The Start of an Apartment Container Garden (this could end badly)

Do you ever just get carried away with an idea? Usually, I thoroughly research before starting a project or making a purchases that could fail miserably. For some reason this time I just threw caution to the wind and came home with a sizable collection of baby plants and delusions of grandeur about a patio container garden.



For a beginner, it was bit ambitious but go big or go home I suppose. The collection includes strawberries, banana peppers, green bell peppers, and spinach, plus an "herb shelf" with mint, lavender, and parsley. Y'all. I went all in. But all in, in all the wrong ways. Just in case anyone out there is an naive about keeping plants alive as I am, I'm going to fill you in on all the mistakes and lessons so far so hopefully you won't have to make as many on your own.



For starters,there is a huge difference between garden soil and potting soil, which is probably insanely obvious to everyone but me. I didn't make this realization until reading the bag AFTER transplanting the first few plant babies. This was corrected the very next day with a healthy blend of potting soil and Compost Plus. Needless to say, I also had to grab some gloves since the Compost Plus is fresh off the dairy pasture...

Next, I had bought long, deep canisters called veranda boxes which don't come with the drain holes already popped out. You're supposed to do that yourself. I didn't notice until after filling the containers so fixing that took some fancy finagling. The herbs are in a smaller, shallower window box. Aside from the original drainage issue the boxes are great. They're heavy enough that wind doesn't bother them but light enough that I was able to move them inside when there was a freeze warning the other night.

The last lesson was on overcrowding. I had this image of lush, abundant garden boxes overflowing with edible greenery... I had put 4 pepper plants all right next to each other with about an inch inbetween before reading that they need some distance to allow roots to spread without competing for nutrients. Plants, like people, like their personal space. Who knew?

So in a nut shell: potting soil, draining, and space are the magic words. At least I knew enough to check how much sun they would need! After repairing the many, many mistakes, it was time to add the first personal touch with wood-burned plant markers. Oh, and did I mention they were free? Because starting a container garden is surprisingly expensive if you don't already have a ton of stuff on hand.

You will Need:

Wooden paint stirrers
woodburner
pencil
minimal fear of burning yourself



The nice man at the paint counter of Home Depot didn't even make a face when I asked for 8 paint stirrers without buying any paint. The hardest part of this project is following the curves in letters. Straight lines are nice and simple but even the slightest of curves gets a little complicated. Write out the labels while waiting for the woodburner to heat up, then very carefully go over the pencil with the burner. Watch your hands--that this is NOT playing around. I also recommend having a few extras you can practice on before going for the real thing, but I'm obviously a very novice woodburner so maybe that won't be an issue for you.



They're plain, but sturdy and rustic. If you really wanted to get fancy you could paint them or weatherize them.

You might be proud to know that not only are all of the original plant babies still alive, I actually have some seedlings sprouting for zucchini, eggplants, mini tomatoes, and sunflowers. The professionals didn't even have to start these. Naturally, a gardening Pinterest board was created.

Do you have any gardening experience? Container or otherwise. Any tips or rookie mistakes to avoid? I'd love to know!

Sheila

P.S. Happy belated Earth Day :)

Chalkboard Bar Top (Renter friendly!)

I've just discovered the coolest thing ever: chalkboard contact paper.

The roll on Amazon is $6 for a piece 18" across and 6' long. I wasn't totally sure what do with it when I bought it, but I knew I wanted it. The package arrived Friday and by Friday afternoon this plain boring bar top area became a chalkboard bar top. It took about 10 minutes and should be just as easy to remove when it's time for me to move out again. In the mean time, I love the variety it brings to the kitchen and how it matches the living room.

Carefully cleaning the counter top is important since even a grain of salt leaves a bump in the finished surface. Unroll the contact paper to lay it out straight. A ruler works well to press down the contact paper as you pull the backing paper from under it very slowly to make sure it doesn't get crooked. The trickiest part was using a box cutter to trim the edges once the entire counter was covered. Last, I "primed" the surface by lightly covering it with chalk. I've heard that's an important step for all things chalkboard.

Oh, and I bought a fish! Her name is Fancy. She lives on the counter now. I drew her picture. Because I'm an adult.

A perfect, simple big impact project with little effort for us renters out there! Or homeowners who just don't want to commit.

Have you been wanting to try the chalkboard trend? Did you already jump in head first? I'd love to know!

Sheila

P.S. You should have at least a few inches left over from the end and the side. Hold on to them if you can, I've got some ideas in the works.

Scrapbook States!

You may have noticed by now that I really love maps, especially outline maps.




If you haven't noticed, there's plenty of proof here and here. There are so many amazing home decor projects on blogs out there but very few of them are possible for those of us renting. This isn't a huge project by any means, but could definitely add some color to plain beige, unpaintable, apartment walls. The secret? Removable glue dots. Those things are tiny dots of magic that hold forever and come right off when it's time to move on.

You will need:

Scrapbook paper, leftover scraps work great
a large map printout
scissors
removable glue dots

Print out your map. I believe the link included above is a public domain map. I printed it out over multiple sheets using Microsoft Paint because I'm high-tech. It seemed to work best printed in landscape, 3 sheets across and 3 down for a total of 9 sheets. Tape the 9 sheets together and cut out the large outline. I had to sacrifice Alaska and Hawaii in this... sorry.



Cut out each state from the big map and use as a guide to cut the state from the scrapbook paper. I didn't find it necessary to trace them beforehand. Helpful hint: As you cut out the states put them back together like a puzzle on a cookie sheet, it'll be much easier to transport them from your work space to the wall where you want to mount them. This whole process took about 2 hours, but I got distracted frequently. Thanks Netflix.



Add a glue dot or 2 to the back of each state and put 'em on the wall. I kept a quote on the wall with them for at least 9 months in my Montana apartment and when they came down they left no residue whatsoever. Not even a grease spot like sticky-tac tends to.


Basically, I hold a little bitterness to the New England area right now but I'll get over it.

If you invest in removable glue dots now, I've got some seasonal decorations coming up that will be able to use them as well ;) What are your favorite temporary decor projects? Any tricks up your sleeve for making a rented home feel homier? I'd love to know!

Sheila

Scrapbook on the Wall

 I love pictures. And people.


I try to display as many of them as possible. Usually, I print out pictures to put in a scrapbook, but I love printing doubles of favorites and finding places to put them out. This picture display is like a scrapbook on the wall, in my opinion (hence the name of the post). It's especially great for renters since it only creates 2 tiny holes to hang up so many pictures.

There's no theme. Just people, places, and pictures I love. It's an easy project that can be finished in a lazy, rainy afternoon.

You will need:

Twine
Push pins
2 buttons
Pictures desired
Black construction paper
Clips (tiny clothes pins would look cute but I used these from Ikea)

Hot glue the buttons to the push pins. Place the pins in the wall the desired width apart as level as possible. Measure the distance between them and add at least 10". That's how long you'll need to cut the shortest piece of twine; for example, my pins are 50" apart so I cut the first piece of twine at 60". Each next piece should have 2 or 3 inches more added to it (63", 65", 68" and so on). Don't worry about hanging them too slack, the weight of the pictures will cause the twine to sag naturally. Tying each one with just an inch between the higher string should be plenty of a gap.  Knot the twine around the pins and hang your pictures.

If you want to add in a word or quote like "loved" there are a few different ways to do it. You can clip it on using the same clips with the pictures. Or you could punch holes on the corners and slide them on the the twine. I chose to cut the twine into sections, starting in the middle and working my way out. Then I tied the ends of the twine to holes in the corner. The letters are 2" x 3" rectangles cut from black construction paper and written on with yellow chalk.



I love having reminders of people and places I love and miss right above my bed. It's the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing at night.

 

How do you like to display your photos? Also, are you a scrapbooker? I'd love to know.

Sheila :)

P.S. You know when something really needs to be ironed? But you wear it anyway. To work. That's me today. Basically, I'm a rebel. Happy Monday y'all.

Suitcase Coffee Table

Sometimes the best things in life truly are free, or at least close to it. This coffee table adds so much charm and whimsy but it cost a grand total of $4. Yup. And that was technically a donation. To make this adorable and cheap table, you need very few things:

1. A hard shell suitcase (thrift stores, garage sales, and estate sales are the best) 

2. Table leg top plates - 4 (like these)

3. Table legs - 4 of your choice (these are super cheap and could easily be dressed up or left plain)

4. Screwdriver

5. Very short screws - I needed 16 but it depends on your top plates. The length also depends on your suitcase. Don't rely on any that come with the top plates because they are made for much thicker bases. If you're a really cool kid, just take your suitcase to the store with you and hold screws up to the edge to test it. I'm sure the people at the hardware store have seen crazier things. I speak from experience when I warn that getting screws that are even just a little too long means they will poke through the top which can scratch you, ruin the suitcase, or at the very least make it super wobbly. It's a small, but important detail.

Make sure the suitcase opens to be a flat surface before you try to use it as a table. Once you have all the materials, the first thing you need to do is the use the screwdriver to attach the top plates in the corner of the suitcase. If yours has a rounded edge like mine, the plate should go just before it starts to curve and instead of flush against the outside edge. Its' a good idea to keep your other hand, or at least a finger, or the outside of the suitcase so you can feel if the screw starts to poke through. No bueno.

After your top plate is secure, screw in the table legs. Flip the table over and you're done! It should take you a grand total of 20 minutes to make.

My suitcase was from an estate sale on the side of the interstate (the $4 donation) and the table legs/hardware were generously provided by friends who collect antiques  some of which are not always in the best of shapes and can be used for parts. The moral of the story is: always ask around. Who knows what you might find!

The best thing about this table is that when I moved, it was easy to unscrew that table legs but leave the top plates on, then shove curtains, pictures, and anything else that belonged in the living room inside. It was like creating a living room decorating kit, contained in a pop up coffee table. Cheap and functional. Who could ask for anything more?

In the Montana Apartment:

In the South Carolina apartment: 

If you decide to make one, let me know how it turns out! It could also be a fun idea for a nightstand or anywhere else you need some extra, but removable, surface space.

PS. My favorite part is that the address label of the last (maybe original?) owner is still taped on it. It adds so much character. I've been tempted to write a letter to that address before but that seems borderline creepy...

PSS. I'm struggling with blog worthy photos! Any advice is greatly appreciated! 

Light Switch Swag

Blurry again...
In my defense I only took the picture at the time because I wanted to show my Mom.
Not because I had planned to share it with the internet world. 

If you move a lot, or live in an apartment, you probably either can't or won't want to paint the walls. It's a great homey touch, but TONS of work.

In order to get around this predicament, I tried to think of little ways to add color and personality to walls without leaving anything permanent or difficult to change. One of my favorite ways has been to personalize light switch plates. It's SO easy and can turn out pretty stinkin' cute. But if they don't, a light switch plate costs about 50 cents from any hardware store so you can probably afford to mess up a few times.

To make the one you see pictured, use shades of green and brown construction paper (the dollar store is  a great place to load up on this crafting essential), markers, and Modpodge. Nothing fancy! The bird is actually a garden marker from the Target dollar section bought a while ago that came in a pack of 3. Cut the green paper into slightly different shapes and sizes of leaves, using a marker to accent. Layer them over the plate using Modpodge under and on top of each layer. Cut your brown paper to any tree shape you like, leaving enough extra to wrap around the sides. Marker again is great to add a little texture. This bird just happened to be on a piece of wire that goes the length of the plate. It was easy to use the brown paper to wrap around that wire and keep it in place. No glue needed! Using markers to color the screws adds a nice touch. Cover the whole thing in a healthy layer of Modpodge and let it dry. It takes about an hour to make, but let it dry overnight before you display it proudly.

The fun thing about this idea is that it can be as simple or complicated as your style. Not in the mood to cut out a bunch of leaves? Use 1 piece of scrapbook paper, or even a shopping bag from your favorite place, carefully cut out the area for the switch, and Modpodge that sucker into submission. Don't forget to let me know how it turns out!

Moving? Decide you need a change? Get new furniture? Make a new one! These would make a fun, unique, and inexpensive gift too. This one now belongs to a friend in Montana who helped me move and asked to keep it.

Sheila