Art for less

Are your walls screaming I need personality?

#1 What do I do with photos?

Great website for canvas art: www.qualitycanvasphotos.com
This site you can order rolled canvas with the photo printed right on it. You can make your own wood frame and staple the canvas around it. For just a few dollars you can have a great piece. Don't frame it just paint a square behind it for more dramatic effect.

If you don't want to do rolled canvas upload photos on picnik.com and edit photos then print. Add thin simple frames. Check out the great photo idea in the photo above with fireplace. I can't wait to do this above my couch!

House taken over by woods

My cousin who is a missionary to Australia is living in a tiny cabin as they prepare to leave for the field. The house has log wood on each wall and she wants to make the place feel as cozy and cute as it should be.

First room the kitchen: Only wood left in this room is the log walls but paint in between a sage green. Sand all cabinets; paint a cotton white. Replace curtains with a pop of color. See reddish fabric with circles? Use something like that to add a country but contemporary feel. www.fabricguru.com is a great online fabric store.

Hint for kitchens... 1) buy new hand towels to add color 2) add baskets for storage 3) clear the counters 4) add shelves in kitchen to store pans or baskets of spices

Where To Start

Anytime someone asks me for help on a space I always ask to see a favorite item they want in the room. A painting, rug, pillow, or anything.
Are you wanting to redo a room or have an empty space and wondering "where do I start?" Go to the store and buy one item you love! Anything! This is what you pull everything from. I designed a room once from colors I had on a shirt I liked. The colors were great together so I put the shirt in my purse and headed to the paint store. Then every accent piece was tied into it. Go shopping and find that one piece!

Redesign my room

Ok, for all you readers that are decorating challenged, I want photos of your places. Send me a photo of a room that you hate and I will post the picture with design ideas. Even tell you where to get what you need on a budget or what to look for. Send it to my email crystal.elworth@gmail.com subject "redesign my room."

Thrifty Decorating

One of my favorite things to do is go to flea markets, Goodwills, and yard sales. You can always find something "ugly", so my husband says as I bring my awesome purchase through the door. But to his surprise that "ugly" piece can become something beautiful with just a few dollars. Then he is impressed at my skills and savings on his wallet.
A few things I have in my own little tool box that are must haves for woman on a mission to be thrifty decorators are: hand sander, heavy duty stapler, measuring tape, iron on fabric tape, hammer, screw driver (mine is electric, light weight), hooks, double sided foam tape, hot glue gun, black permanent marker, black and brown spray paint and a needle and thread. Always stock up on fabric you like that is on sale too. Now, girl you are ready to fix anything with this tool box!

Swap til you drop party!

Clean your closets, grab your friends, and trade your stuff at a party where everybody leaves happy and nobody spends a dime.
1) Invite guests and tell them how many items to bring 10 or more. Invitations can be made to look like tags. take card board cut into a tag, paste decorative paper, then print out your party detail and paste on tag. Hole-punch at the top and add string.
2) Tag each item with first owners name and description of item and selling point. Like; "loved the yellow purse just got a new one"
3) Set up. To protect dining table add a wide runner of kraft paper and clean boxes to display items for easier viewing. Give each guest clothespins write name on them. To claim an item clip pin to its tag. If multiple people want the same item, put all the pins in a hat and draw a winner.
4) Box up leftovers-donate

Menu:
Pulled bbq pork sandwiches, fruit salad, chips, pickle.
Recipe for pork: Ingredients; pork roast, 2 bottles bbq, 3 beef bouillons, water
Put roast in crockpot, add water til covered, put in beef bouillons. cook 8 hrs or over night til tender. drain water or save for soup later. Add 1 bottle of bbq, cook 1 hr.

Cute way to display sandwiches; buy small paperbags, cut top of bag with decorative scissors, place long rolls with pork inside each bag. Place bags with sandwiches in a basket on the table. Gives guests something to hold on to and catch all the droppings of meat. Yumo!

Tight budget

Many times what holds us back from making our home the place we love is our budgets. The first few posts will be on; how can I make my home a beauty without any money?, What can I do with what I have? What you need to get started. Hope you have fun and feel encouraged to make your little nest, home!

Get what you always wanted

On one of our trips back to the US I was determined to find the perfect office chair for my little space in the dinning room. I looked every where but the prices were crazy for a simple chair with a back. So with my little tool box and hunting in my in-law's house I came across this chair! With just some sand paper, black spray paint, piece of foam, and retro fabric on sale, I got a new perfect chair for less than $15. I love it!

What is "Your Little Nest" blog about

What is "Your Little Nest" blog about

Have you ever looked at your house and realized it has looked the same since your kids were little? You still have plastic flowers with an inch of dust? You feel like your house doesn't reflect you? Look around...do you have a collection that has over taken your house?
My mom was always into something; porcelain dolls, ducks, Boyd Bears, and now the beach. When people found out what she was into believe me the house became a show case of it all. I can remember bears everywhere. So many that no one could see the cutest pieces of her collection or the ones that meant the most to her. The house from floor to ceiling became overwhelmed by bears. She never got rid of any of them. The problem was as cute as those little bears were, her home quickly became about bears and not her.
So this blog is for all of you that need a little help making your little nest your comfy home. I will be posting topics on what to do when a guest shows up unexpected, quick redesign fixes, fix it yourself projects, before and after photos, family fun ideas, design on less than $100, and more.
Hope you enjoy!