DIY Bedroom Makeover Done in a Day!

After how well my stairs makeover went ( you can find it here ) I seem to have caught the decorating bug and next on my list was our bedroom.
Its not a massive space and often ends up being a dumping ground for bedding I have no storage for or unwanted toys (at least that part never lasts!)
So this makeover is just the first part to transforming our bedroom from glorified closet to master bedroom of joy!
I'm attempting to over haul the whole house on a teeny tiny budget, and this makeover is something we can all do for literally nothing, I have used wallpaper samples collected over a few months from online stores like Farrow and Ball and John Lewis or you can simply pop on down to B and Q or any other store that sells wallpaper and collect some samples of all the paper you like. Don't worry if there is no theme, if the colours clash or you have mixed bold patterns with muted florals, who cares!
This is all about just going with what you like and the fun is in not having to live with just one pattern or colour until you decorate again and who can afford £55 per roll of paper for something you may stop loving within the year.
I already had the white paint and wallpaper paste. I always use the premixed tubs ( £1.99 from B and M Bargains) so i don't have to mix up a massive batch to find I don't need it all.

So here's how it went..

The walls where boring old magnolia still from when we moved in, it really has been neglected!
They where pretty dirty now and needed refreshing so I've just painted them all white, can't beat it to lift a room and fill it with natural light.

Here is my stash of wallpaper samples, scrapbooking paper and those cute papers you sometimes get for free in craft magazines. Anything like this is suitable to use really just be careful when applying to the wall in case you rip the paper.

So I got itchy feet waiting for the paint to dry so i started papering.

It progresses quickly and you would be surprised how quickly you can fill a whole wall like this. I didn't follow a theme or anything but I did find when I was putting them up I had a lot of similar colours so I tried to mix it up as much as possible.

I stopped at half way for a brew break, this took about an hour and gave the paint on the other walls to dry from they first coat.

2 hours later and I'd filled the wall and given the walls another coat. I just love it, even more than the one I did in the kitchen last year! I do believe it's the kids room next!!!

It really is a wallet friendly style statement, I have had so many compliments just from posting to Instagram yesterday and our bedroom finally feels like somewhere I can lay and relax after a long day ( that is if you ignore the pile of boxes in the corner ear marked to live in the loft!)

If you decide to give this a go, do tweet me your gorgeous pics! @immamabetty

Happy Monday folks ;)

L x

DIY stairs make over

When we moved into this house, 4 years ago now, the stair case had been stained in a horrendous red mahogany that did nothing for the small small, it was imposing and frankly it had been done by a blind man!

So last year I made a start on doing them over, I painted all the sides white and the banister and painted the spindles a variety of colours just to add something new to the space, I LOVED it and we then replaced the tatty cream carpet with a lovely Berber, however, the cat took an instant dislike to it and over several months scratched out nearly all the loops he could get his swanky little paws on, I wasn't best pleased but this spurred me to take the giant step id been pinning over since I started painting them and that was to pull up the carpet and paint the stairs completely.

I lost many an hr over several months looking for inspiration, trouble was I had to much and I basically couldn't choose a style I loved most so in the name of frugality i had a rummage in my wallpaper storage ( read the loft!) and found something i thought would work.

Id picked up this paper at home base about 2 yrs previous for £1 for 2 rolls in their massive end of season sale.

Basically this is what i started with, bare boards. The house being only 8 yrs old and not being build by the most capable of builders is a little rough around the edges but this really gives you the perfect opportunity to work with something you wouldn't normally attempt because basically, it couldn't get any worse!

The bottom step had already been painted after the cat ruined the carpet so this was the first coat of gloss paint, I used satin so it wouldn't be as shiny.

3 coats in and I didn't really feel like i was making much progress in all honesty.

Approx 7 coats of paint, 48 hrs and a coat of varnish and they look the shizzle, here is the paper in all its glory. surprisingly it only took about 2 and a half hours to cut and paper all the steps, I still hate wallpapering!

And... drum roll please.... The finished article! I seriously couldn't be happier, and totally on a budget, it didn't cost a penny! I used everything we already had around the house. Finally I have a stairway to be proud of!!

If you where making over your stairs, how would you do it? I'd love to hear your ideas.

L x

GameBlast Games Marathon Weekend

Disability charity launches UK-wide 24-hour video game marathon weekend

SpecialEffect, a charity who help people with disabilities to benefit from the fun and inclusion of video games, is running a GameBlast marathon weekend on 21-23 February 2014. People of all ages across the UK are invited to play video game marathons with friends or family to raise money for the charity.

The sponsorship raised from the GameBlast marathons will provide funds to modify and provide technology and gaming equipment that will enable more people with disabilities to enjoy video games with their friends.

The charity is calling for teams to set themselves a fundraising target, register on the website, and undertake their own sponsored marathons, which can last anything up to 24 hours during the weekend.  Every team that registers will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win gaming goodies.

Mark Saville, SpecialEffect Communications Officer said, “Many children across the UK can only watch their friends and family play video games because their disabilities prevent them from using a controller. We want to change this and the money raised will enable the Special Effect team to create bespoke gaming equipment to bring joy to many families across the UK.”

SpecialEffect will be running its own marathon from the Gameblast HQ, and will keep the world up to date with their progress through Facebook and Twitter.

For more information visit: www.specialeffect.org.uk/gameblast

Kids Bee Happy Sand Art - Review

I have to admit it, I have crafty kids, I don't know if this is entirely my doing or not but any opportunity to A) make a mess or B) create something wonderful and they are there!

When I was given the opportunity to review some of the Kids Bee Happy Sand Art I was over the moon! The girls have been trying new things, the Moshi Monster Hamma Beads where a roaring success and I crossed my fingers this would be too.

Being slightly neurotic with OCD about mess, yeah I know I have a cat, dog and 3 kids and its always a mess but hey i dream of an immaculate home! I was a little worried about hoovering up sand from every nook and cranny of my tiny kitchen but i have to admit there was barely a mess at all much to the girls disappointment . 

Being able to peel off small sections as you go gives even the youngest of children the skill not to randomly sprinkle sand on every surface in view and makes for a very lovely and precise finish. Even Emma who has some special needs found the kits easy peasy and having such a beautiful finished picture really made her day.

My girls LOVED making these and their little smiling faces prove just that..

 Emma age 7 with her finished Snowman picture.

Zoe aged 4 with her wild Alien picture.

With the wide range of coloured sand provided you can really make some special and unique pictures as you can see from Zoe's finished picture. The larger sticky areas once peeled off really allowed for her to go with her imagination and create this multicoloured landscape.

They loved the little plastic wallets that you can slip your finished art work into to keep them in tip top condition. They grace the playroom walls and its regularly a point of conversation, especially " Muuummm when can we do these again?" That alone says it all about these wonderful kits.

If you would like to try them yourself you can find a massive range here at http://sandartcrafts.co.uk

My girls give them a massive thumbs up and thats OK with me!

L x