How to Make a Floorcloth ~ Easy, Cheap, & Stylish Decorating! (she: Laura)

Well, hey there. I'm Laura from DesignShare and I'm thrilled to be here today! I am an avid DIY'er, fierce bargain hunter, all around design zealot, mom of two, daydreamer, font junkie, thrift store aficionado and visual thinker. I look high and low and everyplace in between for great finds and always have my radar on! I love glitter, paint, textiles, patterns and figuring out how stuff works. I adore a good challenge, learning new things and sharing what I've learned along the way. I design, I share, so let's get going!.....

Today I wanted to show you guys a cool way to make a floorcloth that doesn't require any painting or designing of any kind on your part (unlike my previous floorcloth posts, here and here.) All you need is a good eye and some bargain hunting skills, and I know ya'll have those in abundance. So lets get started!

I was shopping at my beloved Target and saw some GREAT printed tablecloths from the DwellStudio Line on the clearance endcap. Already reasonably priced at full price, they were clearanced out to$8.98! I don't normally use tablecloths, but couldn't pass up this bargain! I started wondering what other things I could do with them...Wall hanging? Foot-of-the-bed pop of color? Curtains? Slipcover fabric? Then I spotted a round one with a Suzani print, and got an idea!

Some clear, satin finish polyurethane....

And the aforementioned, fabulous, Suzani Print tablecloth.....

......combined, would make a great floorcloth! No painting, no measuring, no planning, just roll on a few coats of poly and you have a durable, easy care and GEORGEOUS floorcloth! Already hemmed and everything! I think the round shape is what triggered the idea for me, as I have been a long time looking for a round rug that I liked.

Past Posts: Gift-Giving Superstar & Rachel's Casserole

A couple favorite posts, from the past:

How to be the BEST Gift-Giver

Rachel's Casserole

Have a happy day :)

The Awesome Feta Dip (she: Sarah)

My name is Sarah and I blog at Clover Lane where I write about raising children, about staying home and slowing down, and appreciating these days that fly by us. I have a husband of 18 years, and five children, 4 boys and 1 (thank gosh almighty) girl.  The oldest is 17 and the youngest is 3.   I love books.  I love writing. I love a good easy meal, and a clean house.  I love my husband especially when he does the dishes.  

I thought I’d share this awesome super easy no-cook appetizer that has always been a hit.  This is that ONE recipe that I always get asked for the most.  And it’s ridiculously, embarrassingly easy. 

Here’s what you need:

olive oil
1 block (1#) of feta cheese  (I don’t like the pre-crumbled kind because I think it is dry)
tomatoes (any kind)…I use about 3 Roma’s
1 bunch of green onions
1 baguette
Greek Seasoning (see pic below)
1 large platter


1. Wet the platter generously with olive oil.


2. Dice the green onions and tomatoes.

What Do YOU Love?? ~ A Valentine's Day Tradition

For today's post, I'm sharing a new Valentine's Day tradition that I came up with...I'm thinking we'll give it a try this year.  I'm excited, I think the kids will love it!

Read all about it over at Make & Takes, where I'm contributing today.

See you there!

DIY Clipboards ~ Easy, Cheap, & Awesome Organizer! (she: Amy)

Hi!! I am Amy Renea and I live in Hershey, PA with my husband, three little boys, 4 chickens and a cat. I spend my days herding children and critters and working as a freelance writer and photographer. I'm a thrift store junkie, Mad Men addict and a new convert to spinach margaritas! My photography and design work has been featured on a variety of outlets including the Nate Berkus show, Garden Design Magazine, Zest Magazine, Hobby Farm Home, BHG.com, Womansday.com, Fine Gardening.com, Design*sponge, Apartment Therapy and more! I blog about design, food, photography and the occasional personal insight over at 'A Nest for All Seasons' -- come say Hello!

We recently made a trip out to IKEA with our brother and sis-in-law and their baby B. It was a little slice of Heaven. Even though it was super crowded and the babies all started breaking down at the end and I'm SURE it wasn't at all heaven for the boys, still it was IKEA. Land of cheap design...my kind of heaven.

My favorite section in IKEA is the as-is clearance section by the checkout. I don't think I have ever left empty handed. We purchased my favorite rug there 1/2 price because it had been a floor model. It was a little dirty, but we have certainly dirtied it up even more.

Back to the present trip though...I found the biggest load ever this time. Tons of as is things to make projects out of. Mostly 1 or 2 dollars. (I know those aren't complete sentences English majors...it's ok...) So after I had already half filled the cart, I looked behind a giant door and found these big IKEA white metal grids. They were 4 sides of one of the big bins they put merchandise in. There was no bottom. Perfect.

{Wire grid - IKEA white}

They were $10 each, but happy for me, everything in the "Handyman special" area was 50% off. $5 each...$20 for all of them. Believe it or not, that is a little steep for me, but I knew exactly what I wanted to use them for. So we went around the whole store, had lunch, found cute things we couldn't live without and I still wanted them, so after consulting with DH, I took the plunge. Not 1 panel...or a matching set, but all 4.

3 of the 4 panels against the wall...the door is for a later project...it was 5 bucks too!

See that ugly thermostat on the wall...that big blank wall that stares you straight in the face as you walk in the door? I hate it. I've been on a mission covering those up while making sure they were still accessible. This is my latest cover job. All three of those panels got hoisted onto the wall and covered with photos and cards and all the things that make me happy to look at.