Creative and Clever Hallways

 

Good morning, and happy Monday! After spending most of October focusing on Halloween projects and ideas, I have decided to take a break from the Holidays and focus on my usual diy, interior design, and kids craft posts. So today I bring you some clever and creative ideas for tackling those hallways that you just don’t know what to do with. There are some great ideas out there, and here are just a few.

To make a bold statement in our own hallway, I opted for a neutral paint color that really packed a punch. Charcoal walls create drama, and contrast nicely against the white woodwork. A collage of family photos adds a personal touch.

I found this amazing hallway on Savvy Home Blog. If you have the room, why not go for a hallway library. I love this look, and you could even put cabinet doors or bins on the bottom shelves for some extra storage space. Image via Coburn Architecture.

Sometimes more is more. And this hallway is the perfect example. If you have a long hallway and want to fill up those walls and create visual interest, tell a story with floor to ceiling, wall to wall collages. Image via Elle Decor.

October = Contest Month


Happy Thursday everyone! October has proven to be quite the competitive month. I started off with a costume giveaway, then was honored to be a finalist in the Fiber One Snackcessory Challenge, there is still time to vote by the way, and now I am excited to be a finalist in the HomeGoods Devilish Decor Photo Challenge! And you should enter too! You have until the 28th to snap a pic of your festive Halloween decorations and enter for a chance to win a $500 gift card! Click here for more info!

And if you’re still looking for some last min Halloween ideas, head over to my round up!

DIY Felt Coasters

 

After making several halloween costumes this month, I have a bunch of leftover felt scraps. The thrifty girl in me would hate to just toss it all, so I decided to put it to good use and make some felt coasters! This is a super simple craft, even the little kiddos can help out. Plus you can sit and do it while watching a movie.

All you need are scraps of felt, cut into strips (try and get the strips to all be the same width). Then a little fabric glue or hot glue, and some time.

Start by lining the inside of a felt strip with a bead of glue, then just roll. Keep doing this until you get your desired size, alternating colors.

You can make larger ones to use for hot pots and pans, and why not even place mats?

Guest Post : Flea Market Shopping Guide

 

Good Afternoon! Today I bring you a guest post with some great pointers for flea market shopping, my favorite pastime! The folks over at Urbanara offer up some great tips for finding the perfect pieces for your home. Enjoy and happy shopping!

Here are a couple recent treasures I scooped up:

Aren’t they stunning? I spotted them, and instantly fell in love!

Flea Market Shopping Guide:
(guest post courtesy of Urbanara)

Here at URBANARA, tucked away in Mitte, Berlin, we are surrounded by a great range of flea markets selling the best in vintage fashion, to beautiful homemade jewelry and beautiful antiques. Ranging from the mighty Mauerpark, to the host of Turkish markets that dot the city every Saturday and Sunday, Berlin is a flea marketers dream. Let URBANARA give you the best tips for making your Sunday morning trip to the market as fruitful and stress free as possible.

1. Early bird catches the worm: This might be quite obvious but always arrive early for the best deal and the most beautiful items. Flea markets are becoming a really popular and fashionable way to decorate your apartment so very often the first hours are the most valuable. Get down there early to catch the bargains and find the best buys of the day before someone else snatches them up!

2. Think outside the box: Find new uses for antique pieces. Furniture is probably the easiest to do this with. Use dressers as sideboards, a sofa for Continue reading

Halloween Roundup

 

Good Morning and Happy Friday! So far October has been full of fun Halloween ideas and DIYs. As the 31st is quickly approaching, I decided to put together a little roundup of the festive costume and decor tutorials I did this month. Enjoy!


garden flower, lumberjack, hula girl


gold studded pumpkins, mummy candles, black drippy candles, paper jack-o-lanterns

And don’t forget there is still time to vote for my Fiber One Snackcessory! You can vote once daily, so please click and help send me to Fashion Week!

Our Halloween Decor

 

We don’t have a fireplace, so when it comes to decorating for seasons & holidays I turn to our buffet. It’s a focal point in our home, and makes for a great mantel alternative! This year almost all our halloween decorations are black, white, and gold. And everything is either from the dollar store, around the house, or an easy diy!

 

Here are all the parts and pieces, and how I made them:

I created the bunting with black construction paper, chalk, and gold string. A few bats are strung on fishing line and hung from the ceiling. They appear to be flying, and my daughter loves this touch! I also used the black netting, which originally held  brussle sprouts, to disguise our Jambox and make it part of the decor. And a few paper pinwheels and a crow from the dollar store make a cute arrangement to give some height to the collection. You can find tutorials on my drippy candles, gold studded pumpkins, and mummy candles by clicking the links below:

Black Drippy Candles
Gold Studded Pumpkins
Mummy Candles

I kept the table decor simple, and added just a little festive color.

DIY Lumberjack Halloween Costume

 

If you remember a little while back, I announced the winner to my Thredup DIY Halloween Costume Giveaway. It was a reader who had a great idea for a lumberjack costume. Well, this weekend I put the finishing touches on the costume and suited Sydney up for a little photoshoot. I absolutely adore the outcome, and I hope you do too!

The beard is essential to this costume, and it was pretty easy to make. I started out with three shades of brown felt. I used a piece of paper to create a template for the beard shape, and then cut the shape out of my darkest felt. To add some dimension and character, I cut several scallop edged strips out of the two lighter felts. Next, I used a sewing machine to attach and layer these strips to the beard. You can skip the sewing machine and use glue if you’d like. Once layered, I trimmed off all the excess felt. Then attach a piece of elastic for the band, and it’s ready to wear!

To add to the look, I cut an axe out of cardboard, and adorned it with silver spray paint and a faux bois paper. Jeans, boots, a flannel, and of course a beanie finish off the outfit.

Now it’s time I get started on Sydney’s halloween costume! After going through a few ideas, I think she’s finally made a final decision to be a cat!

And don’t forget there is still time to vote for my Fiber One Snackcessory! You can vote once daily, so please click and help send me to Fashion Week!

Things I Loved This Week

 

I can’t get over how adorable this Googly Eye Halloween Wreath is! Absolute genius from no. 2 pencil!

And this matte black pumpkin from Sweet Paul Magazine…. love. Simply, stunning.

Then, theres these gorgeous pumpkins by Alisa Burke. I think I would have had to make these with fake pumpkins, because I’d never be able to throw them away!

Sydney and I are finishing up some Halloween decor at our house this weekend, and I hope these beautiful pictures have inspired you to do the same! If you have a pic of your festive decor or craft that you’d like to share, please email it to me! thegoldjellybean@gmail.com. Have a fabulous weekend! And don’t forget to check out the Fiber One Snackcessory and vote for your favorite entry, which of course I hope is mine ; )

Halloween Jack O’ Lantern Craft for Kids

 

I was going through the craft drawer the other day, and I came across some of the paper lanterns from Sydney’s Alice in Wonderland birthday party. I immediately knew we had to make jack-o-lanterns out of the orange ones!

All you need is an orange paper lantern, some glue, and black glitter. You could also use paper, felt, or even just paint to create the faces. Personally, Sydney and I just can’t get enough glitter!

Using lots of glue, I drew on the eye and mouth shapes.

Then Sydney helped me pour on the glitter.

We put a few in Syd’s room, and they make the perfect Halloween night lights!

Easy Pumpkin Pancakes

 

There are a lot of great pumpkin pie pancake recipes out there, but I opted for a quick and easy version this morning. I made my usual pancake batter, then set it aside. In a small bowl I mixed 4tbsp pumpkin puree, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp ground ginger, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. The add the pumpkin mixture to your pancake batter, and you can add a couple more tablespoons of pancake mix if desired. Then cook as usual. I warmed our maple syrup, and added a sprinkling of cinnamon to make them extra yummy.

If you have a little more time on your hands, Martha Stewart has a great recipe.

Please Vote for My Fiber One Snackcessory

 

I am so excited to be in the final 10 for the Fiber One Snackcessory Challenge. Please click here to vote for my design, the Snack Attack!! You can vote once daily. Just enter your info, click on gallery, find and click on my design to vote. I appreciate all your support! If I win and make it to Fashion Week, I will be sure to sure the experience with all of you!

You do have to enter an email, but it’s only for voting purposes. You can see the step by step on how I made my snackcessory here.

 

Fall Centerpiece, Pumpkin Flower Vase

 

Sydney and I have spent this past week helping my mom recover from foot surgery, and when we went to get her flowers I knew I had to do something to make the arrangement feel as fall like as possible. Her house was lacking a festive touch. That’s when the pumpkins caught my eye, and I recalled a pin I had seen last week. So I broke out the carving knife, cleaned out the pumpkin, added a low vase, some water, and beautiful flowers. This is a simple way to create a stunning centerpiece!

Gold Studded Pumpkins

 

These studded pumpkins are the perfect addition to our fall decor! I was inspired to make these little guys while I slaved over my Fiber One Snackcessory clutch.

All you need is a hot glue gun, spray paint, and some pumpkins. First wash and dry the pumpkins. Then use the glue gun to create a design. I went with simple dots of glue to create the studded look, but you can make any design you’d like. Then give it a coat of spray paint, and you can even top them off with clear coat for extra protection.

Please make sure to use caution when using your hot glue, and only spray paint in a well ventilated area.

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