nesting + home décor

Painted Floral Tablecloth

After making this painted Polka Dot Tablecloth last week, I’ve been inspired to test the process with different patterns and colors. We made this tablecloth based on some vintage fabric I had in my fabric stash. We had Paul mix up a few colors and I’m so pleased with the way it turned out! The process took only a few hours because the pattern is so abstract and imperfect. I can’t wait to use it at my next party!

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Geometric Party Installation

A few years ago when we were living in Paris I saw some really amazing window displays and I’ve always wanted to make some party decorations inspired by them. Last week we gave it a go and loved how they turned out. This geometric installation would be so awesome hanging above tables for a wedding or in a large loft space. They are so elegant and beautiful. They would even make a really great photobooth backdrop. The best part: they are really inexpensive and simple to make and have such a big impact. I kind of want to make one to keep in my office above my desk. See full instructions below.

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Floral Garland + Welcome Banner DIY

Here is the DIY from the floral garland and banner we made for my housewarming party. It was really fun project to make and has such a big impact for guests walking up to your door. Sometimes in the past I’ve made my own garland (instead of ordering it pre-made) but I’ve learned that most of the time there isn’t that much savings to have someone else do it. It depends what kinds of access you have to a a flower mart. This whole project cost a little over $100 and took about an hour. The sign is fun because we wired it so it can be wavy and scroll-like which gives it a cool look.

Keep reading for full instructions and more photos.

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Floating Art Frame DIY

I had several people ask me about framing after we posted pictures of our apartment so I thought I would share this little framing trick that Paul taught me. It works best with artwork that is on paper like from a sketchbook because it shows off the texture of the paper by “floating” it. We just use Ikea frames for these but anything will work as long as it is deep enough. I used this method when I framed these sketches from the Alameda Flea Market. Click through below for full instructions!

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Apartment Pictures: Before and After!

A couple weeks ago Joanna shared some photos of our teeny 500 square foot apartment on A Cup of Jo. I have a lot more pictures and details about hunting for the apartment and renovations so this week I’m going to share some of them. I love a good before and after and this one was pretty crazy. When we signed the lease we agreed to manage the renovations ourselves and we spent two weeks (with the help of Paul’s parents) painting the whole apartment and hiring contractors to do floors etc. It was an exhausting project but we were thrilled with the results. (Just a warning there are some scary “before” pictures.)

Click through below to take a peek…

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