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Decor, DIY and my Dog

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August 9, 2022 by D9

DIY Storage Ottoman

Can you believe that I made this DIY Storage Ottman from a Home Depot Bucket? Well, I did, and I will show you how!This post was done for a Look for Less challenge. This is where you make a high end decor piece for LESS! [Read more…]

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February 4, 2022 by D9

Dollar Tree Silver Glam Candle Holder



This Glam candle holder was made from Dollar Tree supplies. I made these as part of a glam decor challenge. If you want to check it out go and view this link. I made three projects for this challenge, but this one was my favourite! [Read more…]

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November 22, 2021 by D9

10 DIY Christmas Ornaments


Here are 10 DIY Christmas Ornaments that are very easy and that you can make with your kids, grandkids, for yourself or to sell at a craft fair! [Read more…]

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October 4, 2021 by D9

Santa Sock Gnome

This is a quick, easy and fun project that’s great to do with your kids, or on your own. This adorable Santa sock gnome is made with mostly dollar store supplies and fabric scraps that I had on hand. You can do this in an afternoon.

Click here to watch the YouTube video

If you need any clarification on anything below, you can refer to the video above!

Santa Sock Gnome Supplies

Sock

  • Stuffing (I used rags)

  • Rocks

  • Fabric (Red Velvet)

  • Fur Trim

  • Small styro ball x 2

  • Hot glue gun

  • Black felt

Body

To make the body, start first with a sock. I used white sock, but it doesn’t matter too much as you can’t really see the sock when the Santa gnome is finished. And a bag of dollar store vase filler stones to weight down the bottom. which I didn’t even take out of the bag, but just dropped the whole bag into the bottom of the sock. Pretty easy so far, huh?

Fillers

Next you will need something to fill up the body of the Santa gnome. I actually just pulled some pieces out of my rag bin, which I use for crafting and painting, and very occasionally dusting! The pieces that I used were an old tea towel, and one of Greg’s old T-shirts.Both of these were rolled up together, which gave me the desired shape. Then they were stuffed into the sock on top of the rocks. After pulling all of the wrinkles out of the sock the excess was tied of with an elastic. Cut the excess off about an inch away from the elastic.

Santa Suit

For Santa’s suit and hat, I used a piece of scrap fabric that I had on hand. It’s a really beautiful deep red stretch velvet. I bought this last year at Fabricland on sale. They had a big section of velvet scraps and I bought a couple of meters. It has gotten used in a few projects, including this Santa wreath  You can use whatever fabric you like. Red felt would work well too. For the body just lay the sock on the fabric, and mark out enough fabric to go around the body and fold under the bottom of the sock. Fold over and glue one edge. Wrap the suit fabric around the sock and glue in place folding the finished edge over the unfinished one. Glue under bottom edges. The suit should only cover about 1/2 – 2/3 of the sox, since the remaining half of the sock will fill out the hat.

Nose

For the nose you could use anything with right size circumference. I used a small styrofoam ball, but you could also use a bead  or bauble, as well. I gave it a coat of flesh toned paint. A bamboo skewer works well to hold the styrofoam ball while you are painting it. Once painted put the nose aside. You may need two coats, depending on your paint consistency.

Hat

To make the hat use the same fabric as the body. Cut a triangle approx. 9.5″ x 16″. Fold right sides together and glue or sew the seam. I sewed mine, but you can always glue yours, if you don’t sew, or just don’t like to sew! Then turn the hat inside out. And turn under a small hem on the bottom of the hat. It will probably be a bit big but that’s okay because it needs to cover the gnome face and pull down over his back.

Beard

Time to give this Santa gnome a beard. Just a small piece of faux fur is required for his beard. Cut a triangle shape for the beard. Mine was 7″ wide by 3″  and I cut out a triangle shape minus the point. The beard works better if you choose fur with a fairly long nap to it. Ensure that you just cut the backing of the fur and not the fur itself.  Apply hot glue to the upper long edge of the beard and attach it to the top edge of the suit.

Attach Nose

Now attach the nose just above the beard using hot glue, Make sure you centre it on the beard.

Attach Hat

The hat will be large, pull the front down so that it covers just the top of the nose. Pull the back down enough to cover the top of the suit and glue down the back edges of the hat. In the front lightly tack down the hat to the sides of the nose, so that you don’t see the sock.

Belt (optional)

Cut a couple of strips of black felt and attach around Santa Gnome’s midriff tucking underneath the beard. Attach with hot glue.

Hat Trim

Cut another strip of fur for the hat. I had a small piece of leftover fur from another project, so used a piece with a slightly different finish. This was an edge piece which had a scallop to it. You can use the same fur that you used for the beard.

Shoes

To make the shoes, just cut a couple of ovals out of the black felt. I just used the larger side of the handles on a pair of scissors. Cut four of them. Glue two of the pieces together on the round end, leaving the square end open. Use a small amount of stuffing to fill the toe of the shoe. If you don’t have any stuffing on hand, cotton balls will do the trick. Remember to only stuff the toe of the shoes, and keep the back half of the shoes flat. Glue them under the Santa gnome body

Pom pom

To finish this Santa gnome off, we just need to add a pom pom to his hat. I didn’t have one on hand. Which is kind of unbelievable if you know me at all. And by that I mean I have a ridiculous amount of stuff in my craft stash. You have to be able to adapt. So, I used one of the small styrofoam balls from the package that I used for the nose. Just add a drop of glue onto the end of the hat, and attach the pom pom.

And we are done! How easy was that? Easy. Here is my Santa gnome all ready to do his Christmas job and add some Santa pizzaz to my holiday decor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!

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September 10, 2021 by D9

My Favourite Mirrors


I love mirrors. Not the kind you use to do your make-up. I mean decorative mirrors. I think they are so much better than artwork in so many applications. And what do I love more than Decor mirrors? [Read more…]

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August 4, 2021 by D9

DIY Glam Clock

It’s time for a change. And by TIME I mean a glam clock challenge! This project was done as part of a DIY clock challenge, and of course I chose to make mine glamorous and glittery. Not going to find any buffalo check here. This is a very easy project and all of the supplies were from the dollar store. [Read more…]

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May 2, 2021 by D9

Purple Vanity Makeover

Purple Vanity Makeover

This purple vanity makeover is one of my favourite pieces of painted furniture. When I finished my first piece of furniture, It was puchased by my hairdresser, for her shop. She had a similar piece in her basement and asked if I wanted it. Of course I said yes please!! I really love the shape of this vintage vanity. Ok, before we get too carried away with the how to – Let’s take a look at the before shots. [Read more…]

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March 31, 2021 by D9

Dollar Tree DIY Paper Mirror


DIY Paper Mirror

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…]

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December 1, 2020 by D9

DIY Mirror from Paper!

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. 

Inspiration

The inspiration piece for this project is this mirror from Bed Bath and Beyond. It retails for $199

Youtube

As always if you would prefer to watch this on video – click here!

DIY Mirror Supplies

Here are the supplies you will need to complete this project

    • Foam Core – 1 piece

    • Poster Board – 3 pieces (black)

    • Rust-Oleum metallic Gold spray paint

    • Rust-Oleum Dark Bronze Hammered Spray Paint

    • Dollar Tree round mirror

    • Rope Cord

    • Hot glue

Optional

  • Paper Trimmer

Backing

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. 


Squares

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. 

Paper squares black on white

There are 3 different sizes of cones and you will need to cut the following sizes

3″x 3″

4″x 4″

5 x 5″

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.

Cones

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.

Easy and inexpensive DIY mirror made mostly with paper cones. This project was done as part of the look for less challenge. You won't be able to tell that this mirror isn't made from metal. #diymirror

Attaching 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:

Easy and inexpensive DIY mirror made mostly with paper cones. This project was done as part of the look for less challenge. You won't be able to tell that this mirror isn't made from metal. #diymirror

Paint

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.

Easy and inexpensive DIY mirror made mostly with paper cones. This project was done as part of the look for less challenge. You won't be able to tell that this mirror isn't made from metal. #diymirror


Second Colour

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!

Easy and inexpensive DIY mirror made mostly with paper cones. This project was done as part of the look for less challenge. You won't be able to tell that this mirror isn't made from metal. #diymirror paint splatter

Rope Accent

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. Easy and inexpensive DIY mirror made mostly with paper cones. This project was done as part of the look for less challenge. You won't be able to tell that this mirror isn't made from metal. #diymirror rope trim

Assembling

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. Easy and inexpensive DIY mirror made mostly with paper cones. This project was done as part of the look for less challenge. You won't be able to tell that this mirror isn't made from metal. #diymirror

Hanger

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.


Easy and inexpensive DIY mirror made mostly with paper cones. This project was done as part of the look for less challenge. You won't be able to tell that this mirror isn't made from metal. #diymirror Hallway mirror

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. 


Easy and inexpensive DIY mirror made mostly with paper cones. This project was done as part of the look for less challenge. You won't be able to tell that this mirror isn't made from metal. #diymirrorHere’s an update for you. I decided that it really did look better in straight gold, before I added the accent colour. So, I went back and painted over in gold. And then to add a bit more bling, I added in rhinestones on all of the cones. I like the way it looks so much better now.

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!

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    November 14, 2020 by D9

    Christmas Cone Trees

    Easy to make DIY Cone trees in 3 finishes.  DIY Cone Trees

    I 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.

    Supplies

    Head on over to my Amazon Storefront, I have all of my Cone Tree supplies listed in one place!

    Design by D9 is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

     

    Dollar Store
    • Poster Board

    • Cork Trivet

    • Silk Rose Petals

    • Foam roses or Wedding rose balls Mini Rose Flower Heads

    Other
    • Red Heart Yarn

    • Glue gun

    If you would prefer to watch this on video click here!

    The Fur Cone Tree

    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.

    Easy to make DIY Cone trees in 3 finishes.

    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.  And that’s it, So easy!Easy to make DIY Cone trees in 3 finishes.

    The Petal Cone Tree

    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. Easy to make DIY Cone trees in 3 finishes. 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.

    Easy to make DIY Cone trees in 3 finishes. 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.Easy to make DIY Cone trees in 3 finishes.

    The Rosebud Cone Tree

    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.

    Easy to make DIY Cone trees in 3 finishes. 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.

    Easy to make DIY Cone trees in 3 finishes.
    Easy to make DIY Cone trees in 3 finishes.

    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,  they come in paper  and styrofoam

    Which one is your favourite?Easy to make DIY Cone trees in 3 finishes.

    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
    Easy to make DIY Cone trees in 3 finishes. Silver cone Trees.

     

     

     

     

     

    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!

     

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