DIY Archives - Emily A. Clark

Our (DIY) Kids’ Backyard Theater

Jun122017

We now have a neighborhood theater—in our backyard.

This project was the brainchild of my eight-year-old and my dad after a conversation that went something like this:

SHE: I really wish I had a stage in our backyard where I could do plays.

HE: I’ll build you one!

Ask Granddaddy, and you shall receive.

My dad sketched this out and built it one weekend when they came to visit. (My parents don’t sit down when they come to see us. Can you tell??) He constructed the stage and the “marquee” and left the rest up to me.

We used a mossy green paint for the background, and I customized it with wood cut-outs from the craft store that I spray painted.

Then, I headed to IKEA for the fun stuff. Their children’s section had exactly what I needed to create a colorful prop basket and (ready-made) costumes from the LATTJO play collection for our “productions”.

I’ve teamed up with IKEA once again as one of their brand ambassadors for this project, and I love that it fits right in line with their democratic design philosophy of “life at home” and creating a playful atmosphere. Truth is, you can drag your kids to every activity and event that comes along, but sometimes, it’s just the most fun to be at home and PLAY.

It’s also an amazing thing to see something that sparks their interest more than a screen. Imagination is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? We’ve seen a few plays, several talent shows and some gymnastic demonstrations, complete with popcorn and tickets. I have this grand idea in my mind that we’re going to have a Christmas carol sing with a bunch of the of the neighborhood kids. Can you picture it?! (We’ll see how that all works out once December rolls around. . .)

I used red RITVA curtains; the 57″ length worked perfectly and they’re only $14 for a pair. I also added the SOMMAR reversible outdoor rug and picked up one of these striped toy bins for prop storage. I picked up a variety of stuffed toys for the “props”–big and colorful! The best part is that they’re machine washable so they can easily be cleaned if/when they get dirty outside.

And of course, you have to have an audience. I added a couple of outdoor FALSTER benches (with colorful pillows) for seating. They’re aluminum; I love them! As you might expect, some audience members are less enthusiastic than others.

I’m not sure what the next show will be, but I did hear them singing “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” at the top of their lungs the other day. . .

I’ll do a follow up post with more DIY details soon, with some help from “Grandaddy”, of course. :)

I’m proud to serve as a 2016-2017 IKEA brand ambassador.Thanks to IKEA for sponsoring this post.

3 Reasons To Paint Window Trim Black

Nov42015

I’m celebrating six years of blogging with some fun news. I’m officially a contributing writer for Better Homes & Gardens’ web site. (Who would’ve thought it when this all started?!) I’ll be writing 2-3 decorating articles each month. My first one is now live and is all about a trend I love: “3 Reasons to Paint Your Window Trim Black.”

Martha O’Hara Interiors

Head over to BHG.com to see why painting your windows black can be a beautiful and budget-friendly solution.

PS—This look works especially well with the white wall trend I wrote about here.

Painting Our Brick Fireplace White

Sep142015

I knew from the first time we walked through the house that painting the brick living room fireplace would be one of my first projects. I’ve always liked the look of painted brick, and this particular room gets little natural light, which made the dark brick seem ever darker.

(Pre-move and pre-popcorn ceiling removal. . . )

Frog Tape sent me several different products for this project. I used the yellow tape (made for delicate surfaces) to tape off the freshly painted walls. And, I used a new-to-me tape for textured surfaces to tape off the firebox. (It comes with a special sealer, and then you wipe it down with a damp rag. It worked perfectly on the brick.)

A few of you asked me about my process when I posted this “in progress” shot on Instagram. There’s not much of a process, though. Anyone can paint a brick fireplace. If you tape everything off well, you need little-to-no precision. I rolled a coat (with a 3/4” nap roller) and then “globbed” paint in the crevices with an angled paint brush. I rolled two coats and globbed three. :) (You only get highly technical terms on this blog!)

As far as the paint I used, I had this white semi-gloss left over from another project, and it worked great. I like that the fireplace has a slight sheen to it now.

We haven’t changed any overhead lighting—and have only added one lamp, but the white paint makes a major difference in lightening up the room. Now on to accessorizing. . .

Thanks to Frog Tape for sponsoring this post.