School is in full-swing, which means there’s many out there needing some ideas for non-permanent decorating for their apartment, dorm or even their locker! You’re in luck, because there’s so many beautiful, fun, crazy and down-right stylish choices for Easy Decorating with Wallternatives!

I received free product to facilitate this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

If you remember, I had so much fun reviewing Wallternatives brand new line and did my cousin’s adorable Owl Fabric Decal bedroom. I love how easy these decals are to place, remove and place again! When I was offered to review another one of their fun decals, this time from their Dorm Decor selection, I was stoked! The problem? There’s just so many dang awesome choices! I guess if there has to be a problem, a great selection is an ok one to have, am I right?

I finally decided upon this inspirational ‘Be Your Self’ Vinyl Wall Decal in Lilac (the large size, since I have a BIG wall space). Although my Craft Room looks totally fab after I did a major makeover on it, some of the walls were still….well, boring! I wanted something colorful, attractive and motivational. When I saw this quote on their website, I knew it was so perfect for this room…since I often do need to be reminded to Just Be MY Self, especially as I’m sharing things to all of you! As much as I want you all to like me and my little ol’ blog, the most important thing is that I’m ME, and whether you like me or not, as long as I’m not a fake that’s all I can do. And that’s what makes me happy along the way! So this vinyl wall decal is an absolutely perfect reminder for me as I’m blogging each day! I received my decal (very quick, I might add, these guys are AMAZING at shipping!) and loved the color! Purple is my favorite, and this was just the right shade…not too dark to clash with my purple line on my wall, but not so light it wouldn’t be well-seen.

How I applied the Decal

It comes with a cover on both sides….

I gently removed the backing of the decal….

Then place it on your wall, carefully starting at one edge and smoothing outward. Keep smoothing until you’ve got any bumps or bubbles worked out, then slowly and carefully work from one edge removing the front paper covering…

If you do end up with any bumps or bubbles, no worries! Just gently smooth them out, or you can easily remove the vinyl decal and re-position it! Don’t like where you placed it? No problem, just take it off and place it somewhere else! The sticky doesn’t wear off, whether you decide now or in ten years!

See, it’s perfect for non-permanent situations (or for those that change how they decorate often!) such as apartments, dorms or your student’s locker. What could be more fun than one (or more) of the fun decals from Wallternatives Dorm Decor? They even have chalkboard vinyl, which I plan to decorate MORE of my craft room space with! Calendar decals, menu boards, stylish designs and fun quotes….really, you can find a design for anyone!

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to their website and start your Easy Decorating with Wallternatives!

This post is sponsored by Modern Masters. I received compensation and/or product for review, but all opinions are 100% my own. 

I’m totally stoked to share with y’all today! I’ve been looking forward to this post for several weeks, and FINALLY have it complete for showing off. Not being a fan of boring, plain white doors like my house was full of when we moved in, I jumped at the opportunity for a Door Makeover with Modern Masters!

What a transformation, right?! We built our house on a budget last year, so we went with a lot of basic, standard things, including boring paint. I’ve slowly been repainting some of the rooms (long ways to go still…so lots of room makeovers to come!), and thanks to Modern Masters Front Door Paint I now have some doors that are fun and ‘POP’, instead of the boring white.

I first heard about Modern Masters at Snap! Conference I went to this past April. First of all, fabulous ladies who really knew their product and could answer all my questions. As I looked into their door paint more, I noticed they really tried to make painting and remodeling extra fun, and added personality to their colors…literally! When you choose a paint color, it isn’t just ‘purple’ or ‘berry’. The deep purple shade I chose is Spontaneous. The crisp grey shade I chose for my stenciling is called Mysterious. They have 24 gorgeous colors based on the emotional color wheel, so you can find the perfect match for YOU. See, super fun!

So first of all, I applied my Spontaneous paint to my boring door. I did three coats just to make sure I had adequate coverage (two looked great, but I figured why not do another….can you tell I love painting?). You should know….I did two doors, one side on each. My bedroom door, and my craft room door. So that means I did SIX coats (two doors, one sided, times three coats)……..

…..and still had THIS much leftover in the quart container!

Ya, a little goes a long way and I LOVE to have extra paint for touch-ups down the road (kids create scuffs, we all know this), or even for adding it to other spots in a room to tie in the color. Woot Woot!

I then used this design from my favorite stencil company, Royal Design Studio, to create my pattern on the flat main parts of my doors. The Mysterious color was a perfect accent….it stands out, but also blends well at the same time. A great ‘pop’ without a ‘wham, in your face’!

Clean-up was a cinch….I did get a bit of paint on my doorknobs (I loosened them, but could not for the life of me get them OFF the door), but once it dried I simply peeled off the unwanted parts and it was perfectly clean! I’m all for the easy. Modern Masters paint also dries quickly (but not TOO quickly), and I could easily apply my next coat after about two hours….but it was fine to touch within one, which makes it nice when I’m still going in and out of the doors I’m painting. I love the satiny finish, smooth and beautiful!

Another perk of Modern Masters Front Door Paint? It never fades, even in the sun! Perfect in this Texas weather, that’s for sure! I really wanted to use this on my front door, but due to HOA stuff I’m not allowed to change my door color 🙁

Don’t want to paint your house doors? How about your garage doors or shutters? It works great on those, also! I love flexibility.

Modern Masters even has a FREE app, for iPhone or Android, that allows you to instantly see how their Front Door Paint can look on your doors! Genius, right? And don’t forget to swing by their Modern Masters Cafe Blog!

Front Door Paint is available at selected Lowe’s and Ace Hardwares as well as online via Amazon or the Modern Masters online shop. One of my nearest Lowe’s that’s now carrying this is in Fort Worth – so my neighbors already know where to head to nab up there fun new door paint!

Now it’s YOUR turn to transform some doors or shutters into a fun, beautiful expression of YOU! One lucky reader will receive a FREE Quart (remember how far that much paint will go?) of Modern Masters Front Door Paint in the color (expression) of their choice!

Must be at least 18 years of age to enter. Only valid for the Continental US. Giveaway courtesy of Modern Masters and Busy Mom’s Helper. Please see complete Terms and Conditions in the Rafflecopter Giveaway below. 

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*I received free product to use in this post. All ideas and opinions are 100% my own. See my Disclosure Policy for further information.

Ahoy, Matey! I’ve got another fun pirate-y project for you today! This DIY Pirate Sign is so simple to make, and your wallet will love you for it!

I don’t know about you, but I love when there’s a project I can make once, then reuse again and again! Call me lazy, or cheap…..but I’m all for saving time and money! This DIY Pirate Sign was the perfect decoration for our recent Pirate Party, and is now an excellent (and sturdy) fixture for the boys’ Pirate Bedroom!

When I began brainstorming for the bedroom makeover, I knew I wanted some sort of rustic, wooden sign. I did NOT want to deal with the cost, working with the wood itself (lots of sanding to make it smooth enough for the boys to play around) and wasn’t fond of how HEAVY it would end up being.

Then I met the fabulous team from FloraCraft at SNAP! Conference at the end of April. They had this AMAZING map board on the wall, which at first I thought was wood boards. Turns out, it was actually Styrofoam boards! Wonderfully lightweight (which meant easy to hang), versatile (we were able to stick pins and hang things onto it), and absolutely gorgeous! I knew it would be perfect for the boys’ bedroom decor, and they were kind enough to help me out!

Notes: The amount of boards, puddy and paint will depend on your desired dimensions of your sign.

Supplies

• 1″x12″x36″ Styrofoam boards
• FloraCraft Smooth Finish puddy
• Brown paint of choice & paint brush
• StyroCutter Plus (or other cutter for the Styrofoam)
• Plastic knife, or other puddy spreader
• Vinyl Lettering/images, or stickers
• Long nails, to attach Styrofoam
• If desired, sealing spray to hold the vinyl/stickers on better

Directions

1. Cut your Styrofoam pieces. I cut one board in half hotdog-wise for the ‘post’, putting one piece up above the other. For the individual signs I did about 4 per board, varying the size of each (some larger, some smaller). I used the amazing StyroCutter Plus, which made it uber easy to cut the boards. Since it’s basically melting through it, the edges end up smooth and nice! 
2. Use a plastic knife, puddy knife or other smooth spreader to spread the Smooth Finish puddy over the boards. If you want it smooth, this puddy can do that easily. I purposely made mine look more ‘rough’ and ‘old wood’ looking.
3. Once the boards are covered in the puddy to the texture that you’d like, and it has fully dried, paint your boards. I found that the paint does go on a little lighter over the puddy than expected, so just keep that in mind.    
4. I used my trusty Silhouette Cameo to print out my vinyl lettering and images (mermaid, crocodile, skull rock, etc.), then put the vinyl on the boards. I wanted them to stick better (and longer) so I sprayed an adhesive over the top to seal them to the boards. 
5. To attach the individual signs to the long ‘post’ boards, I pushed a long nail (long enough to go through the top sign and then the ‘post, so I used about 1 1/2 inch long), through the sign, then used another nail and hammer to stick it in a bit further for extra security. To attach the ‘posts’ and signs to the wall, I got 3 inch nails (since the thickest part would be 2″ with the ‘post’ and signs), and did the same thing. Push it through the boards, then just hammer it into the wall. I did this a few spots on the ‘posts’, and then one in each sign just to be safe. That probably was a bit much, but my plan is the sign to stay put for a very long time.      

That’s it! Now you have a fun DIY Pirate Sign to use for your next pirate-y event or room makeover! So head on out and grab some fabulous FloraCraft products and get your DIY on!

I received free stencils to facilitate this review/giveaway. All opinions are 100% my own.

Since I absolutely LOVE you guys, and it’s a total blast sharing my favorite things with you all, I’ve got another fabulous giveaway today: Royal Design Stencils!

I know we’re already having a lot of fun with our Disneyland Vacation Giveaway this week, but there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing, right?! I’m so excited that one of you wonderful readers will get to win one of my absolute favorite room-remodeling products: your choice from Royal Design Stencils!

I’ve shared two projects already where I’ve used Royal Design Stencils….remember Wonder Woman’s Frozen Inspired Bedroom? I love how their Starry Moroccan Night Stencil made her accent wall PERFECT for the theme, and is such a beautiful focal point of the room!

And just last week you got to see the boys’ Pirate Bedroom Makeover…

The Pro Bamboo Trellis Stencil fit in great with the Pirate theme, creating a whole forest/jungle feeling for the walls.

One of my favorite things about Royal Design Stencils is how EASY it is to apply. I was totally intimidated the first time I used one of their stencils, but that quickly went away. If you want to read my full review on this amazing company and their products, be sure to check it out here!

I’ve also got a couple projects coming up using more of their fun stencils (told you…I love this company!), so stay tuned!

Now On To Our Royal Design Stencils Giveaway!!!

One lucky winner will get to select any stencil or stencil product $50 or less from Royal Design Studio!

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What projects are YOU excited to try with these fabulous Royal Design Stencils?

Okay, I think I’m recovered from our huge remodel of my boys’ room and ready to spill the beans on how we turned their standard bunk bed into a DIY Pirate Treehouse!

For those of you that saw my grand revel of their Pirate Bedroom Makeover, you saw some pics of our final DIY Pirate Treehouse. The kids love it! And although there was quite a bit of heavy lifting (try getting that huge board up there and holding it still while your hubby screws it to the posts – not easy), it actually didn’t take very long!

Supplies

• One 79.5″ x 43″ board. This will be the large side on the top of the treehouse
• One 25″ x 48″ board. This connects to the large board on top, on the side by the stairs.
• Two 20″ x 32″ boards. These will be the two front sides on the bottom of the treehouse.
• Four corner bracks (L-brackets), about 2 to 2 1/2 inches long. This hold the top boards to the wall and together.
• Four thick board pieces, about 1-2 feet long and at least 1″ thick.
• Paint or stain of choice, and painting supplies
• Screws appropriate length for going securely through pieces, but not sticking through causing a pointy/sharp hazard
• Sand paper for smoothing rough spots
• Wood filler, if you want to cover the screw holes

Directions

1. Paint all of your boards and pieces your color/stain of choice. I did both sides, but you can choose.
2. Attach the two bottom bunk font sides first. I recommend measuring very well (always), cutting your windows, and then attaching them securely to the side posts and the top post (between the bottom of the top bunk and the top of the bottom bunk). Be sure your screws don’t poke through, causing a scratching hazard!  
3. Measure the top piece VERY carefully (you don’t want to have to re-do this), and cut out your windows. We attached screws to the two end-side posts (several screws all up the posts), and then screws to a post that was in the middle, also. Note: We accidentally secured our large board completely BEFORE cutting our windows. This made it much more challenging…so learn from our mistake!    
   
4. Carefully align the top bunk end piece, that goes next to the stairs. Screw it into posts on both sides.    
5. Use your board pieces now. Use 2 to attach the corner/L-brackets to, fastening the large board on one side to the wall. Then use the other 2 so the corner/L-brackets can secure the large board and end board together. Like this…. 
6. Once we completed adding our extra pieces, I realized that the color difference between the bunk bed and boards was going to drive me BONKERS! So I painted the bunk bed areas that were visible. Notice the contrast in the photos two up? Now look after I painted the areas that showed:   I purposely only did one coat, because I liked the streaked look. Made it seem more of a ‘handmade tree house’ that way.
7. Now all you have left is basic clean up (sand rough edges, paint touch ups, vacuum any mess, etc.), puddy/paint over the screws (if you want), put the mattresses/bedding (may have to lift the top mattress OVER the top big board like we did….carefully measure BEFORE putting the board up so you know you have room!), and decorate as you’d like!

They LOVE having the windows…and it makes it much easier to check on the boy on the top bunk at night.

Green Lantern was very happy about his new bed…but not how I had his blankets, so he had to fix that asap!

Traffic jam on the stairs!

I’m THRILLED with how this turned out, and think this adds so well to the boys Pirate Bedroom Makeover!

Please remember, your measurements may be very different than ours. I’m just explaining how we made ours work, but because there are so many factors that can differ, please plan your DIY Pirate Treehouse very carefully. We assume no responsibility to any injuries or other harm that may come from following this tutorial, as it simply is explaining what WE did. Build yours at your own risk.

You know those moments when you’re so relieved, it’s like you can hear angels singing? Ya, that’s what I heard when I FINALLY finished my Pirate Bedroom Makeover for my three boys!

Even though it just took a chunk of our ‘free time’ (who really has free time, anyway, right?) for the past 2 months, it was some HEAVY work at times. When I did my girl’s Frozen Inspired Bedroom, it took awhile and some decent work, but a big chunk of this was MANUAL LABOR. So although it was a lot of fun, I’m totally feeling relieved right now!

Since there were SO MANY ideas I wanted to put into this room, be prepared for a LOT of pictures! They’re awesome, though, so just enjoy right along with me!

First up is the Treehouse Bunk Bed….yup, this was a major part of the HEAVY work I was talking about! We took a generic bunk bed and made it super fun for the boys. Like their own pirate-y clubhouse!

If you have young boys close in age, like my twins and youngest, and they share a fun bedroom…you’ll understand that there WILL be fights over which bed each one gets. And it’ll change all the time as to which they want! So we plan on having them all switch every couple weeks, and will hopefully avoid all that drama.

Here’s the 3rd bed: plain wood bed turned into awesome Pirate ship, complete with a mast & sail!

The boys especially love having the spyglass on the end of the ship…have to watch out for Captain Hook, after all!

Our puppy was so curious as to the going-ons in here, she managed to photo bomb a couple times! Curious little puppy!

The ship wheel on the wall was just about $14 on Amazon, and it’s just simple plastic and hangs easily for a bit of decoration.

Remember the Pirate Growth Chart I did quite awhile back…….

It’s finally in a permanent location, and looks rather nice against the Pirate Direction Sign! Also appearing in our decor tour today is this AMAZING Pirate Direction Sign….and guess what, it’s not wood! Yes, another tutorial on this coming soon!

A Pirate Bedroom wouldn’t be complete without some dueling swords, of course!

Although my youngest would LOVE to play with this map all day, just like Cubby on Jake & the Neverland Pirates, I think it’s safest decorating above their dresser (plus, he has about a dozen more!).

Our Chore Rewards Treasure Chest has a perfect spot in this room! Now to get it filled with more gold doubloons…

Many of the banners, and even some of the decor, I was able to reuse from Green Lantern’s 3rd birthday party last month. Not to sound repetitive, but posts for his Pirate Party coming to the blog soon! HAHAHA…ya, we’re a pirate-y bunch lately!

Maybe instead of ‘take a break’ when my kids misbehave too much, I should make them ‘Walk the Plank’! But then they’ll probably misbehave even more so they CAN do that.

For some fun, we moved the boys into another room while we did this entire Pirate Bedroom Makeover. Meaning they didn’t see ANY OF IT the entire time, until we did a grand reveal for them. This was their reactions….

Sorry for the blurry photo there…but he was all excited and bouncing up and down!

Yes, the dog even climbed the stairs to the top bunk of the Treehouse to join all the excitement! The boys were STOKED for their new room, and have begged to play in there ever since.

Don’t forget to keep checking back for tutorials for the Treehouse Bunk Bed, Pirate Ship Bed, and Pirate Direction Sign!