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.
Tag: Ebay
Copycat Chic: Anthropologie Keepsake Brooch Knob
I was dreaming of a very feminine, girly-girl look for the girls’ shared Jack and Jill style bathroom when I stumbled across these gorgeous Anthropologie Keepsake Brooch Knobs. They were perfect! But as I did the math, I just couldn’t justify spending $120 for seven pulls (including shipping and tax) in this particular room.
I searched high and low and found a few options for less. If you’re not the DIY type, these are great options for getting this glam look for less.
I like these (smaller) jeweled pulls from Hobby Lobby. Pair them with their weekly 40% off coupon and the patience of a saint and you could score each of them for $4.20 each before tax.
Or how about these, much more simple, rhinestone knobs? You just can’t beat that price – only $1 each!
I wanted to try to replicate my inspiration knobs from Anthropologie as much as possible for quite a bit less, and came up with these.
Aren’t they lovely? Here’s how I made them. I bought these pretty rhinestone brooches – the closest match I could find to my inspiration knobs – just $2.25 each, total.
I then bought these inexpensive drawer pulls for $1.28 each. It is important that the diameter is close to the size of the brooches – not only to make it easier to affix, but for the long term durability of the knobs. I’ve seen other bloggers attempt to affix a brooch to a much smaller knob or pull, which significantly impacts long-term durability. The aim is that you will naturally pull using the knob and not the brooch. I was able to achieve that with this combination.
I then used some Marine JB Weld epoxy we had on hand to attach the brooch to the knob. Since these fit so perfectly together, we just hooked the brooch pin over the knob for simplicity, and then used the epoxy. I’d originally planned to remove the pin fixtures from the brooch and then affix the epoxy around the outer diameter of the knob, but this way was far easier and worked just as well.
If you’re not familiar with JB Weld epoxy, it’s a product that works as a chemical weld. It’s meant for marine purposes and is water proof. These babies are not coming apart any time soon!
The grand total for this project was just shy of $25 for seven knobs – that’s just $3.50 per knob. I saved nearly $93 compared to my inspiration hardware!
Here is what they look like installed. I think they add the right amount of sparkle to this shared little girl bathroom.
It’s incredibly hard to get a photo because they are in the narrow Jack and Jill bathroom that gets no natural light. Pictures don’t begin to do these beautiful fixtures justice!
Thanks for stopping by!
Inexpensive, Easy Chore Chart for Kids
This summer is the first summer I’ll be at home most days with the kids since I started my freelance adventure last fall. My 6 and 4 year old are bright, exuberant kids and I knew I’d have to add structure their days if I wanted any sanity. However, with my freelance work I don’t have the ability to be there every moment to guide their day (and who would want to?). It’s also great for fostering their independence as well.
I went to work trying to find chore charts, but none of them were quite right. My 4 year old can’t read the text chore charts, and many of the picture charts were geared toward very little children, or had unattractive graphics.
After doing some research I landed on four requirements:
- I wanted a photo chart that my four year old could understand and interact with on her own;
- I didn’t want to spend much money;
- I wanted the flexibility to change their days up, but I also didn’t want to have to print a new one each week; and
- I needed something I could mount to the fridge somehow – I didn’t want a chart that required wall space.
I landed on the concept of a magnetic chart with two categories: “Doing” and “Done.” I saw a few examples that I liked and got to work emulating those based on my needs. However, I needed clip art. It was SO hard to find cute clip art that would work for this! That’s when I stumbled upon Audrey Schilaty‘s blog. She had the exact chart I wanted – for free! Really, it’s the nicest free resource I’ve found. She offers both personal care and chore images, and I used a small combination of both (sad but true: I forget to have my children brush their teeth all to often).
I made it my own with a few modifications:
- I drafted my own simple “Doing” and “Done” text document and used just the images I needed from her selection, so it would all print on one page, saving me money.
- I printed it on a glossy sheet of photo paper that I had on hand, and then just placed it on an 8.5×11 sheet of adhesive magnet. You can buy packages of adhesive magnet sheets at office supply stores, but I found the most inexpensive option for heavy sheets – I got mine for just $3.59. I cut the small pieces to size, added them to the fridge, and voila – a clean, easy and inexpensive chart.
The kids woke up the first day and had moved two magnets over before I had a chance to remind them about it! So far, it’s been a great success.
I encourage everyone to check out Audrey’s great blog. And, if you’d like a copy of the 1-page version of the printable I used to create my chart using her images, just click the image below!
There you have it – a chore chart for just $3.59. What are your tips for keeping the kids structured in the summer? Let me know in the comments below.
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