Tag Archives: art

DIY Projects That Could Transform Any Space In Your Home

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DIY Projects That Could Transform Any Space In Your Home

When it comes to decorating a home, we all have our own personal style to contend with. Some people like to stick with the catalogue inspiration you find in many magazines, while others like quirky and unusual items to accessorize their homes. However, one thing we can all get involved in a little more is creating our own pieces for our home.

You may think that you are not very crafty or perhaps haven’t got much time or patience for creating things yourself. But, some things are so easy that you just might be tempted to give them a go. Thanks to websites like Pinterest there is more inspiration than ever before, from the complex to the easy you are bound to find something that you could do. I thought it would be a great idea to share with you some DIY crafts that could help you get started.

Homemade Soft Furnishings: All of us have some sort of soft furnishings in our home, so why not create some of them yourself. They’re amazing to style a room with and can help create a theme or carry out a color scheme that you had in mind. Here are some of the top homemade soft furnishings you could create.

Cushions: Cushions are one of the easiest things that you can sew. With many patterns online to help you cut out the fabric and even tutorials on how to use the sewing machine you can’t go too wrong. The great thing about this is that you get to choose the fabric, so it makes an unusual dressing feature to a bed or couch. Cushions are allowed to be loud and fun so don’t be afraid to pick out a bright and vibrant fabric with a crazy pattern. It could transform your living areas and make great talking points. Plus, they are one of a kind so there is no chance of someone having anything the same as you.

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CAT!

Bed Linen: If you are a little more daring or brave, you could take on the challenge of creating your own bed linen. In theory, it’s just like creating one giant cushion cover, but there is a lot of fabric to work with so you may want to keep with the practice on smaller items. Again, the best thing about it is choosing your own fabric so you can be as unique and daring as you want to be with vibrant patterns or unusual color choices.

Bed Spreads: A bedspread is a little different. Traditionally being thicker in material and something that is more for dressing the bed area than sleeping with. Most people tend to create a patchwork quilt for this sort of thing. You could collect cuts of fabric and design to create something totally unique. A quilt like this may be a more long term project.

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Flickr Image

Blankets: Blankets make great presents, especially for friends and family who have just had a newborn baby. But, they are also amazing in your home for those cold winter nights. A cute tip to remember for the future for when you have your own family is to keep outgrown baby clothes. Use pieces of the material to create a beautiful patchwork blanket that could be a keepsake for years to come.

DIY Touches to Already Existing Items:

Sometimes we don’t have the time to create DIY items from scratch, but that doesn’t mean that your home interior can’t have that DIY touch. This is when you could get creative with existing items in your home.

Twinkly Lights: Everything looks better by fairy light glow, am I right? Especially at this time of year where the twinkly lights are out in full force. But, this kind of lighting doesn’t have to be reserved for Christmas. Adding some cute fairy lights to a bed headboard makes a bedroom feel cozier and more inviting. You could even add some twinkly lights to shelves, plants (my dad put lights on a fern this year, lol), or large pictures that hang on the walls.

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 Pixabay Image

Embellishments: If you love having a bit of bling to shine through your home, then get a little handy with gems and a glue gun. Add some gems to an existing lampshade, a shelf, or even a desk area. Hot glue guns and adhesives are easily purchased online and can be very simple to use. You could also add embellishments to clothes or other DIY projects you are making like blankets or cushion covers.

Add Some Personalized Artwork to Your Home:

Finally, nothing is more personal than art. We all have our own taste, ranging from textured paintings, canvas drawings, or real life photographs. Use this in abundance and create your own DIY projects to decorate your home with art.

DIY Canvas Prints: If you have a talent for art why not use it? Blank canvases are easily purchased, giving you that chance to create something from the heart. Perhaps you love bright and vibrant brushstrokes of paint, or something a little more delicate like a portrait or a painted landscape. Using your talent to create a piece of artwork for your home is satisfying (Especially when someone might compliment you on it!). It’s a great way to continue a theme or color scheme in any room decoration.

Photo Montage Wall: If you prefer the real life side of art and you have a passion for photography, then why not get a little snap happy with your camera more often and take those pictures. Create a photograph montage wall in one of your favorite rooms. You could use a theme of black and white prints with matching frames, or just go a little crazy and place random shots in no order. It’s such a personal thing and should invoke happy memories every time you look at it.

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 So sweet.

Think About the Lighting: Finally, one last thing that you can do is open up your curtains to let the natural light in. It can transform a room. Even on the darkest of days that we are getting this winter, you will still be able to make the most of the midday light.

I hope this has inspired you to add a bit of a DIY touch to your home decoration! How do you DIY? What was your biggest DIY epic fail? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Pexels

Must-Have Tools For The Serious DIY Lover

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DIY enthusiasts can be found all over. Some people start doing DIY out of necessity but soon find that they love it. Others try their hand at some tasks because they think it will be fun and they discover that it is. Some people do a bit of casual DIY, but a few can get really into it. Serious DIYers will start with fixing a few things but will soon find themselves coming up with their own projects that they carry out. They will happily invent something to make or improve upon if they get to do some DIY. These people need to make sure they have the right tools. They need something a little more powerful than the standard items to make sure that they are making the most of their DIY. Like some of these, for example:

Power Sanders: Any DIY enthusiast worth their salt who likes to work with wood needs to have a power sander. Sure, using sandpaper is excellent for finishing something off, but you don’t want to do everything by hand when you have a huge project to tackle. If you want to take on a big project, you’ll need something more powerful to help you out. Sanding will help to prepare a surface or finish it off at the end of a project. There are different types of sanders to consider, though, so it’s important to get the right one. They include belt, disk, pad and random orbit sanders.

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 Handy is dandy!

Impact Drivers: If you’re a fan of DIY, you’re likely to have a power drill or screwdriver. However, if you’re serious about DIY, you should consider getting an impact driver. An impact driver is like a power screwdriver but with much more weight behind it. It has more force behind it, allowing you to drive a screw further into any surface. You can find out more about impact drivers on any good DIY or product review website.

Angle Grinders: Angle grinders are excellent because they will do several jobs at once. They can cut, sand, grind, and polish materials. If you’re a DIY enthusiast with a limited amount of space, this is the one tool that you should consider investing in. It’s one of the most recommended tools to have in your DIY kit so you might want to choose it over some other options. They don’t need to be expensive and you can find them at different price points from excellent brands.

Nailers: It may seem like a simple tool, but a nail gun should be in any DIY lover’s tool arsenal. Who wants to waste time with a hammer, pounding nails into various materials and surfaces? A nailer takes the pain out of the job, making putting in multiple nails quick and easy. It might be a relatively simple tool, but it can be one of the best for a dedicated DIY enthusiast. It can help out tremendously with tasks both big and small.

Odds & Ends: If you are gifting for a DIYer but a new piece of equipment isn’t in your budget, why not assemble a package of odds and ends? Those little somethings that people who DIY can’t get enough of. It could be a Socket Head Cap Screw, magnetic wristbands to hold nails, or even blueprint paper. Whatever you choose, it is sure to be well used.

Anyone who loves DIY should make sure that they have the best tools for carrying out their work. If you take it seriously, your tools should be serious, too!

Easy Peasy Craft Tips For The Non-Crafty Gal

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Easy Peasy Craft Tips For The Non-Crafty Gal

In the world of Pinterest and DIY projects, you might just feel like the worst arts and crafter on the planet. But, fear not! Here are some fab tips to get yourself crafting in no time:

Easy Peasy Craft Tips For The Non-Crafty Gal:

Sometimes it seems as though the whole world has gone craft mad! Ever since the emergence of Etsy and other handmade marketplaces, people have jumped on board the craft wagon. But what if you’re not crafty or artsy? The simple answer is, you don’t have to be. If you fancy flexing your creative muscle, there’s a project for everyone.

Start Small: Like most things, it’s a good idea to start small. Find a simple project like an adult coloring book and go from there. Find a coloring book that you like and enjoy the simple pleasures of coloring in. And if coloring doesn’t appeal, find something that does. Try photography or give sewing a try. Look online for simple projects that are easy to complete but will make a big impact.

Find The Right Tools: In order to be creative, you need the right tools. They don’t have to be anything fancy. For some people, a pen or pencil is enough. Don’t go mad in the early stages. Take time to explore what you enjoy, then build up your tools slowly. It’s worth checking out online reviews and blogs to see what other people are using. Craft supplies are expensive so it makes sense to do your research.

Once you’ve found a craft you really like, it might be time to invest in the right tools. It may not be necessary to have something with all of the bells and whistles in the early stages. But as you become more experienced, you can save to add more to your craft cupboard. For example, a basic sewing machine may be sufficient for your early requirements. But as you begin to experiment, you may decide to add other accessories, such as a Singer walking foot, etc.

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Pixabay Image

The Fear: One of the greatest obstacles to creativity is the fear of the blank page. This is a combination of feeling overwhelmed and fear of failure. A common symptom is buying lots of beautiful notebooks but never using them. It’s that fear of making a mistake or messing up the page. The simple answer to this is that there are no rules when it comes to crafts. If you make a mess or a mistake, no problem. Just paint over it or start again. Some people bend their books or make a few ink blots on the cover to get past this initial fear.

Find What You Love: Finding a craft that you would like to invest your time in can be easier said than done. Look around, read blogs, and check out Pinterest pages. Find something that appeals to you and have a go. Don’t get stuck on one idea or technique. Experiment and keep on going. Strive to learn and discover as much as you can.

But a word of warning. Crafting is addictive. Prepare to spend evenings and weekends trying out new ideas and shopping for new tools. Expect to become a regular on craft forums and share your ideas on social media. And make sure to clear out some space in your home! Every closet, shelf, and spare room will soon be home to fabric samples, paints, glitter, and glue.

What is a DIY project that you are most proud of? (I welded a table in high school that I still have and I LOVE that thing!) What are some of your tips to struggling crafters? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Big Chill Kitchen Makeover

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Big Chill Kitchen Makeover

Hi everyone and welcome to a fun Kitchen Makeover edition of lifewithlilred, compliments of Big Chill! When I was asked to create my dream kitchen by Big Chill, I just couldn’t refuse. They specialize in vintage appliances that are sure to make an amazing centerpiece to get people talking at your next dinner party. There are so many darling choices to pick from that it was hard to choose a favorite! Shop along at: bigchill and see how I would decorate my dream kitchen:

^^^ The thing about my style, is that it’s very eclectic. There’s no rhyme or reason for why I like certain things and I’m never too concerned about creating the perfect match. Is my dream kitchen worthy of being featured in the top five “world’s most beautiful kitchens”? Probably not, but I sure had a good time making it! Take a peek inside my mind and see why I picked the items featured above:

Cherry Red stove: As I browsed through Big Chill’s website, the first item that really caught my eye was their Cherry Red stove – which shouldn’t be that big of a surprise! As soon as I saw it, countless ideas for a retro 1950’s chic kitchen began to bloom and I knew that I wanted it for my centerpiece. Yes, it’s one of my favorite colors but it’s just so darn fun! I love to cook and thinking about creating meals for my family on this little beauty made me so happy. It’s bright, cool, and the perfect pop of color for a kitchen that wows.

Kitchen cabinets: I like how the cabinets that I found are kind of shabby chic. They scream “1950’s starter home kitchen” to me and I think it’s really charming. Once you have true vintage style appliances line the ones from Big Chill, you just have to ride out the theme and I think these cabinets do it perfectly. I would change the color to a few shades lighter but other than that, I’m a fan!

Black dishwasher: Despite all of the darling colors you can pick from on Big Chill’s site, I didn’t want to go too crazy and stuck with a classic black dishwasher. To me, the color looks matte, which is nice because it lets the vibrant appliances like the refrigerator and stove do the talking. Of course, you may need the help of Ferris Plumbing, Heating & Cooling to get it fitted but that can make your kitchen refit even more convenient. Not all homes from back in the day had a dishwasher but it was a must for me because Lil Red does not do dirty dishes!!

Hand towels & wall art: I wanted some sweet hand towels to lay around the kitchen so I kept with the color red and found some cute checked ones to scatter about. They’ll be perfect for slopping up spills of wine, coffee, and junk food! I also wanted some unique pictures to hang and I really like the black utensil decor. The wall art is simple but it still looks sharp and stands out and I think they’ll make a great addition to my dream kitchen.

Beach Blue refrigerator: Oh yes, I love love LOVE this Big Chill fridge! The Beach Blue color is so vibrant and bright, it’s just delightful. I also really like combining this cheery blue with the Cherry Red stove. This refrigerator is pure fun and I couldn’t imagine how envious my friends would be if I had this appliance in my home.

Kitchen table: A vintage style kitchen needs just the right table and I adore the red and white dinette that I found. It looks like it came straight out of the cutest mom and pop diner and it really ties the retro theme together. All it needs now is a nice big bowl of fresh fruit and a vase full of bright and blooming flowers.

Pink Lemonade Microwave: For Lil Red, a microwave is a must. No one likes to cook all the time! I went with Big Chill’s Pink Lemonade microwave for my kitchen. I didn’t want to repeat any of the colors of the other appliances so I went with the pink, which is a color I don’t normally pick. I like how girly and sweet it is, though, and I think it compliments the other appliance colors really nicely. The Pink Lemonade color is more muted, too, which I think is a plus. A microwave any brighter would probably clash with the other items in my kitchen.

Vanilla walls: To complete my kitchen, I would paint the walls a rich and creamy vanilla. To me, that color is a neutral even though it isn’t your standard black, white, or beige. I think the vanilla walls would make the Big Chill appliances really pop and it has a great quirky and retro feel overall.

Ta da!! My Big Chill Kitchen Makeover! I had so much fun writing this article and giving a go at home decor. Please make sure you check out the other wonderful appliances that Big Chill has to offer at: bigchill. How would you decorate your dream kitchen? What color of appliances would you get from Big Chill? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Tri-C Fall Semester Update

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Tri-C Fall Semester Update

Helloooo everyone and happy Tuesday! Good news: I’m feeling much better after this past weekend’s concussion catastrophe and now everything is smooth sailing as usual. My fall semester at Tri-C will be done in about a month or so and let me tell you, I am SO ready for it! I have officially hit the end of semester slump so hard to the point that I had to motivate myself with buying a Starbucks drink yesterday before class to get myself to go, haha it’s that bad! 😉

I’m currently taking French I, Comparative World Religions, and History of Civilization this semester and have already completed a half semester Ethics course. My classes are alright for the most part aside from History. It’s a half a semester course as well and I have such an ungodly amount of homework to do each week for it…It sucks. I do like history, but the only reason I decided to take the class was because it was a prerequisite for a course specifically about WWII, which is my favorite thing to learn about. But unfortunately, when I went to schedule my spring classes I found out that the course was not offered online and it can only be taken on a campus that’s even farther than the forty minute drive I already make to my campus. I was SO PISSED! Had I known that, I would have never signed up for the history class to begin with and stuck with something that I really enjoy like Psychology or Theater.

Speaking of the spring semester, I am very excited for the classes that I registered for last week. I’ll be taking French II, Abnormal Psychology, and Introduction to Criminology. I’m looking forward to continuing my work in French and I’m lucky because my current French professor is teaching French II and I just love her! It will definitely be nice to be able to pick up where we left off in the fall. As I mentioned earlier, I love Psychology so I was so excited to see that Tri-C offers a course on all of the strange and unusual that goes on in the brain with Abnormal Psychology. I also was pretty pumped to see that an Introduction to Criminology course was offered from a sociological stand point so it was a no brainer to sign up for that too!

Other than my semi-boring history course, my fall semester has treated me very well. I’ve been repping straight A’s for days and made myself an awesome spring schedule to look forward to next semester! Then by the end of next fall, I’ll be officially graduated with my Associate of Arts degree! Yippy!

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You know how I said my history course has an ungodly amount of homework? Yeah, this post may or may not be a procrastination tactic on that so I guess I should probably get to it! I hope all of you are having a fantastic week so far! Where are all of my college kids at? How is your fall semester going? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nelson Morris: For The Sake Of Art

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Nelson Morris: For The Sake Of Art

Hello everyone and welcome to a very special article on lifewithlilred. I had the absolute pleasure of getting to know Nelson Morris, a teacher, an artist, and now a new friend. Nelson recently had a part of his work entitled the “1000 Faces Project” featured at the Cleveland Ingenuity Festival and it is currently being displayed at the Waterloo Sculpture Garden and let me tell you, those who can make it out are in for a treat. Learning the intricacies of Nelson’s artwork was such a joy and I know I shouldn’t be saying this but I’m going to anyways…I have never been so excited to work with someone. Take a look at the interview conducted by yours truly as well as some photos of Nelson’s creations:

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  • Lil Red: So the first thing everyone is obviously going to want to know about is your latest creative endeavor, the “1000 Faces Project”, so tell me more.
  • Nelson: Of course. It started when I was a student teacher in Middlefield, Ohio. My art students never wanted to do portraits, which I think comes from the social anxiety a student can often feel from the fear of making a mistake. I fought tooth and nail with them about it and one day I set up a still life of a plaster cast and the kids drew it. Something in them clicked, similar to the light bulb moment that I had during a trip to New York City to help a fellow artist. I saw so many people and all I wanted to do was draw all of their faces. This project is about diversity and the subtle facial differences that make us unique. What makes us the same? What makes us different? I wanted to find out, so I began making casts.
  • LR: Approximately how many faces have you cast?
  • N: So far I have 165.
  • LR: And you think you’re going to get to 1000?
  • N: Yes, I really do. At the Ingenuity exhibit I was set up on stage casting audience members. I casted thirty faces there and got a great response so hopefully I can keep that momentum going.
  • LR: Has it been difficult finding people willing to sit for you to get their faces cast?
  • N: Yes! The casting part is easy, it’s finding people that’s the hardest. I can transport an 1800 pound statue on my own and it’s horrible but finding people is much harder.
  • LR: How have you been finding people to plaster?
  • N: First I started by reaching out to my friends on Facebook but then I quickly ran out. I then started adding all of the people on the “people you may know” section – I sent a friend request to anyone who looked sane! That’s how I got in touch with you!
  • LR: I’m glad I look sane to you! But I do the exact same thing when I want more views on my site – a friend on Facebook is a potential viewer.
  • N: I’ve met some great people from it, too. One time I got to cast a group of fifteen people in the basement of the Fastlane bowling alley in Barberton after it closed thanks to finding the owner on Facebook.
  • LR: I didn’t even know bowling alleys had basements! What are some of the most memorable moments from all of the people you’ve casted?
  • N: I’ve had some creepy ones, that’s for sure – but I’ve also had a lot of really fun ones too…Except for the first cast that I ever did, which was on my own face. As an artist, you always experiment on yourself first, so I was home alone at my parent’s house and I stood in front of a mirror and started to cover my face in plaster. I had straws in my nose, walrus-style, so I could breathe and after about three layers of plaster I covered my eyes and did the rest by touch. This was in June and I had hay fever at the time and the straws stuck up my nose kept on bumping and tickling me and before I knew it, I felt a huge sneeze coming on. I tried to pry the cast off but it was stuck on there pretty good and for a split second I thought to myself, “great, this is how I’m going to die – with a plaster face mask on”. But I got the cast off and I survived! However, the plaster that I used originally was very rough and gritty and when I pulled the mask off some chunks of plaster got into my eyes…I spent forty-five minutes in the shower trying to wash it all out.
  • LR: The things people do for their craft. Can you tell me more about the process of creating a plaster face cast?
  • N: Well, the process was a bit messy to start because I’ve only plastered bodies, never a face. I used to use about six layers of gauze impregnated with plaster but now I’ve got it down to only one to two layers. Like I said, making the casts is the easiest part now. All you do is dip the gauze in water, squeegee it off, and slap it on the face. I’ve got the process down from a half hour to ten or fifteen minutes flat.
  • LR: What do you think the finished product is going to be like once you’ve finally cast 1000 faces?
  • N: It changes all the time. I think very architecturally though so the idea right now is to have the faces lined up next to each other, kind of like in the old underground catacombs. When they’re lined up next to each other is when you can truly compare and contrast them. I also want to incorporate audio into the project. I take recordings of the voices of everyone who I’ve plastered and I would like to make it so if you touch one of the faces you can hear the voice of the model.
  • LR: Wait what? How do you plan on doing that?
  • N: I know it sounds crazy but stay with me! I’ve played with this idea before with a life sized terracotta statue. The sound chip was solar powered so when the sun lined up just right the statue of the woman would begin to sing. But that was just for one statue – I had no idea how I would do it with hundreds of face casts. I started to ask around for help and the head engineer of 107.9 (a Cleveland radio station) told me about a processing board that might make the idea possible. I happened to find a hobby group dedicated to working on the processing boards in Akron and I emailed a member with the subject “For The Sake Of Art”. He replied and has been helping me with creating the codes and wiring to give the plaster masks voices.
  • LR: I’m so excited to see the “1000 Faces Project” in all of its concrete and audio glory. So, if you could say one thing to a young Nelson before he had a beard, what would it be?
  • N: Everything’s gonna turn out alright.

Pretty cool, huh? Not only is Nelson an artist extraordinaire, but he also teaches pre-k through 8th grade. How he has time to breathe is beyond me! He told me a great story about how on the first day of one of his classes he presented the students with a basket of one hundred pencils and a pair of bolt cutters. He cut off the eraser to every pencil because his students don’t use erasers in his classes so that they can learn how to fix their problems on their own. This goes along hand in hand with the mantra he tells his students daily: “Making a mistake isn’t a problem when you’re creating art work. You have to learn from your mistakes and adapt from them”.

Nelson is a self funded artist who creates customized pieces and will be selling replicas of the tiles seen in the pictures featured on this post. If you are interested in any of his art work old and new or have ideas for a custom piece, you can contact him at:

If you live in the Akron/Cleveland, Ohio area and are interested in having Nelson cast your face he now offers free house casting parties. If you can get five people to attend, he will come to you. But if you get ten or more people to come to the party, all of the guests will receive a free record of their face which will look something like this:

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I want to thank Nelson so much for sitting down with me for a chat because it was seriously an  honor. If you have any questions for my new friend you can reach him through any of the mediums I posted above or leave me a comment to relay to him. Would you get your face plastered for the 1000 Faces Project? What do you think Nelson’s finished product is going to end up looking like? We wanna hear from all of you, so leave us a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah