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Homemade Decorative Tile

I have expensive tile taste. It’s a curse. And since my budget for our guest bathroom leaves no room for any more splurges (I’m looking at you, husband who wanted a panel shower system), I’m getting creative. So, when I saw tile I loved but couldn’t afford, I started to think of ways I could make my own.

Full disclosure, this one takes TIME. If I’d had to pay myself for labor, it might’ve been less expensive to just buy the original tile. 😜 But since I wanted my colors slightly different too, it was worth the hassle. Plus I can say I made my own tile! I already had most of the supplies – thin set mortar and grout from the shower remodel, paint from craft supplies, and epoxy from previous projects – so all I had to buy was the sculping clay for $28. If you have to buy all new supplies for this, it’s obviously more upfront (around $150 total), but you’ll have these supplies for future projects too, keep in mind.

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DIY Countertops

There are hundreds of YouTube videos on how to use epoxy to make countertops – I’ve watched many of them – and I know a lot can go wrong and it seems intimidating. But, now that it’s been well over a year since I did my kitchen and powder room vanity, I can say with confidence that this works AND holds up. My kids abuse our counters where they do crafts, we spill all the time, etc., and still the counters are fine.

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DIY Capiz Shell Chandelier for a Recessed Light

Ever shop for decor, find something you love, suck in your breath when you see the price, then immediately try to figure out how to make it yourself? If so, you are my people.

Enter a $400 flush-mounted capiz shell chandelier that I saw online. I’m already over budget on this bathroom reno, so, uh, no. And anyway, I didn’t actually want to install a whole new light but instead wanted something to vamp up the recessed light over where my new tub will go (hopefully soon, since the tub is currently sitting in my bedroom).

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How to Upgrade a 1990s Light Fixture for under $100

Hollywood lights, am I right?! While I’m sure they must’ve seemed like a great idea for nearly every home in the 90s, now they’re just dated and blah. Have you seen the hundreds of cool light fixture designs out now?! OF COURSE I wanted to change out our bathroom’s Hollywood lights for something new and cool.

…Have you seen how much light fixtures cost?! In order to get the amount of light we needed in our bathroom, we were looking at a 6-8 light bulb situation. Those ain’t cheap! And if I wanted to change to 2 separate lights instead of 1 long light, that would mean rewiring – I had no desire to rewire our lights myself or go through the hassle/expense of finding an electrician.

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Adding Wall Texture Art

Last post, I showed how I made the slide-away mirror cabinet in our bathroom. Many people asked how I did the walls, so here ya go!

Early in the bathroom reno process, I realized our walls were going to need a little love. The giant mirror that I popped off the wall had gobs of silicone that pulled off the drywall. Behind our tub insert had NO drywall to even start. Yikes.

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