Dear Marc:

Do you know of a way to upcycle my plastic soap dispensers in the bathroom. I hate throwing them out. Help!

Marlene

Dear Marlene:

We are surrounded by plastic! Plastic bottles, plastic toys, and plastic everything else. We try to be Eco-conscious and recycle but is there a way to take it one step further?

When it comes to dispensers, I am a big believer is reusing a dispenser and buying your products in bulk to reduce the amount of bottles used. Although, what happens if we don’t have a nice looking soap dispenser? I have a chic project that will make all those ceramic and glass dispensers envious of this look.

Supplies:

Clear plastic soap dispenser

Krylon gold spray paint

Cup (paper or glass)

Masking and clear tape

White paint

Clear finish sealer

Step 1:

Unscrew the cap and empty the soap from the container into a cup. Remove the labels and thoroughly wash the inside and outside of the soap dispenser container. Let dry.

Step 2:

Cover the opening of the dispenser using masking tape and apply 2-3 coats of spray paint to the container. Let dry.

Step 3:

Create a chevron pattern using clear or masking tape on the front and back of the container. Using a small craft paint brush, paint the exposed areas in white.

Step 4:

Remove the tape, and spray the soap dispenser with a clear finish to protect the paint. fill the dispenser with soap and screw the cap/pump back on. Place the dispenser in your bathroom and enjoy!

The post DIY Chevron Soap Dispenser appeared first on marcatiyolil.com.

Dear Marc:
I found a jar full of buttons from my days as a seamstress. I don’t do as much sewing as I used to so I think they’re going to go to waste. Do you have a neat project I can do to re-purpose these? Some of these I’ve had for years so it would be nice to keep them.
Stacy

Dear Stacy:
My first experience with buttons was gifts I made for my entire family with a remnant piece of fabric and a jar of buttons. Every creation matched with a nice stitch but it did lack that certain “je ne sais quoi” that is hard to achieve at the young age of eight.

That was my first attempt at button art but it wasn’t my last. I love to find creative ways to upcycle anything I can get my hands on and that includes buttons. There are many sewing projects you can do with leftover buttons but as you mentioned, the reason you are getting rid of them is because you don’t sew anymore. Therefore, let’s turn those buttons into a chic monogrammed frame to hang on a child’s bedroom door, or a whimsical mantel.

Supplies:
- Buttons
- Hot glue gun
- Picture frame (8” x 10”)
- Computer with printer
- White printer paper

Step 1:
Create a letter (first letter of a name) in the size of approximately 500 points in a photo or word editing program with a white fill and a soft Grey outline. If you don’t know how to create this type of graphic on your computer, use a stencil in the desired size and trace an outline with a pencil.

Step 2:
Glue buttons to cover the entire letter including the Grey outline.

Step 3:
Place the paper with your button art in a frame and there you have it, a beautiful monogrammed letter for your home.

The post DIY Button Monogram appeared first on marcatiyolil.com.

Dear Marc:
My sister-in-law is having a baby shower, and she’s the type that loves a gift with a personal touch! I sewed her a little one piece, and I’m wondering if you have any ideas how I can wrap it to make it look pretty?
Anna

Dear Anna:
When it rains, it pours. Baby showers, wedding showers, bridal showers and everything in between seem to happen at this time of year!

With all these gatherings, it’s fun to find creative ways to make our gifts stick out from the rest of the bunch. I find that the gift’s presentation is almost just as important as the gift itself. Although, they say “Never judge a book by its cover”, but the truth of the matter is that we almost always do. First impressions are important, which brings us to this week’s project. We’re going to learn a chic way to create a decorative cupcake out of baby clothes.

Supplies:
- One piece of clothing
- Safety pin
- Small coffee filter

Step 1:
Fold the arms of the baby suit inwards to form a rectangle. Then fold the clothing horizontally onto itself.

Step 2:
Roll the clothing lengthwise to create a cupcake shape. Pin the clothing in place to keep the shape of the cupcake.

Step 3:
Place the clothing cupcake in a small coffee filter. Optional: Then set the cupcake cup into a decorative cupcake box. Wrap a beautiful ribbon around the box and voila! The perfect gift for an expectant mom.

The post Baby Clothes Cupcakes for Baby Shower Gifts appeared first on marcatiyolil.com.

Dear Marc:
I loved the faux Mercury project! With Mother’s Day coming up, I was wondering if you had any ideas for a chic DIY gift for my mom?
Laura

Dear Laura:
Mothers are pretty special women! With today’s fast paced life, they deserve to be crowned as the “Queens of Multitasking.” Most start their mornings much earlier than the rest of the family – preparing breakfast, making lunches for the little ones, and desperately trying to catch a few seconds of peace and quiet before the day whirls out of control.

Let’s face it- it’s not easy being a parent! We work long hours trying to give our kids everything we didn’t have, just as our parents did for us. We often forget about ourselves and put our needs behind the needs of our little bundles of joy. This is why Mother’s Day is such an important day of the year. It is not only a celebration of mothers everywhere, but also a day for them to sit back and relax. We can even call it a little piece of heaven within a magical year-round roller coaster. That is why I love the idea of customizing a gift catering to a day of relaxation and rejuvenation for Mom. Today, we’ll learn a chic way to package manicure or pedicure supplies to give as a Mother’s Day gift.

Supplies:
- Medium Sized Mason Jar
- Krylon Dual Paint + Primer in White
- Manicure Supplies

Step 1:
Spray two coats of white paint on the lid of the jar.

Step 2:
Place all items needed for a manicure or pedicure inside the jar and give it to your mother to use next time she needs a little time for herself.

The post DIY Manicure In A Jar for Mom appeared first on marcatiyolil.com.

Dear Marc:
I take off my rings when I wash dishes, but I am a little worried that they will fall down the drain. Do you have a trendy way to store my rings while I clean?
Abbey

Dear Abbey:
There is nothing more gut wrenching than hearing the clink of your gold band hit the stainless steel of the sink as they drain into the abyss. At first, you hope that it’s just your imagination, but while taking a closer look, you realize it was indeed the very symbol of your eternal love to your spouse that is clanging down the pipes.

Now, most of us fly into a panic at the thought of loosing our wedding band. Heck, I even checked to see if I had mine on my hand as I wrote this last sentence! Therefore, this is why it’s important that we have a special place to store our rings beside the kitchen sink.

Supplies:
- Small glass vessel
- Krylon Looking Glass®- Mirror Like Paint
- Vinegar

Step 1:
Spray two to three coats of Krylon Looking Glass® spray paint onto the glass vessel.

Step 2:
Before the paint is completely dry, pour or spritz vinegar onto the vessel. This will create a beautiful faux mercury look. Let dry and place the newly finished vessel beside your kitchen sink.

The post DIY Faux Mercury Vase appeared first on marcatiyolil.com.

Dear Marc:
I painted our bedroom a few years ago and our walls need touch ups. I thought we had leftover paint but I don’t think we kept any. We don’t have a lot of storage, so we try not to keep extra supplies around the house. I don’t remember what the paint colour is called. Help!
Helen

Dear Helen:
So many of us make the mistake of throwing out all traces of our colour selections once the paint dries. And for those of us who like to keep things in our “junk drawer”, when all is said and done and five years goes by, finding that swatch name and number is like finding a needle in a haystack.

Now hindsight is 20/20, so let’s not kick ourselves for not keeping this paint information more accessible for future touch ups. In your scenario, your best bet would be to retrace your steps. Which manufacturer was the paint from? It’s a tint or shade of which hue? This will be a tedious game of match the swatch to the wall colour, but don’t despair, we’ll make sure you never have to do this again!

When painting a room, there are a few crucial post-painting steps that homeowners often overlook, although, these are usually the most important of all.

Supplies:
- Black permanent marker
- Frog Tape
- Jar with lid

Step 1:
Before installing the light switch’s face plate, take a few minutes to jot down the paint swatch number and manufacture name on the back of the plate. To do so, simply place a small piece of Frog Tape on the back of the face plate and write the information using a black marker. Once that is complete, screw the plate back in place.

Step 2:
Pour any leftover paint from the project into a glass jar. Take another piece of tape and place it on the front of the jar. Replicate the same information that was written on the back of the face plate.

By following these simple steps, you’ll never have to worry about forgetting a room’s paint colour or swatch number ever again!

The post Painting Tips: Never Forget Your Paint Colours Again appeared first on marcatiyolil.com.

Dear Marc:
I love your column! Your DIY projects are so inspiring! While spring cleaning, I stumbled upon paper doilies. I was going to throw them out, then thought you might know a way to re purpose them.
Melanie

Dear Melanie:
Doilies were once my grandmother’s decorating must-have. They were delicate, fun, and full of character – just as she was. In fact, I remember my mother buying fabric doilies at a flea market in Montreal (Oh how I love Montreal’s flea markets!) and proudly bringing her new purchase home. At the time, I was a disgruntled teenager who thought he was more design savvy than his mother. At the sight of these fabric patterns, I cringed in disgust. “It looks like something Grandma would buy” I stated. Oh to be a teenager! Don’t you wish you could go back in time and just give yourself a slap upside the head and say “wise up”?

I have come a long way since those adolescent years, and now have an appreciation for these delicate patterns. The pure beauty of these table decor items has always been their delicate nature. Using the art of upcycling, I love to repurpose them to create texture on a decorative planting pot.

Supplies:
- Mod Podge
- Craft Paint Brush
- Small container filled with water
- Paper Doilies
- Scissors
- Krylon White Spray Paint
- Clay Planting Pot

Step 1:
Trim the decorative edge off the doily. Apply Mod Podge glue to the clay pot and glue the cut piece of doily, featuring the pattern, to the side of the pot. Properly adhere the piece of doily to the pot using a brush and watered down Mod Podge. Repeat this step until the entire pot is covered. Let dry.

Step 2:
Spray two coats of Krylon White Spray Paint onto the pot. Let dry.

Step 3:
Place a beautiful plant inside the pot and display it in your living room.

The post DIY Doily Planter appeared first on marcatiyolil.com.

Dear Marc:
I have been buying flowers lately. I enjoy having fresh flowers in the house and I like to change around the type of flower and vase displayed. I’d like to make a clear glass vase that I bought at the dollar store look more expensive. Any ideas?
Jane

Dear Jane:
One of the hottest trends in design today is “dipping”. Now that sounds like something you do on a Saturday night at the lake where air conditioning is optional. This dipping effect is much more sophisticated than jumping off a dock on a summer night though.

If we close our eyes, we can almost smell summer as it creeps up ever so slowly behind the lingering spring weather. It is no surprise I’m sure, that summer is my favourite season! Warm weather, flip-flops, birds chirping, and fresh flowers stimulate all our senses. It is the season that celebrates vibrancy and vitality. It is also when many of us, at the first sign of warm weather – lukewarm counts too, go running to the market for fresh flowers.

Once we’ve purchased the flowers, we need to set them in a vase that does them justice. This means we’ll either spend a few bucks on a beautiful designer vase or we’ll roll up our sleeves and create one ourselves. Here is a good option if you choose the latter.

Supplies:

- Clear glass vase

- Gold acrylic craft paint

Step 1:
Tip the vase onto its side. Pour acrylic paint on the bottom and halfway up the side of the vase. Let the paint run off diagonally towards the bottom of the vase.

Step 2:
Flip the vase upside down and let dry.

Step 3:
Place a beautiful floral bouquet in to it and proudly display your new designer vase on your best table.

The post DIY Gold Dipped Vase appeared first on marcatiyolil.com.

Dear Marc:
I woke up one morning two weeks after the festivities were done to find that my decorations were still hung around the house. I have concluded that I’m not the best with seasonal decor. I am so busy that it’s hard for me to find time to decorate let alone undecorate between seasons. I have an entire weekend off, and I’d like to decorate for Easter, but is there a way of doing it so I don’t have to take it down the next weekend? I want something a little more timeless!
Shelley

Dear Shelley,
Taking down decorations after the festivities is a tidies task. The excitement is gone and all that is left are a few pieces of tape holding a torn piece of crepe paper garland to the wall. Which brings me to the question – why did our parents teach us that decorating for festivities means twisting a few crepe paper garlands, stringing them across the room, complemented by an overexposure of Easter bunnies?

The designer secret to decorating for a specific occasion such as Easter is to generalize the decor to the season. Why decorate specifically for Easter when you can decorate with a Spring theme for a beautiful timeless decor that will last for months. If you have kids, just add a few chocolate bunnies on the mantel on Easter morning and they won’t know the difference!

One of my favourite Spring decor ideas is using my birthday decor arch nemesis, crepe paper garlands. I take this poor excuse for decor and transform it into a gorgeous floral petal ball that can be hung from door handles, the backs of dining chairs, or simply placed on a pedestal on your mantel.

Supplies:
- Crepe paper garland
- Glue gun with glue sticks
- Scissors
- Self-adhesive decorative pearls
- Craft foam ball
- Straight pins

Step 1:
Fold the crepe paper garland lengthwise onto itself and cut a six inch length. With your thumb and forefinger, pinch the folded edge of the garland. Turn the paper in a circular pattern (to create a flower).

Step 2:
Run a pin through the center of the flower to hold its new shape.

Step 3:
Add a dab of hot glue to the back of the flower and drive the pin inside the foam ball. Finish each flower by applying a self-adhesive decorative pearl to its center.

Step 4:
Repeat the process till the entire ball is covered in paper flowers.

The post DIY Crepe Paper Flower Ball appeared first on marcatiyolil.com.

Dear Marc:
I started organizing my garage this week. I knew I had to do something when I couldn’t open my passenger door without hitting something. I found a box of garden ornaments that I had collected when I was in my previous home. Our new home has no room for a garden, so I think I will either get rid of them or repurpose them. Any ideas?
Gillian

Dear Gillian:
Garden ornaments have a unique look to them. Their colouring and textures are made to blend with the natural materials surrounding them. Although what happens when we have sacrificed our large suburban backyard for a little piece of heaven in a metropolitan city?

The key to any successful project is that we must work with what we have. I suggest you go through the box of garden ornaments and pick your favourites. Owls, birds, and even whimsical ornaments like a small ceramic boot make great indoor accessories. Although, there is a catch when using garden ornaments indoors: they must be painted in a solid matt or satin finish colour. This will transform them from ordinary garden ornaments to beautiful boutique indoor accessories!

Supplies:
- White Krylon Dual Paint and Primer
- Garden Ornament

Step 1:
Spray two coats of White Krylon Dual Paint and Primer on the entire garden ornament. Let dry.

Step 2:
Place your new boutique accessory in your living room.

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