Top #3 {hubby assisted} DIY Projects of 2012

Since I definitely don’t do all the diy’ing around here myself,
I wanted to give Jim the credit he deserves with a post dedicated to

Top #3 {hubby assisted} DIY Projects of 2012

Jim finished some things that had been hanging around on our to-do list for a long time last year! My guy really got some great projects done that we are both so happy to see completed and marked off the list!

These are my three favorites.
(I think he likes them pretty well too!)

Sometimes, little things make such a big difference!
At least to me they do.

When we moved in to our home, the shelf in our kitchen was just one more thing that was not done properly or with any care for the finished product. It was a rough, junky, warped, board that was just thrown in place.

BEFORE

AFTER

We did this project right before Christmas last year, so the pictures all sport holiday decor.
This was a total weekend-whim project. We just decided to do it and ran off to get a few supplies and started in.

Jim did all the measuring, cutting and hammering parts.
I was in charge of the caulking, paint and stain.
We make a good team!

This project made the kitchen feel so much more “finished”. A simple little shelf upgrade in the arch was just the finishing touch we needed to truly be able to call it done.
(if you don’t look up at the skylight…)

DIY Kitchen Shelf Upgrade and Molding Trim Project.

I am most certainly in LOVE with the
before & after in our sun room.

We went from a functional but boring, vanilla laminate bar height counter top.

Before

To a rustic, chippy aqua, shab-fab counter top! Thanks to some old fence boards we decided to reuse and up cycle with a new purpose. I knew we saved them for something special even though I never dreamed it would be this!

After

Best decision ever.
I love it every time I walk by them.

We could care less about re-sell value.
It was worthless before anyhow. It was completely dated and boring… the only reason we had that section of counter top was because we were undecided about what we were going to do with it. We figured, if we wanted to do something in the future, we would have to remove it anyway, and the fence boards didn’t cost a dime.. so we aren’t out anything but the two hours it took Jim to cut the boards and nail them in place. We only wish we hadn’t waited so long!

DIY a Rustic UpCycled Counter Top from Old Fence Boards.

Now, the fireplace project did take some work and decidedly more effort. Lucky us, Jim was a mason in a past life, so he was the perfect guy for the job!

This is what the past owners did.
Isn’t it Pretty!?

I had previously painted the green trim white, the red/orange glossy brick a matte white and busted out the bathroom tiles off the hearth. Plus, I immediately killed that wall color before we all had nightmares for life.

We still needed a deeper mantel shelf though.
The original mantel shelf was so shallow, you could hardly put a thing on it at all! Not conducive to decorating.
We also needed to install all new hearth tile and trim out the raised hearth with some nice, chunky moulding.

DIY Fireplace Mantel & Hearth Makeover.

I am so proud of the work Jim did on the fireplace. I tell you.. it was an absolute joy to decorate this Christmas. I could have put just about anything I wanted to on that mantel.

Merry Christmas Vintage Frosty Mantel.

I wonder what I’ll be able to talk him into tackling in 2013???

Maybe I should start a list…