Favorite Projects | House of Earnest

Category: Favorite Projects

March 13, 2013

Handmade: Gold Foil Tumblers

in Favorite Projects, Hand Made with 61 Comments

It’s no secret that I love gold, and you know I could use a good cocktail on a Wednesday. I made these little gold confetti tumblers after seeing so many similar versions in the market. These aren’t too intense, but are pretty easy and are oh-so-cute!

Fill them up with a little pomegranate juice, some Zonin prosecco, and basil and you’ve got yourself a perfect mid-week treat.

ONE tape off the bottom of a glass with blue painters tape and stick some dots onto the bottom, more concentrated at the top and less concentrated toward the bottom. TWO cover the top of the glass with a sandwich bag and tape it down on the same tapeline as before. THREE spray paint the bottom of the glass with a bright gold spray paint. FOUR using a gold leaf pen, carry the dot motif up onto the top of the glass. More concentrated at the bottom and sparse toward the top.

I think they’re so fun and sure do look festive for spring, right? Grab just a few ingredients, have a cocktail and happy hump day!

So, as a disclaimer, I am using spray paint on food and beverage item which isn’t recommended for food contact. I felt like being on the outside of the glass I was comfortable with that, but if you’re not, please use your discretion.

61 Comments

February 14, 2013

Hand Made: Lacquered Animal Bookends

in Favorite Projects, Hand Made, Home Decor with 17 Comments

I was bursting at the seams to share this project and today is the day! I love lacquered anything, but this cute little animals in a lovely deep blue are such a welcome addition to my office. They were so so simple to make and the options of animal, object, and color are endless. I think I might even make a few for gifts!

I simply used Gorilla Super Glue to adhere a plastic toy to a brick, painted with a high gloss paint and finished it off with a high gloss lacquer top coat. Easy, huh?

I had so much fun playing around with styling them and thought the monkey’s faces were humorous. I really wanted to find horses or a lion, but truth be told, finding the toy to use was the hardest part of this project. I ended up using dog toys, but I think a trip to a large toy store probably would have yielded good results as well.

So what do you think? Silly? Fun? Can I say chic?

Have a wonderful Thursday!

17 Comments

February 7, 2013

Hot on Wooden Beads

in Favorite Projects, Hand Made with 9 Comments

This project came up last weekend totally by accident. I had a bunch of wooden bead packets sitting in my dining room for another project and was also in the process of making some tea.

I realized at that point that I didn’t own one trivet. In the past, I used towels or cutting boards for hot items and never really thought twice about it. In that moment, I wanted to bring my teapot into the dining room where I was working, so I just decided to string twelve of these beads quickly together to form a resting place for my pot.

Not only did it work out wonderfully, but I thought it was really simple and pretty and thus, should be shared with you guys.

So it was as easy as that! The bad news is that my aforementioned project which started the whole need for tea went south really fast and was a pretty big failure. I suppose I got the trivet out of the whole process, and for that, I’m thankful!

Have you ever quickly put something together out of necessity and it become one of your favorite things? If so, share in the comments below!

Have a MARVELOUS Thursday, you guys!

9 Comments

January 16, 2013

Silhouette Stitched Pillow

in Favorite Projects, Hand Made with 19 Comments

If you’ve followed House of Earnest for a while, you’ll probably know that my love for my dog is probably rivaled by my love for pillows (don’t tell her that), but this project brings the best of both worlds. A simple stitch on an open weave pillow covering is easy to configure in any shape. I considered a quirky word, but I’m kind of over ‘word’ art in my house. I thought a nice big heart would be darling, or even a more abstract stitched pattern for the design included would be amazing.

I landed on the silhouette idea in an effort to mesh something classic with something current and glam (like the metallic finish on the pillow) for a bit of design contrast.

It was very easy, and anyone with a spare 30 minutes could do something similar. I stitched it up just last night while watching Downton Abbey. I felt a little like Martha Washington or someone – darning fireside – but it was over in a flash.

Continue reading for the step by step!

19 Comments

January 3, 2013

Hand Made: Mounted Twig ‘Antlers’

in Favorite Projects, Hand Made with 8 Comments

I said it yesterday, and it’s still quite true today that I’m feeling as wintry and rustic as a ski lodge. These little twig antlers aren’t too season specific, however, as they do hang in my home all year.

It’s inevitable that when I post photos of my living room, I always get questions about the antlers. I made them quite a while ago, but still love the natural quality they contribute to my wall. You know that I love neutrals, and with a house slightly devoid of bright color, I need a little something else to pop out (literally).

Keep Reading for the full tutorial!

8 Comments

September 4, 2012

Black & White and Stitched All Over

in Favorite Projects, Hand Made, Home Decor with 19 Comments

A few weeks ago, I featured this bathroom on my Friday faves. I loved the simplicity of the design, the contrast between black and white, and the Scandinavian flair it possessed. I let you all know that I was going to use it as inspiration for an upcoming project and here it is!

Cross stitched designs are all over this fall, so I decided to create my own take on the trend using the inspiration from that beautiful bathroom wall. Burlap has a very visible weave, which made it really easy to measure and stitch these mini cross-hatches all over a length of the material.

There could be so many iterations of this same project using different patterns or colors – the possibilities are literally endless.

If you think it’s a project you’re interested in giving a shot, keep reading for the full tutorial!

19 Comments

April 4, 2012

Chic Glass Lamp from a Vase

in Favorite Projects, Hand Made, try this at home with 23 Comments

This is one of those ideas that really materialized over time. I remember seeing Christmas lights encased in different sorts of bottles thinking that the idea could be taken much further. Then it struck me one day in Target while looking at a vase that I thought would make a beautiful lamp base – why not?

This project literally took two steps, drilling two holes into the vase and installing the lamp kit. Drilling the holes was much easier than you’d imagine, it just took a special diamond drill bit made for marble, tile, and glass. You have to use water on the surface to keep it from overheating, put the drill on full speed, but go slowly (don’t push).

The lamp kit was all together in a little package at Lowes with everything I needed and instructions on how to assemble it.

What I love most about this project is that it was super low-cost ($12 for the vase at Home Goods and $9 for the lamp parts) and the possibilities are really endless. You could use any vessel of your choosing as long as it had a wide enough base to support the weight. I think I’m going to make my simple hurricane lamp a little partner for a chic pair.

Keep reading below for the full ‘how-to’ !

23 Comments

March 21, 2012

Dining Room Art

in Favorite Projects, Hand Made, try this at home with 28 Comments

During my house tour I listed new art in the dining room as one of the things I was hoping to update. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I wrote about art as a style splurge and about how much I wanted to buy a piece for my dining room.

With everything going on in the household right now, I couldn’t justify the splurge, so I decided to DIY a piece of abstract art until I could buy something that really caught my eye. I used a cheapo print that I had purchased at Home Goods for around $30. It was cheaper than buying an actual canvas, and it came with a gold frame that I really liked!

I wanted to incorporate bright, happy, and fun colors to lift the spirits in my dining room.

Don’t get me wrong, I still would love to buy one of these puppies, but it will just have to wait. In the meantime, I’m quite enjoying my little creation.

Have a BRIGHT and CHEERY Wednesday!

28 Comments

February 29, 2012

Have & Make: Dipped Wooden Utensils

in Favorite Projects, Hand Made, have, make with 129 Comments

I’ve been eyeing some fun colored enameled serving spoons for the better part of a year. When I was out searching for a paella pan a few weeks ago, there were a ton of wooden spoons sitting at the register and I just decided to paint some myself.

I just taped my line, used a little craft paint, and finished off with a high gloss food safe shellac to give them that enameled look.

Small side note, however, you should hand wash these, as any wooden kitchen accessory and be mindful of the painted area if using them to cook as it could melt or chip.

I love it because it can be customized to any color you could want! Wouldn’t this be such a fun bridal shower gift?

Have a HAPPY HAPPY Wednesday out there, guys!

ALSO- Want a look ‘Behind the Scenes’? See my interview today on Vmac+Cheese. I’m sharing so much including how the blog got its name, what’s on my reading list, and where I see my life in five years!

129 Comments

November 9, 2011

Try This at Home: Scrap Wood Make-up Brush Holder

in Favorite Projects, Hand Made with 17 Comments

A few weeks ago on a plane I was vigorously going through a pile of magazines that had stacked up. They’re mostly Elle Decor, Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, and House Beautiful, but I have some Vogue and InStyle thrown in there because I do work in the fashion industry and try to stay in the loop in that regards too.

It’s funny, though, because as I’m flipping through InStyle, what page do I pull out? Not an outfit, or a handbag, but a DIY makeup holder blurp by Sabrina Soto. I tucked it in my ‘articles to keep’ folder and was excited to get home and make it! Her version was pretty simple, and easy- just drill some holes into a piece of craft wood and done! I loved the simplicity, but wanted to add a little ‘wow’ to my version.

I walked into Home Depot and asked if they had any scrap pieces, which they gave to me for free! A little left-over stain, and some decorative brass ‘L’ brackets did the trick just perfectly!

I like my newest little DIY! It’s a little girlier than usual, but like I said yesterday, that is ok! I hope you enjoy and will try yourself!

Have a BEAUTIFUL Wednesday!

17 Comments