Decor, DIY and my Dog
If you’ve bee here before, you’ll already know that I like mirrors, and I love to make them myself. And the cool part is, that the more I make… the more ideas I get for new ones! This mirror is made from Dollar Tree paper plates. Can you believe it? And it is soooooo easy to make, well you’ll see! [Read more…]
Yep, Another mirror 🙂 I like mirrors. And I especially like a DIY mirror. They are such great decor pieces. Great for filling a small or odd shaped spaces. This one was done as part of the Look for Less Challenge, which I participate in every month.Â
The inspiration piece for this project is this mirror from Bed Bath and Beyond. It retails for $199
As always if you would prefer to watch this on video – click here!
Here are the supplies you will need to complete this project
To make the backing for this diy mirror cut a circle out of the foam core. I used a 19″ hoop that I had on hand to trace around, this used up the width of the foam core. If you don’t happen to have a metal hoop kicking around your house, just use a piece of string and a pencil or sharpie to draw your circle.Â
Next we will need to make cones. But before we make cones, we’ll need to make squares! You can make these by just measuring them out on the poster board. I used a  paper trimmer to cut mine. I bought the trimmer when I did this project, and I am loving it. These inexpensive cutters make this a much easier task. Or, if you are still able to go to your office, you can always borrow their paper cutter. Or just use a pen, ruler and scissors.Â
There are 3 different sizes of cones and you will need to cut the following sizes
You’ll need 24 of each. Although this number may vary a bit depending on how tightly you roll them, and how closely you glue them.
Now we get to roll up some cones. These are rolled from corner to corner. Just overlap them a bit and apply a small amount of hot glue to the seam. Don’t worry too much about keeping the bottom of the cone perfect, since this part will be covered by the following layers and you won’t see them. Roll up all of your cones prior to gluing them to the backing board. You will end up with 24 each of 3″,4″ & 5″ cones.
Starting at the outer edge of your foam core circle, glue the cones. Having the wides part of the opening aligned with the edge of the backing, keeping the cones all at the same level, using hot glue. Just continue to work your way around the circle until it is completed. Here is what each level looks like:
Once all of the cones are in place, first remove any glue strings, since these will show up once painted. Next give everything a coat of Rust-Oleum metallic Gold spray paint.  Coat everything including the inside of the cones. Also remove the frame from the mirror and spray that as well. I actually really liked the finish with just the gold.
As I mentioned I actually preferred the solid gold colour of the first coat of paint. However, I decided to add a second colour in order to give the piece more of a metal look. How I did this is by using rustoleum dark bronze hammered finish and using gentle pressure on the spray nozzle to give a speckled effect on top of the gold paint. Here is a close-up of what this finish looks like. If you don’t like the finish, don’t worry. it’s just paint, you can always paint over it!
The final thing I did was to add a rope accent around the mirror. I used a twisted gold rope from the dollar store. To attach it to the mirror frame, first glue one end of the rope to the frame, and then pull it tight around the outside edge, stretching it slightly as you go. Gluing a section at a time. Glue down the cut end wrapping it toward the underside of the frame, so it won’t be visible from the top. Spray with the same finish as the rest of the mirror. 
After the additional paint finish has been added to the mirror frame, and has dried. Clean and reattach mirror to frame. Then glue the mirror in place inside the centre of the cones. 
Attach a picture hanger to the back of your diy mirror with hot glue. Then you just need to find the right place to hang your new mirror. And since this cone mirror is made from paper and foam core, it is very light, so you can hang it pretty much anywhere.
Here is the cost comparison for this project, since it was done as part of the look for less challenge.This is a simple project that can be done with minimal supplies, most of which can be purchased at the dollar store.Â
I hope you enjoyed this project. Here is another mirror project that you might like
Note that these links may contain affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, if you make a purchase through one of my links, AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU. Click here for my full disclosure. Thank you for helping to support my blog!
 DIY Cone TreesI love cone trees. They are so easy to make, and there are so many options! This batch I made in shades of white, in three different finishes. But before you start decorating your cone trees, you will need to first make your cones.
Click on this video to see how to make the perfect cone!
I made 3 cones 14″, 16″ & 18″ high.
I made the largest tree the fur tree. Get it? Fir Tree, Fur Tree… Maybe not. Anyway, I used RED HEART Yarn, for this tree. It comes in a ton of colours. I have it polar, pink and purple. It would be pretty in any colour, but I did mine in polar, since I planned on doing mine in shades of white.
The how to for this is pretty easy and straight forward. Just start at the bottom of the tree cone, and wrap the yarn around the cone using hot glue to stick it down. Keep pushing the yarn down as you apply it, so that there aren’t any spaces where you can see the cone through the yarn. Keep winding until the cone is covered. After the entire cone was covered, I attached a piece to the bottom of the cone and wound it around the tree from bottom to top, without glueing it, and fastened it at the top. This way you won’t see all of the glued down bits of yarn, and it gives a much fuller appearance. Â And that’s it, So easy!
For this tree you will need a bag or two of fabric rose petals . I bought mine at dollar store. You can find these with the wedding supplies. 
This will work much better if you first draw lines around your cone. To do this, I used a ruler and marked 1″ intervals along the height of the cone, then connect them with a ruler so that you have lines running around the circumference of the cone. This will act as a guide and keep your petals straight.
Starting at the bottom along the first line glue the rose petals with the rounded end down overlapping them enough to cover up the cone. Continue around until the first row is finished. Start at the next row up and continue repeating until you get all the way to the top. At the very top, wrap your petal around the top in a cone shape.
To make the rosebud cone tree, I wanted to cover the entire tree in mini foam rose buds. But they were a bit expensive. They came about 9 to a pack,, which would have been fairly expensive based on how many I would probably need. So, instead I picked up these floral balls in the wedding section, which were only a couple dollars more, and they had a lot of mini rosebuds on them.
Plus as a bonus, when I peeled them off of the foam ball the were already glued together and it saved me a lot fo extra gluing. I just pieced all of the pieces together until the cone was covered. I used 3 of the balls to cover to tree.
And here are my 3 white trees all together. You could even make it easier, if you don’t want to make your own cones. You could buy them already made, Â they come in paper 
 and styrofoam
I had so much fun making these trees, that I decided to make another batch of them with different finished, and these ones in silver. Click here to check them out
Here’s a sneak peak
Note that these links may contain affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, if you make a purchase through one of my links, AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU. Click here for my full disclosure. Thank you for helping to support my blog!
Here is something a little different for your front door for Fall, Thanksgiving or even Halloween! A pumpkin wreath made from a dollar tree pumpkin wreath form, well technically thats TWO pumpkin wreath forms!! [Read more…]
Another version of the Look for Less challenge, and this one is just in time for Halloween! The perfect Halloween skull wreath. It’s easy, spooky, pretty and cheap, since the whole thing is made with Dollar Tree supplies. And you still have time to make one! And you can make one in under an hour! [Read more…]
Hi, hi, hi!!! By now you must be familiar with the look for less challenge that I participate in every month. I really love this challenge. We are tasked with finding a high end decor piece and DIYing it for less! This month’s project was a DIY mirrored candle holder!
Recently I saw these mirrored candle holders from Wayfair. They are Orren Ellis design and they are so fabulous! I bet you didn’t think you could make mirrored finish candle sticks did you? YES YOU CAN! I am about to show you how
Click here for the Youtube version of this project.
(6″x9″)
 
(optional)
I often overthink things. Not this time:) For the structural base of the candle holders, I just used scrap wood that I had in my garage. For the main portion a piece of 2″x4″ that was cut to 9″ long. And for the base a piece of 1″x6″ cut to 3″x5″ in size. Easy peasy huh?
I tested out more than one way of applying the paint finishes. So, here is what I deem to be the BEST way.  Paint the entire piece in white  spray primer to seal the raw wood. Then after it dries, tape off a rectangular section on either side, and spray with silver metallic spray paint. When the tape is removed  the front sections remain white and the edges are silver. The purpose of this is just  in case any small spots can be seen through the mirror, sheet this way you wold see silver instead of raw wood.
On the inspiration piece the light section is mother of pearl. I didn’t happen to have any kicking around, so I instead decided to do a faux finish. Â I had a large tube of mother of pearl structure gel, which I bought a while back at Walmart. You could just used a white structure gel and then mother of pearl paint. I did small brush stroked using a small artists brush . The brush stroked imitate the tiled finish of the mother of pearl pieces. I alternated between white pearl paint and mother of pearl structure gel. I used a small flat ended brush and did small short strokes. It gave me a very irridescent textured finish.
I recently discovered this Mirror Sheet on Amazon and I’m in love!!!! This really has opened the door for me to so many projects that I have wanted to do, but I just didn’t like the way fake mirror paper looked. This mirror sheet is very thick and doesn’t bend or crease. The package that I bought included 4  6″x9″ sized sheets. They have a super sticky adhesive backing and stick really well, but need a clean flat surface to adhere to. The mirror side is the best mirror finish I have seen. It has a plastic coating, which I suggest leaving on until your project is complete, to protect the finish.
You can cut the mirror sheet with scissors, but it’s difficult to get a straight line. So here are 2 ways to get a nice straight cut
Use a straight edge and an Xacto knife to make a deep straight line in the acrylic sheet. This will give you a nice straight line to cut along with your scissors. It is quite thick, and I was not able to cut through with the Xacto knife. So, I came up with a second option.
I wondered if this would cut better with a paper cutter, so the next time I was at Walmart I picked up this cutter, which technically calls itself a trimmer. It worked really well, and I anticipate I will be using it for a lot of other projects in the future. You can pick one up one Amazon  if you also have a use for it. With the cutter, I aligned my sheet with the edge which gave me approx .75″ wide piece that I was using for the edges. Then I used the holder to keep the sheet in place. With this cutter you push down on the slide and it will cut all the way through the mirror sheet, if you are pushing hard enough. This is definitely my preferred method for cutting this medium. I love this little cutter, I’m already using it on other projects.
MeasurementsFor the front, Â I cut 4 pieces at 9″ long x 3/4″ wide. 2 of these went on the long outside edges (as below). One is cut to length for the top and bottom outside edges , fitting it between the long edge pieces (see below). and one will be cut to size, and used as the middle section (not in photo). Note that blue pen marks are on top of the protective film and will just peel off with the film.
It’s up to you it you want to do both sides the same, or if you want to make it a bit less work with cutting and fitting, just do one side with the pattern, and do the other with a solid piece of mirror sheet. Totally up to you! I did both sides using the pattern, but I think if I did it again, I would probably only do one side, since you generally only see the front side of the candle holders.
The mirror sheet is easy to apply. Just peel the backing and stick it down. It sticks better to a flat surface. It sticks pretty well, so make any adjustments before sticking it down with pressure.
Repeat the process for the bottom section of the candle holder. The bottom piece will all be painted silver. Â Measure and apply mirrored finish to all but the bottom of the piece (not necessary). Then attach the finished candle holder to the base. Remember to remove the plastic coating prior to adhering. Connect the pieces using E6000 and let dry overnight. Be sure to wipe away on glue that may leak out the edge. To avoid this, just apply your E6000 to the centre of the piece, since it will squish out if too much glue is used.
I hunted high and low to try and find a similarly shaped piece for the top. The closest I could find was this crystal tea light holder from Michael’s. Later, I  found this one on Amazon which is even prettier than the ones I bought at Michaels, and cheaper too! The tea light holder fit perfectly on the top of the stand. I applied it using E6000. And a word of warning, it slid off centre when left unattended. So you will want to make sure that the tea light holder is secured while the glue dries.I used painter’s tape to secure it overnight.
Once your entire mirrored candle holder is completed, the last thing is to remove all of the protective coating from the mirror pieces. Now all that is needed is a tea light candle and a glass of wine!
And that concludes another look for less challenge  Click here to see my previous Look for Less Challenge. I will be back soon with another entry. And If you want to see the next one first, make sure you follow me on my youtube channel.
Note that these links may contain affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, if you make a purchase through one of my links, AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU. Clickhere for my full disclosure. Thanks you for helping to support my blog.
Can you believe that these glittery blingy vanity storage containers started out as dollar tree gift boxes? Well they did. They came in nested sizes, and I thought how perfect they would be as vanity storage when I first saw them. [Read more…]
I decided to make a pretty feather mirror. And to tell you the truth it was awful. I’m not kidding. My first attempt at this was not good. Keep reading and I’ll show you what it looked like. So, this is in fact my second version, and it is sooooo much better. Having said that there is still room for improvement, and I will pass all of those things onto you, so that when you make yours, it will  be even better than mine 🙂
As with most of my posts, I have also done a YouTube video of the process. You can click here to view.
The first time I made this feathered mirror, I didn’t use goose feathers. I just used feathers that I bought from Wal-mart and they were not tapered at the ends. They were more cut off. So the end result was not very symmetrical. I sourced my goose feathers from 2 places. I bought some from the dollar tree and some from amazon. The feathers from Amazon were definitely nicer, they were in better shape and were generally whiter. But they were a bit more expensive. I did a bit of math and the cost came out to about 50% more expensive. But they were still pretty affordable.
You will notice when you get your feathers that they do not all bend in the same direction. And since there is difference from the front to the back of the feather, you can’t really just flip them over to make sure they all bend in the same direction. So when you get all of your feathers, take the time before your start assembling to split them into different piles depending on the direction that they are bending in. Â You will probably also have a pile for those that are shorter and straighter.
Now that all of your feathers are organized into piles you will need to mark out your circle that you will use as your guide to keep the edges of your mirror perfectly round. To do this I used a display board from the dollar store. You could also use a large piece of cardboard. Then you will want to draw a circle the size that you want your finished feather mirror to be. I drew my circle 25.5″ around, which was almost the full size of the display board width.
To make my circle I made my favourite home-made compass. I used a Sharpie, a piece of string (or wool, or ribbon, or whatever is available) and a small screwdriver. Measure and mark the centre of the board. Tie the string around the screwdriver and poke into the cardboard at the centre mark and then use the string to determine how large you want the circle to be. Attach the other end to the sharpie and then draw your circle, keeping the screwdriver upright.
I used a large round pizza tray from the dollar store for the base of my feather mirror. This is one of the pieces that I think could be improved upon. I found the tray that I used to be a bit too thin, and a bit wobbly once all of the feathers and mirror were attached. So I would suggest instead using something a bit stiffer. You can still use a pizza pan, just not one that’s too flimsy. You could also just use a piece of foam core, and that would work fine too.
Paint the pan white, using spray paint, Â just in case it shows through in any spots.
Measure to the centre point of your pan and poke a hole in it and then using that, centre it on the cardboard, using the existing hole that you made when you drew your circle. Â Or If you are not able to make a hole just measure to the outside edges of the tray to make sure that it is centered in the larger circle. Then tape it down. Make sure that the tape is in a location where it will not be glued down.
Time to make that diy feather mirror. The most important thing when you are placing your feathers, is to use that outside circle as your guide, which will keep all of the outside edges perfectly aligned and make your mirror FABULOUS! So do not pay too much attention to the quill end of the feathers, instead pay attention to where the feather end meets the outside circle. Just glue into place. Since you had already sorted the feathers into piles depending on direction, do the first level or row with all of the feathers facing in the same direction.
When doing the second layer, use the feathers facing in the other direction. Keep paying attention to the outside edge and maintain the same distance from the first layer all the way around.
I only did three layers, you could do more, if you like. For my final layer I chose feathers that were a bit shorter and fairly straight. The goal with this layer is to cover up all of the areas where you can see the quills.
You will need to attach something to support your mirror, as the feathers are raised enough that you won’t have good contact with the pizza pan. I just used a piil cap, since it was about the right height and not too big. Since my feathers were a bit crowded in the centre area, I went in with a small pair of wire cutters, and cut away any quills that were in the way of the lid. Then I just attached it to the pizza pan using E6000 and hot glue to hold it in place while the E 6000 dried.
I used E6ooo to attach the mirror. This gives you lots of time to adjust.Once you have placed the mirror, make sure it is centered by measuring to the outside edges of the feathers. Then let dry overnight
To finish it off I added some decorative trim. This is twisted cord that I picked up at the dollar store in silver. I taped off the end to the cord so that it wouldn’t unravel and glued the end under the mirror, since  there is room under the mirror. Then applying hot glue to the outside edge of the mirror, pull the cord around so that it stays perfectly circular. Don’t let it slip under or your circle will look wonky. Once the cord is applied all the way round the mirror, tape, cut and tuck the other end of the cord under the mirror.
Since the pizza pan was very thin, I just poked a couple of holes in the edges of the pizza pan, using a small sharp pair of scissors. And then tied off a piece of ribbon across the back. The mirror is very light weight, so can be hung easily without any reinforcements. A small nail  or picture hanger will hold it up.
ok, ok, I promised I would show you my original version. so here she is in all of her glory, or lack there of. Unfortunately I lost the card. that had the pics on it, and the only I could find was before the mirror was attached, so the mirror is replaced here by a well placed circle. 🙂
Here is what it looks like in my spare bedroom with my zingy wallpaper
Note: This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. You NEVER pay more. I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through one of my links. Click here for my full disclosure. Thanks for helping pay the blog bills. 🙂
This project was part of the look for less challenge for July 2020, hosted by Yami of The Latina Next Door. This is a monthly challenge that she hosts, where we YouTubers create versions of high end decor looks for much less than the original. I love this challenge, It really makes me think outside the box! [Read more…]
Nailed it or Failed it ChallengeRecently I did another fun challenge! This one is called the Nailed it or failed it challenge. The idea is to pick a decor piece that you would like to have in your home, and recreate it (or dupe it) for less. And then at the end, we ask our audience if we nailed it or failed it. Sound like fun? [Read more…]
