31 Days of Pinterest: Day 17 Beadboard Art Clip Holder thingy

I'm not sure what exactly to call this, besides a pretty easy way to display art on a rotating basis. So, we'll just go with "Beadboard Art Clip Holder thingy", unless someone can come up with a better name.

I wanted something like this in the laundry room both as a trial run, and because it'd help finish the room off.

This is a combination of a few ideas I've seen around the Internet.

I like the look of the IKEA Diginet wire with clips look:

(found on The Daily Buzz)

I also like the look of using something more natural, like clothesline or twine and clothespins:

(found on The View From Here)

But I wanted something neutral colored between the pictures/art/whatever that I put up and the wall, which is a light aqua blue. When I found this pin, I knew it would work--and even better, I had everything I needed on hand to make it.

(via the {This is Glamorous} blog)

I went in the basement to scope out our leftover beadboard from the wraparound porch ceiling.

There was one that was shorter than the rest, and I only needed 2 pieces that measured about 36" each, so I checked to make sure it was fairly straight.

Then I measured and made my cuts and lined the 2 pieces up to be sure everything was hunky-dory.

After that, it was time to put the 2 pieces together. This kind of beadboard is a tongue and groove design, so it should be as easy as putting them together. Mostly it is, but these 2 pieces needed a little bit of persuasion with a hammer.

In the past when I've used this beadboard to make things with, I've either glued the pieces together as insurance or nailed some braces made of lattice on the back. In this case, I'm just playing the odds and hoping it holds.

The paint that was on the boards already almost matches the trim throughout the house, but was a little dirty, so I gave it a quick once-over with some Rustoleum spray paint in Heirloom White and let it dry overnight. I didn't bother priming it first because it was more to make it uniform in color without a lot of fuss.

The next day I drilled some pilot holes for the longer screws I was going to use. They're cabinet screws, so I know they'll hold this up just fine.
Then I made sure it was level before screwing it in tight.

I drilled some pilot holes for the cup hangers and screwed those in.

I didn't measure how far apart to put the holes; I just made sure they were on the same level.

Then it was time to get the binder clips and some art on there.

These are pictures from a 2009 Art page-a-day calendar that I liked. I love that I can change out the art whenever I want without having to mess around with a frame.

To see my other 31 Days of Pinterest projects, click on the image below, and it will take you to my original post.

31 Days of Pinterest: Day 14 Wood Valance Window Treatment

This project wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it might be. Mostly because I didn't add any cool moulding or doo-dads, but hey.

I can't remember if I originally saw this one on Pinterest or over on the I Heart Naptime blog (which I read), but either way, it's one of those projects that add some visual oomph to a room without much effort.

I used a pre-cut 48" 1"x6" aspen board and 2 pieces of scrap wood from another project. The scrap wood was also from a 1x6, so I didn't have to cut them.

Last summer when I was deconstructing our master bedroom closet, I saved the pole holders in case I decided to do a double rod configuration. I didn't, so I decided this would be a good project to re-use them on. I screwed them in about the center of the scrap wood pieces.

Then I fastened the scrap wood sides to the main board using Elmer's Wood Glue and corner brackets.

I also had a closet clothes pole from the closet re-do, and it was almost the perfect length. I marked the length and cut it with the chop saw.

Before I went too much farther, I put everything together to make sure everything was straight and level.

I let the glue set overnight and had the Kid pick up some more brackets for me. She couldn't find the ones I'd used, but did find some other L-brackets. I put those on the sides and removed the corner brackets and used those to fasten the wooden valance to the wall instead.

Finally it was time to get out the table runner that I was going to use as a valance.

I found it at Goodwill for $1.99. Seriously.

I used curtain rings that clipped on to the fabric and threaded it on the clothes pole and put it into place.

I haven't decided whether to paint the wood or not yet. I like the natural wood, so I'm probably just going to leave it for now. And just like that, I'm one step closer to being done with the laundry room (!!!).

To see my other 31 Days of Pinterest projects, click on the image below, and it will take you to my original post.

365 Photos Day 287

287/365

Every so often I have to remind myself that it's only when I'm actually ready that things/people/whatever magically appear in my life. That perhaps I'm a bit impatient sometimes and need to remember that everything will work out fairly well in the end if I just let it.

I'd been searching for the perfect valance/curtain for the laundry room for a few months. It wasn't until I decided that maybe I'd just let the window stay as it was that this showed up. It's actually a table runner (I think), but with the help of some curtain clips and a little DIY on my part, I now have the perfect valance/curtain in the laundry room and am now one step closer to crossing it off my 2011 Home Improvement Project list.

31 Days of Pinterest: Day 1 Laundry Room Subway Art

One of my main projects during the 2011 Home Improvement Season has been to repaint and redo the laundry room.

It started out orange, which I loved, with a black & white vinyl floor, which I don't love. The counter top is an aqua blue with boomerangs, kind of like a retro laundromat. It all worked together, but I was in the mood for a change.

So, I painted it a dark green last fall, and had intended to do the walls with board and batten and paint it a creamy white to match the existing trim. Unfortuately, I only got as far as getting the dark green up, which can be seen here.

I was sure this was a good thing. But then I decided to take down the cabinet over the sink because hey, it's not like I could reach anything in it anyway (I'm short). After removing the upper cabinet, it became apparent that the corner drywall had been crushed in spots when the cabinet had been installed. We had to have the drywallers come back in and fix it. By then it was Christmas 2010, and too late in the year to paint (we're in Minnesota. No way am I opening the windows in December to paint.)

Over the winter (long, long, long winter), I lived with the laundry room being two-toned and dark. Around Easter 2011, I reconsidered my dark green idea and decided to go with a lighter aqua blue. Even with just the 2 coats of primer on, it looked so much better.

Once I finished re-painting the walls, then I started to think about putting up artwork in there, even though I'm pretty much the only person who spends time in there.

When I came across this free laundry room printable over at the Simple Crafter's site, I immediately saved it, because seriously...PERFECT!!!! The colors weren't ones I'd have thought to use together, but they work.

My darling husband Steve printed off a poster size of this for me (24"x 36"), and I got a spiffy poster frame at Target. I wanted one that looked like a picture frame, and it was about $25. It was even the exact measurements of the poster, so I didn't even have to do any trimming. Good thing, too, because I really didn't want to.

I hung it over the sink, so it's visible from the hallway, and even though we're the only ones who really see it, it makes me happy.

To see my other 31 Days of Pinterest projects, click on the image below, and it will take you to my original post.