Yami

January 1, 2023 By Yami 8 Comments

Easy Ways to Save Money

(NO MATTER YOUR BUDGET)

Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope everyone had a great start to 2023.

We spent our New Year’s Eve at my parents’ house where my husband and my dad set off some crazy fireworks, dangerously close to our rooftops 🤪. Don’t worry nothing happened, just some good ole family fun.

I have set myself some very important personal goals for 2023, since after all, this is the year I turn 40 and I want to make the most of it. And while I have a really positive outlook at how things are going to for me this year, there are some realities that I don’t ignore.

Lately, it seems that things are just getting more and more expensive and if you have been feeling its effects on your day to day life, then you are not alone.

Because of this, I thought I would start the year with a post that will hopefully help at least one of you with a goal you may have for this year.

Being a stay at home mom for the majority of my marriage (I still am) has required me to become savvy in regards to the way we use our funds (which is also why home decor on a budget has been a passion of mine). Now that I have a successful work from home business things are a little different, but I still like to be conscious with our spending and I like to be able to have funds for special occasions like family vacations or perhaps a higher ticket item that I have been eyeing.

This is actually something I used to do every single year. I stopped the past couple of years because I was able to build funds through my FB Marketplace sales in addition to what I brought home on a monthly basis. So that kind of replaced this for a bit.

However, since this year we are in the middle of a move and I won’t be able to “flip” furniture or trade things in and out of my house like I usually do, I will be going back to my original method of building a “special” savings.

THERE ARE 2 MAIN METHODS I LIKE TO USE:

Here is the first:
The 52 Week Money Challenge

*If you find that you have the funds to do the 52 Week Challenge I would suggest to start with this one. However, I understand that this may not be easy for everyone so I have a second option below.

This is the 52 Week Challenge and here is how it works. For each week of the year you will assign each week a number: Week #1, Week #2, Week #3 and so on… For each week you will put away the dollar amount for that week number. So for week #1 you will save $1, for week #2 you will save $2, for week 3 you will save $3.

Sounds easy enough right?

Well it is, but keep in mind that by the time you reach the end you will need to save $52 for the last week of the year which is week #52. At first it doesn’t seem like you are saving much, but as the weeks progress, your funds will grown exponentially, resulting in the final savings of $1,378.00.

That’s a pretty good savings challenge if you ask me.

The good thing about this challenge is that it starts off easy because you don’t have to save so much at first, so you can ease into it. And even if you can afford to put more in, I would suggest you don’t pull those funds to savings (but don’t use them either!) because you will need them more as you progress throughout the year and need to put more funds aside each week.

For example, the last month of the year (Weeks #49-52 you will need to put away $202.00 total vs. the first month where you only put away $10 for Weeks #1-4).

Hope that make sense!

You can download my template for the 52 Week Money Challenge tracker from my Free Printables Library here.

Here is the second:
The 365 Day Penny Challenge

Now let’s say you like the idea of a challenge, but can’t put away that much right now. That’s totally fine and I have a great option for you as well.

It’s the 365 Day Penny Challenge. In this you assign each DAY of the year a number such as Day #1, Day #2, Day #3 up to Date #365. For each day of the year you save the penny amount for that number assigned to that day. So for Day #1 you save $0.01, Day #2 you save $0.02, Day #53 you save $0.53 and so on.

By the end of the first week you would have saved $0.28.

By the end of the 26th week you would have saved a total of $166.53. Again it grows exponentially.

Continue this and by the end of the year you will have saved $667.95!

Now, let’s talk practicality.

We don’t have pennies lying around and it will be burdensome doing this each and every day with your bank account online, so I made it really easy for you by doing that math for you for each week and making a weekly tracker for the daily penny challenge.

You can download my template for the 365 Day Penny Challenge tracker from my Free Printables Library here as well.

I made a separate savings account for when I do these challenges so I don’t mix these funds up with my regular savings account. Some savings accounts can be opened with just a small amount of money. This was the best option for me.

However, if you can’t do this, just be sure you keep track of these funds so you don’t pull from them if you need to withdraw from your savings.

Now, if you are feeling really adventurous and want to do BOTH at the same time (which is what I do), that is an additional $2,045.95 you will have saved by the end of the year! I don’t know about you, but I like that number so I strive to reach this goal.

Looking for more ideas?

If you don’t think that is enough, here are a couple of other things you can apply that won’t require weekly reminders or as much effort:

ROUND UP TO THE NEAREST DOLLAR METHOD

Some banks like Bank of America allow you to round up to the nearest dollar on every debit card transaction you make and will automatically transfer it to your savings account at the end of each business day. So if you make a purchase for $30.45, the bank will take the additional $0.55 cents and place it in your savings.

This little method is usually just a click to get it set up and won’t require you to have to keep up with it. Before you know it, you can accumulate hundreds of dollars by the end of the year with no effort at all!

CHECKBOOK BALANCE HACK

The next approach is something my mom taught me since I began making my own money and that is to NEVER let zero be zero in your checking account. Always keep your zero at a balance that will keep you afloat if you come into an unexpected expense that month.

Let’s say you have $500 that you don’t need to spend, keep it, DON”T SPEND IT and leave it in your checking account to use as your “zero balance” but don’t account for it in your checking account. And when you balance your account (if you still do, I know I do!) instead of having the $687.00 it says you do for example, you actually have $1,187.00. Make sense?

Then if you get a flat tire or have to pay for some emergency expense you’re covered and won’t have to dip into your savings that you worked so hard to put away.

I would, however, suggest you build it up again if you do end up using it for an emergency, that way you will be covered for the next unexpected expense. And it doesn’t have to be $500. It could be $100 or $1,000 – whatever you can afford at this time.

I really hope this helps…

Some of these things you might have already heard of and others maybe not, but I hope I was able to help someone out there who was thinking of saving some money this year, but thought it was next to impossible. Believe me it’s not!

It is easier than you think! And with the challenge trackers, the process is as simple for you as can be.

If you still need a little extra help in the money saving/budgeting world, I recommend the following books by Ruth Soukup. These are inexpensive and may give you a different outlook and mindset.

(Just click on the image):

Screen Shot 2017 01 03 at 12.56.10 AM Easy Ways to Save Money

Screen Shot 2017 01 03 at 12.56.41 AM Easy Ways to Save Money

Happy saving and best wishes to you on this New Year!

And as always be sure to share this with someone who would appreciate saving a little money this year!

December 7, 2022 By Yami 1 Comment

Cozy Christmas Farmhouse Tour

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Hola familia!

Every year we take a trip right after the Thanksgiving holiday to kick off our Christmas season. For the past 5 years we have been going to Chattanooga and it’s a wonderful start to the holiday season that the kids and we enjoy time and time again.

This year, because we don’t have a “home” yet and we essentially uprooted our family, we decided to do something extra special in addition to going to Chattanooga. So we took a trip to Bryson City, NC to ride the Polar Express.

My kids are long fans of the book and movie and we thought they were the perfect age to enjoy and remember such a trip.

My husband was recommended the cutest historic and beautifully restored farmhouse to stay at so we took a chance and we were immediately smitten.

So naturally I had to share some of it with you!

The video version of this has an actual walk-through and you can see each and every room in the house. Watch it here or scroll to the end.

The farmhouse took over a year to renovate and it was taken right down to the studs. The configuration of the farmhouse was done perfectly and took advantage of every nook and crevice.

There were two families who invested in this property and they did a great job restoring it while bringing it to today’s standards.

The house has 4 rooms and 2.5 baths.

There is a porch that covers 2 sides of the house. The front porch was long and inviting with a perfectly placed church pew.

The living room was cozy and had a good mix of masculine and feminine touches. There were small details throughout the house, including old images of the farmhouse when it was first built and items that were found when they began the renovations of the house.

A large media center was the focal point of the living room but it was the perfect shade of gray with just the right amount of distressing.

The kitchen was spacious and airy (and stocked with everything you could possibly need). Dark lower cabinets anchored the space while the open shelving made the space feel larger than it was.

The rustic hood vent added the right rustic touch and the picture window over the sink allowed you to see the beautiful farmhouse being restored next door.

The dining room was right off the kitchen. It had a wood planked ceiling like the rest of the first floor, but this section wasn’t painted white.

I fell in love with the oversized mirror and the chandelier reminded me of the one I had in our cottage inspired dining room in our last house.

Two corner bookcases painted in a teal color flanked the dining room. Christmas wreaths were hung on each of the windows which was a lovely touch.

The master was spacious and located on the first floor. And the painting you see on the wall was actually painted by one of the owners of the home. I fell in love with it right away.

Recreating it is on my to-do list for sure! I shared a close up in the video.

The bathrooms were clean and boasted modern and rustic touches, like the antique dresser cabinets paired with marble countertops.

There was a full bathroom along with 3 bedrooms upstairs and the kids each picked their favorite.

The rooms were simple, but the beds were cozy and each bedroom had cute accent lighting and planked walls.

All of the walls upstairs were painted white making it feel larger. The upstairs hallway had a day bed along with a historic Bryson City train depot ticket holder (on the right). You can see it better in the video.

There was plenty of storage and plenty of room to sleep 8. We had a great time and it was located just a couple of blocks from where we took the train for the Polar Express.

It had a gorgeous Christmas tree right at the entrance and in front of the stairs. It was the perfect setting our Christmas vacation.

I will be sharing more about the actual trip on our second channel as well. Make sure to subscribe so you can see what the scenery was like as well as the actual train ride.

It was definitely a vacation we won’t be forgetting anytime soon!

Here is the link to the house if you think you’re interested in visiting this cute farmhouse in Bryson City (just make sure you let them know The Latina Next Door sent you!)

And no this is not sponsored, I just really love this place!!!!

What did you think of it? Isn’t it just charming?!? I could have stayed there a month.

Watch the Cozy Christmas Farmhouse Tour below!

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season!

I will see you in the next one… until then… adios!

November 10, 2022 By Yami Leave a Comment

8 Beautiful Christmas Wreath Ideas

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Today I am rejoicing because we finally have our septic tank installed for our camper on the new homestead. You have no idea how happy I am that it’s finally behind us. It was a much longer process than expected due to our topography, but at this point I am just happy we are one step closer.

Next order of business is the power. As much as I enjoy the sound of the generator 24/7 (insert sarcasm) I would much rather have power from the utility company. Plus, I can have power 24/7 which would allow the usage of the refrigerator and I can stop having to buy takeout or prepackaged meals while we are up there.

They are so unhealthy and honestly I miss cooking my homemade meals.

I am so over it! 😭

In other happier news…. I have some ideas for you in case you have been wondering what type of wreath you might want to put up this holiday season.

Over the years, I have DIY’d several and they all have their own personalities and styles. I am sure there is something here for everyone. Plus, these are all super easy to make and are extremely budget friendly.

Right now, the prices of everything are going up and budgets are “respected” a little more than before. So, I have even included a brand new wreath idea towards the end that will show you how you can take one wreath and make new designs every year with ease and minimal spending.

I have included a link to each wreath’s tutorial or you can watch all of them on this video here or by simply scrolling to the end of this blog post.

Beautiful Christmas Wreath Ideas

1. SIMPLE & ELEGANT WINTER WREATH –

I actually created this wreath this past January and it was more to use in the winter months after Christmas, however, it quickly became a favorite and since a lot of people tend to do “winter white” themes for Christmas, I thought it was still appropriate for the Christmas season.

This only takes one pack of yarn, some clearance picks from last year’s Christmas sale and some leftover ribbon. Plus, even though it looks “knit” there is no knitting involved so anyone can recreate this.

See how you can make your own here.

2. THRIFTED BERRY WREATH

I found this wreath at Goodwill for only $2.99.

When I first shared the process of this wreath, everyone began to gasp! They highly doubted that the blue berries would work with the red berries already in place, but I had faith. I used some leftover fall berry bushes and one Dollar Tree Christmas tag ornament to update it and the before and after is just amazing.

My mom ended up taking this one last year when I created it. She still has it today. And I find it to be a very unique take on a holiday wreath.

It was part of a thrifted Christmas video I created where I shared how to take thrifted items and make them look great for Christmas at a minimal expense.

You can see what I did to make this here.

3. Elegant Blue “Berry” Wreath

This wreath was another repurpose. I needed a new wreath for my decor last year since it was a brand new color scheme I was using for the first time.

In order to save space and money I took apart my fall wreath and I added greenery picks that I had gotten on sale at Hobby Lobby. With the use of some pine cones and some leftover bells that I spray painted I came up with the wreath below.

You can see my color scheme and how I made this here.

4. Farmhouse Dollar Tree Wreath

This one is super easy to make and one of the most inexpensive on the list. With the exception of the ribbon, this was all made from Dollar Tree supplies. I made this a small version to go over my cutting board, but you can easily make it larger for your front door and it will still be just as nice and inexpensive.

I shared this on my 12 Days of Christmas playlist and it was shared on Day 10.

You can follow the step by step tutorial here.

Fun fact about this wreath is that it was featured in Country Sampler Farmhouse Style Magazine last year!!!

5. Farmhouse Buffalo Check Wreath

This one is the same size as the last one. It too is simple to make and all you need are a few supplies which you may already have on hand.

You can watch this on Day 10 of the 12 Days of Christmas video along with the one above, here.

6. Winter with Greenery Wreath (Version 1)

For the next 3 wreaths I will be using the same wreath form. All you need is a a grapevine wreath and 5 greenery picks from Hobby Lobby. The ones below are $4.99 regular price but you can always find them half off this time of year.

I like using these because they are the most realistic looking ones.

Since prices just keep skyrocketing I thought it would be nice to share this idea. With having a wreath “base” like this you can always change out the ribbon and accessories so that you can have a “new” wreath every year without breaking the bank.

I like to only cover part of the wreath since it’s the cheapest option but you can always cover the wreath completely with the greenery.

This is the first version. Here I had the greenery on the bottom. I used white picks and accessories. In order to keep the picks “temporary” so you can remove them later, you can alway use floral wire to affix them on so they won’t fall.

The greenery can be hot glued on permanently.

7. Gold Accents Wreath (Version 2)

For this next one, I decided to turn the wreath so that the greenery is on top. I changed out the white accessories to gold and added some hanging bells in the center.

8. Red Tartan Wreath (Version 3)

For the last version I decided to turn the wreath so that the greenery was at the side. I added red accessories and tartan ribbon and this perhaps was my favorite version of all 3.

With the flexibility of just changing the picks out and the turning the greenery to different sides, your guests would think it’s a new wreath each year!

Watch how easy I was able to change these out here.

I love each and every one of these wreath ideas and any one can be adjusted to any color scheme or theme. They are all unique and simple to make.

What do you think of these wreath ideas? Would you try any of these out? And which one is more your style? I would love to know!

To watch all of these come to life you can watch below.

I hope you are having a great start to the holiday season and I hope to see you very soon!

Until next week…. adios!

November 4, 2022 By Yami Leave a Comment

Pottery Barn Nutcracker Dupes

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Happy Saturday familia! You probably didn’t expect another blog post from me so soon, but I am just so excited about my recent Pottery Barn dupes that I want to share another one with you today.

If you found the last one a little bit too complicated well this one is as easy as it gets.

I found these cute wood stained nutcrackers on Pottery Barn’s website and I will be honest, I am not really a fan of nutcrackers. I guess I find them too loud.

But these caught my attention because they are so simple. With a nice stain you still get to enjoy a Christmas nutcracker, but without all the colors.

I was smitten…. but not with the price (naturally).

I happened to be at Dollar Tree when I came upon these in the Dollar Tree Plus section. They had these for $3 each.

As you can see from the size of my hand they are a pretty good size. And the best thing about them was that they were unfinished which was just what I needed.

Since all of my craft stuff is packed up. I found this bottle of acrylic paint at my mom’s house and I decided to water it down in order to create a stain.

I began to apply the watered down “stain” with a small artist brush. The “stain” will be quite watery, so you will need to be generous if you go this route. Or you can add more paint to your mixture.

Here they are side-by-side. The right one is still wet here and it lightened a bit when it dried so I did have to give it another coat.

That being said, adding stain to these nutcrackers makes a huge difference!

RELATED: DOLLAR TREE NEUTRAL CHRISTMAS TREES

Here is how they turned out. They still lightened up after the second coat dried, but I really do like how they look now.

And if you compare them to the Pottery Barn ones, they look pretty good. There’s also no beating that price either.

Since I got the paint for “free” all I had to pay for were the nutcrackers.

Not bad I think!

Are you a fan of nutcrackers? Or do you tend to stay away from them like me?

I think what I love most about these is that they will go with any color scheme since they are stained and they also don’t distract from any decor that you may have. In fact they complement other items without being too busy and I love that about these.

Plus, it’s probably one of the simplest DIY’s (and dupes) I have ever shared.

For even more Pottery Barn dupes go here!

Let me know what you think of this dupe and I will see you very soon in the next one!

Until then… adios!

November 2, 2022 By Yami 3 Comments

Pottery Barn Berry Tree Dupes

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It is November and I am enjoying the beautiful sounds of Christmas music.

As I type this I am sitting in my camper with my kids as they paint their mini wooden nutcrackers and my husband is hard at work outside with a crew installing the septic tank for our camper so we can move in full time.

Christmas will look different for us this year, but I couldn’t go without making some dupes to share with you all.

This year I am really enjoying Pottery Barn’s look book for the holiday season and I was so inspired to recreate some of their new items this year.

I came across these faux berry cluster trees and I had to give them a go! These trees are gorgeous but as usual I cannot justify those Pottery Barn prices, so off to Dollar Tree I went.

I went to my local Dollar Tree and I found the following tree forms.

And as always, you can watch the tutorial to this and four more DIYs on my channel.

Now, before I go on it would be better to use the metal garden cones at Dollar Tree instead, but they are currently out of stock (as you see below) so these will have to do. They are taller than these plastic ones, but these plastic ones will do just fine for this and you can stack them to make them taller.

Next, you will need these little buckets also from Dollar Tree. You can use these to recreate the exact look but they are not necessary. You can totally leave them without and they will look perfect as well!

Finally be sure to grab several of these berry bushes. You get less for your money nowadays, but you will still save in the end!

The very first thing you will need to do is remove the tinsel garland from the tree. It’s pretty easy.

Next, add more surface area to the cone with some yarn. Wrap it around from top to bottom. I would not skip this step as it may cause the process of adhering the berries to be a lot more difficult.

Cut the berries from the stems and then cut them down into small bundles. Begin gluing them to the top and work your way down. The best glue to use for this is hot glue as it dries fairly fast.

Once you apply them onto the tree come back in with even smaller bundles and fill in any areas that were missed.

Because these are foam balls you can end up with exposed white foam when you separate them from each other. So in order to remedy this I took some Santa Red acrylic paint and began to go over the trees.

It gave them a more matte finish so I took some glossy Mod Podge and I painted over them so that they would look shiny like the original trees.

After they are dry you can add the buckets to the bottoms or you can leave them without. You can glue them on or simply place them on top of them – they do stay on.

Which look do you prefer? With or without buckets?

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the berry trees. I think we made out pretty good despite the fact that prices are high for everything right now and we aren’t getting as many berry bundles per bush as we would in previous years.

RELATED: DOLLAR TREE CHRISTMAS TREES

These trees pair perfectly with some more of my Pottery Barn dupes, like these nutcrackers.

I am really enjoying bright red this year too. The red trees also look amazing with these candle red ribbon votives. They are so simple yet make such a bright and cheery statement for the holidays.

I really love how they turned out and adding that glossy Mod Podge really helped them look more high end. What do you think?

I would love to know if you would be attempting these anytime soon.

Don’t forget that you don’t have to make these red. You can make them green, white, or even gold or silver! You can make them taller or even smaller.

Also, be sure to check out these other amazing dupes below!

I hope you are enjoying November so far. I hope to see you very soon!

Until then… adios!

October 31, 2022 By Yami Leave a Comment

DIY Vintage Ornaments

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Hi familia! Now that Halloween is officially over we can bring out the Christmas music (and movies) and all the craft supplies and start planning for the most wonderful time of the year!

And while we won’t have an actual house to spend Christmas this year, I do have a few things up my sleeve in order to make it a sweet experience for the entire family.

Right now I want to share a gorgeous DIY ornament idea that I think you might enjoy. A couple of years ago my friend Debi of Debi’s Design Diary shared how to transform everyday dollar store ornaments into stunning vintage looking ones with the help of IOD molds and her DIY paints.

Ever since I saw hers I wanted to give it a try and finally this year I did. And I was not disappointed. The results are amazing!

The main supplies for these DIY Vintage Ornaments are:

Dollar Store Ornaments
DIY Paint ( I sell DIY Paint in my online shop, it is closed at the moment since we are in the middle of our big move, but you can find them on Debi’s site).
Iron Orchid Design Molds
Air Dry Clay
Decrepit Dust
Clear Wax

Now remember, you don’t even need to go out and get new ornaments for this. You can always check in your stash and if you have any old ornaments you are no longer thrilled about or are using, then just use those to create these instead.

This DIY originally appeared in my Christmas in July video and you can always watch the video version there.

First, you will need to create the air dry clay forms and there are several styles to choose from (it will just depend what theme you wish to go with).

These are super easy to make. Just be sure to use corn starch on the IOD molds first so that the clay is easy to remove. Simply press the clay into the molds and peel back the clay form right away.

Do not let them dry.

Instead, immediately use Elmer’s glue (or in my case wood glue) and adhere them immediately on the ornament so they can take on the shape of the ornament. You may need to use tape to hold them in place while they dry.

They don’t always, but they may crack once dry and that’s okay.

Once they are dry, begin to paint them. I am using DIY Paint in White Swan. It has great coverage and dries in a chalk like finish.

Once the paint is dry, you will need to add clear wax all over the ornament.

While the wax is still tacky sprinkle some dark decrepit dust on it.

Tip: Do not pour (instead sprinkle) unless you want what happened to me, to happen to you. Oops!

Use a small brush to move the dust around the ornament. Make sure it gets into all of the nooks and crannies.

Then with a damp rag remove the excess, leaving only the dust in the crevices of the ornament.

Let them dry and that’s all there is to it!

Here is how this design turned out.

For an alternative look, you can always put a dark color of paint on the ornaments and then use a white decrepit dust. Here I am painting them green and adding a different clay form.

You can see how different they look before (left) and after (right) they get the “decrepit dust” treatment.

Here is a close-up of the green one.

These also complement each other so nicely. You can add a ribbon to hang them or raffia string like I did.

The cracks just add more to the aged look and with the amount of mold options and colors you can paint them, there are so many opportunities to create vintage looking ornaments.

I hope to create other designs in the future. If you wish to get even more ideas that would complement this look, make sure to check out my Christmas in July video with several more DIYs.

If you enjoyed this tutorial make sure to share it with your friends!

Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope to see you in the next one.

Until then…. adios!

October 17, 2022 By Yami Leave a Comment

Add Simple Fall Touches to Your Home

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Hi there! Time is flying and before you know it Halloween will be here. By now a lot of people have already decorated for Fall, but if you find yourself still lagging behind or in need of a few ideas to add some simple fall touches I am found a few things on Amazon that might just be for you.

While some homes look like they are overdone in fall decor, just know that you don’t have to go all out in order to get a fall feel throughout your space.

By simply changing a few items here and there or adding a new color to the mix, you can instantly bring in all the fall feels and cozy up your home for the season. Plus with quick Amazon shipping they will be here in no time, so you don’t have to worry about being behind.

1. Garland

For my first pick, I am sharing this beautiful garland. The bright orange of fall is replaced with muted fall colors and white pumpkins, and this would be perfect on a mantle or as a centerpiece on your dining table.

2. Placemats

Speaking of tables, another super easy way to add fall touches to your dining space is by simply adding placemats. You know how much I love placemats.

Well, I love these round ones below. And they come in a variety of colors that are all perfect for fall. You can use really deep tones or more orange ones.

Plus, I like that these are round and not your usual rectangular ones. Their woven texture and frayed edges really makes them standout.

3. Cloth Napkins

If you’re not into placemats, no worries! Simply add some fabric table linens. These more traditional cloth napkins have an old world feel (that I adore!). And while they don’t have any pumpkins or gourds on them, they add a nice fall touch with the simple neutral colors.

Their design is a little more formal and can elevate your table no matter how simple it’s decorated.

4. Napkin Rings

My last item for the dining area are these beautifully assorted copper leaf napkin rings. You can add these to the napkins above or skip the new napkins altogether and just add these to your existing ones. They go perfect with the taupe ones below.

5. Aprons

One thing that we usually forget is ourselves during this time. I mean we are in our homes more, so why not look festive too?

I don’t know about you, but I love cooking and baking with aprons. And this plaid apron has the perfect fall look. It’s really inexpensive, and it’s not covered in pumpkins, leaves or cheesy fall quotes. It’s perfectly preppy for any fall occasion!

6. Velvet Pumpkins

Of course, we can’t forget the pumpkins! And I love this velvet grouping of 8! These have a more sophisticated look with their color and texture and I am all for it! Plus, they come out to about $2.50 each and that’s including the large ones.

7. Plaid Throws

Another great way to add a fall touch is by adding throws to your living spaces. It’s the perfect time for them since the weather is getting cooler. And this one is particularly beautiful with its plaid pattern and neutral colors.

This could even be used right through Christmas if you have a more neutral Christmas theme as well.

8. Neutral Pumpkin Pillows

Of course, we can’t go without a nice pumpkin pillow. I am not particularly fond of them being too embellished, but this is the perfect accent piece. It’s not over-powering with orange pumpkins and black wording all over the place.

The light green pumpkin adds a nice touch without it being too theme-y. With items like these, less is more. One pumpkin is good enough for me!

9. Greenery Stems

Of course, when adding touches of pumpkins, you may need greenery here and there. And these fall colored eucalyptus picks are perfect! Bunch them up to make a large accent piece or separate them out to make several smaller displays.

Either way, this adds a nice touch to any vase and brings in those beautiful fall colors without it being overdone.

10. Flameless Candles

And, if you need ambiance, flameless candles are perfect. Flameless candles have come a long way and I prefer them to real ones, since the kids are still small and all. These remote control ones are gorgeous with a tinted brown imitation glass surround so they won’t shatter if they fall.

You can place them in a tray on your living room coffee table or as part of a centerpiece on a larger table. These would also look really nice on a mantle as well.

11. Stoneware

And finally another way to add a touch of fall (this time to your kitchen) is by adding a stone colored crock to house your utensils. While I love me some white crocks in the kitchen, there is no doubting the impression a beautiful stone crock can add.

Pair it with some gold utensils or wooden spoons and you instantly have a lovely “arrangement” in your kitchen that is also quite practical.

Well, that is it! I hope this gives you some ideas as to how you can add some quick and easy fall touches to your space if you still find yourself needing some ideas.

I hope you are having a great week so far and I will see you in the next one!

Until then… adios!

October 4, 2022 By Yami 2 Comments

How To Make a Perfect Fall Wreath

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Hi there friends! I hope your week has been going great thus far. This one has been quite productive. I have been tackling things on my to-do list that I can manage at my parents’ house. I updated a few things on my website that were in desperate (and embarrassing) need of updating. So I am really happy that I was able to check those things off my list.

I also was able to find a spot (on my mom’s floor) to put together a lovely wreath perfect for Fall.

I thought this would be a great time to share how I put together a wreath in case you have ever had any trouble figuring out how to assemble one. It’s really simple and you don’t need to have an excessive amount of greenery to do so.

As always you can watch the video version of this tutorial on my YouTube channel.

The first thing you will need is a wreath form. I like to use the grapevine wreaths at Hobby Lobby. They used to be about $4, now they are running at $6.

I have seen these on occasion at Dollar Tree but they do run smaller and a bit flimsier.

Next, you will need a filler for the background. I chose these 2 leaf bushes from Walmart. They are $4 each. You can use some from Dollar Tree, but I did find these really large and full of leaves and going the Dollar Tree route would have given me less foliage to work with and I would have spent more money making up for it by buying more.

I wanted to include berries and I only bought 2 in the following colors. I also had one white berry bush (not shown) that I had in my stash already.

Since it was a fall wreath I wanted to be sure I included pumpkins. I found these cute braided raffia pumpkins at Dollar Tree that I wanted to use (a total of 3).

Note: It is always best to go with odd numbers for something like this.

I also had a few more smaller pumpkins to add that I will later show as well.

The first thing you need to do is cut the leaf stems down to smaller picks. I cut each stem down to two since there were 2 sets of leafs on each stem.

Since only one of the leaf picks would have the top “stopper” to prevent the leaves from falling off, I added a dollop of hot glue to the tip of the second pick to make sure the leaves did not fall off of it.

Next, you want to insert your picks.

I like to apply a bit of hot glue to the ends of the picks and then space them out evenly along the “face” of the wreath. To give the wreath a beautiful cohesive look, I insert all of the picks in the same direction.

Once my first line up is done I begin to fill in the remaining gaps with the leaf picks until they are all used up.

Next, I like to add the berry picks. I place them throughout the wreath first without hot glue. This “dry run” let’s me place them evenly along the wreath. Once I am happy with their spacing I remove them, add hot glue to the pick tips and then reinsert them.

RELATED: Kirkland’s Wreath Dupe

I do the same thing with the white picks. I only had one white pick bush so I had to space these out farther from each other.

And as you see, you don’t need a ton of each item. When you start with the larger foliage as a base, you can reduce the amount of items you need as you continue to layer them on.

Afterwards, I added the larger pumpkins. I started off by cutting the stems down. Then since the pumpkins were heavier and bulkier than the rest of the pieces I was adding to the wreath I had to make sure that they did not fall off. To do this I added hot glue to both the stem and the bottom of the pumpkin. This was so the stem would adhere to the inside to the wreath when inserted and then the area sitting on top of the wreath would also adhere to the face of it.

I had 3 off white sweater pumpkin clips from Dollar Tree which I had to reinforce with hot glue since they were kind of loose. Once that was taken care of, I added hot glue to the “mouths” of the clips so when they clamped down on the grapevines they would adhere onto them as well.

I placed these randomly throughout, keeping them similar distances from each other.

Next, I had some random greenery leftover from previous projects that I wanted to use up so I placed them throughout as well. This also added a new texture and a new layer of color.

If you like creating your own floral pieces for your home, you know you will always have extra pieces so when you have the ability to use some up, definitely do it!

The final step was to add tiny faux leather pumpkins (also from Dollar Tree) to the wreath. I used some of the stems from the large leaf bushes to create picks for them. I inserted them and adhered them on with hot glue.

Then I added them throughout the wreath in cute little nooks.

And that was it! All this can be done on one hour tops! Even if you’re a beginner.

I absolutely love all of the layers, colors and textures.

I placed this on my mom’s front door to take photos of it and I don’t believe I will be getting it back 😉.

I think the green adds something a little unique to the wreath and since not everyone experiences an actual “Fall” where they live it’s a nice compromise when trees outside may be green still.

As you can seen there is enough foliage throughout to cover the grapevine wreath yet still leave enough of it to peek through a few areas.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if wreath making has ever been a little daunting perhaps now you have a little more confidence to try it out. It’s all about layering, proper spacing and adding different colors and textures as you go.

Hope you’re Fall is off to a great start and I hope you try this out!

Don’t forget to share this with your Fall loving friends!

The video tutorial can be enjoyed below as well.

I will see you soon!

Until then… adios!

October 2, 2022 By Yami Leave a Comment

Dollar Tree Faux Leather Mail Station

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Fall is upon us and the days are getting cooler now. I enjoy being outdoors and soaking up the sun while enjoying the less humid days here in Georgia. We have been staying at my parents’ home now for a few weeks before we make the big move to our new property. I haven’t mentioned much about our big move here on the blog, but if you are interested in knowing more, you can watch this to get a better idea of what is going on.

I am currently working on updating a space in my parents’ house and by the time we are done we should be getting close to being ready for the move. It’s been a little challenging being away from a space of my own.

I don’t have my own craft space.

I don’t have my own kitchen.

I don’t have my own living space.

I don’t even have my own homeschool space.

I have been less inspired to film let alone write blog posts. It feels so weird not having my own home right now. And while I know it’s just temporary it can still be tough at times.

Of course, you are not here to hear about these challenges, so today I am sharing an inexpensive and functional DIY using the faux leather you find at Dollar Tree. I was inspired by this mail organizer I saw at Target and while it’s not that expensive I still thought I could make it for even less.

Before you begin you will need the pattern which I have provided in my free printables library. If you haven’t already subscribed to received access just click the link to take you to the page to sign up.

All you need to is print out the file, cut out the pieces and tape them together to get this exact shape. All of the pieces are labeled to make it super easy to assemble.

In order to replicate this you will need to have 2 of the faux leather pieces from Dollar Tree. The first piece will allow you to cut the entire pattern as shown below.

The second piece will allow you to include a rectangular shape for the inside of the organizer. This is not necessary, but adding this piece will definitely make the piece a lot nicer and higher end looking.

Simply cut the rectangular piece to fit inside of the pattern. You will need to glue it to the larger one. I used E6000 for this so that I would not get any ridges from hot glue.

After this you will fold the pieces in, starting with the bottom one first.

Then, the right…

Then the left. You will be gluing this together with E6000 as you go. Make sure you don’t glue them to the back, or else you won’t have an envelope.

Next you will need to cut 4 smaller pieces, 4 inches in length and 1 inch width.

It’s best to use a box cutter and straight edge for a perfect cut.

Glue the ends of two of them together and glue them to the bottom back of the envelope. The other two will be glued to the top, but be sure to “sandwich” the top of the envelope between the two ends.

Add the tops of thumbtacks to give the envelope more detail. I just used wire cutters to cut the sharp parts off and I used E6000 to adhere them onto the faux leather.

Then I need to put some dowels through the hoops. I used a square one that I had on hand and cut it down to make 2.

Next, I took some clear command hooks and I spray painted them in gold.

These are small and perfect for the dowels I was using since they are actually made to hold electronic cable wires (like along a wall or piece of furniture).

I attached the command hooks to the wall and fed the dowels through.

You can leave as is or add some gold “S” hooks to mimic the original inspiration. You can’t really hang anything heavy on this, however, you can always hang something light like a baseball cap or some keys.

And that is it! You have your very own faux leather mail station. I think this is super cute and perfect for either small apartments or even campers where it’s best not to drill or hammer anything into the walls.

You can use it for incoming or outgoing mail. Perhaps drop some important receipts or school docs you need to keep close.

I have even more ideas using Dollar Tree’s faux leather and you can always watch them below.

Let me know what you think and don’t forget to share this with your friends who love decorating on a budget!

I hope to see you all soon!

Until then… adios!

August 28, 2022 By Yami 4 Comments

20 Inspiring Fall DIYs

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20 Inspiring Fall DIYs

Hey friends! Fall will be here before we know it and I thought it would be great to share some Fall ideas that would get you inspired and looking forward to the new season.

I have rounded up my best of the best Fall DIYs. This is a compilation of different Fall styles and colors that will work with a variety of different tastes. Some are really inexpensive and easy to make while others are a little more time consuming and require a few different supplies. Either way, they are all really easy to duplicate if you follow the steps.

I will include links to original posts or videos so that if you are interested in recreating them you can get the more detailed tutorials. And along with this list I have included the link to the video version of this round up in case watching is more your style (simply scroll to the end).

Each project will have a quick overview of all of the steps that took to make them.

Link to watch the entire video will be at that bottom of the post. Enjoy!

Here they are in no particular order:

Look for Less Wreath

This is probably my favorite wreath of all time. It was a wreath that I had recreated (from Kirkland’s) for one of my Look for Less Challenge videos. It’s different in that it doesn’t have all of the traditional colors for Fall, but that’s just what makes me like it even more.

I used a lot of greenery that was leftover from previous projects and I painted the berries and pumpkins to match my color scheme instead of buying new ones.

Another cool fact about this wreath is that it was featured in one of Country Sampler’s Farmhouse Style Magazines last year.

It was featured in their “Wreaths around the Seasons” article and it was the very first one they shared. I was so honored.

Behind the scenes fun fact: I had painted my door a light blue since making the wreath and I reshot the wreath so that it would look better with the blue background for this feature.

Watch the original video here.

2. Dollar Tree Centerpiece

Sometimes, you just need something simple and inexpensive. I used Dollar Tree jars and a Dollar Tree tray for this. They were originally clear glass, but I thought a solid white would be better. The tray was silver and didn’t go with my color scheme for fall so I used a rose gold spray paint I had on hand to change it up.

I added some raffia, wooden mini leaves and some florals from Michael’s that I had gotten on sale and I made this cute centerpiece.

Sometimes, it really doesn’t take much to create something beautiful. Watch how it all came together here.

3. Raffia Pumpkins

This next one is a great solution for your old and tired pumpkins that you may have lying around (and have probably thought it was time to get rid of them).

Don’t do it!

Do this instead.

Take some raffia (I used a hula skirt from Hobby Lobby’s birthday party section) and wrap the raffia around the pumpkins. You can use multi0colored raffia as well for more dimension. Make sure to remove the stems before you do this and you can reuse them once you’re done or make your own with air dry clay.

You will be glad you didn’t throw these away! Check out the step-by-step tutorial on how to make them here.

4. Pumpkin topiary

Over the years I have enjoyed collaborating with other YouTubers and one of the challenges I like to participate in is the Mystery Box Challenge. The topiary below was a result of one of those challenges. I had to create something with hardware rope, a halfway completed pumpkin DIY and a curtain rod.

I say this came out pretty good and you would never guess it was made out of random pieces and leftovers from my craft stash.

It really goes to show what you can do if you put your mind to it and allow yourself to really stretch the abilities of what you have on hand.

Watch the full process here.

5. Tablescape

I don’t know about you, but I love a good tablescape. It can really elevate a meal experience and what better time to do so than during the holidays. Instead of buying a tablecloth, I purchased plaid fabric from Walmart.

I stacked a DIY stand over a regular white cake stand and I added Dollar Tree pumpkins, candles, and foliage throughout.

I was going through a pastel phase here for Fall and I decided to paint some of my existing pumpkins to create my color scheme. I just love how light and airy it feels.

And to balance out the feminine touches I did use my DIY galvanized chargers.

Watch how it all came together here.

6. Large Pumpkin Sign

Sometimes you need a statement piece… a large statement piece… like this pumpkin patch sign.

I used the Dollar Tree unfinished wood pumpkin plaques and painted them in my color scheme that year. We had some leftover furring strips and panels so I created the large frame. And with the help of my Cricut I made the decals to apply.

This sign looks like something you could buy and it really stands out since the pumpkins give it a 3D effect.

Check out the entire process here.

7. Harvest Painting

As most of you know, I like to dabble with hand painting here and there. This sign was just me trying to see if I can pull off some painted pumpkins. I think I did pretty good for the first try.

Fun fact: This sign is actually double-sided and it has a hand-painted Spring wreath on the other side. You can see it here.

Something like this is perfect on a shelf and can be brought out year after year. I added a cute Harvest decal that I made with my Cricut to finish it off and I love how simple yet pretty it turned out.

Learn how to make it here.

8. Kirkland’s Dupe

You know I love a good dupe and this one is no exception! I created this piece when I was inspired by one in Kirkland’s and the result was loved by all. Those look like stitches on the leather piece but they are actually burn marks from my wood burning tool!

Turns out you can burn leather beautifully!

The best part about this is that other than the leather piece, everything came from Dollar Tree. Check out the step-by-step here.

9. Stuffed Pumpkins

If you love to sew (which I do) this one’s for you. I am sure you have some leftover fabric somewhere and that’s really all you need for this one (along with some polyfill or some stuffing from an old pillow).

All you need to do is cut out some pumpkin patterns on coordinating fabrics. Create some little patches and sew them together leaving a little opening to stuff them to create these mini-stuffed pumpkins.

I added some yarn to the stems and that was it!

Bonus: you can totally do this without a sewing machine and hand stitch them too!

Watch how easy they come together here.

10. Yarn Pumpkins

If you liked the raffia pumpkins you will love this idea as well. This is anther way you can update those old pumpkins. Simply use yarn from Dollar Tree!

I wanted to recreate the look of those knitted pumpkins without the knitting. So I wrapped yarn around this pumpkin.

You will have to make holes at the top and bottom of the pumpkin to tuck the yarn ends in since yarn is thicker than raffia and will bunch up at the top and bottom. You don’t want that to happen because then it won’t look like a pumpkin and it won’t stand upright.

You could simply just wrap it in yarn, but the key here is to add braided yarn pieces to give it that extra detail and knitted look. This one is supper easy and you are going to want to make more than one!

Here is the step-by-step.

11. Fall Leaf Art

Are you the “I need something really easy” DIY kind of person? Here is one for you. It won’t get simpler than this.

You will need Dollar Tree 11 x 14 inch frames for this. I painted them a metallic black to make the frames look better but that is optional. Then take a raffia leaf also from Dollar Tree. You can paint them a metallic bronze or leave as is. Use a thick white matte to frame it out and place the leaf in the center.

Put the frame back on and viola, instant Fall art.

It’s simple and cheap! I created two and stacked them on the wall next to a window. They looked so good.

Watch the step-by-step here.

12. Traditional Wreath

If traditional colors are more your style, you will appreciate this one. I made this from Dollar Tree and Walmart stems. And I even added some Dollar Tree mini pumpkins.

You can always leave it with just the foliage or you can add this little sign that says “hello Fall”.

If you want to see how I like to add the pieces of foliage on and in what order, watch here.

13. Fall Houses

This one was one of my very first Fall DIYs and still one of my favorites. I made this FALL sign when Dollar Tree first came out with the little shadow box houses. They don’t sell them anymore however, I have a pattern and video that will show you to build your own.

I created little inserts for the houses with foam board and cardstock and then used berries to spell out the words.

I decided to cut out a pumpkin for the letter “A” and I added fairy lights behind it so it would light up at night.

I thought this was a really unique DIY. Here is the full tutorial if you wish to make them here.

Bonus: You can even change them out for Christmas and I share that in the video as well.

14. “Garlic” Fall Pumpkin Sign

Okay, so I call this garlic because after I painted them they looked more like garlic than pumpkins. BUT, they were supposed to be pumpkins. LOL

This is a great way to use those pumpkins that Dollar Tree sells strung up on ribbon. I think this is more elegant. All you need is 4 of these that you can paint in the color you wish. Glue them onto a piece of wood and add decal letters that spell FALL.

You can use pre-made decals or make them yourself on a Cricut.

It’s an easy way to make a stand up sign using those pumpkins that you would never hang anyways.

Tutorial is found here.

15. Toile Chargers

Okay, so full disclosure… this was a Spring DIY. But in my defense, these would look AMAZING in a Fall tablescape. These were made out of Dollar Tree gold chargers and transfers from Iron Orchid Designs. The toile has that perfect old world charm that elevates anything it’s put on.

Plus the print is neutral and will go with any color scheme. The key here is to make sure to seal them with a great sealer, this way they will last a long time.

These chargers were another fave of mine and totally worth the time and effort it took to make them. They have such a high end look to them too.

Here is the full tutorial.

16. Hello Pumpkin Sign

This is another fun fall sign (one that my mom loved so much, she now has it at her house, ha!).

I created this out of a leftover piece of wood that I had. I stained it to the color of choice and added a few ticking stripes to the left. Then I used some ribbon and a pumpkin that I painted from Dollar Tree to further embellish it.

After I created this nice “hello pumpkin” decal and added it to the sign.

Simple, yet pretty. I love the end result!

Here is the tutorial for this one.

17. Harvest Sign

Here is a sign that doesn’t require decals. This one is again made from small pumpkins from Dollar Tree that I painted for my color scheme. The crate board backing can be found in the unfinished wood section at Michael’s.

For the crate that the pumpkins are “in” I used large popsicles and cut them down to make the crate pattern. I added a raffia bow and the metal “harvest” sign also from Dollar Tree and that was it.

Super easy and totally festive for Fall.

Watch how to make it here.

18. Pumpkin Candleholder

You are probably familiar with those not-so-pretty orange foam pumpkins at Dollar Tree. For the longest time they were the only options at Dollar Tree so we had to get really creative with them.

For this one, I cut out the top, and painted it white. Then with some acrylic paint and some small nozzles that I put on my bottles, I basically piped out some floral patterns (freehand) onto the pumpkin.

I let it dry and added a glossy topcoat to make it look like ceramic.

I used the hole to insert a blue candle and that was it! This was the perfect pumpkin candleholder to enjoy those wonderful fall scents.

Watch how I did it here.

19. Burlap Box Centerpiece

A while ago I created box from foam board and I covered it with burlap. This box has been with me for a few years now and I give it makeovers depending on the season. If you have a simple rectangular box, you can do the same.

Simply add foliage of your choosing and include some Dollar Tree pumpkins.

And if you add potpourri throughout, your arrangement will smell so good for the holidays as well.

Watch how to put it together here.

20. Succulent Pumpkins

For the final DIY I am sharing another way to update those old pumpkins. Take an old pumpkin and cut out a hole at the top. You can paint it or leave as is. Next, add some floral foam and insert some succulents.

Add some moss to cover up any foam showing through and that’s it!

These are simple yet are the perfect way to add some greenery to your pumpkins.

Here is the tutorial.

Watch 20 Inspiring Fall DIYs Below

I hope you enjoyed this list of my Top 20 Fall DIYs and got a inspired for the new season! Don’t forget to share with your Fall loving f

I will see you in the next one.

Until then… adios!

June 26, 2022 By Yami 1 Comment

DIY Toile Chargers from Dollar Tree

*Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details*

Hello friends! Today I am sharing another fun (high end) Dollar Tree DIY. This was actually a project that I envisioned for quite a while before I actually created it. One of the reasons it took me so long was that I needed to have the perfect transfer print for it.

There are many Dollar Tree Charger DIYs out there and most of them are the same ones over and over again. This time I wanted to be sure it was different and totally worth the effort 😉.

At $1.25 the gold chargers at Dollar Tree are still a great deal and are always an easy find. I am sure you have some in your stash.

My first step was painting them white. I used DIY Paint’s White Swan for this.

Next I used Iron Orchid Design’s Transfer English Toile.

It is the perfect greige and while it is a traditional print, it is still modern enough to be used with any decor due to its neutral palette.

Once the paint is completely dry, place the transfer on top of your surface.

Then, using the plastic spatula each transfer package comes with, start pressing the image onto the surface of the charger. You will see that the images start coming off the transfer sheet as you do this.

Note* These sheets are slightly narrower than the plates, so I cut out smaller extra pieces and added them where I needed to fill in any gaps on the borders.

After the image is on the charger surface I came in with DIY Paint’s Big Top to seal it in and create a water proof satin surface.

I let them cure overnight and that’s it! Now you have a gorgeous plate charger that will be a conversation starter at your next get-together!

It can easily be dressed up for a formal dinner or used in casual dining. I added these brown leather DIY napkin rings that I made a couple of Christmases ago.

I paired them with these artisanal reclaimed wooden lanterns from Plow & Hearth and they give a nice cozy feel to my table setting.

I also used the vintage green glasses that I found at a thrift store in South Carolina as part of the table setting. I shared about them in this video.

I love how they turned out and I hope you liked these too.

For more DIY ideas like this and if you wish to watch how I did this via video you can watch below:

Let me know what you think of these below and I will see you in the next one!

Until then…. adios!

June 17, 2022 By Yami 5 Comments

Best Tools for Smaller DIY Projects

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Hello there! It has been a little bit since I have been on here and it’s nice to finally have a moment to get back and start writing again. Since I last posted a lot has happened.

You may already know but I am now an online distributer for DIY Paints created by my friend Debi over at Debi’s Design Diary. I met her in person finally late last year and was excited at the opportunity to represent her and her wonderful paints. They are clay based and highly pigmented and are perfect for DIYs, crafts and furniture transformations.

I have done several videos sharing how to use them. Here is an example of a gorgeous X Front Cabinet I recently transformed with them.

In addition to the paints, I also began making my very own natural soy wax candles and started selling them online as well. These are highly fragrant and natural with no dyes and made with soy grown right here in the U.S.

Once I started reading all of the unhealthy ingredients in mass produced candles, I decided to make my own and share them with my subscribers. l sold out of all of my candles the very first week I launched and have been slowly trying to get back to my normal inventory levels.

I am so grateful for everyone who has been so supportive.

And finally, if I didn’t have enough on my plate, we bought a 19 acre farm and will be moving by the end of summer. I shared all about it in this video.

It’s a huge change for us, but we have been led by God for some time to get started and we are excited at the opportunity to start our own homestead and build a home. We are excited about it and will be sharing more about our journey soon.

For today, I wanted to share some of the tools that I use on a regular basis to create my DIY’s. These tools make it really easy to get started DIYing and all of these are a must-have in my book.

GARTOL MITER SHEARS

These are one of my most-used tools in my studio. You can cut small pieces of actual wood trim as well as popsicle sticks and dowels. These are great for when you need a quick cut and you are able to adjust the degrees for any type of angle cut.

2. OFLA Circle Cutter

These are great for cutting the perfect circles whether it be on card stock, paper, foam board or even felt! I have used these for so many projects, including this pillow an these ornaments.

3. Mini Miter Saw Kit:

This miter saw kit is another great way to cut small dowels and even popsicles. I also like to use the blade to cut down floral foam!

4. PAPER TRIMMER

I love this tool so much I literally have 2 of them. If you want straight cuts every time with little hassle, you need one of these. This is perfect to use on scrapbook paper for crafts and even to trim down decals to the right size. I pretty much use this tool every day. It even helps me trim down my thank you cards for my online orders as well as my labels for my homemade candles.

5. SPRAY TENT

This is another tool I have that I have used so many times over the years. If you have a small place to spray paint or if you need to spray inside a garage during the cold winter months, this spray tent is key. It holds in all of the overspray allowing you to spray paint in tighter spaces without getting the paint everywhere. It even folds down to a small bag for easy storage.

Watch how I use it here.

6. CRICUT MAKER

I love my Cricut! At first I was a little intimidated by it but now I use it for everything! Whether it’s to make custom home decor pieces like this look for less pillow or this high end dupe tray. I can cut so many different materials and I even use it to sell merchandise on my website. The possibilities are endless and while the price can be a bit of an investment, the payout is tenfold in my opinion.

7. MITER SAW BOX KIT:

This miter saw box kit is perfect for when you want to cut larger pieces of wood but aren’t interested in investing in an electric miter saw just yet. As a matter of fact I made this Kirklands dupe with this saw and it worked perfectly!

8. FISKARS ROTARY CUTTERS

If you sew (even a little bit) this is a must have! It makes cutting your straight lines for patterns super quick and easy. But it also makes cutting curves a breeze! I use it so much I already had to change the blade!

Watch how I use it to cut these custom Christmas stockings.

9. WOOD BURNING KIT:

The funny thing about my wood burning kit is that I never burn wood with it! LOL! True story!

But I do use it to melt holes into plastic ornaments like when I made this DIY Christmas Garland . I also used it to make faux stitches on leather for this amazing Dollar Tree fall home decor piece. So even if you don’t do wood DIYs, it’s still super useful!

10. FABRIC TAPE MEASURE

Let’s be real, I don’t like tape measures cause I find them kinda awkward. However, I always have one of these fabric ones around my neck. I am always measuring things and when I am doing a project I like to have them handy to make sure I am doing everything right. These are super inexpensive and I like to have one in different locations.

11. CUTTING MAT

I used to think cutting mats were only for sewing but I use them for all kinds of cutting. As a matter of fact I have one on my crafting table that never goes away. I do so many things on it. It protects my desk and it gives me the ability to measure anything right away since it is always out. Of course, cutting fabric on this is super easy especially with the rotary cutter above.

12. OMIGRID RULER

While the Omigrid ruler is meant for cutting fabric I use the straight edge to cut just about anything, including foam board. I like that it’s clear so that you can see your material underneath and all of the measuring points are super helpful when cutting precise measurements.

13. ELECTRIC MINI MITER SAW

This is my newest addition to the tools stash! A mini electric miter saw! First of all, it’s too stinkin’ cute! And second of all, it cuts so well! This is perfect if you don’t want to use the power of your own hands to cut with some of the tools above. I suffer from carpal tunnel and sometimes using the other tools can be tough, but this takes the work out of it and it’s SUPER affordable!

I hope this list was helpful. Let me know if you hadn’t known of any of these before or if you already have some of these in your toolbox!

I should be back soon!

Until then… adios!

February 23, 2022 By Yami Leave a Comment

Ballard Designs Dupe – Look for Less Cushion

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Hey there! Hope you are doing great! Today I have a fun Look for Less dupe from one of my favorite high end home decor stores, Ballard Designs. I just love everything about them, except their prices. They have such gorgeous decor and furniture, from tableware, to bedding, to wall art and even patio furniture.

One of the thing I came across were these pillow cushions. They come in 3 different colors and I love the pattern on them. At almost $60 each I just wasn’t going to pay for it so I thought I would recreate them myself.

Also, stick to the end to see 2 more dupes from Ballard Designs that I also created for my YouTube channel.

I decided that the best tool for this would be my Cricut Maker 3. I have had a Cricut for over a year now and I absolutely love it! With Cricut Design Space I can easily create my own pattern to mimic the one from the original pillow cover. And then I repeated it to make 4 stripes.

I did a total of 8 in order to make 2 cushions for my sectional.

Once I was happy with the sizing, making sure it would cover my cushion front, I sent it to my Cricut Maker 3 to cut and removed the excess vinyl.

Cricut has these cushion cover blanks that are perfect to add any pattern to. You can use these with iron on vinyl as well as infusible ink so they are super versatile. I like the bright white ones.

I laid out the pillow cushion cover and made sure to measure the spaces in between the vinyl so that they were all even. If you don’t have a fabric measuring tape definitely get one. They are perfect for measuring projects like this (even if you don’t sew).

I used the Easy Press to set them onto the pillow cushion. When I do this I place my cushion on my Easy Press Mat and I also put a cardboard piece inside the cushion cover so none of the adhesive manages to seep through to the other side.

I also use some parchment paper between the heat press and the pattern.

RELATED: Pottery Barn Candleholder Dupes

Once it has cooled a little bit I remove the clear plastic. And that is all there is to it!

Tip: If you want to make sure everything is set, you can always put the parchment paper back on after you removed the plastic and use the Heat Press for a few seconds. Just press it lightly all over to make sure everything is on there securely. But make to not put the heat press directly on the vinyl.

I love how they turned out. And while the pattern is a little larger than the original, it still captures the aesthetic and the color is almost identical.

RELATED: Serena & Lily Tray Dupe

This is how I did as far as savings. For two original cushions I would have spent $118 at Ballard Designs. But by making them myself I only spent $36 and that includes the price of the vinyl and cushions for both.

I am always excited when I get to make something custom for my home and even more so when I get a professional finish that mimics that of a high end store.

Let me know what you think of this dupe and if you enjoy more like this, check out the video below where I share 2 more Ballard Designs dupes!

Don’t forget to share this with your crafty friends!

Ballard Designs Dupe – Look for Less Cushion

I will see you all next week!

Until then… adios!

February 20, 2022 By Yami Leave a Comment

Thrifted Seed Box Makeover

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Hello friends! Today I am back with another thrifted makeover. And this time I am using items I have never used before. I purchased this cute little box at a thrift store in South Carolina a couple of months ago and I finally got a chance to make it over.

It cost me $8 and it was actually a recipe box, however, since I plan on doing gardening in the near future I wanted a place to store my seeds. And this was the perfect size, plus the drawer had compartments!

I cleaned it up and used DIY Paint in the color White Swan (and the good news is my shop is almost ready so I can start selling these paints!).

DIY Paint is a highly pigmented clay based paint that is made with all natural ingredients. It dries very much like chalk paint and covers any surface with ease!

RELATED: THRIFTED TRAY MAKEOVER

I had to give this a couple of coats since the stripes were pretty hard to cover up. But the paint did the job nicely!

Once the box was completely dry, I used some of Iron Orchid Design Transfers.

IOD sent me a fun package of some of their products to try out and I had so much fun using these transfers on this little box. I used one of their rose transfers.

Plus, I figured it was appropriate since this was after all going to be for seeds.

These transfers come in several sheets and all you do is cut out the ones you want and lay them on your desired surface. You then use the little plastic spatula they supply to rub them on and then you just pull off the clear plastic! How easy is that!?

After I was done placing my transfers I decided I would use some Rub n Buff on the feet and drawer pull. Rub N Buff is great for touches like this. It is highly pigmented – one coat and you’re done! I used the Antique Gold one for this project.

Then I sealed everything with DIY Paint’s clear wax. I let it dry over night and then I buffed it the next day. After that I was done!

This little box is just perfect!

All of them fit so nicely and it is so great to store them in such a cute box instead of a plastic bin.

The little floral knob it came with look so much better in gold and it pairs so nicely with the transfers.

The best thing is I don’t even have to put this box away. It can stay out and be a part of the decor. And it’s perfect for Spring!

What do you think of the transformation?

If you enjoyed this and wish to see more amazing thrifted makeovers check out the video below!

GORGEOUS THRIFTED MAKEOVERS

Please share this with your friends and I will see you next time!

Until then… adios!

February 17, 2022 By Yami 3 Comments

Extreme DIY Bathroom Makeover

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Hey there! It has been a little while since I have posted and I am here to make it up! Today’s post has been a couple of years in the making. We have finally finished our guest bathroom! This bathroom has actually not been operational since we moved in… 2.5 years ago.

Crazy, I know.

This has been one of the reasons we only have my parents over at the house, LOL! No guest bath means no guests. During this time we just used the master bathroom or my daughter’s bathroom. This is technically my son’s bathroom that he would share with guests.

This bathroom was a wreck when we moved in.

Besides the broken counter, this is what the bathroom looked like when we purchased the house. The hubby got a little excited with the demo before I took before pics.

It was dingy, dirty, smelly and sticky.

I sure as heck did not want to use it and I sure didn’t want anyone to see it.

The finishes and fixtures were extremely dated. Of course this wasn’t news to us, we knew we were purchasing a fixer upper. We just didn’t realize that because of time and funds, it would take us a lot longer to complete.

The lights to the bathroom were a part of the medicine cabinet and mirror.

The toilet area was extremely tight and uncomfortable for my husband to even sit on. His arm literally ran into the side of the sink cabinet. He was not having that.

The floor was nothing special, just outdated linoleum. It was very dirty and stinky.

The bathtub was a fiberglass insert in an almond color. It was in decent condition for what it was, but I knew I didn’t want to keep it.

So I drew up what I had planned for this bathroom. I wanted it to be a show piece since after all everyone was going to see it. We planned on doing everything ourselves too (with the exception of connecting the tub to the plumbing – we left that to the professionals).

RELATED: HOW TO MAKE A MOOD BOARD

This was my initial design and even though a few things changed after I had originally designed this mood board, the overall look and feel remained the same. The bathroom was a beast to tackle and we learned so much since there were so many design aspects that we had never done before… like we will use a cast iron tub instead of a fiberglass tub in the future.

We documented the entire process on video since it was just so much. You can watch it all go down below!

Extreme DIY Bathroom Makeover

Here is how the bathroom looks now.

One of the things you can see right away that we changed from the mood board was the tile. We ended up going with a hexagonal gray tile on the floor.

We had previously used the mosaic tile in our pantry makeover and since living with it we just didn’t like how it was a little difficult to clean so we decided to use something else.

My husband removed the old tub himself and he installed all of the tile as well as the new fixtures. I just love the contrast of black on that white tile.

The toilet we installed was given to us by Gerber who we partnered with for the video. This toilet had a slender tank, elongated seat which pushed the seating forward and it had a nice decorative detail at the base. Such an improvement from the one originally that was there. It’s much for comfortable to sit on it!

The sink cabinet was a DIY. We purchased the sink at Lowes and the cabinet at a builder’s surplus store. The faucet was also from Gerber and it’s a bathroom version of the one we installed in our kitchen. And the countertop was a leftover piece of butcher block that we used from an old table we had dismantled to help build our kitchen island.

The cabinet pulls were from Hobby Lobby and I got them for $2.50 each on sale!

I love the color of the bead board alongside the white and the wood.

I also love the vessel sink we chose. It’s a nice rectangular shape but it was still compact enough that it fit the smaller vanity.

And the board and batten just takes the bathroom to another level. The stained top makes it unique since it’s not something we see every day and it ties to the countertop nicely.

This was also the first time I painted the trim and door the same color and now I think I am addicted. I want to paint all the doors now! It makes a statement when you are inside looking at it and since the door is white on the other side, no one expects it.

Of course I added a few details here and there and I had to include some of my previous DIYS, including my ruffled shower curtain.

I am so happy with how this turned out and I hope you enjoyed it too! We are currently working on our first outdoor project and we will be tackling our daughter’s bathroom soon.

We definitely learned a lot during this renovation and will be adjusting a few things here and there for upcoming projects, but overall I think we did a really good and you would never guess this was all done by us. I am mostly proud that we went above and beyond to make it a custom bathroom and that in the end it doesn’t look builder grade.

Share this with your friends or anyone who may be considering a bathroom renovation and I will see you in the next one.

Until then… adios!

January 27, 2022 By Yami 4 Comments

Serena & Lily Tray Dupe

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Hey friends! Hope you are doing well! Today I am excited because I have brought back the Look for Less Challenge and I cannot wait to share what I recreated.

This challenge has been a long time favorite on my channel and I have had to host it on and off for scheduling reasons, but I am bringing it back every other month this year.

If you are not familiar with the Look for Less Challenge, it’s where I take items from a high end home decor store and recreate them for a whole lot less. But it’s not just me who tries to do this, I invite other YouTubers to the challenge as well.

I create and entire playlist so that everyone has a chance to see what everyone came up with. It’s a lot of fun and it’s always great to see what everyone creates.

Today I chose to recreate the Portland Bone Inlay Tray from Serena & Lily. It retails for a whopping $698.00! Ouch! That is a lot for something that is going to sit on a coffee table, but I guess there is a market for everything.

Anyways, I LOVED it and I knew I just had to make my own.

I came across this tray at my local Goodwill for only $3.99. It was originally from Crate & Barrel (it still had the sticker on the bottom).

It was the perfect shape so I snagged it. I brought it home, cleaned it and sanded it down a bit. There were some chips in some areas and I wanted to smooth them out. I also wanted the paint to stick better since it was a really glossy finish.

Afterwards, I got some DIY Paint in Sandy Blonde and White Swan. I wanted to lighten up the Sandy Blonde to look more of a “bone” color.

Once I got the right color, I painted the entire tray with 2 coats.

RELATED: Look for Less Pottery Barn Candleholders

Next I went to Cricut Design Studio and made the pattern that was on the tray from scratch. This part was a lot fun!

And, since I love this pattern so much, I also saved this as an SVG and saved it to my Free Printables Library. You can download it and use it on your own cutting machine if you wish to recreate this tray yourself!

Just look for the icon in the library that looks like this:

So next it was time to add the stencil. One way I like to save money when using my Cricut is to save scraps of contact paper. I had some at home and used it for my stencil. It cuts just fine!

I applied the pattern all over the tray and I added tape to the areas I did not want painted blue. This was a little time consuming, but with a little music, murder mystery podcast or your favorite show on Netflix, it can be a little more enjoyable.

Anyone else listen to true crime stories while they craft? No… Just me?…. Okay…

I mixed up some chalk paint that I had on hand to get that same blue from the original tray. Then, I started to use a stencil brush to apply the blue color, but I ended up using a regular one to make the process go a little faster.

After applying 2 coats of the custom blue chalk paint and letting it dry it was time to remove the stencil decals.

Another very time consuming job, but as I kept going and that pattern got larger so did my heart!

Gasp!

It was looking gorgeous.

But as luck would have it, the contact paper removal didn’t go smoothly either. My weeding tool did remove some of the previous paint and I had to go back in and touch up certain areas, but it was worth it!

I sealed the tray with DIY Paint clear wax and that was it! I love this tray! That pattern looks so stunning.

It’s the perfect addition to my coffee table especially for Spring.

It’s also pretty large so it will come in handy as well.

So how did I do?

Because I have everything on hand EXCEPT the tray, all I spent was $4 on this dupe. Of course, there was a lot of man hours, sweat and maybe even some tears, but I am definitely happy I pulled through and finished it!

And you know what? There are 2 other Serena & Lily Dupes in the image below. Can you guess which ones?

That vase is a dupe and this lamp is a dupe!

If you are curious how I made those, you can watch these dupes in the video below as well!

Let me know what you think of the tray! Are you a fan of these Look for Less dupes?

Don’t forget to share this with your friends!

I will see you in the next one!

Until then… adios!

Yami

Easy Ways to Save Money

(NO MATTER YOUR BUDGET)

*Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details*

THERE ARE 2 MAIN METHODS I LIKE TO USE:

Here is the first: The 52 Week Money Challenge

*If you find that you have the funds to do the 52 Week Challenge I would suggest to start with this one. However, I understand that this may not be easy for everyone so I have a second option below.

Here is the second: The 365 Day Penny Challenge

Looking for more ideas?

I really hope this helps…

Cozy Christmas Farmhouse Tour

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Watch the Cozy Christmas Farmhouse Tour below!

8 Beautiful Christmas Wreath Ideas

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Beautiful Christmas Wreath Ideas

1. SIMPLE & ELEGANT WINTER WREATH –

2. THRIFTED BERRY WREATH

3. Elegant Blue “Berry” Wreath

4. Farmhouse Dollar Tree Wreath

5. Farmhouse Buffalo Check Wreath

6. Winter with Greenery Wreath (Version 1)

7. Gold Accents Wreath (Version 2)

8. Red Tartan Wreath (Version 3)

To watch all of these come to life you can watch below.

Pottery Barn Nutcracker Dupes

*Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details*

RELATED: DOLLAR TREE NEUTRAL CHRISTMAS TREES

Pottery Barn Berry Tree Dupes

And as always, you can watch the tutorial to this and four more DIYs on my channel.

RELATED: DOLLAR TREE CHRISTMAS TREES

Also, be sure to check out these other amazing dupes below!

DIY Vintage Ornaments

The main supplies for these DIY Vintage Ornaments are:

Add Simple Fall Touches to Your Home

1. Garland

2. Placemats

3. Cloth Napkins

4. Napkin Rings

5. Aprons

6. Velvet Pumpkins

7. Plaid Throws

8. Neutral Pumpkin Pillows

9. Greenery Stems

10. Flameless Candles

11. Stoneware

How To Make a Perfect Fall Wreath

RELATED: Kirkland’s Wreath Dupe

Dollar Tree Faux Leather Mail Station

20 Inspiring Fall DIYs

Look for Less Wreath

2. Dollar Tree Centerpiece

3. Raffia Pumpkins

4. Pumpkin topiary

5. Tablescape

6. Large Pumpkin Sign

7. Harvest Painting

8. Kirkland’s Dupe

9. Stuffed Pumpkins

10. Yarn Pumpkins

11. Fall Leaf Art

12. Traditional Wreath

13. Fall Houses

14. “Garlic” Fall Pumpkin Sign

15. Toile Chargers

16. Hello Pumpkin Sign

17. Harvest Sign

19. Burlap Box Centerpiece

20. Succulent Pumpkins

Watch 20 Inspiring Fall DIYs Below

DIY Toile Chargers from Dollar Tree

Best Tools for Smaller DIY Projects

2. OFLA Circle Cutter

3. Mini Miter Saw Kit:

5. SPRAY TENT

Ballard Designs Dupe – Look for Less Cushion

*Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details*

RELATED: Pottery Barn Candleholder Dupes

RELATED: Serena & Lily Tray Dupe

Ballard Designs Dupe – Look for Less Cushion

Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details

Here is the first:
The 52 Week Money Challenge

Here is the second:
The 365 Day Penny Challenge

Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details

Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details

Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details

Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details

Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details

Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details

Some of the following links are affiliate links. Please see full disclosure for complete details