Spooky Stick Wreath

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Years ago, I saved an image of a spooky wreath made from sticks. Last year I came across it again and decided it was high-time I make my own. Here is the inspiration image…

From Earnest Home Co via Pinterest.

All said and done, this was a really simple project that I made over the course of an afternoon. I’m really happy with how it turned out! I haven’t put it up quite yet, but I wanted to share it for anyone who wants to make their own in preparation for the spooky season ahead.

Spooky Stick Wreath

Supplies

  • Sticks, in varying sizes, see step 1 below

  • Glue gun and extra glue sticks

  • Cardboard or kraft paper (to work on)

  • Sharpie or other black marker

  • Black spray paint

  • Ribbon or a wreath hanger

Directions

First, collect sticks to use for your wreath. In general, I recommend thinner sticks. I think they add to the aesthetic better than a big, thick stick would. Our yard is full of sticks on any given day, so I spent a little time wandering around to pick up a few armfuls. I found it was helpful to get a bunch and then I sorted them later.

Second, sort your sticks. I put them into 3 piles—short, medium, and long. Each size range is a bit arbitrary, but it was helpful to start with the longer sticks, then add in medium sticks, then add the final touches with the smallest sticks as I was gluing. I also broke some sticks to better fit into my three categories and make them all a bit more uniform. I chose to use individual sticks, not branches, for my wreath.

Third, lay out a big piece of cardboard or kraft paper, grab a sharpie or other black marker, and get your glue gun ready. I chose to do my project outside on our big patio table, but you could definitely do this inside at your dining room table. You just need somewhere you can spread out a bit to work and that you don’t mind if it gets some dirt/mess on it.

Fourth, draw a circle on your cardboard to use as a guide for your wreath. I chose a circle that is about 14” in diameter. Then, lay out an initial layer of sticks to get your wreath started and your circle size set. I started with the longest sticks for the base of my wreath. Using your hot glue gun, glue sticks together where they touch. Continue to add sticks until you get to the size and fullness you desire for your wreath.

Fifth, once you’ve got your wreath glued, you’re ready to paint! I took a minute to remove lingering strings from the glue gun, and then gave it a light first coat of glossy black spray paint. I let that dry while I did a few other things, came back and gave it another coat to make sure I had covered all the nooks and crannies. Once you’ve gotten coverage you are happy with, set it aside to dry. I let mine sit overnight.

Sixth, using a ribbon or a wreath hanger, put your new Spooky Stick Wreath on display! I used mine in our dining room, but I also think it would be super fun on our front door.

Cheers to fall nights and spooky vibes!

A Quick Front Door Makeover for the Holidays

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Our front door is a really pretty wood door that has seen better days. It desperately needed a coat of paint to give it a new lease on life. Here’s how it looked before it’s new paint.

I loved the color from the front door at our previous house so much that I decided to use it again, and I think it looks lovely against our light yellow siding.

Ta da! Isn’t it so beautiful!

The color is Sherwin Williams “Blackberry”, and it’s a beautiful, rich purple with lots of red in it. I love the depth of color. It also pairs so well with the deep green and bright red of the wreath.

Pip was hoping, longing to dart out the door and run away. His favorite pastime.

This was a pretty quick project (the taping of the windows took the longest), but it was very satisfying to see it come together just in time to decorate for Christmas!

Penelope's Nursery

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I promised photos of Penelope’s nursery long ago and am finally here to share them with you. I’m really happy with how her room came together! Take a look!

For Penelope’s room, I knew I wanted a neutral base to use as a jumping off point for the other decor. I decided to paint the room white using Behr’s Polar Bear. I have used it in other rooms around our house (including Finn’s room), so I knew I liked it. You can see all of my inspiration for her room here.

I searched and searched for a bookshelf / toy bin storage option for this spot. I wanted something gray that could hold both books and toys. I really like the look Pottery Barn Kid’s Market Bins, but the price tag was a little out of my budget. I eventually found the Nataly Combo Bin Storage Unit on Wayfair, and it checked all of my boxes and was even better than I hoped because it was tall enough to accomodate a lamp without little hands being able to reach it. (One thing worth noting—Other reviewers mentioned a smell when they set up the unit. I experienced this as well. We left the window open in the room for a few days to let the smell dissipate and haven’t noticed any smell since then.)

I like having a lamp in a nursery to offer a softer light before bed and for night feedings. I found this beauty at a thrift store, and I love it so much!

The zebra is from my parent’s, and I think of them often when I see it. :)

We never had a sound machine with Finn, but I caved and got one for Penelope’s room; it’s this one. Finn’s room is across the hall, and there were many times when he would wake her up accidentally. I’m glad we got it, though, because I would get so frustrated with him if he was loud in the hallway. Now I don’t feel so anxious about possibly waking her up.

Before Finn was born, I worked in an office, and they had this giant cork board. One day they were getting rid of it, and I asked if I could have it. We used it in our last house as a command center, and then hung it in this room when we first moved in, which served as our office. When we moved the office upstairs to make room for Penelope, I decided to leave the cork board. I like that I can change up the art and can later put up her creations. For now, it has a variety of prints and pictures I have collected over the years. The banner is the main star of the collection. I used Shanty 2 Chic’s free printable banner, and then added a dark pink border with a marker. The ribbon is a coordinating maroon color.

My aunt made the flower crown for my 5th grade play of Hamlet. I was Ophelia.

This big basket of burp clothes by the chair was a lifesaver. Penelope spit up a lot the first six months or so, and it was so handy to be able to quickly grab a burp cloth when disaster struck. I found the basket at Goodwill, and it fit this little cubby perfectly.

I have to rave about the rug I got for her room! It’s from RugsUSA, and it is absolutely beautiful in person. It is also so soft underfoot. I snagged it during their Black Friday sale, and it is worth every penny.

We got Penelope’s crib off of Craigslist (it’s the DaVinci Jenny Lind 3-in-1 Convertible Crib), and it is perfect for the room. We still have Finn’s old crib, but it needed to be painted and just didn’t feel right for the space. I love the style of this one so much! (The striped crib sheet is Burt’s Bees from Amazon, and I highly recommend them. They are soft and fit really well.)

The art above her crib is so special to me! I got the birds print when Dylan and I were in Paris (two summers ago). I hoped some day we would have a baby girl so I could use this in her room. :) The one on the right is a painting I made a few weeks before Penelope was born. I wanted something that would play off the colors in the bird print so they went together as a set. I made an abstract painting first, and I just didn’t love it. It was too bold for what I wanted. Then, I came across an idea that was perfect. Like birthstones, each month has a flower associated with it. The flower for April is the Sweet Pea. The idea of her as our little sweet pea was enough to win me, but the colors and graceful, wispy flow of the plant was just what the room needed. I am so proud of how it turned out, and I absolutely love it paired with the birds!

My sister sent the Swan Mobile, and because the white swans blend in with the white walls at a distance, it is like this beautiful secret that you don’t notice until you get up close to the crib. It adds a really soft, soothing vibe. I also love the meaning behind it—the five swans represent the five countries of Scandinavia. I am of Danish heritage, and Dylan is Norwegian, so it is particularly fitting for our family.

Across from the crib is Penelope’s dresser and changing pad. I found the dresser on Craigslist, and I love the beautiful french provincial style. It allows for a lot of storage, which is great because the closet in this room is small, and it doubles as a changing station with our beloved Keekaroo Peanut Changer (which is absolutely worth the money for anyone asking).

The grouping of three little pictures to the left of the dresser are from when I was a baby. I had forgotten my parents had given them to me, but I’m so glad I found them as I was organizing a few boxes in our attic.

Well there you have it! The colors are more muted than I usually use, but I’m so happy with how the room came together. Thanks for taking a little tour of this space that’s so special to us!

Design Inspiration for a Baby Girl's Room

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Baby girl's room is coming along, and today, I wanted to share my inspiration and general design direction for the space. 

I'm not sure if there was any particular jumping off point for how this room came together. I knew I wanted it to feel cohesive with Finn's room, which is across the hall. That meant sticking with white walls (Behr Polar Bear) and pulling in some darker grays to mirror his room. I also wanted the room to feel calm and a bit more muted than how his turned out. I came across the rug on RugsUSA (linked below) and fell in love. It is so beautiful in person, and it is really soft too. I really liked how it pulled together a lot of the colors I wanted but in a muted way. It ended up guiding a lot of the other decisions for the room.

From there, I knew we would need a dresser for storage. The closet in her room is small. And after a lot of searching, I decided on the gray storage cabinet to corral toys, dolls, and books. It will also serve as a landing place beside our rocking chair for a lamp and our phones/water/whatever while we feed and rock the baby. 

Originally, I was going to use our crib from Finn (this one) and paint it dark gray. While searching Craigslist for something else, I came across a Jenny Lind crib in white for a great price. I couldn't pass it up! It saved me a lot of effort to not have to paint the other crib, and I absolutely love how it looks in the room. It fits so well with the other elements. 

I plan to use art to bring in some pops of color. I have a vintage bird print I bought in Paris last summer, and I want to make an abstract art print as well. I also have a ton of images of flamingos saved and hope to print one or two to hang in the space. Eventually, I would like to add the Dotted Iris print from Etsy (linked below). I think the colors are perfect for her room, and I like the vintage vibe of it.

There you have it! I'm hoping to take photos of the space as I finish it up in the next week or so here. Below is the source list for all of the items. 

Source List

DaVinci Jenny Lind Crib in White

Burt's Bees Striped Crib Sheet in Gray - These are the best! So soft and fit very well. 

Gray Curtains

Swan Mobile

Louvaire Ashen Traditional Rug - This rug is so beautiful in person and very soft under foot.

Keekaroo Changing Pad — We have had this changing pad since Finn was born, and I HIGHLY recommend it! It is so nice that you can wipe it off rather than having to run it through the washing machine when it inevitably gets wet/dirty.

3-tier Tray - to corral diapers, wipes, butt cream, etc on her dresser

Dotted Lavender Iris print

Storage Cabinet

Rabbit blanket

P.S. Here's the Inspiration for Finn's Toddler Room as well as the final result, Finn's Room. 

P.P.S. Affiliate links are used for some of the Amazon products. I receive a small commission if you purchase through my affiliate link.

Finn's Toddler Room

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Finn's room has come together over time, and I'm very happy with how it turned out. We finally got a 'big kid' bed for him, so I thought I would take a few pictures to share. In case you would like to see how the room has come together, you can check out my previous posts—Design Inspiration for a Toddler Boy's Room and Progress Update–Finn's Toddler Room.

I love that this room has a lot of pieces that hold special meaning to me. The bed frame my dad had refinished for me when I was a teenager, and I have always loved the style of it. Initially, I wanted a black iron frame bed for Finn, but I didn't want this frame to get ruined in the garage. I really like how it looks in his room, though, so it ended up working out.

My grandmother made the quilt, and the triangle blanket is from Target (although it looks like they don't sell it in the navy anymore). It's so soft.

The desk is an antique from my parents. Finn doesn't really use it right now, but I think it looks cute with his other stuff. I need to give that stool a sanding and fresh coat of paint.

It isn't my preference to have the bed in front of the window the way it is, but it allows for the best flow of the room. It also makes opening the curtains much easier than how we had it before.

The dresser was a Craigslist find a few years ago. I painted it a dark gray for Finn's room.

I like that the art ties together the blues, oranges, and yellows from throughout the room. The Animal World Map (to the left in the photo) was on my wishlist for a long time, and I'm so glad I got it. Finn loves animals, and it is just a happy print. It's from Little Universe Shop on Etsy, and you can print it in a variety of sizes to fit your space. I found the Cheetah and Lion images via Pinterest and printed them at home to fit my frames.

The panda lamp is from Target, and it still makes me smile every time I see it.

These Ikea shelves work so well for kid's books. I painted them the same white as the walls—Behr Polar Bear. The curtains are from Ikea as well.

If you saw my post, Things Finn Says, you know he loves animals. We keep a few of his beanie babies in his room in this basket, and then we have two other baskets in the living room. He loves to play '5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed' with them.

The rug is from Overstock. It was in our office area at our last house. I probably wouldn't have bought it for this space, but the color works surprisingly well with everything I had already picked out for the space.

The Sailboat Mobile hung over his crib at our last house. I like the sculptural element it adds to the room, and it gently spins when the furnace turns on. The rest of the art is a combination of thrifted pieces and prints I bought. The Be Brave and Be Bold prints are from Minted.

The 'Little Warrior' image, as I call it, is an image I found on Pinterest and printed at home. Finn's name means 'Little Warrior' so I thought this was a fun addition to his room.

Source List

Panda Lamp by Pillowfort | Mariam Curtains in Blue | Wire Basket with White Handles | Wall Rack for books | Triangle Blanket | Rug | “Be Brave” print | “Be Bold” print | Animal World Map | Sailboat Mobile | Little Warrior image | Cheetah image | Lion image