Summer Mantle: 4th of July

Today, I wanted to share with you all some DIY Summer mantle inspiration from my home to yours.

Here's how I created this mantle decor for under $20.

I found the vase at Goodwill for $2 (I always check there first before spending money elsewhere when it comes to home decor items. One of the ways I save a lot of money on home decorating!). The flowers & cross are from Dollar Tree, the flag from Joann Fabrics (only $1), and the "L" from Michael's for $4.

The mason jars were given as a gift from some students, but you can find them at most craft supply stores like Joann or Michael's. I found the burlap in the Target dollar section. The seashells are from the many Saturday mornings collecting them with Riley over the past few weeks (I have been decorating with them all over our home). I simply glued the burlap to the jar in the back and wrapped navy blue and red ribbon around the front and tied it in a bow.

The banner was really simple, I will explain how to do this in another blog post next week. For a tutorial on how I created the frame, look HERE.

The ship in a bottle was also a Goodwill find for $0.50! The Willow Tree statue was a gift from my parents when we had Riley. The frame is one we had in the house. I just painted the glass black and used the other side (not the side with paint on it) to write out the saying using a chalkboard marker ($4 at a craft store). What I found when I wrote on the side with paint, is when I went to erase the marker it wouldn't come off without a lot of scrubbing, which then chipped the paint.

So that's our Summer mantle for you! Easy, simple, afforable and fun!

Linking up for Titus 2 Tuesdays & Good Tips Tuesday!

Happy inspiration!

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

-A

Shade of Alyssa: Wall Decor

Something that I take a lot of pride in is filling my home with memories with my family and friends. I love decorating with photos. It is definitely a shade of who I am. I love when I walk through each room in my home I am can relive a special memory with my family by looking around. 

Our living room.

By our front entryway closet.

Our bookshelf is where we have photos of our families.

Our staircase.

Our upstairs hallway.

Our Master Bedroom.

Some tips I have for decorating with photos

-Black and white photos always look classier. 

-Match frames to overall feel of the room. 

(We have a black coffee table and media console in our living room so we went with black frames)

-Buy frames that allow for mounting.

 Like this.

It always looks more put together.

-Play around with arrangements, add fun signs, etc.

That's what we did on our stairs.

-Less is more, in my opinion, don't over clutter a space with so many picture frames.

-Switch out the pictures a few times a year to keep photos updated.

Riley is constantly growing, so I keep some from when she was little and change out a few every so often to have some more current photos of her.

You can really make a space feeling homey and comfortable by adding personal photos to your wall decor. 

I hope this post has inspired you to add a personal touch to your decorating.

Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

Saving Money: DIY Mantle Decor

I don't know about you, but I LOVE Pinterest. I really love looking at home decor ideas in particular. I am always browsing looking for new ways to spruce up my home decor. 

Last week, I saw this idea, on Mom 4 Real, and knew I had to do it (without breaking the bank).

I know large frames usually cost upwards of $50 and so I ventured to Goodwill with Riley on Sunday to check out what they had. I ended up finding a large framed picture (in gold) for $2.99. Can't beat that! 

I brought it home and stripped the picture frame down so all that was left was the frame (no glass, no picture) and set it down on an old towel on our kitchen table and painted the frame white using white Acrylic paint. I applied the paint with a paper towel to give it a worn, vintage look.

After letting it dry, I tied red ribbon around my Valentine's Day wreath and hung it on my mantle. I did a twist on the idea from Mom 4 Real based of this image. And also did a smaller version of the large one (far left).

What I really love about this idea is it is easy to use all season/holidays, you just switch out what hangs from the frame.

I love this idea to personalize a space using a letter.

 This is a fun summer time look, or a way to dress up your mantle for a birthday party.

I also LOVE this idea, a Christmas card holder! A great way to display all those holiday cards from loved ones.

In other news, we are gearing up for a huge snowstorm here tonight. They're calling for 30+ inches where we are. Ry and I are headed to the store after her nap to stock up on diapers, water, & chocolate (the important things!). Hope you all have a wonderful Monday morning! 

-A