Looking all over blogland, I see tons of way cute ideas to dress up your home for Autumn. And I'm jealous. Being there is so much work to be done on this little big house, I can't really justify going out and purchasing items to decorate my home for two and a half months. And since its been YEARS since I've really bought anything Fall-ish, my seasonal decor is sorely depleted.
So last night, while I was trying to figure out a DIY craft I could blog about today, I hit on this idea. What if I made something that not only would work for Fall, but also for every other season too? That way, I wouldn't feel so guilty about spending money that could be better spent on home improvement projects!
WIN, WIN!
This is what I came up with. . .
Changing Season Placemats.
And better yet, it cost me $2.00. Woo-hoo! I found the placemats at a local thrift store for $0.50 each.
Materials:
4 Placemats
Chalkboard Paint
Painter's Tape
Burlap Fabric
Cotton Fabric
Glue Gun
Seasonal Decorations
First, I taped off all the edges of the placemats.
Then I coated it well with black Chalkboard paint.
Then I coated it well with black Chalkboard paint.
To speed up the drying process, I hung them on the line to dry.
While waiting for them to dry, I made fabric rosettes out of some burlap that I bought for another project, as well as an old white bedskirt.
When the paint had dried, I attached the rosettes to the placemat on the upper left-hand corner.
And in the spirit of the season, I tucked some faux Autumn leaves in amongst the rosettes. Instant Fall placemat!
The thing I love about this craft is that you can change out the wording and the seasonal decoration that you tuck into with the rosettes. Just don't glue them down and change the word that you write in chalk.
So now you have placemats for Fall. . .
For Christmas . . .
For Spring . . .
and for Summer .
Now, I can have my dining room decked out for Fall and not feel a bit of guilt over any money that I've spent. :)
Each placemat says a different word - Fall, Autumn, Leaves, and Harvest.
In the interest of full disclosure, the only thing I would probably do differently is use either a tighter weave or attach a thin, flat board to the top of the placemat and paint that instead of painting directly on the mat. One, the weave absorbs a lot of the chalkboard paint and that stuff ain't cheap. Plus, this particular weave makes it difficult to write on with the chalk. But oh well, I used what I had and I think it turned out pretty swell!
Speaking of harvest, its getting to be that time again. Here's a couple of pictures I took from the upper deck on the back of our house. There's nothing prettier than Fall in the heartland (except maybe summer in the heartland). What a view, huh?
Its almost enough to make me forget that the plumbing guy delivered the news today that we have to get a new hot water heater... Yeah, the one we just bought brand new four years ago. So, no hot water for tonight. Errrrr... Five kids, no bath. Grrrrreat.
At least Marathon carries a lifetime warranty, so its just an inconvenience until it can be replaced. Hopefully, soon!
Until then, I'll just enjoy my DIY Fall Decor. And that makes me happy!
I'm linking this craft up to:
The Vintage Farmhouse: Creative Things Thursday
While waiting for them to dry, I made fabric rosettes out of some burlap that I bought for another project, as well as an old white bedskirt.
When the paint had dried, I attached the rosettes to the placemat on the upper left-hand corner.
And in the spirit of the season, I tucked some faux Autumn leaves in amongst the rosettes. Instant Fall placemat!
The thing I love about this craft is that you can change out the wording and the seasonal decoration that you tuck into with the rosettes. Just don't glue them down and change the word that you write in chalk.
So now you have placemats for Fall. . .
For Christmas . . .
For Spring . . .
and for Summer .
Now, I can have my dining room decked out for Fall and not feel a bit of guilt over any money that I've spent. :)
Each placemat says a different word - Fall, Autumn, Leaves, and Harvest.
In the interest of full disclosure, the only thing I would probably do differently is use either a tighter weave or attach a thin, flat board to the top of the placemat and paint that instead of painting directly on the mat. One, the weave absorbs a lot of the chalkboard paint and that stuff ain't cheap. Plus, this particular weave makes it difficult to write on with the chalk. But oh well, I used what I had and I think it turned out pretty swell!
Speaking of harvest, its getting to be that time again. Here's a couple of pictures I took from the upper deck on the back of our house. There's nothing prettier than Fall in the heartland (except maybe summer in the heartland). What a view, huh?
Its almost enough to make me forget that the plumbing guy delivered the news today that we have to get a new hot water heater... Yeah, the one we just bought brand new four years ago. So, no hot water for tonight. Errrrr... Five kids, no bath. Grrrrreat.
At least Marathon carries a lifetime warranty, so its just an inconvenience until it can be replaced. Hopefully, soon!
Until then, I'll just enjoy my DIY Fall Decor. And that makes me happy!
I'm linking this craft up to:
The Vintage Farmhouse: Creative Things Thursday
2 comments:
Laura, i love this idea! Very creative. I have 6 kids too. Most of them are grown now, some still home in their late teens. That view you have out there is gorgeous! Looks like you have lots of wheat and corn you can pick. Its beautiful.
Have I told you that I love your blog?! I do! :)
and did you know you can make your own chalkboard paint? tile grout mixed in latex paint makes it chalkboard paint--a little less expensive that way
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