DIY & Your New Nest by Chelsea Barnes

A new apartment or house is a hard thing to decorate. Chances are you don't necessarily want things to stay the same. New decor is a must. In this economically taxing time, it is increasingly difficult to make your new apartment feel like your new home. This is where DIY is so vital. You can transform any space with the addition of a few new DIY projects. You can update your lampshades with these wonderful tutorials using scraps of fabric and ribbon. You can also create art for your walls using tutorials like this shoebox solution , or these paint chip art projects.

I'm currently moving into a new house, and the biggest issue I am facing is finding the space to put everything in an organized manner. Lucky for all new home-decorators there are so many wonderful tutorials available to teach you how to organize, clean, and even create storage for your new abode. There are even tips to teach you how to fake a clean home!

Check out this video from Design Sponge on DIY Headboards!

I hope these DIYs helped with your transition into your new home! Stay tidy & happy crafting!

Coffee Shops of Lynchburg by Richard Eaton

 Feeling uninspired with your DIY Project and looking for some inspiration and to get those creative juices flowing. In Lynchburg Virginia area there are many mom and pop shops and restaurants that there styles can be very Inspirational.  One of my favorite places to visit is the coffee shop The Muse. There coffee is always fresh and there are so many different choices. The atmosphere of the place is very artsy and a popular place for college students to hang out at. Another popular coffee shop among college students is the Drowsy Poet located on Lakeside Drive. Offering many choices of drinks and tasty treats. There is also live music on the weekend making it a great place to escape to during the weekends. The Drowsy Poet and The Muse are two of the best coffee shops in Lynchburg and are worth checking out during those time when uninspired feeling hits.

Lovely Lighting For The Garden by Becca Burke

I found this tutorial the other day on the lovely pinterest. It was really fun to do and the end product works really well! :)

So here’s what you need:

Mason jars

Wire

Wire cutters

Hot glue gun

Candles

Optional:

Whatever you need to decorate (ribbons, lace, etc.)

Sand

I bought my supplies at Wal-Mart and Michael’s. You can reuse jars from jams and jellies, pickles, or anything else that comes in a mason jar. 

And here’s what you need to do:

1. Measure about an inch from the end of the wire. Start making a loop there and twist the wire together below the loop.  I used a pen to make my loops identical. Make a bend in the wire to wrap around the jar.

2. Wrap the wire around the jar until it is directly across the jar from the first loop. Make a bend in the wire and create the second loop here.

3. Wrap the rest of the wire around the jar to the first loop and twist the wire around it to complete the wiring.

4. To add decorations, I put a rubber band on my jar so that I could make a straight line with the hot glue. If you are wrapping ribbon or lace around the jar like I did, I recommend putting hot glue on about an inch of the jar, then adding the decoration inch-by-inch. The great thing about hot glue on glass is that you can easily peel it off if you make a mistake.

5. Add in sand to keep the candle from moving around inside the jar.

6. Place the candle on top of the sand and light. Enjoy your new lovely lanterns!

Have fun with it! I know I did.

Make Mother's Day Special! by Ciara Hibbard

Mother’s Day is right around the corner! I was searching to find the perfect gift for my wonderful mother on this special day, but I was really struggling. I wanted to find something unique and heart-warming. Truth is, nothing is as memorable as something made with thought and love. So here is what I did…

After spending about 30 minutes in Michael’s, I walked out with 4 items that turned into an extremely cheap, easy, beautiful gift.

• 5/9 Mason Jar
• Sand (I got a deep salmon color)
• Rocks (I chose earth-tone colors)
• Small candle (Scent of your choice- My candle is 2.8 oz. in a glass jar)

I only spent about 13 dollars on 2 Mason Jars, 2 candles, a bag of sand, and a bag of rocks! Cheap, right?!

Now that I had all my supplies, I went straight to work.  I took the Mason Jar and filled a little over 1/3 of it with sand. The amount of sand you use depends on how high you want your candle to sit. 

Next I put the candle in, and left the lid on. It’s important to leave the lid on so the rocks don’t get into the candle. After I figured out where I wanted my candle to sit, I poured my earth-tone rocks around the glass of the candle. The rocks should be no higher than the glass of the candle.

Ready for the most exciting part of the craft? Light the candle and turn the lights out! The candle’s flame will beautifully shine through the rocks and reflect off of the Mason Jar. This creates a relaxing ambiance, with an even better scent.  The craft only takes about 15 minutes and turns out great! Top it off with a ribbon around the lid of the Mason Jar if you would like to. 

This is a fantastic gift to give to your mother if she loves thoughtful, heart-warming gifts. I know this will put a smile on my mother’s face! Enjoy!