Thursday, January 23, 2014

Greetings of Love~ Valentines Wreath

Valentines is right around the corner and I'm so excited!
 A whole day dedicated to showing Love to others...seriously that's awesome!


 In preparation for Valentines, I really wanted to make a new wreath for my front door. (What's better than greeting family and friends with Love at the front door of your home?)
 
There are so many cute wreath ideas. You can make them with mesh, with ribbon, you can even make them with candy hearts.

I went into Hobby Lobby this weekend to get some ideas for the wreath and found the cutest stuff.
*glitter hearts, heart ribbon, pink/red/white chevron burlap--love it all!

 My front door is the first thing people see when they enter my home, it sets the tone, so I always make sure to stay true to my personal style when I decorate so that I will love it for a very long time.

Once I saw the chevron burlap, I knew that was the direction I wanted to go in.
The look of burlap is one of my favorites. It has become extremely popular recently, but it has been used in design and decorating for years. Not only for its durability but for it's natural appearance. "Understated elegance" is what I call it! 

There are a lot of different ways to make a burlap wreath, but this has been the easiest for me, and I love the look of the loops that it makes.

I start out by weaving a piece of floral wire thru the end of the burlap ribbon

 
Twist it at the end and secure it to the wire wreath.


 
Now you're ready to start making your loops. Take the opposite end of the ribbon and start weaving it in and out of the wire wreath.
Tip: always go over the wire when you start weaving. That way the loops always cover the wreath form.

 
Once you weave it thru, pull out the ribbon to the size of loop you want and then repeat
Getting started is the hardest part, after that it will go fast.
I scrunch the loops so that the wreath is really full


 
I used two rolls of burlap, so once you use the last of the first roll just use the floral wire to secure the end, and start the new roll the same way as in step 1.
 
 
 Once the burlap is complete, you are ready to start layering your decorations. There are so many different options from flowers, to ribbon, to ornaments. I am starting by adding some open weave burlap.  You simply secure the end using floral wire to the wire form in between your loops (so it is hidden)


   I love this  burlap cause you can weave ribbon thru it for an extra  layer of "pretty"!

 

 
Using floral wire secure the ribbon and burlap to the wire wreath between the loops.

 
At the top I used the extra open weave burlap to make a basic bow. Which will add a little texture under another bow (we are about to make)
 
 Hobby Lobby actually had bows already made with this chevron ribbon.  However, I took the bow apart to show you how to make one. (seriously, isn't this the cutest ribbon??) Love it!

 
First thing to do is get the tail length that you want, then fold the ribbon to make your first bow loop

 
Fold the ribbon in the back so that the right side of the tail of the bow is facing the front
Then fold your ribbon from side to side to make the remaining loops (determine the size of bow you want, the bigger the loops the bigger the bow, you can also do as many loops as you want)


 
Once you have the loops folded, fold the ribbon in the back (same as when you started) so the second tail is facing the front.

 
Scrunch the ribbon together in the center and wrap and secure with floral wire


 
To make a center loop, just take a small piece of ribbon and loop and secure it and then attach to the center of your bow



 
I wanted to hang this cute glitter heart from the bow, so I just attached it on the back


 
Now you can attach the chevron bow over the ivory one
(I love layering! It adds dimension and looks so cute)

 
The last decoration I'm using are some glitter heart ornaments

 
I attached one at each place that I secured the ribbon and then a few additional ones in between the burlap loops.



 
The best thing about these burlap wreaths, is once you make it you can just change out the décor for each season. Hobby Lobby had some of their Easter stuff out when I was there and I already have so many ideas for an Easter one.
 
 
Happy Valentines!
 

Monday, January 20, 2014

Master Bedroom~ Decor plan

It's Day 2 of our master bedroom remodel. Window and door trim has been removed...



Baseboards went "bye-bye"


 Walls have been prepped...and painting has begun!

Time to gather my plans for decorating. (love this part!)
We currently have the Italian Hotel Satin Stitch bedding in ivory and black from Restoration Hardware


and two of these accent chairs (love these chairs)


 

 I wanted to create a design that would incorporate what I have. I saw this rug from Pottery Barn and knew I wanted to pull in some blue.
 
So far here is the decor plan I have in mind:
 
 Restoration bedding, Pottery barn rug, French inspired chandelier and linen upholstered bench at the end of the bed with a mix of oatmeal and indigo blue pillows.
 
Can't wait to see it all pulled together!

Sunday, January 19, 2014

First Project of the New Year~ Master Bedroom

Not only am I super excited to be starting our first project of the year, but I am thrilled that it is our Master bedroom!!


Before

A master bedroom is supposed to be like a retreat. 

Retreat: A place affording peace, quiet, privacy, or security.


That definition does not exactly describe our Master bedroom. (especially with 3 dog crates in it)








However,  times they are a changin'...and soon it will be an amazing Master Suite. A retreat filled with clean, calming colors, classic details and a little french farmhouse inspiration.  (and the dogs are getting their own space in another part of the house) :)

I want a space that that I want to go to each night, a space that is sexy (wink!) and calming. 

Step 1: Get a game plan and find a paint color. We want to paint all the walls a creamy ivory. We tested out 3 different colors, all of which look like ivory on the paint deck, but once you get them on the wall one is clearly more gray and the other more yellow.  



The one on the left is BM Navajo White (too yellow for the look we want)
The one on the right is BM White Down (too gray)
The middle one is BM Sugar Cookie, and it is perfect!

Here is our plan for transforming our blah bedroom into a retreat:
*Clean palette: I love the look of calming colors on the walls in a bedroom. It sets the tone for the space...a space with less distraction.

*INSPIRATION PICTURES*

   *Classic details: new baseboards, window trim, and wainscoting on the walls.  





    *A little french farmhouse inspiration: I am not a fan of blinds on windows, but I am a fan of privacy, and I love the look of interior shutters. Can't wait to design and make these!! (blessed to have a handy husband that I can learn so many new skills from!)




We also are going to add a little "rustic farmhouse" to the room using the look of barn wood on the wall behind the chairs in the sitting area and on the ceiling 


We are going to create the barn wood look with cedar. I tested a few different staining/painting techniques on  a scrap piece of cedar.

This is my favorite


it is the same stain we used on the pantry door, 
(Watco Danish Oil Dark Walnut Stain)with linen chalk paint dry brushed over it and then the excess wiped off.

What do y'all think? You like it?

Our master bedroom is such a large, blah space...I can't wait to finally have a retreat that Ric and I can enjoy daily! 

What projects do you have planned this year?