DIY Vintage Corbel and Wood Distressing Technique


If you look around my house, you know my obsession with corbels. They were one of the first things I started collecting home decor related. Corbels are the perfect addition to most any place in the house. I use them on my mantels and on table displays. They are also super versatile, where you can use them to hold up shelves, or underneath cabinets or counter tops. They are tough to find though ...especially at a decent price. The larger you want requires a bigger price tag too. I made my first corbel last month, and seriously love it. I didn't realize how easy they are to make! So, I decided to try my hand at another one. This one though was being made as a gift for Mother's Day. 

I went a little bigger with this corbel than my previous one, but simpler also. It's about 13" high and 10" wide. My plan in the future is to just keep going bigger and bigger with these, until I can make one that looks like it came off an old building. Getting the design that large has just been a bit harder than I thought.

Here's the design I used for this. Sorry, pretty bad, right? But it works. Just when you cut it out, make the curves even and the straight lines straight:) ha! 

As you can see from this design and the below picture, I ended up adding just a little big extra to the ends. The design above can be printed out on two pages and then taped together to get the template needed to cut this out. I wanted to use the whole width of the 1x12, so I hand drew a little more. I ended up using my new scroll saw to cut these this time around. Truthfully, it would have been so much easier with my jigsaw. Seriously. I know my way around a jigsaw! The scroll saw will take some getting used to :) I cut three pieces out used a 1x12 pine board.
DIY vintage inspired corbel tutorial. DIY corbels. How to make a corbel. Jigsaw and scroll saw home decor projects. DIY home decor. DIY farmhouse decorating ideas.
 I then glued the pieces together, and added a weight on them overnight to make sure they were secured. One of the pieces was a little bowed at first, so this weight helped tremendously in the end.
DIY vintage inspired corbel tutorial. DIY corbels. How to make a corbel. Jigsaw and scroll saw home decor projects. DIY home decor. DIY farmhouse decorating ideas.

DIY vintage inspired corbel tutorial. DIY corbels. How to make a corbel. Jigsaw and scroll saw home decor projects. DIY home decor. DIY farmhouse decorating ideas.

 I then sanded all the edges. I used my palm sander at first, and then switched to just a piece of sandpaper with my hand to get in the curves.
DIY vintage inspired corbel tutorial. DIY corbels. How to make a corbel. Jigsaw and scroll saw home decor projects. DIY home decor. DIY farmhouse decorating ideas.


 Next, I cut a piece of 1x4 at 13 inches.
DIY vintage inspired corbel tutorial. DIY corbels. How to make a corbel. Jigsaw and scroll saw home decor projects. DIY home decor. DIY farmhouse decorating ideas.
 I used wood glue to secure the 1x4 to the rest of the corbel. I kept the bottom side flush, and had about an inch on the top. I made sure that the decorative piece was right in the middle of the 1x4. If you don't like waiting for the glue to try, this is a good time to use a nail gun and 1" nails into the piece from the back
DIY vintage inspired corbel tutorial. DIY corbels. How to make a corbel. Jigsaw and scroll saw home decor projects. DIY home decor. DIY farmhouse decorating ideas.
 Finishing the piece is my favorite part of any diy project. It gives it a whole new look. I actually had no clue what I was going to do with this piece...I just kind of went with whatever felt right at the time. First, I stained it Dark Walnut from Minwax.
DIY vintage inspired corbel tutorial. DIY corbels. How to make a corbel. Jigsaw and scroll saw home decor projects. DIY home decor. DIY farmhouse decorating ideas.
 I then added my tried-and-true method of distressing...petroleum jelly. Using a little amount of my fingers, I went over the edges and flat sections with it. Wherever I placed it, I knew the paint would come off of it in the next step. So, I used it sparingly, but enough to get a good used/vintage/distressed look.
DIY vintage inspired corbel tutorial. DIY corbels. How to make a corbel. Jigsaw and scroll saw home decor projects. DIY home decor. DIY farmhouse decorating ideas.
 I then used some white paint. The color was Swiss Coffee by Behr in their satin enamel. You know, the kind you use on walls :) I brushed on one coat...
DIY vintage inspired corbel tutorial. DIY corbels. How to make a corbel. Jigsaw and scroll saw home decor projects. DIY home decor. DIY farmhouse decorating ideas.
 and then quickly used a paper towel to try to rub it off. Seriously...I was just rolling with the punches on this idea, and it ended up working pretty good! I rubbed the towel harder on the spaces that had the petroleum jelly to get a deeper color. I did this outside, so the paint dried pretty quickly, so I had to do it fast!
DIY vintage inspired corbel tutorial. DIY corbels. How to make a corbel. Jigsaw and scroll saw home decor projects. DIY home decor. DIY farmhouse decorating ideas.
 Here's the complete look of the finish...and the corbel. It's kind of crazy how it pulls more grey when all I used was dark brown stain and white paint.
DIY vintage inspired corbel tutorial. DIY corbels. How to make a corbel. Jigsaw and scroll saw home decor projects. DIY home decor. DIY farmhouse decorating ideas.
 Making these corbels is just the best. This one would have cost me at least $40 to buy somewhere, and it literally cost me maybe $5 worth of wood...maybe.
DIY vintage inspired corbel tutorial. DIY corbels. How to make a corbel. Jigsaw and scroll saw home decor projects. DIY home decor. DIY farmhouse decorating ideas.
 I moved it around my house to find a good spot for pictures...and to get more ideas for spaces I want a corbel :) It ultimately has ended up at my mom's on her amazing bookshelf.
DIY vintage inspired corbel tutorial. DIY corbels. How to make a corbel. Jigsaw and scroll saw home decor projects. DIY home decor. DIY farmhouse decorating ideas.
 Here's the finish from this angle. Where it's a little darker, is where the petroleum jelly was placed...just to give an idea of how it ends up looking. It's a totally weird thing to do, but works amazingly.
DIY vintage inspired corbel tutorial. DIY corbels. How to make a corbel. Jigsaw and scroll saw home decor projects. DIY home decor. DIY farmhouse decorating ideas.
My next corbel? Totally going to make one at least 2 feet tall...if not more. Just have to figure out how to design it!



 

How To Scent Your Home Without Wax, Flame, or Cords (Giveaway Closed)

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What if I told you there was a way to scent your home without the use of flame, hot wax, or harmful chemicals and air fresheners? I know. You would think I lost it. Or maybe that I'm doing essential oils now, but guess what?! Not that either! 


So, let me back up. I was touring the Parade of Homes last year and kept going into houses that smelled absolutely amazing. Like, yeah-I'm-just-going-to-plop-on-this-bed-for-awhile-and-I-don't-even-care-that-it's-corded-off-and-has-a-do-not-touch-sign-on-it type of amazing.  The scents were pleasant and not over powering. I was looking through the rooms and couldn't figure out how they got these smells in there. I was seriously thinking it was some weird new way through the vents. I didn't see any candles, wax melters, or diffusers. I found out that the amazing fragrances were coming out of this little device here:

How to make your home smell good. Add scent into your home without flames, hot wax, or water! Safe and easy home fragrance ideas. MojiAir and AirMoji unboxing. What is the AirMoji? Safe, long lasting scents.

It's called the AirMoji. So, how the heck do they do it? Right? It's through a little fan in the bottom! I was sold. No flame....no fear of burning my house down. No wax...no fear of my kids dumping hot wax all over themselves or the carpet (again)...or let's be real, me dumping it all over my blankets over and over lol. No cord...Yep. No cord! This thing is chargeable and portable. I can seriously stick my figure in the middle, which you know any kid is going to do, and nothing happens! (don't believe me, watch the video at the end of the post!). I shook this thing and it's been bumped off my dresser more than once and still works and keeps going! And best yet, it didn't leave a big oil stain either. 

So, I bought one, because obviously I had to. I've had mine for a year and my house has never smelled better. The scents in here are LONG LASTING! When I say that, I mean it. I run mine about 10-12 hours a day, and the scent fills my entire great room for about 2 weeks (I tend to lean toward the stronger scents). I then move them into a smaller space, like my bedroom or front room and they push about another week. It's amazing. The scents are hypoallergenic, cruelty free, paraben free, soy free, gluten free, phthalate free and non-toxic. They come in these little pods which are pressed wood discs saturated in the fragrance oil or essential oil: 

How to make your home smell good. Add scent into your home without flames, hot wax, or water! Safe and easy home fragrance ideas. MojiAir and AirMoji unboxing. What is the AirMoji? Safe, long lasting scents.

My fave part about it? Well, besides the obvious from above. It's immediate fragrance. Like, I turn it on, and boom! You can smell that! It's the best for parties. I have a knack for forgetting to turn on my wax warmer the needed half hour before people were going to show...you know, cuz you have to wait for it heat up and then wait for the wax to melt... For this? I don't have to worry, I can turn it on when the first person walks through the door. Better yet....why not just program it to turn on? Yep. Heard me right. It's programmable to turn on and off via bluetooth. You decide when it happens with a free app! 

Okay. So, why am I sharing this all with you? You can obviously tell that I love this little device. I've used it literally every day for the past year. I feel like there are multiple layers to an inviting home. First is to have it beautiful, well decorated, and clean! Second is for it to smell oh so amazing. Your nose smells before you eyes see! Have you ever went up to someone's door and they open it and the best smell comes pouring through? It's like heaven! And opposite ...the smell comes pouring through like cat pee or vomit and makes you go running for the hills? That house can be so pretty, but if it stinks...it stanks. 


So, let's talk about the deets and then you can join the giveaway to get one for yourself along with my favorite scent, Serendipity! 

How to make your home smell good. Add scent into your home without flames, hot wax, or water! Safe and easy home fragrance ideas. MojiAir and AirMoji unboxing. What is the AirMoji? Safe, long lasting scents.

AirMoji's are environmentally friendly. The pods are made from biodegradable materials. These wood fiber cores are filled with 100% essentials oils (yes, they can be diffused by air!) or the MojiLife fragrance of your choice, with over 40 to pick from. The oils are manufactured in Europe using stricter standards than the United States. And as I mentioned above, they are hypoallergenic (the best for my family and their crazy allergies!), non-toxic, gluten-free and soy-free. 

How to make your home smell good. Add scent into your home without flames, hot wax, or water! Safe and easy home fragrance ideas. MojiAir and AirMoji unboxing. What is the AirMoji? Safe, long lasting scents.

How many square feet does the AirMoji cover? 

For me, it's about 800 square feet. That's my dining room, living room, and kitchen. The taller the ceilings, the less space. This also depends on the strength of the scent you choose. You can easily use just one AirMoji in a small single room space, or if you have a larger space, use two to get more scent going. 
How to make your home smell good. Add scent into your home without flames, hot wax, or water! Safe and easy home fragrance ideas. MojiAir and AirMoji unboxing. What is the AirMoji? Safe, long lasting scents.

So, how much are these amazing things?

The actual AirMoji device is $49.95, and it comes in either black or white. The fragrance pods are $6.50 each, and the essential oils/blends start at $10.75. 

What about the scents? 

There are over 40 fragrances to choose from. I have about 15 favorites, but my absolute best three are: 
How to make your home smell good. Add scent into your home without flames, hot wax, or water! Safe and easy home fragrance ideas. MojiAir and AirMoji unboxing. What is the AirMoji? Safe, long lasting scents.

Serendipity- it's like pouring almond extract all over your home. Might sound weird, but I'm not going to lie, I've thought about doing it.

Lotus Petals and Bamboo -this is not your grandma's floral. It has a great citrus note to it at the beginning and is just a great fresh scent. 
Tahitian Sunset -this one will take you back to vacation with all the tropical fruits! 

Other popular ones: 

Sweet Lemon-think about drinking sweet lemon tea out on your porch during those hot summer nights.
Pastry Shop -it will literally smell like you are baking vanilla cupcakes.
Spring Breeze -make people believe that you are actually caught up on laundry! 
Sweet Pea -this just brings me back to the high school hallway. 

Seasonal Scents:

Sugared Pumpkin -pretend you just baked some pumpkin pie!
Rustic Spice -my fall fave, smells like walking into a craft store with all their spiced pine cones during the holidays.

How do you buy them? 

You can purchase them from my shop page. Don't forget to check out the specials page where you can get a discount on bundles! And don't miss the home decor line! Since these are portable, you can hide them in beautiful vases! 
Want more than that? 
You can join my team! If you think this should kick hot waxes and candles to the curb and offer a healthier and safer way to fill your home with a beautiful scent, you found your place :) You can use your membership for personal use, or to build a team. Totally up to you! Click here to learn more or contact me :)

Check out this video to see all the ins and outs of the AirMoji, plus the unboxing of one of the MojiLife kits! 



ENTER TO WIN YOUR VERY OWN AIRMOJI AND FRAGRANCE POD! 
How to make your home smell good. Add scent into your home without flames, hot wax, or water! Safe and easy home fragrance ideas. MojiAir and AirMoji unboxing. What is the AirMoji? Safe, long lasting scents.

And now....if you got through reading all of that, you deserve a chance to enter to win my giveaway! I'm giving away 1 white AirMoji plus my fave scent, Serendipity! That's over a $56 value! Enter below! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is for those who are 18 years or older with a US shipping address. If you win, I will contact you via the method you entered. If I do not here back from you within 72 hours, you forfeit your win, and I will go on to the next winner. The giveaway ends 10/9/19 Midnight MT. Good luck! 


Thanks for reading and following along with my AirMoji obsession and review! Follow me on my social for sneak peaks, live videos, and fun new things that are going on!

  

Master Bedroom Before and Afters (10 Year Anniversary)

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Welcome! If you are just joining in, this week I have been sharing my main living areas over the past 10 years (links for other rooms at bottom of post). These years have gone by so quick, so it's great to see how much change has happened and really makes me realize what a process decorating is. Sometimes, a perfectly decorated space just happens and comes together quickly. Sometimes, it's totally a long process of figuring out what you want, and what your style is...with a lot of "what the hecks" in between :)


Today I'm sharing my master bedroom, and the crazy decorating that has happened in here over the years. I feel like my style has only shifted a little after the first couple of years. But, for awhile there it was pretty sketchy :) 


Here's how it looks today. As with most of my house, I err on the side of lots of white and neutrals. 

Bedroom sources at bottom of post
2009
And this is where it all started. Fresh out of my apartment. All my furniture in here were hand-me-downs. Even the mattress. We were just starting out, so it made sense. I was trying to work with what I had :)

 I soon grew tired of my headboard. Oh wait...did you even notice what was on that headboard? Yes, it's a sheet hanging over the middle and random flowers. Don't ask...because I can't give you an actual reason. :) I'm not sure what I was thinking.

As you can see from my other headboard, I apparently really wanted a brown one. So, I ditched the sheet and made a new headboard. This was under $20 to make and is still one of my most popular projects. 

 2010
This was the year that my creativity went crazy. Seriously, the amount of projects I did this year was kind of insane. One of them was making this "headband" for the headboard. Yes, and that's exactly what I call it :) ha! I also started gravitating towards a brighter pallet at this point. 

Later that year, I redid my headboard with the same technique but used white faux leather instead. I also made it super big. My ceiling in here is vaulted, so I was trying to balance the space. I also painted the side tables white and helped bring more balance to the room with larger lamps that I recovered. 

2012
This room didn't change much for over a year. The next change was changing out the curtains. I actually just sewed some blue silky fabric over the top of the original white curtains. I added some chairs to the foot of the bed. My bedroom is a decent size, so I was happy to get away with this.

2014

Another two years has gone by, and my bedroom stayed the same for the most part. I soon was becoming more obsessed with shabby chic and neutrals. I added a rug, the first one ever in here! I swapped at the bedding and wall art along with the chairs. 
This same year, I made a huge change to the space. I added my square board and batten along the back wall. I also switched out the bedding and rug and added a bench. 

I then updated the nightstands with these faux apothecary ones I made from Ikea chests. 



2015

For most of 2015, my decor stayed the same, just changing out with the season.

Slight bedding changes happen quite frequently in here from here on out, as you will soon see :)

2016


2017
My next big updated was switching the queen bed to a king platform bed. I was lost on what to do with the now empty space that my headboard used to take up. So, I created a gallery wall to draw the eye upward. 



As you can see, lots of bedding changes and random pillow swaps!

2018

Current
And again, here it is today! Well, not technically today. Today it is one huge mess with about 3 loads of laundry hanging off the bed and all over the floor. Probably some kids toys strewn about. But, hey, that's life! 



I seriously love going back on all of these rooms! Even if you don't have a blog, I urge you to take pictures of your home so you can look back. It brings back some great memories! I hope you all enjoyed this week's celebration! 10 years is so much and I thank you all for following along with me! It'll be crazy to see what another 10 years will bring!

Here are the sources for my current bedroom:

BEDDING:
White Ruffle Bedspread: Lush Decor -Amazon and Target.
Greyish/Taupe Coverlet: Inup Home -Check this link on Amazon frequently or Home Goods
Fringe Throw Pillow Cover: Hobby Lobby
Claude Monet Saying Pillow Cover: Living With Amanda
Ruffle Diamond Pillow Shams: Lush Decor -Amazon
Ruffle Pillows Shams: Crane and Canopy
Ruffle Euro Shams: Amazon

Storage Bench: Target (similar)
Striped Pillow on Bench: Kirlands
Sweater Pillow on Bench: Ikea
Rug: Home Depot

Here are some other picture links for a few other items:


Natural & White Fringe Pillow Cover Wood Slat Tray Set 
Wood Bead Garland with Tassels - Small
 Antique White Wood Planter with Metal Corners 








If you missed the tour of my front living room, you can click below to see it :) 
And for all the before and afters of my dining room, click below!
For my living room, click below!



Follow me on my social for sneak peaks, live videos, and fun new things that are going on!
   

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.”