DIY Mod Podge Coasters

A few months ago I came across a DIY tutorial for Mod Podge tile coasters. The idea is very simple. Using photos printed at home, some Mod Podge and inexpensive tiles, you can create coasters customized to your delight. I immediately thought of Jeffrey's mom when I read the tutorial and decided it would be a great DIY Christmas gift for her.

Jeff's mom adores her cat Riley. So much in fact that I knew using him as the subject for the tile coasters would be a win-win. I just took a variety of photos of him with my cell phone and then edited them in Snapseed to achieve a certain kind of look.

A photo of Riley, post-Snapseed doctoring.

I originally printed out two photos on regular paper and cut them to size for the 4x4 tiles but the quality was really not great once the Mod Podge had dried. I made one from a photo printed on glossy photo paper instead and the quality was instantly improved.

Coasters in progress. The bubble wrap made a great surface to work on to protect the table underneath.

Finished coaster. This angle is meant to show the striations left in the dried Mod Podge. When you look at the tile/coaster head on you can't really see the lines. 

This brush had a tapered edge, which I cut off after Mod Podge dried on it after first use. 

Materials Needed:

• tile coasters (very inexpensive at Home Depot)
• Mod Podge (I used the gloss-lustre version)
• felt brush
• desired photos (printed on photo paper)
• felt strips
• hot glue gun

Directions:

1. Select and print desired photos. Measure and cut them to size so they will fit square in the middle of each tile.
2. Using felt brush, brush a thin layer of Mod Podge over the surface of the tile. Try to get as even a coat as possible.
3. Place photo directly on top of tile, taking great care to make sure the sides and corners are secure and there are no air bubbles beneath the photo paper. The photo will slip around if you move it so be careful with that. I used the blunt end of the felt brush handle to kind of hammer the photo down. 
4. Once it has dried a bit (when the paper no longer moves around) use the felt brush to brush on a layer of Mod Podge that is slightly thicker than the first layer. Make sure to get it to the corners and sides of the photo. You may find the felt brush puts lines or striations into the Mod Podge, and this is okay. It dries clear and doesn't affect the quality of the photos. 
5. Let dry. This can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes.
6. To finish, cut strips or circles of felt to fit the underside of the coaster and use a hot glue gun to glue them into place. This will make it easy for the coaster to sit on a surface and not damage it (it is, after all, a tile). 

This was a very easy project to make and there are so many creative possibilities with a project like this. I was unfamiliar with Mod Podge when I first found the tutorial, but since then I've discovered other unique projects I can create and I am so looking forward to doing them in the new year!

Finished! Now it's time to wrap them! 

I may have gone a bit overboard! Tissue paper, ribbon, foil tissue paper and more ribbon! There is a double thick lining of bubble wrap as well to keep everything safe and secure.

If you haven't had a chance yet, be sure to Like Apartment 54 on Facebook! There will be so much more to come in 2013!
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DIY To Try: Crayon Art

The first time I saw this on Tumblr I wanted to know how it was done. It's amazing how easy and versatile this project can be!

Take a look at the video to see how it's gone (it's really easy). Hmm, I wonder if they make neon crayons? It's been forever since I've purchased crayons.



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DIY To Try: Fabric Stool

Another one of Lauren Conrad's "Crafty Creations" here. I've seen these plain wooden stools at Target and Wal Mart but I've always disliked them. They look uncomfortable, and no matter how much I wish I had stools for the one area of my counter that they would work at, I just can't use these... until now. And it seems relatively easy! Granted I don't have an industrial strength stapler, but I'm certain I could convince Jeff to get one... maybe his dad already has one? Men have things like industrial strength staplers, don't they?



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DIY to Try: Nail Polish Box

Credit & Source: The Beauty Department. Read full instructions here. 

I love this idea! I don't know that I have enough nail polishes to fill a whole shoe box, but I assume any hard cardboard box would do. If you have the time and patience, this could even be a fantastic way to present a gift to someone. Isn't it wonderful when you receive a gift that looks so pretty you don't want to open it?

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Ikea Catalog Shopping, Part 4: Side Tables

Our apartment is furnished with secondhand purchases and cheap buys, so it is very important to us that anything we buy not only represents our joint style and aesthetic, but also has some meaning to it (and is a great price, of course!) Fortunately, we've received a lot of great gifts from our families that have helped steer the design direction in our apartment and we're taking cues from them. While Ikea furniture is typically not known for superb quality and durability, it is inexpensive and stylish, which means we can pick up things we like now on our grad school budgets and worry about making the bigger, more quality purchases later down the road. We'll be purchasing our very first couch next month (likely the Ektorp from Ikea) and what would a couch be without some great side tables?

Ikea PS 2012 side table, $49.99 

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Sure, they're advertised as being for kids (or indoor plants) but for people like us who have a lot of little things lying around, these are great! I just love the built-in pocket compartments for all the little items that just don't seem to have a permanent home. Remote controls, extra batteries, pens and pencils, and so much more could fit inside these. Maybe even an indoor plant or two!

If room permits I'd like these by the couch... but they'd be great as bedside tables! Right now we have exactly one side table - an uninspired piece of black table (material unknown) - and it's not exactly a great fit with the design of the room. I'd love to be able to just tuck a few loose items in the beside table pockets, a book or two in the built-in shelving unit, and call it a night!

Coming up next: a great coffee table!

Ikea Inspirations

When I first started Apartment 54 it was the Ikea catalog that inspired the first few posts and project ideas. While most of those didn't pan out because we never made it down to Burbank the ideas generated from that catalog have stayed with me, and with a catalog out I have many new ideas and inspirations!

I have a few different ideas and plans I'd like to tell you about, but first let's take a look back at some other great ideas inspired by the Ikea catalog!

---Part 1: Inexpensive pots for terrace gardening
---Part 2: A few kitchen updates
---Part 3: A splash of color in the bathroom

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A Clean Desk in Under 17 Minutes

I decided to take my own advice yesterday after complaining that my bedroom was becoming too big of a mess. So I took it upon myself to just focus on one area: my desk. I sit at my desk all day, every day, for hours on end. Between blogging, social networking, correspondence and school work, this is my true classroom/office. Here is a before and after look at how I cleaned my desk in under 17 minutes.

Before: as you can see, my desk gets cluttered very quickly.
Books, my iPad, supplies - they all fall victim to lazy organization.

And after! Everything has a place and there is a place for everything.

I purchased these Martha Stewart boxes at Staples a few months ago.
They stack perfectly on top of each other so I can store my jewelry underneath the post-its.

These don't fit in the pencil/pen caddy, so this larger box works perfectly!

Extra supplies: wall unit for my Macbook Pro, the HDMI converter
for my iPad, and my Square card reader. 

I converted some old JewelMint boxes into handy organizational boxes.
Like the martha Stewart ones, these can also be stacked. And the velvet
lining helps keep everything in place! 

The view from my chair.
It's a lot easier to sit here and work when there isn't a lot of clutter!

On the keyboard tray to the right: school work.

On the keyboard tray to the left: iPad, a notebook, and my other laptop.
Oh, and my crappy phone!

The next cleaning project to tackle? The top of my dresser. It's even worse than the desk was (if you can imagine!)

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Photos: Pretty in the Bedroom

The other day I blogged about prettying up our bedroom with some new purchases. Here's a breakdown of what we did:

• New sheets and (2) pillowcases 
• Curtain (plus rod)
• Decorative pillow

Doesn't seem like much but the sheets alone took up more than half our budget. I think the best deal we got was on the curtain panel, and I really think it lifted the look of the bedroom considerably. It's not picture-perfect yet but I think we're on our way. 

Undressed window on the left, finished product on the right. And I love the way the sun comes through the curtain in the morning! The light is so soft and really brings out the floral pattern.
Curtain: Botanical Burnout, Target.  Rod also from Target.

Fieldcrest Luxury 450 Thread Count Solid Soft Sheet Set  in Grey, Target. 

Adding a touch of femininity to the room. The grey sheets were a compromise  but Jeff let me have my way with the curtain and decorative pillow. Ultimately I think he feels I made the best choice. 

Top: front of the pillow. Bottom: back of pillow
They aren't different colors. My camera is senile.
Simply Shabby Chic Embroidered Euro Pillow, Target. 

Credit: Target.com
View of the pillow that wasn't taken witha  senile digital camera. 

In addition to the new purchases, we also removed the tiled garden table that I had been using as a bedside table. While I'd like to have the free space available for storing extra pillows and bedding, right now it's being used for the portable air conditioner.

The bedroom hasn't received the kind of attention that the other rooms have, but I think we're now in a position to build on the few items we have purchased. We only have so much room to work with and because we're coming from two different households, we have two different sets of furniture. One of the more exciting aspects of living with someone is building everything together. I really like shopping for home furnishings with Jeffrey and I can't wait to see what else we come up with!



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Pretty in the Bedroom

Tonight we picked up a few good deals from Target to pretty up our bedroom. That was the room we had paid the least attention to. We've also made some minor changes to the furniture layout throughout the apartment. I can't wait to see how it all comes together!

Spring Break/Cleaning

Another term has ended and I'm now officially on break. Because I attend graduate school year for three months at a time, I get one month off in between. This time around, I'm using my free time to clean up and better organize our apartment. The dishes have been piling up for some time now and because neither one of us wants to do them, naturally it falls to me.

So far I've gone one load of dishes washing and I've mopped the floors in both the kitchen and the bathroom. Cleaning in sessions is a lot easier (and less anxiety ridden) than spending an entire day devoted to cleaning, at least for me it is. So while I clean I'll also update my neglected Pinterest boards, blog, and try to organize to the best of my abilities. What a fun spring break this is going to be!

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Kitchen Nightmare Postponed On Account of Life

I've been hoping to post some after photos after my last post about updating my kitchen, but.... honestly my kitchen is not exactly photo worthy right now. It's amazing how when you have two graduate students living in a shared place dishes are the least important factor. And not to mention the dining room table is still covered in old cups and glasses because I have not yet had a chunk of time to dedicate to clearing them off. I do have some "after" photos to show of the cupboards but I may hold off on those until I can create a better post.

I will have to find time this weekend to fix everything up. I don't know yet how that will be possible but it's on my to-do list. All I can do is try!

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The Continuing Saga of Our Kitchen Nightmare

Since we have received quite a few new items for our kitchen I thought I would tackle the job of reorganizing everything. Here is what I have to work with so far:

 

A Little Paint

Jeff and I have continued our painting project throughout the apartment and I have to admit I am very excited by how it is turning out! We are working with a second color now and it is really sprucing up the place. It is amazing how much if a difference a little paint can make!

$15 Kitchen Makeover

 Okay, so it isn't a complete makeover but it sure is making a difference. Tonight after grocery shopping we stopped by Home Depot and I happened upon the paint department where the Martha Stewart paint was half off! I had my eye on three distinct shades of green and ultimately chose Lily Pad. It's beautiful! I couldn't wait until tomorrow and started painting tonight. I cannot wait to see how it all turns out!

 

Some New Additions (w/ photos)

The four wooden spoons you see on the left are ones I have had for probably 10 years. They even went to college with me. Sadly, their quality isn't too great and I don't really like holding them in my hand. So when I saw these Giada bamboo spoons at Target last year I knew I had to have them! We have a lot of items from her collection now and we are still planning on getting more! 

I can't wait to use these. I already threw out the old ones and put the new ones in their place. I'm curious to see how long it will take Jeff to notice the switch.

Since we got cable we have been watching an embarrassing amount of cooking shows.our favorites are Giada at Home, Everyday Italian, Real Home Cooking, and Paula Deen's show as well. Right away we identified two things we wanted: a wood grain cutting board and a santoku knife. Both are pricey on their own at places like William Sonoma. But thanks to WalMart, we scored both (from the Paula Deen collection) for just under $50. Never before has slicing tomatoes and cheese for a sandwich (I packed Jeff a lunch today) been so much fun!

Some New Additions

We ended up not going to Ikea (for now) but did end up getting a few things for our kitchen that we are very excited about! I think the kitchen is coming along nicely and though it is definitely a work in progress, it is one that brings us a sense of pride and happiness. We have our meals planned out for the week, did grocery shopping accordingly, and have even created a comprehensive spreadsheet on our iPad so that we can keep track of our spending and our budget every day. There is still a lot of tidying up I plan to accomplish this week, so more to come on that! I wouldn't dare take photos of the apartment looking less than perfect!

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Ikea Catalogue Shopping, Part 3: the Bathroom!

When we first moved into our apartment our shower/tub was missing one critical feature: a curtain. Fortunately we got a great deal on a curtain we both liked (it took a while to find something) and have used it as the starting point for all of our bathroom decorating. We bought some matching towels, a bathmat to stand on once done showering and a mat to stand on while showering. It really pulled our bathroom together and looks so fresh and inviting! It makes a great statement.

I'm kind of in the mood to mix things up and buy some bath towels that I'd be proud to hang up in the bathroom. It's not that we don't have any towels because we have quite a few. Only one of them matches. I'm not one for doing matchy-matchy decorations but I would like to incorporate more of the colors from the shower curtain into the bathroom. Ikea has a lot of different colored ones and they are nicely priced. A few of these could definitely tie in the curtain to the rest of the bathroom.

Jeff thinks we don't need any since we already have a few bath towels, but it's a purchase I'm going to push for just so that our bathroom looks all that much nicer. 

Ikea Catalogue Shopping, Part 2: the Kitchen

The area of our apartment that has had the most attention paid to it is probably the kitchen/dining area. Jeff and I both do a lot of cooking and baking (and a LOT of dishes) and spend a great amount of time in the kitchen. Our kitchen doesn't have a lot of storage space and try as we might to be creative, the kitchen often looks disheveled and really only looks clean when we have company over. 

Counter space is a particular issue, especially with one counter that is tucked in a corner between the refrigerator on one side and the sink on the other. It isn't a space we can stand at and work on so instead we use it for storing baking dishes and cookbooks. We've talked about getting a cart or a trolley to create more surface area and storage possibilities and this $30 one from Ikea looks promising. It's an inexpensive solution to a short-term problem. 

Another issue we come across is seating... we have a great oak dining table but only two chairs. While this normally works for us because we're only two people, it does prove to be a challenge when we have family over. My uncle gave us a few folding chairs to keep handy for when company comes over but they aren't the most comfortable chairs in the world and I don't like the fact that they don't match the other chairs. These white chairs from Ikea are super inexpensive at $10 and we could pick up 4 or 5 for a great price. We need to try them out first before we commit to buying them, however. It's hard to beat such a great price! I'm really interested in checking these out the next time we go to Ikea (hopefully this week?!)

Finally, these candlesticks really caught my eye. I love the bright punch of color and their youthfulness. While a more classic candlestick might be nice, I feel like right now we can get away with these less serious versions since we're young and only in our first apartment. These are a great price, too. I'm hoping they maybe come in other colors. An antique blue color might be perfect for the dining table!

I've got one more area I'd like to tackle. It's a small project but one I've been thinking of for a while. Up next: the Bathroom!

Ikea Catalog Shopping, Part 1: the Terrace

I used to love getting an Ikea catalogue in the mail whenever I remembered to order one online, only it took several weeks for it to arrive. Now I can download it in a few moments thanks to the Ikea app for my iPad. Love it. So. I browsed through just the relevant sections (i.e., the sections that coordinated with my current project ideas) and found a few things I think I must have. Thankfully and awesomely enough the app enables bookmarking so I can browse back to specific pages with ease.

One project that Jeff and I have been thinking about since before we moved in is a garden. We live on the second floor and thus have a small terrace but it isn't an impossible space. With careful planning (he can do the math) and design (I can do that part) I'm confident we can start up a garden to be proud of! 

The great thing about Ikea is that everything is cheap inexpensive but rather nice looking. I love these white pots that are a whopping 49 cents. They would be grat for the growing list of herbs I want to plant, including rosemary, basil, and parsley. One or two of the larger pots for around $15 would work great for veggies, such as onions or lettuce. We have to be smart about what we plant and when, especially considering that summer in Bakersfield climbs up into the 100's regularly.

Hanging flower pots would be great for incorporating flowers or other herbs or spices. These white ones for $4.99 are especially darling. 

While I like the simple and utilitarian look of the white pots I just love the vibrant purple variation. These would work well for indoor plants, and would look great in our colorful kitchen. 

I'd love to get some chalkboard paint and paint labels on the pots, just so I can always know what is currently growing (this might be helpful for Jeff, as well). This seems like it would just a nice touch of customization and character. 

Our front door is set back a ways on the landing and there is a good amount of space where we could put plants that don't need a lot of direct sunlight and would be slightly cooler. I love the idea of something green at the front door. It just looks so welcoming and inviting!

I've got more ideas from the Ikea catalogue! Up next... the kitchen!