DIY Beautify - Creating Beauty at Home

It's finally here, it's Christmas day! Whether you've already torn into your stockings and gifts or will do that later, whether you've stuffed yourself on a sumptuous meal, or

If you're looking for a simple, yummy, last-minute treat for gifting, you need to try my Candy Cane Bark. It's just 3 ingredients and ready in minutes! Candy Cane Bark is a festive treat that satisfies, and one that won't leave you slaving in the kitchen. 

This budget-friendly burlap petal wreath is so easy to make and is just stunning! Follow this tutorial to make your own!  

Do you feel it yet? the Magic of Christmas? the Anticipation...and excitement? This week I got serious about Christmas!  I played Christmas music, lit the cinnamon scented candles, and (in between all the other stuff), I managed to squeeze in some time to decorate my mantle.

Craft the cutest fluffy snowmen using recycled sweaters and socks! Perfect for gifting and for adding a little cozy to your home during Christmas and winter!

Today I'm spilling the beans....sharing some of my secrets for getting the look of a designer home on a teeny tiny little budget, decorated for the holidays! You might be surprised, dare I say shocked, at some of these secrets! No, I do not rob rich little old ladies, tee hee. Stick with me and I'll let you in on some of my favorite secrets! And I'm super excited to share my decorated home with you today too!

Happy Monday friends! Can you even believe that tomorrow is December 1? Before we know it we'll be welcoming a new year! I'm so excited to bring you another giveaway!  Raise your hand if you've heard of washi tape. I'm giving you a chance to win this book, filled with washi tape crafts. 

This past week has been a whirlwind! Welcoming out of town family, baking, cooking, shopping and spending time together are all things I'm thankful for. I trust you had a blessed Thanksgiving too! I've joined a group of over 30 bloggers for the next four weeks, to celebrate and share all things Christmas!

Traditions are an important part of our holiday celebrations. A sure thing around our home each Christmas are homemade gingerbread houses, almond bark and handmade decorations. When the kids were little, they loved making paper cutouts with glue and glitter. Now that they're older, they'd much rather admire the decorations while munching on Christmas treats. So this year I enlisted Mr DIY to help me! Together we shopped for supplies and then created painted ornaments for the Coca Cola themed Christmas tree that we decorated last week. Each ornament was topped with a glittered monogram, made with our extended family in mind.

How to make a Christmas advent calendar from an old shutter for an affordable take on a unique way to count the days down until Christmas!

Happy Friday friends! It's no secret that plaid is where it's at this year! Just look around you when you're out shopping. And in case you missed it, I shared some wonderful ideas for gifts in the Ultimate Frugal Shopper's Guide to Plaid a week or so ago. Today, I thought I'd bring it full circle and show you how I'm using plaid in my own home. Maybe some of these ideas will be new to you and inspire you to add a little plaid to your home.

What is cuter than a polar bear cub? How about a family of plush polar bears adding their snowy sweetness to a Coca Cola themed Christmas tree. Why Coca Cola? Well, let me share a little story with you...

A coffee filter wreath is budget friendly and easy to craft! An hour or two is all it takes to make a stunning wreath from humble paper liners! Follow the tutorial below for my best tips.

Woo-wee, it's November friends!! While I love Thanksgiving and keep many of my fall decorations up, I've already started a little bit of Christmas decorating and shopping. It's definitely putting me into the holiday spirit! If you're new here, Welcome!  You may have already guessed that diy beautify is a place to find affordable inspiration to beautify pretty much everything! I tend to focus on home decor and DIY/crafts, but with the holidays around the corner I wanted to give you a fabulous and frugal shopping guide to help you cross off some of those names on your Christmas list! Why frugal?   Because around here, we like to keep it real. We are a real family on a budget, paying off our bills and living within our means. When you read my posts, and that includes my shopping guides, you will find items that I myself would buy...that means they have to be affordable (nay, frugal!). I'm guessing that you're here because you're someone who likes ...

I'm sharing the steps for how we gave our "EW" deck a fabulous new makeover, rather than replacing it!

I'll be the first to admit that I'm one of those parents who raids their kids candy stash every year. Yep, coming clean here! I've got a sweet tooth...and a salty tooth (is that a thing?). It's always a toss up whether I'd prefer something sweet or something salty. The truth of it is, I'd really prefer to have both ! This Halloween snack mix satisfies those cravings for sweet and salty.

(This post first appeared on Designer Trapped in a Lawyer's Body) If you're a 'DIY-er', I'm sure you've spotted something in a store before and thought, "I can do that!". That happened to me this past spring when I was at the Country Living Fair. I found this amazing leather and lace bracelet that was so cute. I loved it but it was too expensive, so I set out to recreate it even though I'd never worked with leather before!

We are back from Florida and had a relaxing, wonderful, sun-filled fall break! It's going to be a little difficult to get back to 'real life'! However, Thanksgiving is around the corner and (gulp), I am hosting this year! My home is decorated for fall, and I kept it fairly stress-free . I love to create and I enjoy decorating...but I felt my home just needed one thing more ...an easy Thanksgiving garland to hang across my mantle!

Hey y'all...I'm spending the week in sunny Florida for fall break! It's our first time to Destin and we are enjoying the weather, the beach, and the time to simply unwind and relax...together! So I relied on a little help from some of my blogger friends for today's post. And they did not let me down! Below, you'll find some fabulous DIY Halloween inspiration, and you are going to love what these talented gals have come up with!

Today it's all about pumpkins and I have two fabulous new projects to share. I'm over at Ella Claire Inspired today, sharing a tutorial for my painted pumpkin pillows. You've no doubt seen beautiful painted pumpkin pillows on Etsy and craft fairs. Well guess what, here is your chance to learn how to make one! I encourage you to head to Ella Claire for that tutorial (click here )...but then come right back here because I've got a simple yet stunning project that I'm excited to share with you! I'll be waiting, I promise ☺ Oh hey there, welcome back! I like to think outside the box and get creative when it comes to decorating my home, because I like things that are unique and different. This certainly applies to seasonal decorating, when items will be on display for such a short time. I'm including affiliate links for your convenience.  My full disclosure policy is available here. 

Happy Monday! I don't know about you, but I'm in the mood for something sweet, delicious and easy! Easy as pie... Pie Crust Cinnamon Pinwheels, that is!

If you're a blogger or someone who loves crafts, you may already have a fabulous desk to work at. Many of you likely work at your dining room table. That's what I did for many years too!

If your home doesn't have a burlap item or two, I feel sorry for you. Why? Because burlap is earthy and full of texture and so inexpensive it's almost sinful! It adds such appeal and warmth to a space! Plus it's so easy to craft with burlap and make fabulous accessories for your home! I wonder what our great-grandmothers would think about our obsession with burlap...I can hear them scoffing, "Decorating with burlap? Why on earth would you want to do that dearie?" Because...dear grannies...the possibilities are endless...and in this post I'm setting out to prove that. I pulled together a few of my favorite projects that use burlap. It's wonderful for seasonal decorating, as well as everyday projects.

How to make a printed burlap pillow using your home printer! If you're a burlap-lover...today just might be the first day of the rest of your life! Okay so that was a major exaggeration, but I am going to share a trick that I'm sure you'll like and want to use over and over...you can print on burlap right at home using your inkjet printer!

My home was filled with the smells of Fall this weekend! Even though it was 90 degrees outside, I made my  White Bean Chicken Chili and Gingerbread (Pumpkin) Muffins . Comfort food! It was so good and the smells infused our home in much the same way that decorating makes a big impact. I used to spend days decorating for every holiday. I'd have Mr DIY haul all the related boxes down from the attic, and while the kids were at school, I'd sort and purge and dust and decorate to my heart's content...until the whole house was transformed. But that has all changed.

DIY sweater pumpkins that are crafted to be big and soft and extra fluffy. Follow my tutorial to make a pumpkin patch full of sweater pumpkins! Have you made sweater pumpkins yet? They're one of my favorite items to bring down from the attic every fall. They're soft, squishy and just plain adorable! And believe it or not, they're not that difficult to make!

I can't wait to share with you how easy it is to save money by making your own DIY chalk paint in inexpensive store sample pots! Read on for the step by step tutorial!

Well hi there. I'm so happy you are choosing to spend a few minutes of your day with me! In a world of mass-produced home decor items, handmade is so refreshing, isn't it?! I'm going to show you how to paint a sign that you won't find in a store! You can customize it to say whatever you like.

Happy Labor Day! I hope you're enjoying the long weekend with your family, however you choose to spend it. We are planning to have some friends over and grill. I was really hoping we could have a cookout on our outdoor fire pit, but it has been too hot and humid here! Please fall...hurry up! I wasn't really sure what to call today's post. It's not really a canvas...it's not really a poster. It is a wall hanging.

It's Friday! The beginning of a long weekend! Lots to be thankful for!! I hope you don't mind, but today on the blog it's 'leftover' day. Remember when you were little and it was leftover night? Your mom would pull out all the leftovers from the fridge and make a meal with it. You might have a little meatloaf with a piece of pizza and some chicken noodle soup. It didn't really go together, but it satisfied. Today I'm sharing a few leftovers with you,

Giveaway Winner I am happy to announce the winner of the Brit+Co wood burning tool and cheese board kit.  Congratulations to...Susan Ryan, you are the winner! Please email me your contact info. Today's project is a bright and cheerful diy, and would make a great gift for any occasion.  

Do you love a good matchmaking story? Oh good, me too! In fact, my very favorite kind is when... ...two people from completely different worlds fall in love, scorn society's preconceived notions and make it work....just like Poldark (if you haven't seen this Masterpiece Classic yet, you are missing out!!) Before we get to today's furniture redo, which is a classic love story of opposites uniting, I just want to take a minute to say  Welcome  to all my new followers! It is so exciting every time I get an email informing me that someone else has chosen to follow diy beautify! Without you guys, this blog would probably be pretty lame! But because you are enjoying what I have to share, I am inspired to keep creating and to push the boundaries of DIY. My goal is to inspire you and get you excited about bringing beauty to your ordinary!!  Now, let's get to the makeover, aka opposites attract! My kids are well past the age where they would enjoy an ...

Did you catch all the changes at diy beautify? There's a new logo, new blog design, a new image of yours truly! To celebrate all these awesome changes, I teemed up with Brit + Co . to bring you a fabulous Giveaway. It's a diy kit (valued at over $50) that will make someone very happy! One lucky winner will receive this  Design*Sponge Cheese Board Kit .

It's Friday! Our kids survived their first week back to school and I know they're going to be doing some serious chillin' this weekend! Video games, tv, and food. Speaking of food...we are Mexican-food-aholics in our home...yeah, I may have just invented a new term...but it's true! We love Mexican. And while I love going out to eat, it's not something we do often because it's so pricey. When we can stay home, save money and have an amazing home cooked meal, it's a triple-win!

There is something very appealing about a house that is sleek and modern with minimal decor. I like cleanliness and orderliness as much as any of you...but in my opinion, these houses lack that crucial feeling that makes a house feel like home....they have no personality...nothing to tell me about the people who live there. And while it's fun to walk through a home that feels like a museum, those houses seem too sterile for daily living. They're missing that sense of home ...that feeling of comfort and familiarity we all crave that makes us want to unpack our bags, put up our feet and stay awhile. Your home may not be sterile or ultra modern, or even messy... but it may be lacking personality. Perhaps you just moved and are not sure how to create a cozy home...or maybe you just cannot figure out how to add warmth with the accessories you own. I'm sharing my top 5 tips right here to help you achieve warmth and personality in your own home.

These easy chicken burrito bowls are made from leftover chicken and layered with favorite Mexican flavors! These bowls are faster than take out!

Birthday party ideas for a tween girl, including a chocolate fountain, watermelon cupcakes and a popcorn bar for a movie out on the lawn!

I'm sharing how I completely disguised a large ugly electrical box in our laundry room by making a custom piece of artwork to hang over the top!

Hey good looking, yep, I'm talking to You! Do you realize how unique you are? You are truly one of a kind! Out of the 5-6 billion people on our planet, no one else is exactly like you. That makes you an original! And you need to be reminded of that fact...often! I don't care if you're 14, 40 or 84....as humans (and especially as women) we all need to be reminded that in a world full of talented, beautiful people...we are valued! I found this cute notebook at Hobby Lobby, it's part of the new Live Original line by Sadie Robertson and  DaySpring , and used a few craft supplies to decorate it and divide it into sections with homemade tab dividers as a fun gift for my teenage niece.