Two DIY Projects So Easy It’s Embarrassing

I am not hip to the DIY vibe. I guess I’m not really hip to any vibe as evidenced by the fact that I didn’t know what YOLO meant until I finally sat down and googled it yesterday (I was disappointed).

There are a few things I’ve managed, however, though I have to admit that most projects (including these) are also thanks to Baby Daddy who loves to stick his nose into my DIY business so it “gets done right.” I’d be annoyed, but then I’d also be sad it’s crooked and stuck together with the wrong paste.

Here are my two projects most asked about as of late.

Polaroid Window Frame

My inspiration for this project stems from my very first pin on my very first day of Pinterest. I saw it and said I MUST DO THIS. A year later, I finally did.

The first thing you need to do for this project is find an old window frame. I found mine at our local antique store for $3.00. Often you’ll see them on the side of the road, free, for trash pick up.

I actually ended up getting two frames. I used the one on the left for this project and I’m still brainstorming what to do for the one on the right.

After you find a frame, you’ll need to break the glass. I was worried about this, but it’s actually really easy. My friend Mo and I did it together with two hammers and an old sheet. Make sure to pick out any excess glass on the edges. I wore garden gloves.

Once you remove the glass, install eye-hooks at equal lengths apart on the inside back of the frame. I chose small, gold ones that are not visible once the frame is hanging and decided on four rows based on the size of the frame. Don’t worry if you don’t know what an eye-hook is. I didn’t either. Just ask a nice man at the hardware store.

Then you will need to find some twine. I found mine in the basement among Austin’s fishing supplies. I’ve also seen it for a few bucks at multiple craft stores, but I probably don’t need to tell you where to find twine.

Tie your twine onto the eye-hooks, stringing across. Don’t knot it too tight. You may need to tighten it later to suit the pictures and space.

Now all you need is pictures and clothespins. In my original pin, the creator used standard sized clothespins. I wanted smaller ones and found them at JoAnne Fabric for less than two dollars for a pack of 24.

For the pictures, I imported photos I’ve taken into Lightroom and used the Aged Photo preset to make them look old. If you don’t have lightroom, you can find tons free filters on websites like PicMonkey.

Once you edit your photos, import them into a Poloroid template (or create your own). I used this one.

Make sure to flatten the image in Photoshop once you are done resizing. Then all you need to do is print your pictures (I used Snapfish penny prints), and you’re done!

I chose to hang five in a row, though I might tone it back to four like the original pinner. I also printed plenty of alternate photos so I can switch them in and out when I get bored with the same ones.

It really is a great way to display pictures, and a nice change from only watching them pop up on my screensaver. If you have trouble using Photoshop or are worried about creating the pictures, feel free to send an email to kate@motleymama.com and I’ll be happy to walk you through it.

Bricks & Boards Bookshelf

After Austin and I got married, we lived in a string of very small apartments with very little money. It was fun.

One of his ideas to juice up the place was to install a series of bookshelves that we so creatively call “bricks and boards.”

Much to our parents’ dismay, we have hauled these materials from apartment to apartment, totaling over five times carrying over 100 bricks up and down stairs and across parking lots. Thanks guys.

There really isn’t much to it, once you’ve found the bricks and boards. We have two different sets, one set for a smaller space (pictured above) and another set for a larger space (pictured below).

Advice from Mr. Fix It:

-Rearrange the bricks until you find a combination that isn’t wobbly.

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