Tutorial | Insta-Frames

What's the hardest part of moving?

a. Packing
b. Selling the old house
c. Saying goodbye to the old house
d. Redecorating the new house

When we moved out of our beloved first home where we welcomed two of our babies and made so many wonderful memories, everything on the list was hard. Prepping the house with three little ones is no small task, and saying goodbye to friends and neighbors was heart-breaking. I remember when we moved into that old house, I immediately felt those warm, fuzzy, at-home feelings. The new house, on the other hand, I didn't.

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Rope and Circle Mirror DIY | Barrett's Nursery Tutorial

Have you seen these mirrors around? I discovered it first on Amazon and loved it, but $36.00? Eeeeeeeeeee... that's a bit of a stretch for me.

I thought it would look amazing on my wall with a boxwood wreath (I ended up buying a boxwood tile topper that was WAY cheaper) and my clock, but kind of gave up on it until an idea trickled into my brain. I knew that Hobby Lobby sold circular candle plates and rope, but I just had to think of something to make a brim around the mirror. That's when the embroidery hoop just popped into my mind!

The whole thing cost me about $10.00 and it was REALLY easy to make. Get ready for a tutorial!

You will need:
Circular mirror (like this one from Hobby Lobby that I used my 40% off coupon on)
Embroidery hoop (same size as the mirror)
Natural Rope (I purchased the same rope trim for this as my rope + wood frame and picked the stitches out to separate it from the lip)
Glue gun
Super Glue
Sand Paper
Stain
Foam brush
**I thought I wanted to use the screw eyes/cup holders to attach my rope, but decided that it would end up looking too much like Mickey Mouse. So ignore those pretty gold cup holders in the pic above.

Step 1: sand and stain hoop
Use the foam brush to apply the stain and follow the directions provided.

Step 2: Glue

Set the mirror face down on top of the back side of the embroidery hoop and use your glue gun to glue the hoop to the mirror. Glue around the outside edge so that none of the glue seeps to the inside of the brim.

Step 3: Rope

Trim your rope to just the right size and super glue the ends so it won't fray. Use the glue gun to glue the rope to the mirror.
**I also hammered the ends of my rope to make them lay flat**

Step 4: Hang
Easiest tutorial ever, right? And I LOVE the end result!

So give it a shot and let me know how it goes! Share a picture and tag @suesnews. I'd love to see how yours turns out!

click here to see the rest of the nursery!

___________________________________________________________________

Susan is a birth photographer/videographer serving Chandler, Arizona and surrounding cities. Considering a photographer for your birth? Contact Susan for EDD availability.

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DIY Rope and Wood Frame | Barrett's Nursery Tutorial

When I saw this artwork from Amy Hamilton for the first time, I KNEW I had to have it for Barrett's room. The only problem was that I wanted it in a fairly large size and my budget wasn't accommodating the larger art prints. So I had decided to buy a poster and just display it in a poster frame when I found this way of displaying art instead!

Favorite. DIY. ever.

I love it because it's a modern and elegant way to display a piece of art and you don't have to worry about finding the right sized frame because you can make it with just about any size of print, including poster size, which is WAY cheaper than a regular art print of the same size, and exactly what I did!

So let's get started!

You will need:
Art print
Natural rope (found mine here and used a stitch picker to pick off the lip)
Wood square dowel (I used two of these)
Sandpaper
Stain (I used this stain)
Foam brush
Cardboard (same height, but not quite as wide as your art print)
paper clips (or tape)
Staple gun
2 Gold screw eyes (I used these)
White Oven Bake Clay (here)
Super glue

Step 1: wood dowels
Your first step is to prep the wooden dowels. Have them cut to be about 1-1.5 inches longer than the width of the art print. Sand all sides and ends of the wooden dowel, clean off with a damp rag, then use the foam brush to apply the stain. Follow the directions on the stain to finish this step.

Step 2: staple gun
Lay out your art print on top of the cardboard. Use paper clips (or tape) to secure the print to the cardboard. Turn the cardboard and art print upside down and lay on top of the wooden dowels, one at the top, and one at the bottom. Use the staple gun to secure the cardboard and print to the wooden dowels.

Step 3: screw eyes
Decide where you want the screw eyes (about 1.5-2 inches in from the ends) and screw them into the top of the wood dowels.

Step 4: oven bake clay
Work the polymer clay to make two big beads that your rope will fit through and follow the directions on the packaging to bake the clay.


Step 5: rope
Slide the beads onto the rope, weave the rope through the screw eyes and tie them in knots around the eyes (or cup hooks in my case). Trim the rope, and use the super glue to glue the ends of the rope where you cut so that the rope won't fray. Also glue the knot so that it won't come undone.

Step 6: hang
Your artwork is complete, and it looks beautiful!!!

click here for more pictures of how my baby boy's nursery turned out!

Let me know how yours turns out! Share a pic on Instagram and tag @suesnews I'd love to see!

Good luck! 

___________________________________________________________________

Susan is a birth photographer/videographer serving Chandler, Arizona and surrounding cities. Considering a photographer for your birth? Contact Susan for EDD availability.

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Mountain Ombre Curtains | Barrett's Nursery Tutorial

Wow! It's been a little while since I've written a tutorial! Feels good to be doing it again, and I have been so excited to share this one!

Inspiration behind these curtains came when I saw a picture on Pinterest of an AWESOME nursery with an ombre mountain mural on the wall. Obviously I loved it and knew it would be perfect for Barrett's nursery, buuuuuuut... I really don't like painting, and you can't take a wall with you and eventually we're gonna outgrow this house.

But instead of just choosing any 'ol mountain range, I chose Yosemite because... well, we love Yosemite.

So let's get this tutorial started!

You will need:
Sketch pad + photos of Yosemite and/or mountain skylines
White curtains (or fabric for curtains)
3 shades of blue cotton fabric 2x the width of one curtain panel
3 spools of thread to match each shade of blue fabric
Double Sided Fusible Webbing 6x the width of one curtain panel (I purchased mine at Jo-Ann)
Iron
Large cutting space/ironing space
Large quilt
pencil
scissors
sewing machine
measuring tape/ruler
etc.

Step 1: draw

Draw out your mountainscape, just the way you want it to appear on your curtains. Fold the paper in half so you can see where the separation between the two panels will be.

I did some math to help me see how my drawing on paper would transfer to my curtains. You can do the same by making a mark every half inch on your paper (height and width), then divide the height and width of the curtain panel (in inches) by how many half inches are on your paper, or you can eyeball it.

Make sure you flip your drawing over and retrace so that when you draw it on the double sided fusible webbing and iron it on the blue fabric, you can flip it over and it will be going the right way.

Step 2: transfer drawing to double sided fusible webbing

Draw each separate piece of the mountains on the matte side of the webbing being sure that you're drawing the mirror image of how you want the curtains to look. Then cut them out, starting with the mountain range on the bottom.

Keep the webbing that you're cutting away from the top edge of the bottom mountain range and use it for the bottom edge of the middle mountain range. Same goes for the top edge of the middle mountain range for the top.

Step 3: Fuse|blue fabric

Lay out your darkest blue fabric, wrong side up, on your large quilt. Lay your cutout webbing for the bottom mountain range with matte side up. Following the directions on the webbing, iron the webbing to the fabric, then cut the fabric along the edge of your webbing! Do the same for each piece of the mountain range.

Step 4: Fuse|mountain ranges to curtain

Once you've fused and cut out all of your mountain range pieces, lay them out on the curtain panels, lining up the edge of the curtain with the edge of the bottom mountain range, then follow the directions on the webbing to fuse it to the curtain panels!

Step 5: button stitch

Now you need to stitch along the edges of the mountain ranges, so use a button stitch, or find one that looks like the one I used (I actually don't have a button stitch and I can't remember what the stitch is called that I used. Sorry!) Change the thread color to match the mountain range.

Step 6: hem
If you're making your curtains from scratch, fold under the bottom edge, the side edges, and the top edge a couple of times and hem. If you're using pre-made white curtains, just use the button stitch around all the edges of the mountain ranges.


Step 7: hang 
Hang those babies up!

opt. if you ever want to wash your curtains, I highly suggest sewing little tiny knots in a few random places all over the mountain ranges to prevent the fabric from bubbling up. I haven't done it yet because I'm secretly hoping I'll never have to wash them.

Thanks for stopping by and go ahead and check out the rest of the nursery here!

I've got lots more tutorials to make decorating your home easy and a lot less stressful on your wallet. If you give this a try, I'd love to see how yours turns out! Send me an e-mail or post a picture and tag me in it on instagram (@suesnews) If you have any questions or just want to tell me how much you love these ;), feel free to leave a comment!

Good luck! 

___________________________________________________________________

Susan is a birth photographer/videographer serving Chandler, Arizona and surrounding cities. Considering a photographer for your birth? Contact Susan for EDD availability.

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Finished! | Barrett's Nursery Reveal

It's finished and I LOVE it! This room is, without a doubt, the favorite in our house.

I put in a lot of time, effort, and love into this room's completion, but not a lot of cash! Most everything (seriously) was DIY'd in one way or another to help me save money and make it look exactly the way I wanted.

This nursery has become a serene refuge for me and Barrett. Coming in to feed him in the early morning when I'm still a little groggy is almost a treat now! Almost... ;)

I walk in here and I feel like I walk through an invisible veil that brushes all of my troubles off of my shoulders as I walk through. It's so peaceful.

N U R S E R Y  D E T A I L S :

Paint Color | Valspar-Gray Repose

"Little Cub" Wooden Bear Cutout | Desert Twig

Twin Falls Temple Print | Alexa Z Design

Maternity and Newborn photography | Mariasha Rowland Photography
Frames | updated from thrift store

Pillowcase | Sue

Crib Sheet | DIY

Little Bear artwork | Amy Hamilton

"The Mountains are Calling" Print | Print Post

Forest Bear print |Sue

BEAR with Arrows print |Sue

Black and White Photo of Barrett | Sue

Lamp | Target

Changing Pad Cover | DIY

Clock | Walmart
Circle Mirror | DIY

Circle greenery | Hobby Lobby

Curtains | DIY

*All items marked "DIY" mean a tutorial is coming!*

I couldn't pick a favorite piece in this room. Maybe the "Little Cub" wooden bear cutout from Desert Twig that started the whole reformation, or maybe the Little Cub artwork by Amy Hamilton. But those curtains were definitely a labor of love and that circle mirror was SO simple but is perfect for the space.

N U R S E R Y  P H O T O G R A P H Y  C/O  K C  F I L M  A N D  P H O T O

Regardless of which piece is my favorite, I feel that they all come together to make this room exactly how I envisioned it. A HUGE thank you to Desert Twig for inspiring this nursery makeover with her "Little Cub" Wooden Bear Cutout, and to a very loving and supportive husband who never stops believing in me and encouraging me to be creative! Barrett now has a room where he can feel safe and *hopefully* retain that sense of wonder I see every time I look into his eyes. I love you my Little Cub!

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Christmas pillows!

It's the little details that really bring a home together. My house didn't really feel much like a home until a couple of months ago. Don't ask me why it took me two years to hang photos of our family on any of the walls in our house, but ever since I have, it's made a huge difference. Seeing my cute family's faces as I walk up and down the stairs or look above the front door really brightens up my day.

These pillows are one of those details that brighten my day, especially with Christmas right around the corner! They add just the right amount of *pop* and holiday spirit to my family room! Of course, you can go out and buy some really cute pillows, but if you're trying to decorate on a dime, I'll let you in on a little secret... buy pillows used and make your own pillowcases. Buying pillows and picture frames used are two of the best tips I have for designing on a dime.

Who else is a fan of the pom pom fringe? My tree skirt has the pom pom fringe around it, too, but you'll have to wait for pictures of that! ;)

Gotta say thanks to Rad and Happy for their "let it snow" print!

For the Reindeer and the "Let it snow" pillows, I purchased gold transfer paper from my local craft store (thank you Hobby Lobby!), printed off the reindeer shape and the "let it snow" print, taped the prints to the transfer paper, cut them out using an X-acto knife and followed the directions on the back of the transfer paper to iron the designs on the pillowcases. Easy peasy!

I bought a sweater from Goodwill for the knit pillow, I purchased some faux fur from Hancock for the white faux fur pillow, and I bought some red twill fabric (it's a little pricey-er, but I'm picky with my pillows) plus some white pom pom fringe and used a zipper foot when sewing the pom pom fringe to the fabric. Comment below if you're interested in a full tutorial for any of the pillows I made!

I hope you find some ways to brighten up your house and your holiday! Don't let the stress of the season get you down! Appreciate the little moments and remember that those little "inconveniences" running around your house are the best blessings you have! My thought for the week. :)

Happy Holidays!

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Showcasing your Instagrams - my favorite wall hanging

So awhile back I wrote a guest post for Alexa from He and I for some Instagram frames that I have hanging in my house. This is by-far my favorite wall hanging throughout the house and it's just too good not to share on my blog as well as on Alexa's!

You guys, this is so easy and it probably ended up costing me about $10.00 or less. All you need are some frames, possibly spray paint, string, tape, and your favorite photos.

The pictures really say it all, but for the detail-oriented in all of us, here are the steps:

Step 1, find a frame or two (or four). You can find plenty of frames at thrift stores! Remove the glass and backing. If it isn’t the color you want, purchase some spray paint and quickly give it a couple of coats. I love the Rustoleum paint and primer brand. It adheres to plastics, wood, and I think metal, too!

Step 2, print off your photos. I went to Walmart and ordered 4x4” squares. You can do it all online and it can be ready within an hour.

Step 3, lay out your photos in the order you want, then flip them over, face-down. Space them out evenly.

Step 4, cut long pieces of string and lay them out on top of the photos. Use strips of tape to secure the photos to the string, or if you have any of those mini clothes pins, I’m sure they would be adorable, too!

Step 5, tie the string at either end to the top of the frame and to the bottom in an attractive little bow.

And that’s it! Even if it weren't one of the only things hanging in my house, it would still be a guest favorite, and my favorite, too.

See you next time!

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