I recently read an article stating the two most important things you can do for your garden is mulch and compost. Up until last week my gardens were void of both! I'm happy to report now with our DIY compost bin one of the two have been addressed. I had a compost pile several years ago when we lived in the country and it attracted a bear... Scared me so I quit composting for a while! Since then, I've been reading a lot about composting and feel compelled to get back at it. I think it'll be good for both our organic veggies in the raised containers we have, ... Keep Reading...
How to Age Galvanized Metal
Finding vintage age galvanized metal stock tanks, washtubs and the like are a little hard to find. But did you know new galvanized ones are still made and a little more readily available? And... did you know that there is a pretty easy way to age galvanized metal finishes? I bet you'll never guess what the secret 'age galvanized metal chemical' is either! I have purchased a few new galvanized metal pieces in the past week. I bought a pair of new galvanized washtubs, (here are a few choices of round washtubs too!), The washtubs are inside the potting ... Keep Reading...
How to Install a Floating Shelf
To install a floating shelf using a floating shelf kit is actually super easy and I'm going to show you how I mounted this simple weathered looking one and the fun display I put on it. I think I'll be unpacking boxes forever! Seriously! I'm slowly getting through them, but it'll be so long until I'm done. As I go through each box of treasures, I'm either using the stuff as is, or repurposing, (so that means time for a craft) or selling it, (which is time involved as well). My dad taught me a life long lesson when I was a little girl hoeing the ... Keep Reading...
Mount Door Knocker in a Hollow Steel Door
This charming cast iron door knocker didn't come with mounting hardware. I learned through this process how to mount a door knocker in a hollow steel door. BTW: Here is where I found this cute vintage style cast iron door knocker. Gotta say, going into the project, I didn't know much!! When the door knocker arrived and I saw it didn't have any mounting hardware with it, I was really racking my brain to figure out the right way to mount it in a hollow steel door. Screws, that would work great in a solid wood door, wouldn't hold in the thin steel ... Keep Reading...
The Potting Shed
I asked my husband for a garden shed and this is what he gave me. Okay, well, that's sorta how it went. Since last fall I decided that I really needed to get my gardening stuff out of the space my husband and I were sharing. His way of 'organizing' is very different than mine and I couldn't seem to find my tools when I needed them. Instead of nagging that he should organize my way, I thought it'd be healthier to part ways, (in the garden tool storage sort of way). A friend of ours was selling his small log cabin bunkie with accoutrements, (can you say ... Keep Reading...
DIY Vintage Window Shadow Box
Happy May Day! (a little late) Did you get any special flowers for May Day? Several years ago, one of my daughters-in-law found a beautiful way to preserve some very special flowers she received. She created a vintage window shadow box! This daughter-in-law, Melissa, before she was my daughter-in-law, preserved many flowers. This isn’t about the drying process though, (I think she just hung them upside down and they dried). This post is showing the creative way she displayed these preserved flowers in a DIY vintage window shadow box. These ... Keep Reading...
Stencil Vintage Window
Repurposing vintage windows is a specialty of mine. I absolutely love to reuse them in the interior of a house to add interest and character. I have gotten so many fun vintage windows, most for free too. This tri-panel window was one of those freebies! We were driving around the countryside, and saw that exciting 'FREE' sign with a pile of old furniture pieces by the end of someone's driveway. Are you one of those that just has to stop and see if there are any treasures to be had? Or are you the type to scurry away for fear of cooties?! I'm very solidly ... Keep Reading...
Vintage Medicine Cabinet
After finding and holding onto this vintage medicine cabinet for a few years, I was pretty happy to get a sweet place for it in the lower level guest bathroom. It was in need of some restoration help though. Although I'm not an expert, I'm not afraid to tackle a project like this and figure it out as I go along. (shopping links for products I used in this project are at the end of this post) This charming vintage medicine cabinet has some sort of small, thin tiles covering the face of it, creating a lovely design. I actually can't tell what they're ... Keep Reading...
6 Furniture Projects to Inspire You
Revisiting some older posts here at Simple Decorating Tips, I thought it'd be fun to share 6 past furniture projects for inspiration. Even though I decided to only select from older projects, I am still tickled with the results! I am including tips with direct links for the products I used in order to help you be able to transform your own projects. First product and maybe the most important: For almost every painting project I work on now, I use bonding primer. It works on just about any surface and unlike most primers out there, this special bonding ... Keep Reading...
Backyard Boat Pond
This is a super fun post I've been keeping in my back pocket since I got the backyard boat pond completed last fall! Don't you just love the sound of water? I sure do! The calm soothing sound of a water fountain is so pleasant in the summer. At every one of the past 3 houses we've had, I've created a different type of water feature. I wanted a water feature in our backyard at our new house, but did not want the commitment, or cost of a built-in pond. I got a little creative and made a DIY backyard boat pond after seeing a similar one on Facebook a while ... Keep Reading...
