FRESH OFF THE HIGH OF SILVER LEAFING MY FRONT DOOR I’M GEARING UP FOR MY NEXT HOME D.I.Y. FOREVER A CHILD OF THE SHOW-AND-TELL ERA OF TELEVISION (A DEVOUT ZOOM, DONNA’S DAY, AND MARTHA FAN), AND KLUTZ BOOK COLLECTOR, I HAVE FINALLY GRADUATED TO THE RESIDENTIAL SCALE PROJECTS I’VE BEEN TRAINING FOR. I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT I DO NEXT.

POTATO PRINT

If Alex Katz approves of potato printing your front entryway, then it’s allowed. I am no Alex Katz, but this house is my canvas.

WINDOW SCREENS

Day one of owning our house we removed all of the old window curtains and blinds, but now I’m reluctant to put any back up. I don’t want to sacrifice the natural light, but I think a rattan screen like these might be the solution for some privacy, please! (images via Pinterest).

DIMENSIONAL STENCILS

I’m not usually one for delicate floral patterns, but the technique in this video did give me the idea for some subtle textural dimension: using drywall mud to give the effect of a raised wallpaper or plaster pattern. I’m thinking stripes.

CHALKBOARD PAINT

I’d really like to paint something with chalkboard paint! I like how this is an object, not a wall. And specifically that it is the green kind of chalkboard. I won’t be painting my fridge, though… maybe a door.

BEAD CURTAIN

Call me a child of the 90’s but I can’t resist a bead curtain. I’m not sure where in my house this goes, but the next time I’m in the mood to craft, I’ll remember that a long string of beads can be something.

REFERENCE MATERIAL

D.I.Y. Kids was my childhood bible. I’m honestly not sure if I ever completed a project, but I loved imagining that I would. (Still, I recommend this book). Eventually, I graduated to daydreaming about the furniture I would upcycle à la Tossed & Found — a treasure trove of ideas that I am about to crack open, again.

MOOD IS: IS AN INDEPENDENT NEWSLETTER CONCEPTED AND WRITTEN BY ELIZABETH MCAVOY. EACH EDITION FEATURES A NEW MOOD.

Mood is: D.I.Y.

Mood is: SEWING THOUGHTS

Mood is: SHAKER VILLAGE