DO IT YOURSELF-FOR THE WHOLE FAM-Transform your boring house items into a work of art! Let's start with that fan...

Get the whole family involved in re-designing your house with some easy tips! Read these tips and then we'll talk about what to do with that old ceiling fan. 

Before you replace items in your home let's think:

1. Why am I replacing it? Sometimes items are broken, other times we replace perfectly functioning items purely for aesthetics; we're bored of them and want something new or they just don't match that new couch.
     
2. Is it broken beyond repair? If it's something you or your spouse/friend/relative can fix easily, ask for some help to get it fixed, and save some money (for new shoes)!

Now once you've established that your item can be kept and re-furbished and/or re-designed, lets move on to the next step which is imagining what you want. Some of us know exactly what we want and we spend hours going store to store to find the ONE that matches the image we had in our head. Most of the time we end up settling for something else and can't find what we really wanted. This is the beauty of doing your own work! You (with some help) can bring that image to reality. Not only are you saving some money, you're also creating memories with your family and friends.

3. Think about a design, this I always do by searching the web and window shopping. Look on store websites and see what's out there. Do a search for images of a particular design you already like. You don't have to be an artist to do this. You can use a stencil, print the image and trace on top of it, or choose a solid color.

4. Once you have an idea get a paint brush and some paint and get to work! Don't be afraid of mistakes, you can always paint over and restart! Depending on the material to be painted you will need to do a bit of reading on what type of paint to use. Most spray paint or latex paint will stick to just about anything so while you're at the store read the back of all the paint cans or sprays to see what material it can be used on.



Now let's talk Fans....

We can all relate to this picture

BOOOORING

How many times have you looked at your ceiling fans and went "ugh"?

Here's a quick trick to get a "new" one without buying anything, just grab a screwdriver! The secret is most old fan blades have a different color on the other side! The picture above are my bedroom fans. I hated that color! One day while cleaning the blades we realized the other side is cherry! I took out the screws, flipped the metal attachment and voila! I went from walnut to cherry in no time!
Now take this a step further and paint them any color you like. Add a design on them. Damask for your room? Some flowers for your daughter? Cars for your son? Let your imagination run wild and have fun!
You may want to add a protective clear coat (or spray) on top of them depending on your cleaning habits or if you want them to have a gloss finish. ENJOY!

What will you re-design next?

         Our lives have become a race but where are we all running to? Something to ponder. Enjoy the moment and give yourself a break. When you're running, you're missing all the magical moments around you. Stop and take a deep breath. There are few things in life worth running after. Cherish everyday and spend time with those you love. Take lots of pictures, every moment is a memory!