Oh the  challenges of decorating a large wall!  Well, if  you do not have large artwork—-consider grouping like sized accessories and wall art to create your own personal style in a big way!   This is my family room cathedral wall and believe it or not— the artwork is original (made by me!)  To create this vignette,  I gathered flea market finds and thrift store frames for a casual look.  Each frame was painted black and the photo mats were painted white (yes you can paint the mats!)   This gave me the ultimate opportunity to finally frame some vintage fabrics I found at a yard sale in New Hampshire years ago.  The road sign has sentimental value to me as it was one of the original signs in the neighborhood where I grew up.

The vase was a great steal at $2.00 from a church flea market and the two white bowls I found when I was featured on HGTV’s Longest Yard Sale a few years ago (another steal deal).  And the cow creamer was given to me over 20 years ago from one of my best friends.   What I like best about this decorating idea is that I got to go on a treasure hunt in my own home PLUS  it didn’t cost a fortune!

Stay inspired!  www.KathyPeterson.com

I’ve gotten so many compliments on this wreath—can you guess what it’s made from?   Coffee Filters—yep—coffee filters!

Supply List:

• Grapevine wreath
• approximately 80 coffee filters
• Faber-Castell Pitt  Artist Pen Big Brush–Deep Scarlet Red 219***
• Butter knife or other blunt tool to tuck in filters

Step 1.

Randomly “doodle” circles and swirls on each filter.  NOTE:  It is easier to doodle on the filters if you leave them stacked.

Step 2.

Fold filters gently in half (without creasing the filter) then scrunch to form a flower shape.  Tuck each filter in between the grapevines to secure.  Use a butter knife to tuck filters in tighter gaps on the wreath.   

It’s really that easy!  Stay inspired!  www.KathyPeterson.com

From the scrapbook to the wall.  Here’s a great way to show off your scrapbooking talent.  This attractive series of 3 family photos were mounted on mattboard so I could share family memories in my mom’s apartment.  To the right is a partial shot of a frame with some scrapbook stickers that my Dad helped me craft.

Stay inspired!  www.KathyPeterson.com

Grab a can of spray paint by Krylon and makeover your old dingy and wornout accessories.  You can paint just about anything from cups, candle holders, orbs, and more!

For a fun and unexpected look this Christmas, gather up some old frames and a can of spray paint and while your at it paint a few more orbs and let them dangle from the frames!

Stay inspired!  www.KathyPeterson.com  

Last week I showed you how to make this Christmas table runner so this week I turned this project into a Holiday Door Hanger!   By simply adding a bow (see earlier post on how I made these bows) and some wheat stalks, I now have a new use for this table runner.   How fun it that!

Stay inspired!  www.KathyPeterson.com

A few months ago I launched a designer series of stencils.  I have found that stenciling is one of my new favorite things to design with!  What’s so fun about it is that you can stencil just about anything from fabric, walls, furniture, place-mats, lampshades and even create a new look for your kitchen backsplash!   Below is a pic that just might inspire you to redecorate your kitchen in less than an hour! 

 For more information and some great how-to videos on stenciling visit http://www.cuttingedgestencils.com/kathy-peterson-inspired.html  

Stay inspired!  www.KathyPeterson.com

It’s that time of year when the Ghouls and Ghosts start to come out for Halloween.   Here’s a great idea from Krylon Spray paint using classic black and lime green to decorate your Halloween party tables!  And it’s so simple to recycle odds and ends around the house.   Find an  old frame, birdhouse, teapot, candle sticks, margarita glass and other odds and ends and revamp them with some fresh paint!

A little dry ice will also set the scene.  Here’s the recycled Margareta glasses made to look like a compote.  I think the crow is really intrigued don’t you?  LOL.

Stat inspired and have a “boo”tiful Halloween!   www.KathyPeterson.com

Every time I work on a home makeover, I do it with love.   But this makeover was especially heartfelt because it was the house I grew up in.  It was a lot of work covering 2,100 square feet and 50 years of accumulation, yet it was so much fun even though it took me about 6 months of going back in forth over the last 16 months—and worth every ounce of cuts, bruises, backaches and lots of paint in my hair!

THE KITCHEN MAKEOVER

•  Above is the AFTER of the kitchen makeover and here’s what I did.
• Clear the clutter!
• Repair the floor from water damage due to a leak in the plumbing 
• Prep and paint the cabinets and drawer pulls
• Paint the fridge with Krylon Appliance spray paint (follow directions on can).
• Sew new curtains
• Replace the floor with faux vinyl tile (although this photo does not do the floor color justice)

THE KITCHEN BEFORE

Are you digging this 1966 cabinetry and floors?  Well not me!   However, the cabinets were in great shape and the appliances still worked even though they had been updated about 15 years prior.   With the new look in the previous photo, this room now looks bright and clean —and lean and mean!  Come back again with another view of this kitchen makeover as well as the rest of the house re-do!  Stay inspired—you can do it!  www.KathyPeterson.com         TOTAL COST FOR THIS MAKEOVER:  Paint, Materials, and Labor — Less than $1,900 ($1,000 was replacing the damage floor).   Stay inspired! 

I have so many memories of of my dad—always wearing his khaki pants.   So in remembrance of him, I opted to create this fall fabric  wreath made from a pair of his favorite khakis.   And as part of the Faber-Castel Design Memory Craft Mix & Match design team….I found this project to be good craft therapy plus Faber-Castel makes the medium and color combos a cinch for any level of crafting!

Supply List:

• Stamper’s Big Brush Pens–Nougat 178, Magenta 133
• Gelatos TM Colors— Mango,  Tangerine, Green, Pistachio, Butterscotch, Gold, Lemon, Red, Chocolate
• Scissors
• Pair of old Khaki’s
• Artistic Wire  20-05 Brown
• Wire Cutter
• Round Noise pliers
• Paint brush
• Water spritzer
• Plastic or other protective work surface cover
• Hot Glue Gun and Glue sticks

Step one:  Lay the pants flat on work surface and cut one pant leg off.  Next, cover  your work surface with plastic and lay the cut pant leg flat.  Combine various Gelato TM colors together by rubbing the sticks onto the fabric surface.  NOTE any color combo will work so mix it up to make lots of multi-colored leafs!

  Step two:  Using a water spritser, sprits water over colored areas then blend with a paint brush.  You can always add more Gelato TM colors even if the fabric is wet and re-blend colors if you like.  Let pant leg dry.

 Step three:   Using scissors, randomly cut out leaf shapes approximate 3 x 2 inches each.  Make at least 65 or more leafs  for a 18 inch wreath.  Next, using the Stampers Big Brush Pens, randomly draw leaf veins onto each leaf.  Cut small holes into each end of the leafs then cut wire to the length between the holes for all leafs plus 1/2 inch extra.  Loop one end of the wire then insert into the front side of leaf leading the wire  underneath each leaf then up into the hole on opposite end.  Loop end of wire.  Bend leaf into desired shape then hot glue each leaf onto wreath.

Here’s another stencil I designed called the Vine. These stencils are so easy and fun to work with. I really like the white vines on the blue which gives it a light and airy look.

This stencil was inspired by the fluer de lis and thus I called it Fleur. And I love the way it frames the bathtub using metalic paint on white walls.

And here’s the Vine stencil again except this time, metalic paint against the dark brown walls really makes this small space look and feel so sophisticated.

For more info on my new stencil collection please visit www.cuttingedgestencils.com/kathy-peterson-inspired.htlm

Stay inspired! www.KathyPeterson.com