Fall Decoration Tutorial: Cheap and Easy

Yesterday I went out to apply for a seasonal job. BTW, does anyone know of a seasonal job that starts in January? I'm trying to cover my seasons as a temp worker. :)
While I was out, I wandered into a large store mostly dedicated to home decorations. You know, pillows, knick-knacks, boxes that look like books, pink and purple Christmas trees, all your pressing needs. I almost bought a Christmas ornament, but it occurred to me that I should celebrate the season we are in currently.
I looked for an inexpensive but cute fall decoration, but even the cheap plastic wreath with silk leaves on it cost $15, so I left that store empty handed.
Then I went to Target and wandered into the dollar spot, where I found the supplies to make this super cheap and easy fall swag.
The finished swag. I actually made two of these and a garland, and I still have supplies to make more, for the low low price of $2
Supply 1: A $1 roll of gardening twine. Nice and rustic, perfect for fall.

Supply 2: A $1 package of 50 silk leaves. I've seen nicer, but these were two cents a leaf.
The only other supply you will need is a pair of scissors. I hope you have some of those kicking around.
Step 1: Fold your leaves in half and make a small snip near the top of the leaf. You want the slit to be just big enough to feed the twine through the slit. Twelve leaves should be enough for one swag, but feel free to use less or more, according to your taste.

Step 2: Cut two lengths of twine, with the longest piece twice as long as you want your finished swag to be, probably around four to five feet. Remember that the twine will get slightly shorter as you will be tying a bunch of knots down its length. Lay your twine pieces next to each other, fold them roughly in half and tie a knot in the top. You will have four twine pieces hanging from a central hanger. This looks nice if you purposely make sure that the ends of your twine are uneven.
Step 3: Feed one piece of twine from your bunch through the front side of the leaf. This will help it hang nicely from your swag.
Step 4: Pull the twine through the back of the leaf.

Step 5: Tie a knot in your twine where you would like your leaf to fall. Tie another knot around your first knot to ensure that your leaf doesn't fall off the twine.

Step 6: Repeat steps 3-5 on all four twine pieces, evenly spacing your leaves along each twine piece. Trim any excess twine off the bottom of your swag, and hang your decoration on your door, from a cabinet knob or curtain rod, or at the side of a doorway. Enjoy!

Before and (almost) After

A few years ago, my sister acquired an old china hutch with a houseful of other furniture. She didn't have any spot for it, so when we were moving a U-Haul full of other stuff to Las Vegas with us, it ended up in the truck. I used it to display my collection of pig figurines in a corner of our Vegas apartment, and when it came with us to Illinois, it ended up in our living room. The dark, heavy, dated formality of the piece started to wear on me especially since the piece had such a prominent piece in our house. I was working out with the Wii one day when it hit me. Why not paint it in the colors that I'm hoping to decorate the living room with eventually?

Earlier this month, my sixteen year-old niece came for a visit and I enlisted her help. We dragged the hutch out to the garage, sanded and primed it, put a little brown paint on and then painted the inside of the hutch in a paint called "China White" appropriately enough. The outside was painted in "Aqua Lily" and then the sander was put to use again to rough up the paint job.

Brass mesh screens and hinges were spray painted in a brushed nickel, and new hardware was put on. It's almost done, just one little hitch. The knobs I picked out for the bottom cabinet doors didn't come with long enough screws to attach them to the doors. I just need one more trip to Lowe's and a few screws to attach, and it will be done! My paint job isn't exactly how I imagined it, but I love it so much better than before. Now I just need to get rid of or cover the forest green secondhand couch. Woohoo!

Homework day!

On Mondays I'm always scrambling to finish homework that I've been procrastinating on. Luckily, this week there's not much to get done.
Last Tuesday when I went to the thrift store I bought a large mason jar filled with broken jewelry. I've deconstructed almost all of it and made quite a bit of new pieces already. It was an exciting and inspiring find, and I wanted to share a picture of one of the pieces I made from two broken necklaces, a single earring, and some faux pearls that I had already. I love how it turned out!