Healthy Homemade // Vanilla Extract

With consumers gaining more and more knowledge about what's really in their food and knowing how to read food labels, some of us have turned to homemade alternatives. As a mom, homemade gives me the feeling of security that I know what's in the food I'm feeding my family...but it sometimes gives me this tense sigh that makes me think and when exactly will I have time for that?  When I come across a solution for a healthier food staple for my pantry that takes pretty much ZERO effort, I am thrilled!  (Read more about why regular store bought vanilla isn't what you think it is and another article on how to make it yourself here.)

A perfect gift for a healthy foodie came in the form of beans...delicious smelling vanilla beans that is. For Christmas this past year my mom gifted me a Vanilla Infusion Kit from Salt Sisters, which included a unique glass bottle with three fragrant organic vanilla beans. (Well, my kit actually included extra vanilla beans so I could make multiple batches.) And my clever mama found more bottles for me to make the extra batches. Yay, a gift that would lead to more gifts! I love it.

After several months of waiting for the infusion to take place, I finally have my very first bottle of homemade vanilla extract. It was finished infusing just in time to make a special birthday cake for my hubby. Perfect! It was divine and had just as strong flavor as any store bought vanilla I'd ever used but at a fraction of the cost. See the breakdown below.

What you're saving:: 

Salt Sisters Vanilla Infusion Kit:  $31.25
Extra vanilla beans for two more bottles: $7.95
Cheap, bottom-shelf vodka: $6.99
Grolsch 4 pack of beer to use the bottles: $7.99
Total: $54.18 for 3 16oz bottles (48 oz)

Grand Total: $1.12/oz

Store bought Simply Organic Vanilla, 4 oz

Local grocery price:  $9.89
Online health store, Vitacost: $8.09

Grocery cost for 48 oz (12 bottles): $118.68
$2.47/oz

Online cost for 48 oz (12 bottles): $97.08
$2.02/oz

Instructions::
1. Have your hubby drink 2 Grolsch beers. (He loved this idea already!)
2. Clean your beer bottles and dry them. Add 2 beans to each bottle. (The Salt Sisters bottle came ready to go.)
3. Fill bottles with Vodka.
4. Store in a cool dark place for several months. This could take anywhere from 2-4 months. Mine took three and a half months before there was no alcohol smell.
5. Use, gift and enjoy!

Crafty DIY:: Crocheted Graduation Owl

Okay, so it's been forever since I've been posting and then I'm suddenly back and diving right in with no explanation. Well, we had a good reason to be out of commission for so long here on ahomebeautiful blog...we were growing our little family from two to three. And it's been the best time of our lives! While I wasn't blogging, I did have *some* time to craft, decorate our new home and discover and create some healthier-than-normal recipes - some of which I've already started to share here, here, and here.

We've had many exciting events this past year for our family. One was our younger sister graduating. For her graduation I made her this adorable little owl graduate. You can get the free pattern here, but you do need a login to the Lion Brand site, also free and worth it if you crochet often since they have good patterns.

I changed the colors to match her school and I also added a little rolled up piece of textured paper that I tied on with yarn as a diploma but I didn't seem to get a picture with it. I love this little guy and had a lot of fun making all his little parts - wings, webbed feet, eyes, cap, and one horned ear - and then figuring out how to put them all together. I don't know if she named him, but in my imagination his name is Eli.

- Eli the owl -

Project + Green Style:: Rocking a T-Shirt Bag

This little t-shirt bag was so fun to make and only required some basic sewing skills. I've loved this t-shirt for a very, very long time...looooong like 10 years long. It's a Dead 50s shirt - a Rockabilly band from my home town. I used to go see their shows with a close friend of mine. A great way to remember those fun times and still rock the punk band style without looking like I'm trying to salvage my youth was to *upcycle* (turning old products into new, updated items) this tee into a handy bag. I've been using mine to tote my craft projects around but I also sport it as a casual purse to live shows. It's an awesome accessory with a bit of attitude for your basic tee, jeans and cute pair of flips!

Here's how I made it::

1. I trimmed off the sleeves removing the seam leaving two raw curved edges. Then I used a plate to measure the curve to cut out the neck area by using a standard dinner plate as a guide. This left me with two 3 inch wide handles on my bag.

2. Next I measured up the bottom of the shirt where I wanted the bottom of the bag to be and made a French seam. I trimmed quite a bit off the bottom of the shirt (about 8 inches) and these pieces I set aside to turn into smaller pouch bags (see instructions for pouches below). If you need help with a French seam check out these instructions here.

3. After you have your bottom seam finished, it's a nice touch to box the corners. This adds dimension to your bag and your stuff sits in it much nicer with a semi-flat bottom when it hangs. I learned how to box corners here...but don't be intimidated, it's way easier than it looks - I didn't use the fancy ruler beacuse I don't have one and they still came out even!

4. For some extra detail and a less "made it myself" look, I added white contrast stitching around the very edge of each arm opening. Fold the edge of the raw arm opening under less than 1/2 an inch and iron on high steam to flatten. Stitch along edge in a tight zigzag stitch.

5. To add a custom touch to my bag, I wanted to do something fun with the handles. I cut each handle at the seam, crisscrossed them and stitched them together hiding the seam underneath. Then I folded the raw edges under, pinned them in place, and stitched a short straight stitch on either side of the original seam. This hid some of the zigzag detail but that's okay because it helped hide the seams and gives the handles a finished look.

Here's how I made the pouches::

1. Cut the remnants of the bottom of the shirt in two. Working inside out, add a seam to the side and then add a French and small box seams to the top cut edge. Leave the original hemmed bottom of the shirt as the opening for the bags. 

2. Cut a small slit in the original hem making an opening that creates a tube. Fish a ribbon through the tube with a safety pin.

3. Pull both ends of the ribbon through a button with an eye hole backing. Add beads to each strand and tie a knot in each end of the ribbon. Trim excess ribbon. Follow these steps to turn the sleeves into pouches as well.

I use these little bags for my yarn. I can keep the draw string pulled and pull my thread as needed with no tangles. I have four pouches for four different balls of yarn that all fit in my t-shirt bag with my needles and other items to make a Rocking Craft Bag!

If you don't want to sew a t-shirt bag, check out this great t-shirt market bag that helped inspire this project by Honestly...WTF.  And in my search, I also found this more modern t-shirt grocery bag I want to try making soon as well by // Between The Lines //.  This project also inspired my little pouches. :)

If you make your own beautiful market/t-shirt bags share your links in the comments. Thanks and happy t-shirt upcycling!!

Guest // Spray Paint Transformation:: Jennie's Entry Way Display

Before and After

Jennie's entry way is painted and complete! What was once a plain wall niche is now a colorful bookshelf nook with lots of personality. And she did it all for less than $60! Wow. Here is what she had to say about how she made this thrifty and beautiful project happen...

This total look cost me $59.50 ($9.00 of it from a few years back). So it cost me about $50.50 now to do this. Below are my supplies and steps I took to achieve this great new look!

Bookshelf - As you may recall from my sneak peak post into what I'd be repurposing and sharing on ahomebeautiful, I scored this solid wood bookshelf from a local thrift store. I gave it an easy spray paint transformation by painting it black using two cans of $1 generic spray paint from Lowe's. Total cost:: $21

Artwork - I found this floral artwork for only $4.50 at my local thrift store as well. I purchased a new 50% off frame at Michael's for $20. Super easy makeover. Total cost:: $24.50

Candleholders - Another great thrift store find from a couple years ago for $1 each. I added new vanilla pillar candles from Dollar Tree for $1 each. Total cost:: $4

Birdcage  - this is actually leftover from our wedding decor so it is now repurposed as decor in our home and is a treasured memory. Total cost:: Free

White Ceramic Jug - I found this great vase/jug on Marshall's clearance rack a few years ago. Total cost:: $5

Wall Paint - Home Depot has a lovely little selection of paint called "Oops paint" that they sell for super cheap. Had I bought a new can of paint, even for this tiny space, it would have cost $30! This "oops" was a bold blue that complements our artwork. Total cost:: $5

Books - These are leftover from college and graduate school, books I want to hang onto but won't read regularly so they work great to store here and be on display. I'm not even going to think about the cost of some of these, so we'll say these are repurposed. :) Total cost (for this project):: Free

I love my new entry way nook! I have another great piece I'll be working on for this area and will be sharing once it's complete.

If you would like to be a guest DIY blogger, please contact me at: ahomebeautiful at gmail dot com.

Guest // Project:: Sharon's Easy Peezy Magnetic Makeup Board

Today we have another new guest blogger to introduce, Sharon. I met Sharon while working in PR. She’s a great writer and savvy creative so naturally we hit it off! Here’s Sharon’s fun and *easy peezy* DIY post to share with us::

When I moved into my apartment, I was excited that they allowed pets and there was a nice-sized kitchen. I was not excited about the tiny bedroom. I have very little wall space, too. Unfortunately, I have a lot of makeup and I prefer not to keep it in the bathroom because of the moisture. I stumbled upon a magnetic eye shadow board on Pinterest and thought this would be great to use for all of my makeup. It was the perfect way to go vertical! The original Pinterest item was a photo frame with a metal board cut to size. While I liked this idea, it didn’t work for two reasons:  a) it was too small for all of my makeup and b) I’m lazy and didn’t want to deal with the cutting of the metal and figuring out the assembly of the frame part. So I found a larger magnetic board from IKEA complete with holes and ready to hang!

Supplies:

Magnetic board from IKEA

Fabric to cover board (I just bought a full yard… this was more than enough. But remember, you need to be able to cover the sides.)

Spray adhesive

Scissors or razor

Hot glue and glue gun

Strip and circle magnets (Make sure they are strong and can stick to something through the packaging. This is VERY important. When you cover the board with fabric it will make it harder for the magnets to stick.)

Toilet paper rolls

Here’s how I did it:

1. Assemble the board:: Do a rough cut of the board on top of the fabric (if there is a lot of excess fabric it will be annoying to deal with). Lay the fabric on a flat surface that is covered so the adhesive doesn’t get on it. Spray with adhesive and let it get a tacky. Put the magnetic board on top of it and stretch it all the way to the back. Move quickly to get rid of bubbles. On the back trim the excess fabric and use a razor or sharp scissors to poke out the holes for hanging.

2. Magnetize the makeup:: Hot glue magnets to the back of your makeup. You will probably have to glue several magnets to heavier pieces. For flat, larger surfaces like compacts, I found that the strips worked best. I also would try to cover as much of the back as possible with the strips. You don’t want your makeup falling off all the time or easily getting knocked off. I also found that the adhesive backing on the strips seemed strong enough to stay on and you don’t need to hot glue it.

3. Make brush holders:: As I was in the middle of the craft I realized it would be silly to attach magnets to every tiny brush I had. I cut toilet paper rolls to size and then covered with fabric using spray adhesive. To close the bottoms I just folded the fabric on top of itself and hot glued it shut. Just don’t stick anything too heavy in there. You will need four round magnets to secure these.

Tips: Now that I’ve been using the board for a week or so, I’ve found that you don’t want to crowd your makeup. Otherwise when you go to put something back on the board you will easily knock something else off.  I also wouldn’t put anything that’s glass or very precious up there as things can get knocked off.

About Sharon: Sharon Fain is a freelance communications consultant (visit her professional site for more info) and professor of public relations and journalism. She does not consider herself particularly crafty—more practical, cheap and inventive.  Her proudest DIY creation is her $49 IKEA bed that she stained, made her own headboard for, and got a free box spring for it. You can see her style on Pinterest.


If you would like to be a guest DIY blogger, please contact me at: ahomebeautiful at gmail dot com.

Project + Decor:: Staining an Ordinary Basket

Before

After

On Display

I've been hunting for a shallow basket to put near our front door and found this plain woven wood one on my last Treasure Hunt. It had the right shape but it was really blah and didn't go with our darker living room decor. But since it was plain wood and I had some left over stain from my antique window project this became an easy d-i-y decor piece. And I love how beautifully it turned out with the dark walnut stain.

Supplies::

Wooden basket made of natural unstained/painted wood

Wood stain (I used walnut)

Foam brush

How I did it::

1. Work on a surface that you don't care about getting stain on because it will leak through a lot! I did this on my work bench. I recommend working outside on a scrap piece of wood or thick cardboard. The stain will stain everything it touches.

2. Dip a foam brush very lightly in your stain. Instead of painting on the stain as you normally would a smooth surface, press the foam brush into the woven pieces to cover all of them, don't worry if it's a little thicker in some places than others, keep dabbing all over with the foam brush. It will pick up the excess where it needs to as it runs out of stain on the brush.

3. Let your basket dry for several days. It may still feel a little tacky but rub a clean rag over it to make sure nothing comes off. If not, it is ready for display!

Project + Decor:: Jewelry Display for less than $10

On display

I have some really adorable jewelry boxes I've gotten as gifts over the years (thanks sis for my latest hand carved one - it's my fave) but my jewelry collection has outgrown it's storage so I needed a new solution. I've seen the idea to display your jewelry in frames so I decided to tackle this simple project.

I found these frames on my latest Treasure Hunt for less than $1.50 for all three. With some left over spray paint from our bed frame and fabric from building our awesome West Elm style headboard I only needed to get a few simple supplies. For less than $10 I turned these old frames into a beautiful display with easy access to my favorite pieces I wear all the time.

Before

After

Supplies::
various wooden frames
white spray paint
scrap fabric - (you can use old clothes, linens, patterned contact paper, or scrapbook paper instead of buying new fabric)
cardboard, if your frames don't have backing in them - (you can pick up free boxes at beverage or grocery stores)
masking tape
staple gun (optional, see note on step 3)
brass cup hooks - (1 package of five 1/2 inch and 1 package of five 1/4 inch)
brass eye hooks - (1 package of seven)
string
ribbon
photo hangers or nails

How I made them:
1. Remove any backing from your frames, two of mine had cardboard and old fabric backings already, and spray paint white or color of choice.
2. Measure and cut cardboard for new backing. Cover with fabric and attach to back with masking tape.
3. Insert fabric covered cardboard as the new backing in the frames once the paint is dry. Secure in place.
Note: I had to replace the staple fasteners for the backing on one of my frames. I did this by holding a narrow flathead screwdriver where I wanted to place a new staple while I punched in a new staple with a staple gun. This kept the staple from being flush against the frame. Use the screwdriver to pry the staple out far enough so it can bend down and secure your cardboard.
4. Attach your cup hooks to the frames you want to hang necklaces and bracelets on.
I used the 1/2 inch cup hooks for necklaces on the short edge of my largest frame. By attaching them to the outside of the frame it gave them an extra inch to hang. I used the 1/4 inch cup hooks on the long inside edge of a smaller frame so that the bracelets would lay flat against the backing.
5. Attach eye hooks on the short inside edges on either side of the frames you want to hang earrings on.  Tie string or ribbon between them to make rows.  Position them so your longest pair of earrings will still be inside the frame and not dangling over the edge when you hang them. I used string on one frame and gold ribbon on the other.
6. Hang your frames using photo hangers or nails.
7. Hang your jewelry for a beautiful display!

Project + Decor:: Spray Paint Transformations, Picture Frame

Before

After

On dislplay

A simple spray paint transformation for this pressed flower frame easily turned it to a beautiful decor piece. It looks great on our recently updated bookshelf with the hand carved stash box I found at the thrift store on my Treasure Hunt this past weekend. For less than $8 and a little left over spray paint from another project, these two versatile decor items will be treasured for quite some time in our home.

Project Update:: Antique Window Turned Table

The window has legs! Now it just needs glass so we can actually use it. But that is a project in itself coming up next week after we have the glass panes cut and get the other supplies. The staining process was a lot of fun. To see the bare wood I worked so hard to sand down turn this beautiful, rich walnut color was worth all the hard work. After adding some decorative bling to the legs with the door hinges it's really starting to look the way I pictured it. Check out how far it's come from the original window and come back next week for the unveiling of the final table and the d-i-y instructions!

Project:: Spray Paint Transformations, Bookshelf

We recently updated a boring brown bookcase to create an airy corner for reading in our office. With lots of leftover white spray paint from building our storage bed, and this bright orange and gold contact paper I found at the hardware store (I also used it as a window covering in our bedroom.), we had an easy transformation for less than $20. Since we only paid $40 for the bookshelf on craigslist, this d-i-y turned out to be cheaper and better looking than buying a brand new one. We love beautiful bargains!

Here's how we did it:

1. Remove the cardboard backing of the bookcase. If you want to reuse as your backing be careful you don't rip it when taking out the nails. We chose to replace our cardboard backing with tempered hard board leftover from our bed project. It's stronger and gave us a smooth surface to cover with the contact paper.

2. Scuff all of the surfaces you are going to paint with fine sandpaper.

3. Paint the bookcase. We used a flat white spray paint to cover the bookcase. We used two coats. Make sure you paint the underside of the higher shelves as both sides will be visible.

4. Cover the backing with contact paper. Contact paper is best to work with in smaller portions. Instead of covering the backing from top to bottom in one long piece we measured the roll across the back horizontally leaving an inch overhang on either side. This is also the direction the pattern on the paper went as well. Follow the directions on the contact paper for application. Trim off the excess paper by dragging a razor carefully against the edge. It trims very easily without tearing.

5. Attach your back panel to the bookcase with small nails and reinsert your shelves.

Decor:: Contact Paper Window Shades

In decorating our bedroom I've been wanting to incorporate a warm orange as the pop of color in the room.  I have a few ideas for accessories, but when our neighbor recently installed a flood light illuminating their backyard all night...and our bedroom...I got a great idea. I didn't want to change the pretty sheer curtains I hung to ugly blackout curtains just to solve my problem so I gave our bedroom window a stained-glass treatment with Contact Paper.

I chose this beautiful orange patterned Contact Paper that I am also using on another project updating a bookshelf (diy instructions included). It's just opaque enough that it helps block out the light at night but also lets a pretty warm glow into the room during the day adding that pop of orange I wanted to the sheer white curtains. Plus, our home gets a lot of natural light, including the bedroom, so now we have a comfy place to retreat if one of us wants a nap or isn't feeling well.

This solution is easy, cheeper than curtains or shades, and if you tire of it or want to take it down it's made to come right off with no problem.

Here's how I did it:
1. Measure the window panes. Cut the contact paper in as large a strip as possible to fill the window with one cut. If you have to use multiple cuts line the edges up so that the paper doesn't overlap much so the light shows through evenly.
2. Follow the instructions for applying the Contact Paper making sure you clean your windows before applying.

Project:: Spray Paint Transformations, Wastebasket

AFTER

BEFORE

A simple project with significant impact is spray painting small items. It's fast with little mess. This wastebasket would have ended up in the donations pile if it weren't for this easy upgrade. The green wasn't bad but changing it to white gave it a fresher look that will now fit in any room of our home. Plus, it could even be used as storage since it can now pass as a decorative basket and not a trash can.

Here's how we did it:
1. Cover the top of the basket inside and out with painter's tape making sure all the wicker is covered around the top edge underneath the metal frame. There were little pieces of wicker woven around the metal frame to hold it together that got painted but they blend right in with the paint now and you don't even notice it.
2. Place basket in a plastic grocery bag and tape top edge to the painter's tape around the top edge of the basket sealing off the bottom of the basket for when you paint. If you want, use a plastic bag on the inside as well, but the inside won't get sprayed much and if it does, it won't be noticeable.
3. We had a flat white left from building our platform bed, which worked great for this as well. I sprayed two coats to cover up the green. Let paint dry in between coats.

DIY Project:: Cement Planters

A friend and I recently tackled a fun (but slightly challenging) DIY Project together: making our own cement planters. There is definitely a learning curve to this project. We discovered two things:  1) mixing small amounts of the cement mixture at a time - not even enough to fill one container - was the best way to go and 2) paper containers were the easiest to remove once dry. 

It was fun saving different containers to create various fun planter shapes. This beautiful little vase was created using a Neutrogena Rainbath bottle. I love the unique curve it has. The small opening was perfect for a little succulent plant that doesn't need much water since we didn't drill a drain hole in the bottom of this one. If I do this project again, I would place something small like a soda bottle cap in the bottom so I wouldn't have to drill a hole later.

If you are crafty (and brave) enough to try this project, here are the instructions we followed at re-nest:  DIY Cement Planters. Share your own beautiful creations with us plus any tips you discover in the comments. Thanks!

Project Update:: Antique Window

So I know it's been a few days...but I have a great excuse. My mom was in town and I was busy learning fun crafty things and shopping! Fun posts to come.

This project adventure actually started a long time ago and scraping the paint from this window led me to only want to scrape the paint from one...maybe. Unless I can find a more effective way for the second. It was completely worth it though because the stain looks great. I'm excited to add legs and a clear coat soon and find a glass place and put new panes put in. I've got a few weeks left before summer to turn this winter project feat into a summer backyard treat.

View the original project post here and stay tuned for the final product and how to DIY instructions.

Project:: Three Step Photo Collage Wall

After several experiments we finally have our living room furniture arranged the way we want it so that means I could hang photos and decorate. I love putting photos of personal memories in my home so we can share out lives with friends and family and be inspired and reminded of life's beautiful little moments together every day. 

Here's how I did it::

1. Use string and tacks to mark a straight line on the wall at eye level. This will serve as your symmetrical line to give your photo collage balance while grouping them in an interesting way.

2. Lay your framed photos out on the ground to consider how they look together and decide on the spacing before you hang. I used 8 photos with various size and style black frames, some vertical and some horizontal. I chose my largest vertical frame for the center of the top row and arranged my photos with horizontal frames anchoring the top right and bottom left corners. 

3. Line up and hang the center photo of the top row first, then you can line up your surrounding photos from here. Line up the bottom edge of each frame on the top row a few inches above your line. Then line up the tops of your frames in the bottom row a few inches below the line. 

TIP:: I chose a center photo that most people's eye would naturally be drawn to first. I think this helps give the grouping more balance as well by pulling your eye to the center.

Project:: Flower Necklace

After creating a beautiful Reading Glass Necklace for our Nana, I was inspired to try out another beautiful design that caught my eye by Bromeliad. She took a clear bead necklace and added ribbon and a fabric flower. It's a beautiful idea and inspired me to create my own. I gave this one to my sister for her birthday. She loved it and it went beautifully with her new cream lace top. 


Here's how I did it:


I used clear crystal beads, bead thread, gold transparent ribbon, a gold button and a flower button. 


1. I thread about seven large circular crystal beads on a ten inch piece of bead thread and placed two medium sized beads on either side. I then thread four medium sized beads on a second piece of bead thread and placed five smaller beads on either side. This created a cascade effect on the two pieces of string with the beads. 

2. Lay the strings of beads with the larger ones on the bottom and smaller on top on your workspace. Tie the string so the knot is tied close to the ends of the smaller beads and some loose thread is left on the string with the larger beads. This way when you pick them up the larger bead string should hang lower and keep the smaller beads in place above it. 


3. Tie a ribbon strand on either side of the beads around the knots you just made. 


4. String a button onto the ribbon on both sides of the necklace. Tie in place by looping the ribbon back through the button to keep it facing out on the necklace and not flipping around when you wear it.


5. Add a clasp or tie ribbon to wear. I added a clasp at the proper length I wanted this one and then left excess ribbon so you can tie it over the clasp to hide it. 

Vote for Us in the Potted Contest

We had a lot of excitement about our Pallet Garden on our tumblr so we entered the potted contest at PottedStore.com. We are super excited to be a part of the contest. Potted is an awesome blog and store so check them out while you are there. 


While I'm already plugging I might as well encourage you to follow (the link is on your right) our blog for more awesome DIY projects coming up that we're working on. AND recommend us to friends. We are just getting started and need your help gaining attention. Thanks, friends!


VOTE for our awesome potted creation. You can vote once a day until June 2 so keep voting. Muy bueno!


Read about how we made our Pallet Garden here.

Project:: Reading Glass Necklace

My husband's Nana recently asked me to make her a beautiful reading glass chain and his mom told me she had seen someone wearing one with a loop in the middle of a necklace to hold your glasses. I like the idea of something that looks beautiful when you aren't using it but has utility when you need it to. So I started browsing some of my favorite places for jewelry inspiration and came up with a JCrew inspired style based on a necklace by LoveStitched with ribbon bows tied in between beads. 

Here's how I made it:

1. Choose a 1/4 inch ribbon color of your choice. I used transparent cream to keep it matching most outfits with an elegant feel to it. The circles I could to use as the glasses holder loop I was able to weave the ribbon through. I wove the ribbon half way around and then tied it so it would hang at the correct angle when worn. I added a bow to secure the ribbon to the edge to start the beads. If you use a solid loop, tie the ribbon and then add a bow where you make the knot to cover it up before you string your first bead. 

2. String your beads. I used crystal beads. Frosted glass beads would look nice as well. Choose beads of difference sizes to give a cascading look. I used two large, two medium and three small. String the first bead, tie a small bow with extra ribbon and trim the bow and continue. I added silver decorative buttons at either end when I was done with the beads to finish each side. I love buttons and think they can look a lot more elegant than some silver beads. 

3. Trim your excess ribbon to the length you want your necklace with enough extra ribbon to tie a bow around the neck. 

Project:: King Storage Platform Bed

Since we succeeded at making a beautiful headboard for our new bed, we couldn’t just put it on a regular old frame. We live in a small home and we have to make the most of every square inch so we knew we needed a bed with storage. We had yet to find a storage bed we loved that was right for what we wanted or right for the price. And storing sweaters and linens under the bed in storage bins works, but how many of you will admit, once it goes into the bin and under the bed you completely forget you own it. Out of sight, out of mind. That’s why I urged my husband to tackle building our own bed with great custom storage that is not only beautiful but useful as well. 

We did a lot of research on building platform beds online. And drafted several versions of what I wanted with my husband’s handyman knowledge. We eventually came up with the idea to build two large boxes with dividing walls and shelves for storage on either size and layed two large pieces of plywood on top to connect them and form the platform for the mattress. Check out homebeautiful on flickr for more photos of the project.

How we did it:

1. We measured how high we wanted the bed (35”), subtracted the mattress height (11”) and then factored in the materials for the box. We used eight 18” tall 2x4s joined at angles to form the corners of each box. We nailed these to the corners of a large sheet of 1/2” plywood (for our king-size bed, we made our boxes 24” deep by 81” long).

2. Next, we measured where we wanted the middle shelves and attached 4 more 18” tall 2x4s to act as supports for the box and to attach the middle shelves to later in the process. Attach a second piece of 1/2” plywood to the top. This created a box with three open compartments, two measuring roughly 34” wide and the middle shelf area which is about 12” wide.

3. We used six 3/16” tempered hard board pieces as the walls of each of the three sections formed by the two by fours in our boxes. We later attached a 1/2” inch plywood piece to the center of the smallest compartment creating the two center shelves. We also used this same material to close off the back of the shelves.

4. We spray painted the frame a satin white recommended for painting furniture. I didn’t want a glossy reflective look. I like the satin because it gives it a less store bought look and is a little more rustic. Some of the edges we painted before we assembled so that we wouldn’t have runs in the cracks of the pieces of wood. 

5. Last, we set up the boxes at the right spacing in the bed and attached two sheets of 1/2” thick plywood to create the platform for the bed. We painted the edges of these before attaching. While there is a gap between the two boxes, it is very sturdy. We have a memory foam mattress so there is no need for a box spring.