Day 1: Coffee Filter Poms & Big News

Islanders, I'm so excited to announce that I was invited to be a DIY contributor for the Oct-Nov issue of Holl And Lane magazine!

Holl and Lane is a magazine written for women in all stages of life.  It's jam-packed with recipes, testimonies, stories, encouragement and more!  This month, I'm excited to be featured as a DIY contributor and I can't wait for my beloved islanders to check it out here!  If you'd like, you can check out their Facebook page here and be sure to tell them I sent you :)

In the magazine I'm sharing a tutorial for a fabulous piece of decor you may recognize from the safari shower.

The coffee filter poms!  I know we're talking about Dollar Tree (DT) finds (more on that here) so guess what.  All of my supplies came from the Dollar Tree (DT).

Yep, that's right. I got it all from DT!  

Supplies

-          100-150 Coffee Filters

-          Hot Glue Gun (and glue)
-          Unsharpened pencil
-          String or ribbon of your choice

-          Paper lantern like this one from DT:

Step-by-Steps

1. Take a single coffee filter and fold the center over the pencil

2. Place a dab of hot glue on the filter area that falls on the pencil

3. Use the pencil to gently press the glued portion onto the lantern and hold for 5 seconds

4. Repeat until the lantern is covered

5. Use string (or fishing wire) to hang.

That's it.  It's super easy, right?  I hung it in a nursery recently and loved how the re-purposed decor looked chic and expensive.  No one would ever guess it cost less than $10 to make four poms.  They make a huge statement and are fabulous!

Oh, but wait!  There's more!  If you go to the Dollar Tree and pickup the same lantern I did, you will be in for a pleasant surprise.

Can you see it?

Hold on, let me turn off the lights.

YES! It lights up!  Islanders, it is the perfect unique night light for a little one's room.  As a bonus for my island readers, I'm sharing additional ideas for this same project!

- Create a Halloween yard sign - place large letters on top of the filters (BOO! or WELCOME! or Trick or Treat!) and place it on the ground at the end of a walkway

- Use as a centerpiece for a wedding or event. - use a tall vase as a base, turn the pom on and simply place it on top for an accent centerpiece for a fraction of the cost!  No one will ever think it is made of coffee filters and the light is amazing!

- Make lighted ghost decor for your porch or entry - use black construction paper to cut two circles for eyes and an oval for the mouth.  Glue them on and turn it on for a cool effect for your Halloween visitors.

I also bought these styrofoam discs sold 2/pack at DT:

They're 4" in diameter which isn't large at all for a piece of decor, right?  I love them because, when covered in coffee filters, they almost quadruple in size!  You can see them anchoring the larger coffee filter in the following picture.

All-in-all, this nursery looks like a million bucks and the feature decor items are made of coffee filters!



Don't be afraid to think outside of the box.  Awesome decor does not have to be expensive to make an awesome impression!