February 25, 2016 by: Michelle

DIY Tissue Paper Poms

Hello there, Ellery Designs readers! I’m Laura from the blog Monograms and Moscato. I love to share DIY’s, home decor, and yummy recipes! Today I am excited to share this simple DIY for Tissue Paper Poms – it’s perfect for some easy spring decorating! We had warm weather this weekend in the Midwest…and by warm, I mean 50’s but I’ll take it! I wasn’t motivated enough to get out all my spring decor, but I decided to make a little spring themed DIY to keep the kitchen feeling springy! Trust me when I say you can make this. The best part is you should have everything at home! Find the easy step-by-step guide below!

What you’ll need:

tissue paper
scissors
hole punch
yarn, string, or twine for tying

Instructions

First, set out your large piece of tissue paper.

Fold it in half.

Fold it in half again.

Fold it to make a triangle and cut off the extra.

Fold the triangle in half.

Fold triangle in half…again.

Finally, fold the triangle again to form one last smaller triangle

With the folded edge as a point, mark a half circle onto triangle (the key to it turning out is making sure the point you draw the half circle on, is the middle of your pom!)

Trim tissue with scissors, discarding top of triangle.

Open tissue petals and stack layers in rotation

If you’re making half a pom, fold in half and hole punch in center and tie with twine

If you’re making a full pom, then repeat the steps to make another layer of petals and tie the first pom and second pom together. (shown below)

Attach to box, or hang!

Yay, you did it!! How adorable are your poms!?

xoxo,
Laura

So pretty, Laura! I love using these as pretty gift toppers or to decorate at parties! Thanks so much! Follow Laura on Instagram @monogramsandmoscato and learn more about Laura below….

February 24, 2016 by: Michelle

7 Tips & Tricks to make your Instagram GREAT!

Today I’m sharing seven tips and tricks to make your Instagram GREAT and help you gain followers. I am no expert, but over the past several years I have learned a few things that I want to share with you all!

1. HASHTAG.

I know, they seem ridiculous to many but they are so important and vital for growing. One thing I suggest is making a handy list or document of popular and commonly used tags for your photos so you can easily remember them all. When you post a photo, don’t include the hashtags in the actual photo caption, but post your hashtags in a separate comment RIGHT after you post. Hashtags are important to include immediately so they don’t get filtered down on the list so I often have my hashtags written in my notes app so I can just copy and paste them in right after I post. Also, be sure to tag stores or shops in the photo. For instance, if you bought the lamp you posted in the photo at Hobby Lobby, be sure to tag Hobby Lobby 🙂 You never know, they just might want to share your photo on their feed! Yay for you!

I also suggest creating a hashtag for YOU in particular and using that hashtag in your photo caption. For instance, for holiday photos of my home I use #elleryholidaystyle and for general home decor photos I use #ellerystyle and for blog related posts I use #ellerydesignsblog.

2. ENGAGE. Like, comment and take time to respond to your followers and people you follow. As you grow it gets overwhelming but be friendly. If someone takes the time to leave you a kind compliment or ask a question, I think the least you can do is respond. I am often put off by accounts that never respond and engage. But to each their own and for some people, it works. Be kind, be social, be uplifting.

3. DON’T. Do not buy followers. I don’t even know how to do this but I’ve heard it’s more common than not after reading an article about it. I worked my butt off to have the followers I do and I am proud of it, and guess what? I did it all on my own. You want real people to follow you, encourage you and be inspired by you. Also, I advise against using the app that allows you to see who follows you and unfollows you because it will drive you crazy. I lose followers every time I post something, but often gain them too. I used to let it bother me but now I just post and hope that I inspire just one person. I wish it was mandatory for a person who buys followers to include that in their profile, but alas, I’ll let it go and worry about ME and not what anyone else is doing 🙂

4. MAKE FRIENDS. I’ve been lucky enough to make some amazing friends in the IG community and I am lucky to know several ladies that I just adore and feel like they are my constant cheerleaders. Join a hashtag series, do a giveaway, create an instagram tribe/sharing group and participate in #followfridays and share others work. I’m going to be honest when I tell you that I have been a part of numerous hashtags series but they were all because I set them up. I have never been asked to be included in anything. Which is totally fine, what I’m trying to say is sometimes you need to be the one initiating things and you’ll be amazed at the feedback. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

4b. Don’t get burnt out. Take a break, you don’t need to be scrolling IG all day every day, trust me I used to go on it far too often. Pick a time of day that works best for you. I recently started taking a break on the weekends and rarely log on Saturday and Sunday. Remember, it’s only instagram. 🙂 Don’t take it too seriously.

5. AUTHENTICITY. Be you, and only you. I created a personal IG account that I have for close friends and family because I wanted to separate my personal life from my work life. I realized posting a photo of my child at the playground had nothing to do with my business and just didn’t make sense and would lose followers by the handful. I made this change about a year ago and has been great for me. Now this isn’t for everyone as many accounts this works amazing for them as they are a lifestyle blog, etc. For me, it doesn’t work so I now have two accounts and IG just made it SUPER easy to toggle between two accounts so life is grand! 😉

In short, be genuine to your followers and stay on the path you desire.

6. TIME. Be consistent when you post and know the high peak times. I get 10x more feedback and likes when I post in the evening, after 8pm CST. I also like to post in the morning, prior to 8 am CST. Mid-day posts around 11am CST is usually a decent time as well. I know this seems silly but trust me, posting mid morning or mid afternoon isn’t great for me and I’ve noticed that in general. Hope this helps. Night-time posting is key. I can speak for myself when I say IG is easy to scroll through before going to bed or lying in bed so it makes sense as to why this is true.

7. TIPS. I wanted to give you a few tips and tricks I’ve learned over the past four years. If you don’t have a DSLR camera, and are primarily using your phone for pictures, download an app like PicTapGo to edit your photos. My favorite collage app is Diptic and my favorite design app is Rhonna Designs. Be consistent with your photos, I cannot stress enough that clear, bright photos are KEY. They are easier to see when scrolling through hashtags and you have a better chance of people noticing your photo. Here is an example of a photo I quickly snapped from my iphone and edited using PicTapGo. The before and after makes a big difference 🙂

Before and After Editing Instagram Photos - Ellery Designs

I hope these tips helped! Heck, I’ve been on insta for over four years and I’m still learning! Let me know if there is something you would like to add! We can all be inspired by each other. I hope you will follow me if you don’t already @ellerydesigns. Happy instagramming!

February 23, 2016 by: Michelle

DIY Faux Succulent Jars

The succulent trend is still hot, and I noticed shopping this spring that Michael’s Stores new 2016 spring line is full of them! They have them potted in every container imaginable, but my eye was immediately drawn to some gorgeous glass jars filled with moss and trailing plants. They’re a casual, no-fuss way to incorporate succulents into your decor, and they add a little of that farmhouse, Fixer-Upper flair, too! I’m Chanell with Hobnail House and I’m excited to show you this easy DIY that is perfect for Spring!

Here’s the inspiration jar from Michael’s. I love the patterned glass and how full they’ve packed it with really colorful varieties of succulent plants. But best, I knew I could DIY the look with materials I already had in my craft stash…in fact, it only takes four simple steps!

Michael’s Knockoff Faux Succulent Jar DIY

Materials. Obviously, this project requires faux succulent plants, filler, and a clear jar. I have a whole box of vintage jelly jars given to me by my father-in-law (including some with a diamond pattern similar to the inspiration piece), but these are typically available at thrift stores for pocket change. I still had a pile of plants left from my Faux Succulent Ring Mold Wreath, and I grabbed a couple more smaller-scale varieties from the dollar store just to cover my bases. That’s also my go-to spot for floral foam and moss filler.

Step 1: Fit Foam. Floral foam is super to cut with a kitchen knife, so slice off a piece that leaves enough room to stuff the moss filler all the way around it.

Step 2: Fill with Moss. You don’t want the foam to show at all, so put a good pinch of moss in the bottom of the jar under the foam. Stuff as much as possible around the foam block. I found it helpful to use my kitchen knife to help push the moss around the corners of the block to make sure it’s all covered. Don’t panic if tiny bits of foam peeks through, though: you’ll likely never notice after it’s all assembled! Put another little pinch of moss on top so foam doesn’t show between your plants, either.

Step 3: Place plants. The dollar store plants are just glued in styrofoam, so they pull out fairly easily, leaving a nice little stem. If you’re using other faux succulent picks, trim and bend the stems as necessary. I find it easiest to begin by placing any plants that I want to trail over the side, then moving on to the larger feature plants. Choose a variety of textures: smooth, leafy plants, spikey ones, clusters of buds. Mix and match until you’ve arrived at a pleasing combination. There’s no right or wrong way to do this!

For my own purposes, I simply pushed the stems into the foam center in my jar. This lets me disassemble it if I ever choose to use the plants in a different project. If I wanted this to be a more permanent piece (or was gifting it), I would drizzle hot glue on the stems as I placed them. There’s no need to glue the moss, because the plants generally hold it in place.

Step 4: Trim. This is an optional step that departs from the inspiration piece, but I decided to finish my arrangement with a length of sisal for a rustic, farmhouse look. You could use ribbon, lace, burlap, or vintage fabric pieces to customize your creation to your decor or to tie on gift tags! Think what a lovely house-warming or hostess gift this could be!

I’m so pleased with how simple these faux succulent jars were to assemble, and I love the finished product! I made two for myself to use in my spring mantel which I’m sharing back on the Hobnail House blog. But here’s a little sneak peek for all of you: peonies, poppies, ferns, and succulents! Stop by and take a look!

I can’t wait to hear if you try out our DIY for the Michael’s-inspired faux succulent jars! Drop us a comment and let us know what you think! And remember, sharing is caring!

Isn’t this FABULOUS! Thank you so much Chanell for sharing with our readers today!! I don’t’ know about you, but I’m ready to get my Spring DIY on! Follow Chanell on Instagram for more fabulous ideas and tips. Learn more about Chanell below.

January 21, 2016 by: Michelle

Where We Love Is Home Sign by Barn Owl Primitives

Wow, you guys do I have something special to share with you today. When Kristi of Barn Owl Primitives sent me a sneak peek of her new Where We Love Is Home State Signs I immediately fell in love. The attention to detail and perfection of these distressed signs are just on a whole new level of awesomeness. I’m in love and know you will be, too! I swear her signs are made to display on our pallet wall. They fit right in here and this sign is the best reflection of my favorite things – the love for my family and my home and that cute little heart displayed on our city is the icing on the cake. I just love the reclaimed wood state section that is perfectly distressed and couldn’t compliment my pallet wall any better. Really the perfect decoration to display anywhere in your home or makes a great gift from birthdays to newlyweds to new homeowners! And guess what? They are currently on sale for a limited time so don’t miss out!

Where We Love Is Home Sign - Barn Owl Primitives

Go check them out for yourself and take a look around her beautiful shop. Each sign she creates is hand painted with love and care and when your sign arrives, the attention to detail shines through. Adequate words are not found when trying to describe her work, you need to see for yourself. I adore my new sign and it feels right at home here on our floating shelves next to a few of her other fabulous pieces: Laugh and Smile, Typewriter Key #3, Flashcard Sign and Beauty in Brokenness sign. Yep, I’m just a little bit obsessed with her signs. They are one of a kind and I truly have not come across a shop that does business the way Barn Owl Primitives does and they amaze me with every new creation.

Be sure to head over and say hello to check out her unique creations – follow along with Kristi on Instagram @barnowlprimitives for exclusive signs and sales.

December 10, 2015 by: Michelle

My Favorite Things Holiday Party 2015

I hosted a “My Favorite Things” party last weekend and it was too much fun! Beware guys, this is a long, but pretty post.

We started off the night with dinner and when we returned home it was time to get crafty! We first made Holiday Marquee’s by Heidi Swapp I purchased at Michaels on Black Friday. Everything seen on the table are my most favorite things! From mini cake plates, ornaments, free printables to Bath and Body Works lotion and more. I downloaded the “Jingle all the Way” free printable from Eighteen25 blog and bought red glittery frames at Target. The other items I gifted were String Hearts from The Honaker Homemaker, Tea Towels by Kitch, Keysocks and Christmas Keepsake Planners by One Swell Studio. I got the chalkboard signs from the Target One Spot and used a chalk marker for everyone’s name.

These personalized wreath door ornaments are too adorable for words. ONE lady (Claudia) hand makes these precious ornaments and always has a huge one hour line at the craft show I go to each year. When I initially decided to host this party I knew this was going to be my favorite thing.

I made these DIY Bottle Brush Tree Ornaments for everyone to take home. View the details and download the free printable over on my guest post at A Blissful Nest here.

I purchased the pretty plates, cups, besties glitter letters and gift bags seen on the table from Shop Sweet Lulu. My talented friend Ann, who was at the party made the adorable snowflake cookies, also seen on the table. The other cupcakes, cake pops and cookies were from Polka Dot Bakery.

I photographed each of the other six girls’ gifts the following day so you can see how unique and adorable they all are. I swear if these were a surprise and we didn’t know who brought them we would have been able to guess who brought what in an instant since they all fit our personalities and because I think we know each other pretty well! I contacted everyone in advance to let them know to purchase six of the same gift and to keep it under $10. Nobody did that but hey, I tried! I can’t pick a favorite, I sincerely loved them all! From monogrammed mugs to wine cork candles to warm gloves that allow you to still swipe your cell phone screens (come on, this is a MUST, am I right?!) – each and every gift was so thought out and special.

Can we talk about how clever and adorable my friend is? She arrived carrying all of her gift bags by tying some tulle around the handles – genius!

Adorned with the cutest hostess gift basket! Wine, Tumbler, Candle, Lotion and Hand Soap. All of my favorite things. So sweet!

It was such a fun night had by all, I highly recommend throwing this type of party with your friends or family! Which gift is your favorite? Would love to hear in the comments!

Thanks for sticking with me through this long post but I didn’t want to leave out any details b/c it was so fun and went by too quickly. I didn’t get as many photos during the actual party that I would have liked but that just means we were having too much fun! 😉 xoxox

December 9, 2015 by: Michelle

DIY Bottle Brush Tree Ornaments

Hi friends! I’m guest blogging over at A Blissful Nest today sharing these easy and fun DIY Bottle Brush Tree Ornaments along with a free printable. Head over, check it out and give it a try! For yourself or they make great gifts.

December 8, 2015 by: Michelle

Christmas Galvanized Tray

Today I’m sharing the details of my multi-faceted 3-tiered tray that is my favorite item to decorate for all seasons! I purchased it from Sam’s Club this past Summer and has been a favorite ever since!

I LOVE decorating this tray – I thought I would only use it for summer but have used it for every season. It’s one of my favorite items and was only $25, or maybe even less – can’t remember! I love using sprays to fill the outside of the tray. It’s tricky to find small enough things to set inside of it – it’s a big tray but the tiers aren’t very tall and if you put too big of items inside, it gets a bit distracting. It sits in the center of our dining room table so I try to fill it with coasters, salt and pepper shakers, napkins, etc. for easy to reach items that we use daily.

Decor Details:
String Heart: The Honaker Homemaker

Floral/Evergreen Sprays: Hobby Lobby

Candle, Reindeer Salt & Pepper Shakers, Cake Plate, White Ceramic Bowls: Target

Tray: Sam’s Club

December 7, 2015 by: Michelle

Keysocks Review, Free Printable & Coupon Code

I was given Keysocks for review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

You guys I have an awesome stocking stuffer gift idea for you today! Keysocks are a game-changer and guess what? They actually STAY ON! I’m officially obsessed and so are my friends. They are so comfortable and won’t show when wearing heels or flats but keep your feet super warm! Boom!

I’ve tried those little toe cover footies often seen in stores and they are so thin, constantly falling off and are more annoying than anything. Keysocks are life-changing for women who often wear heels or flats in the cooler months. If you’re like me and your toes are always freezing, these are for you!

I hosted a “My Favorite Things” party this weekend with my closest friends and everyone loved them! My one friend tried them on right away as she was wearing flats and they were perfect. She had on cropped jeans, hence why you can still see the keysocks in the back. She has a bit larger shoe size and they fit perfectly! Here’s a quick and informative video from their website that shows exactly how to wear them.

Get your holiday lists crossed off by gifting your favorite ladies Keysocks. They come in a variety of colors and styles. Nude and black being my favorite but choose yours and prepare to be left amazed, you can thank me later! Use coupon code ELLERY35 at checkout for 35% off your order through 12/21. Yay for you! I also created a free printable that you can download and print out if you are gifting these for Christmas. Enjoy! Right click on below image and save to your computer.

I am NOT a socks girl you guys but these are seriously so great! Now go stuff those stockings…. 😉 Happy Shopping!

December 2, 2015 by: Michelle

Christmas Mantel 2015

Today I’m sharing our faux fireplace Christmas mantel. This is the first year we have this piece and had so much fun decorating it! I bought the Faithful Friends sign from Barn Owl Primitives during one of their Summer sales and decorated around that focal point.

Target has really outdone themselves this year! WOW! The Target One Spot was full of amazing items – as you can see. Some of the items seen here: Silver Sparkle Trees, Burlap Trees, Ski’s, Days til Christmas Sign and small red candle holders! All of the pillows are also from Target, this year and last. Bottle brush trees are all the rage it seems and I knew I wanted to get a few this year for my home. I found the big white bottle brush trees at Michaels and the green flocked ones from Target.

I love shopping at craft shows – my mom and I go to this same one every year and slowly add to my collection. That’s where I found both reindeer, santa boot, white birdhouse and wreath throughout the years.

The darling stockings are new this year! I found them from Pink Slip Inspiration on etsy and get so many compliments on them! Can’t go wrong with burlap and love the personalization! I adore my festive Marigold Poms garland I got last year from sweet Kristin. Love her poms! I added small strips of black and white ribbon from the Target One Spot for a little extra flair.

The tall fake light-up evergreen trees in the back I’ve had for many, many years. I decorated them using gift tags and ribbon from the Target One Spot. See, you don’t have to break the bank to dress up your decor. I just love that plaid ribbon and the fun, sparkly tags! I also got that red woven basket seen holding my pillows on clearance at Target after Halloween. Deals and steals, I tell you!! That place sees me coming! 😉 The red and white plaid throw (Target) was the only thing I splurged on this year that wasn’t on sale.

What do you think? It’s a bit busy but that’s just me and my style. I like to mix patterns and textures and bright, bold colors to make a vibrant and layered space. Hope you enjoy – what is your favorite area?! Would love to hear in the comments. Have a great day!

November 11, 2015 by: Michelle

Thanksgiving Mantel Decor

Gosh I love having a faux fireplace to finally decorate! I’m so excited to share my Thanksgiving mantel and surround with you. I adore my Target acorn and Give Thanks banners I found on clearance after Halloween. Score! And my new favorite purchase is the white faux fur throw I decided to use as a rug, also from Target. I just love it!

Hope you enjoyed! Not gonna lie, this is already in the works of being taken down to start decorating for Christmas. I love Thanksgiving, but the life of a blogger sometimes allows me to decorate a little early for different holidays, which I don’t mind one bit! Let’s me enjoy everything a little longer! Happy Wednesday!