Free Printable Letter Writing Templates for Grandma, Pen Pal

December 1, 2015May 11, 20223 Comments

Family is important to us and we live a little too far from the kids’ grandparents for our taste. Now that both Dub and Eve are writing I want to encourage them to work on their letter writing and communication skills via snail mail. To help them (and your little writers), we use letter writing templates for kids.

Letter Writing Templates

I’ve searched high and low for letter writing templates that will work for young writers and have struggled to find a template with prompts that are appropriate for casual letter writing.

Many are specific to summer break (we love this one, especially for non-writers), summer camps and travel which is great but doesn’t work year round.

So, I created these letter templates that I’m really happy with.

The friendly letter template includes writing prompts that cover the things we talk about at home at the end of each day: what they’re learning at school, their feelings at the moment, and the best and worst part of their days.

I also added a “weather today” section, just for fun, and an area for them to just draw, which is their favorite part.

With different writing prompts the kids don’t feel like they are writing the same letter again and again.

You can find our letter writing templates for kids below.

More Letter Writing Ideas

Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins are the obvious first choices when thinking about who your kids should write letters to but don’t forget about friends that live close by.

Start a neighborhood pen pal program when your kids are preschoolers. It was so great for them to have friends their own age in the neighborhood that they could easily walk to visit. When they get older, they can write letters about shared interests, weekend plans and stories about school.

Another idea is for the kids to list things they want to do with their grandparents when they visit. This way, they can start thinking about and looking forward to their next visit!

If your kids are hesitant about letter writing, have them start with a postcard. They can be found almost anywhere (we even have some from our travels that the kids love to send) and are less intimidating than a full sheet of paper.

Another great way to ease into letter writing is with a fill in the blank letter. These are great for younger kids or those just getting started.

You can also hype up the writing process with cute kids writing paper, special stamps and some washi tape.

And don’t forget that you can always encourage your kids to write letters by writing a few yourself!

I hope these templates help your young writers and that you enjoy getting letters in the mail as much as we do!

Do you have friends and family members who live far away? Are your kids starting to interact with pen pals, or heading off to summer camp? This template is for you! I’m sharing them here for my subscribers. Enjoy!

Children’s Artwork Display for Less Than $5

November 16, 2015September 22, 20214 Comments

This is one of my favorite projects to date – also the easiest and least expensive: the children’s artwork display located in our Family Command Center – otherwise known as the mud room.

I wanted plenty of space where the children could hang their artwork and good grades with pride, without that messy cluttered look on the fridge. It also needed to be really flat to the wall, since the area I’d designated is in a space the width of a hallway.

Here’s how I did it:

Buy these eye hook screws and wire at the hardware store for less than $5 total (or spend a few extra bucks and shop Amazon at the links above if you want to save a trip to the store).
Drill holes into the wall where you want your eye hooks to go. Screw the eye hooks into the wall by hand. Then, wrap your wire around one of the hooks a few times. Stretch it to the other eye hook, pulling and straightening as you go. Wrap it around that eye hook 2-3 times and cut the wire.
I already had these cute little inexpensive clips on hand, leftover from Eve’s party favors.They work great for holding the various art and school papers the kids bring home.
Voila! Children’s art center complete in 20 minutes and for less than $5.

Mud Room Family Command Center DIY Kids' Art Display | Five Marigolds

As for the rest of our family mud room command center, it’s still a work in progress. I have dreams for this space!

Mud Room Bench Storage | Five Marigolds

Mud Room Key Drop | Five Marigolds

I found that sign at the thrift store. I think it was from a hotel long ago. I just love it! Mud Room Family Command Center Key and Mail Drop

What do you think of my low-tech art center for the kids?

Sources:

Rug, Homegoods (similar here and here)
Basket, Mary & Martha (similar here)
Door Paint, Sherwin Williams Tidewater
Walls, Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
Drawer Pulls and Knobs, Restoration Hardware
Key Hook Sign, thrifted (similar here, here, here and here)

DIY Canvas “I Love You Through and Through” for Big Girl Room

November 9, 2015September 22, 202118 Comments

DIY Canvas for Baby Nursery

Earlier this year, I gave a small tour of ‘Belle’s nursery that is slowly transitioning to a big girl room. SLOWLY. Recently, I tried my hand at creating a DIY Canvas for Baby Nursery.

After making Eve’s wall art project I was inspired to make another one for ‘Belle’s room to fill a blank wall. DIY Canvas for Baby Nursery: I Love You Through and Through | Five Marigolds

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Turn Fall Leaves into Roses

November 3, 2015September 22, 20211 Comment

I recently posted an Instagram photo of a “rose” I’d created out of fall leaves. I had several of you message me to ask how I’d done it. It’s easy! However, I can’t take credit for this idea – I saw this in my Facebook feed one day and decided to follow it:

Turn colorful autumn leaves into a rose bouquet - tutorial | Five Marigolds

Photo tutorial c/o Nicole Duke – unfortunately I can’t find her to link you to her online.

Collect around 10-15 of the prettiest fall leaves you can find, ranging from small to large. I put the kids in charge of this. Starting with one of the smallest leaves, fold the “points” or tips of the leaves down, making sure the colorful side is on the outside.

Then, roll it from left to right into a tight tube, with the stem pointing down. Take your next leaf and do the same, but this time wrapping it around the first leaf. Repeat this over and over, wrapping looser with each leaf.

With your final 3-6 leaves, leave the points up and wrap them around the outside. Doesn’t it resemble a beautiful rose?

In addition to the fab blogs in the right sidebar, this was also linked up at Tatertots and Jello,Savvy Southern Style, Live, Laugh Rowe, Nap Time Creations The Turquoise Home.and The Scoop.

Free Girl’s Room Nursery Artwork Printable

November 2, 2015September 22, 20212 Comments

I’ve always loved t his book by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak, and all of my kids have, too.

It’s hard to believe this little ‘ol blog is more than two years old now. I created it shortly after my third baby was born as a creative outlet for my craftiness. Today, my baby is a toddler and will be transitioning into her “big girl” room soon!

Recently, I converted the design I created for Baby ‘Belle’s baby announcement to create this printable artwork for her current nursery / soon-to-be big girl room.

When I see this hanging in her room, it reminds me of the baby she was, and of course these sweet words I want her to remember always.

In celebration of the two year anniversary of my blog, I’m making this art available by free download to my readers! If you take the time to print this for your sweet little girl’s room, please take a moment to tell me about it below. Even better – share your snap with me! I love to see my artwork in your homes!

Download the Free Printable here.

In addition to the fab blogs in the right sidebar, this was also linked up at Tatertots and Jello,Savvy Southern Style, Live, Laugh Rowe, Nap Time Creations The Turquoise Home,Tidy Mom, Elizabeth and Co. Vintage, Chica on a Shoestring and The Scoop.

Take One And Run Halloween Printable

October 27, 2015October 30, 20214 Comments

Free Trick-or-Treat sign for Beggar’s Night: Take one and run!

Every year for Halloween (also known by some as Beggar’s Night) I’m faced with the dilemma of leaving the house to trick-or-treat with the kids, and being unable to hand out candy to our fellow trick-or-treaters. I can’t be the only one with this issue right?

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No-Carve Family Halloween Pumpkins

October 10, 2015October 7, 202219 Comments

Family Halloween Pumpkins

Do you want some pumpkin decorating ideas that do not require you to carve them up first? I have the best no carve pumpkin decorating ideas the whole family will love!

At our home, we don’t really “do” spooky Halloween. We have fun, dress-up, and eat lots of sweets on Halloween. So this year, I thought it would be fun to make a pumpkin representing each member of our family that we could bring back out year after year – in addition to carving Jack-O-Lanterns in real pumpkins, of course.

THE BEST NO CARVE PUMPKIN DECORATING IDEAS

Frozen (or cinderella?) no-carve pumpkin

For this pumpkin, you will need:

5 No-Carve Pumpkin Ideas that don't suck! This Cinderella / Frozen pumpkin is super easy to make!

You will want to paint the pumpkin with the aqua matte spray, and allow it to dry.

Then, spray a light coat of the diamond dust spray, and allow it to dry.

To make it, I used Krylon aqua matte spray paint to painT a white craft pumpkin.

I then layered Krylon opulent opal glitter spray paint on top. I was super bummed with this though. It was gorgeous going on, but within moments it stopped working. I figured the glitter was clogging the nozzle and I tried multiple solutions to no avail. What a waste!

Frozen Cinderella Halloween Pumpkin | Five Marigolds

I went back and purchased Krylon glitter blast diamond dust spray paint. It was also beautiful and the can worked much better.

Once completely dry, decorate as desired with self-stick rhinestone gems. Top with a fun princess tiara, if desired.

Hello Kitty no carve pumpkin

For this pumpkin, you will need:

Pinter
Clear contact paper
Black and pink acrylic paint
Hair bow

Simply print out a Hello Kitty face on the printer, and place it over the clear contact paper as a stencil.

Paint the stencil in with the paint and allow it to dry. Add a fun hair bow to complete this look.

Hello Kitty Halloween Pumpkin | Five Marigolds

Minecraft Creeper NO CARVE pumpkin

For this pumpkin you will need:

Black craft pumpkin
Krylon emerald green spray paint
Printer
Clear contact paper
Black acrylic paint
Black craft pumpkin

To make this painted pumpkin, cut out a square in the black craft pumpkin, and paint the inside green with the green spray paint. Print out the Creeper face, and place it over the contact paper to use as a stencil. Place the stencil inside the dry pumpkin and paint on the Creeper face with the black acrylic paint.

Minecraft Creeper Halloween Pumpkin | Five Marigolds

Stud NO CARVE Pumpkin

For my pumpkin, I just picked up this black studded pumpkin from JoAnn’s I just love it!

For my husband, well…

He’s a long-suffering Chicago Bears fan (as am I). Da Bears!

What do you think of our no-carve Family Halloween Pumpkins? Looking for more easy Halloween ideas? Check out my Lazy Mom’s Guide to a Halloween theme dinner.

Then, check out my free printable Halloween emoji nail decals here.

Halloween Treats Round-Up

October 5, 2015September 22, 20213 Comments

Spooktacular Halloween Recipes

Halloween may not be my favorite holiday in the world, but I do love getting festive with my food! Here is a round-up of some of my Halloween treats and recipes.

Mean, Green Halloween Punch with Spooky Skewers This refreshing punch with fun and spooky drink stirrers is sure to please at your Halloween gathering!

Skeleton guts made with little smokies and your favorite barbecue sauce make a fun Halloween party appetizer.

Monster Mix Simply toss whatever you have on hand: I use popcorn, pretzel sticks, Cheerio’s, M&M’s, candy corn, and a few mini Oreos. Just a little effort goes a long way with this snack. I once brought it to a cross country meet in a ziplock with some plastic cups for serving, and I don’t want to brag here – but phrases like “awesome mom” and “best cook ever” got thrown around by my kids and their friends quite a bit. No need to tell them this took all of 2 minutes to pull together.

Frankenstein Pudding This one is as easy as mixing a few drops of green food coloring in your vanilla cook & serve pudding and crumbling some Oreos on top. Draw a Frankenstein face on the outside of your clear container with a dry erase marker.

Halloween Treat Round-up: Frankenstein Halloween Pudding | Five Marigolds

Mummy Pizzas and Hot Dogs It doesn’t get any easier than wrapping strips of crescent rolls around a hot dog and baking them, or DIY mini pizzas using string cheese for the mummy wraps, but it still gets me some serious street cred with the littles.

Halloween Treat Round-up: Mummy Mini Halloween Pizzas | Five Marigolds

I made the eyeballs for the Mummy Hot Dogs using slices of string cheese and cutting out a hole using a straw. Then, using the same straw to place a perfectly sized olive slice in the hole. I really did that. Should I be ashamed right now?

Halloween Treat Round-up: Mummy Hot Dogs with Mozzerella and Olive Eyeballs| Five Marigolds

Jack-O-Lantern (and Minecraft Creeper) Stuffed peppers are a regular meal on our rotation, so we love to make it a little more festive in October. We sometimes also stuff them with spaghetti when we’re trying to make our monsters a little more gory with guts.

Halloween Treats Round up: Stuffed Pepper Jack-O-Lanterns and Creepers | Five Marigolds

This year, I even made a Creeper Stuffed Pepper for my Minecraft – obsessed son!

Candy Corn Jell-O Parfaits These are as easy as they look. Layer orange Jell-O over cooled, firm lemon Jell-O gelatin. Top with whipped cream and serve!

Monster Cookies First, get these fun Wilton eyeball candies and then follow this recipe.

Halloween Treat Round-up: Monster Halloween Cookies | Five Marigolds

Caramel Apple Bar Okay this one isn’t Halloween, per say, but what a perfect treat for a Halloween Costume party or Autumn gathering? Learn more about how I pulled this together, here.

Even better, make your own to-die-for salted caramel dip!

Shop your Kids’ Closets for Halloween Costumes!

September 27, 2015September 22, 20212 Comments

DIY HALLOWEEN Costumes FOR FREE

Looking for last-minute Halloween Costumes? Look no further than this inspiration for shopping your kids’ closets for these super cute looks!

Star Wars Jedi Luke Skywalker: All it takes is a Karate uniform top, a bathrobe or bed sheet (or you can buy a Jedi cape inexpensively here), some khakis and a pair of boots – and a blue light saber, of course. Here is how I envisioned the costume:

Shop your kids’ closets for Halloween – Star Wars Jedi Luke Skywalker| Five Marigolds

And here’s how it looked on Dub.

Sock Hop – I love this look for a brother and sister! The boy look is super easy, of course. For the girls, I paired a pink tutu pettiskirt with a cardigan, scarf and some black Mary Janes. Either cut out your own “poodle’ or grab a really inexpensive one online. Add some cute glasses for a final touch!

Here’s how it looked on my little one (Yeah…that was before her hair was done, but the only happy look I got. Toddlers!):

Baby Jazzerciser: This goes down as my favorite costume yet and it’s super easy. Just pair a baby onesie with a bright cut-up onesie, legings or tights, some baby legwarmers or Baby Legs (or cut up some old socks) and use a knit baby headband for, well, the headband. I actually cut the elastic tops off of some baby socks for the little baby wristbands! My mother sewed an adorable boom box to complete the look. You can get something similar here or here.

Here’s how my little one rocked it:

Baby Kitty Cat: This one can’t get any easier. Combine a black baby onesie with black leggings or tights, and maybe a cute matching fur vest or black tutu pettiskirt, and you’ve got yourself a kitty cat! Add the finishing touches of a black nose and whiskers using eyeliner, and don’t forget the kitty ears! You can currently buy kitty ears headbands at the Target Dollar Spot, online here, or you can make them on your own. Use a thin feather boa from the dress up pile, and cut it up to make “fur” wrist cuffs and use as the tail.

Pink Poodle: Similar to the black cat costume above, this costume starts with a pink leotard and tutu. I completed the look with a DIY Poodle Headband and faux fur cuffs.

Shop this look: Pink top or leotard, tights, tutu petti skirt, ballet slippers

Looking for more last-minute Halloween Costume inspiration? Find more ideas for shopping your own closet here and here.

Free Back to School Printable: Minecraft Lunchbox Jokes

August 18, 2015March 15, 202211 Comments

It’s almost time to send the kids back to school! And while that may be an exciting time for moms, kids sometimes need a reason to smile during the school day. Enter these sure to make ’em giggle lunch box jokes. If you have a Minecraft lover in your family, print this free Minecraft printable out today!

Why I Love These Lunch Box Jokes

Dub just loves clever jokes and puns. When I asked him what he most wanted me to pack in his lunch box for his first day of school, he told me he wanted a Minecraft joke. Your wish is my command, kid.

I love the idea that my guy is enjoying a laugh at lunchtime with the Minecraft characters. Maybe he even shares them with his friends and they talk about how hilarious they were. I don’t know, it could happen.

Lunchbox: Happy Jackson

Minecraft Printable Lunchbox Jokes for Kids

After searching Pinterest I found there aren’t many options out there for Minecraft lunchbox printables, so I created one on my own. And today I’m sharing it with my wonderful subscribers!

Here’s a few of the “punny” jokes included:

Q: How does Steve chop down trees with his fists?

A: How wood I know?

Q: Have you heard of the creeper who went to a party?

A: He had a blast!

What is a cobblestone’s favorite music?
Rock music!

Okay, okay. Even if you don’t get these hilarious jokes (humble brag), your little Minecraft lovers will. Let’s be real, anything we can do to make their day go a little better is worth its weight in gold. Or is it goldfish? You get me.

How to Make Minecraft Lunchbox Jokes

To use these kids’ lunch box jokes, just click the link below and save the file to your computer. Then print the cards out and trim them.

If you want your printable lunchbox jokes to be a bit more sturdy, and be an excellent weight for a mini airplane for the playground, use cardstock to print them out.

Add one of the jokes to your kid’s lunch and voila! Mom of the Year!

They also make great notes for afterschool snack time, to tape over the bathroom sink, or for a long car ride. Jokes are always appreciated.

Click the above image or use this link to grab your copy of the Minecraft lunchbox jokes freebie.

Want to see more printable resources like these? Let me know in the comments below!

Minecraft Printables and inspiration:

Like these printables? Be sure to check out my other free downloads and inspo:

Minecraft Lego Steve Favors | Five Marigolds

DIY Minecraft Lego Steve Favors

Be Minecraft Printable

Minecraft Birthday Party on a Budget | Five Marigolds

DIY Minecraft Birthday Party

Which Hardware? Boy Bathroom Progress

August 10, 2015September 22, 20212 Comments

I’ve been working on Dub’s bathroom from some time now. My vision keeps changing as I find little treasures here and there, and it’s becoming kind of an eclectic hodgepodge instead of a well thought-out theme. I guess that’s about perfect for a boy’s space, right?

I’d started out planning to use this artwork I designed (check out the free printables), but then remembered the vintage Star Wars metal art I’d picked up at Hobby Lobby awhile ago and thought it would be fun to frame it for this space. I bought custom mats and framed them with Ikea Ribba frames.

I wasn’t sure what to put above the towel rack, but when I was out thrifting and found this Wax & Polish sign, I just had to have it!

I love the crisp clean lines of the gray walls and white frames against the rustic barn wood vinyl floors and vintage finds.

Now I’m on the hunt for cabinet hardware. I’d really had my heart set on using these utility pulls from the hardware store. I just love this look. Unfortunately, they are just a little wide for the cabinet trim so I need to find a new option.

Which pulls do you think would be the right option for this space?

These are a shorter version of the same utility pulls – they are only 3 3/8″ inches, but would fit the width of our cabinet trim.

2. Or these more modern and streamlined pulls?

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Source list:

Paint: Sherwin Williams Gray Screen
Rug: Target
Star Wars Comic Tin Art and metal basket: Hobby Lobby
Frames: Ikea Ribba

In addition to the fabulous blogs listed on the sidebar, this post was linked up at Remodelaholic.

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please review my full affiliate disclaimer in the sidebar.

Rustic Industrial Boy’s Room on a Budget

August 1, 2015September 22, 202112 Comments

Make a Statement with Inexpensive Palette Art & Shop Lights

This week we finally finished my vision for lights and feature art above Dub’s bed.

Industrial Boy's Bedroom Design. | Five Marigolds

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Back to School Wardrobe for Boys – On a Budget

July 19, 2015September 22, 20213 Comments

For many, it feels like school just got out for the summer. But in our neck of the woods, summer is already more than half over! Every year I scour summer sales to help build our back to school wardrobe on a budget. I try to find a variety of mix and match pieces to maximize our budget in style. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

Shopping information:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

What do you think? Do you shop sales early for back to school season, or do you wait for the fall sales?

Thanks for stopping by!

* In addition to being featured in the fabulous blogs buttoned up in the right sidebar, this post was also linked up at The Scoop and The Turquoise Home.

*This post contains some affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure in the sidebar.

My 3 Favorite Recipes for Homemade Ice Cream

June 14, 2015September 22, 202111 Comments

With the official begin of summer quickly approaching, we’ve been having a lot of fun making homemade ice cream again. We’re huge fans of ice cream, and even made it the central theme for Eve’s birthday party one year! My very favorite homemade ice cream continues to be vanilla ice cream with a drop or two of lemon extract, but the kids have loved creating their own ice cream recipes.

Here are our favorite egg-free ice cream recipes – no ice cream maker required!

Birthday Cake Batter!
Malted Milk Ball
Cookie Dough Frozen Yogurt (my personal favorite of the bunch!)

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Do any of the above three make your list?

Free Art Prints for Boy’s Room

June 6, 2015September 22, 20211 Comment

I’m slowly going room by room and decorating where inspiration strikes. That only happens to be working in the kids’ areas, but I’m embracing it!

Next up is Dub’s bathroom. I love the idea of making it an all-boy kind of space – I absolutely love decorating really boyish spaces – but I want it to be somewhat neutral since it will be shared with overnight guests.

I railroaded Dub into the blue color for his room – I’d rejected the crazy bright aqua color he really wanted (I just couldn’t…) so I let him choose the paint for this space himself.

I tried to convince him that a steel blue color would be great. I go for neutrals everywhere else, so I was hoping this would be a room with some color. However, he really liked the idea of a silvery gray for the space. Out of 5 grays, he chose Sherwin Williams Gray Screen because of the slightly blue tint and light tone. Nice choice!

Here is the working Mood Board I’m using to inspire the makeover.

I designed artwork to add some color to the otherwise neutral, rustic space. I’m not 100% sure on this scheme, but since the artwork is free (I already have the IKEA RIbba frames on hand from a failed attempt to use it elsewhere), I’m going with it for now.

And just because I couldn’t decide…I’m sharing a few variations I worked on:

What do you think? I’m hoping this inspires others to add some color to their spaces, so I’m making several of them available to you for free!

Rise and Shine
Be Strong and Courageous blue and orange version

These 12×12 printables are designed to work with the Ribba frame, so you’ll want to get them printed at the copy store.

If you download these, please take a moment to tell me about it below. Even better, share photos of them in use. I’d love to see these prints getting used and enjoyed!

Sophisticated Nursery Art for $15

June 1, 2015September 22, 20216 Comments

Ever since I’d planned my first born daughter’s nursery 7 years ago, I had a vision for adding vintage Barbie prints to the room that they could grow with.

My inspiration came from places like Posh Tots, Rosenberry Rooms, and other upscale design stores who were selling the framed prints for upwards of $135 each.

Source www.rosenberryrooms.com

Fast-forward to this year. In the process of moving I realized we had four matted square frames that we’d never used! I think it was one of those things that I thought my husband had returned, and he thought I’d returned. Regardless, it was a sweet score that inspired me to revive this decor idea as we began decorating the kids’ new rooms. This time, I found a way to create this art on the cheap. I scoured Amazon for used vintage print Barbie calendars, and found that there are usually at least two 12×12 calendars available for a reasonable price. I believe I bought mine for around $10.

I spray painted my black frames with Rust-Oleum Metallic spray paint I had on hand (love this stuff), inserted my favorite prints, and voila! Vintage Barbie art for less than $15.

I love the look of three frames above the crib, but I’m debating adding the fourth and making it a square formation when Belle moves to a big girl bed. What do you think?

As for the rest of the room…

It’s needs some love. I have big plans, but I’m taking my time.

Details:

Crib – DiVinci Jenny Lind
Rug – (I also love this one!)
Curtains – Simply Shabby Chic
Bedding – Custom Blush Toile bedding
Paint colors – Behr Early Sunset and Behr Parisian Taupe
Glider
Lamp, Similar here and here
Dresser, thrifted French provincial

DIY Chalkboard Art

May 24, 2015September 22, 20216 Comments

I recently tried to convince my husband to paint an entire wall of our dining area with black chalkboard paint. He didn’t quite have the same vision I had, so he asked me to hang a chalkboard until we could come to an agreement.

I agreed. After all, I’ve had a giant frame in storage that’s been waiting to be used for years. I bought it at a garage sale for around $10 which was a steal…but how do you fill such a large frame without spending a fortune? The chalkboard was the perfect solution.

If I hadn’t already had the frame, what I really would have wanted is a rustic wood frame. However, since this was likely temporary, I wanted to make this as easy and inexpensive as possible.

The problem: the frame was gold. Really gold. I debated on what to paint it. Silver? Weathered white? Blue? I haven’t committed to a color scheme in our new home yet, so I went with a safe, muted silver. I spray painted it with Krylon Brushed Metallic paint. I had planned to rub wax or wood stain to bring out the details, but I didn’t love that effect on the test areas so I just left it silver for now.

For the actual chalkboard, we bought a piece of thin plywood and I sanded it with a hand sander until it was really smooth. After cleaning it with a lint-free cloth, I painted four thin coats of Rust-Oleum Chalk Paint in black, using a foam roller. I sanded lightly between layers when necessary and removed all the dust with a lint-free cloth. When the paint was completely dry, I rubbed entire board with a large piece of sidewalk chalk to cure it, and then rubbed it with a lint-free cloth to erase it.

You can wipe it clean with a damp cloth for a clean crisp look, or with a dry cloth, which I prefer, for a true, messy chalkboard look.

So far, our family loves this addition to our home. We post fun quotes and verses, and the children love to use it for creating their own art, as well.

DIY Chalkboard Art using Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Paint | Five Marigolds

DIY Chalkboard Wall Art using Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Paint | Five Marigolds

In addition to being shared on the fabulous blogs to the right, this post was also shared on Stone Gable Blog.

*Please read my affiliate disclaimer on the right sidebar. Thank you for your support!

Proverbs 31 Canvas Wall Art for Girl Room

May 17, 2015September 22, 20215 Comments

DIY Large Wall Art + verses for the bedroom

When we moved into our new home, we dedicated it with bible verses for each room of the house. I’ve been dreaming of this Proverbs 31 canvas wall art for Eve’s bedroom for some time now, but when I recently realized I already had the materials, I got moving.

I had a thrift store canvas that I’d previously tried (and failed) to artistically repurpose, so I painted it using a paint sample I already had on hand. Besides the price, the best part of repurposing a canvas is that you get fabulous texture under your new creation.

I used my Silhouette SD to cut the verse onto clear contact paper. I make so many mistakes that I’ve found this to be a cost saving way to use the Silhouette. I used a slightly imperfect font that would give me grace should the painting not go as I hoped.

After spending way too long placing the many pieces of contact paper on the canvas and lining it up just so, I spray painted it with my favorite Rust-Oleum metallic gold spray paint.

I was worried it would get under the contact paper. but as long as I made sure the paper was adhering around the letters I had absolutely no trouble.

To build the frame, I used a similar technique as with Dub’s big kid room wall gallery, but I used wood that wasn’t quite as deep, since I wanted this particular frame flush with the art.

I used Minwax stain in Early American, which is lighter IRL and gives it the right amount of color and rustic vibe.

I debated (and am still debating) taking a tiny bit of wood stain on a rag and dry rubbing the canvas for a subtle shabby chic look.

I’ve also considered dry rubbing a tiny bit of the white paint over the frame very lightly for the same reason. But, at this point I’m afraid to ruin it!

Proverbs 31 Canvas art | Five Marigolds

I’m so happy with how this Proverbs 31 canvas wall art turned out. I love the contrast of metallic gold and ivory against the rustic frame, and the sweet reminder my little girl will wake up to each day.

I’m already dreaming of how I might create a variation for Belle’s room 🙂

Additional bible verses that would be great for the girls’ bedrooms include:

God is with her; she will not fail. Psalm 46:5

He fills my life with good things. Psalm 103:5

I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 134:14

He calls me beautiful one. Song of Solomon 2:10

She is far more precious than jewels. Proverbs 31:10

Details:

Lamp – Anthropologie (old)
Curtains – Simply Shabby Chic
Quilt – Handmade by grandma 🙂
Paint color – Behr Seed Pearl

Interested in more upcycled DIY Wall art? Check out my other projects here:

DIY Canvas Wall Art for Baby Nursery: I Love You Through and Through | Five Marigolds

I Love You Through & Through Paired Canvases

DIY Engineer Prints for Big Boy Room | FIve Marigolds

Framed Engineer Prints Wall Gallery

Industrial Boy's Bedroom Design. | Five Marigolds

Monogrammed Pallet Art

DIY Chalkboard Art with Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Paint | Five Marigolds

DIY Chalkboard using Garage Sale Frame

Big Boy Room Custom Engineer Prints

April 19, 2015September 22, 202139 Comments

engineering prints = Inexpensive large wall art

Engineer prints are a great way to design a boy bedroom, bringing custom touches through large photo prints on a budget.

I’m very slowly beginning the process of decorating our new home, and focusing on the areas where inspiration strikes me the most. Dub’s room is the one I have the most concrete vision for, and I knew exactly where I wanted to start when I saw this idea for engineer prints for a boy’s room.

I immediately set out taking images of the things most important to Dub. He loved being able to be a part of it in this way.

He loves Legos, video games, and the Wilson brand holds special inside meaning for us

I was able to order the engineering prints online by sending the images to the FedEx Kinkos copy store.

I ordered 18×24 engineer prints. DIY Engineer Prints for Big Boy Room | FIve Marigolds

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Tutu Birthday Party for my Two year-old

March 30, 2015September 22, 20212 Comments

What could be better than a tutu birthday party for your little ballerina’s two year-old birthday?

For baby ‘Belle’s party, I wanted to do something that conveyed her love of dancing and tutus and looked special, but that was simple and inexpensive to put together.

First, for my $3 backdrop, I took 3 white plastic tablecloths from the dollar store for my backdrop. I simple folded them in half length wise, then began rolling them up toward the fold. Once the cloth was rolled approximately 10″ from the fold, I began cutting the rolled tablecloth in strips approximately 3″ apart. Easy!

I finished it off with the vintage bunting we re-use for the girls’ parties each year. I love how this small investment adds something special to every party we have for them.

Next, I layered the table with two tablecloths, sandwiched with some tulle. I had planned to make this an inexpensive “tutu tablecloth” but it didn’t quite turn out that way! No problem though – I still love the effect of the pink tulle as the focal point of the table. To finish it off, I placed the tablecloth over the top and bustled it at the center to better highlight the tulle.

Finally, I placed a trifle bowl upside down and I placed her own baby tutu around the bowl. Then, I just placed the cake on top.

I’d ordered a the cake to looks similar this:

So, I was a little disappointed in the finished result from my local Target bakery.However, I really can’t complain for such an inexpensive cake…and really it looks so cute when it’s all propped out with this gold “2” candle and bunting.

We served ballerina punch, pink Jelly Bellys and dipped marshmallows for a birthday-worthy sugar buzz.

I hope you like ‘Belle’s tutu party fit for a two year-old ballerina. Thanks for stopping by!