I hate to date myself, but do you remember the TV show MacGyver? For all you youngsters out there, MacGyver was a secret agent who refused to carry a gun, instead solving problems and escaping trouble by employing whatever materials were handy at the time, along with his trusty roll of duct tape and a Swiss Army knife. (You may also be familiar with the SNL spoof, MacGruber.)

ANYWAY, I fully believe that MacGyver was on to something by making the most of whatever he had on hand. To that end, allow me to present some crafts you can make with all of those leftover wine corks you have kicking around, like this bath mat spotted by our own Lili Zarghami. (If you do not have wine corks handy, refer to the someecard below. But please, drink and craft responsibly.)

Continue Reading

Despite my black thumb, I think having a garden would be fun purely for all the bird watching potential. My grandmother’s bird bath must have been a hip destination for local birds, because there always seemed to be a “pool party” going on in there. If you’re the industrious sort, we have a fab DIY bird bath tutorial on our site (made from a salvaged sink!), but the only problem for me is that it requires a tree. Not so with these cute teacup bird feeders/bird baths I found on Something Wonderful.

They’re dainty and a perfect reuse of chipped or mismatched tea sets. Plus, you can stake them right into the ground, no trees necessary! (A boon for us city or small-space dwellers — even with a “backyard,” trees can be hard to come by.)

[Via: Pinterest]

Nice gams! That’s what I’d say if I ever came across a bed or sofa with colorful, customized legs. Like, say, the legs offered by prettypegs or the DIY version from French blogger Morning By Foley below.

If you speak French, once again, you’re in luck. If not, use a free web translator (your browser may have one) to see the DIY instructions in English. J’adore the combo of bright color and natural wood, and because these legs screw into the frame, you could even swap them out whenever your little heart desires. Despite the language barrier, I bet Amelie (aka Foley) and I have a lot in common. I think it’s all about the details in life, and unexpected accents like these furniture legs are what make design spotting so much fun for me.

[Via: Pinterest]

Summer has felt so incredibly far away here lately. Then, I saw Briana’s Daily Delight this morning — the amazing zebra hide-shaped beach towel — and suddenly, summer feels like it’s just on the horizon. I can feel it! Are you dying for some sunshine, too? This week’s how-to will immediately leave you with thoughts of seaside lounging, crashing waves and sand beneath your toes. Plus, it’s the perfect accessory for a coastal cottage or seaside retreat.

Make a Seashell Mirror

Update a plain mirror with collected seashells to give your home some summer-inspired, coastal charm.

Here’s what you’ll need: a framed mirror (round, square or rectangle), hot glue gun, seashells, stiff paintbrush, straight razor, window cleaner and a paper towel.

Use a variety of seashells in several sizes to make sure you can cover the entire frame. If you’ve collected your shells from the beach, make sure they’ve been rinsed and dried. (You can also pick up shells at craft stores.)

Then, working from the inside of the frame, start gluing your shells. You can either place them at random or glue them in a pattern. Continue to apply glue in small sections, adding your small- to medium-sized shells. Apply larger shells last as more visible embellishments.

Use a stiff paintbrush to sweep away any excess glue strings. Then, use a straight razor to remove any glue from the mirror itself.

Get the Full Step-by-Step Instructions >>

Do you have any coastal decor in your non-coastal home, or do you leave all the seashells and anchors for the beach house only? Tell us in the comments below!

I’m OBSESSED with HGTV Green Home 2012. The one and only downside to working at HGTV: I can’t enter to win this drool-worthy home. I could whine about it all day long, but that just means that you, my friends, need to get busy and enter twice per day, everyday, so I can come visit all the time. (HGTV par-tay!) In the meantime, if you’re dying to bring in some Green Home charm to your casa, why not take inspiration directly from the home itself? One of my favorite rooms is the master bedroom; it’s so soothing with a natural green, blue and brown color palette. The most eye-catching part of the room, though, is the raffia-upholstered headboard that goes all the way up to the ceiling. You’re dying to make it, aren’t you? We have the step-by-step instructions below, and you’ll be shocked at how simple it is.

Add an eco-friendly, raffia-upholstered headboard to your queen-size bed.

Twenty-five 12-inch squares upholstered in natural raffia are then set in five rows of five to create this grandeur design.

Cut fabric into 16″ x 16″ squares. Lay a single fabric square down, center the padding on top of the fabric, and then center a 12″ x 12″ plywood square on top of the padding and fabric square. Press one side of the board down, sandwiching the padding between the fabric and the board. Fold the fabric over the side of the board and staple, starting in the center and working toward the edges. Leave 2 inches upstapled on each side of the corners. Continue stapling all other sides.

Staple the corners. Lay out five of your finished upholstered squares, face-down, edge-to-edge. Make sure the squares are perfectly aligned, and then add a 1″ x 4″ board on top of the seam between the two headboard segments. Place pilot holes (one per square) in the board, centered along the edge. Continue this process for the remaining upholstered squares. Follow the instructions for the French cleat packaging to attach your completed headboard to the wall.

Get the Full Step-by-Step Instructions >>

Come back and let us know how you did, and be sure to share pics of your finished headboard, too. Until then, fill us in on all-things Green Home – what’s your absolute favorite room or design from the Georgia home? Tell us below!

Cross-stitch Easter eggs are impressive, but have somewhat limited, seasonal appeal. If you want to blow everyone’s minds with the power of cross-stitch year round, look no further than these large artworks by Jessica Decker.

They’re sweet and simple designs, and would really fill a wall over a sofa or a bed. They’re almost like pixelated pictures, but cross-stitch has a warmer, homier feel to it. Plus, I like to imagine that a giant with a huge needle and thread did them. (Anyone else? No?)

[Via: Pinterest, Design*Sponge]

Happy Easter! I can’t believe it’s already that time of year — if you’re like me then today has completely snuck up on you. It felt like just yesterday that it was snowing. Okay, maybe not down here in the South, but you get my point. We’re here to help you last-minute hosts plan the perfect spring fling (yes, there’s still time)! All you need is some colorful tissue paper, scissors, florist wire and ribbon to create playful oversized tissue pom-poms for your Easter table.

Get the Full Step-By-Step Instructions >>

The pom-poms look great paired with this easy-to-create egg garland. Cute, right?

How are you celebrating Easter today? Tell us in the comments below.

Erin’s dip-dyed stool DIY was very much on my brain, and then I started finding dip-dyed eggs for Easter on blogs and Pinterest. Coincidence? I think not. These ladies are bang on-trend. I really like the neon version from Courtney of Merriment on Oh Joy! But my favorite dip-dyed example is this bit of gilded goodness from Fabulous K pictured below.

I know Easter is tomorrow, but luckily these are so simple to do, you can start them today and they’ll be ready in time for the festivities. (Unlike, say, those embroidered eggs I fancied.) Posh Easter eggs you can do easily? Now that’s the (golden) ticket!

Color tablets and stinky vinegar have stiff competition these days when it comes to decorating Easter eggs. There are a lot of impressive ideas floating around on blogs and Pinterest (and HGTV.com, ahem), but here’s one that was totally new to me: Embroidered Easter eggs.

Ukranian artist Forostyuk Inna stitched up these goose eggs, but the funny thing is that no one on the Internet seems to know just how it was done. (The commenters on Sublime Stitching have some great theories, though.) I don’t know that I’ll be attempting this method, but the intricate and colorful work does make me want to step up my Easter egg game a bit.

What’s your favorite egg-decorating technique? Or are there any that you’re thinking of trying for the first time?

[Via: Svpply]

Has spring sprung in your neck of the woods? It certainly has here at HGTV headquarters! We’ve got 75-degree or warmer days, and so many April showers, of course. (But that means May flowers will be on the way, right?) Even if you’re still battling your way through winter weather, you can at least give your home some springtime love with one of my favorite seasonal projects. The whimsical greenery of this moss monogram will instantly evoke the feel of spring, even if snow is still melting in your lawn. (I’m talking to you, friends in the Pacific Northwest!)

HGTV How-To: Make an Easter Egg Garland

First, gather all your materials. You’ll need an oversized chipboard letter, hot glue gun (with hot glue sticks), reindeer moss, ribbon to hang, scissors and artificial sprig with buds for embellishment.

Preheat your glue gun. Once it’s hot, start applying glue to the chipboard letter and immediately press moss into glue and hold until it’s cool. Continue this process until the entire letter is covered on the front. Cut ribbon about eight inches long, form a hanging loop and attach to the back of the letter with glue.

You can easily embellish your letter by cutting buds off artificial sprigs and gluing them into the moss. Arrange your embellishments however you choose, either by placing the blooms separately or forming them into clusters for a more natural look. Once your letter is complete, you can hang the letter on your front door in place of a traditional springtime wreath, or sit it on the mantel to bring this fresh feel inside.

Get the Full Step-By-Step Instructions >>

Looking for other spring-inspired ideas? Get your home ready for the season – inside and out – with our ultimate spring cleaning, decorating and gardening guide.

Have you started decorating for spring? If so, what was the first room in (or outside) the house to get a taste for the season? Tell us in the comments below!