Archive for the 'Home Improvement' Category
Nov
1
Illuminate your holiday decorating with this fun project
November 1, 2018 | Leave a Comment
(BPT) – Cooler weather has arrived and the holidays are quickly approaching. That means it’s time to focus on your home decorating and, while you can always buy your holiday décor, making it can be so much more fun. Kick off your decorating by breaking out the wood, power drills, Arrow Fastener tools and other materials to create unique wall art that will literally light up your holidays and say “Family.”
Follow these steps from blogger Serena Appiah from ThriftDiving.com and you’ll be able to invite your family to enjoy your handiwork with you.
1. Assemble your materials.
To build this project you’ll need: Arrow Fastener T25 Professional Low Voltage Wire/Cable Staple Gun, 3/8″ wire cable staples, Arrow T50X TacMate and 5/16″ T50 #505 staples. You’ll need a jig saw, power drill and brad point drill bit as well as a large drill bit for pilot holes. Finally, you’ll need 3/4″ plywood if staining word art, 3/4″ MDF if painting word art, string lights, large “Family” stencil, stain or paint, foam brush for staining, paintbrush for painting, sandpaper, dust mask, boards for DIY picture frame (optional), D-ring picture hangers, wall hooks and wood glue.
2. Create the stencil.
To make this light-up word art, you’ll need a large stencil. If you’ve got a personal cutting machine (such as a Cricut or Silhouette), you can easily create a large stencil. However, those machines can be costly. A more cost-effective way to create a stencil is to download a free font you like at DaFont.com, then create your own large stencil at Rasterbator.net. Once the font is downloaded, open a Word document and type the word “Family.” Save the document (or screenshot the word) as a .jpg picture file. Next, head over to Rasterbator.net and follow the instructions to enlarge your .jpg picture file. The website will create a PDF of multiple sheets that you can now print on your own printer in a large version of your word “Family.” Cut out the word and tape it together.
3. Trace and cut.
It’s time to trace and cut out the word. Use your 3/4″ plywood or 3/4″ MDF board and trace out the entire word, being careful not to move it. Once the word is traced out, use a jigsaw with a fine-cutting scroll blade to cut out the word. Plan to spend about one hour cutting out the word. You’ll want to take your time around the corners, using drilled pilot holes to insert your jigsaw blade in the tight areas.
4. Time to sand.
Once your “Family” word art is cut out, sand it smooth with fine sandpaper. Use the power drill with the brad point drill bit and cut out holes for the lights. The size of the brad point drill bit will depend on the size of the lights you’re using, so choose the appropriate drill bit size. Insert the string of lights as you add your holes, making sure that the holes are spaced appropriately for the length of your lights. Be sure to use a sacrificial board on the back side to avoid ripping out the back of the board when drilling holes. Sand smooth after all holes are added.
5. Apply the stain.
Stain your “Family” word art next using a stain of shade that appeals to you. If you’re painting, use a brush and paint it.
6. Insert the lights.
Insert the lights into the holes. Since you’ve already used the lights as a guide when drilling, you know that the lights fit appropriately.
7. Apply Arrow Fastener wire/cable.
Use the Arrow Fastener wire/cable stapler to adhere the cable to the back of the word art. The curved staples protect the wire from being damaged. Be sure to use a board underneath to give the word art some support while stapling. Twirl and loop excess wires and then secure to the back of the word art. Next, add hooks on the back to hang it on the wall. Try different positions to make your word art hang straight, or angle it upward for a bit of flair, which looks really good when using a script font for your word art.
8. Add your DIY frame (optional).
If you want, you can make a DIY frame to hang around your word art. Cut four boards with mitered corners. Then use the Arrow Fastener T50 or T50X TacMate with the appropriate-length staples to glue and staple it (and clamp) together. Hang around your word art to accentuate it.
For more project inspiration around the holidays or anytime, visit www.arrrowfastener.com.
Nov
1
Real-estate ready: 8 tips for boosting your home’s value
November 1, 2018 | Leave a Comment
(BPT) – When selling a home, you want the best possible offer from homebuyers. To capture attention and boost bids, consider these eight tips.1. Invest in the bath and kitchen to impressBuyers focus on kitchens and bathrooms, making these rooms worth t…
Oct
29
Know your enemy: Bed bugs
October 29, 2018 | Leave a Comment
(BPT) – Does the thought of a bed bug infestation send a shiver down your spine? Do you immediately think of insects hiding in beds? Did you know that bed bugs aren’t just found in those places? The experts at Terminix are here to clear up some common …
Oct
29
5 affordable decorating ideas to breathe new life into your Pennsylvania home
October 29, 2018 | Leave a Comment
(BPT) – Craving a change in your home décor but don’t have the budget to hire an interior designer or do a major remodel? No problem! This year the trends involve natural materials, handmade accents, and rich colors. It’s about bringing the outside in, making your home a haven of peace and calm, and creating a sense of comfortable, lived-in style that’s inviting to your family and friends alike. Best of all? You can do it all with change to spare.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Incorporate lavender accents
Last year’s pink craze is getting softer and richer as lavender is making its way to the forefront of home décor trends. Try a set of lavender sheets, throw pillows, or rugs. It pairs wonderfully with natural wood for a rustic look, and sets off neutral wall colors like dark beiges and smoky greens and slates. You can kick this trend up a notch with Pantone’s color of the year, Ultra Violet. But use it sparingly. You don’t want your house looking like the interior of Paisley Park.
Embrace wabi-sabi
Think of it as Japanese shabby chic. It’s the art of finding beauty in imperfection, but it can also mean “lived in.” This isn’t about stark white walls, perfect china and rooms you never want to sit down in. Try some handmade items like pottery from a local artisan, wood-grained accent pieces with flaws and all, and stones, seaglass or shells you gathered on a beach walk adorning your window sills. Wabi-sabi is meant to add a sense of calm to your rooms, signaling it’s okay for visitors to be themselves.
Make a mosaic out of memories
Get your photos off your smartphone and onto your walls, using a new app called StickUpPix. Download the app to your iPhone, select photos from your camera roll, crop to your liking, and confirm your order. You’ll get 8″ x 8″ sticky-backed photo squares in the mail a few days later. Stick them on any smooth, painted surface. They’re re-adjustable, too, and won’t harm your walls. You can make a mosaic out of your newborn’s photos in the baby’s room, do a montage of your wedding photos on your hallway wall, or do a collage of awesome vacation photos of the kids in the den. Learn more at stickuppix.com.
Add some warmth to the heart of your home
If you embraced the all-white kitchen trend of the past few years, it’s time to add some color back in. You don’t need to do a major, expensive overhaul with new tile and countertops. Keep those as they are. Warm things up with paint. Sage green, light pink, marine blue and even black are on trend this year for cabinets. Set it all off with new drawer and cabinet pulls in natural steel or brushed nickel. Even a colorful throw rug will warm up the space.
Say it with velvet
Everything old is new again, and so it goes with velvet. Once seen as dated and old fashioned, it’s now viewed as chic and trendy. You can invest in a velvet couch or armchair, but you don’t have to go that far. Ease into it with a set of velvet throw pillows or an ottoman. Make sure you’re choosing deep, rich colors (no pastels, please) and you’ll be surprised how much warmth it will add to your room.
You can easily breathe some new life into your four walls, and it doesn’t have to break the bank. Get a little creative, find your inner DIYer, and above all, have fun.
Oct
29
Know your enemy: Bed bugs
October 29, 2018 | Leave a Comment
(BPT) – Does the thought of a bed bug infestation send a shiver down your spine? Do you immediately think of insects hiding in beds? Did you know that bed bugs aren’t just found in those places? The experts at Terminix are here to clear up some common …
Oct
29
5 affordable decorating ideas to breathe new life into your Pennsylvania home
October 29, 2018 | Leave a Comment
(BPT) – Craving a change in your home décor but don’t have the budget to hire an interior designer or do a major remodel? No problem! This year the trends involve natural materials, handmade accents, and rich colors. It’s about bringing the outside in, making your home a haven of peace and calm, and creating a sense of comfortable, lived-in style that’s inviting to your family and friends alike. Best of all? You can do it all with change to spare.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Incorporate lavender accents
Last year’s pink craze is getting softer and richer as lavender is making its way to the forefront of home décor trends. Try a set of lavender sheets, throw pillows, or rugs. It pairs wonderfully with natural wood for a rustic look, and sets off neutral wall colors like dark beiges and smoky greens and slates. You can kick this trend up a notch with Pantone’s color of the year, Ultra Violet. But use it sparingly. You don’t want your house looking like the interior of Paisley Park.
Embrace wabi-sabi
Think of it as Japanese shabby chic. It’s the art of finding beauty in imperfection, but it can also mean “lived in.” This isn’t about stark white walls, perfect china and rooms you never want to sit down in. Try some handmade items like pottery from a local artisan, wood-grained accent pieces with flaws and all, and stones, seaglass or shells you gathered on a beach walk adorning your window sills. Wabi-sabi is meant to add a sense of calm to your rooms, signaling it’s okay for visitors to be themselves.
Make a mosaic out of memories
Get your photos off your smartphone and onto your walls, using a new app called StickUpPix. Download the app to your iPhone, select photos from your camera roll, crop to your liking, and confirm your order. You’ll get 8″ x 8″ sticky-backed photo squares in the mail a few days later. Stick them on any smooth, painted surface. They’re re-adjustable, too, and won’t harm your walls. You can make a mosaic out of your newborn’s photos in the baby’s room, do a montage of your wedding photos on your hallway wall, or do a collage of awesome vacation photos of the kids in the den. Learn more at stickuppix.com.
Add some warmth to the heart of your home
If you embraced the all-white kitchen trend of the past few years, it’s time to add some color back in. You don’t need to do a major, expensive overhaul with new tile and countertops. Keep those as they are. Warm things up with paint. Sage green, light pink, marine blue and even black are on trend this year for cabinets. Set it all off with new drawer and cabinet pulls in natural steel or brushed nickel. Even a colorful throw rug will warm up the space.
Say it with velvet
Everything old is new again, and so it goes with velvet. Once seen as dated and old fashioned, it’s now viewed as chic and trendy. You can invest in a velvet couch or armchair, but you don’t have to go that far. Ease into it with a set of velvet throw pillows or an ottoman. Make sure you’re choosing deep, rich colors (no pastels, please) and you’ll be surprised how much warmth it will add to your room.
You can easily breathe some new life into your four walls, and it doesn’t have to break the bank. Get a little creative, find your inner DIYer, and above all, have fun.