Displaying photos for $1

I have almost two million pictures of my Stud-Man. I joke - but it feels like two million! Picture frames can be expensive and once you have them all hung up, it can be quite overwhelming. Here's a cheap and fun way to display your photos without using a frame!

All I did was buy a cheap wooden oval (at my favorite store - Hobby Lobby, and you know it - at 50% off!) then I painted it. Once it was dry, I added the picture. I put my lovely decoupage on the back of the picture and placed it right where I wanted. Next I added two, smooth layers of decoupage over the top of the whole oval and let it dry.

I'm sure all of the professional photographers out there are just cringing, but that's ok! It actually didn't ruin the picture!

Will it fall off? Does the decoupage really hold the picture on there? I did this about two weeks ago and the picture is still sticking to the wood. It hasn't shown any signs of peeling.

Bedroom Wall Art

I LOVE red! It just so happens, a lot of red things go on sale after Valentine's Day - just for being red! I found a nice red, metal wall hanging for 88% off! I added my own little saying to it and now my bedroom wall has something nice and spicy! 

Children's Reading Log

I enjoy reading to my Stud-Man and hope that he will enjoy reading on his own someday. I was thinking of ways kids could document their reading and then maybe earn something for it. Here is what I came up with! The child could either put a sticker or check mark in the box or write in how many pages they read. 

Click here if you want to see a better picture or print one for yourself!

At the end of each month, if the child has read every day (or gotten to their goals for total pages read), they could get a small gift or have a fun ice cream date. And this one would be big! At the end of the year, if they read every day they would get a BIG gift. It might be a good idea to decide on what that big gift would be at the beginning of the year, then the child can work towards it.

Cloth Wipes Solution

I LOVE cloth diapers! I also enjoy saving money! Here is a cloth wipes solution for you to use if you decide you don't want to spend big $$ on wipes. I use disposable wipes still, especially for outings and big poo blowouts, but these are very easy to just throw in my wet bag and wash with the cloth diapers. (Not to mention, these are products I already had, so I didn't have to buy extra stuff to make this solution). 

Here's what you'll need:

2 tablespoons baby oil

2 tablespoons baby wash or shampoo

1 1/2 cups water

Wipes storage container or spray bottle

Baby washcloths

Here's how:

Mix the three ingredients and pour over your wipes. They will be pre-soaked and ready to wipe those little buns right up.

Or, pour the solution into a spray bottle and simple spray on the washcloth when ready to wipe!

Canvas Wall Art

I have been wanting something for Stud-Man's room and I thought about finding the alphabet in different sizes and colors or designs and hang each letter on the wall separately until Hobby Lobby had canvas on sale! Then the brilliant thought came to me! Here it is: 

I also made one for our future piano room. 

I just covered a canvas frame with fabric I found the remnants bin! I used contact paper for the letters that I cut with my cricut, then stuck them on the fabric where I wanted them and started painting. Before the paint dried completely, I pulled the contact paper off with the help of a toothpick, and used a Q-tip to wipe up any bleeding.

I love how I can still see the fabric though the paint on the music one, but the alphabet one is a little crazy. It's growing on me though, and the farther away you stand, the better it looks.