diy fall decor – A Diamond in the Stuff

Decoupaged Pumpkin Door Hanger

Courtney Carmean — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 14:19:29 +0000

My newest door creation in finally up! I really love my Cotton Boll Wreath but I wanted something else to put up at the beginning of the Fall season. I had these wood pumpkin cut outs that I bought awhile ago, just laying around. A little digging around my fabric stash inspired me to create my new Decoupaged Pumpkin Door Hanger.

The supplies I started out with:

Pumpkin cutout

Paint

Fabric

Burlap ribbon

Mod Podge (not pictured here)

First I painted my pumpkin. I went ahead and painted the whole front of it so that the darker coloring of the wood wouldn’t show through the fabric. I used Americana Decor Chalky Finish in Whisper.

Once the paint dried I turned the pumpkin upside down and traced it onto my fabric. I used a sharpie fine point to get a good noticeable line.

I used some of my very sharp scissors to cut the pumpkin shaped fabric out.

Then it was time to attach the fabric to the wood cutout. I used Mod Podge to do this. A very generous layer down on the wood and then I laid the fabric down, smoothing it out immediately. After this dried I put another generous layer of Mod Podge on top of the fabric. Once it was all dry, I cut any excess fabric off the edges of the cutout.

Then it was time to add the wording. I cut some vinyl out with my Silhouette, put it down on the pumpkin, added some Mod Podge, and then added the paint. I had my hubby drill a couple holes near the top that I used to attach the burlap ribbon.

Doesn’t it look so cute up?

I’m so glad I decided to add fabric instead of just painting. The orange and cream fabric is so pretty!

I love love my new door hanger, it’s the perfect way to welcome Fall!!!

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

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Looking for some more Fall inspiration! Here’s my Pumpkins and Pinecones Centerpiece…..

DIY Faux Framed Chalkboard

Courtney Carmean — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 13:00:27 +0000

Earlier this week I shared My Small and Simple Entryway. It had remained an awkward space for two years and I finally found my perfect solution. On my new entryway wall I hung this DIY Faux Framed Chalkboard.

I’ve had this gold frame for quite awhile, it was a super cheap score! I loved it so much but didn’t know what I wanted to do with, didn’t just want to do more of the same. I wasn’t nuts about the color of the frame though. The gold was appealing to me but just not in this way. So I painted the frame Metallic Gloss Gold by Rustoleum, a much better gold!

For inside the frame, we just cut some thin plywood to fit the opening in the back.

After the wood was cut it was time to paint! I painted it with some Chalky Finish paint in black. It’s not actual chalkboard paint, but it is chalk paint. It has a flat look like chalkboard paint does, which is exactly what I wanted.

I created my design with my Silhouette Cameo and cut it out of vinyl. I weeded out all the lettering so I could use the vinyl as a stencil. With a little bit of transfer tape I placed my vinyl stencil on my wood and made sure it was pressed down really well.

Once the stencil was down, I painted inside the letters with the same black paint I used on the wood. This way if there’s bleeding, it will be the black paint and unnoticeable. Then I painted a white chalk paint in the stencil to mimic “chalk” writing on my sign. When all the paint was dry I rubbed chalk all over the sign and then wiped it down. It’s really starting to look like a chalkboard now!

I just popped the new “chalkboard” into the frame, not actually attaching it to anything. I didn’t want to make it permanent because in the middle of this project I decided that I wanted to create new “chalkboard” for different seasons and holidays! Squee! More reasons to craft!!! So for now, this one is my “Fall” chalkboard. It’s a great reminder!

I feel like the space has come together perfectly!

The Faux Chalkboard was the perfect solution for this spot! To the right is my crib bench and to the left is a huge mirror. I didn’t want to add another bulky furniture piece and I didn’t want another mirror.

Honestly I gave the Faux Chalkboard a try because I am terrible at freehand. I’m also a perfectionist. To be honest, I love the way it turned out and the board really does look like a chalkboard. I’d say it was a crafting win! What do you think?

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

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How about some more Fall inspiration? This Hanging Fall Centerpiece is sure to make a big impact on your holiday table!!!

Simple Fall Wood Blocks

Courtney Carmean — Wed, 08 Oct 2014 11:00:04 +0000

In the not so distant past I’ve fallen in love with making wood block sayings. They are such an easy and simple way to make a cute statement. I’ve made ones for everyday decor and now I’m branching into some holiday themed blocks. Today I’m sharing my Simple Fall Wood Blocks with you.

I had some 2×8 boards cut down to about 6in. The size is perfect for any table, shelf, or vignette.

I stained the blocks with some Minwax wood stain in Dark Walnut. Then I sprayed a clear coat over the wood stain once it was dry. I often find that when I do wood stain it stays slightly tacky, the clear coat takes care of that and protects the nice new stain.

I bought some super awesome shinny gold vinyl and knew I had to use it on my Fall blocks!!! I designed and cut out the gold vinyl with my Silhouette.

So simple right?

I love love the dark wood and gold vinyl. The Simple Fall Wood Blocks turned out perfect, perfectly Fall.

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

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Looking for some more Autumn and Fall inspiration? Check out my Autumn Wood Pallet Sign and tutorial……

Cotton Boll Wreath {Tutorial}

Courtney Carmean — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 10:00:33 +0000

I am a big big fan of seasonal and holiday wreaths. The truth is I had pretty much fallen out of love with my current Fall wreaths and I needed something new. While browsing Michael’s (aka: getting sucked in to the crafting black hole) I spotted some very authentic looking faux cotton stems. I was inspired. And so my Cotton Boll Wreath was born!

I picked up several stems or I may have cleaned them out entirely. Hey they were on sale! I happened to have a grapevine wreath on hand already and some burlap ribbon.

To begin, I started by cutting the excess of the stem off with wire cutters. Then I grabbed some floral wire to attach the stems to the wreath.

I cut little pieces of the wire and bent them in the middle to form a “bobby pin” shape. I know, I’m a girl!

I used the “bobby pin” wire to attach the stem to the wreath by threading the wire through to the back of the wreath. Then I turned the wreath over and twisted the wires together and secured them to the wreath. I continued to do this to each stem, using two wire pieces per stem, all the way around the wreath.

I used some burlap ribbon to tie a pretty bow on it and called it done. I wanted to keep the wreath fairly simple and focus on it’s beauty. Simple beauty.

The wreath doesn’t exactly scream Fall but it feels very Fall to me. Much like my mantel decor, I stuck with varying shades of browns, whites, and creams.

This wreath is very nostalgic to me. My Grandma’s family had a cotton farm and from what we’ve been told she was the BEST cotton picker around. I know that’s not something most people would be proud of, but my Grandma was an amazing amazing person. I love having little things around that remind me of her.

Do you keep any objects around your home that remind you of a loved one?

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

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Looking for some more Fall inspiration? Here’s a new way to use a Fall wreath {tutorial included}….

Hanging Fall Centerpiece

Courtney Carmean — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 08:00:29 +0000

The holidays are upon us and it’s that time of year for everything festive. The theme for this months JoAnn Fabrics Celebrate the Season Campaign is #turkeytablescapes. Which was a great excuse to get our table Fall ready! I decided to create a beautiful Hanging Fall Centerpiece for my Thanksgiving table.

Hanging Fall Centerpiece:

-Grapevine wreath

-Fall leaves & berries

-Satin Ribbon

-Pumpkins, acorns, etc

-Battery operated candles

-Hot glue gun, glue sticks, and scissors

First I grabbed some Fall foliage and the glue gun. I started gluing down the strands of leaves and berries around the grapevine wreath. You can make the wreath as full as you want, I choose to only add or strand of leaves and one strand of berries.

I used some smaller strands of berries and wrapped them around into a “nest”. The nests were just big enough to hold one of the battery operated candles in it. I glued each next down onto the grapevine wreath evenly around. Then I glued down some pumpkins and acorns sporadically around the wreath.

The ribbon was used to attach the wreath to my chandelier. I glued the ends of the ribbon onto and through parts of the twigs on the under part of the grapevine wreath. I added some sweet little bows to the base of each strand of ribbon.

Once all ribbon, berries, and pumpkins were in place I strung the wreath up to my chandelier. By creating the little berry “nests” I was able to place the candles into them but still be able to pull them out to turn them on and off. This adds a little bit of candle flicker without the danger or sending the whole thing up in flames.

I absolutely love how it turned out. It looks so elegant hanging there above my table.

You can see my Give Thanks Mantel off in the background, my house is looking like Autumn has hit. I love all the earthy and muted colors this time of year. The colors go hand in hand with the feel of Fall, everything slows down a bit and everyone starts to nestle in for the long winter ahead.

If you want to make a Hanging Fall Centerpiece of your own, you can find all of these items at your local JoAnn Fabric Store. Or to find lots of other awesome holiday project ideas make sure you visit the JoAnn Craft Catalog.

And to make your next purchase just that much sweeter, you can grab this awesome coupon to use when you go…..

Simply right click the image and print. It’s that simple!

Disclosure: I was given a gift card toward supplies for this post. All ideas and opinions are my own.

House Number Pumpkins

Courtney Carmean — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 15:04:16 +0000

The house is getting closer and closer to being “done”. Although, I will admit that I am a perfectionist and my version of “done” might be a little more extreme than others. We are just now getting the main living area put together enough that I finally got my Fall boxes down. I can’t let the season pass without decorating and working on some new projects. Crafting the last few months of the year is my most favorite!!!

So while I am finishing up in the house, I am continuing to Fall up the outside.

I have been wanting to create some House Number Pumpkins for some time. Since we are a military family I know that we will only be at one address for a few years….so I will at least be able to enjoy these for 3 years!

I bought some $5 pumpkins at Walmart, some burlap ribbon at Hobby Lobby, and some house numbers (any hardware store).

I knew I could of used vinyl, wood, or a variety of other options. I choose to use actual house numbers. However, they came with a reflective surface so I sprayed them with some hammered finish spray paint that I had lying around.

I just hot glued the house number to the pumpkins. The numbers came with small “nails”, they aren’t really functional but I glued them in anyways.

I used the burlap ribbon to make big bows and then hot glued them to the stems. The pumpkins needed something a little more and the burlap helped “Fall” them up even more.

We created a little flower bed around our new mailbox and I decided this was a great place for the House Number Pumpkins. I love how they look sitting in the wood park with the bricks.

I’m thinking of adding some dowels into the pumpkins so that I can secure them in the ground. Some of these Louisiana storms really get crazy and I’d hate to loose one of these!

So there ya have it, a pretty easy project but they sure are cute!!!

Linking up to these great link parties!!!

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While your here, come check out my last easy pumpkin project. I made these Outdoor Pumpkin Topiaries for the front of my house!