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Spring Front Porch in Greens and Burlap

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Christy

At some point, I should publish a list of all my front porch posts, because there are quite a few. I LOVE to change things up on the porch for different holidays and seasons. After taking down my Valentine’s wreath after that holiday, it was time to decorate a porch in a way that would take me through until spring. Since we’re putting the house on the rental market in just a couple of weeks, I wanted things to look clean, crisp, and welcoming. Here’s what I came up with:

Last spring, I also used a combination of bright green and burlap; and you can read about that HERE. The green cushions I used last year were Goodwill purchases and did not survive the summer (too much sun fade), so that’s why you don’t see them again. This year, the green comes from florist’s moss, in the “B” on my door, and in the moss sphere in the urn. The “B” was SO easy to make–the tutorial is HERE–I just posted it last week. Amy posted the tutorial on the moss ball HERE and it was a little trickier because of the shape, but not by much.

The white urn was a Goodwill find, although the tag on the bottom says it was originally from Kirkland’s. I’ve been toying with spray painting it black. Any thoughts?

The house number porch pillows are an easy project–I just slipcovered existing pillows using the tutorial I posted HERE. The polka dot cushion is from one of my favorite Ebay stores–I buy all my outdoor pillows there, and the old window is from the Nashville flea market. The chandelier is from a yard sale.

I also planted some white violas in my two black urns–it’s still cold out, but it’s warm enough for them! I added sphagnum moss and tiny grapevine balls for visual interest.

The black wicker chairs are from a yard sale. I scored both of them for $5. They just got a new coat of black spray paint (I respray them pretty much every year) and they’re good to go for another season.

The plant stand is from Hobby Lobby, a few years ago. My little old wicker table finally died this winter, so I spray painted this guy black and put him out there to take its place. I need a little table to hold my coffee or wine (depending on the time of day while I watch the kids playing out front.

In the end, probably what made the biggest difference was that we trimmed all the bushes in the front and spread new black mulch. Well, my husband trimmed the bushes and spread new black mulch. I was busy doing something else (maybe hiding in my closet?).

Anyone need to rent a house in Nashville with a sweet front porch and a whole lot of chandeliers inside? Just give me a yell!

Happy-almost-spring, and thanks for stopping by.

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Posted in DIY, Home Tours, Porches, Real Spaces, Spring, Yards and Landscaping | Tagged Burlap, Monogram, moss, Porch, topiary | 8 Comments

Dining Room Makeover {BM Revere Pewter Paint}

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Terry

It’s been 5 years in the making but every room on the main level of my house is finally painted- YAHOO!!! This is such a huge victory for me as I really hate painting. Well, that may not be entirely true as what I really hate is the prepping and taping. I know there are million gadgets out there that tell you that you don’t need to tape if you buy their products. Unfortunately that just doesn’t apply to me and my “get it done” personality. I am a born ‘rusher’, I start a project and I want it done as soon as I begin. This is not the best personality to have when it comes to DIY home improvement projects and that is why I must tape prior to painting:)

I hate taping but it is a necessity for my “get-it-done” personality!

My dining room is prepped and ready for some color!

Another reason it has taken me so long to paint my house is because I am afraid to commit. I have a huge fear over picking the wrong paint color. I am so thankful for my girlfriends as they have an amazing eye for color and help point me in the right direction. This time around, I painted outside of my beige comfort zone and tried a cooler shade of grey. Revere Pewter is an amazing Benjamin Moore color with a tiny hit of beige so it was the perfect compromise for me. It ties perfectly into the rest of my home and as you can see below, it works well with the Grant Beige painted in my formal living room which is right next door.

Adding some color to my dinning room inspired me to move some things around. Remember that mirror I had hanging above my buffet? I have since painted that with chalk paint and shifted it over to another wall. My husband and I placed an open white shelf where the mirror used to hang. I am sure this looks very familiar as Amy and Christy both have this exact shelf hanging in their home, I guess I felt left out and had to have one for myself! Doesn’t it look so much better?

Here is the mirror before the chalk board makeover- sorry for the Halloween flash back!

My new and improved chalk board!!!

New paint and open shelving really changes the look of my dinning room.

I actually stenciled this jar because I wanted to create a fall “Thankful” apothecary container this past November. I tried to write down reasons to be thankful daily and I would place them inside this jar. I have kept it out because I love the burnt red color of the leaves and I feel that I still have a ton to be thankful for this Christmas. It is a terrific reminder to remain thankful during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

Lastly, here are a few shots of my holiday dinning room tablescape:

Bunched up burlap fabric creates a rustic table runner

My dollar store snowflake plates add a pop of red to my dinning room table

: I love adding greenery to a table

This belonged to my beloved grandmother (aka: Nanie). She passed away last year at 103 years old. I love having bits and pieces of her memory scattered around my home especially at Christmas. This is one of my favorite holiday memories as Nanie would light the candles and it would magically spin around.

Happy Holidays!

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Posted in Christmas, Holidays, Home Inspiration, Winter | Tagged Burlap, Christmas, christmas table setting, Dining Room, diy chalkboard, holiday, open shelves, paint color, tablescape, thankful jar | Leave a comment

DIY Ruffled Burlap/Ticking Tree Skirt

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Terry

One of my most treasured wedding gifts was from my Grandmother. She made my new husband and I our very first holiday decorations. It was such a clever gift since we were young and just starting out. We really didn’t have holiday decor, certainly nothing that matched. But, as the years have passed and our family has grown I have been wanting to update my holiday decor.

This year I decided to try making my own tree skirt using an old round tablecloth. I loved the red and white plaid table cloth as it was so I decided not to have ruffles go all the way up. I did want some ruffles and loved the idea of burlap since many of my ornaments are rustic. I then decided to add the ticking as the striping contrast pulls it all together.

Here is my step by step DIY Ruffled Tree Skirt tutorial. (I apologize for the dark photos– My basement work space is in need of a lighting makeover!)

Happy Holidays!

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Posted in Christmas, Crafts, DIY, Winter | Tagged Burlap, Christmas, holiday, ruffles, sewing, Ticking, Tree Skirt | 2 Comments

Decorating the Front Porch for Fall and Thanksgiving

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Christy

Good morning! Let me start by giving a shout-out (and a HUGE thank you) to Kelly at Eclectically Vintage for featuring my old North Carolina house in her Exceptionally Eclectic series today. Looking at her gorgeous home, and the others she’s featured in the past, I am officially in tall cotton!! Check the post out {here}. Thank you, Kelly!

**And be sure to enter our current giveaway for a hand-stamped silver necklace {here}**

OK, moving on to the front porch!

I was a little tired of orange after Halloween this year; not sure exactly why. I decided to change my front porch around for Thanksgiving, and so I headed down the big hill in my backyard and into the woods to see what natural elements I could find. I found tons of great stuff (and the dog found a deer!) and am happy to report that my porch makeover was 100% free–that’s the best kind!

The grapevine wreath with the burlap feed sack bow has been on my front door most of the year (because I love it!), but I dressed it up with the brown berries that I cut off my crepe myrtle tree.

I “borrow” from my crepe myrtle for natural decor year-round!

I cut some of these branches with tiny purple berries on them for my old, leaky watering can…we have several of these bushes growing in the woods behind their house. I don’t know what they are–if y’all can tell me, I’d appreciate it!

I used these same berries last year on my Thanksgiving table and to decorate my screened porch. The deep purple adds a slightly unexpected color to typical Fall decor. I twined a few branches in the grapevine trellis around my mailbox; the Confederate jasmine isn’t blooming at this time of year, but the petunias still are!

By the way, you can read about how I made the grapevine trellis {here}.

The “Thankful” bunting over the door was a free printable from Over the Big Moon. I actually made it last year and used it in my dining room, but this year it seemed perfect over the front door. The pennant is just paper triangles glued onto jute twine, and while my porch is a covered one, we’ll have to see how it holds up to wind and rain.

I took my orange cushions inside and replaced them with two large, square ones that I sewed out of canvas painter’s drop cloth. I used the CitraSolv fabric transfer technique to put “Give Thanks” on them.

The only orange on my porch now is the candle stubs in my “candle-lier”. We almost burned them completely down on Halloween!

We have an osage orange (or hedgeapple) tree in the woods–they’re pretty common around here–and I gathered a few to put in a pedestal holder on the little wicker table. I love how they smell!

Here’s the wide shot of the porch. I know you’ll be classy and not mention that my holly bushes need a trim–thanks!

Have any of the rest of you scrounged around in the woods for your holiday decor?

Thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in Autumn/ Fall, Holidays, Home Inspiration, Porches | Tagged autumn, Burlap, Fall, grapevine, Natural, Porch, Thanksgiving | 3 Comments

Numbered Seat Cushions for My Chairs

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Christy

Recently, I realized it was time to recover my great-grandmother’s set of four ladderback chairs. I inherited these girls from my parents in 2002, along with the Queen Anne-style square table that my mom and her “cronies” played bridge at. I think the set lasted about two years under my roof before I got out my paintbrush and painted them white (hide all your antiques–I will paint them!). The chairs have worn four different fabrics since they came to my house, and peeling back the layers is like a “history of interior design over the ages” class, but most recently they were sporting a butter yellow: Two of them live in my sitting room/office, and two are in my living room. Despite the fact that they’re geographically separated, I wanted to number them when I recovered them. I attempted to use the Citrasolv method, which is all over the blogsphere right now, but I couldn’t find a copier that actually worked with Citrasolv (note: I have found one, since that project, and it’s in my public library branch!). Instead, I started with canvas painter’s dropcloths from Home Depot. These are a really inexpensive way to buy neutral fabric yardage. Wash your dropcloth first, and bleach it until it’s as light as you want it (they’re not white, but kind of beige when you start out). Iron it so you have a smooth surface, and cut the dimensions of your seat, plus 3″ all around. Better to have to cut some off than to be left hanging! Or, just pop off your old fabric first and cut around that. I used Apple Myungio for my font, at 700 point, but I also like Century. I cut the numbers out on my Silhouette Cameo, using clear contact paper, because I had some left over, but keep reading if you don’t have a Silhouette and I’ll give you another option. Peel away the number itself and keep the negative, and stick it on the middle of your seat cushion. Squint hard and you can see what I mean! Oh, and press really hard to seal the edges. When I had all four fabric pieces done, I took them onto the screened porch and spray painted them. Yep. Just plain black spray paint. I used gloss black, because that’s what I had, but I don’t think it matters on fabric applications. Give them a few minutes to dry because if you peel the stencils away too early, you can smear your fabric. I let mine dry for an hour on the porch, peeled the stencils off, then let them dry overnight. Then, I threw them in the wash the next day and hung them to dry. You want to get all the excess paint off before you sit on them!

Iron the numbers on the reverse side, and use a pressing cloth underneath in case the paint transfers a bit when you iron. Then, simply use your staple gun to put the new covers on your seat cushions. Here’s how mine turned out:

Yes, you could easily make pillows out of these!

OK, if you don’t have a vinyl cutter, here are your options. The first method is to print your numbers out (actual size) on your printer. Using transfer paper, which you buy at the craft store, trace the numbers onto your fabric. Use a sharpie to color in the number–and be sure to check a corner first to be sure it doesn’t bleed too much on your fabric. Another option is to print your numbers out on thick cardstock and cut around them with a craft knife, making your own stencil. Tape it on your fabric and paint it!

Oh, and apparently they make fabric paint for these things–I just used what I had. Go figure!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in Before and After, DIY, Home Inspiration | Tagged Burlap, Cameo, chairs, dropcloth, numbers, seats, Silhouette, tutorial | 1 Comment

Dressing Up my Front Table with Fall Decor

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Christy

**Don’t forget to enter our notecard giveaway HERE; the giveaway ends Tuesday, September 25, 2012. (GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED)**

I do love Fall, and Saturday was the first day of autumn so it’s officially here! I love when it’s cold enough that I can sleep with the windows open at night, although my husband and I are still working through some temperature control issues that remain the most serious threat to our continued domestic bliss. I enjoy having to wrap up in a blanket to sit on the screened porch, and the fact that I don’t even sweat when I walk the dog in the early morning! Fall means hot tea in the afternoon, a pumpkin spice candle burning on the counter, hot soups and comfort food for dinner, and most fun of all, changing things up to bring a little bit of autumn into my decor.

Here’s my front entry table, dressed up for Fall:

I have a mantel in this house, in fact, I have a really huge one, but hanging above it is my most prized possession–the stained glass window from the church in which my parents were married. So I never decorate the mantel itself, because it just takes away from the beauty of the window. So I content myself with decorating the dresser I use in my foyer for each holiday.

Here’s a picture of the stained glass window when it lived in the formal living room in our old house in North Carolina. I feel like even the simple Christmas decor in this photo was too much:

My front hall is painted a taupe-gray, and the white chippy dresser that I snagged out of someone’s trash is set off nicely by the wall color. A dresser in the foyer may sound strange, but it holds dining room table linens and even a few extra serving pieces. The painted mirror is from a thrift store (read about its transformation HERE) and cost me all of $8. The dried hydrangeas are from my neighbor’s bush back in North Carolina, and the gumball pinecones (does everyone call them that, or is it just me?) are from our back yard when we lived in Virginia Beach. Why, yes, thank you, the movers do think I’m completely crazy for having them pack and move dried flowers and pinecones when we move!

The dough bowl was a wedding present from some wonderful friends of my mom and dad’s who lived on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. Sometimes it holds fruit in my kitchen, and sometimes it even holds bread dough, but it’s perfect for fall decor.

An apothecary jar holds mini pumpkins and gourds. Some years it holds pinecones, and some years I mix it up and use white pumpkins. This year I’m trying to use what I have, so these are faux pumpkins and gourds (I find that the real ones sometimes get moldy when they’re in covered containers–yuck!). A burlap strip cut off a feed sack brings a bit of brown into that piece.

The “Welcome Autumn” sign was on clearance at TJ Maxx last year for $2 and I thought it would be fun and add a little color to the wall. I had intended to try a burlap runner on the dresser top, but I seem to be running out of feedsack, so perhaps I’ll use canvas drop cloth material instead–it’s the right color, after all!

We’ll be posting some more of the fall decor in our three houses over the next couple of weeks. Happy Fall, Y’all, and thanks for stopping by!

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Centsational Girl

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Posted in Autumn/ Fall, Home Inspiration, Seasons | Tagged apothecary jar, autumn, Burlap, Decor, dried flowers, Fall, foyer, front entry, front hall, pinecones, pumpkins | 14 Comments

Monogrammed Burlap Tote Bag Giveaway Winner AND Sneak Peak at My Pantry Reveal

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Christy

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. We enjoyed an early worship service, followed by dinner and an egg hunt with dear friends. My hubby even managed to see the end of the Masters in his recliner–a perfect day all around!

Amy and I appreciate all the nice compliments on our Home Tours, if you missed seeing both our homes, click HERE to see the post.

And, thanks to everyone who entered the drawing for this monogrammed burlap tote bag.

The winner is comment #29

Sharon Hoham (who said)

Glad Rhonda sent me over, impressive site, ladies. Love the idea of a combined site, especially with your talents.

True Random Number Generator

Result:29Powered by RANDOM.ORG

(Thanks for the nice compliment too Sharon!)

Congratulations! Please email us at 11Magnolialane@gmail.com and we’ll get your bag on the way.

We have friends visiting this week and I still need to get the pantry redo post written up. Also, the chandelier I ordered only arrived tonight and I need to install that before the final reveal, because what is a pantry without a chandelier, I ask you? Still, I can tell you that I LOVE how it’s turned out. Here’s a nasty “before” picture so you can see what I had to deal with–lots of space but white wire shelving (which I am allergic to), and a big fat mess of my own making.

Yep. Pretty bad. I just love showing you my “before” pictures; it’s like showing you how I look in my sweatpants without makeup! Plus, it makes my OCD flare up in a bad way. Well, here’s an “after” shot just to get your attention:

Ah, much better!

In the meantime, here’s my old pantry in North Carolina (if you’re not sick of it yet), so you can see what I did with a much smaller space. Hang in there with me for a few more days and I’ll have it up soon. Meanwhile, thanks for stopping by!

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Posted in Before and After, giveaways, Home Inspiration, Kitchens, Pantry | Tagged Burlap, chandelier, giveaway, kitchen, monogrammed, pantry, redo, reveal, tote | 1 Comment

Spring Giveaway! ~Monogrammed Burlap Tote Bag~ Plus Updated Home Tour

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Christy

Wouldn’t you love to sling this bag over your shoulder as the weather warms up? It’s the perfect size to use as a large purse, grocery tote, gym bag, or to hold library books (or even the never-ending pile of kids’ stuff you need to haul out to the car every day).

This bag comes in natural-colored, lined burlap with a black script monogram (your choice as to whether to use your first or last initial).

To enter, just “like” us on Facebook HERE, and leave us a comment at the bottom of this post letting us know (and if you already like us, of course, just leave us a comment telling us that). If you were following us through Google Friend Connect, which has gone away forever then please take a minute to join up via Linky Followers over on the right and leave us a *second* comment down below telling us you did. For a third entry, just follow us on Twitter over on the right and leave us a *third* comment down at the bottom. Make sense? Up to three entries if you link up with 11 Magnolia Lane every which way!

Also, I spent a couple of hours this morning updating our 11 Magnolia Lane Home Tour {here} or just click on the link at the top. This is the house that we lived in in North Carolina, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. I can’t claim much credit as all I did was move in and decorate–the owners are the ones who did the massive renovation that made it the gem that it is today. If you like old houses, then you’ll love looking at this tour.

Also, tomorrow I’ll be posting my master bedroom and sitting area/office redo reveal. If you watched my master bathroom reveal {here} then this is the final piece of the master suite puzzle that I’ve been putting together since January. Stop by tomorrow to check it out! Here’s a sneak peak:

We’ll be running the bag contest today through Monday, April 9th at 12:00 noon Eastern Time. Good luck, and thanks for entering!

Posted in giveaways | Tagged bag, Burlap, giveaway, Monogram, purse, tote | 39 Comments

Burlap & Lime Green–My Winter to Spring Front Porch

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Christy

Are y’all getting tired of my front porch? I hope not! I like to post pictures whenever I change it up a bit, because I like to show that with just a few minor tweaks (and not a lot of money), you can completely update your space for the current season.

My goal as I transition from one season to the next is to keep it fun, simple, and inexpensive. I’m always on the lookout for pillows and cushions for the front porch. It’s covered, so I don’t have to buy outdoor cushions, but I often do (my favorite Ebay source for outdoor pillows is mentioned HERE). I also pick up pillows at yard sales and thrift stores and give them a good coating of Scotchguard to minimize dampness and sun fading, but even if they don’t last forever outdoors, the price was right!

I found five lime green chair cushions at Goodwill a few months ago; I think they were $1.99 apiece. Three of them were squeezed onto my glider and the other two are on my black wicker chairs (hmm, the wicker chairs will need another coat of spray paint come spring). I think the lime green really pops with the black and white polka dots and paisley. I also put lime green candles in my chandelier; they’ll get burned sometime over the summer, although I’m not going to be sitting out there anytime soon!

I have a mixture of pinecones and Osage oranges on my table. The Osage oranges are from my back yard, and yes, you’ve seen them before–I’ve had them in my outdoor decor since Thanksgiving (that post is HERE). They last forever and smell great.

The burlap is cut from a grain sack that I found at the Nashville flea market back in September. I bought a metal cabinet for my laundry room {HERE} and asked the guy to throw in the feed sack, figuring that I can always use burlap. I cut it into strips and tied it around the pillows on the porch, and also fashioned some into a bow to make a simple grapevine wreath for the front door.

The rosemary topiaries on either side of the front door are still left over from my Christmas decor, and hopefully I can keep them alive until it’s warm enough to plant them. I LOVE great big rosemary bushes in my landscaping! I thought about tying some burlap around the planters, but I decided that might be overkill. Just like accessorizing when I get dressed, I need to remind myself that less is more. Oh, and do you like my NRA sticker on the right sidelight window? I figure that should be even more of a deterrent than the alarm signs that my neighbors put in their yards!

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The little corner to the left of my front door is a great place for a vignette, although often there are footballs, pieces of sidewalk chalk, and bike helmets stashed there. Right now, I’ve got my watering can and a couple of grapevine wreaths in there. The grapevine wreaths were hanging on either side of my mailbox at Thanksgiving–see, I told you that I just keep moving the same pieces around.

My total cost for the front porch was under $15, for the five cushions and the four candles. And, of course, Easter’s only 40 days away, so it won’t be long before I show you what I do out here for the holiday. I promise that the Osage oranges will be gone by then!

Thanks for stopping by!

Posted in Home Inspiration, Real Spaces | Tagged Burlap, cushions, flea market, lime green, polka dot, Porch, rosemary, shabby chic, topiary | 4 Comments

Ruffled Burlap Table Runner

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Amy

My kitchen table (that was my grandmothers, which my husband calls the “bomb shelter” due to its weight…{sigh} I totally love it.) has a center opening where the leaves can go in to extend it. Over the last few years, the opening doesn’t close tightly and probably could use some cleaning painting so I have been in need of something to run the length of the table and cover the “crack” up.

This cute little runner that I literally whipped up hardly needs a tutorial, but I will quickly show how I did it just in case anyone is interested. I am hooked completely on burlap these days, and have seen in “blog-land” variations on these with ruffles, and I wanted one. I looked on ETSY, but didn’t want to pay $40 so I figured I could make one pretty easily.

The best part is that while I really don’t like to sew (but am so glad I know how, thanks Mom!) due to my impatient nature, I actually made this on my grandmother’s vintage sewing machine (hmm…is there is a “grandmother” theme going here?). Trust me, I have been carting this sewing machine around with me for ages and I am always totally shocked that it works perfectly. I usually borrow my Mom’s newer Singer but she’s busy making pillowcase dresses for girls in Haiti (a post on that soon, she’s amazing). However, since she took her sewing machine along with her to Florida for her annual “winter jaunt” so she could keep making the dresses, I broke out my fallback. Its amazing that my Mom’s circa 1970′s machine is just a newer version of my grandmother’s, if anything my grandmother’s is even simpler to use. I checked the instruction manual and the last copyright date is 1941, that’s how old it is. Really, they just don’t make things like they used to!

Anyway, back to the project at hand…So I cut down my burlap to size and just used fray check on one side and used the selvage on the other and then quickly stitched up some ruffles out of white muslin. (To make a ruffle you just make a center seam with a loose stitch, then pull one of the strings gently to gather the fabric).

Then I glued on the Ruffles to the burlap. I would have sewed them, but was afraid how the machine would handle the burlap.

So here is the finished product…super cheap as I had everything on hand, but it would cost less then $10 to make this, and super easy, less then 30 minutes. A perfect little project.

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