Wednesday, September 21, 2011

10 Tips For Updating Your Kitchen!


In a recent survey, 50% of home owners would update their kitchen out of all the rooms in their house, if they had the money to do so.  Are you one of those 50%?  Is your kitchen in need of a makeover, but you don't have a huge budget in order to make the changes you want?  That's okay!  Check out these 10 ideas for updating your kitchen, which will give it a whole new look, and be easy on your wallet.

 1.  Update your kitchen towels and/or oven mitts!  Adding new, fun and bright colors to your kitchen with towels, mitts or even your kitchen blinds, can change the whole room.  Target or even Walmart carries very bright and fun kitchen towel packs that can brighten a room for around $10.00 for 5.

  2.  If you don't need new towels, how about new table linens?  With the Fall holidays approaching, stores like Pottery Barn and Kohls are carrying beautiful table linens that would add elegance to any table.

3.  Perhaps all your kitchen really needs is a little paint.  Adding paint to one wall -or every wall- in your kitchen can completely change the whole room and make a dull kitchen look brand new.  Don't be afraid to use bright, bold colors!

 4.  Have kids?  How about using blackboard paint for the back splash area above the counter tops?  I've even seen people paint it on the front of old refrigerators to give it new life.  You can write notes to your kids, keep a grocery list, or even have your kids make beautiful masterpieces so they can leave their own mark on your kitchen decor!

5.  Replace your kitchen faucet.  If your budget won't stretch to replacing the entire sink, changing the faucet in your kitchen can give a new fresh look.

6.  Give your kitchen appliances a face-lift!  Try ordering new doors or face panels from the manufacturer of your favorite appliances.  Appliances out dated?  Start replacing them one at a time.  Buy a new toaster one month and a new blender the next.  Many companies are  now coming out with fun colors and designs on their appliances that are really neat and fun.

7.  Update your lighting fixtures.  You can replace ugly outdated fluorescent lighting with track lighting for about $50. Your local Home Depot or Lowes has professionals there to help answer your questions and choose the lighting that would be right for you.

8.  A bowl filled with fruit or a vase filled with fresh cut flowers, placed on your kitchen island, can bring color to the room instantly!

9.   Update door hardware.  Door knobs typically sell for $2-$5 ea.,  so you could easily replace any outdated hardware on your cabinets for under $100!


10.  Another way to completely change the look of your kitchen, is to paint your cabinets!  If the doors are in great shape but you don't like the outdated oak finish, consider painting them for a completely different look.  Black and white are colors that would work with anything, but painting them bright yellow or red, could be completely fun and brighten the whole room and be just the change you need!


I hope you like the fun ideas for brightening and changing your kitchen on a budget!  If you have any ideas not listed, please share them in the comments, I would love to see them and share with readers!  If you haven't read Remodeling Hell which tells the story of building my dream home which turned into a 2 year nightmare, be sure to check it out!  My book has additional money saving ideas for you, and will walk you through my experience offering lessons on what to do and not do when building or remodeling your home!   Click HERE to order now! 

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Making a fabric covered lampshade

Do you have a room that could use a little something extra? Or maybe you have an old lamp in need of a makeover. I found this do-it-yourself tutorial on how to cover a lampshade in a fabric you love. Take a look below, and if you do this, send in your pictures!

Materials Needed:

  • lampshade
  • 3/4 yard of fabric per shade
  • 3 yards of ribbon trim per shade
  • fabric glue
  • temporary fabric pen
  • clean-release tape
  • small paintbrush
  • scissors

Cut Fabric

Place lampshade on front side of fabric. Roll shade along fabric, cutting two inches above and below edges of shade. Once finished, wrap fabric around shade and trim off excess fabric, leaving two inches for overlap.

Glue Fabric to Shade


Run a line of fabric glue along the shade's existing seam and press one end onto glue. Secure end with clean-release tape and allow glue to fully dry for 1/2 hour. Tip: Place new fabric's seam over existing seam for a clean finished product. Holding the loose end, wrap fabric snugly around shade, overlapping the glued end. Temporarily secure excess fabric with clean-release tape to prevent fabric shifting. Fold excess fabric towards inside of shade and mark top edge with a temporary fabric pen. It's best to work on one end of the shade at a time; start with the top side. Remove excess fabric by cutting roughly 1/2-inch beyond the line drawn with fabric pen.

Tuck Cut Fabric Edges

Create a clean edge by folding cut fabric under 1/2-inch and inserting between fabric and shade. Check finished seam as you go to ensure that the amount folded under is even, creating a consistent edge. Run a thin bead of fabric glue between folded fabric and shade. Firmly press fabric into place. Turn shade over and repeat steps five through eight on bottom side of shade.

Create a Finished Side Seam

Remove tape holding excess fabric in place. Turn cut end under 1/2–inch to create a finished edge and secure with glue. Apply glue to underside of finished edge and firmly press onto shade

Embellish With Ribbon

Beginning at side seam and working in small sections, brush fabric glue onto shade's top and bottom edges. Cover glue with ribbon working your way around shade back to seam. Turn under ribbon ends to create a finished edge and glue onto shade.

Finished Product



I hope you enjoy this tutorial found at HGTV. Have fun creating your new lampshades!