DIY crafts Archives

DIY Porch Decorations for Fall

Posted on October 10, 2023October 5, 2023 Mattison McWhorter

Materials for a fall DIY — Courtesy of Midwest Life and Style

A DIY is more than just a fun project to take on for a weekend. A DIY gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment. And there’s no better time than the present. Here is a compiled list of some fall DIYs that will be sure to stand out on your front porch this autumn.

Pumpkin Doormat

One thing every porch needs is a doormat. Despite its primary purpose of keeping dirt outside, it can also dress up your door. It’s one of the first things guests will see on your porch, so it’s best to make it welcoming and, in this case, festive! Check out this DIY pumpkin doormat to make this autumn.

Materials:

Doormat
Pencil
X-acto knife
Scissors
Paint
Paint Brush

Instructions:

The first step to making this festive doormat is to flip it upside down so that the bottom of the mat is facing up. From here, you will sketch your pumpkin on the back of the mat. You can do this freehand or by using a reference photo. Once you’re happy with the drawn shape, take your X-acto knife and cut off the edges so that the mat is in its pumpkin shape. Then, you’ll flip the mat over, right side up, and clean up any messy edges with scissors. Finally, creativity comes in! Use your imagination and paint the mat. It can just be an outline of the pumpkin so the natural mat shows, or you can use any color that will match the rest of your porch décor.

Mums in a Pumpkin Planter

Chrysanthemums, also called mums, are a staple fall flower because of their vibrant red, orange, and yellow hues. Mums are sturdy flowers that will last throughout the fall season. One easy way to step up your mum game is to place them in a unique planter. What is more unique and autumnal than a pumpkin? Read these next steps on how to plant your mums in a pumpkin to dress up your flowers.

Materials:

A Mum
A Pumpkin Large Enough for the Mum
Knife
Large Spoon
Sharpie Marker
Potting Soil
Ribbon

Instructions:

Your first step for this planter is to select your pumpkin-chrysanthemum combination. There is little rhyme or reason here, so pick what you like! It can match your other porch decorations or simply complement them. The one rule is to make sure your mum and pumpkin are proportional to each other and that the mum can fit inside the pumpkin. To get started, remove the mum from its pot and set aside. From here, grab your pumpkin and draw a circle around the stem using the plastic planter from the mum as a stencil. Now, cut the top of the pumpkin open where you drew a circle.

Once open, take the time to remove the guts and seeds using a large spoon. With this step, you want to take out the majority, but whatever little bit is left will just be turned into fertilizer. Be sure to save those seeds for roasting! Next, add the soil into the pumpkin so that the bottom of the mum will sit an inch below the opening. Now, the fun part. Plant the mum into the pumpkin and water it. You can stop here or decorate it with ribbon. Be sure to water it every other day and enjoy your new planter!

Autumn Leaf Archway

Fall archway on decorated porch — Courtesy of Macy.Blackwell on TikTok

This DIY is no small feat, but it makes a big impact. With this fanciful leaf arch, you will be the talk of the block. It may be a more time-consuming project, but it only has four materials you’ll need.

Materials:

PVC Pipe
Chicken Wire
Garland
Zip Ties

Instructions:

Build an arch with PVC pipe based on how big your arch needs to be to fit your porch. Attach three pieces of chicken wire to form the square arch shape with zip ties while ensuring it doesn’t stick out too far. Then, fill in with strands of garland, attaching with zip ties. The number of strands is dependent upon size. However, you will likely need at least 20. Continue to add until it is at your desired fullness.

Pine Cone Door Hanger

Wreaths are a porch necessity for all seasons. However, the trends are often changing on what kind of wreaths are becoming more popular. So, rather than a traditional round wreath, consider a hanging pine cone door hanger for this fall season.

Materials:

Pine cones, preferably real
Eye-Bolt Screws
Ribbon
Stapler

Instructions:

This DIY works best with natural pine cones you can scavenge from the forest or your front yard. First, take your pine cones and screw your eye bolts into their tops. Depending on your cones and screws, you might be able to do this by hand, or you may have to use a drill first. Screw it in until the eye hook touches the cone. Now, you have to visualize how the pine cones will lay. You will want them at staggered lengths rather than one bunch. So, lay out the pine cones at the varying lengths you want. Next, cut your ribbon to the desired length plus two inches for tying room for each pine cone.

Thread your ribbon through the eye hook, leaving one inch on the other side. Fold the inch onto the longer portion and staple them together to secure the pine cone. Repeat for all pine cones. From here, gather your ribbon-hung cones and lay them out how you visualized them. This is best done with the longest in the back and the shortest in the front. Once it looks how you like, staple all ribbons together near the top to make one hanging bunch. Now, cut the tops above the staple to make them even. Add a loop at the top with more ribbon, still stapling the two ends to the existing ribbon. Finally, use the remaining ribbon you have to decorate! You can add a bow near the top where the bunch will hang or at the top of each pine cone to add playful layers.

Three Pumpkin Stacked Topiary

Stacked pumpkin topiary — Courtesy of Midwest Life and Style

If that archway was a little too extravagant, try this DIY topiary. It will give a similar effect on a smaller scale. This is a perfect touch to a porch, especially for those who don’t have a green thumb. You can customize this project with different pumpkins, leaves, and garlands. You could even use jack-o-lanterns and spiderwebs for a Halloween theme.

Materials:

Urn Planters
Potting Soil
Three Different Size Plastic Pumpkins
Wood Dowels
Hot Glue Gun
Glue Sticks
Drill and Drill Bits
Faux Fall Leaves
Grapevine Garland

Instructions: First, fill your planter with the potting soil. Next, you can begin preparing your pumpkins. Take the largest pumpkin and drill a hole in the bottom of it, big enough to insert the wooden dowel but not too large. You want it to fit snuggly on the dowel. Now, put the pumpkin dowel down into the soil. It’s time to add leaves! Remove the stem on the pumpkin simply by pulling or cutting it off. Then, use a hot glue gun to attach some leaves to the top of the pumpkin. You’ll want them to appear as if they’re lying on top of and falling off the pumpkin.

Now repeat! Drill another hole into the top of the bottom pumpkin so that it can hold the dowel of the next pumpkin. Drill and add the dowel to the second pumpkin, stack, add leaves, and do it a third time for the top pumpkin. Lastly, wrap the now-built topiary with grapevine garland to give it a rustic feel. Ta-da! New topiary! Make two and add them on each side of your door for a symmetrical effect.

Any of these DIYs are sure to impress. When you have guests over, and they ask, “Where did you get that?” You’ll be able to say, “Oh, I didn’t buy it. I made it!” It seems like an ideal conversation starter and something sure to boost your pride. Pick one out and work on it today!

How can I make a festive pumpkin doormat for my front porch?

– Materials needed: Doormat, Pencil, X-acto knife, Scissors, Paint, Paint Brush.

– Instructions: Flip the doormat upside down, sketch a pumpkin shape on the back, cut the edges to create the pumpkin shape, flip it back, and paint the pumpkin with your desired design

What’s the process of planting mums in a pumpkin for a unique fall planter?

– Materials needed: A Mum, A Pumpkin (large enough for the Mum), Knife, Large Spoon, Sharpie Marker, Potting Soil, Ribbon.

– Instructions: Cut the top of the pumpkin, remove the guts and seeds, add soil, plant the mum inside the pumpkin, and water it regularly.

How can I build a leaf arch for my porch using PVC pipe and garland?

– Materials needed: PVC Pipe, Chicken Wire, Garland, Zip Ties.

– Instructions: Build an arch with PVC pipe, attach chicken wire to form the arch shape, and fill it with strands of garland using zip ties.

What’s a unique fall door hanger idea to replace traditional wreaths?

– Materials needed: Pine cones (preferably real), Eye-Bolt Screws, Ribbon, Stapler.

– Instructions: Screw eye bolts into the tops of pine cones, arrange them at staggered lengths, attach ribbons to the eye hooks, staple them together, and create a hanging bunch with the pine cones.

How can I make a DIY topiary with pumpkins, leaves, and garland for my porch?

– Materials needed: Urn Planters, Potting Soil, Three Different Size Plastic Pumpkins, Wood Dowels, Hot Glue Gun, Glue Sticks, Drill and Drill Bits, Faux Fall Leaves, Grapevine Garland.

– Instructions: Fill the planter with potting soil, drill holes in the pumpkins, insert wooden dowels, add leaves to the pumpkins with a glue gun, stack the pumpkins, and wrap the topiary with grapevine garland for a rustic touch.

Best Birdhouse Kits for Your Backyard

Posted on September 23, 2022December 15, 2022 Camille Smith

Having a birdhouse (or several) in your backyard is an excellent way to attract birds to your lake house. Plus, creating your own birdhouse can be a fun DIY craft activity for you and your family. But if you’re not an expert woodworker, what should you do? Luckily, there are several birdhouse-making toolkits available on the market. With these kits, you can get all the fun of building your own birdhouse and none of the stress. With most being kid-friendly and a few more upscale choices, check out our top five recommendations!

Toysmith Beetle & Bee Birdhouse Kit

This Beetle & Bee Birdhouse Kit from Toysmith is a fun, highly-rated craft project. The simple, straightforward design requires easy assembly without hardware requirements, perfect for kids ages 5 and up. It also includes a paintbrush to add fun designs to your birds’ new nesting place at the lake.

Window View Birdhouse Kit

This window view birdhouse kit allows you to get a close-up view of birds who visit your lake home. Made of natural Eastern white pine, this small birdhouse is made of durable, high-quality wood that’s built to last. In addition to its wooden parts, the kit comes with two suction cups for mounting onto your window. Just install the birdhouse onto the window, ideally one with curtains or blinds so birds won’t be distracted. Then, just watch birds flock to your hand-built home while you lounge in the living room!

Hapray DIY BirdHouse Kit

Why limit your backyard to just one birdhouse? The Hapray DIY Birdhouse Kit comes with four unassembled birdhouses. With the wooden materials, Bplus glue, and string, you have everything you need included in this kit. These birdhouses are made of high-quality plywood which is both non-toxic and eco-friendly. Now for the most fun part — it also comes with several 12×2 paints, plus a painting palate so you can mix colors to your heart’s content. With cons of colors and plenty of wood, you’ll add a bright, playful feel to your backyard.

Scout Regalia Birdhouse Kit

For a more upscale option, check out this Scout Regalia Birdhouse Kit. Made of laser-cut birch plywood, it’s durable and made to last through the years. In addition to the wooden pieces, this kit also includes a paracord for hanging, as well as clear assembly instructions. Once you’ve put it together, there are several options for styling such as staining, clear coating, painting, or covering it in birdseed. Unlike many other birdhouse kits, this one has a more open-air design, making room for a wide variety of bird species.

Made By Me Birdhouse

This Made By Me Birdhouse is a perfect project for you and your kids at the lake. Easy to build, it comes with pre-cut wooden pieces and glue — no required tools needed. The kit also includes six paint colors, as well as little wooden accessories. Whether your birdhouse is lined with a green fence or decorated with small pink flowers, it’s time to get creative! It’s also a great opportunity to see how colors attract different birds. For instance, hummingbirds are attracted to reds and pinks, while bluebirds are (you guessed it) drawn to blue.

A Few Key Tips

To keep your experience as fun as possible, just be sure to read all the assembly instructions beforehand to make sure you have the proper tools. Also, it’s important to consider the durability of the materials. While cedar is perhaps the most sturdy, high-quality material, it’s also the most expensive. However, plywood is also an excellent option. Finally, determine what species of birds you’d like to see. For instance, bird feeders with smaller holed entrances will attract smaller birds like wrens, whereas birdhouses with more open spaces will bring in larger birds like sparrows. Whatever you choose, we hope you enjoy creating your birdhouse — and we hope the birds enjoy it just as much!

Tabletop Centerpiece Ideas

Posted on April 4, 2022April 1, 2022 Camille Smith

When hosting guests at your lake house, creating a beautiful centerpiece can do wonders for your space. But instead of buying an expensive decoration, you can easily create a DIY centerpiece that shows off your creativity and personal style. If you’re seeking ideas for a sophisticated dining table aesthetic, we’ve got you covered.

The Tin Can Succulents

Designing your centerpiece around plants is a great way to foster a biophilic aesthetic in your home. Especially with succulents, you can add greenery to your home in a stress-free way. These plants are low-irrigation, making them super easy to care for. Add a few upcycled tin cans, a tray filled with decorative rocks, and you’re all set.

The Leafy Greens

Photo courtesy of Southern State of Mind Blog

To create a nature-based centerpiece, you don’t need to look further than your own backyard. Using various clippings of leaves from your lakeside property, you can create a beautiful centerpiece that evokes a natural aesthetic. Quick to assemble, you can replace your foliage every so often with new hand-picked plants. For an extra unique flair, try adding some lemons and limes to the base of the vase. It’s also a great opportunity to dig in your craft basket for a beautiful ribbon to wrap around the vase.

The Candle Corner

Nothing evokes a sense of warmness, comfort, and overall hygge quite like a collection of candles. Rather than arranging candles sporadically in various corners of your house, try compiling them to create an elegant centerpiece for your table. This DIY idea from Liz Marie’s blog features a pottery tray with wood bead garland, topped with nine pillar candles of varying heights. The combination of various materials such as wood figures, a ceramic plate, and a woven tray table creates a dynamic look.

The Fruity and Delicious

Photo courtesy of Julia Winkler via brides.com

Don’t underestimate the decorative power of that fruit bowl sitting in your kitchen. With the right amount of creative touch, fruit bowls can make lovely tabletop centerpieces. For a pristine look, get a smooth, white, or silver bowl with a wide base. Then, pair jewel-toned fruits with a variety of sizes but with similar coloring. For example, plums and pomegranates complement each other well, with their dark reddish shades. For a more interesting look, you can also pair it with florals from your garden.

The “I Want Candy”

Want to create a good-looking centerpiece with a whimsical touch? Try filling a glass jar with Hershey’s Kisses wrapped in silver. While unconventional, this idea creates a fun and inviting atmosphere, and the silver wrappers create a cohesive, shiny look that goes with any lake house aesthetic. The best part? Your guests will always have a sweet treat to munch on.

Of course, these are just a few ideas. When it comes to creating your own centerpieces, the options are endless. Use whatever materials are at your fingertips — greenery, used mason jars, fruit, flowers, craft paper — and get creative! Your interior design style is personal, and it’s all about cultivating the right look for you!

5 DIY Planters For Your Lake House

Posted on March 18, 2022March 15, 2022 Camille Smith

Incorporating foliage into your lake house is a trend that’s not slowing down. As a key piece of biophilic design, houseplants show off your love for nature and evoke a calming atmosphere in your space. It’s also incredibly satisfying to watch your plants evolve from seeds to fully-fledged plants. Plus, studies show that having a green thumb can boost your mental health. A win for both aesthetics and well-being!

Besides choosing your specific plants, an equally important task is picking a planter. As the container for your soil, a good planter can make or break an entire look. But if you aren’t satisfied with the clay-colored ceramic planters from the nursery, a high-quality planter can come with a big price tag. Instead, try the do-it-yourself experience! Today, we’re featuring these five easy DIY planters for your lake house. With these step-by-step guides, you’ll be hooked on houseplants in no time!

Faux Concrete Planters

Due to the popularity of concrete planters, they can be quite expensive. However, with the DIY route, you can achieve a sophisticated look with a low price tag. With these instructions from Average But Inspired, you’ll be surprised at how simple it is to convert plastic serving bowls into an elegant planter with a modern look. A layer of stone-texture spray paint will give your guests the illusion of real concrete.

Colorful Outdoor Wall Planters

There’s no better way to decorate a tall outdoor fence than with hanging plants. These colorful wall outdoor planters from A Kailo Chic Life add an expressive pop of color to your backyard, reflecting a sense of whimsy and fun that characterizes the lake lifestyle. To create these simple designs, all you need are metal wall planters (from a home goods store like Joann’s or Home Depot), craft or spray paint, and permanent adhesive vinyl.

Tile Planters

Ceramic squares of tile aren’t just for bathroom floors! They can also make durable, decorative DIY planters for your lake house. Just head over to a home goods store, pick out a design you like (the Moroccan style repeated patterns make particularly attractive), and heat up some hot glue. Just follow these instructions from Pillar Box Blue for a more detailed guide!

Beer Can Planter

Photo courtesy of Make Something Mondays

We all know that relaxing by the lake with a refreshing, seasonally appropriate beer is a hallmark of lake life. But don’t throw away those empty cans just yet, especially if they feature a unique design. By following these instructions from Make Something Mondays, you can create crafty, artistic-looking planters for succulents. These are a perfect addition to any end-table on a boat dock lounge area.

Fabric Planters

Tired of wearing old tye-dyed t-shirts as your lakeside loungewear? No need to toss them or give them away — simply upcycle them into fun DIY planters. Just some scissors, thread, and a little time twisting fabric is all you need. Although you can use any T-shirt color, a tye-dyed look is more fun for a sunroom, front porch, or playroom at your lakehouse to add a color pop and homemade aesthetic. Follow these instructions from A Beautiful Mess for more details.

DIY planters are a great way to show off your personal style, enhance your interior decor, and get plenty of compliments from your guests. If you’re interested in crafting for your lake house, keep following along on the Lake Homes blog for more DIY content!

Ways to Repurpose Holiday Decorations for Your Lake House

Posted on January 3, 2022January 8, 2022 Camille Smith

When all the gifts have been unwrapped and the holidays are over, you’re ready to relax. But instead, you’re faced with an enormous cleaning task. Unless you’re someone who keeps their Christmas lights up all year at the lake (we don’t judge!), it’s hard to decide what to do with all the leftover décor. But before hauling everything into the trash, think again! With a little imagination and a few craft materials, you can easily repurpose holiday decorations for your lake house. Check out these five ways to keep a little snippet of holiday cheer all year long!

Ornaments

Over the years as you acquire more tree ornaments, it might be time for some of them to retire. Luckily, there are a million ways to repurpose these holiday decorations. To create a beautiful lake-focused centerpiece that will last beyond December, spray a metallic coat over traditionally shaped ornaments and pair with elements from nature. Have empty space on the wall? Attach your favorite ornaments to a frame and hang them up all year (This works best with flat ornaments that don’t protrude). And of course, broken ornaments happen. In the event of shattered glass, it’s time for a DIY mosaic craft project.

Wrapping Paper

Photo courtesy of The Creativity Exchange

Without fail, every holiday ends with piles of wrapping paper scattered across the floor. Of course, one of the most common ways of repurposing these scraps is by folding them, and using them again next year to wrap gifts. But if you’re particularly fond of some pieces, you can showcase them in your lake house all year. If your lake home has an office or a kids’ craft room, try lining the desk drawers with wrapping paper to brighten up the space. If the wrapping paper has been torn to shreds in enthusiastically opening gifts (hey – it happens!) save the scraps to create collages or other DIY projects at your lake house during a rainy day.

Tinsel

Photo courtesy of Rinck Content Studio on Unsplash

Tinsel is a quintessential holiday decoration. Whether wrapped around a tree or gently hung over the fireplace, it adds a bright, festive feel to any room. But don’t just stuff it into an attic closet when the holidays are over! Tinsel has several different purposes throughout the year. If you’re hosting a party at your lake house, cut pieces of tinsel into festive necklaces for your guests to celebrate. Alternatively, you can also use Tinsel as packing material for sending gifts to friends and family throughout the year. Think of how exciting it’d be for your loved one to open a gift packed with gold or silver tinsel!

Wreath

Trees and wreaths are two of the most iconic decorations from the winter holidays. But they don’t last forever. Unless you have a faux tree, these pine materials will dry out over time. However, this doesn’t mean they’re useless! Dried out pine needles and pine cones are perfect to use in creating your own DIY potpourri. Especially at a lake house, a pine-scented potpourri can elevate the calming sense of nature in your home. You could even use these materials to make DIY candles for the same purpose. If you’re working with a tree (and don’t mind a little woodworking), try using the wood at the base to build a birdhouse. Alternatively, hack away and turn it into mulch for your garden.

Greeting Cards

Throughout the month of December, greeting cards keep piling up. Whether from relatives, friends, or your office, there’s no shortage of holiday cards in your mailbox. However, instead of recycling the ones with less sentimental value at the end of the season, try repurposing them at your lake house. With just a hole puncher and some string, you’ll have a set of beautiful gift tags to use for next year. Feeling even more crafty? Cut the cards into circles (this may require precise tracing tools) and use glue to create covers for mason jar lids. This way, your storage containers will keep the holiday spirit alive and well at your lake house.

When it comes to repurposing holiday decorations, no idea is too small! We wish you the best in all your DIY endeavors in the new year.

DIY Bird Feeders

Posted on October 8, 2021October 22, 2021 Camille Smith

During the summer, birdwatching is a popular lake house activity. With more time outdoors, lake homeowners everywhere are looking for ways to attract birds to their lake house. Of course, a key way to do this is through bird feeders. While you can easily find these at Home Depot or another similar store, you can also go down the DIY route. Check out some ideas for creating your own bird feeders at your lake house!

Cookie Cutter Method

We’ll start off with the most simple, no-frills craft. Especially if you’re looking for a bird feeder to create with young children, this option is perfect! With gelatin as a glue for the bird seed, plus cookie cutters to create fun shapes, this is the ideal family project. Depending on which cookie cutters you have, you can customize this project to the season! (Think Holiday shapes during winter, flowers in Spring).

Coke Bottle Bird Feeder

Do you have a stack of leftover coke bottles? A DIY bird feeder might just be the perfect use for them! This easy project simply involves cutting a few holes in a plastic coke bottle, inserting wooden spoons into it, and filling the container with bird seed. Talk about a sustainable way to recycle plastic!

Log Branch Bird Feeder

If you’re specifically looking to attract birds that cling to trees, this wooden bird feeder is a perfect project. At the lake, there’s always fallen branches scattered around your backyard, so why not put them to use? For this DIY bird feeder, you’ll need a trip to the hardware store for some twine and rope, an eye hook, a prepackaged suet, and a drill. Soon, the woodpeckers and chicadees will come flocking!

Glass Bottle Hummingbird Feeder

Before you throw that glass bottle in the recycling, think again. With this craft project, you can repurpose that bottle into a hummingbird feeder. Besides the bottle, you’ll just need scissors, wire hook, and macrame cord. As for the bottle’s contents, a mixture of sugar and water is guaranteed to attract these birds.

Paper Plate Bird Feeder

During the summer, we often have paper plates lying around from various barbecues and picnics. But did you know you can turn these into a DIY birdfeeder? With these instructions, you can easily create a contraption that will attract birds to your backyard. This simple combination of bird seed and peanut butter is a great project to do with kids if you choose.

DIY bird feeders are a great way to stay crafty and to enjoy the wildlife in your backyard. No matter which one you choose to create, we hope you enjoy your summer of bird watching at the lake!

DIY Dried-Flower Crafts

Posted on April 9, 2021April 11, 2021 Camille Smith

On the Lake Homes Realty blog, one of our most popular DIY posts is about brightening your lake home with dried flowers. Repurposing withered blooms can spruce up your home in a simple yet sophisticated way while adding a touch of biophilic design. Although hanging dried flowers create an elegant look (it’s incredible what you can do with a little twine and hairspray), it isn’t the only option for your lake home. This week, we’re thinking outside the box. There are many ways to incorporate dried flowers into your crafting projects, including decor, utilities, and accessories. From wall art to coasters, you can’t go wrong with these DIY dried-flower crafts.

Pressed-Flower Monograms

Once flowers begin to dry, pressing them is a great idea to preserve the natural colors. This involves using a book or another heavy object to push the remaining moisture out of flowers so the flat pieces can be used to create a design. These framed monograms made from delicate dried flowers add an element of creativity to your lake home. Plus, they’re easy to DIY. Check out this video for the instructions.

Dried-Flower Terrarium

Need a new centerpiece for your table? Or a flowery decoration for your mantle? This simple, DIY dried-flower craft is a perfect addition to your lake home. The geometric glass container with a stylish brushed metal accent will add a contemporary feel to your living room. All you need are dried flowers and sand to complete the look. At Afloral.com, you can get the full tutorial.

Dried-Flower Sachets

While driving to your remote lake house, you’re spending plenty of time in the car. And nothing is worse than an unpleasant smell on a long road trip. Rather than buying an air freshener from the gas station, try using some leftover dried flowers to create these beautifully scented sachets. You’ll need a few other materials, such as wax molds, but this elegant end product is well worth the effort. Hearth & Vine’s blog features more detailed instructions on these DIY dried-flower sachets.

Dried-Flower Bath Salts

Looking to repurpose those dried roses you’ve been saving? Mix in some Epsom salts, sea salt, baking soda, and essential oils for a decadent bath-salt mixture. Using this tutorial from Almost Makes Perfect, you’ll be able to make dozens of batches at once. Besides treating yourself to a bubble bath at the lake, these bath salts also make excellent gifts!

Floral Phone Case

For this craft, all you need is a clear phone case. You can even coordinate the color of your phone to compliment the flowers you choose. To create this easy DIY phone case, as outlined by LouisWei, just take a few dried flowers and press them on the inside of a clear phone case. Then, snap it onto your phone and — voila! For a more involved version, check out these instructions that incorporate a clear resin to hold the dried flowers in place.

Dried-Flower Coasters

When dining at your lake house, these coasters are the perfect accessory to showcase your connection to nature. Plus, the brushed metal and glass look is fresh and stylish. Ideal for a friend who loves the lake, they make an easy and thoughtful gift. You can even pick their favorite flowers to use in your coaster creation.

Pressed-Flower Lanterns

During the pandemic, we’ve become experts at hosting guests outdoors. When gathering friends around a fire pit, this collection of DIY dried-flower lanterns evokes an elegant ambiance. Especially around dusk, this soft lighting will bring out a sense of warmth at your lake house. To create them, you need pressed flowers and greenery, wax paper, a cutting board, and an iron. These instructions from A Practical Wedding will help guide you!

We hope these crafts inspire you to put those dried flowers to use this spring!

From Colors to Crafts: Using DIY Nautical Decor in Your Lake Home

Posted on June 9, 2020May 27, 2020 Camille Smith

For lake homes and beach houses, decor in nautical themes is a classic look. A blue and white color scheme with boating motifs evokes a relaxed, cheerful feel. However, this style can sometimes go awry. Too often, lake homeowners go overboard– pun intended– with sailing-related paraphernalia. The result is more junky than sophisticated. When designing a nautical room for your lake house, it’s important to remember that a little boat-inspired charm goes a long way. Thankfully, achieving this whimsical, yet polished balance does not have to be complicated. There are plenty of DIY nautical decor projects that you can begin right now, in quarantine, to revamp your room in time for summer. Check out some of our tips below!

Painting Your Walls

Photo courtesy of Maine House Interiors.

Painting — or repainting– your walls is a basic, yet often overlooked tip for designing your nautical room. Although we associate shades like blue, white, red, and yellow with boating, combining these bold colors on one wall may look chaotic. Kate Diaz, interior designer and owner of home DIY website SwankyDen.com, comments, “Stick to a simple color palette for a classic look. For a more modern look, use bolder, darker shades of blue to offset bright whites. Doing so will create a stunning contrast while maintaining an elegant appeal.” Katie Mills, a writer for Poshh Living Magazine, agrees, adding, “About 80%-90% of the space should be neutral.” Besides blue and white, you can opt for wood tones to lean into a more rustic vibe. As for those bright yellows and reds that we associate with nautical flags– they work best in smaller doses. While an entirely red accent wall could be overwhelming, painting a single chair in red can add a fun pop of color.

Picking Nautical Items

Finding nautical accent pieces is easier than you think. Often, the best sailing-inspired items are miscellaneous objects found both indoors and outdoors. Katie Mills advises, “Try finding genuine nautical items to use as decor. Oars are the obvious choice and are easy to paint and repaint.” If you have old canoe paddles, try painting a few and hanging them on your wall. While you’re at the boat dock, grab a few twists of rope or nets. Using these nautical objects, you can create plenty of designs. Kate Diaz suggests wrapping natural colored ropes around plant pots or using burlap to create a nautical footstool with glue and a stapler. You may also find nautical objects in other rooms of the house. For instance, if you have a round mirror in the foyer, try moving it to the nautical room, as the circular shape will resemble a ship’s porthole.

Choosing Crafty Projects

In addition to repurposing boating items as decor, you can also get crafty with everyday materials. Everything from glass bottles to pieces of wood has creative potential. If you have sewing equipment, you can create nautical pillows. With old wine and sauce bottles around the house, you can paint them, wrap twine around, and place them on a bookshelf or patio table. Using driftwood, easily found in the lake, you can make these small sailboat figures. For a more personal touch, paint a picture frame with nautical shades and feature a photo of your family on the boat. While your paints are out, consider painting a welcome sign for your house. Each of these DIY crafts will instantly add a warm, lakeside feel to your room.

We hope these ideas help you brainstorm DIY nautical decor projects you’d like to undertake. Picking one or two projects is best. Katie Mills reminds us: “It’s fine to have the occasional ship in a bottle, decorative anchor, or painting of a ship, just keep them within reasonable limits!” So, pick the craft that interests you most and get started. You’ll be surprised at what a single DIY nautical item can add to your lake house!

DIY Chalkboard Paint and Lake Projects

Posted on January 26, 2018June 6, 2019 Staff

Chalkboard paint has become quite popular over the last decade, and as it’s popularity grows, so does its price.

But crafting doesn’t necessarily have to cost a lot of money. In fact, you only need two ingredients to make your own chalkboard paint right at your kitchen table!

What You Need:

Any color flat finish, latex paint. This can be purchased at your local Walmart, Home Depot or Lowes.

For smaller projects, you can buy eight ounce paint samples for less than $5 at most major hardware stores.

Larger containers can range from about $7 up to more than $40.

Unsanded tile grout. This can be found at most hardware stores for about $13.

DIY Chalkboard How To

With only two ingredients, it’s fair to assume the chalkboard paint recipe is fairly simple.

First, mix 1 cup of paint and 2 Tablespoons of grout.
Next, stir the mixture well, making sure it is free of clumps. Remember, you can use any color paint so get creative!

What to Make

Now comes the fun part: you get to start creating!

Look to sites like Instagram and Pinterest for ideas about what to make with your chalkboard paint.

Of course you can use the paint to make an actual chalkboard to hang on the fridge or wall, but there are plenty of other things you can make too.

Other neat things you can decorate with chalkboard paint include:

Holiday decorations or name cards; a custom tree ornament, wine glass or personalized name card at the table could be great, and inexpensive, favors to give guests at holiday parties.
Birthday gifts; sometimes, handmade gifts are just better. Give a truly unique present by making someone a chalkboard paint coffee mug they can decorate day to day, or a chalkboard/cork board wall hanger.
Home décor; take your chalkboard painting to the next level by painting an entire wall, or a section of one, in your lake house. Paint the back of the pantry door with chalkboard paint to record your grocery list on, or paint a wall in a kids’ play room for a fun time.

Chalkboard Paint at the Lake

While making small things here and there is a fun use of chalkboard paint, you may be thinking about how you could use it on a grander scale.

At the lake, there are plenty of places to utilize it, like on the boat dock for instance.

Imagine mixing up a big batch of chalkboard paint to paint a section of your boat dock with.

By using chalkboard paint, you can create a reusable, and erasable, game board for such outdoor activities as tic-tac-toe, hopscotch, bean bag toss and more!

Or think about painting an old piece of wood to hang from your boat house which names the rules of the water.

This can also be erased and decorated with phrases like “Happy Fourth of July” and “Welcome to the Smith’s 15th Annual Cookout” for events hosted at your lake home.

Be sure to catch our other “DIY” and home decorating articles for more tips and tricks on how to make your lake home truly one of a kind!