DIY Curtain Rod

Hello! I can not believe it is already Friday. This week was filled with more of the same lazy summer days just lounging around. It is so nice to have no where to go or nothing to do. Today I am sharing how I made curtain rods that were $8 each.

Long before I started our back porch makeover I had ordered outdoor curtains to hang in the space. I was all stoked about them and rushed out to purchase some rods. Well, little did I know that rods for this space would be much more than I was willing to pay.

I looked everywhere, in stores and online, but nothing was in my price range. I needed 2 rods that measured 10' and 8.5'. That's a lot of rod my friends! So there my curtains sat in the laundry room for a year before I came up with a plan.

My Plan

It hit me like a ton of bricks when I was walking around Lowe's one day. And yes I do roam around the store daydreaming. :) I was in the conduit aisle when I had my aha moment to use electrical conduit to make my rods.

It is so inexpensive and comes in 10' lengths. Lowe's will even cut it down for you for free, if need be. For less than $4 I got 2 extra long rods for my outdoor drapes.

If you want to recreate this for yourself here is what I used to create my rods:

Electrical conduit 1/2" 

I used 2 and had them cut down to size

Inside corner pull elbow 1/2" 

I wanted my rod to appear to be one continuous piece so I used this product to create a L shape

Screw Hooks in zinc 4 x 3-7/8"

I got the package of 6 and used them all to hold up my rods

Galvanized Cap Fitting 1/2"

I used this cap at the end of the 8.5' rod to give it a finished look. I did not use one on the end of the 10' rod because it butts up against the siding.

Here is a sketch up of my porch with rod measurements and a glimpse of what I use to create them. Each colored dot corresponds with the same colored outlined product. I used 6 screw hooks which are indicated in red in the diagram, this shows were they are located to add support for the rod. 

Here is a closer look at the materials used:

The installation is easy. We measured where we wanted each hook, ours is 84 inches from the concrete up. Dr.J drilled each hole and added the hook. I was the measurer! According to spell check this is not even a word! ;) We then joined the two rods together with the corner elbow, added the drapes and twisted on the cap to the end of the shortest rod. Done and it was easy peasy!

 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I plan on organizing my paint and sitting and listening to my daughter tell me all about the week she had at camp. What are you doing this weekend? See ya soon!

Linking up with Remodelaholic!

Hello Teen Room Inspiration

Lately my mind has been on my daughters room. We redid her room a few years back but the time has come yet again for a complete redo. Part of my home goals for this year is to replace her bed with a bigger one. She has had a lovely daybed for some time now and we want to upgrade to a full. Her room will double as our guest room and a full size bed is more appropriate for guest.

We want to start with a clean slate and as of yesterday we have sold every single thing that was in her room before. Our budget for her Hello Teen room makeover is $500. That is our out of pocket price. Since we have made some money from her room furnishing that will go towards a new full size mattress, we are not coming out of pocket as much and have more money to go towards other things.

This year we only want to focus on her new bed, bedding and some accessories. Her list of must haves for her new space is not long, she is easy going with a laid back persona. She wants a metal bed, vibrant 'and I mean bright' bedding, sheet music on the wall, pig artwork and a large bookshelf for a library feel. 

Here are some inspirational pictures that we have found for her Hello Teen room makeover:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

My daughter and I were drawn to this room designed by Tobi Fairley. She loved the vibrate color and the light fixture. This room is so whimsical and fun! I was drawn to the curtains, love.

This beautiful room by Kristin Peake is simple but stylish. My daughter wants a simple space that isn't cluttered and I think this room is just what she is looking for minus all the pink. :)

I will put together a separate post with her room before pictures. We have chosen a bed but she is still trying to narrow down a modern quilt that suits her. I will attempt to make a bed skirt and curtains. :) Oh my, have I got my work cut out for me. Wish me luck!

So what do you think of her inspiration for her new room? Have you designed a room for a teen lately? How did it turn out? I still have a few pictures to take for my post on how I made my outdoor curtains that I promised. So hopefully I will have that ready by Friday or next week. ;) See ya soon!

Storage House Swag

I spent this Memorial Day weekend checking off my to-do list one of the biggest painting projects I have ever completed. I painted my storage house! This my friends was no easy feat, it involved ladders...and three days of labor.

This is how my storage house looked before its makeover. A little back story: this is our second storage unit we purchased in a year due to an hailstorm that destroyed the first one. We had Lowe's come and build it. It came from the factory primed except for a couple of pieces of raw wood.

Day 1: The Prep Day

I power washed the entire shed to make sure I had a nice clean surface for the paint to adhere to. I had to caulk around all the trim including corner, door and window trim. I used a tube and a half of caulk. I primed the front and back raw wood trim pieces.

Day 2: Painting

I did two coats of paint on all the trim pieces and then cut in and painted the first coat on the siding. I used Pantone 'Cloud Dancer' 11-4201 for the trim pieces and Eddie Bauer 'Woodsmoke' EB48-2 for the siding. I used Valspar Duramax in semi-gloss exterior for both colors.

Day 3: Final Coat of Paint

Since the storage house has a textured wood grain finish I used a stucco roller to get into all the grooves. That roller worked like a charm! I finished the last coat of paint and was done!

I added two Cyprus around the front of the storage house. These where in pots on my front porch and they had outgrown their pots and started to wilt, so it time to transplant in the yard. I think they will thrive nicely here.

 Here is a side by side comparison of the before and after for your viewing pleasure:

What do you think? Do you have any outdoor painting stories or tips you want to share? Do tell! See ya next week! I will be sharing how I created my outdoor curtain rods for less than ten dollars.

Linking up with Our Fifth House!

Extra Extra Read All About It

Hello! I hope you had a lovely Memorial Day weekend. I spent my weekend painting! School is out around here and our summer vacation has officially started. Friday was their last day of school. We attended award ceremony's and my baby M 'gradulated' from preschool. He doesn't say graduated instead he pronounces it 'gradulated' it is the cutest thing ever.

This is my first year blogging so I don't know what to expect as far as summer blogging is concerned. Since all the kids are home all day, posting once a week will be my going rate for the next two months. Unless I have a burst of creative energy to share with you. Inspirational Wednesday's will resume in August.

This summer I plan on finishing up decluttering my home, finish up projects that have long been forgotten, playing games with my kids (it's high time we dusted off the Kinect), having one on one date nights with each of my kids doing something they like, riding bikes, swimming, lounging around sipping on sweet tea, watching movies with popcorn on the sofa, and simply just enjoying my time with my babies.

I will be back this Wednesday with a painting project I have been working on for the last three days. If you follow me on instagram then you already know what my project is and how it turned out. Spoiled I tell ya! :)

If you want to keep in touch with me over the summer break you can always email me at chippasunshine (at) gmail (dot) com or you can check in on my daily shenanigans over on instagram. See ya tomorrow!

A Simple Gift

For Mother's Day I wanted to make a little something special for my mother and sister. I really love giving homemade gifts! My mother has everything and just giving a Lowe's gift card (which is what she asks for every year for every occasion) wasn't enough to me :-). I wanted to make something this time around. I usually sew blankets, dolls or superhero capes for my nieces and nephews but I never really made anything for my mom or sister. I came up with this idea of a lemonade basket. 
This gift is so cute and something that you just can't go pick up in a store! All that is required of the recipient is a pitcher and some lemons, everything else is provided in this nicely packaged present. Here is what you will need to make this gift for someone special.

Natural Gift Basket Kit | Paint Dipped Spoons | Tea Towel Set | Citrus Reamer | Simple Syrup

A couple of weeks ago I shared with you how to make three different infused simple syrups and paint dipped spoons. I paired both of these items as well as a citrus reamer and a set of tea towels all packaged up in cute little basket.

I tied the recipe with a cute lemon tag on the outside of the basket. I made a printable for those of you who would like to make this simple gift for someone. This will work great as a hostess or a housewarming gift.

The mint syrup went to my mom and the raspberry went to my sister. I didn't share this with you before because they read my blog and I didn't want them to be tipped off.

And there you have it, a perfect gift for someone special! Have you made anything special for anyone lately? Or has someone made you something special? See ya soon!

{Homemade Lemonade Printables} 

Our Back Porch Reveal

Hello Friends! I have been participating in an Outdoor Extravaganza link party co-hosted by Our Fifth House. This weeks installment is Decorating. I thought it was high time I shared with you my outdoor curtains I hung around my back porch. It brings the indoors out and adds a layer of sophistication to the porch.

I just adore my curtains! They are so perfect in the space. I love when a breeze comes through and the curtains sway in the wind.

My porch is a place for me to relax in the mornings before the heat sets in. I can have a cup of tea and catch up on some reading or I can sit with my bambini and have a glass of lemonade. Lemonade and sweet tea are my go to drinks for warmer weather.

I purchased my outdoor curtains an year ago and I am happy with my decision on sheers. They don't provide privacy but we aren't in need of privacy. They are aesthetically pleasing and soften the edges of the porch. I purchased only 4 panels and quickly realized I need at least 4 more in the near future.

I have accomplished all that I wanted to do for my back porch this year. I still have a couple of items to complete before the space is completely done but for now I will draw my attention elsewhere.

The outdoor rug we chose is holding up nicely in the elements and I am loving our vibrate cushions and pillows we added to our existing patio furniture. I shared with you last week my 'made for the shade planter' that is loaded with colorful plants and flowers. The space is nearly complete, here is whats left to-do.

Back Porch To-Do List

Purchase an outdoor rug

Add vibrate fluffy cushions and pillows

Plant some shade loving plants in colorful planters

Hang outdoor curtains

Paint concrete

Install a ceiling fan

Tell me what you think about our back porch and our outdoor curtains. Next week I will show you how I created my curtain rods that was less than $10! See ya soon!

Sources: Curtains: Outdoor Decor at Target | Pillows: Island Living from HomeGoods and Treshold Cali Poppy and Botanical Bachelor Buttons at Target | Cushions: Newport All Weather from HomeGoods | Rug: Lowes | Patio Set: World Market | Lantern: Marshalls

Inspirational Wednesday

"Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder."

~Rumi

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