Tag: tutorial

Staining Kitchen Cabinets and Fixing Streaks in Stain-VIDEO- Tutorial

It’s been a while since I released a tutorial but this is a great one. This was done last summer, and I’ve finished the video for you. I designed and remodeled my kitchen and powder room myself, which took loads of my time… once a wall was removed by my wonderful contractor.

Today I’m going to show you how you can use rich, bold color stain on unfinished (or previously stripped) cabinetry. The vibrant hue I chose, highlights the natural beauty of the maple wood. I love the bold design element that it adds to the entire floor of the house.

Watch the Video tutorial here.

Silver Leaf & Glaze Wash Cabinet Refinishing-VIDEO & WRITTEN DIY

I took this tired looking black cabinet, with beautiful curves in all the right places, and gave it an updated look. This cabinet was so heavy looking, sitting on the floor with solid black paint. This seems to have suffered a bit of water damage at some point, but not so much that it can’t be saved. Now it’s getting a new finish, to go in a much more refined space.

The material it’s made from is not wood, it’s a pressed board wood, similar to masonite, or a hollow-core door. I can tell, because of how swollen it is in a couple places- because of water damage.

If you would prefer to learn by watching check out this short video I made.

Supplies for this DIY

Paintable caulk

Sandpaper

Latex paint for base coat-any finish

2nd color paint for the inside – I like satin finish for this

Genuine Silver Leaf Booklet (25 Sheets/Loose Type)

Leaf adhesive

soft paintbrush for applying leaf

Disposable Paintbrush for adhesive

rags

Water-based Sealer

If the damage isn’t severe, the surface can be repaired like this:

The very first thing to do, is gently sand the surfaces that are swollen. Make them more level with the rest of the surface. Try not to over-work the Then seal them with a paintable caulk to prevent the material from falling apart more. Make sure to use a product you can paint over, silicone won’t work, but acrylic caulk will. A primer like KILZ was applied over the fixed areas. We’re just smoothing it out, sealing, and preventing damage from painting it later.

Once that’s dry, it’s on to the refinishing. I am not using wood stripper. The pressed wood it’s made from, would be ruined from pulling off the paint, and then soaking it in liquid. Ruined. The steps below, will show you everything you need to know, without stripping anything off of it.

Fill any cracks, or dings with caulk and smooth it out with you finger. Places where wood meets wood and there’s a gap, fill those too. This will give it a polished, professional look when it’s done.

Step 1:

Lightly sand the surface with a fine to medium grit sand paper to scuff up the surface. Do this to everything you’ll be painting. If it’s a glossy surface to begin with, just make sure you scuff it up really well so the paint can stick.

Wipe down the surface with a barely-damp cloth, to remove all the dust from sanding and let it dry.

NOTE: This step is what will make everything stick to the surface. If it has a thick glossy coat of sealer, make sure it’s dull when you’re finished.

Step 2:

Paint the first coat of your base coat, on the surface. I used a brush and painted each section in long strokes to keep it smooth. This technique looks best when the surface is very smooth. You’ll end up with a completely different effect if the surface is bumpy, which we’ve used on other DIY’s. Click here to see the Mirror redo Video DIY I did here.

Note: I tried to use a foam roller first, and it left little bubbles on the surface that I had to smooth out with a brush. It wasn’t worth the expense.

Apply a second coat of paint, keeping it smooth. Let that dry for at least 24 hrs. If you’re painting the inside of your cabinet, like I did, you can do that now too.

I chose the paint color Ocean Storm by Valspar for my base coat. This color will show and I want it to have a very deep, aged look when I’m finished. As it wears and is used, this base coat will show through a bit.

You can see the shiny parts that are covered in leaf adhesive

Step 3

Apply leaf adhesive with a soft brush in small sections. Let it dry for the time it says on the label. It will become clear and tacky to the touch.

NOTE: Only apply adhesive to an area you can cover with leaf in one sitting. Adhesive can dry too much and become non-tacky.

Step 4

Carefully remove a sheet of silver leaf from the pack and cover an area with it. Overlap sheets slightly so it covers your creases. Smooth it out with a soft brush. Continue until the entire area with adhesive is covered with silver leaf.

When an entire area is finished, use the brush to remove any extra from the surface.

NOTE: Hands must be clean and dry or leaf will stick to them.

Step 5

Use glossy polyurethane over the finished silver leaf, so that it’ s easier to do the next steps, without rubbing off the silver leaf. Coat it entirely with the Gloss polyurethane. Let it dry completely.

NOTE: Water based varieties make clean up a breeze. Quick dry products are a lifesaver.

Step 6

Mix your glaze by adding 1:1 latex paint and glaze. Stir it thoroughly. I used a similar grey to my base coat. You can use any color you want for this, I nearly used purple as a pop of color over the silver, but decided on gray for an antique look.

Glaze painted into crevices

Work in small sections like one side at a time. Using a brush, paint any detail and edges with you glaze mixture. You do not want to cover everything because your silver will dull down. Apply it into any detail or trim. Wipe it off with a damp rag, turning/rinsing your rag frequently. Use a light hand, and remove the glaze from areas you don’t want it. If you wipe too much of it from the crevices, just paint more on & wipe more gently.

When you’ve covered it, let it dry. Apply polyurethane if you want. I’m not because I want it to naturally get worn from use, showing some of the base coat.

Step 7

Add decorative door handles to finish it off. I snagged these crystal glass ones at a Home Goods for under $10 for 4 of them.

You’re all done! You’ve created a new life, for you or your client’s piece of furniture. It has a stunningly glamorous high-end look for much less than you would buy it for.

I hope you are inspired to use this technique on something amazing!

Just a pop of color you’ll only see when you open it.

-Betsy

Please Share this post with anyone you think could use it.



Soak Your Stress Away with these Custom Bath Salt Blends – WRITTEN DIY -Part 2

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas.

Imagine immersing into your bathtub filled with calming, warm (to mildly hot) water with mineral salts and essential oils. Breathe in. MMMM. Breathe out. Do it again. One more time. Yes. Much better. Your stress begins to dissolve. Like magic. Only, it’s science.

My favorite is a relaxing bath. I’m not talking about bathing. The shampooing and soaping – that’s a shower. I am talking about cleansing and rejuvenating. Soothing the mind, body, and emotions. Soaking in a pool of bath salts and essential oils is a surefire way to help your, well everything, CHILL OUT.

This is self care time on a whole other level. The benefits of the bath salts themselves are worth the 20 minutes, and all you have to do is lay there. How beautiful is that?! Add essential oils targeted to a specific issue and you’ve got yourself a power spa of wellness, Baby! (Blends coming up!)

So, here’s a brief breakdown of the benefits of bath salts. For an adult, you only need 1 cup of these in your bath.

Epsom Salts:

  • Improved magnesium absorption
  • Reduces pain and swelling in muscles and joints
  • Promotes sleep
  • Reduces stress

Himalayan Salts:

  • Increases hydration
  • Detoxifies the body
  • Reduces muscle cramps

Pretty spectacular, right?!

This recipe uses a 1:1 ratio of the two bath salts, and I am laying it out 1 cup at a time.  Please, feel free to put more together and store it in a large mason jar. I just find it much more manageable to get the oils and salts as one when this is done one cup at a time.

You will need:

  • Bath salts (Epsom, Himalayan)
  • Essential Oils (List below)
  • Bowl for mixing
  • 1 Cup measuring cup (dry ingredients)
  • Spoon
  • Mason jar(s)

Step 1: Sterilize your jar(s). To do this, wash them by hand in hot soapy water. Rinse them in scalding water. Set jars on a rack in a deep pot and cover with hot water (not boiling). Bring water to a boil, cover and boil the jars for 15 minutes, beginning when steam starts coming out of the pot. Turn off the heat, leaving the jars in the hot water for 10-15 min. Pull the jars out and let dry, inverted, on a towel. The goal is to fill them while they are still hot. While you wait for the jars to dry, throw the lids in the pot and boil for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Measure your bath salts into a bowl. Give them a little stir, then…

Step 3: Add your essential oils (20 drops MAX for every cup of bath salts). Don’t just let the drops collect in one spot. Let them fall all over the surface. This helps when you begin to stir. Which is what you do next!

Step 4: Stir it like you’re beating an egg. And by that I mean vigorously, without flinging salt everywhere. The idea is to get every grain of salt in contact with the essential oils so they’re blended.

Step 5: Pour/spoon salt blend into the jar, and screw on the lid.

Now LABEL your bath salts. Know what’s in there, and let others know what’s in there too.

NOTE: These make really great gifts (wink wink). For example, you can decorate your jar with fabric, twine, or ribbon. It truly is the kind of gift a person can soak up the goodness from.

OK, the two blends we’re making today are for stress and sleep. Enjoy!

Sleep Soundly Bath Salt Blend

1/2 Cup Epsom salts

1/2 Cup Himalayan Bath Salts

6 drops Bergamot oil

12 drops Lavender oil

2 drops Chamomile oil

Stress Melt Bath Salt Blend

1/2 cup Epsom salts

1/2 cup Himalayan Bath Salts

10 drops Margoram oil

5 drops Juniper oil

5 drops Clary Sage oil

Note: If any of these oils irritate you, here are other oils good for….

Sleep: Sandalwood, Geranium, Ylang Ylang, Cedarwood, or Vetiver

Stress: Cedar, Vetiver, Basil, Clary Sage oil, Geranium, or Rose

NOTE: Remember only 20 drops of essential oils per 1 cup of salts. More is not better!

You know, when you think about it, it seems that a good number of the oils that are helpful for relieving stress, also promote good sleep. Coincidence? Nope! Coincidences aren’t real.

Anywho, there are a number of possibilities for your bath. You can customize the  oils you put into your bath salts for whatever ailments you want: overworked muscles, a cold or flu, a headache, depression, anxiety; to name a few. Nearly endless I tell you!

For more great bath salt blends we created for you click here.

OK, I hope you have enjoyed this DIY as much as I’ve enjoyed sharing it with you.

Please leave a comment. And if you love it, share it! Thank you!

Soothe the Body and Mind – Custom Bath Salt Blends – WRITTEN DIY

Taking care of yourself can be hard to remember to do, but serious self-care is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. We’re taught and programmed to go, go, go all the time, and it takes effort to make yourself have me time. There’s nothing you need to do that’s more important than scheduling yourself a mini-vacation from your stress and worries.

I believe that relaxing is so important, that I’m giving you TWO weeks of Custom Salt blends to get us all through the holidays.

Stay tuned for more great blends next week.

  • This week Betsy will share her favorites that are quick and easy, using only easy to get supplies.
  • Next week Sara will share her favorites, as well as her final post, here on I Breathe I DIY.

These relaxing bath salts are the perfect answer to quickly unwinding and letting your brain have a break. A great soaking bath, can soothe the soul this time of year and any other. These make an amazing gift to give too.

Some of these blends have flowers in them and there’s no better way to keep flowers off your bum than using a re-usable cotton tea bag to hold the mixture in the tub! Find the DIY for the tea bag HERE.

For a moment, I want to talk to you about self-care. Yea I know, you try. I used to have to try too. It’s tricky to fit everything into a day. You tell yourself you should really do more things regularly like meditate, take a long bath, go to the gym more, whatever, just for yourself. For me, things came up and got in the way, as they always do, and I was being left ragged and tired every day. I made more time for myself happen.

I just moved wanting more time for self-care into my MUST do list, instead of letting it linger on my SHOULD do list. You can too. Make a short list of things in your life that need to be moved from, “Oh I should do that” to your, “I MUST do this ” list. Small steps really will take you where you want to go. Start by granting yourself time to soak in the bath!

The magnesium in the Epsom salt has many well documented health benefits including lowering anxiety, relieving migraines, helping calcium absorption, and it can be absorbed through the skin. Not to mention, Epsom salts’ ability to relieve aching muscles. Amazing stuff.

Make a batch of these, and your you time is always within reach.

Supply lists:

Take time to soak away your stress. Let yourself unwind with these easy recipes to relax today… or tonight.

These make 1 cup of bath soak, so increase your recipe depending on your needs.

Unwind and Calm Salt Soak

Note: This makes a great personal salt soak to keep on hand. This is a great blend for anti-anxiety and for recovery when people pleasing has been at an all-time-high.

Relaxing Floral Soak

To use: 1 cup per tub is recommended. Place a scoop of the mixture into a reusable cotton tea bag to prevent it from clogging your drain…and making a mess of your tub, and your skin.  It may take two bags to hold it all depending on yours. Turn the tea bag inside out over the garbage to clean it out. Wash & reuse again and again.

Note: Mix in a large mixing bowl. Store it in a large container, or place it into smaller containers to give as gifts. To decrease simply use half of the listed ingredients. I grew my flowers, bu.t you can easily buy these varieties.

Headache Relief Bath Salt Soak

Note: This blend has a significant cooling effect on the skin, so it’s perfect for helping you cool down, but not for warming you up.

Mix them all together and let it dry out before sealing it up in an airtight container.

RELAX your cares away. Let nothing disturb your bath. No. It’s your time now. You’re no good to anyone, if you’re ragged and fraying at the seams. Breathe in the steam and let yourself have this little victory of youness. 

Please share this tutorial if you love it.

Therapeutic Weighted Lap Pad WRITTEN DIY

Weighted blankets provide a deep pressure that is very comforting and soothing to children with sensory processing disorder (SPD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The pads provide deep pressure which is highly recognized as a helpful therapy for SPD.

Weighted Therapy Lap Pad DIY- I Breathe I Diy_9.jpg

There is a ton of info out there on the benefits of weighted blankets, animals, and pads for children. What many people don’t know is that nearly everyone can benefit from them. By simply laying the pad across the lap, it gently applies consistent light pressure (deep pressure) that feels like a big hug and soothes overstimulated little ones in a way that nothing else can provide.

I’ve made several weighted items for my own son over the years. They were especially useful when he was younger. I’ve made snakes for over his shoulders, but he played with it too much, so it couldn’t be used in school. I’ve spent years finding ways to help my SPD son feel comfortable & weighed pads and blankets are a tremendous help. These can be very costly to purchase, so we’re making it ourselves. I hope you find these steps easy to follow and make one yourself. The one that worked the best for us, was a lap pad similar to the ones we’re making here.

I’ll go through all of the steps, and show you how you can very easily make a lap pad for a young one. The ones we’re making will be a suitable size and weight for a preschooler. I hope you will be inspired to make one yourself. I’ll also show you important additional steps, in case you’re making a much larger one, so you can distribute the weight properly.

I’ve made these just like you would make a larger one – for demonstration. I’ve over-complicated the steps, so you can make one any size you need. If you are making a preschooler sized pad, you don’t need to do all the additional steps of separating the filling.

Step 1 Find the Correct Weight

The following weights are the recommendations from occupational therapists, physical therapists, and psychologists to help you design your own weighted goodies. The weight you make yours with should have the recipients weight in mind and no two will be the same. The larger person, the larger the pad/blanket will need to be. You start by figuring out 10% of the body weight of the person it’s for. Then you add one or two pounds. For example, ours are for preschoolers, roughly 30-50 lbs. I started with the low end – 30 lbs & 10% would be 3 lbs. Then I added 2 lbs, making them 5 lbs each. This weight will fall nicely into both ranges of the kids 30-50 lbs as you can see below.

Weighted blanket Weight Guidlines- IBreatheIDIY

The one I’m making today is for a preschooler. It’s size fits about 5 lbs of weight. It would need to be larger if it needed more weight.

Step 2 Choose a Weighted Filling

There’s quite a few materials that you can put inside for weighted blankets, but for this tutorial we’re going to be using Victory poly pellets, so that the lap pad can be washed, since it’s going to be used in a classroom setting. These pellets are round and will be soft under the fabric once they’re made. I found these online much cheaper than in a store. These are the only washable filling material.

If this for use in my house, I would use one of the materials below and save some money or use a more natural product.

Other weight/filling materials you can use:

  • Rice (most commonly used)
  • Millet (feed/grain store has in bulk-it’s used as birdseed)
  • Small dried beans
  • Dried corn

Step 3 Choose a Fabric and Size of Finished Product

Cut out your fabric to the size and shape you want. I’m making a 14 x 21 lap pad perfect for little learners. I will give it an extra 1/2 inch all around for seam allowances. I will cut 15×22 out of two fabrics to make the pad. If this were a large project, say adult size, I would give 3 extra inches.

I chose fleece because it’s super soft. I sprung for the no-pill fleece so it can stand up to repeated washings without wearing out.

NOTE: While fleece is very soft, there are a fare number of people that can’t stand fleece, cotton balls, etc. It’s actually painful and/or electrically uncomfortable for them. This fabric will not work for those individuals.

Step 4 Sew Edges

Place your right sides together so the wrong side (back side) of your fabric is up. Pin the two longest edges and sew them together from top to bottom. give this a second stitch as reinforcement to hold the stuffing in. If you are NOT adding fidgets on the end, you can stitch a third side, leaving one open side. Just be sure to reinforce your stitches. This is NOT how ours were made. Cut off all your strings as you go.

Weighted Therapy Lap Pad DIY- I Breathe I Diy_6.jpg

Step 5 Turn Right-side Out & Sew Edge

Turn the fabric right sides out. Pin one edge about an inch from the edge to be sew closed. This is the edge we will add fidgets to later. Sew the edge about an inch from the edge and reinforce by stitching again.

Step 6 Sew Channels

Larger Blankets: Sew channels or lines running the length of the pad, making sure to go the direction you have an open end on. This helps distribute the weight so it doesn’t end up all on one side. This is how ours were all made, so the fabric wasn’t stressed all on one corner.

Weighted Therapy Lap Pad DIY- I Breathe I Diy_5

Be sure to stop your channels an inch from the edge, so you can still fold it under and sew it closed later.

Step 7 Prepare and Attach Fidget Ribbons

If you have a sensory seeker, you will want to add something for little fingers to fidget with. To make the fidgets for the edge, I cut ribbons of various size, color, and texture. Some will become loops and some just ribbons. Be sure to use Frey Check on both ends of all the ribbons so they don’t unravel.

Weighted Therapy Lap Pad DIY- I Breathe I Diy_4

After ribbons have dried, pin the edge (the one sewn an inch from the edge) folding both sides under and pinning ribbon in between them. This was a little time consuming, just make sure your ribbons are pushed as far in as they will go because they WILL be pulled on. Sew it closed, remove all pins then sew as close to the edge as possible to reinforce it.

NOTE: The reason we sewed this same edge closed ahead of time, was to seal off the stuffing inside. If a fidget gets pulled out, you won’t have to worry about the stuff inside coming out. We’re planning ahead and preventing a messy/choke-hazard catastrophe in this whole step.

Weighted Therapy Lap Pad DIY- I Breathe I Diy_10.jpg

Step 8 Weigh Out Filling

Now we’re ready to fill it with weight. Weigh out the desired amount of filling with a scale. This is easy if you’re buying 2lb bags of rice that are pre-weighed, but you have to measure out your filling material before you can put it in. Divide it into however many channels you need to fill. For the tiny lap pad, that’s just one, so you don’t need to do this.

Weighted Therapy Lap Pad DIY- I Breathe I Diy_2

Step 9 Fill Channels

You can see in the photo I have 4 channels, so I’m dividing it into quarters, once it’s all weighted out. Then I further divided my channels into 4 parts each, which is what you need to do for a large blanket. If this was an any larger project, I’d have to use a larger container to store the increments, like a pail, or gallon baggies, dish tubs, anything really.

Weighted Therapy Lap Pad DIY- I Breathe I Diy_3

Use a funnel (or make one from paper) and slowly fill the bag. For a tiny one, just fill it with all the weight and pin it closed. Try to leave yourself room to fold under the edges for a clean edge. For any other size, fill one channel at a time, approx 1/4 of the way and pin closed. Sew the channel closed and fill again, following this until you have filled the whole channel and sewn each section. Reinforce seams.

Weighted Therapy Lap Pad DIY- I Breathe I Diy_1

Step 10 Sew Edge Closed

Take your time and sew the pinned edge closed, and then sew it again, to ensure it’s strong. Fold the edges under and sew closed for a clean edge. Fleece doesn’t have to have sewn edges, but it makes for a cleaner look. If you wanted, you could try to work in another row of fidget ribbons.

Note: Fidget ribbons are easiest to attach before filling the pad. That’s why this project has them on one side. It’s very hard to sew properly with that much weight.

Weighted Therapy Lap Pad DIY- I Breathe I Diy_

There’s our finished pad! Yours won’t have the channels if it’s this size, but I hope you’ve learned how you can make a therapy weighted blanket for someone you love.

Weighted Therapy Lap Pad DIY- I Breathe I Diy_9

Keto GF Pizza with Delicious White Sauce and Veggies

Keto GF Easy Cheesy Veggie Pizza-Fast and Easy Dinner Recipe-IBreatheIDIY_1.jpg

I love pizza, and being on a Ketogenic diet has made it very difficult to indulge in this particular treat. This recipe uses a sneaky trick to get more veggies into the mouths of even the pickiest eaters. The sheer cheesiness of this meal has my family wanting it again and again. Even my friends who aren’t keto love when I make this pizza.

We keep this grain-free and low-carb by using almond flour. This is keto because it is high in fat and low in carbs. The amount of carbs will greatly depend on the sauce. Most creamy sauces can easily be found with around 2g of carbs. You can use any toppings you choose, but these are some of my families’ favorites! This gave me an opportunity to use some of my cool season garden vegetables too.

Start by making a basic fat head dough pizza crust. This is not my original recipe, I’ve been making this for years, and I don’t even know where I first saw it. (The basic recipe can be changed in hundreds of ways.) I generally double this recipe. It’s quick to make more (like under 2 mins) if you need more. Just make sure you keep the mixture warm and cover any you’ll get to, like a second pizza crust. I use a cookie sheet to cover my bowl, so it stays warm until I get to it.

Fat Head Dough

  • 1 oz cream cheese
  • 2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 c almond flour

Melt cheeses in the microwave in 30 seconds increments. Stir them together.

Mix almond flour into the cheese mixture. I use my hands to press the dough into the almond flour.

While the dough is warm, make a ball, place it between two pieces of parchment paper on the counter, flatten with your hand, then roll into a circle pizza shell. Roll it out thinly and quickly about 1/8 is perfect. You don’t want it too thin or too thick. If you’ve never used fat head dough you’ll be pleased how much it actually rises. Transfer dough onto parchment paper on a pizza pan, and poke holes in it with a fork. A lot of holes. This prevents big air bubbles from forming while cooking.

Bake at 400° for 12-15 mins until brown around the edges. Let it cool while you work on the toppings.

TIPS: You can stick it in the oven while preheating. Use a knife to pop large bubbles if they form while it’s in the oven.

Keto GF Easy Cheesy Veggie Pizza-Fast and Easy Dinner Recipe-IBreatheIDIY-2

I use a food processor on pulse a few times and combined:

  • mushrooms
  • spinach
  • cauliflower

TIPS: You could use just about any fresh veggies you have on hand. Using the food processor makes it more difficult to identify the veggies, but you can use a chopper, tiny food processor , blender (with a silicone spatula to get it back out), or you can spend some time chopping them very small. I like using the food processor because it also changes the texture, which is often a big part of why foods are disliked to begin with.

Keto GF Easy Cheesy Veggie Pizza-Fast and Easy Dinner Recipe-IBreatheIDIY_5

Part of what makes this such a fast meal is the use of a store bought jar of sauce. I used Bertolli Alfredo sauce this time, but you can choose any type you like, so long as it’s low in carb’s, preferably with zero added sugar. Spoon the Alfredo sauce on the crust and spread with the back of the spoon. Leave at least 1/4 inch of the edge for the crust and so you have something to hold.

Spread the veggie mixture around onto the sauce. Spread it thinly rather than in clumps if you can, to distribute the yummness.

Keto GF Easy Cheesy Veggie Pizza-Fast and Easy Dinner Recipe-IBreatheIDIY_4

Next add mozzarella cheese on top of that.

Add a Parmesan/Romano cheese blend on that to kick it into taste overdrive. This is optional, but recommended.

Keto GF Easy Cheesy Veggie Pizza-Fast and Easy Dinner Recipe-IBreatheIDIY_3

Be sure to let this pizza cool some before you dig in. It gets firmer and is easier to serve and eat if it has cooled a few minutes. It’s hard to keep people away once it’s out of the oven though.

Keto GF Easy Cheesy Veggie Pizza-Fast and Easy Dinner Recipe-IBreatheIDIY_2

Prep time: 15 mins

Bake time: 15 mins

Bake at 400° F for approx 12-15 minutes. The cheese will be melted in the center and parts of the cheese will be golden brown.

TIP: To reheat pizza bake at 375° F for approx 10-13 minutes.

So good. There are so many ways you can make this pizza unique and delicious. You could use a jar of pesto, instead of the alfredo if you want. I usually just use whatever veggies I have on hand. Red bell peppers are great on this pizza, and I’m not usually a bell pepper fan. That says something.

If you love this post, don’t forget to pin it for later.

Keto GF Easy Cheesy Veggie Pizza-Fast and Easy Dinner Recipe-IBreatheIDIY_1

Installing Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring WRITTEN & VIDEO DIY

Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring DIY- I Breatheidiy.com- Easily install your own flooring in a couple hours.

When choosing flooring materials it’s important to choose a material that will worked well with the space. For this artist’s studio, I chose luxury vinyl plank flooring because it won’t be ruined when it gets wet. It was an obvious choice because it will be able to handle spills, splatters, snow, and anything else I throw at it. The planks are made pretty much of PVC, coated in a top layer that looks like wood. I need a flooring that is going to be easy to maintain as well as something that is going to be very easy to install and to put into place myself.

For those who prefer learning by video click here and watch our YouTube Video.

The first step was to lay an underlament down on the sub-floor. The one I chose was a dense foam that rolled out and covered the floor in two rows. This is considered a floating floor which means that it’s not glued or nailed down in any way it just sets on top of it underlamanent. Molding around the bottom of the wall is what holds it down.

Next I figured out which direction the wood grain on the planks should run. Because this building is 8×10, I wanted to visually maximize the square footage. The proper direction to lay the floor would be the direction the sun comes in the windows or running planks through a doorway. While the direction the sun comes in would look nice, I chose to run the boards following the door entrance creating a long line for the eye to follow, making it look much deeper. I figured out which wall would be the starting edge and where the finished cutting edge would be. I used the full (uncut) strips directly in front of the door where I walk into the building, with the partial pieces along the wall under my work bench where no one’s going to see it.

I took planks out of the box and connected the first row end to end which creates a stronger seam. I laid an entire row on the floor and marked where to cut the end plank with a dry erase marker. I took advantage of the doorway when I did this so that I was able to run my boards past the wall and mark it.

I then used a straight edge and a utility knife to gently score the top layer of the vinyl plank. You don’t need a press very hard. Use the utility knife and go over it a few times. Then you turn it over, on the back, and snap back along the line you created. It really is that simple and it really does work that well. I used my jigsaw for a couple of irregular shapes around my doorway, but overall working with the vinyl planks was extremely easy.

Once the first row was in, I worked on the second row. You want a staggered floor, so that the seams don’t line up with another row. This was very easy because you have to cut a length off one plank, and then it in turn becomes the beginning of your next row which naturally makes it staggered. I put the pieces end to end for the row, marked, and cut the end plank to fit. The rows fit snugly into little grooves on the previous row. Be careful to pay attention to which side has which kind of groves because they all need to run the exact same direction. It was easier to have two people putting the long row into place. I laid it by myself too, but it was easier with a little help, just sayin.

Continue to lay each row, until you come to the last edge. Mark where the plank needs to be cut and cut the pieces for your last row to fit. Carefully fit them into the groves as a whole row. As long as that fits snugly into the previous row, you can lay it down and step on it to get it into place.

Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring DIY- Easily install your own flooring in just a couple hours- IBreatheIDIY.com

I was actually very shocked by how easily I installed this floor. It was very inexpensive as far as flooring is concerned, and my underlayment was about a third of the price because this is just an 8 x 10 area.

I hope that this tutorial has helped you understand just how easily you could lay your own luxury vinyl plank flooring yourself. We would love to see the results of your projects. Email us at Ibreatheidiy@gmail.com.

Painting a Plastic Pot Written DIY

Painting a plastic pot DIY-IBreatheIDIY.com_1

Upcycling is something we do without even thinking about it here at I Breathe I DIY. We had this old hanging plant pot out in the shed that wasn’t being used. It ended up in the shed because there’s nothing special about it and it’s black. Black is usually a go-to color for us, but this pot just heats up and bakes the poor little plants inside it. Painting it is a perfect solution to this problem. We’ll reuse something that was close to going out in the garbage and make a nice planter that goes with the rest of the outdoor décor.

We have some experience painting plastic, and there’s a few ways to go about it. This tutorial will show you one of our techniques to paint plastic without it peeling, cracking, or flaking. You can transform an ordinary boring plastic plant pot and breathe new life into it.

We are going to start by using fine sandpaper on the outside of the pot to dull up the shiny surface so the paint will have something to stick to. You’ll want to hit the top with the sandpaper and about an inch down the inside-anywhere you’re going to paint. Don’t forget the bottom if yours will be hanging above eye level. There’s no need to sand anything that will be under soil.

Wipe it clean with a damp cloth to remove any dust and dirt. Let it dry.

Coat the entire outside in gel medium. This is a paint additive that many artists use to create a variety of effects in their paintings. It will dry to a haze, allowing you to see if you missed some spots. This layer provides a flexible base layer that works like a primer. The gel medium helps adhere the paint and doesn’t crack when the pot expands and contracts from being outside. Spray primers can’t expand from heat, and it results in a cracked surface that flakes off. Let the gel medium dry.

Paint the surface of the pot with your choice of colors. We chose a color of our leftover latex house paint. You can really use any type of paint you have that doesn’t wash off: Acrylic and latex are our favorites to use for this. Use a brush to cover the surface in a smooth layer. Let your pot dry then flip it over and paint the other parts that will show. Paint everywhere that there will not be soil.

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Let it dry and cure overnight before sealing the paint. We used a matte medium that is sometimes used as a varnish or sealer. You can use outdoor mod podge that’s resistant to the elements and will get a similar, permanent coating, but we had this on hand already. We used a 2-inch brush to smooth the matte medium around the base and sides of the pot. It has a milky color until it has fully dried. We had to move it around, coat it, and let it dry a few times. We applied two full coverage coats to make sure the paint was sealed. This is the step that will make or break your project. We don’t have time to waste, so we don’t want it falling apart anytime soon.

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We filled it with potting soil, a fuchsia, and gave it a shady place on the patio rail. What a great addition to the garden. We could reattach the original hanger or macrame a cool hanger, but for this tutorial we left it off and placed it on the porch railing near the front door.

Painting a plastic pot DIY-IBreatheIDIY.com

Here’s another one we painted the same color using this method. Is been outside in the weather all season. There’s not even a hint of wear. It still looks great.