Bungalow Kitchen Reno: The Reveal

Thank you for sticking with us over the last month as we've shared the various stages of our kitchen renovation with you! It's been such a neat process, and we're getting to enjoy it all over again as we share it with y'all. We so appreciate all the sweet comments, and have to thank the Lord for providing us with the means and helping hands to make it happen. It's a small thing on the spectrum of importance, but we realize just how rich we are given where God has placed us and the things we're able to do. It's truly a treat and a gift, and we don't take it lightly!

Without further ado, I share with you the finished state of our kitchen...

(Click on photos to enlarge)

 

{Sources}

Butcher Block: IKEA (discontinued*)

Stain: Minwax (Early American)

Sealer: Waterlox

Upper cabinet color: Benjamin Moore (Chantilly Lace) 

Lower cabinet color: Benjamin Moore (October Mist) 

Wall color: Benjamin Moore (London Fog)

Sink: Kraus

Faucet: Moen

Backsplash: Merola Tile (with Delorean Gray grout) 

Pencil trim: Anatolia Tile

Rug: Loloi via Rugs USA

Knife magnet: RSVP via Amazon

To request additional sources, please contact me or leave a comment.

{Revisit the Kitchen Reno Series}

The Before Situation

*Preparing the Ingredients ("The Great Butcher Block Track-Down")

Staining and Sealing the Butcher Block Countertops
Painting Cabinets
The Sink That Started It All

Bungalow Kitchen Reno: Painting Cabinets

So here's a free lesson: you say to yourself, "Hey, why don't we paint the cabinets? That should only take a few hours!" You would, however, be totally wrong. TOTES wrong.

Early into our kitchen reno, which I warned in the "before" post unfolded in a very If You Give a Mouse a Cookie fashion (in that this little mouse kept adding "quick projects" along the way), I decided that the buttercream cabinets had to go. Even though the addition of butcher block countertops and a new sink to match the stainless appliances helped the overall look dramatically, the cabinets were still in need of some love to reflect the design we wanted. The kitchen cabinets are a simple shaker style and were installed by the previous owner, so they were in great shape and just needed some superficial help. However, knowing that they were relatively new, we wanted to do the paint job right and not just throw gobs of a new color on top. (If you've owned an older house that shows the tell-tale signs of many, many differing opinions about the right color for any given surface, you feel me on this.)

I have painted more walls than I can count, having started my interior design hobby at an early age. (Blue walls with puffy white clouds painted on them at 13-years-old? Nailed it. Loved them dearly for one whole year, which is like a decade for a teenager. Also, matching valances. Because...valances. #ChildOfThe80s) But cabinets? Horse of a different color. I consulted the experts (i.e. Pinterest search for "paint cabinets"), and decided on a pretty straightforward method: remove, sand, paint. 

As a reminder, buttercream.

We use Benjamin Moore paint for everything*, and I love that they offer paint and primer in one. Not only is their color selection fantastic, but you can get the job done in fewer coats with better coverage and greater longevity than I've seen with others. That being said, I'd recommend opting for primer if you're not using a quality paint to ensure it lasts, especially if your kitchen gets as much play as ours does. We also took the recommendation of our local Ben Moore expert* an opted for their pearl finish, which was the most matte we could go without sacrificing durability.

The most tedious aspect of this job for us was removing all the hardware, as well as the glass inlay in some of the upper cabinets. We drew out a grid on a piece of paper and marked spaces for all the hardware, including: hanging side, location, and top or bottom bracket (the latter was added when I hit a few whammies from not doing that with the first round of cabinets). 

Quick Tip: if I did this again, I'd soak the hardware in paint thinner to remove the previous color that had made its way onto the brackets and handles. By the time I circled back on reassembly, I was battling the screw-its and just put them on as is.

A tub of Clorox wipes came in handy to wipe down every surface and remove any gunk before sanding. (If you skip this step, the gunk can muck up the sander and make a hot mess. Simple, quick job that makes your life easier. Trust.) We used the mouse sander again with 220 grit sandpaper to rough up the surface a bit and ensure good adhesion, as well as smooth out some drip marks from the previous job. (We used 180 grit for areas that had more wear or more prominent drip marks. For older cabinets with a lot of wear, you might need a medium grit for the job, and finish with 220.) We vacuumed up the shavings and busted out our trusty tack cloth to finish the job. (Side note: tack cloths may be the worst feeling on bare hands in the world. Just awful, man.)

We recycled the packing materials from the butcher block once again (adopting the plastic wrap as drop cloths and the long cardboard boxes as sanding and paint surfaces--one for each, of course), which was clutch because we ended up having to do a lot of the work inside due to weather. (In case you haven't heard, Texas is in need of an ark. I can help sand it...) At least the paint was water-based for this step (unlike the epically stinky stain and Waterlox), so that helped tremendously.

Benjamin Moore's October Mist

Picking the colors was not easy. Well, that's half true. I had found some really beautiful source images, and the color Piegon by Farrow and Ball kept coming up over and over again. However, at $100 a gallon, this cheapskate just couldn't take the plunge. After a quick internet search, I found a Benjamin Moore dupe and confidently bought a gallon of October Mist in pearl finish, which is the perfect gray-green that we wanted. I loved the look of lighter uppers with contrasting lower cabinets, and after sharing some inspiration pics with M, we decided on a clean white for the uppers (Chantilly Lace, if you please). Picking the white was the hard part. White is not white, always. Got some help from the good men at Ben Moore to tackle this one too, and we were happy with the choice. (There's a point at which you just have to pick one and move forward, so don't overthink it too much. But at the very least, put the paint samples up in the space and consider how they look together in all the various lights through the day. Then, just go with it.)

Quick Tip: Pinterest and online images are always a big component of any home project that we do, as it's important to me that M be equally on board with the vision (since it's his home too), so this is a key step that I recommend y'all take to keep the project a shared one.

We patiently painted the backs of the cabinets first (the side that faces in when closed) with two coats (to ensure we had nice coverage, especially with the white over the buttercream color, the bleed through of which would make the cabinets look old and grungy), and then flipped and finished the fronts with two coats. The inlays were painted first with a small natural brush, while the faces were done with a small roller (we used rollers that were indicated for--you guessed it--cabinets). We rested drawers against covered surfaces to dry, and they were actually really quick to do since they essentially only had one side (that mattered).

Meanwhile, we gently sanded the cabinet boxes and taped off nearby surfaces (especially our spanky new countertops) before painting the boxes as well. I debated pulling everything out of the shelves before sanding, but I was beat at this point (since this "quick project" was already dragging into a week, squeezed in between all the other life) so I just pushed crap back and mentally made a note to rinse out any dishes and pots before using them. (We survived, y'all. Little sawdust never hurt anyone. Ok, that's probably not true...)

Once everything dried to the recommended duration, we reattached the hardware and returned the cabinets and drawers to where they belonged. 

Quick tip: If I did this project again, I'd probably deal with an exposed kitchen for another 24 hours to let the paint cure even longer. We did experience some sticking when first opening and closing the cabinets and drawers, but that had very little impact to the paint job. They're fine now, but worth another day of kitchen chaos to let it really cure well.

Beat down of a task? Yup. But I'd do it again for the outcome. In a heartbeat. They instantly made the kitchen look so much cleaner and fresh, and seeing the results really helped encourage us to plow through a few more days/weeks of renovation to get to the big finish. We're nearly there...

*This post is not sponsored by Benjamin Moore, by the way. I like what I like, so I'm sharing.

Other posts in the kitchen reno series:

The Before Situation

Preparing the Ingredients ("The Great Butcher Block Track-Down")

Staining and Sealing the Butcher Block Countertops

Bungalow Kitchen Reno: Staining and Sealing the Butcher Block Countertops

Quick housekeeping thing: if you receive my posts via email (which, you're awesome), and you got my "new post" email on Friday featuring an outfit...I'm sorry. I think Blogger had a moment and decided to send a year-and-a-half-old post out to my email subscribers. Let's hope that doesn't happen again (and if it does, please remember that I wasn't saved until 2010, but I began blogging in 2009, so...context). More apologies to follow, probably.

Anywhoodle, back to our regularly scheduled programing...

Last time I continued to share the journey of our kitchen renovation by explaining the first stage: preparing and installing the butcher block countertops. There is more to be said on the topic of the counters, as this aspect of the project required the most effort on our part (i.e. more than a phone call and writing a check), so I'll talk more about that today. And if you didn't catch The Before Situation, you can catch up on that here. 

When we left off, I had sanded off the factory finish, and our awesome helper Dave had the mammoth task of installing the countertops, sink, and faucet. I found many DIYs online that made all that look like no sweat, but we draw the line at some attempts, and this is where we wisely brought in an expert who had experience with IKEA's butcher block. Money well spent, especially given the care and attention to detail by Dave, who treated the project as if it were for his own home. That's gold, right there.

You see that hot mess in the center of the kitchen?
Yeah, it stayed there over the course of the weeks we spent working on this project.
It just made more sense than putting away, pulling it back out,
forgetting something we needed while we were covered in stain, etc.
Embrace the "Ugh" and know that it will be all worth it.
And use a drop cloth (or, in this case, the plastic in which the butcher block was packed).

With the counters in place, we proceeded to stain these bad boys. Although the natural birch color was lovely, we knew that we wanted to bring some warmth to the space.

Since this was our first attempt at staining, we kept a large scrap piece of butcher block to practice on, as well as to use as a test spot to determine what color stain, how many coats, etc. We already knew that Waterlox was our sealer of choice, and found the heads-up to be true that the tung oil does cause the stain to lighten a bit after application, so we kept that in mind, and made sure to test with the Waterlox, too, to avoid any surprises in the finished product. I'm not generally a fan of oil-based paints and whatnot, but we decided to go with Minwax, and landed on the Early American shade. (By the way, those color samples in hardware stores...they're lies. Testing stains--and paint in general--is crucial before running and gunning on your final product.)

Interesting lesson learned: we kept hearing folks recommend a wood conditioner before staining, so we actually bought a quart of it to use on the counters. When we tested with it, however (which we almost didn't do, not thinking it'd be all that different), we found that we didn't like the way the stain took to the wood. We liked the variations and quirks of the wood, and wanted to pick up all the little natural elements of the slabs, which we felt like we lost with the conditioner. So we didn't use it at all, but it was still worth trying and knowing that much.

We ended up doing four coats of Early American, but initially only planned for three. We liked the way the sample looked with three coats, but this is where the advice to wait and stain until the butcher block was in place totally nailed it. Looking at it in the space, we really felt like we needed it just a tad darker, especially knowing that it'd lighten at least a shade with the Waterlox (again, as we learned from our test applications). We even experimented with how long we left on each coat to ensure the right color acceptance. If it sounds like a lot of work, it's really not. I would just set an alarm and reapply every few hours, so it was more time consuming than anything. But so worth it in the end, to not finish everything up in a hurry and end up hating the end result.

As far as application, we waited the recommended time between coats, and applied the stain with stain pads. I'm sure there are lots of cool gadgets and tools out there, but we bought the cheapest, off-brand stain pads, and a cheap pack of work towels, and went to town. And our receptacle of choice to hold the stain? The lid of a Chik-Fil-A side salad. Recycling, y'all.

We finished the counters with three layers of Waterlox, and added a little extra on the wood around the sink and faucet for good measure. This stuff is potent, so either buy the low VOC option, or make sure you have good ventilation and a mask. We were hit and miss on weather as we did this, but opened the windows whenever we could, and had the air purifier on full blast. But often, we simply left the house to get a break from the fumes and try to protect our brain cells. We waited 24-hours between coats, as recommended, and used a natural bristle brush (bought a new, cheap one, and made sure to take some duct tape to it before using to catch any wayward bristles or random nonsense stuck to the brush that would try to get all up in our finish) to apply each coat. (And in case you missed it in the last post, I had applied three coats of Waterlox to the underside of the butcher block that would be placed near the sink and dishwasher to protect the wood from condensation or leaks.)

Final step (for this phase): apply a line of clear silicone around the sink to create a watertight seal. Like icing on the cake. (Dave had siliconed the under side and sink lip before installing, but we applied the bead around the exposed under-mount since we wanted to ensure the stain would take to that wood.)

So, I teased in the last post a little tidbit about brown paper bags being a sanding miracle. I read this tip from one of the blogs I was stalking that posted a DIY for butcher block counters, and I thought it sounded insane, but I had brown paper bags on hand, so thought, 'Hey, I like free. Let's do this!'

Y'all... We ripped off a section of paper bag about the size of my hand. Going in a small circular motion, we used the brown paper bag to sand between coats of Waterlox. Seriously, baby's butt. I guess it has just enough natural texture to work like a very, very fine grain sandpaper. But it made each coat look amazing, and we even went over our final layer with brown paper bag before stepping back and doing a happy dance.

Here she is...

I promise that I will share the deets on this AMAZING sink and faucet next time, but this post has already been uber long. Kudos to you for sticking through it. 

Other posts in the kitchen reno series:

The Before Situation

Preparing the Ingredients ("The Great Butcher Block Track-Down")

Painting Cabinets

{Ikea Hack DIY} How to Add a Drawer Knob

It's almost embarrassing to call this project an Ikea Hack given the simplicity of the change, but I was looking for a quick and easy way to give our Malm dresser a little sumpthin'. We're working on an envelope to add Pier 1's Hayworth Dresser to our master bedroom suite (we have the nightstand and bedside chest already), but in the meantime, our 6-drawer Malm is functional, even if a little clunky. 

I was already in the midst of about five other projects this weekend, so I wouldn't allow myself to chew off any more than simply adding knobs to the drawers. I love the idea of O'verlays and/or adding mirrors or gray grasscloth to the drawer faces, but I opted for easy peasy, knowing we wouldn't be keeping the dresser (and anything too custom might make it tougher to sell on CL when we're ready for the Hayworth piece).

Funny enough, there are tons of awesome posts out there with tips for upgrading various Ikea dressers and nightstands, but they seemed to skip an important detail in their tutorials/DIY recaps: how to add the knobs. They mention that step, but it's not much more than a mention. "Add knobs." Oh...kay. And it may be an intentional omission because the assumption is made that it's too easy to cover, but I had no idea how to go about it, so this little girl needed some help. I Googled and found this awesome video, which helped me knock out this project in a snap. So, dear blogosphere, I offer to you my step-by-step recap, dedicated to those of you who also need the 101 deets.

What you'll need: 

• Painters tape
• Pen/pencil
• Yardstick (or measuring tape)
• Knob and screw* - I used these satin nickel and acrylic knobs
• Drill with appropriate sized bit (I used 3/16 per the recommendation of the dude at Lowe's)
• Screwdriver
• Cloth/rag
• Washer (optional) 

The Drawer {Before}

First, find the center of the drawer using the measuring device of your choice. Apply a strip of painters tape on the drawer face, and mark the crosshairs of the center with your pen/pencil. (If you're doing a handle with two screws, you obviously need to do that math to find the appropriate placement in the center, since it'll depend on the size of the handle. If I were doing a handle, I'd probably make a template to reuse. But center is simple enough to find for a single knob.) 

Enter: power tools. This was the first time I've used a drill, which was probably a little bold given M was away working on set all day, but I was like, "Well, I mowed the lawn, edged, and had a beer today, so maybe it'll all just fall into place." Workin' on my dude skills, y'all. Turns out, not so scary. And I only sacrificed one drill bit. (Yeeeeeah, so the direction of the spinning...matters. Lesson learned, am I right?!) Before drilling, I applied another strip of painters tape on the inside of the drawer (where the drill would come through) to help minimize splintering (in the absence of scrap wood). Then, drill on through at the crosshairs. Confidence is key!

Looky! A hole! Use the rag to wipe away the debris, and remove the painters tape. (I actually saved the strips of painters tape for the subsequent drawers, and pushed the sticky side of the used tape down on the freshly drilled wood shards to minimize mess; then wipe with rag, or in my case, washcloth.)

Now, attach the knob and screw. I added a washer on the inside of the drawer for a cleaner look, but that's totally optional. Use the screwdriver to get it nice and secure.

That's it! It took less than 30 minutes to do all six drawers, and I was so surprised at what a change it made. The addition of the knobs has been great motivation to finish up more of the decor elements in our master, such as adding a tray, catchall, and some objets to style the top of the dresser, hanging curtains, and adding a plant to the corner (behind the dresser). I'm thinking a fiddle leaf fig in a round basket. (Of course I am, right? Blogger, duh.)

Thanks for bearing with the shoddy iPhone photos. And if you're still feeling frisky, check out some of my other DIYs!

*Lil tip: make sure you have the right screw length for the drawer thickness. Neither of the screws that came with my knobs fit, so I had to make another run to Lowe's to find an in-between length. Fun.

DIY Bookshelf Makeover

When decorating on a budget, it's helps to get a little creative and try to make the most of what you already have. We had a perfectly good bookshelf from Ikea that I used to furnish several of my apartments before M and I moved into our home, but the dark color and simple style just didn't work in our den, which is transitioning to an airy, clean cottage feel. (The sheer volume of crap on the shelves, coupled with the eye-sore that is a DVD rack, also wasn't helping.)

I had a vision, I discussed it with M, and we brainstormed exactly how to execute the Bookshelf Makeover Project. [Insert fanfare here.] This was our first DIY together (and definitely the most ambitious DIY I've attempted). So here goes...!

Before

Step 1: Prime*

We applied one full coat of Aqua Lock primer, which we had leftover from repainting the many stained moldings of our 1930 bungalow. We used small rollers, and went back over the most visible areas with a quick second coat to provide more coverage. We let this dry for a few hours.

Step 2: Paint

We also scored by finding an almost-full quart of flat white interior paint in our storage closet from the previous owner, which was just enough for this project. We used small rollers to apply a solid coat over the entire bookshelf, and let it dry overnight.

Step 3: Scuff

We wanted to soften up the harsh lines of this Swedish beast, so we took a medium grit sanding block to the edges to give it some rustic wear. (M was much better than I at this step.) This part creates a surprising amount of dust, so I'd recommend covering your space with a drop cloth to make clean up easier.

Step 4: Clear Coat

I didn't actually anticipate doing this step because we really wanted to keep the finish pretty matte and figured the paint alone was fine. But we quickly learned that primer + paint does not a hearty surface make. I researched some recommendations online and decided to go with a poly sealer. (I used Rust-Oleum's Satin Polyurethane Varnish.) I applied one solid coat with a natural bristle brush and let it cure overnight. This step made a huge difference, and the bookshelf is now quite durable. (Trust me, I tried to scratch it.) 

Step 5: Wallpaper Shelf Backing

Oh, wallpaper. The directions make it seem so simple. It is, in theory, but the mess is something else. We purchased a large piece of plywood at the hardware store and had them cut us two panels to fit the upper and lower half of the shelf. (We probably would have gone with a single sheet, but we couldn't fit it in our car. Seriously, giant bookshelf.) If I did it over again, I'd probably prep the plywood with either a wallpaper primer or just a coat of the paint primer, but, again, we weren't going for perfect, so on went the wallpaper in two strips apiece. (We lucked out that the dimensions and pattern lined up nicely, so it was a lot simpler than it could have been.) We let it dry overnight, and used some heavy books to anchor down a few stubborn seams.

Step 6: Mount Backing to Bookshelf

I actually can't give too much detail on this step because M surprised me when I came home from work the next day, and already had it assembled and the mess cleaned up! But I do know that he used plywood screws to secure the boards in place, and did so with the bookshelf laying on its front.  

After

I'm so, so pleased with how well it came out. It's just as we imagined it...better, really. Finding the perfect wallpaper at our local hardware store was a huge bonus. I figured that would be the bear and considered just using fabric. But the wallpaper looks so polished and compliments our wall color perfectly! I revisited the styling, got rid of some of the bulk, and tried to keep it functional while still contributing to the overall feel of the space.

I hope this was helpful and inspires you to tackle some projects that you've been contimplating. As intimidating as some of these DIYs may seem, it's worth taking a stab at it, especially if you can give yourself some grace in the process (like when you're covered in paint dust and wallpaper glue, sassing your sweet husband in a fit of tiredness) and be willing to learn from the endeavor. 

Apologies for the iffy photos. I was exhausted when most of them were snapped, but you get the gist.

* We probably should have sanded the bookshelf first, but I wasn't striving for perfection and opted to for-go this step. (If you're working with a significant piece of furniture--say, one that weighs over 15 pounds and costs more than $150--sand it first. There are lots of DIYs out there that cover this step.)

If you're feeling crafty, be sure to check out my DIYs for a Rifle Paper Co.-inspired Recipe Box and Coffee Filter Flowers!

Around the House...

I've been neglecting many things lately. Namely among them: this blog, my health, time with loved ones, good sleep, proper exfoliation...

Anywhoodle. We have, however, been giving a ton of attention to our home, and as tired as I am (and in desperate need of some exercise, sleep and a manicure), I'm so excited for the way things are slowly coming together. We've been blessed with a home, with land! And we want to be good stewards.

Just a few quick updates...

We spent this past weekend planting some lovely hostas in our garden. We had the good fortune of landing a home with a beautifully landscaped back yard, and making it our own has been such a rewarding process for me (and a learning experience, as well). We had some holes in the gardens where past plantings didn't thrive...and/or they got cray big and we're terribly attractive. Enter: hostas.

via

I'd love to tell you that is our garden, but...well..that would be a lie. We're not there yet. But I can't wait for our new shade-loving friends to spread out and class up the joint!

We've also been tackling what is, admittedly, a very ambitious DIY project for our den. I'm typically of the "just buy it and call it a day" mentality, but with a never ending list of "needs," we decided to get creative and repurpose an older bookshelf to match our transitioning decor. I once populated my humble abode with primarily Ikea furniture, but as we move to a Pottery Barn-meets-cottage vibe, the stoic black behemoth just wasn't working. However, a bookshelf isn't exactly a piece we wanted to put a lot of money into. Enter: Pinterest. Ugh. That site. "Ooooo. I can totally do that!" No, no you can't. Or you can, you just may find yourself curled up on the floor mid-way through, covered in craft glue and wondering why you're so perplexed by a drill bit. (They really should show this lovely stage in those handy, dandy DIY tutorials.)

We're pretty close to having it done, though, and I promise to share pictures. In the meantime, here's the before...

It's OK, I'll say it. "Wow, there's a lot going on there, yo. Oh, and 1997 called; it wants it's DVD stand back. P.S. Hi, Asian Kitty."

More to come soon!

{Updated: To see the final result of the Bookshelf Makeover DIY, visit this post!}

DIY Recipe Box

Remember that time I wrote an entire post about recipe cards? Good times. Well, I continued my search for a recipe box, but couldn't find anything that just sent me over the moon. When it comes to shopping, I'm notorious for hatching an idea of what I want in my head, with no clue whether or not that item or style actually exists, and will settle for nothing less. (Sometimes that leads to a major find, while other times I search endlessly for something of very little importance. Time well spent? Not usually.) And then it dawned on me: I have two capable hands.

And so crafty commenced. I gathered a few supplies to create a recipe box to my liking:

~ Pre-fab wooden box
~ Screwdriver (to remove hardware from the box)
~ Craft paints
~ 1-inch paint brush
~ Detail artist's brush

I had a few paints and brushes leftover from previous projects (custom light switch plates in college, holla!), but I picked up a bottle of Martha Stewart Craft paint in Root Beer Float for the base color and an unfinished wooden box from the craft store.

To get started, remove the hardware from the wooden box. If you're not completely lazy, I'd recommend using spackle or wood filler to correct the holes from the hardware. But if you're like me, just squeeze out some paint and go to town!

I painted three coats of Root Beer Float on the box, letting it dry for at least 30 minutes between coats. I let the whole thing (including the bottom of the box) dry completely before proceeding to the next steps. (Waited approximately an hour and a half and it was totally dry.)

I actually planned to just leave the box plain, but I couldn't resist a chance to hone my artist skills and add a little customization. Since I heart my cutie Rifle Paper Co. recipe cards so much, I used their design as inspiration. I freehanded the design, but you can easily sketch it out with pencil first and simply paint over it.

After giving the whole box another hour to dry, I nested the cards inside the box and felt quite pleased with the outcome. (Granted, I wish I had taken the inner measurements of the box into account when selecting my piece, since the cards are actually a little bigger than the dimensions of the box. But they stay in place at a slight bend, and it even helps out with holding a card in view while I cook. Happy accident!)


Hearty Veggie Stew recipe

Total cost: $6
Sense of accomplishment: Priceless

Have you crafted anything fun lately? Do tell!

If you're feeling crafty, be sure to check out my DIYs for Coffee Filter Flowers and an Ikea Hack bookshelf makeover!

DIY Coffee Filter Flowers

I was a crafty machine over the weekend, let me tell you. I haven't indulged in creative pursuits in a while (save for writing, which can be hit-and-miss these days, honestly), and I so enjoyed getting my hands dirty, perusing the aisles of local craft stores, and holding my tongue just right to execute elements of my projects.

I've been wanting to try my hand at coffee filter flowers for a while now, so when I was asked to help with the decor for an upcoming event, it was the perfect opportunity to sit down and give it a shot.

There are many tutorials out there, and I used a hybrid of methods to put mine together. Y'all, they are silly easy and quite lovely. They remind of peonies...that live forever. What's not to like?

Here is how you can make your own pretty filter flowers...

(1) Supplies you'll need: small/4-cup coffee filters, floral tape, wood floral picks, floral wire. (These items can be found in the floral aisle of your local craft store. Well, not the coffee filters, duh.)

(2) Gather a stack of 8 filters (for dense, peony-like blooms, fewer filters if you want them more delicate) and poke three holes in the filter center with the wood floral pick: one in the very center and two on either side of the central hole. 

(3) Wrap the thin wire attached to the wood floral pick around the top of the pick (to create a plug for the flower's center), then push the wood pick through the center hole to create the stem. Loop a piece of floral wire into the other two holes (flanking the center "stem") and pull the wire through to the bottom of the flower. 

(4) Wrap the wire around the wood pick. (I did it in a criss-cross pattern.) 

(5) Wrap the floral tape around the wire and pick to create a sleek stem. (This step is optional, actually. I kind of liked the way the 20 gauge fancy wire I used looked around the pick, but to be fair, there is gouging potential with the end of the wire. Your call.) 

(6) Cast aside any OCD tendencies and squish those crisp, white filters! Starting at the center, gather each filter layer one by one and squeeze it in your palm. Do this until all layers have been crinkled. (I even like to hold the layers in my palm and smash the top to make for softer "petals.")

(7) Aw, so sad flower.

(8) Now comes the fun part! Starting with the outer "petal," pull the filters back one by one and gently fluff them back out. Don't be too exact in this as some variation and irregularity looks nice, but do make sure you've un-squished every layer. (I like to pinch the center petal to keep the pick center from showing, but it doesn't look unnatural if you want to let it show.)

(9) Well hello, everlasting flower! Aren't you loverly? 

To mix it up, you can spray a finished bloom with water and a drop of food dye to add some color. I actually dabbed one bud with a freshly used tea bag for a soft beige tint, and after letting it dry, really liked the way it came out. (You could do the same with coffee, natch.)

Styled in a modern vase filled with coffee beans to balance the romantic folds of these no-maintenance buds, this pretty piece easily compliments your home or office. Enjoy your handiwork and a cup of roasted goodness while you're at it!

If you're feeling crafty, be sure to check out my DIYs for the Rifle Paper Co.-inspired recipe box and an Ikea Hack bookshelf makeover!