Book Page Wreath

Hello friends. Yes, I know. I am the worst—it has been over a month since my last post! But, please don’t hate…because I have something awesome to show you!

BOOM!

This was such a fun, inexpensive and super easy wreath to make!
The worst part of this project was when I continuously burnt the crap out of my fingers had to rip up two books in order to make this. Honestly, as an English Lit Major, this was a very difficult process for me. Librarians—avert your eyes.

Here is what you will need:

Only three items! See? Told you it was easy. I am not a woman who lies.

I used an 18-inch wreath that I purchased from Hobby Lobby for $7.99; the rest of the items I already had on hand.

Here is the book I used:

Just kidding guys! Thought that would be funny. Did anyone faint? If so, I do apologize.

I used two books that I had on hand: one, was an old French book that had these beautiful stained edges. I have no idea where this book came from, nor am I sure as to why on earth I kept it as I cannot read French very well at all (even after four years of classes). But, I digress.

The other book I used was a newer copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray. In order to combat its newness, and since I wanted my wreath to look weathered, I took some brown acrylic paint to the edges and let it dry.

Once you reach this point, take your books and let ’em rip!

I started out making spiral-like shapes that had more continuity, like so…

…however I thought a more abstract and messy wreath would look much cooler. So, I started with the edge of a page, dabbed some glue then pressed it down to a random space on the same page. Repeat.

I then folded the pieces in half and started gluing them to the wreath form. Once the wreath was completely covered, there were still some spaces to fill in. This is easily done by gluing a new page to an existing one.

Oh. And Louie had to say hi.

Keep adding pages and filling in your spaces until you end up with something like this

This would be an adorable decorative addition to a home library. But any space works.

I will be honest; I was terrified to start this project. I thought the pages had to be perfect and that I would completely mess it up, but what I found out….is that you can’t! This is a great project because all of the pages can look completely different. So, if you are thinking of attempting this wreath, GO FOR IT!

Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!

Spring Mantle Makeover

Good morning!

This Spring mantle makeover was submitted by my very good friend Colleen- thanks Colleen!

She lives in a beautiful, older home that is full of the charm that I love. She keeps it decorated beautifully, which always makes me drool when I visit.

Here is the before shot of her mantle:

And here is the after shot:

Just by replacing a few items on your mantle (or around your house) with some brightly colored items, it can create a whole different, Springtime feel. I love the addition of moss Colleen added too.

Thanks for sharing your inspiration with us Colleen!

Spring Mantle Ideas

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Mantles. What a great vehicle for decor. Especially seasonal decor. They ROCK. Here are some visuals to get your juices flowin’. (source via pinterest) (source via pinterest) (source via pinterest) (source via pinterest) Now, if you don’t have a fireplace/mantle in your home and are crying at this point because you want one…well, stop crying. [...]

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Laziness Ensues

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Hi Y’all. It has been a while since I last blogged. And no, I do not have any serious reason as to why I have been M.I.A.. Simply, I have been a bit lazy. It all starts with one decision. This tends to occur either after work during the weekday or on a beautiful weekend morning, with me [...]

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Chair Makeover

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Let’s try this again. That’s right. This is my second post attempt. Why, you ask? Because when I was all done with my post Monday night, I went to save my draft and, instead, it was deleted. So, a few tears & not-so-nice words later, I started again. And here it is: Remember my post [...]

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Refinished Side Table: Before & After

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I got this side table at one of my favorite used furniture stores for only $9.99! As you can see, this piece was not in terrible condition by any means. In fact, I loved the wood grain so much I decided to keep the surface intact.  After some hard work (I apologize for not having photos [...]

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Sneak Peek!

Fabrics

I had WAY too much fun at the fabric store last night! With 40% off (blue/gray fabric below) and only $6.00 per yard for some upholstery fabrics (green and red below)…how could I resist?! And I already know what I will be using these for… Stay tuned!

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Dining Table Refinish

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Welcome to Down & Dirty Design! This is my very first blog post—I hope you enjoy! I have several projects that were completed months ago, but I am so absolutely excited about how this one turned out, that I am showcasing it first. When I first moved into my apartment about six months ago, I [...]

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