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DIY Breadboard

Since I painted the kitchen, I have been wanting new things for the walls. I don’t have much wall space but that doesn’t stop me :) There is one little area next to the back door that I thought would be the perfect spot to add a little something and somehow I got into my head that I needed a breadboard.

First, I started looking around at breadboards and couldn’t find anything I wanted. I needed a skinny one and I definitely wanted all wood. Plus, I wanted to be able to hang it so it needed to have a handle with a hole. I even bought one, and once I got home I realized it was too big. So, back to the store it went.

Next, I found one from West Elm that I liked but it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a lighter colored wood. Then, I saw the most amazing cutting boards online at Terrain (Anthropologie’s sister store). They were perfect. And expensive. At $198 and $128 I knew they would not be coming home with me. And then I got to thinking… I bet my Dad could make one of these. Right? I mean, he is amazing at all things wood. So I put a little bug in his ear and he was wonderful and volunteered to help me. Thanks Dad :)

We started with a solid block of wood, maple to be exact. This thing is nice and thick, just like what I wanted. My Dad found a piece that had some pretty colors swirled in. I love it :) We kind of sketched what I wanted onto the wood. I wanted to feel handmade and not super perfect. Knowing my Dad, he could have made it exactly perfect if I had wanted that but since I didn’t, it made things a bit easier for me. And since I was doing the cutting, that was a good thing!

 

Next, using a jigsaw, I cut out the design. I haven’t used one of these in years so I was a little rusty :) But it was fun and now I have all sorts of ideas in my brain for how I could put one of these saws to work!

It was a bit rough, but now you can see the final shape!

Another thing I was super excited about was my cool safety glasses:

I had forgotten mine at home and so I had to borrow some of my Dad’s. Imagine my surprise in opening them (they were new) that they said Yoder Cabinets on them. Yoder Cabinets is the business that my Dad started and operated for over 30 years! These might just be the last pair of these floating around :)

Next was sanding. I really don’t like sanding so whenever there is a power tool that can do the job faster, I am all for it. Here is my Dad giving me a demonstration. He tipped the sander on its side to make it easier. Genius!

After sanding, I used a router to round the edges to give it a polished look. I loved this tool. It was super easy and super fun. I really want to play with it again.

See how excited I am?!

Then, came more sanding. This time I got to use an orbital sander. I have used this one many times but only on flat surfaces. My Dad had to give me a little demonstration for rounded corners. It may not be perfect but it worked. Besides, I want it to look handmade, right?!

Then, after drilling a hole and some more hand sanding, we had a cutting board!

I tied some leather through the hole to hang it.

Isn’t the grain pretty?

I haven’t decided if I am actually going to cut on it or not. If I use it I will put some mineral oil on it first. Until then, it hangs in my kitchen unfinished. I like it that way.

The bow hook was one of my thrift store finds that I hadn’t used yet. I love how you have the frilliness of a bow and the simplicity of the wood together.

And that concludes my adventures in breadboard making. And because my Dad already had the wood handy and I had the leather, the total cost of this project for me was $0. That means I saved $198. That makes me a happy girl :)

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Tagged: DIY, Don't Cost A Dime, Tutorials

Jazzing Up My iPhone

I think I have a bit of an addiction to contact paper. I mean, it’s sort of getting out of control. As if my last post weren’t enough… I had another idea for a way to use contact paper. This time, as the title implies, I have used it on my iPhone. And it looks really cool :)

Recently, I bought a new iPhone case. I seriously couldn’t decide between the thousands of cases out there because they were all too wonderful. I knew I didn’t want to spend a ton because I might want more than one but other than that, I didn’t have any idea what I wanted. There are just too many to choose from and so I decided to go with a plain color. I’m glad I did. I really like it. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting a little bit of pattern now and again. And then it came to me… why not decorate it a bit? Heck, yes!

Here is the before photo:

Again, I think it’s cute as is. With the possibility of being better!

First I gathered my supplies. I currently have 4 different kinds of contact paper in the house. White, black, silver, and wood grain. I was just going to make one but then I got carried away with trying different things. It’s kind of fun :)

The first one I tried was with the white polka-dots. I think it looks like confetti. Perfect if you are going to a party and want to look festive. Because I know we all like our iPhone’s to match our mood, attire, and event. Right?! Haha!

Since this was the first pattern I tried, I will tell you how it went. To make the dots I used a hole punch. Couldn’t get any easier than that. They also applied really easily. The hardest part was removing the paper backing from the tiny dots with my butterfingers. They were also cinch to remove. There was a little residue left from the contact paper but it came off quickly with a bit of Goo Gone and a paper towel.

Next up, large black polka-dots. I really like polka-dots. Can you tell? I decided to do hand cut dots instead of punching them for a more organic look. Super easy. Probably the easiest one I made. I did discover that you can’t really go around the corner or it causes some folds. So, it’s better to just fold over on the edges only and skip the corners.

This next one is pretty fun. It also makes me think of a party because it kind of looks like bunting. I thought the wood grain added a fun flair. I was sad to see this one go. But it might make an appearance later :)

And lastly, uneven stripes. You know me, I love me some stripes. This is the one that stayed. I couldn’t help myself :) Just cut some uneven strips and apply. Wow! Genius!

A couple things to note. I have had this on my phone for several days now and they are holding up really well. A couple of the stripes I ended up cutting a little closer in because they were catching on things (see the ones hanging off the corners?) but now they are doing well and I haven’t had any problem. In fact, it makes my phone have a bit more grip.

After doing these few, I have more ideas for patterns that I might have to tackle once I’m tired of the stripes. Fun, fun!!

On another topic… what do you think of the words on the photos? I decided to try something new. I think I like it :)

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Tagged: Before & After, DIY, Don't Cost A Dime, Tutorials

DIY: Dipped Servingware

I recently did a super simple DIY and I wanted to share it with you. But first, a little disclaimer. This is not an amazing idea I came up with. It’s something that everyone has been doing lately and I just jumped on the bandwagon. And I’m okay with that :) Sometimes you just gotta try things out for yourself!

Has everyone been noticing these awesome painted servingware floating around on Pinterest these days?

Love the pastel colors. Pinned here. Found here.

These are for sale if you don’t want to make your own. Or if you want vintage wooden spoons. Pinned here. Found here.

Love the stripes. Pinned here. Found here.

I have even seen some done with regular silverware, also super cool…

I love how they don’t match and yet, because of the paint, they do :) Pinned here. Found here.

So what’s a girl to do? Well, duh! I had to make my own :) I really don’t think there is anything as simple as this project. If you can open a can of paint, you can make these.

First, I bought some salad utensils at the Dollar Tree. So, um, ya, they cost $1 for the set.

Next, I opened my can of paint and dipped them in. The hardest part was having the patience to wait for them to dry :)

I haven’t gotten a chance to use them yet but I can’t wait. I know I won’t be able to wash them in the dishwasher but since they don’t get used regularly, I don’t really care. Besides, they only cost $1! Wouldn’t these make a really fun DIY gift? I’m thinking I might have to go get some more so I can have multiple colors. Or stripes. Or zigzags. Or polka dots. Or all of the above :)

So head down to the Dollar Tree and get your own salad utensils and start dipping. Your salad will thank me!

In other news, I have been doing some spring cleaning here at my house and so I have been updating my shop with some stock that I would like to clear out. In an effort to do this, I have put these items on clearance! In the 5 years that I have had my Every Jot & Tittle shop I have never had a sale. So this is earth shattering people! Most everything is on clearance and most of it is 75% off. Once these items are gone I won’t be making any more of them. Plus, I am also adding some other items that I have found while spring cleaning and I will be adding more as the weeks go on as I continue cleaning things out. Things like garlands and such from parties I have thrown. Everything is marked really low so be sure to head over and get yourself a treat :)

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Tagged: DIY, DIY Gift Ideas, Every Jot & Tittle, Tutorials

Sew Merry: Gallery Wall Art

Today’s project started off really good. I was really excited about how it was turning out. But then, when it ended up taking longer than I expected, it started going downhill a little. Mostly because I was running out of time and patience to finish it. But the concept is there and so I’m still going to share it with you. The good and the bad :)

For starters, let me apologize for the photos. It is a dark and dreary day here and I couldn’t get good photos so they are dark and grainy to go along with the outdoors. Wow, that’s a lot of disclaimers before I’ve even gotten started on the project!!

It all started with my gallery wall. Since I can’t do the string art like I did at church, I thought I would do a version of it at home with my gallery wall. So far, so good. This was the very first Christmas project I started this year. Back at the beginning of November. And, it ended up being the last one I finished, halfheartedly I must say, today. When it ended up taking me longer than I thought, I completely lost momentum and just now finished it because there were only two more frames to fill and Christmas is only 3 days away! Shame on me for putting it off for so long :)

Here is how I did what I did: First, I cut all of my paper to the sizes I needed for the frames. Then, I sketched on the back of the paper what I wanted them to look like. The photo above is an example of the star I made for the littlest frame.

Next, I poked holes on all the points for the string to go through.

Then, using a needle and thread, I connected the dots to make the shape or saying.

Ta-da! A finished star. After I got quite a few done, I put them in the frames thinking I would finish up the others quickly and be done. But, like I said, I kept putting it off, doing other projects instead. Until finally, today I figured I’d better finish. Here is where I got lazy. I did finish all of the string part but when I put the last two larger ones in the frames… I didn’t feel like actually putting them in the frames. This involves removing the old art and replacing it. Oh no, I was much to lazy for all of that. Instead, I stuck it over what was already there.

Can you see the spot of yellow poking through on the middle frame. And the top left one is a little wonky too. But you know what? At this point I don’t even care. In a matter of a few days it will all come down anyway :) Up on the wall is all I care about now.

Some of the first ones I made I really like. Including this one. So ya, the concept is good, the execution not so great :)

Have you ever done that? Gotten tired of a project in the middle of it and finished halfheartedly? Please tell me I’m not the only one!!

This is the point of the season where I’m really excited for the actual day of Christmas but I’m getting tired of the decor. Probably because I have been thinking about it since this summer. Maybe next year I should start later so I don’t get tired of it so quickly. There’s a thought :)

Want to see all of Sew Merry? Click here.

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Tagged: Christmas, DIY, Tutorials

Sew Merry: Felt Letter Banner

One week until Christmas! Are you excited? I am :) Sometimes I still feel like a little kid because I look forward to Christmas so much! Although, I do sleep better on Christmas Eve than I did when I was a kid :) I remember waking up every hour, just too excited to sleep. Now I sleep in and it is wonderful!

I have a little Christmas banner to share with you today. I have it displayed in my entryway and it’s probably the first thing that is noticed when you walk in our door.

As with many projects that I make, I used materials that I had on hand. I love not having to run to the store for something! I used fabric for the banner (a piece from a painters drop cloth), felt, a wooden dowel, iron on hem tape, and yarn.

First, I cut a rectangle out of fabric. I wanted the edges to be raw so I didn’t hem it. Then I used iron on hem tape and ironed it on about 3 inches from the top.

Next, I folded the fabric over and ironed it to the hem tape to create a little pocket for the dowel to slip into.

For the bottom, I folded it in half and then cut diagonally toward the center.

Once it’s unfolded, it creates this inverted point. You also could make it the opposite way too so it looks like an arrow.

Using felt, I cut out letters to form the saying I chose. I free handed these because that is the look that I wanted. You could use a template if you want (or even easier, iron on letters). Then, I used more of the iron on hem tape, cut in small strips, and ironed on the letters. No sewing required! Yay! Lastly, I tied on the yarn on either end of the dowel and hung it from a nail in the wall.

I like the saying I chose. It’s not really a Christmas song but it is what I want Christmas to be about!

What about you? Any last minute projects for the holidays? We attended two Christmas parties this past weekend and now it really feels like Christmas!! Bring it on, I love it!

Want to see more Sew Merry? Check it out here.

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Tagged: Christmas, DIY, Tutorials