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Bringing to life Cabot’s 2023 Trend of the Year: Create an Outdoor Gathering Space!
Sitting out back around a fire. Gathering family together for a child’s birthday party. Enjoying dinner with friends on your patio on a gorgeous summer day. Cold drinks in hand. Good food to share. The best company. Nothing is quite like gathering outdoors! For Cabot’s 2023 Trend of the Year, they chose “Creating an outdoor gathering space.” They asked if I would help announce this trend by creating a beautiful gathering space at my home. Of course I said I’d love to! And that’s how this project came to be. I hope this project tutorial inspires you to create a cozy space outdoors for gathering with friends and family. Some…
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The 2023 Minwax Color of the Year: Aged Barrel!
Minwax’s 2023 Color of the Year is a gorgeous rustic brown color, Aged Barrel. It has a gray undertone and brings warmth and depth to pieces. I decided to use this stain color on a modern bookshelf for my daughter’s room. My daughter’s room is very white and bright. It has bold floral wallpaper in it. I was excited to bring some depth and contrast to her room with this darker stain color. This bookshelf is quite easy to make – it’s really just creating two ladders and placing boards across them. Thanks to Minwax for sponsoring this post. I received compensation from Minwax but all opinions stated here are my own. I’ve…
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How to Make Easy DIY Wood Christmas Ornaments
I LOVE Christmastime! I love lights and trees and everything that Christmas has to offer. Every year I try a few new Christmas DIY projects that I can keep for myself or give away as gifts. This year I decided to make easy DIY wood Christmas ornaments using my scroll saw. They are super simple to make! And the options for shape and color are nearly endless. Thanks to Minwax for sponsoring this post. I received compensation from Minwax but all opinions stated here are my own. I’ve used and loved Minwax products for years! Time to Complete 2 days, with about 4 hours of work across the 2 days Tools & Materials…
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Easy Woodworking Project! How to make a beautiful stained wood end table
Are you looking for an easy woodworking project? Or perhaps an opportunity to make an end table that you can customize to the exact size and colors for your home? I’ve got just the tutorial for you! I’ll be sharing with you how to make a beautiful stained wood end table. You can easily adjust the dimensions for your space and also adjust the colors for your home. Thanks to Minwax for sponsoring this post. I received compensation from Minwax but all opinions stated here are my own. I’ve used and loved Minwax products for years! Time to Complete 2 days, with about 5 hours of work across the 2 days Tools &…
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How to Get a Smooth Finish when Painting Furniture
One of the most common questions I get about refinishing furniture is: How do you get a smooth finish when painting furniture? The good news is that it’s not difficult! You just need the right products and the right process to get a perfectly smooth finish on furniture. This post is going to walk you through exactly how to do it! So keep reading for all the details. Thanks to Purdy for sponsoring this post. I received compensation but all opinions stated here are my own. I’ve loved and owned Purdy products for a very long time! Tools & Materials Purdy 2″ Angled Nylox Glide Paint Brush Purdy Revolution Jumbo Mini Roller Frame Purdy White…
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5 Amazing Staining Tips! Including how to prevent blotchy stain, how to choose the right stain opacity, and more!
I love staining wood. (I love painting wood too but something about the wood grain showing through stain makes me so happy!) Staining wood isn’t difficult but it’s important to follow the instructions and also have a few staining tips in your back pocket to help prevent some common mistakes. Therefore, I wanted to share with you 5 Amazing Staining Tips! I recently built a mini nightstand for my 3-year-old daughter. It sits next to her toddler bed and I must admit: Something about mini things is just so cute! I love it! Next I’ll walk you through how I made this nightstand while sharing 5 amazing staining tips along…
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How to Clean a Paint Brush and Roller Cover
Did you know that paint brushes can stay good for decades? Even if you use them all the time! With proper cleaning and care, high quality paint brushes can stay good for a lifetime. I’d love to share with you how to clean a paint brush and roller cover so that they last a long time for you! Thanks to Purdy for sponsoring this post. I received compensation but all opinions stated here are my own. I’ve loved and owned Purdy products for a very long time! To introduce this cleaning tutorial, I’ll be sharing with you a recent furniture refinishing project and I’ll show how I cleaned the brush and roller cover…
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Easy Inexpensive DIY Planter: With a Bold Color Stain!
Summer is here and what better way to enjoy it than to sit outside on a lovely summer evening? I love decorating and enjoying outdoor spaces. The more planters and flowers, the better. Therefore, an easy inexpensive DIY planter is exactly my type of project! I must admit that I’m not great at keeping flowers alive but that doesn’t stop me from building planters for them. What I have for you today is a quick, easy, and inexpensive DIY planter. It has a fun bold pop of color on it too! Thanks to Cabot for sponsoring this post. I received compensation but all opinions stated here are my own. I’ve loved and used…
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What’s the best paint brush for refinishing furniture?
Not all paint brushes are the same. Some are specifically designed to work best with certain types of paint or stain. Some are designed to leave a smooth finish while others are designed for maximum coverage on rough surfaces. Therefore, people often ask me: What’s the best paint brush for refinishing furniture? Well, I’m about to tell you just that! I recently refinished my daughter’s dresser so I’ll walk you through how I refinished it and what brushes and rollers I chose to use along the way. Thanks to Purdy for sponsoring this post. I received compensation but all opinions stated here are my own. I’ve loved and owned Purdy products for a…
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Searching for the Perfect Sage Green? Try Gentle Olive, the Minwax 2022 Color of the Year!
My go-to colors for my home are white, sage green and blush pink. They’re soft, clean, bright and airy. They’re organic, natural and calming. Therefore, when Minwax told me that their 2022 Color of the Year was going to be Gentle Olive, I’m pretty sure I said “AHHH! That’s amazing! That’s all over my home already!” It’s a gorgeous, nature-inspired sage green. Last year I created some wall decor and a console table in my living room using this color. I also created some modern bookends using this beautiful sage green color. As part of Minwax’s Color of the Year announcement, I created a giant piece of wall art featuring…
