DIY: transform a simple jar into a unique, cute way to save money!

The best time to start working towards your goals is today, and saving is usually a good way to get there. However, if all you're looking at is numbers on a piece of paper, you probably won't feel too accomplished. I find that the old piggy-bank system, saving your spare change every day, can be an enjoyable way to help save up. But there's no need to dust off the old pink pig, because all you need is a mason jar, an index card, and some scissors!

1. Gather your materials. Pop the suction lid out of the screw-on cap of the jar to use as a stencil.

2. Using the inner part of the lid to get the sizing just right, cut a circle out of an index card.

3. Fold the card in half and cut two little notches, far enough apart to accommodate all sizes of coins. Then, cut the resulting rectangle out.

4. Unfold your circle and smooth it out. It should look like this!

5. Decorate!

6. Stick the circle into the screw-on part of the lid. You can glue it down if you'd like, but it should stay fine on its own. Besides, if it's not permanent, you can keep using the jar for your next saving endeavor!

7. Screw on the cap and start saving!

P.S. Yes, I really am saving up for a road trip. My boyfriend and I plan to travel around the country together for a month or so, the summer after I graduate. :) 

Wall Space

So sorry about my silence this week. I intended to be sharing several DIYs with you all this week, but I haven't gotten the chance to get to AC Moore and pick up a few things I needed. So, to fill time, I thought I'd share a few of the ways I fill wall space in my bedroom!

I have a pretty big room, which means lots of empty wall space to fill. In my eyes, empty walls are sad walls, so I'm in the process of fixing them up!

This is my little desk nook. The bookshelf is nestled in the corner, and on the adjacent wall a window lets in lots of extra light. My desk divides up my room so the floors don't look so empty, and is not fully pictured here because it's currently covered in a plethora of craft supplies, journals and lists.

Anyway, the birds adorning my walls are vinyl stick on wall art decorations found at this website. I have another wall-art to be put up above my couch, a white dandelion blowing in the breeze! In the upper left hand corner you'll see some watercolour artwork of mine, and directly in the middle is my calendar and bulletin board, where I've actually been keeping surprisingly organized and planning out my life. 

For anyone who was wondering, this is the quote I painted on my wall! Designed and hand-painted by myself. It was such a fun, fulfilling project to accomplish. I chose this quote because I knew it would inspire me every day with the reminder that nothing is impossible and I have to keep working at my dreams.

A very simple way to hang artwork: clothespins and glue dots! Glue dots can be found at your local craft store: simply stick one onto the back of the clothespin and put it up on the wall! I was getting sick of waiting around to frame and hang my work, so I just grabbed the available supplies and put it all up. I actually quite like this technique, though.

My nightstand is also a bit of a trainwreck right now (I'm in the process of redecorating and organizing my room), but the space above it is worth sharing! Another bit of watercolour artwork hung with a clothespin, and my headphones resting on a thumbtack stuck in my wall. I'm a bit impatient, and I have a very specific vision for my room, so when it takes too long to get something done, I use the next best thing and do it myself.

P.S. Who likes my little keychain Totoro? He's hanging around my lamp, keeping me safe at night. Pete gave him to me for our one-year anniversary. Isn't he sweet?

This is an old shelf right beside my door. When I was young, I kept all my stuffed animals in it, but now I have cameras and my tripod on the bottom shelf, hairbands and other such supplies on the top shelf, and jewelry and perfume on the top of the whole thing. The box on the left was given to me by a close family friend who serves in the military, and got it for me in Afghanistan. And of course, my picture frame/branch necklace hanger is hung up on the wall! That was also a fun project to make.

I hope you enjoyed that little wall tour and perhaps got some ideas for your own spaces! :)

DIY Map Lampshade

I've had such a strong sense of wanderlust lately, which has spawned an obsession with maps of all kinds. My bedside lamp was always painfully boring to me, so I figured I would make it unique with an old roadmap!

What you need: lampshade (white or other pale color), an old map to cut up, strong double-sided tape or other adhesive.

First, you need your lamp! Make sure it's not plugged in and not still hot from being on. It would probably be significantly easier to just take the lampshade off the lamp, but I didn't think of that until afterwords.

Put your map up to the lampshade and cut a piece in the shape of one of the sides.

Use your adhesive to line all of the edges of the back side of the cutout.

Now, making sure there aren't any air pockets or creases, stick it on!

Repeat the same process with the other three sides. It is very important to make sure that the pieces do not overlap! If they do, they will create an opaque line when the lamp is turned on in that spot.
I found it helpful to use binder clips to make sure my maps stayed in place while I was tracing and cutting!

Ta-da! You're done! Plug it in and enjoy the soft orange glow!

The difference between a lit lamp and an unlit lamp. Keep in mind that you'll be able to see what's on the reverse side of the map!