DIY: Reed Diffuser

If you’re looking for a simple gift this holiday season, something that is pretty, smells amazing, and is easy to customize to different tastes, then this may be it. Of course, you’ll probably want one for yourself as well so get enough supplies for a few of them. 

With essential oil use gaining popularity, a reed diffuser kit is sure to be a hit. I love the simplicity of them and that they are continuous, as opposed to a misting diffuser that needs to be refilled often (though I have one of those too). My favorite scent is lemongrass so that is usually what I use but I picked up some sweet orange that I’m loving right now. If putting a kit together for a gift, I would buy a small bottle of base oil and two or three essential oils so the recipient can create their own custom scent. Package them up with a cute glass bottle (thrift stores have them a dime a dozen), some reeds, and directions and you’re all set for the gift swap! Bamboo reeds work best as they have larger pores that allow the oil to saturate more quickly, but I’ve had success with wooden kitchen skewers as well. I tend to leave the bottle plain but you could add ribbon to dress it up, or maybe even tie a bell on it if you’re feeling crazy.

What you’ll need to assemble your reed diffuser:

• base oil (sweet almond or safflower work well; olive or vegetable oils are too heavy)
• essential oils of choice
• glass container with small opening 
• bamboo reeds or skewers

Combine 4 parts of the base oil with 1 part of essential oil in the glass container. Insert the reeds or skewers and stir. Allow to sit for a few hours, then flip the reeds over. Add more base/scented oil as desired.

"Hello, I'm Ashley from Three Wooden Spoons, a blog featuring my adventures in the kitchen and following our renovation of a 1940's farmhouse in Minnesota. I love to cook and bake, write, explore thrift and antiques stores, drink strong coffee, and dabble in home design. I would describe my style as simple and classic, but also eclectic. I love finding second-hand furniture and home decor, as well as antiques from various eras, and making it all come together for a cohesive interior."

Coffee Station (Contributor Post)

In our home, coffee is the beverage of choice.  We were given “children’s coffee” as soon as we were old enough to drink from a cup.  It always made us feel pretty special to sit with Mummu drinking out of our own little demitasse cups. Mummu always said we weren’t really Finnish if we didn’t drink coffee. 

I had a cute little coffee station in my kitchen that I made with a fairly rustic, shabby chic dresser that I used for a bazaar display one year.  I loved the fact that I could put all of my k-cups, coffee beans and espresso beans, as well as other coffee making supplies in the drawers. 

Here is a picture of my original coffee station, before the re-do.

Cute, but I couldn’t fit all that I wanted into one spot, and it didn’t quite fill the space as I envisioned.  I still had my espresso machine on the counter, and wanted everything centrally located. I searched for a couple of years to find “the perfect piece” ~ at the right price.

I found this piece on our local Facebook Yard Sale site.  I was second in line, and it sold before I could get it.  I tried to forget about it, but knowing it was exactly what I had in my mind, it was difficult! I’m sure you know that feeling!  A few days later I got a private message on Facebook from the person that purchased it.  They had decided they didn’t want to take the time to restore it, and I could buy it from them.  I was so excited!

After a quick coat of paint and some new knobs, I was ready to put it in place.  I decided to make a chalkboard background for above the station.  I used the back side of a piece of paneling with chalk paint that I purchased at Lowe’s. My husband has a stack of reclaimed antique beams in our back yard, and I knew exactly how to use one of them.  He cut it in half for me, and planed the top, and then created two shelves.  I love the look of these old beams! They were take from an 1800’s farmhouse that he was asked to demolish.  I think they add so much character to my kitchen.  My latte sauces and syrups can go nicely on the shelves and all of my coffee fits nicely into the drawers.  Here are a couple of the drawers of prepared pods ~ 

I am still so thrilled with the finished product, and to me it looks like it just “belongs” there.

Thanks for viewing my post! I hope that it can give you a little bit of inspiration for your own favorite spaces. 

Blessings from Kim ~ "With Jesus in her heart, and coffee in her cup.” ~ 

"Hi! I'm Kim ~ Blessed wife of Eric, mom of four and Nonnie to a sweet little grand daughter with another expected in January!  I'm a coffee enthusiast, baker, organizer and DIYer. My home style tends to lean towards traditional but, I must say, I can be a bit eclectic. Anything that makes me smile. Surround yourself with your favorite things and be sure you use the good dishes! Always look for extraordinary in what may seem ordinary. ~ Blessings to you and yours!" 

Table Redo (Contributor Post)

Last year, I bought a matching table and hutch from a yard sale for eighty dollars. I knew it had potential and I couldn't wait to refinish it. We were living in a rental house at the time and we didn't have adequate space to work on projects. Every time I brought up the daunting task, my husband would say, "Lets just wait until we have a house with a garage". Well, we ended up needing to leave the rental house sooner than we had anticipated and instead of renting again, we decided to build a small starter home with a one car garage. Little did Tyler know just how many projects I had planned for us once we had that little garage and no excuses... (I can see him shaking his head right now). Once we got into our house, this was one of the first projects I wanted to start on.   

Here are the before photo's:

I browsed Pinterest to gather insight on the best methods for my table overhaul. My vision was a dark table top with rustic cream chairs and legs. My inspiration came from this blogger's table redo, and I followed her steps with a few modifications (or mess ups) along the way. 

(source)

To say this project went smoothly would be lying, but I did learn a lot in the process. (And that has to count for something, right?) To begin, I used a random orbital sander to strip the stain from the table top. I know from previous experience that in order for stain to take evenly, it is essential to sand until there is absolutely no stain left in the wood. 

My husband stained the table top with two coats of Miniwax Dark Walnut. We then applied two coats of Miniwax Polycrylic (water based, satin finish.)  I thought buying an electric paint sprayer for the chairs and legs would be the easiest option. The primer came out uneven and bubbly, but dried smooth. We should've stopped at this point, but I was in a hurry and I figured the paint would dry smooth too. That wasn't the case and we were left with four bubbled, and what I thought to be ruined, chairs. We spent hours sanding them down and there may have been a few tears involved in this process (it's never a good idea to do big projects while pregnant). My brother, who is a painter for a construction company, came over and resprayed them with his professional sprayer. Once it dried, I went over the chairs and legs one more time with a paint brush to get any missed spots. Originally I had wanted to add dark brown water based stain to all the spindles and legs for a rustic look. I didn't love the way it turned out when I tried it on one leg, so I left it clean and simple. Overall, I learned with this project that you will not always create exactly what you had envisioned. Sometimes it can evolve into it's own style and that's the beauty of DIY projects. I love the bright, fresh look it brings to my kitchen!

Here are the after photo's:

Do you have a table that you've been wanting to refinish? Give it a try, it's a rewarding experience that you will not regret!

"Hello! My name is Jodi from The Whispering Pines.  I love to decorate, refurbish old furniture, create small crafts and come up with unique party ideas. I also have a knack for organizing and enjoy experimenting with new recipes. My style is rustic with a touch of farmhouse. If you ask my husband, I could live in antique shops and home decor stores. I love being inspired by others and hope, you too, can gather a little inspiration for your home!" 

DIY: Beaded Light Fixture (Contributor Post)

When decorating my young daughter’s bedroom, I knew I wanted a fun light fixture to really tie everything together. The criteria? Nothing sparkly and small, in both price and size. I fell in love with this light from Restoration Hardware months ago and couldn’t get it out of my head, even though there was no way I was spending $300+ on a kid’s fixture.

(Source)

I searched for wooden beads to make it myself for the longest time and finally found some at Michael’s. I grabbed a bunch ($40 worth) in various sizes and hoped for the best, knowing full well that it could very likely be a “nailed it” moment (if you’re on Pinterest then you know what I mean). This is what I started with:

I went into this blindly, haphazardly stringing beads onto fishing line and tying them onto the plastic dome that was in her bedroom since we purchased the house. About halfway through, I began to doubt that it would even stay on the ceiling…I never took into account the weight of all of the beads! Thankfully, it wasn’t too heavy but unfortunately, I tied the strings too tight and they didn’t drape ‘just so’. So, I painstakingly re-beaded each strand and started again. Learn from my mistakes and do a few test strands before rushing into things. I would also recommend using a thin wire instead of fishing line to make it more heat resistant.

I picked up some leather lace (also from Michael’s) and crafted a tassel to attach to the bottom. A little white spray paint on the base and I was done!

I love the final product and I'm already scheming up other fixtures for our house. Let us know if you give it a shot!

Ashley

"Hello, I'm Ashley from Three Wooden Spoons, a blog featuring my adventures in the kitchen and following our renovation of a 1940's farmhouse in Minnesota. I love to cook and bake, write, explore thrift and antiques stores, drink strong coffee, and dabble in home design. I would describe my style as simple and classic, but also eclectic. I love finding second-hand furniture and home decor, as well as antiques from various eras, and making it all come together for a cohesive interior."

The Delightful Order Creative Team

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a Delightful Order Contributor Call post. I was looking for creative individuals to join the Delightful Order team and... guess what?? I have a team now! YAY! I'm so excited!!

So, without further ado... allow me to introduce you to my Creative Team Members:

Hello! I'm Ashley from Three Wooden Spoons, a blog featuring my adventures in the kitchen and following our renovation of a 1940's farmhouse in Minnesota. I'm so excited to join the Delightful Order contributor team and I can't wait to share some fun projects with you! I love to cook and bake, write, explore thrift and antiques stores, drink strong coffee, and dabble in home design. I would describe my style as simple and classic, but also eclectic. I love finding second-hand furniture and home decor, as well as antiques from various eras, and making it all come together for a cohesive interior. I look forward to getting to know you and I hope I will inspire you in your home and beyond! 

Connect with Ashley here:
 Facebook - Instagram - Twitter

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Hi! I'm Kristin from The Orderly Home.  I love all things organization and am a sucker for pretty storage solutions and anything that makes life easier for me and my family. A little about me: I'm 27, married to my best friend, and mama to a precious little boy. I'm a Texas girl who enjoys cooking and baking, spending time outdoors, and barre workouts. My idea of fun involves an iced coffee, some good music, and a label maker. My style has evolved over the years, and currently I am gravitating towards anything simple, clean, and neutral. I am thrilled to be a part of the Delightful Order contributor team and look forward to sharing my home as well as getting some inspiration from all of you.

Connect with Kristin here:
Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest

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Hello! My name is Jodi from The Whispering Pines.  I'm so excited to be joining the Delightful Order contributor team. I love to decorate, refurbish old furniture, create small crafts and come up with unique party ideas. I also have a knack for organizing and enjoy experimenting with new recipes. My style is rustic with a touch of farmhouse. If you ask my husband, I could live in antique shops and home decor stores. I love being inspired by others and hope, you too, can gather a little inspiration for your home! 

Connect with Jodi here:

Instagram

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Hello! My name is Kim.  I’m so excited to be part of the Delightful Order contributor team and I’m looking forward to getting to know you all! I am anxious to be able to share ideas for fun projects and hope that I can learn a lot and gain new ideas from all of you!  I love time with my husband and kids and have a new love of travel in the past ten years or so.  My hobbies include organizing and baking. I love to cook or bake yummy things, try new recipes and display them beautifully.  It makes me happy when people enjoy my food.  I adore taking photos, especially of God’s creation ~ we often miss so much of His wondrous creation in our busy lives as we run to and fro.  I love to try to capture those things, especially the little details in nature.  Helping to host parties or showers is very enjoyable for me and think it is so much fun to just get creative and go wild with a theme.

My style is a little bit eclectic.  I say traditional, but I love to throw in shabby chic as well, an antique here and there, and try to use lots of my favorite things in my home.  I think a house is just a house unless you surround yourself with things you love.  A lot of the art on my walls are photos that I’ve taken on various trips, or paintings that my daughter has done, or beautiful signs that local girls have painted with scripture verses.  My favorite place to be is the beach, and you see it throughout my home.  I collect sand from every beach I visit and display it in my curio cabinet, along with the treasures I find on the beach.

I truly feel blessed with a husband whom I adore, wonderful kids and a little dolly grand baby, with one on the way.  Making our house a home and a place where we can be together and share memories is something that makes me happy, and I hope that I can do it well. New ideas for running it efficiently and keeping it more organized are always something I am on the lookout for. Can’t wait to see what you all have to share as well! ~ Blessings, Kim

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There you have it... My amazing creative team members!  I'm super excited to have these very talented ladies here on the blog.  I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of creations they will be sharing with us. Soon, you'll start seeing posts from these ladies, each week, here on the Delightful Order blog.

Interested in joining the Delightful Order team? More information can be found on My Team Page.

May you be a little inspired!

Until next time,
DaNita 
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View more of my Most Recent Projects HERE.