Under the Sea Bedroom Idea

Under the Sea Bedroom Idea

When my children were younger, I wanted to do something fun with their room. Since we were renting the house we were living in, painting the walls in wild designs and colors was out of the question. After some thought I came up with this idea. I think the plants look pretty realistic and more importantly, everything you see on the wall is completely removable.

By the way, the bench that you're looking at is made from a pallet, and the table is made from recycled wood. Inside of the table is a puzzle that my husband and I put together and epoxied to the top.

Back to the wall...

All you need to make these plants is contact paper! I bought a couple of rolls of white contact paper and painted it with green paint (keep some of it white for later). Keep in mind that these are plants, do not paint it solid green, just paint the paper with one or two strokes (keep the direction the same. for instance either paint up and down or left to right, don't do both). Once the paint is dry, then just cut the paper into wavy strips, and then begin arranging them on the wall. Since contact paper is made to be removed, it is completely repositionable.

The fish are cut out of fabric. I just cut around the outline of the fish and sprayed the back with spray glue. (Be very careful to use one that is not perminate! Do not put the glue on the wall, only spray the back of the fabric... This will keep it a temporary bond allowing you to remove it when the time comes.)

I added bubbles in different sizes above the fish's mouthes and dotted around the room. These bubbles were just circles cut out of the white paper you set aside earlier.

Cardboard Lampstand

Cardboard Lampstand

Here's a great recycle idea. This one of a kind lampstand is made from a recycled welding barrel. All my husband and I did was make the platforms on the top and bottom of the barrel out of scrap wood. Next put a dowel rod inside the middle and wrapped it with clear christmas lights. (the sides of the barrel had holes in it) Over the holes in the barrel we glued a thin fabric so the lights shine through. Finally we covered the whole thing with contact paper.

This project can be made in less than a day and when you're done, you have a great piece of furniture and a new memory. I love these stands, and use them all the time.

Wolf Bench

Wolf Bench

If you're looking for a great project, made from recycled material, you should consider making a bench for your entry way. This great bench was made from a glass pallet. We just painted it and added the drawers and fabric. This bench is great for shoes or blankets. You can personalize it to fit your style and colors. The best part is that you made it yourself and recycled in the process.

Fence Bench

Fence Bench

Need extra seating in your yard? Don't run out and buy and expensive one. You can easily make one.

This bench is made from an old pallet. My husband cut the pallet in half and used both parts , one for the Back, and one for the seat. He added a small table in the middle with a removable top. The bench itself is attached to the fence. I love to sit in the yard and just watch nature. This bench is the perfect way to do just that.

(sorry about the picture, it was taken during a snow storm)

What the HECK is a "Pallet Fence"?

What the HECK is a "Pallet Fence"?

My husband works for a big company here in the Quad Cities. Twice a day they empty and dispose of the industrial pallets (7'X7' -300#). These pallets are eventually broken down into wood chips. What a waste!

Knowing that there had to be something he could do with them, he began to bring them home. Do you know how many 7' pallets it takes to fill a 50' driveway? about 72. Trust me I know, I had these in my yard for a year. I finally told him that we had to do something with them, since the neighbors were begining to ask questions.

Our yard measures 250' X 150'. We knew it would be an expensive chore to put up a privacy fence. But my genius husband had that covered. This is a picture of the finished fence that he made from those pallets. The final cost for materials was around $ 1500 for a 700' foot- 51/2 high wooden privacy fence. Not only did we get a unique fence, but we recycled thousands of pounds of wood that would have been thrown away.