Garage Door Makeover

My husband and I always loved the look of a carriage garage door and considered getting one installed.  But we never pulled the trigger, because our current garage door was installed only a few years before we bought our home and it’s of high quality.  So, of course, it is against my nature to replace something that is in perfectly fine condition.  But we still longed for the look of a carriage door.

So, we decided to give our current garage door a makeover!  First, we gave it a good cleaning with our power washer.  Next, we applied a fresh coat of paint.  We just used a white oil-based exterior flat (one $10 quart did the trick).  Boy, what a difference that alone made!  We decided to even paint the existing hardware white so it would blend in.  And we are pleased with the result; you can’t even see the old hardware from the street.  

Freshly painted garage door

Finally, we screwed in the new carriage door hardware we purchased on Amazon for around $20; the handles cost us around $6 and the brackets cost around $15.  This project was done in just one day (it was a nice sunny day, so the paint dried quickly) and what a difference!  And the best part – the whole garage door makeover cost no more than $30!  That’s my kind of project!  

Completed garage door makeover - fresh paint & carriage door hardware

Burlap Wreath

A burlap wreath is any easy and inexpensive project that can be done in a jiffy! 

Items needed:

·         Wreath ($1 store wreath works great!)

·         Roll of burlap (buy at home improvement store)

·         Hot glue gun

·         Wooden letters, numbers, etc.

·         Ribbon

·         Florist Wire

To begin, paint your letters and/or numbers if needed and set aside to dry.  Next, if you buy a large roll of burlap at a home improvement store, which I recommend because you get a lot more for your money than the rolls sold at craft stores, begin by cutting a few pieces into 8 inch strips; you can always cut more later if needed.  Apply glue to your wreath and adhere the end of one burlap strip.  Now, simply wrap the burlap around the wreath, gluing periodically.  When the strip comes to an end, glue it down.  Be sure to glue down the ends on the side of the wreath that will be hidden against the door/wall.  Continue the process until your wreathe is completely covered.  You may want to do a few layers for it to appear fuller.  Trim any frayed ends if needed.  Next, layout your letters and/or numbers and glue them to your wreath.  While drying, create your bow using your ribbon.  Adhere to your wreath using florist wire.  That’s it – you’re done!  This wreath is so easy & inexpensive - it would make a perfect gift!  

Chair Planter

Before:

After:

Got a spare chair that you aren’t sure what to do with?  Turn it into a planter!  My mother-in-law had a chair with a broken rattan seat in her basement that she happily gave to me for this project.  And if you don’t already have an extra chair, pick one up at the thrift store or garage sale for a few bucks.

First, I painted my chair in a black satin with a Wagner paint sprayer.  Paint sprayers are well worth the investment if you don’t already have one.  This chair was painted in less than a few minutes, which would have otherwise taken me much longer and had been much more frustrating.  Next, I traced my flower pot on the seat of the chair.  Actually, my pot is a sand bucket I got at my $1 store, but it works just as well!  After, I used a simple box cutter to cut my hole in the rattan seat.  Now, if your chair has a regular, solid seat, this step will be a bit more demanding as you’d have to use a jigsaw to make your cut.  Finally, I dropped in my planter already containing some cheerful flowers.

My chair planter is positioned right next to my front door, but it would look great anywhere – on a deck, by the garage, in a garden, etc.  To be honest, this project was so easy, I think I may make another one!

Shoe Crate

Do you always have shoes piled up at your front door?  Well, for me, the shoe menagerie is at our back door, but you get my drift.  It’s only my husband and me, but somehow we can never keep track of our shoes.  Unfortunately, we don’t have room by our back door for a traditional shoe rack, so I needed to be a little creative to come up with something that would fit the space and our needs.    

I purchased two unfinished crates from my local craft store using 40% off coupons, of course!  Then, I painted them black in a satin finish.  That’s it!  I didn’t attach them together, I simply stack them one on top of the other.  Trust me, they don’t budge.  My favorite kid of DIY project - simple, inexpensive, and does the trick.   Think of all the other things you can use painted stacked crates for.  How about an end table that can store books and magazines?  What else do you suggest?