DIY Suitcase Planter

My brother made this succulent planter out of a vintage suitcase he found in the garbage, some prefab chair legs and scrap wood.

He lined the inside with plastic, placed potted succulents in the case and covered them with landscaping stone. The stones are heavy, but he reinforced the bottom with support beams and screwed the legs onto the frame underneath.

I showed this photo to a few friends at work and they said it was a very manly planter.

CORRECTION: This suitcase has not been augmented, but the Anthropologie version that inspired this project had a plywood-reinforced bottom.

Make Your Own Paint By Number

Another Shade of Grey has discovered a site that lets you create your own paint-by-number using your photos.

I love this idea. What a fun way to revamp your favorite pics.

One catch, it costs $19.95 to activate. Though, there is a free trial available.

Plate Hanger Innovation

I love hanging plates on the wall. They are great for visual pop, relatively inexpensive, and easily changed when the mood strikes. But, I absolutely hate those wire plate hangers.

First, I always get my fingers pinched while I'm trying to stretch the springs and get the hooks over the edge of the plate. Second, I hate the way the little hook tips look against the plate's surface. They're distracting and can chip the edges. And third, when I walk through the house, I can hear the little metal springs vibrating (curse of a pier-and-beam).

Today I found out that there is a solution, thanks to decor8. She found adhesive plate hangers (shown right). They stick on and come off when soaked in warm water. They're imported from England and available at A.C. Moore (which we don't have in Dallas) and online here.

I can finally hang an awesome plate collage, like the one above, without a puncture wound.

DIY: Reglaze Thrift-Store Plates

Learn to reglaze thrift store plates with silhouettes, no kiln required, from Red Hot and Green.

Via Black White Bliss.

Outfits as Art

This display at Fusion Home Fashion would make a great art installation in a bedroom. And it's practical too. More about how to make your own on Shak in Style.

PSA: Call 811 Before You Dig

If you have a digging project in mind for the summer, the folks over at the Common Ground Alliance want to remind you to call 811 first. 811 is the new national number to help you locate any pesky gas and water lines before your new deck becomes your new federal disaster area.

I don't think the folks at the CGA can do much about Fido, but they can offer you advice about everything from shrubs to trees to moats. Find out more on their site.

Thanks to Matt N. for the e-mail heads-up.

How to Customize Concrete Countertops

I blogged a few months ago about casting your own concrete sink. Here's another customization for you DIY concrete countertops: throw a handful of colored glass fragments, semi-precious stones, or metal shavings into the mix. The aggregates will be revealed upon grinding and polishing, much like terrazzo floors. Find more concrete tips on the Concrete Network.

Triple Word Score: Scrabble Sofas

Leave messages for your house-mates on your slightly uncomfortable-looking, but probably fun Scrabble Sofas.

If you like the pillows, I believe you could do a DIY version using iron-ons and some inexpensive pillows.

Via my friend Pablo via Geekologie.

Customizing Wall-Mount Cabinets

I found this photo on an Apartment Therapy SLinks post referencing the custom-painted blinds. That's a great idea, but I was much more interested in what the designer of this room has done with those wall-mounted cabinets.

It looks as though you could mimic this by taking two cabinet units, mounting them to the wall, adding three custom legs, painting it out, and abracadbra - you have a custom hutch.

With the steep prices of large-scale furniture, this sounds like a very practical solution for any room. I also love the idea of putting feet or short legs on kitchen cabinetry. I think giving built in cabinets a furniture feel really warms up an otherwise very utilitarian space. Unfortunately, it also makes for a lot of extra sweeping

DIY: Deconstructed Deer Head Coat Rack

From Design Spotter, a very cool deconstructed version of deer head coat rack.

Looks like you could put this together from local hardware store finds. Personally, I'd like to see it all one color: either black or white.

I may give it a try this weekend.

How do I Save this Desk?

I got an e-mail from a reader asking how to rescue this inexpensive desk found on Craig's List. Over all, it looks very shabby and not at all chic. The finish is worn and it appears to have unattractive cylindrical feet which are centered under each end. Not a pretty picture, but not hopeless.

The lines of the desk are simple and modern and I think with a few small changes, and a weekend's worth of elbow-grease, it could be quite attractive.

First, I would ditch the legs. A great solution would be a set of inexpensive pine bun feet. I would use 8 total - 2 on each side, both front and back. This will give the piece a more balanced look. Right now, it is very top heavy on those narrow, centered legs. A great resource for inexpensive bun feet is Vandykes.

Secondly, I would paint the desk with a oil-based or milk paint. It looks like it will need a thorough sanding and a coat of a primer like Kilz to ensure that the old finish doesn't bleed through the paint. A simple dove gray would be very fetching, but the color would depend totally on the room. I know painting with oil is a smelly, hazardous pain, but latex really can't stand up to the wear-and-tear of daily use (goodness knows I've tried), especially if you live in a humid area like Dallas. I haven't tried milk paint yet, but I hear that it provides a less porous finish than latex.

Thirdly, I would get some fun drawer pulls. For a simple piece like this, the contrast of a little frill or whimsy wouldn't hurt. Something like this acanthus bin pull from Charleston Hardware Co. would be great, though, in this case, it would require filling existing drawer-pull holes and drilling new ones.

Happy re-doing!

DIY Clutter Control

A Very cool use for old crates and a great way to get some of that clutter off of your closet floor and out of your nightstand. Now I wish I had some old wooden crates, a big garage full of tools, and some free time.

Love the lamp. This would actually make a cool headboard.

Via Apartment Therapy Chicago.

Patchwork Mirrors - DIY Modern?

I saw this post about the patchwork mirrors at NYC's Balthazar on ApartmentTherapy. Balthazar is a sort of European restaurant which is a popular SoHo brunch destination. We actually ate there on our trip a few weekends ago and the waffles with hazelnut cream were excellent.

I wasn't seated facing the bar, so I didn't get a good look at this, but wouldn't this be a cool modern update on the traditional framed mirror?

I think it might be even better with out a frame and using mirrors of different dimensions (squares and rectangles of varying sizes) to form a large rectangular mirror.

I saw an unframed version like this in magazine, but the mirrors were on a backboard and some had been propped up at a 45 degree angle. The effect was really cool. Unfortunately, I can't find a photo on the Web.