Since we are stuck at home due to the Coronavirus, we figured it was time to tackle some of those projects around the house that we have been putting off. First up- Nerf Gun Wall!

I’ve seen several of these online. In theory it seemed pretty easy- and for the most part it was. There was only a little bit of cussing on my husbands part. It took us about an hour-start to finish.

The pre-cut peg board we found at Home Depot was about $20. It measured 8 feet by 4 feet. We planned to hang it horizontally, but we worried about electrical lines running just above the light switch…..

Jason of course responded with the usual “Found him!” when I asked if he needed the stud finder. The stud finder indicated that there might be electrical there, so we opted to hang it vertically, which I think worked out for the best.

We used anchors, long screws, a thick nut, and a small washer. These materials we had already. You need to leave space behind the pegboard so you can fit in the holders. Now the fun started.

We figured out where we wanted it- I held it in place while Jason marked the holes with a pencil. We lowered it and he put in the anchors. Then I attempted to hold it up while he placed the screw in place. This is where it all went south.

The challenge is that you need to place the large nut behind the board while attempting to balance the board in place. When he would bend the board forward to get the materials in place, the entire board would shift, making it really hard to hold still. After a few attempts, and glares, and choice words, we decided we needed to tackle this in another way.

I wanted to simply stack some books under the base of the peg board to make it easier to hold the weight….. but Jason found a better way (though it required a lot more effort). He cut the heads off of 3 nails, and placed nails in the anchors so we could temporarily hang the board while we put each screw in. It worked really well. I hate when he’s right.

After one was in, it was easy from there. We did 3 across the top, 2 on the sides, and 2 at the bottom. I think 1 in the center of the board would be good, but we ran out of supplies at that point. When we can venture out again, I’ll buy some.

I got 2 different styles of hooks to hold the guns, and both worked really well. The straight forward pegs are great for higher up. My son can easily hook the gun over head by the trigger or handle. The cradle style is great for the ones in easier reach. I also bought a basket to hold his ammo. I put this low where he would sit and load up the nerf guns.

The best part of the entire project was watching my husband go up and down the step-stool with his amazing sock tan. He really needs some barefoot time outside.

Total cost was $47. We had our own nuts, and screws etc… so a few more bucks for those supplies and it’s still a pretty cheap project.

The struggle will now be making sure our son puts the guns in their holding spot daily. My guess is the easy part is done and now the parenting part, the hard part, begins.

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If your kids are anything like mine, they are constantly creating things. Mine are currently on a painting kick. My daughter received several paints and small canvases for her birthday. The pile of art has been collecting and I wanted to display them, but avoid putting a bunch of holes in the wall. Here is my blank wall that needed some life!

I ventured to the Dollar Store for twine and clothespins. I lucked out and they had both! So $3 later I had all my supplies.

Next up was finding the studs. I used my trusty stud finder. Hubs wan’t home so I was spared his stud finder joke (see blog about our picture gallery if you haven’t read it). As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, hanging things is not my specialty, and this was no exception.

I decided screws would be the best base for the twine. It would create grip for the twine and screw right into the studs….. hopefully. I found the studs on each end of the wall, measured down 3 feet from the ceiling and marked my spot. I angled the screws towards the middle of the wall so the twine would not slip off. The first screw went in perfect! The second one too! I tied the twine to each screw and perfection!! First one done! I hung our lightweight paintings with the smaller clothespins.

Next, I measured up 1.5 feet from the screw that was already in. Surely the stud existed there too. Nope! The screw started to go in like the others and then…… it sunk all the way in. I worked it out and decided to make due with it. It seemed pretty secure despite the lack of stud. The other screw went into a stud. 3 out of 4 is pretty good for me. This twine would hang the canvases which were heavier, so I wrapped it around twice to add more support. I then used the larger clothespins to hang them.

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I’m thrilled with the look. It’s organized and colorful! For minimal effort and money, our office is looking personalized! The kids lit up when they got home and saw it. So- Mission accomplished!

I’m a little obsessed with family pictures- so we have a ton. In our previous home I had an entire wall full of framed family photos. If your picture made it on the wall- that meant you were family. BUT, with our move I was feeling motivated to create a cleaner more organized look. I wish I remember where I saw the idea- but the perfect solution seemed to be to make a picture gallery.

Once again, my husband doubted that this was a great idea. (You will see he is never really on-board with any of my DIY projects- but he is always so impressed when they end up really good!) I purchased the shelves on amazon (link to the exact ones I bought is at the bottom of the blog).

I am skilled at many things. However, measuring and hanging things both do not fall on my list of talents. I’ve left many holes, in many walls, from multiple attempts to get things even, in a stud, or centered. I didn’t want to mess this one up so I played assistant to my husband on this project.

We went back and forth on the placement of the shelves. Parallel lines? 1 straight line? Staggered? I was leaning to parallel lines while hubs liked the staggered idea. He convinced me to try it his way and the measuring began.

The shelves come with pre-drilled holes, but they don’t necessarily line up with your studs. In other words, be prepared to do some extra work. EVERY time we use a stud finder, my husband will scan the room with it and then point to himself and say “Beep! Beep! Beep! I found the stud!” Insert eye roll and head shake by me here. He really does it EVERY time. His Dad joke game is pretty good. You will see as you read more of my posts that he keeps things fun and interesting. One of the many reasons I put up with the fact that he can’t seem to remember to put his damn dishes directly in the dishwasher. Anyway, I’m getting off topic.

We made sure there was enough room between shelves for our taller pictures, and enough space if we put a couch against that wall. Not gonna lie, that room still has no furniture in it- it’s on the project list! We had to use anchors for about half the screws. Once completed they all felt sturdy and not only looked, but were level. This is by no means thanks to me- my husband gets the credit here.

I then organized the frames on the floor to determine where they would go- a mixture of tall and short frames on each shelf. I removed some from the original pile, as I realized we had way too many. A few special pictures I hung solo on other walls, giving them special attention, rather then mixed in with the gallery.

I’ve received a lot of compliments on my gallery wall. The best part is as I want to change pictures and frames, it will require NO extra holes in the wall. I could also change the decor at Christmas time for other pictures or artwork- lot’s of possibilities.

Here is our end product- I love the look. It makes use of our vaulted ceilings and presentation of lot’s of pictures. It took about an hour and a half to hang the shelves (would have taken much longer doing it by myself). It took me another 45 minutes or so to decide where every picture would go. I also changed them a few times after thinking I was done. As far as the placement of the shelves, my husband was right, I love the staggered shelves. Man I hate when he’s right!

Get our look! This is what we ordered on amazon!

Furniture is NOT cheap. Especially when you are like me and have champagne taste on a beer budget. I desperately wanted a large table with a bench to fit all our friends and family for special occasions, but also be suitable for our weekly family dinners. All of the tables I found that I liked were close to $1000. So, I turned to Facebook marketplace.

Most of the tables were a little cheaper, but not enough. Then I found one for $90. Why so cheap? It was hideous. It was unfinished, but someone had painted (not stained) the top of the table brown. It needed some love and stain and it would be great (the ad said).

I talked my husband into going to pick it up. He was not really on board when he saw it, but he humored me and we bought it anyway.

Then, the sanding began! If you’ve never sanded, you are not missing out on much. It’s dusty and labor intensive! Plus I was doing it in our Arizona garage in JULY! What were we thinking???

I watched several videos online about how to sand, stain, and seal my table. Let’s be real. I’m not handy or really equipt in any of those skills. But I rolled up my sleeves and followed these simple steps.

• Sand the table and bench with an electric sander (unless you have a year to sand). I wore a mask and sunglasses. You really should wear better protective eye-wear. I trust you can do this better then me.
• Blow all the dust from the table so you have a clean surface to stain. Then wipe it down.
• We used a grey stain that showed the brown of the table through. This way it matches both the wood and the grey in our home. In Arizona it dries fast so you have to move fast to keep the stain even.
• Seal it with polyurethane- which also makes it shinier and protects the wood.
• Let it dry for a few days outside- it smells!

My husband gave me a hand with sanding, as he was starting to see the potential that I saw- and he wanted some of the credit. I did the staining and sealing. We spent about $30 on those supplies. Not only is the end product exactly what I wanted, but I have so much pride in it since I did most of it myself. If I can do it- you can do it. I’d never sanded or stained anything before!

I added some chairs I purchased at American Home Furniture (I LOVE that store!), and the dining set was complete!

I LOVE doing things myself to save money, and personalize it just how I want it to be. I have a fancy table that cost me a fraction of the price had I bought it brand new. Plus, my kids watched me work hard for something I wanted. I’m always trying to lead by example- sometimes I fall short and other times I can say “Nailed it!”

Our new kitchen is a major upgrade from our old house. There is a plethora of cabinets, a pantry, and an island!!! But, the look is boring, and the island is not very helpful. It doesn’t have seating!

So we looked into extending the island and adding seating…… but with granite that was going to be at least 2k! This thrifty mom was not about to drop that kind of money. So, we looked into a wood table extension. It was less then a quarter of the cost, and I LOVE the look! We found a small local company to build it. We now have extra counter space AND seating!

My husband and I removed the old granite counter top ourselves. I’m all about reusing what you can, so we attached it to our outdoor coffee table, and it fits perfectly! Now we have a beautiful granite coffee table AND a great new kitchen island for under $500! Nailed it!

Phase 2 will be changing the color of the cabinets…. I want teal, hubby wants, well, he wants NOT teal. We will see what we come up with. I’m sure that project will involve lots of cursing…… might need a video for that project!