ORC Week 3: Makers Gonna Make, Make, Make, Make, Make
I absolutely cannot believe we are half way through the One Room Challenge already! I just hit the third trimester milestone a few days ago and I am feeling the squeeze; both on time and my organs! I spend a good portion of my time these days resting and eating so I knew that this was the week to knock out as many of the DIY's I had planned for the ORC that I could! I planned a few big projects for the nursery and a few fun special projects. I have always loved a good DIY and the satisfaction I get out of making something unique, but I think my hormones are in overdrive because making things for my little girl has been the biggest pleasure ever! So far I have tackled a mobile for over the crib, a jungle leaf garland for the changing area, and the Craigslist dresser renovation. Still left to do is an acrylic float frame for the art that I hope to tackle this weekend.
DIY Nursery Mobile
As much as I would have loved to use a chandelier, the ceiling in the nursery is an unexciting 8 feet tall. I opted for a pretty semi-flushmount fixture, but I knew that I wanted that "chandelier look" in the form of a mobile for over the crib. The only problem was what I wanted didn't exist. I love a bohemian looking chandelier with stones or wood beads and I thought that felt balls what be a nice and soft substitute. I purchased 100 felt balls in my chosen color pallet from Easy, and two sizes of embroidery hoops, turquoise string in a size slightly darker than the walls, and some ribbon for accents from my local craft store (I plan to post a full tutorial in a separate blog post soon). I think the result is beautiful and unique! I left some negative space so that it still has the lightness and movement of a mobile.
My nursery mobile DIY
My go to source comes in all these fantastic colors!
DIY Leaf Garland
Garland inspiration from BHLDN (no longer available)
One of the things that I really love about my fabric inspiration is the curving and twisting foliage that is a backdrop in the print. I wanted to create that pretty movement and give a nod to the jungle theme of the fabric somewhere else in the room. While on Pinterest, I saw this gorgeous wedding leaf garland from BHLDN that I thought would be so pretty in our nursery. The only problem was it was no longer available. I bought craft felt in the standard sheet size in two colors, made a leaf template, and went to town. I later decided to add some spray glitter in a citron hue to add some more dimension. I only spent about eight dollars on the whole project but, it just took a lot of time in cutting and an entire season of Father Brown on Netflix to complete!
Duralee fabric inspiration with a section of the completed leaf garland
DIY Acrylic Float Frame
My mixed media art for over the crib
Float frame inspiration via Apartment Therapy
More float frame inspiration from Jana Bek Designs
To say I have been obsessed with lucite float frames is an understatement! The first time I saw one it was used to frame a Hermes Scarf, and the result was just so beautiful I couldn't get it out of my head! It was actually not my original intention to DIY a float frame. I had spoken with a few local companies but the lead times for my small project weren't feasible. After an evening on Pinterest and a visit to about five different blogs to see how different people had pulled off the project, I have high hopes that mine will look as equally Pin worthy. This week I had my acrylic cut and ordered the hardware so I plan to tackle this baby over the weekend. Wish me luck!
Craigslist Dresser Renovation
I showed you guys this completed Thomasville dresser last week, but it is just too good not to share again! We used Amy Howard High Performance Lacquer in White Perfection after we primed and sanded the piece. The tassels are another Etsy find, and I am in love with this pretty lavender hue! My mother stripped the layers of nasty paint off the hardware and then polished the original brass back its natural beauty. She should probably get some level of sainthood for this job. Speaking of my mother, she made this beautiful quilt for the room as well!
As you can tell, this week has been cray busy but in the very best of ways! Come back next week when I will be talking about all the accessories I have sourced for the space! As always, a huge thank you to Linda at Calling it Home for hosting this event! Be sure to check out all the other spaces taking shape back over at Calling it Home!
Happy DIYing,
Mallory
