As you know, we have recently moved from North Carolina to Texas. We've lived in our old home in NC for 11 years... we had a fireplace. We never used the damn thing, but we had one.
Flash forward to our Texas home ... we don't have a fire place. Did we notice this when looking at the house?
No.
I mean, it's just something you don't really look for when trying to find an affordable home for three years and you tend to look over the little things like that because ... well ... it's not your forever home.
Do we need a fireplace?
No, I mean, we had one for 11 years and never used it. The realtor asked us if it worked because the buyers were asking ... we just looked at each other and shrugged our shoulder.
Shit. We didn't even try.
Well, we tried once ... but nothing happened and we didn't feel like getting blown up (it was a propane...gas?) one so we just turned off the air vent and went along with our lives.
With Christmas finally here in the desert... I started pulling out our holiday decor ... and that's a whole other fiasco because face it, you buy the decor to fit your house. The lights (we had to buy more because the new house has more roof than our old), the tree/tree stand (there really isn't anywhere to put the tree so we had to move the dogs bed and confused the hell out of them), the garland (Have way too much for such a tiny space) and the stocking holders.
Wait ... shit. The stocking holders. Where the hell am I going to put the stocking holders? We don't have an mantel. We don't have built in wall shelves. I didn't want to add holes to the walls .... What the hell was I supposed to do?
Pinterest to the rescue. You'd be surprised some of these crafty people came up with! Hooks on a beat up fence. Hooks on a reused pallet. Hooks on a 2x4 that they hung on their wall. Cardboard boxes to look like brick and pile them up to look like a fireplace. And then there was an old fence pole with antique hooks on it. Self standing. No additional holes on my rental's walls AND it was cute!
So, I made it.
The fence pole is from Home Depot - $15
Long, skinny piece of wood - $3 (I had originally grabbed 4 pre-cut designer pieces in the table isle but when I found the long piece for cheaper, I knew I'd be able to cut it and still look nice.)
The paint - FREE, was left in our rental's garage (I think it's the interior wall color) - Free
Antique hooks from Hobby Lobby - $6 (total for all four)
Also used cabinet silencer thingies - FREE (had already) on the bottom of the stocking holder since we have tile and I didn't want it to wobble or scratch the floor.
I had originally found cheap pack of 2 hooks from Home Depot but when I went to Hobby Lobby, they were having 50% off antique hooks and knobs. So instead of paying just $3 for plain hooks from Home Depot (and they looked harder to put into the pole), I paid just $3 more and got hooks I really loved.
Tools - circular saw, wood screws, electric drill/screwdriver (all in which we had laying around the garage)
Total project: $24 and some quality time with the hubby
I wrapped some garland around it to make it more festive ... I had it laying around and figured I should use it. I know this defeats the purpose of the antique hooks ... but I still love it and it looks great in our odd corner where the tree is.
And oh look! I transformed our Halloween pumpkin decor into Christmas decor! ;) Just bought the $4 white spray paint and used acrylic paint for the features, my sons hat, and my "Gru" scarf from Halloween 2014. :) When you pay $30 for your pumpkins you make them last through Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!
What are some DIY projects you've come up with since moving to accommodate your new home?
Update: So, two nights after I put up the stocking holder ... the dogs grabbed the Elf on the Shelf from a stocking in which he was sitting in and pulled the entire stocking holder down. Yeah ... momma was not happy ... and the kids were traumatized. LOL Don't worry, our elf is safe and sound - and healing just fine. The bandages and cast are completely off of him now. Just a sweet cheek scar is left of the "attack" but shit, chicks dig scars ... right? ;)
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