thrifted word banners made with cricut!

Ya’ll, never have I had such a rollercoaster of a project. When I first pitched to Cricut that I wanted to make some cool signs for my home with thrifted pieces, I couldn’t WAIT to get started. So of course, I waited riiiight up until the last day to make them and GUESS WHAT?!? The project failed miserably.

So I tried it a little differently. FAIL. And then I tried like 3 more times before I just threw up my hands and yelled ABANDON SHIP! 😂Thankfully, I have one of the best thrift shops in town close by and so I hopped in the car and sought out some new inspiration. And like always, the thrift store delivered.

I ended up picking up some old linen napkins (you know, like your grandmother puts out at Christmas and Easter?) and making something I’m really quite proud of- these super cute NO SEW word banners.

I made these using my Cricut Air 2, Cricut iron-on, and Cricut Easy Press. If you’re a newbie to using Cricut iron-on, this would be a super fun project to start with.

The vintage linen napkins I snagged cost me a total of $3 at the thrift store. Mine were 19” square cloth napkins, but almost any scrap fabric would work for this- think tablecloths, placemats, etc. I think a pattern would make some really neat banners as well!

Supplies Needed:

• Cricut Machine- I used my Air 2, but depending on the size of your banner a Cricut Joy would work!

• Cricut Light Grip mat

• Cricut Easy Press

• Cricut Easy Press Pad

• Cricut Iron-on- I used white for “Hello Spring”, Beige for the shadow and Gold Shimmer for the main on “Life the Life”, and Black for the shadow and white for the main on “Always Be Humble & Kind”

• Cricut Weeding tool

• Old Linen Napkins or other fabric

• Hot Glue Gun

• Scissors

• 5/8” Dowel Rod (or whatever suits the size of your banner)

• Fabric De-fuzzer (obviously this is optional- but the napkins I bought needed it, and the iron-on wouldn’t have adhered well without a de-fuzz)

Check out this video for the full tutorial!

You can access my design files for FREE in the Cricut design space!

Always Be Humble & Kind Banner File

For this design, I used white Cricut Iron-On for the shadow and black for the main text. Click on the image to be taken to the file in design space!

Hello Spring Banner

For this design, I used white Cricut Iron-On for the text. Click on the image to be taken to the file in design space!

Live The Life You’ve Imagined Banner

For this design, I used beige Cricut Iron-On for the shadow, and shimmer gold for the main letters. Click on the image to be taken to the file in design space!

I would LOVE to see your banners if you give this project a try- please tag me @lissaanglin! It was a relatively quick one, and so much fun to add the beads and twine. You could really go crazy with the extra decor- I’m thinking tassels, felt balls, buttons, flowers…you name it!

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Terracotta Floor Vase DIY (on the cheap!)

Well friends, we have officially finished the renovation process of our home- I really had great intentions to share more of the in-between process, but now I think it’s best I go room-by-room so that I can show you the full transformation in each space.

That being said, as I work on getting everything styled/decorated, I have been working on some fun little side projects, like this one!

If you’ve been on the internet for half a second lately, you will have seen the HUGE pampas grass trend that’s happening right now (here you go just in case you don’t believe me)- which is super handy for those of us living in West Texas, because it grows really well here. In fact, my parents happen to have some in their backyard.

So, I asked my mom to bring me some to use on our fireplace mantel. Little did I know that they would literally be 5 feet tall and waaaayyyyy too big to put in the tiny vase on our mantel I’d planned. So I decided to just put them in a floor vase on the ground. Problem was- I had no floor vase, and barely any budget to go out and buy one.

That’s when I found myself hanging out in the air ventilation section of Lowe’s looking like a crazy person to the many contractors who came and went while I pondered. But guess what, ya’ll? I DID IT. I made a vase, and it only cost me $15.

This project was definitely more of an experiment than an actual “project”. I had seen the terracotta paint trend on Tiktok and thought this would be a fun opportunity to try it out. Warning: THIS IS A MESSY, IMPERFECT PROJECT. If you are a perfectionist, maybe just save up your dollars and buy yourself a vase. But if not, read below to see how it turned out!

Here’s a quick little video if you want a sneak peek of the process:

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What you’ll need:

• Galvanized Steel Round Duct Pipe found in the HVAC section at the home improvement store

  • I used a 6”x24” one ($7), but you could use any size- they have larger ones

• Galvanized Steel Round End Cap (also in the HVAC section)

  • You will want to be sure you get the same width as your pipe- in this case 6” wide

  • This cost around $6

• Plaster of Paris (found in the paint section, but I already had some at home)

• Medium to coarse grit sandpaper- I used 60 grit I had at home

• Vinegar

• Water

• Duct Tape

• Wide Paintbrush

• Acrylic paint (I used brown, red, black and yellow to create a terracotta color)

• Polycrylic Satin Finish (not necessary but recommended)

Step 1: Build the vase

This is pretty self-explanatory: the pipe has a snap-lock design that literally just pops into place. Might want to wear some work gloves while doing this, though- those edges can be sharp!

Once the tube is made, insert the end cap. It should fit perfectly on the plain end of the tube (not the side with the waves).

Step 2: Prep for paint

I used the duct tape to cover the top end of the vase- so that it had a rounder edge and I wouldn’t be cutting myself while working with it. I used several pieces and just folded it hot dog style over the lip.

Next, you’ll want to wipe the outer surface with vinegar. Just wipe and let it set. And then sand your little heart out. The galvanized steel has a chemical layer on it that keeps it from rusting, and that needs to come off in order for the paint to adhere. The vinegar helps it break down, and the sandpaper takes it off.

Sand everything for as long as you can. The rougher the surface, the better your paint will adhere- and even sand the duct tape a little. It will be fine, I promise.

Step 3: Paint

So there are many different recipes for terracotta-style paint- but I chose to use Plaster of Paris because 1. I already had some at the house and 2. I like working with it. It’s water soluble and pretty forgiving.

To mix your paint, you’ll dump a cup or so of the plaster of paris into a bowl, add your paint (I did generous squirts of brown, a little red, and a little yellow), and then around a 1/2 c of water. Use a popsicle stick (or some other hard tool) to mix. You want your mixture to be spreadable, but hold it’s shape- I would say a thick milkshake texture. If it’s too thick, add a bit of water. If it’s too thin, add a bit of plaster.

For more of a visual on mixing the paint, check out my short video above.

1st coat finished and dry! As you can see, the plaster mixture is much darker when wet.

Also remember that because the plaster is white it will naturally make your mixture lighter. It will also dry significantly lighter than it is when wet. I did a few test colors on the protective cardboard I was working on to check color before I actually started painting the vase. To do this, just wipe a bit of the paint/plaster mixture on a surface and use a blow dryer to dry it. It should lighten considerably and give you a realistic color representation.

You will need to work relatively quickly, because your plaster will harden and create chunks in your mixture. If you’re into the texture, go with it. If you’re not— don’t say I didn’t warn you. :)

Turn the vase upside down and start painting. Your first layer will be thin and you’ll likely be able to see the metal through it in places. Be sure the bottom is completely dry before flipping it over to paint the top lip. I also painted the top 3-4 inches of the inside. The plaster is very fragile as it dries and so it will chip off if you’re not super careful when you’re moving the vase around.

Here you can see the texture of the plaster and the inside of the vase with only 1 coat.

Once you have 1 coat, cover your plaster mixture (if you don’t, it will dry and chunks will form!) until you are ready for the 2nd coat.

Repeat the process with 2 more coats. The texture should build considerably, and the pattern/seams in the metal should disappear under the plaster. If you feel the vase is getting too texture-y, don’t worry- once it’s dry, you can lightly sand it with sandpaper and it will smooth out.

I paid special attention to the tip rim of the vase once I was finishing up- making sure there was enough thickness there with the plaster.

Step 4: Paint Details (Optional)

Once the plaster was completely dry, I decided to add some detail to make it look more pottery-ish. To be honest, I’m still not sure if I like it, but I’m going to let it hang out by my fireplace for a while to see if it grows on me.

To paint the detail, I just thinned out some white acrylic paint and used a round brush. I wanted the detail to be a little transparent, and this did the trick. If your paint is too thin and it drips, it’s pretty easy to wipe off with a damp paper towel.

The finished product!

Step 5: Topcoat

This step could also be optional if you are super in love with the matte look and don’t want to change it in any way. However, I will say that the Polycrylic Satin is quite matte when dry and will actually make the vase more sturdy and strengthen the plaster/paint mix- so I highly suggest it.

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If you give this project a shot, be sure to share your results with me by tagging me @lissaanglin on social! I’d love to see if I could find some type of cardboard tube to also try with this plaster-paint treatment.

Come say hi on Instagram!

initial design sketches for the Anglin Abode

I’m excited to share my initial design sketches with you for the #anglinabode! These are the initial sketches I handed our contractor. I literally just drew them up over the listing photos and was like, “can you make this happen?!”. Haha, thankfully they have been great to work with and listened to all of my design concerns.

I mentioned in my first post about our new home that the first time we walked through it I was like

But then once I went home and had some time to really think about the layout, what I liked and hated about the house, a vision began to grow.

I started sketching and got really excited about the potential. Of course, everything was riding on the idea that we could renovate. Once I had a vision for the property, I couldn’t picture it working out for our family without the changes- and without the changes, I wasn’t interested in buying the home. So the reno was key. It had to happen.

Prepare yourselves, I’m feeling very GIFy today.

After talking it over with Shawn, we decided we’d want to re-do the kitchen and main living space, create a new laundry room, and re-do all the bathrooms. So yeah, pretty much the whole house- not to mention some exterior changes we’d like to make.

We decided to start with the kitchen, main living, and flooring and MOVE IN WITH MY PARENTS until those were done. Ya’ll, my parents might be the most patient and gracious people I know. We’ve been living with them for about a month now and I know they have earned some extra crowns in Heaven these past few weeks. :)

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Let’s walk through some of the pain points and potential solutions:

Problem: SO MANY different types of flooring. There were original hardwoods in some of the rooms, carpet in others, and laminate flooring. Having so many different flooring types is a pet peeve of mine- and I don’t like carpet, either. In our last home, we ripped up all the carpet and installed laminate which made a huge difference.

Solution: Tile and refinishing the original hardwood, putting in new hardwood. Since I’m not a fan of carpet (rugs allll the way for me! Washable, replaceable, and hard flooring lasts way longer), I decided to do tile in the main entry hallway and kitchen/main living area, along with the new laundry room. 2 of the 4 bedrooms did not have the original hardwoods that the others did, so we planned to install matching hardwoods there. Flooring consistency achieved.

Problem: Kitchen was too closed off. The kitchen in this home had undergone a renovation not too many years ago, but it just wasn’t our style, and I didn’t feel it would function very well for us the way it was. Originally it must have been a closed in room, but had been opened up a bit to create a u-shaped layout with a bar. It wasn’t bad, but I really wanted to see it with a standalone island. So, I drew up this sketch:

Solution: Knock those walls down and create a 1-wall kitchen with an island. Here, we are getting rid of the wall that connects to the main hallway, and converting the current bar area into an island. This part of my plan was the thing I was most nervous about- we wouldn’t know whether this wall was load-bearing (which it likely was) until after we purchased the home. If it was, a beam would have to be put in and could be a large budget item.

I was pretty adamant on making the walls disappear so that the overall space would be a lot more functional and inviting for us, as we’d have more seating around a bar and the flow of the kitchen would work better. As it was, there was only room for 2 people, and 1 way in and out of the space.

Here’s a more updated sketch of the kitchen- in this sketch the island is flipped around so you can see the appliances- the side that is showing will actually be facing the kitchen wall. I’ve already changed my mind on a couple of things, so there will be tweaks.

You can see the pantry here to the left of the fridge.

Problem: TINY pantry. Yall, this pantry space was wide, but only about 6 inches deep. It was laughable. There was NO way our family of 5 could contain all our snacks in there.

You can see the pantry already opened up to the closet behind it in this image.

Solution: Open up the pantry to include the closet from the front room. The pantry solution was wonderfully easy- there was a closet right behind it that opened into the front living room. We decided to close it up and use that space to make the pantry larger. Yay!

The laundry room is located through the right door in this photo.

Current laundry situation. That’s our Christmas tree, not a body bag, haha.

Problem: Laundry area was inefficient. Ya’ll, I don’t love laundry, but I especially don’t love laundry if I feel like I am in exile while doing it. The placement of the laundry room had been moved a couple of times, it seemed, as this home has been added onto (we can count at least 3 renovations this poor home has already endured!), and currently, the laundry room was off the master bedroom. It had an exterior door- why? Who knows. No storage. Behind that door is the water heater. And to get to it, you have to go through the master bedroom. Plus, it took up space. If we moved it, we could DOUBLE the size of our master bathroom. Yes, please!

Current sitting area off the master- future laundry room!

The other side of the new laundry room. This bookshelf will be made into a doorway that opens to the main hallway, so now you don’t have to go through the master to get there.

Solution: Move the laundry room. Am I crazy? Yes. Right off of the master bedroom, there was a little sitting area. Initially I imagined using it as space for a vanity or comfy chair- but then I realized it would be a perfect laundry room. If we were able to open it up to the hallway, it would be easily accessible but wouldn’t require a trip through my bedroom. And, it would be more centralized in the home. Plus, I’d be able to add storage and a sink. Having a sink in my laundry room is something I have always looked for- since I do so much painting and other creative projects, I like having a sink to wash out brushes, etc. that isn’t the same sink I do dishes in. A caveat to this is that our master closet is connected to this room, but not our master bedroom, so we’d have to also have a door to our master bedroom. I am excited about this, however, because I think it will actually make doing laundry easier since our closet is right off the laundry!

This area of our house which I am calling the main living area is actually an old patio that was enclosed. Because of that, there is no attic space here nor overhead lighting.

The old owners installed these very interesting light fixtures (you can see them over the windows and the door) that I couldn’t wait to see go. I also felt this back corner really needed something to define the space.

Problem: Lots of space with no function. I love a well-designed home, and if you don’t know by now, I care A LOT about the function of the home, as well as the visual style. So, in envisioning our main living area, I saw a lot of space without a lot of function. It was missing overhead lighting, and I wasn’t sure what the furniture configuration would look like.

Solution: Add cabinets to create storage and define the space. Because we were losing some cabinet space when we opened up the kitchen, I thought it would be fun to add some cabinetry to the back corner of this main room. You see this corner upon entering the home, and it would help designate a dining space for the room. So our “beverage bar” was born! My sketch here includes L-shaped cabinets, open shelving, outlets for coffee makers, etc. and a small sink. We also got a little bougie and included a nugget ice maker and refrigerator drawers for sodas, beer, etc. I am really excited about this little area and hope it becomes an easy entertaining space for us and our kids. I plan to put our dining table in this corner.

Problem: No mudroom/inefficient shelving. When we first toured the home, I loved the built in shelving that was at the end of the main hallway. However, I didn’t love it as much as I loved the concept of a more open kitchen. In order to open up the kitchen we had to lose the shelves on the right side. The other side of shelving had one bookcase-style shelf, and one magazine-rack style shelf. I am sure I could have come up with a creative solution for those magazine racks- but I really wanted them to be more useful.

Solution: Make them into storage/Mudroom type shelves! I designed 2 symmetrical areas on either side of the new laundry room door. They will have an enclosed cabinet up top, hooks in the middle, and cubbies for shoes in the bottom. So excited to see these come together!

Problem: Ugly fireplace area. I loved the storage, shelving, and fireplace here, just not really anything else. The fireplace insert is not one I would have chosen, nor is the mantle or cabinetry style. So, this area is going to get some cosmetic touch ups.

Solution: Lengthen the mantle and reconfigure the shelves. I love a good mid-century mantle, so I have a 10’ one planned for this space. I am hoping to adjust the middle shelving unit so that I can put a TV over the middle and still get to decorate over the fireplace.

There are lots of other little changes happening within these BIG changes, so I’m hoping to do some close-ups on them as they get completed. Tell me- what do you think of my plans? Which solution is your favorite? I can’t wait to see this home look cohesive, beautiful, and functional.

I’ll take the mid-century goodness without the housewifey-ness, please!