Once you’ve made 4 balls, you’re ready to “felt” them. This process will make the threads adhere together and prevent them from unraveling.

Take a pair of pantyhose and place the first ball in the toe. Pull the pantyhose tight and secure with a plastic ponytail holder or piece of acrylic yarn. Do NOT use the wool yarn because it will felt onto the pantyhose. Continue putting the remaining balls in the same leg and secure in the same way.

7. Toss the pantyhose snake into the washer with towels or other items that can be run on a HOT cycle. The hotter the better.

8. Run them through the hottest dry cycle still in the pantyhose.

9. Now they are properly felted and can be taken for a spin!

The balls help to evenly circulate the warm air around damp laundry and the wool fibers rub against your clothing to naturally soften them without chemicals. You can even put a couple drops of essential oil on each ball for some smell-good action. I recently washed our bed pillows and the kneading action of these balls in the dryer were perfect for re-fluffing them.

Best part? They last 7+ years!

The only remaining question is how to spend the $700 I saved… Pretty sure I can think of something. ;)