Golf Bag Lamp

This is one of my favorite trash-to-treasure ideas....a lamp made from an old golf bag. What better way to display your 1st golf bag...or maybe Grandpa's golf bag? If you don't have one, your local thrift store likely sells them very inexpensively!

You'll need to purchase a lamp kit. A piece of wood extends across the bag top to hold the lamp kit in place.

Drill holes through golf balls, and string them on the lamp kit for decoration.

Place a few clubs in the bag to add interest.

You can attach a pull cart for added stability (simply remove the top handle portion of the pull cart).

Thanks to my friend, Kristi,
for sharing her talent and golf bag lamp with me!

Bye-Bye, Household Mold!

Do you have problems with mold appearing in areas of your home? The main problem area in my house is the grout on the shower tile. I spray it with bleach, but the mold consistently returns.

After receiving a complimentary bottle of Concrobium mold control, I waited for the mold to reappear on the grout. I sprayed Concrobium on the entire tile area, and so far it has not come back. It looks like I really did find "the cure for the common mold"!

As explained on the Concrobium website:

"Unlike traditional “wet kill” products, Concrobium works as it dries – hardening over the moldy surface to form an invisible film that physically crushes the mold micro-organism underneath. And Concrobium stays on surfaces to provide continual resistance against mold regrowth."

Checkout the Concrobium website for more information about mold, and where to buy Concrobium.

Easy Handmade Raised Dog Feeder

Raised dog feeders can provide health benefits to dogs - particularly dogs with back and joint problems. However, raised feeders can be very expensive. This awesome trash-to-treasure project for dog owners will save you money AND have a unique feeder that can be designed to fit in with the look of your home.

I started with an old wood crate. If you don't have one at home, check your local thrift store.

Using 1 quart dog bowls (purchased for $1.99 each at Menards), I traced the outer rim onto the bottom of the crate. I then drafted a circle about 1/2" in to use as my cutting line. I drilled a hole to use as the cut starting point, and then used a jigsaw to cut the circles.

If you're looking for a rustic or country look, you're done! Alternatively, paint the feeder to match the decor in your room, and maybe even paint your pet's name on the side. A clear coat can be applied to protect the wood from water.

Simples Ways to Go Green AND Save Money

These suggestions will save you money AND help the environment. The ideas are all low tech and easy to do. Pick out a few to incorporate into your life...it will make a difference.

Change out light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs.

This not only saves money, but has the added benefit of avoiding the inconvenience of a burned out bulb. And your mother was incredibly smart when she so wisely told you to "turn off lights!"

Use cold water for laundry.

Today's detergent formulas get clothes just as clean when washed in cold water. Besides, hot water can make some clothing shrink, wrinkle, and fade.While we're on the topic of laundry, air dry your clothes as much as possible.

Reuse your ziplocks. (Don't roll your eyes nor skip my explanation!)

I used to roll my eyes when my mom did this, but it really is eco-friendly and cost-wise. I don't washout sandwich-size, but I do wash and reuse quart-size and larger. To reduce usage, I got reusable storage containers for sandwiches, chips and other lunch items that I otherwise would have put in a small baggie.

Leftovers.

Instead of throwing out leftovers, designate 1 or 2 nights a week to be leftover night. Saves time, money & garbage.

Use cloth bags.

Inexpensive cloth bags are available at most grocery stores. Or, at least bring bags back and have the bagger reuse them. You will be eco-friendly, and the store will save money.

Carpool or take public transportation.

As often as possible, utilize these options. You'll save money for obvious reasons, plus you'll have more "down time" while you're riding instead of driving. It just might be a stress-buster! (Might I even suggest walking?)

Use water bottles instead of buying bottled water.

Use a water filter if needed. Much less expensive and think about how much less plastic would be in our landfills if everyone did this!

Catch rain water.

Put a large plastic garbage can (or any container) under your drain spout to catch water from the roof during rain. Using plastic gallon milk jugs to transport, use that water for your garden, plants and bushes.

Dressing/Ketchup Bottles

This one seems like 100% common sense, but maybe someone doesn't do it. When salad dressing or ketchup bottles get low, just turn them upside down when returning them to the fridge. You'll get 2 or 3 more servings from the bottle.

Tube Trick

My aunt has done this for years. Although I cannot get myself to do this, you may like it. When a tube of toothpaste is "done", she cuts off the flat end and squeezes it out from that end. Apparently she gets another whole 1-2 weeks worth. She uses this trick with anything that comes in a tube (hand lotion, sunscreen, etc). Thanks for the tip, Aunt Donna!

Let me repeat....apply a few of these ideas to your life and you WILL make a difference.

New Life For Summer Plants

As fall begins to turn to winter, it's sad to see the greenery in porch planters all get tossed. Instead of tossing my ivy into the mulch pile, I snipped it and brought it in for the winter.

This unique basket was a clearance centerpiece item that came with rather ugly fake fall foliage. I removed the decor and simply set a glass inside the basket. Although I could have placed dirt in the glass, I chose to have the ivy live in water.

In spring, I'll have the choice of keeping the ivy in the basket or planting it outside again. Ivy...it's not trash, it's a treasure.

(See a picture of how this home accessory fits into a mantle decorating scheme.)

Other Home Decor Posts:
Easily Add Umpf to Your Home Decor
Budget Decorating Tip: Decorative Picture
Go Green With Flooring - Use Local or Reclaimed Wood

Unique Home Decor

I used placemats for home decor before, and I did it again! It's fun coming up with "alternative" decorating solutions. Why buy a typical wall hanging when you can easily bring something more unique into your home decor.

My mantel decor started with an antique, salvaged ceiling tin. (See "before" picture below.) Alone it looked sparse, so I want to add 2 smaller items to add presence and balance.

I purchased the decorative wood pieces at Hobby Lobby. They were marked $9.99 each, but of course I purchased them at 50% off. However, when I got them home they looked too small next to the ceiling tin. By using a layering technique, I made the small wood pieces into a more significant wall decor that made a bigger statement above the mantel.

Layers: Placed on top of each wicker placemat is a small ceiling tin (also purchased at Hobby Lobby), and topped with the small, decorative wood piece. I spray painted the 2 ceiling tins to match the simple, green color scheme. The layers also add interest by bring different textures into the mix.

Have you used placemats in your home decor? Leave a comment explaining how you used placemats for decorative purposes!

Decorating With Birch Logs

The white textural bark on birch trees makes these logs perfect for rustic decorating.

Compared to other types of trees, birch tend to have a shorter lifespan, making them relatively accessible. Living in Wisconsin, I have easy access to birch trees as they are often found fallen in the woods. However, city trees need regular trimming...perfect time to snatch them for decorating purposes!

These birch vases were made by removing the birch bark, and simply hot gluing it to a recycled tin can. As an alternative, use twine or colorful rafia to hold the bark to the container. Place flowers, pine boughs or even twigs in the containers. A smaller container would make a decorative pencil holder. These birch bark containers are perfect for mantels, shelves, dinner table centerpieces or anywhere! Simple, attractive, and using a recycled container makes this project eco-friendly!

Welcome your guests with this easy-to-make birch candle holder on your porch. Select a candle color that is appropriate for the season: orange for fall, red or green for Christmas, etc. Using a drill attachment that makes large holes is easier than chiseling a hole. I inserted a glass votive holder into the hole to hold the candle. Any size candle can be used, just be sure to have an appropriate candle holder to prevent accidental fires.

Note: You will harm a living tree by taking off its bark. Find trees that have died or knocked down from a storm. Other types of logs can be used, each will offer a different look and texture. Experiment, but please don't harm a living tree!

Get Home Ideas from Twitter

Get on board with Twitter to get ideas for your home. Although at first you might find Twitter to be overwhelming, there really is so much to learn when you use Twitter Search and "follow" interesting "tweeple".

What is Twitter? Wikipedia defines Twitter as, "a social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets". After you signup for a free account, you can "follow" people who you find interesting.

Some "tweeple" you might find interesting from a home decorating/home improvement standpoint are:

Decor8tor (me!) Basic home decorating tips that anyone can do. Particularly likes trash to treasure ideas.
HomeSavvi Simplify the complex process of home remodeling.
UrbanDecorSue Covets beautiful things & lives in the "Sin of Furniture" always searching for fabulous finds & the cultural creatives who make them.
EnterpriseWood Home improvement specialists: flooring, paneling, trim, decking, fireplace mantels, log railings.
tobifairley Says she is a mom, blogger and award-winning luxury interior designer.
Organizingmama Helpful home and office organizing tips

Kitchen Redesign - Just Say Yes!

People always joke about how during parties, people congregate in the kitchen. But that was not always true at our house...until we did a kitchen remodel. Now our kitchen truly is the nucleus of our home.

I adore the top of the line kitchens I see on hgtv shows. We remodeled our kitchen on a budget, but it still is wonderful.

The key to the success of our kitchen remodel was the kitchen design center we selected to help us design the new layout and select the new cupboards and counter tops. A designer came to our house, and then created a computerized view of their suggested layout. Together, we made little tweaks, and it was really a painless experience.

Truth be told, I don't really care for cooking. However, having a kitchen that is functional and stylish has brought out a little bit of "Rachel Rae" in me.

Bi-Fold Closet Doors: Boring to Fun!

Although I am an artistically-challenged person, I did paint the sports theme design on these bi-fold closet doors. You, too, can easily take your boring closet doors from drab to creative with just a little paint.

Begin by finding a desirable design from a magazine, website or another resource. Make it easy on yourself and select a design that is either cartoonish (like mine) so it doesn't need to be exact, or an image you can trace using a projector. Take the doors down and put them on a flat work surface, and go to work! Don't over think it, just do it.

To add both dimension and function, I added real lockers on each side of the closet. The lockers were a rummage sale find, and I simply painted them to match.

On a side note, to continue my sports theme, I also painted a basketball backboard on the wall. A nerf basketball hoop completed the design which again added both function and design. The theme words going around the backboard are simply letter stickers.