A Quick & Easy Fall Buffet Makeover!

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Sarah

This year I could not wait to start decorating for fall! And even though it’s still a little early, I just don’t care – I’m going for it!I actually started stock-piling up my fall decor in early August…. but I am just starting to organize and put it out now…. Sad in more ways than one, yes I know! 😉

My first task of every season is always to start out by decorating my favorite antique dining room hutch – or the “Buffet”, as I like to call it.This buffet was in my parents dining room for the whole time that I was growing up in their 180-year-old farmhouse, and then was eventually banished to live in the barn for a few years.

Since I have always been super in love with this beautiful piece, I decided to bring it home and give it a makeover. (You can check out the entire process, including before and after photos of the makeover, here!)

Now…. Back to decorating!

Step One: Clear off entire buffet.

Step Two: Add a pretty runner.

Step Three: Ignore the dirty mirror… for now!

I always, always find that the best way to start decorating, is to start with a clean slate!

After creating the perfect blank slate, the next step that I like to take, is adding my larger “background” décor pieces. And…. What I start out with is not always what I end up with, as you’ll soon see!Like my pretty runner?! I found this little guy in a super cute antique shop in Campbellford, Ontario…. I actually picked up two of them, so I have a matching one for my dining room table. Hopefully I’ll get to my fall table setting sometime soon! (If you are looking for ideas for the perfect fall table setting, check out my post on How To Create The Perfect Table Setting!)

Again… ignore the dirty mirror – we’ll fix that guy later! 😉

Next I start dressing up my larger pieces, by adding accents and playing around with the details.

I actually used all Dollar Store stuff to dress up this piece! Dollar Store, pinecones, flowers, and the leaves off of the flowers. I just jumbled them altogether in the baskets until I was happy with them!

I even got the pretty fake gourds and pumpkins from the Dollar Store!

I just dressed them up a little…. (How To Transform Dollar Store Pumpkins!)

Once I was happy with the above piece, I started sticking in other pieces of my fall décor, and switching things out, just to see what I liked the best! As you can see below, I ended up switching out the clock for my most favorite vase ever…. A decorative tin vase that I purchased at an annual flea market for a whole five dollars!

After I decided to use my favorite vase, I then had to find something to put in it…. It took me a few minutes to come up with the perfect thing that I have been waiting to use for a long time now!

You see, I have this crazy monster-tree in my front flowerbed! It was only supposed to grow to 4 feet, but it’s more like 10 feet, since the pieces on the top grow straight up. The last time that I trimmed it, I thought hmm…. I’m going to utilize this monster-tree and make it work!

The final steps for decorating my beautiful buffet for fall, were to add pumpkins, and a few pops of color! I know that neutral whites are really in this year, but I just had to add the bright orange pumpkins…. And I do love how they look!

I also added in my lovely antique insulators…. Three of my favorite pieces!And that’s basically it! Recap! Start with a blank slate, add a pretty runner for a backdrop…. Add in some larger background pieces, some accents, some favorite pieces, and a pop of color!

How To Transform Dollar Store Pumpkins!

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Sarah

You know those super-ugly pumpkins and gourds that you can get from the dollar store?!

OK, well maybe they aren’t that ugly…. Perhaps they just aren’t quite the right colors for your home décor? Well, guess what! You can transform those dollar store pumpkins into something beautiful that will work perfect for you!

It’s really way easier than you are probably thinking, too! I used chalk paint and acrylic paint, but really any type of paint that you have on hand will do!

Umm…. Step one – Ditch the toddler!!!! Just kidding! (Maybe!)

Ok, step one for real now! The first thing that you want to do is mix up your base coat. I had some white chalk paint on hand, so I just simply added some dark green acrylic paint to it, until I created a color that I was happy with. Kind of like a mossy-mint green, I guess?! Next I applied this base coat to all of my ugly dollar store pumpkins. I actually applied two coats of paint for my base coat. This may vary depending on what type of paint you are using…. Just keep applying paint until you have full coverage!

Looking pretty good, right?! Definitely much better than before, but I still wanted to add a little more detail, so they looked just a little more realistic. Now you may think this is the tricky part, but really it’s quite simple, so don’t panic!

(Hey! Looking for more great pumpkin decor ideas? Check out White Painted Pumpkins and Milk Glass!)

I just picked out the accent colors that I wanted to add to my mossy-mint pumpkins, and put a dab of each color onto my pallet – uh, I mean mason jar lid! I then dabbed a little of each color onto my paint brush. The secret to get everything blended so well is to keep using the same paint brush for all of the colors, without rinsing in between.

I then started applying the accent colors inside the grooves of my pumpkins. Then I went back to each groove and “brushed it out” across the rest of the pumpkin, using vertical strokes only!

I just kept repeating this process for all of my pumpkins…. Playing with the accent colors until I was happy with them. I then went back and repainted my stems. Being the sloppy painter that I am, any extra paint that I got onto my pumpkins, I just “brushed it out”, and blended it in!

I then let my pumpkins dry.

And added them to my décor….

And I really couldn’t be happier with how they turned out!

Umm, are those fake or real?!

So go ahead and give it a try! Remember, if I can do it, you can do it! 😉

[Psst! Check out: The Very Best Tips for Cleaning Paint Brushes Quickly and Easily, from the creeklinehouse.com!)

HERE ARE SOME MORE POSTS TO ENJOY!

Faux Pumpkins for Early-Fall Lovers! (Like Me!)

Mason Jar Pumpkin Candle Holders

A Quick & Easy Fall Buffet Makeover!

Get This Burlap Printable Set for Fall, for Free!

A little fall here, a little fall there, 2016 Fall Home Tour!

*This post may contain affiliate links.

How To Create The Perfect Table Setting

Posted on August 20, 2016 by Sarah

Planning the perfect table setting for each season can sometimes be a somewhat daunting task…. Finding the right color pallet, incorporating different patterns and textures, and staying on budget of course, are just some of the challenges faced! The trick is to purchase a few all-around pieces that you can reuse for every season, and then just switch out a few of the pieces, like the napkin colors and the centerpiece, to get a totally different look for the next season!

Given the time of year, I decided to do a fall table setting in our example! All of the pieces for this specific table setting came from Amazon.com, and yes this post does contain affiliate links…. So, if you fall in love with any of these beautiful pieces, you can simply click on the affiliate link and will be taken straight there!

Ok, so now I’d like to share with you how I actually put this table setting together! Let’s get started, shall we?!

The very first thing that I selected for this table setting was the table cloth. Think of the table cloth as being the perfect backdrop for everything else…. Very important! I ended up choosing a dark grey table cloth for the backdrop, since grey just seems to be really in now! Plus, grey will go nicely with every color of each season (orange tones for fall, red, silver and gold for winter, bright greens and blues for spring, and even bright yellows for summer!), so this table cloth can be reused over and over again! Definitely budget friendly!

After looking at different colored dinnerware, I decided to simply go with a neutral cream colored dinnerware set, because let’s face it…. cream goes with anything! And since I am also totally in love with the simplicity of it, I decided to bring in a cream colored pitcher to use as a water pitcher. Doing this makes the cream color pieces a little more abundant and helps them to stand out a little more, rather than getting lost among the other pieces.

So now let’s do a mini-recap: we have a grey table cloth to use as the perfect backdrop, and we also have some very simple and neutral pieces…. So the next element I wanted to bring into this table setting was one to give it a more natural, and slightly rustic feel, while still keeping it somewhat modern looking at the same time…. So in come the wooden pieces!

I love, love, love the wooden plate chargers that I found! They are sleek, natural and modern looking, with a little bit of “rustic-ness” all rolled into one! In order to help showcase the beautiful wooden chargers, while helping them to perfectly blend into the rest of the table setting, I was able to find a matching serving platter and a matching salad bowl…. Perfect!

Ok so, mini-recap number 2: grey table cloth backdrop, simple neutral pieces, and now we have introduced a new modern/rustic wooden element to the table as well! So now it’s time that I let you in on a little secret…. The very first table cloth that I had picked out for this table setting, was this crazy-beautiful, ok…. Maybe somewhat tacky, sparkly, shiny sequined table cloth! Hehe, so pretty, but not quite right, and well it just wasn’t working…. So why have I mentioned that now during our mini-recap number two?! It’s because it brings us to the next element that we will be adding to our dinner table…. A little bit of sparkle and shine! (My favorite!)

Sparkle and shine is somewhat of a necessity in my opinion, but as I’ve learned over the years, sometimes less is more! That’s why I decided to bring in just a few smaller pieces of “sparkle and shine”. I chose to incorporate stainless steel napkin rings, salt and pepper shakers, a stainless steel gravy boat, and a butter dish. All tiny pieces, but together, I feel that they bring the perfect impact to the table!

Mini-recap number 3: we now have our backdrop, simple/neutral pieces, modern/rustic pieces and our sparkle/shine pieces…. Looking pretty good, right?! Well we’re almost there…. Now we just need to add color!

Since we are decorating for fall in this table setting, I decided to choose the color orange to add a nice vibrant “pop” to the table! I was able to find this beautiful center piece made of bittersweet berries, (one of my personal favorite fall types of vegetation). It’s a rather large center piece holding three pillar candles, so it brings a lot of color and “pop” to the table…. And even a little bit of ambiance!

The final “pop” of color that was selected for this table setting were the cloth napkins…. I chose kind of a rusty orange shade that plays on all of the colors from the center piece…. Quite nicely, if I do say so, myself!

As you can see, I also added some much needed wine glasses to the table setting…. Because let’s face it, you are an amazing host/hostess, and by the time the big dinner-day rolls around, you are going to need a much deserved drink to help you smoothly roll through with all of the craziness! (Or at least I will, anyways!)

So, now that I think we finally have everything to bring our perfect table setting all together, it’s time for mini-recap number 4: backdrop, simple/neutral pieces, modern/rustic pieces, sparkle/shine pieces, and of course, color…. Giving us a total count of 5 different elements!

And remember, the nice thing about these elements, is that you can make them work for every season, with the exception of changing out the “color” element (napkins and center piece in this case)…. Which actually makes this table setting completely budget friendly for years to come!

I really hope that you enjoyed this post and thank you so much for reading! Don’t forget to check back in with The Project Pile for our 2016 Fall Home Tour…. Coming soon!

Easter Bunnies — Dollar-Cheap to Super-Chic!

Posted on February 14, 2016 by Sarah

Easter bunnies! Dollar store Easter bunnies! Ok, so the little Easter bunnies that I picked up from the dollar store are so, so, so cute…. however, their cute little pink ears, and their cute beady little eyes just weren’t one-hundred percent meshing with the rest of my Easter decor…. I was looking for something with the same cuteness level, but slightly more neutral. (Yes — even more neutral than an already white Easter bunny…. silly, I know!)

Lately I have been on a “White-Ochre” chalk-painting spree…. I’ve recently painted my antique-tin-ceiling wall-art, my serving tray, my buffet, and even my giant spoon and my giant fork! So I thought — why not?

It took two coats of chalk-paint to get the perfect look. The already-white surface covered super-easy, but the eyes and ears took a couple of super-thick coats. And just an FYI, when painting on this type of material, you have to wait for the paint to completely dry in between coats, or else it won’t stick properly.

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I originally saw this idea over at The Creek Line House! Only instead of using chalk paint, she used this really neat “Mirror Effect” spray paint…. and wow — did those bunnies turn out amazing! (Check it out here!)

So basically, you can update your dollar store bunnies with whatever paint you have on hand, and you can use any color you like too! It’s such an easy, simple and cute way to customize your very own home decor!

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I personally think that these cute little bunnies turned out amazing! I couldn’t be more happy with them, and I can’t wait for you to see them incorporated with all of my other Easter decor…. but, we’ll save that for another day…. So make sure you stop back by The Project Pile to check it out!

HERE ARE MORE DIY IDEAS TO TRY!

An “easy as pie” DIY Rag Wreath for Spring!

DIY Barnboard Bunny Family Art Deco

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful Easter Décor! (All you really need are a few good pieces!)

DIY Distressed Pillar Candle Holders

Hutch Make-Over with Chalk Paint!

*This post may contain affiliate links.*

Cranberry Brie Appetizer

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Sarah

Whether entertaining over the holidays, or during any time of the year, this Cranberry Brie appetizer is the perfect dish!

What you need:

1 wheel of Brie Cheese

1 cup of frozen Cranberries

1 Tbsp of Margarine or Butter

2 Tbsp of Brown Sugar

1/4 cup of chopped Almonds or Walnuts (Optional!)

1/8 cup of Kahlua (Optional!)

In a sauce pan, melt the butter, add the cranberries and simmer until the cranberries are soft. Stir in the brown sugar and Kahlua. Let simmer until the mixture is thickened…. for approximately 10 minutes. Remember the mixture will thicken as it sits, as well. Remove from heat and stir in the nuts of your choice.

Slice off the top of the brie cheese wheel, but leave it in place. Next, place the brie cheese wheel in tin foil, (this makes it easier to transfer out of the oven and onto a serving tray). Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the brie cheese wheel from the oven and place it onto a serving tray. Then, remove the top of the Brie cheese wheel, and place the cranberry mixture on top. Serve with crackers and enjoy!

If you are looking for another yummy appetizer to make, check out this amazing 3 Ingredient Crab Dip…. Its my fav!!!!

The Blitzen – (Aka… The best Christmas drink that you’ll ever have!)

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Sarah

The Blitzen

1 Oz. Bailey’s

1 Oz. Kaluha

2/3 Cup of Chocolate Milk

Santa has his little helpers…. and now you have The Blitzen! 😉

Christmas Home Tour – Part II – The Great Out-Doors!

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Sarah

Ahh… Welcome to the great-outdoors — Of my front yard, that is!

When we moved into our cozy, dream-home, one of the things that I was so excited about, was the pretty front porch that I would get to decorate! Since decorating a ginormous front porch can get a little costly, I tried to use items that I already had, plus lots of greenery from the back yard.

I made my very own Cedar Boughs with some wire and pliers. I then made these super-easy, 2-Minute Bows, from only one roll of geo-mesh for $10. To dress up the area around the front doors, I made very, very simple Christmas urns. I used my cheap summer flower pots, but spray-painted them all a metallic-black color to make them match. Next I stuck boughs of Spruce into the pots, and then tied very simple mini-version-bows onto the boughs. Last night when I was about to do my photo shoot, I realized that I didn’t have a wreath for my door — a major faux-pas! So in house-coat, high-heels (because they were the closest shoes to me??!), I dug out the ladder to find my old Christmas wreath…. It wasn’t anywhere! Panic-Alert!!!! So after running around trying to come up with something else to use, I found this cute, little, tin-bucket and stuck some old garland and branches of cedar in it. Whew — Crisis averted!

Matt, (my husband), was in charge of the Christmas lights, and I must say, he did a fabulous job!Below is my big, beautiful, grape-vine wreath that my wonderful mother made for our wedding! It’s about 5 feet in diameter, and I absolutely love it! All I did to “Christmas-Up” my wreath was add some lights to it, wrap it in red geo-mesh, and add a matching cedar bough and bow to it. It’s so sparkly and pretty… definitely my favorite piece of holiday decor, this year! Total cost for this front porch Christmas decor, $21.00!!!! $10.00 on geo-mesh, and $11.00 on spray paint…. Now, all we need is some snow!!!!!!!

My Dollar Store Christmas Tree! Wait….. What??!

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Sarah

This year I decided that I was going to make all of the decorations for my Christmas tree — yes, make…. and well, how did that go, you ask…. HA!

So umm…. scratch that!

Welcome to my new post…. about how to decorate your Christmas tree with Dollar Store decorations! Yes, it is possible…. and yes — I am SO in love with the results!

Before I get to far into my post, I would like to point out that my inspiration for this tree, my burlap garland, did not come from the dollar store…. but it was the perfect foundation for me to build my dollar store decorations upon!

The colors that I selected to go with my burlap garland were 1. Silver, 2. White, and 3. Red. The reason why I chose these colors is because I knew that they would be easy to find… plus they are just like, so pretty!

I was able to find the cutest (and sparkly-est!) Silver ornaments at the dollar store…. pine-cones, sparkly stars, snowflakes, angels, bells, and my star-tree-topper, (also sparkly!). Then I found glittery, wispy fake-flower-thingies that came in both silver and red! To add white into the mixture, I found these other snow-ball fake-flower-thingies…. perfect!

Now I must say, my tree does look a million times better in person…. but I still had to share. Maybe I’ll find that shiny new camera under the tree, Christmas morning?! (Hint, hint Matt!) 😉

The 2-Minute Bow!

Posted on November 22, 2015 by Sarah

This is seriously, the easiest bow to make — Ever!!! And the best part is…. that it takes only two minutes to make, and it looks totally professional!

All you need is some geo-mesh, scissors, a pair of pliers, and some wire.

Step 1: Cut the geo-mesh into 3 inch strips. You will need 5 to 6 of these strips per bow.

Step 2: Take all of your strips and gather them in the middle with a piece of wire.

Step 3: Hang and fluff!

Done…. Yes — It’s that easy! 😉

Cedar Boughs! – A How-To-Guide

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Sarah

Why spend money on Christmas decor, when you can simply make your own? Here’s how to create the Perfect Cedar Bough!

Step 1: Gather your cedar bows. Cedar trees are a very popular North-American tree that you can find growing just about anywhere!

Step 2: Take your cedar boughs and line them up end to end, overlapping the ends about 3 or 4 inches. Layer as many boughs as you like on top of each other until you get a nice “full” look.

Step 3: Cut about a 3 or 4 inch strip of wire and wrap it around the bow ends. Take the ends of the wire in a pair of pliers, and twist. (Be careful, if you twist the wire too much it may break off!)

Step 4: Hang and decorate as you please! 🙂