DIY: Photography Light Box For Under $25

One of the biggest struggles I have with this blog is the photography. I work a full time job during the day which limits the amount of time I have to take picture with daylight. This becomes a bigger problem when I try to document recipes. I cook at night and often battle the yellow and bar lighting in the kitchen. It’s nearly impossible to get a good picture without spending hours in editing.

In an effort to increase my photography skills and reduce my photo editing time, I built a photo light box today. It cost under $25 and it’s easily moveable all over the house.

I took a few test shots of the Gratitude Jar in the office and I think it was a wise investment.

Here is the gratitude shots from this post. This was taken in the exact same spot as the next photo during the afternoon. It was the best light I could get that day and I had to do a lot of editing afterward.

Here is the after! I took this today, same spot and time as the above picture, but inside the light box. It made a world of difference. Editing took only a minute on this picture.

There are a lot of tutorials on the web on how to make these boxes. I did my own research before I started and followed the basic directions found via Google. However, I did make a few adjustments, especially in how I hang the lights. In stead of taking up a lot of space on countertops or rigging up chairs with the lights, I found a way to hook them directly to the box.

Step 1:

Collect your supplies.

• Medium Cardboard Box
• Duct Tape/Packaging Tape
• 2 Clip Utility Lamps
• Piece of scrap wood slightly wider than the box
• 2 Daylight Light bulbs
• Tissue Paper
• Box Cutter
• Ruler
• Pencil

Step 2:

Using the packaging tape, close the bottom of the box.

Step 3:

I cut out a large hole on three of the sides of the box. To keep them even, I used the ruler and pencil to mark off the cut lines on all three sides. I used a box cutter to cut the box.

Step 4:

Cut off the flaps is the easiest next step. I wanted a little more support for the edges, so I cut them down and folded them back. I used White Duct Tape to secure all the edges. It doesn’t matter what color you use. I had the white on hand from a project that didn’t quite happen so I thought now would be the perfect time to use it. Duct Tape will give you good support, but use what you have; masking tape or painters tape work well too.

Step 5:

Tape a few sheets of tissue paper over each opening. This will diffuse the light created by the lamps. Of course you can also use white linen or other fabric as well.

Step 6:

Next I cut slits big enough to fit the thin piece of scrap wood across the back of the box.

Make sure the piece of wood is long enough to clip the lights on either side.

Step 7:

Attach the clip utility lamps.

Step 8:

Using the back of a piece of wrapping paper, tape the background to the wood plank across the back. The great thing is, I can change out the color anytime I want and the scrap wood makes an easy place to hang the paper.

Project Cost Breakdown:

Medium Cardboard Box (Home Depot) = $1

Duct Tape/Packaging Tape (Already Owned) = $0

2 Clip Utility Lamps (Lowes) = $15

Piece of scrap wood slightly wider than the box (Already Owned) = $0

2 Daylight Light bulbs (Lowes) = $6

Tissue Paper (Already Owned) = $0

Ruler/Pencil/Box Cutter (Already Owned) = $0

Total Project Cost: $22

The Big Reveal: Living Room Fireplace

If you count the time in which I’ve been dreaming about the finished fireplace, it’s been a long 18 months. The fireplace felt like a daunting task and I’m a little shocked that I actually did it (with some help, of course). 18 months of dreaming has turned into a finished fireplace that is better than I could have imagined.  I’m so excited that I’ve been doing a little happy dance over here for the past 3 days. Here’s a quick look back at the journey.

A basic black and brass gas fireplace insert surrounded by beige 8 x 8 inch tiles. The tile color was actually more of an almond color and looked awful. It was in bad shape and the grout was cracking all over.We tried patching it at one point but clean grout just made the rest of it look dirtier. At some point the previous owners had tried to burn wood in the gas fireplace so there was soot all over the top which isn’t very visible in the picture.

The first step was to paint the fireplace screen. I did this first because I knew if I got paint on the tiles it wouldn’t matter since I would be tearing them down. It was a good start and made a big difference to get rid of the brass. Plus it cost less than $5.

Next I started tearing the tile down. This took a few weeks since I was only able to work on it for a few hours every couple of days. I quickly found that the builders had adhered the tile with construction adhesive which made for some difficult removal, especially on the bottom row.

A little drywall repair was in order, then we began installing the prefabricated mantle and pilaster set. That solid white strip of wood under the mantle was later covered with a more decorative moulding. This was all followed with another few weeks of nail setting, filler, sanding, and priming.

At this point we celebrated Christmas and I was able to hang stockings on my ‘in progress’ mantle.

This is where I asked for your help on tile choices. After choosing the tile, this past weekend we installed it, grouted, and painted both the surrounding wall and put a few coats of white gloss on the wood.

So which tile did I choose?

Option 1 was the winner!

Isn’t it lovely?!

Why did I pick Tile Option #1?

A lot of it had to do with the price. Option 1 tiles were clearance at Home Depot. Each  sheet was only $3.76 as opposed to the $11-14 per sheet for all the other styles. So instead of paying about $100 for the tile, I only paid $30. So while Option 3 was actually my favorite, it would have been very expensive and difficult to cut down.

I did have to cut some of these tiles, but with a pair of Tile Nippers purchased at Lowes, it was fairly easy. This was another positive to option 1, most of the other styles would have required more extensive cutting.

Now I have the opportunity to create pretty mantle designs. Right now I’m loving a natural winter theme. I changed out the candy corn from this project and replaced it coffee beans. The flowers are from Hobby Lobby, snowflake candle holders were from the Crate and Barrel Outlet while everything else came from Homegoods.

Price Breakdown:

Drywall Repair Supplies (Join Compound, etc) (Lowes/Already Owned) = $13

Sander/Sand Paper (Already Owned) = $0

Prefabricated Mantle (Lowes) = $84

Prefabricated Pilaster Kit (Lowes) = $64

Decorative Wood Moulding (Lowes) = $13

Nails/Wood Filler (Lowes) = $5

Kilz Primer (Already Owned) = $0

Valspar White High Gloss Paint (Already Owned) = $0

Wall Paint Touchups (Already Owned) = $0

Tile (Home Depot) = $30

Tile Adhesive (Already Owned) = $0

Grout/Supplies (Home Depot) = $15

High Heat Spray Paint for Fireplace Screen (Home Depot) = $4

Total Fireplace Remodel Cost = $228

Originally I had thought it would cost closer to $400 to finish the fireplace, but I was able to catch some great sales and the clearance tiles meant that I was able to cut the cost down under $250. Well worth it and I think it really adds to the house.

**Edited to change the cost of the Pilaster set. I origianlly thought it was $104, but after finding the receipt it was really $64. The $104 was the origianl cost of the Mantle kit, but it was on sale for $84.

…and because I still can’t believe it…

one last before…

…and after!

Linking To: Addicted 2 Decorating, Thrift Decor Chick

DIY: Succulent Terrarium

I feel like I should point out early on, that this is DIY for a succulent terrarium that I made recently. However, this is not a tutorial on how to keep them alive. My gardening skills are a little hit or miss and I usually learn how to grow something by following the method of watching something die, then thinking… “Ok, next time water the plant!” Doh!

Step 1:

Collect your supplies.

• Cactus Soil (although I have succulents growing in the dirt in my backyard, so I’m not entirely sure this was necessary)
• Pebbles/Small Rocks
• Small Succulents
• Large Glass Vase

I found the glass vase at (surprise surprise) Homegoods a few months back. I’ve mentioned before that they own my soul, right? I’ve been using it to hold my K-Cups, but this is a far prettier vase filler. Another great option would be a Apothecary Jar. If these survive, I plan on making a few more for around the house.

Step 2:

Pour in a layer of small pebbles to help with drainage.

Step 3:

Fill the vase with some Cactus Dirt then start adding your succulents. After they are in place, add some more dirt to ensure the roots are covered. I recommend picking small plants so they have room to grown. However, if you’re like me, you’ll expect them to die soon and want to enjoy them at a larger size. What? I’m preparing for the future!

Ok, in all seriousness, I really do care if these plants live and I will take care of them.

I promise.

I’m actually kind of loving them right now…so I decided to use a few more to make a little succulent vignette in my kitchen.

It is surprisingly difficult to get a good photograph of all three since they are next to 2 windows. Sorry for the glare.

Project Cost Breakdown (for the Terrarium):

Glass Vase (Already Owned) = $0

Small Bag of Cactus Soil (Lowes)  = $4

Bag of Small Pebbles (Home Depot) = $3

1 Small Succulent (Home Depot) = $2

2 Medium Succulents (Home Depot) = $6

Total Project Cost: $15

Linking To: Between Naps On The Porch, Craft-O-Maniac, The Girl Creative, Making the World Cuter, Everything Under the Moon, Today’s Creative, Ginger Snap Crafts, Very Merry Vintage Style, Savvy Southern Style, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Beyond The Picket Fence, The Artsy Girl Connection, Between U & Me, Addicted 2 Decorating, Funky Junk Interiors, The Craft Nest, The Shabby Nest, Dear Creatives, Ohh Baby Designs, 5 Minutes Just For Me, The Not So Functional Housewife, Positively Splendid

DIY: Gratitude Jar

Every year when Thanksgiving rolls around I’m a little sad for a lack of ‘gratitude’ traditions. This year I thought I would start a new tradition that could be continued on through the years, but it took a little planning to get it started so early in the year.

This year I’m keeping a gratitude jar. I think it will be fun on Thanksgiving to pull out the slips of paper and read through all the things I was grateful for this year. So everyday for the next 11 months I’ll be adding to the jar.

I’m especially excited to someday (a long time from now) do this with my kids, I think it would be a great learning opportunity to help them recognized ‘thankful’ moments everyday.

I also thought this might be sweet to give a newlywed couple. They could fill it with reasons why they are grateful for the other person each day (i.e. “she made my favorite dinner after a tough day at work”, “He brought me flowers for no reason”, “she didn’t nag me during the football game”, “he put the seat down”…ya know, romantic stuff) Just a thought.

Step 1:

Collect your supplies.

• Large Jar
• Paper
• Pencil
• Scissors

About a month ago I picked up this jar from Homegoods and tucked it away through the holidays. Since it’s something that can be kept out all year long, I thought it would be perfect for this project. However, you can get creative and use almost anything as the jar. Some other ideas I had were Apothecary Jars, Wine Bottles or Jugs, Vases, Hurricanes, Mason Jars, Canisters, almost anything would work.

I expect to eventually switch them over to a vintage wine jug, but I haven’t yet found one that I like.

I do recommend using something clear so that you can see the slips of paper add up over the year.

Step 2:

Pick some paper in which to write your grateful moments. For some fun, I picked up some glittery paper from Michaels; however, I’ll also use plain paper as well throughout the year. I like the idea of mixing and matching the paper designs.

Step 3:

Cut strips of paper, large enough to write out a sentence or two, but small enough to fit in the jar. Use a pencil or pen to not only write on the paper, but to curl it as well. I’m hoping my jar will look like a jug of confetti at the end of the year.

At least once a day, write out something you are grateful for. I also date the piece of paper so I can try to remember the memory later on. I’m sure there will be some that say “I’m grateful for my dog”, but I’m going to try and be a little more detailed than that most of the time. I would rather it say, “I’m grateful that my dog let me sleep until 9am then woke me up with big slobbery drool kisses little puppy kisses.”

Step 4:

Drop the curled paper into the jar!

You can easily use things you have around your house and make this project FREE!

The jug I picked up from Homegoods was $15 and the sheets of glittery paper at Michael’s run about $2 each so I won’t use many of them. Overall it cost me $17 to start a fun tradition that I hop will be in my family for many, many years.

____________________________

Linking To: Between Naps on the Porch, Keeping It Simple, Craft-O-Maniac, The Girl Creative, Everything Under the Moon, Today’s Creative Blog, Ginger Snap Crafts, Blue Cricket Design, Very Merry Vintage Style, We Are THAT Family, Savvy Southern Style, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Beyond The Picket Fence, The Artsy Girl Connection, The Crafty Nest, Addicted 2 Decorating, The Shabby Nest, French Country Cottage, Dear Creatives, Ohh Baby! Designs, The Not So Functional Housewife, Funky Junk Interiors, Positively Splendid

Guest Post at Dear Creatives: Repurpose Old Ornaments

Hello all!

I know everyone is knee deep in holiday plans, spending time with family, or finishing up your last day at work before Santa crawls down your chimney. I promise not to bombard you with posts over the next few days; however, I am honored to be guest posting a great tutorial over at Dear Creatives today, and I hope you’ll check it out.

BONUS: It will give you some ideas to repurpose old ornaments you may have lying around after the holiday.

If you found your way here from the tutorial, WELCOME & Happy Holidays!

 

Cheers,

Addison

DIY Christmas Ornament 18: Paint Dipped Pinecones

I’m not sure why I leaved my favorite ornaments for last, but this is by far one of my favorites. The greatest thing about dipping pinecones in paint is that they aren’t limited to being Christmas ornaments. I can actually keep these out year round since I’ve used soft natural colors. I expect these will end up in vases and bowls throughout the house for the next 12 months.

Step 1:

Collect your supplies.

• Pinecones
• Push Pin
• Basic Wire Ornament Hanger
• Various Cans of House Paint
• Paint Stir Sticks
• Nail/Hammer
• Paint Tray
• Ribbon

Step 2:

Using a push pin, make a hole in the pinecone.

Thread a wire ornament hanger through the hole you just made.

Step 3:

Set up a paint station.

Using a nail and hammer, put several holes near the sides of the paint sticks. Balance them across the paint cans. Set a paint tray underneath the paint stick to catch any paint that drips from the pinecones.

Step 4:

Hold onto the wire hanger and dip the pinecone into the can of paint.

Tip: Use a soft brush or towel to brush any dirt off the pinecone before dipping it. This will minimize any stray dirt that gets into the can of paint.

Be sure to dip the pinecone slowly, holding it over the paint can for a few moments to let it drain a bit.

Step 5:

Hang the pinecone from the holes you put in the stir stick.

Step 6:

Continue dipping all the pinecones in the paint and hang to dry.

Step 7:

Allow the pinecones to drain/dry for at least 24 hours.

Step 8:

For those that you want to hang from the tree, use the hanger that is already hooked into the pinecone. For decoration, add a bow or ribbon around the hanger.

For all the rest, remove the hanger and decorate anywhere you like. The possibilities are endless.

Project Cost Breakdown (per Ornament):

Pinecones (Found – Already Owned) = $0

Push Pin (Already Owned) = $0

Basic Wire Ornament Hanger (Already Owned) = $0

Various Cans of House Paint (Already Owned) = $0

Paint Stir Sticks (Already Owned/Free from Lowes) = $0

Nail/Hammer (Already Owned) = $0

Paint Tray (Already Owned) = $0

Ribbon (Already Owned) = $0

Total Project Cost: $0

 

I know that I originally said I would complete 20 ornaments; however this will be the last one of the series for this year. I have more ornaments than my little 3 foot tree will hold; and that least two will not be dry enough to share over the next few days. I hope you enjoyed the series, it’s been a blast to share it with you. If you missed any of the DIY Ornaments this year, you can see a full collection recap here.

DIY Christmas Ornament 17: Bells

Finally a bells ornament, right? No? Ok…well you get one anyway.

I’ve always had a fascination for bells around Christmas time. I think it’s the sound of bells that ignites the Christmas Spirit so it’s a shame it took me this long to come up with something for the bells.

Warning: I didn’t have a tripod while taking these pictures and the low light recorded every shake. I apologize that they are more than a bit blurry.

Step 1:

Collect your supplies.

• 8 medium sized bells
• 1 thin, sturdy twig
• Ribbon or holiday bow
• Hot Glue/Gun
• Scissors

Step 2:

Thread the bells onto the twig, leaving some of the twig exposed at the bottom.

Step 3:

Using hot glue to secure the bottom bell to the twig.

Cut off the excess twig at the bottom.

Step 4:

Choose a holiday bow in which to top your bell ornament.

Wrap the adhesive strip from the bow around the twig at the top of the ornament. You may need to cut the adhesive to make it fit.

(sorry so blurry) Must. Find. Tripod. Now.

Step 5:

Using scissors, trim the ribbon to show the ornament or wrap the pieces around the bells.

Attach another piece of ribbon on the top of the ornament as a hanger. I used a small piece of white ribbon and secured it with hot glue.

Project Cost Breakdown (per Ornament):

Holiday Bells (Already Owned – Originally purchased from Michaels for another project) = $0

Twig (Found Object) = $0

Holiday Ribbon (Already Owned) = $0

Hot Glue/Gun (Already Owned) = $0

Total Project Cost: $0

In Progress: Fireplace Re-Design

The minute I moved into this house, I wanted to redo the fireplace. It took me the last 18 months to work up the nerve to start such an intensive redo on my own. However, last month I started chipping away at the tile.

The first 3 tiles came down easily and gave me an idea of what I was dealing with. Apparently I was dealing with a heavy dose of grout and A LOT of construction adhesive.

Within about 20 minutes I had the top row down completely.

Over the next few weeks I slowly chipped away at the tile. I was only able to work on it after work and had to be done before 8pm in order to be considerate to my neighbors. The fireplace is on a shared wall in the condo and the tile removal was loud at times.

A majority of the tiles came down easily, but there were some that just wouldn’t budge. Once I finally pried them loose, they tore off chunks of drywall.

The worst damage was on the bottom, and I cause quite a bit of this since I had trouble getting any kind of leverage on the tiles.

This was my first venture into drywall repair so I called on my dad to come over and help. A few weeks back we spent 8 full hours repairing drywall and installing the mantle.

I was amazing at how easy it was to patch the sections of drywall. I had been concerned that I would have to rip out and replace large sections of wall. Instead we were able to use some joint compound to fill the sections and after allowing it time to dry, we had a great surface to move forward with the installation.

At Lowe’s I picked up a premade Mantle (on sale) and a premade Pilaster kit. Typically you would also install a surround behind the Pilaster kit, but I needed the lowest profile possible and the surround just didn’t work for me.

Both the mantle and pilaster kit were easy to install. The hardest part was keeping everything level. This house is…well…a little off balance, and keeping things level can be a challenge. However, we were able to get everything up after few hours work.

In addition to the mantle and pilaster kits, I picked up two pieces of white primed boards to fill the space above the pilasters and below the mantle. Since taking this picture a piece of moulding has been added on top of these simple white boards and it was the perfect addition.

So here’s where we finished after the one day of work. We got much further than I ever expected and I’m thrilled with the progress. I’ve also continued with the progress and will share more in another post. However, since these pictures were taken we’ve done another coat of compound, I’ve filled all holes, sanded and primed the entire piece.

Next Steps:

• Paint with White Semi Gloss (2+ Coats)
• Install Tiles, Grout, etc

A quick look back…

I can see the end in sight, and even though it’s not done, I can still hang my Christmas stockings this year which makes me the happiest person around.

DIY Christmas Ornament 16: Marbling

I know I’ve said it before, but this one is just too cool. With all the great holiday colors out there, the possibilities are endless. My only suggestion is to NOT use anything paint with glitter. The glitter will eventually drift to the bottom and the end result won’t look as great as you think it will. Trust me on this. Those paints also tend to be thicker which will be much harder to work with.

For this project, use a basic, inexpensive crafty paint. You could also use leftover interior paint if you have some on hand.

Step 1:

Collect your supplies.

• Clear Ornament
• Craft Paint
• Toilet Paper Tube

Use the tube anytime you need to balance the ornament (especially important when you are taking pictures).

Remove ornament cap.

Step 2:

Start by dripping a drop of one color into the ornament and let it drip down the side.

Continue doing this with any additional colors you have.

As the paint drips down the edge you want to swirl it so there are no clear parts of the ornament left. Once half the ornament is done squeeze a few drops of each color into the bottom of the ornament then swirl them around to cover the rest of the ornament.

Step 3:

Once all clear spots are covered tip the ornament upside down on the toilet paper to let any excess paint drain. Make sure to put a few paper towels under the toilet paper roll to catch the paint.

Step 4:

Replace the ornament cap and enjoy!

This would also be a great craft to give new life to any old clear ornaments that you have. Even if they have color or designs on them, the marbling could look really awesome.

Project Cost Breakdown (per Ornament):

Clear Ornament (Already Owned) = $0

Craft Paint (Already Owned) = $0

Toilet Paper Roll/Paper Towel (Already Owned) = $0

Total Project Cost: $0

DIY Christmas Ornament 15: Paper Art

I’ll be honest, this ornament is going to be difficult to explain. It’s a play off some paper quilling art I used to do in junior high and while it isn’t hard, it is a little time intensive…and that doesn’t include the time I had to take after nearly slicing my finger off with an X-acto blade.

This is also a huge ornament that would probably work better sitting on a mantle or as wall art. Of course, you could make it smaller simply by using shorter strips, but after cutting my finger, I didn’t want to start over. Actually the original plan was to make a full flower, but the end piece was so big that I stopped it halfway, and I think it worked out pretty well.

Also, please bear with any typos. The bandage on my hand keeps hitting the ‘y’ key.

Step 1:

Collect your supplies.

• 2 pieces of computer paper
• X-acto blade
• Ruler
• Tacky Glue or White Glue
• Spray Adhesive/Glitter (optional)

Step 2:

Using the X-acto blade and ruler, cut the computer paper into 1/2 inch thick strips.

Step 3:

Then cut a 3 of those pieces in half.

Put a dab of tacky glue at one end and roll, securing with another dab of glue at the other end.

You will need one of these for each petal of your flower. If you choose to do more or less petals than mine, keep this in mind. Also, you can use white glue (such as Elmer’s) but it takes a bit longer to dry and the tacky will shave quite a bit of time off the project and you shouldn’t need to clamp anything for drying.

Step 4:

Take 3 strips of full length paper (not the ones you cut in half) and fold them in half.

Line them in a way you like, and then glue the sides toether.

Add the the circle you created earlier, and figure out your spacing.

Apple a little glue to the circle and then squeeze the sides in, attached the circle to the sides.

At this point it should look like this.

Cut off the excess and add any glue if any of your pieces come loose.

Make 5 of these petals.

Step 5:

Using Tacky Glue, attach all the petals together at the base as well as in between each petal.

Tip: If your flower is a little flimsy on the bottom, use a few of the remaining strips. Fold them in half and glue them along the bottom of the flower. You won’t see them, but they’ll keep the base of the flower sturdy.

Step 6:

Optional: spray with adhesive and sprinkle with glitter.

Step 7:

Add a bit of ribbon to the top and hang from the tree.

Project Cost Breakdown (per Ornament):

Computer Paper (Already Owned) = $0 [You could also use vintage pages from books, sheet music would look pretty cool too]

Tacky Glue (Already Owned) = $0

Spray Adhesive/Glitter (Already Owned) = $0

Ruler/X-Acto Blade (…bandages) (Already Owned) = $0

Total Project Cost: $0