Easy and cheap DIY's anyone can do!

Yesterday I used my inner crafting abilities to fill my inner DIY-er needs. If I don't do something artsy every now and then, I go insane. I work best with my hands and concentration, so creating gives me peace of mind. Seeing as how I hadn't done anything to showcase my ideas in a while, I went full throttle yesterday. Instead of just putting up some pictures, I thought I'd share how I created them and give you ideas on what you yourself can easily create! For cheap of course. 

1. Popsicle Sticks Art: I have a love for stick art. The amount of creative art you can accomplish by simply using the, is intriguing to me. Personally I've created Ferris wheels, mini tree houses, coasters, and now a fence for herbs. My oregano and chocolate mint herbs were growing unruly. Seemingly sad - as they were flopped over the edge of their containers - I decided to help them stand nice and tall by providing a fence barrier behind them. All you have to do is hot glue a few pieces together, in whatever way would benefit your plants most. Heck, you could even do a miniature white picket fence if you'd like. Unfortunately my limited space doesn't allow for me to create a big enough garden, but others may have that type of access....lucky. Coasters are also my favorite thing to create. Yes they're simple and nothing fancy, but designing the, a color I actually like and not paying anything to create my own (I had a huge box of sticks) is well worth the tone down for me. Also, creating little structures for kids is awesome. My son loves his treehouse and uses it often for his own village creation. 

2. Furniture From Scraps: I'm not telling you to dig through the trash and find old scrap parts to create some strange piece that may end up causing your more frustration than happiness. I'm simply saying that if you have a couple unique items, left over wood, an old shelving unit, and some paint, you could potentially create that side table you've been thinking of. I wanted a little side table for the patio. My son and I often enjoy having our morning drinks outside and while playing a game of checkers, on a fine day. Why be inside when you could have the fresh air on your skin, am I right? I really didn't have the funds to buy a simple table, so when someone threw away an old shelving unit with broken bars and a small square shelf (because it was slightly dinged up in one corner), I took it upon myself to combine everything and create my own shelf. The metal shelves were from an IKEA "Hyllis" shelving unit and the small white shelf was an IKEA "Lack" shelf. Is it perfect? No. Is it small? Yes. Does it work and make me happy that we have a simple (and free) table that holds our drinks and/or checkers game? Abso-freakin-lutely! The metal shelves already had holes (score!) so I just screwed in the supporting side, and nailed in the back portion to ensure stability. I debating painting the white shelf, but the contract deemed fitting. While it isn't exactly fitting with our folding chairs (I may apply a faux wooden decal on the white shelf to better suit them) I do think that it works perfectly for us. At least for now. Use this simple little design to inspire you to re-think what you see. Many people toss out items that can be re-created. Pinterest is a huge information outlet on ideas as well when it comes to upcycling!

3. Clay Creations: A few years ago I bought a box of Sculpey's clay. It may or may not have been a bit of a bigger box than I initially intended it to be. Regardless I haven't regretted the purchase, as its proven beneficial in my crafting adventures. Yesterday was no different. Not only did I create a pair of earrings (I had previously purchased some earring backs for a project I completed a while back) and an adorable miniature R2D2 (he's not perfect, but he's smaller than a Lego therefore I think my hand painting sufficed), my son also created a stupendous piece of art. I can't show you as he's "shy" and has asked me not to, so you'll just have to take my word for it. Sculpey's oven bake clay is relatively easy to work with. While I prefer clay that needs a kiln (I loved ceramics in high school), I still create to my hearts desire with what I have. Plus I don't have the space for a kiln, otherwise I'd have an entire pottery room! With clay you can really go all out. Want a fancier coaster with a gold trim and marble affect? How about a neat pot for your knew flowers? Or what about a personalized artifact for a grandparent? Clay has your back! Plus it's an awesome crafting tool for kids to make their own "toys" for that new treehouse you made them with Popsicle sticks. *wink wink* Regardless, clay opens a whole world of artistry. You could even do like I did and make shift your own earrings! I hand painted a Nancy Drew silhouette (see picture HERE for reference) and a magnifying glass in honor of Nancy Drew herself. They are as small as my thumb nail, so give me a break. Please? 

And there you have it! 3 extremely easy DIY's and some ideas for you to take advantage of. As you can tell from this post - and a few of my previous posts - I've dabbled quite a bit in the art of do-it-yourself. I'm not a pro by any means, but that doesn't stop this momma from applying a little TLC. Plus it's really a cool bonding experience with my son. He too loves to work with his hands (Lego's are often his go-to), so doing DIY's allows him to apply his input. He's the one who came up with the coasters and having them be blue. Also the treehouse was his idea, I just cut and glued. Don't be afraid if things don't work out perfectly the first time. It takes practice, but honestly when I create my own trinkets, I find them to be my favorite. The fact that I created something unique, give my place (and bookshelf) a little added pizazz! So get out there and start crafting that skirt you've been wanting or those bookends you saw on Pinterest! No matter what, it's going to be beautiful, just like all of you! Ps. Don't you just love our little patio set up? A mommy and son folding chair! Believe it or not, these two were free as well!!!