DIY Noodle Board aka Tray For Your Stove!

  
I was provided product by DecoArt and compensated to write about this project, but all thoughts, opinions, and ideas are my own :)

If you are new to the whole "noodle board" concept, it's essentially a tray for your stove top! It helps extend your counter space, and protects your stove. This is especially true if it's a glass cook top. I've known a few people that have broken the glass on their cook top by accidentally dropping a bowl or dish on it. Another good thing about this? It keeps the cook top clean when not in use!


The best thing about these, besides adding more counter space, is that it's so easy to make! This tutorial is for those with a flat cook top. Mine is actually a gas stop with raised grates, so I had to make the one in my kitchen a bit different. But, today I'm sharing with you how I made one for my mom's house.

Step 1: Measure your surface. The size of this one in my mom's kitchen was perfect for three 1x8 wood boards with a length of 29 3/4". I also cut two 1x3 pieces the "depth" of the other boards, so the total of the 1x8 boards. Your's may be different depending on size. 
 Step 2: I secured the 1x3s to the edges of the other boards. I used wood glue and a nail gun with 1 1/4" nails for this. You can also use 1" screws if you don't have a nail gun.
Step 3: Sand all the corners of the boards to give it a soft edge.

Step 4: Now paint the entire board with DecoArt American acrylic paint in Titanium White. You will need to do about 3 or so coats for full coverage. 
 For the next steps I used DecoArt's AmericanaDecor Texture dimensional acrylic paint in Meadow Green and metallic Deep Bronze. 
Step 5: Create or buy a stencil. My stencil size is about 14". For my "gather" I used vinyl. I placed this in the middle of the tray. 
 Step 6: Using my pallet knife and the Texture paint in Deep Bronze, I swiped it across the lettering. 
 Don't wait for the texture to harden or else it will pull when coming up. I waited about 10 minutes. I then took off the vinyl. To get the middle pieces, I used a toothpick to pull them up.
 Step 7: Add the wreath. It's up to you if you want to do the wreath before the lettering or not. I took a roundabout way on making this, so mine ending up being on top of the lettering. But, with it being on top, you can tuck some of the lettering into the leaves. Also though, you will have to work around not getting the next paint color on all the lettering. So, it's up to you which way you choose.

 I used a stippling brush to add the first layer of the Meadow Green, and then used a pallet knife to somewhat smooth it out, but I did keep some texture. 
Once again, don't wait for it to dry. Just carefully pull up the stencil. 

 Here's a glimpse at where I had the leaf come on top of the "g" and some go behind it.


 Step 8: To add a little more character, I used 1" painter's tape and created lines on the bottom and top of the tray. 
 I filled in the lines with Meadow Green using a pallet knife. 
 I made an extra section below the smaller top line for a thicker line doing the same technique. 
Once you are done with the lines, pull up the tape.  

Step 9: Add some hardware! The easiest type of handles to add are the ones that screw in from the top. If you find ones you like that have bolts, you'll have to measure and drill your holes from bottom to top. So, keep that in mind when finding hardware. 
 Here's the finished piece! 

What I love about these is that they brighten up the kitchen a ton! ...that is if you make them white :) 

 In an all white kitchen like this, brightness doesn't matter too much. But, it sure made a big difference in mine! My all black appliances and black counter top needed something to break it up (I'll share mine with you later when I get a new microwave! My stove area is a hot mess currently :) haha)
 And, I can now publicly thank my mom for finishing her new house with a white kitchen so I can share more kitchen projects with you! I know, I know....kitchens don't have to be white to be pretty or show off projects, but it sure makes it easier than doing it in mine!
What do you think about the DIY noodle board? It sounds funny, but it seriously is a great addition to a kitchen! Plus, it doubles as a tray to carry food back and forth! Oh, just remember not to actually eat anything off of it :) The paint is not food safe. 

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

DIY Vintage Style Cutting Board

  

You guys! This weather has me all sorts of annoyed. We have had like 3 days of sunshine in the past 3 months. The storms just keep rolling in and ruining my plans for my patio. I have all the stuff to redo it, took my old table apart (sadly), have mostly everything prepped...and yet it sits like an empty square with no love. haha. Anyway. Hopefully I'll be able to share something in the next week. Fingers crossed! 

Until then, I have been meaning to share with the tutorial on how to make your very own vintage style cutting board...for practically free. Well, at least for me. I have a slew of unused scrap wood just waiting to be used on projects like this. 

Here's how I did it...trust me, it's so easy and only uses one basic power tool (besides your drill) :)

Grab a 1x12 piece of wood and roughly sketch the top of what you want your cutting board to look like. Try to make it symmetrical. If you aren't good at sketching and have a cutting board you already love, us that and trace over it adjusting your lines as you need. 
 Using a jigsaw, cut along the lines. And yes, this is when mine resembled a pumpkin. Don't worry, I make sure to remember it every time I look at it. haha. 
 The board is gong to be pretty rough, so go through and sand the edges.
 Since this is for pure decoration and not food-grade, I stained mine with Minwax Dark Walnut.
 I then placed a piece of painters tape about 2 inches down from the handle and painted the top portion with a white craft paint.
 I drilled a hole in the middle and strung a little piece of jute. 
Done! Seriously like a 15 minute project. 

I have a slight obsession with cutting boards that I have had to cure. I have no place to put anymore no matter how much I want to stuff another one somewhere. I think I am reaching hoarder status over here with some of my stuff. No but for reals...you should see my basement :/ Or no...probably not, I wouldn't let you :)

I just love the instant farmhouse and vintage charm cutting boards add to a dining room or kitchen. You can easily add some fun vintage designs on them too, or a little mending plate for charm. These one's I actually bought, but you can easily duplicate the look on your own now that you know how to make one! :)






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Kitchen Decor and Updates (Embracing What I Have)

  
This post contains affiliate links. See full disclosure below.

Sometimes you have to embrace things, and not change things. My kitchen is one of those tales. I rarely show it on my blog, mainly because it's not my aesthetic and it's the one area in my house I'm not necessarily proud of. It's the one area that I truthfully don't feel good putting my stamp on it either. I don't know why, it just makes me sick to think about painting these beautiful cabinets. Yes, I would love a kitchen full of white beautiful cabinets and amazing quartz counter tops. But, would I paint these to achieve that look? Well, if the answer was yes, that would have happened years ago. Believe me, it's a thought that has crossed my mind on way too many occasions to count. I just can't do it. 
kitchen with knotty alder cabinets, white board and batten island, and black granite counter tops with an unfinished edge.
There was a time in my home that I wanted to paint all the knotty alder. Every. Single. Piece. I hated it. Luckily, I didn't. I have come to love my banister and my mantel along with my doors. I'm just still not sold on the cabinets :) 


two story entry way with board and batten staircase and walls. Knotty alder and wrought iron banister.

two story entry with board and batten walls. Knotty alder railing and door.

knotty alder fireplace mantel with shiplap boards and eucalyptus wreath. Shelves filled with firewood

So, I'm going to share with you today how I'm embracing what I have and not changing something beautiful into something more my style. I'm also going to share with you at the bottom of the post some concepts on what I'm thinking about doing to update my kitchen without painting the cabinets. 

See, since I'm not a big fan of my kitchen, I have not spent much thought on decorating it. I mean...it's a kitchen. What's there to decorate? And, I think that was my biggest mistake. I just used it. I was in and out. Cleaned it and left it. Hated it. I never put my mark on it. I realized this of course 10 years into living here. I know! I seriously have lived with it for that long :) ha! So, without any big changes (like the ones I'm thinking about below), I made steps in the right direction to start loving this area. 

Here is the way before of my kitchen. Before I touched a thing. The cabinets, wall color and tile were all in the same hue....I called it a peach bomb. Serious, with the lights on at night, it looked like a huge peach bomb blew up in my kitchen. 
kitchen with knotty alder cabinets, white board and batten island, and black granite counter tops with an unfinished edge.
Years ago, I realized that the knotty alder looks great against white, so I painted all the walls and ceiling white. This helped tame the peach bomb a tad....just a tad.

I then updated the island last year to help break up the peach. That helped a lot and let me put my stamp on this kitchen without painting all the cabinets. 
kitchen with knotty alder cabinets, white board and batten island, and black granite counter tops with an unfinished edge.
I have lived with it like that ever since. Didn't really decorate. I mean, I did in odd little random ways. Like, oh, this needs a place. Let's put it in my kitchen. Other things had just been on my counters for years so I just left them there. No rhyme or reason. 

My first step was to change out the curtains for something lighter and frilly...you know, to match the rest of the ruffles in my house :) I also switched out the light. This was a big step in the right direction. (sorry, the light is killing the view of my frills :) )
kitchen with knotty alder cabinets, white board and batten island, and black granite counter tops with an unfinished edge.

Next, clearing off my counters and starting from scratch. I added new things and old things and moved them around until they worked for me. 


kitchen with knotty alder cabinets, white board and batten island, and black granite counter tops with an unfinished edge.
 I got this sign as a gift from a sweet friend. I added my favorite little plant stand stool with a napkin draped over it along with some dipping bowls. I had to add some green with this faux potted plant. I then used two cutting boards out of my hoard....I mean collection....to finish it off :)
kitchen with knotty alder cabinets, white board and batten island, and black granite counter tops with an unfinished edge.
 In this corner, I cleaned up the space by corralling all my wood utensils into two Rae Dunn canisters. I use this two tiered stand for fruits and veggies, but decided to decorate it a bit too with some faux greens.
kitchen with knotty alder cabinets, white board and batten island, and black granite counter tops with an unfinished edge.
 I've been playing around with the placement of the stuff on my island. It usually sits in the middle, but I wanted to see how it would look on the corner, and I think I like it. It's great to have all that space on the island back. And it doesn't look too cluttered in the corner. 
kitchen with knotty alder cabinets, white board and batten island, and black granite counter tops with an unfinished edge.
 This little vignette is a collection of items on a tray. 
kitchen with knotty alder cabinets, white board and batten island, and black granite counter tops with an unfinished edge.
I also added these amazing architectural piece I found from Hobby Lobby to the side of my cabinet by the sink. I think it adds a lot of character to the area.
kitchen with knotty alder cabinets, white board and batten island, and black granite counter tops with an unfinished edge.


kitchen with knotty alder cabinets, white board and batten island, and black granite counter tops with an unfinished edge.
In addition to this area of my kitchen, I have updated my only blank wall. We are in desperate need of a pantry...thank goodness my family is pretty small and we don't need that much room...yet. So, I bought this hutch to act as an extra little area for storage of food in the bottom and my collection on top. 
white cabinet with rae dunn collection

white cabinet with rae dunn collection
 It's my little mix of Rae Dunn and Hearth and Hand by Magnolia. 
white cabinet with rae dunn collection

white cabinet with rae dunn collection
 I love this view looking out of my kitchen into my living room.
White cabinet with rae dunn collection looking into living room
Okay. Now are your ready for my ideas? And I would like you to weigh in with your opinion! I have three thoughts. 

Here's my first idea. The simplest. What do you think about adding subway tile to this entire wall? ...oh, and look! You can totally see my curtains better with the mockup :) This curtain is totally a mockup too, but it's really what it looks like!
kitchen with knotty alder cabinets, white board and batten island, and black granite counter tops with an unfinished edge.

My second idea. Keep the subway tile, take out a cabinet, and add these floating shelves. These shelves would then house my white dishes. 
kitchen with knotty alder cabinets, white board and batten island, and black granite counter tops with an unfinished edge.
 Third option, ditch the subway tile and use faux white brick. 
kitchen with knotty alder cabinets, white board and batten island, and black granite counter tops with an unfinished edge.
In my opinion....I would like the 2nd option. My husband loathes subway tile...like seriously can't stand it. So, yeah. That's an uphill battle. He loves the brick idea, but don't you think cleaning brick would be a nightmare? Especially in the kitchen with all the grease, etc. And of course, the first one is so easy and would be quick to do with big impact! I am torn. Ha! What do you all like the best? Let me know in the comments below :) 


Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”