See below to view or print this DIY! If you create a similar wreath, please share a photo on Instagram and tag me @HealthyGroceryGirl so I can easily find and like your creations! It’s so fun to connect with you and see what recipes you’re enjoying.

For more HGG DIY ideas you can also visit the HGG YouTube channel here! 

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DIY Dried Orange Holiday Wreath

Servings 0

Ingredients

• 40-50 Dried Limoneira Orange Slices
• 1 Cardboard Ring 12 inch
• 1 Choice of ribbon or bow
• Hot glue

Instructions

• Begin by placing some of the dried orange slices on the cardboard ring to decide where you want them to go.
• Once you are happy with how it looks then you can hot glue onto the cardboard ring.
• Glue the remaining slices as you go, if you start with a well thought out base layer, the second layer is much easier!
• Finally choose a ribbon or a bow and glue it on!
• Hang and enjoy!

More Citrus DIY!

How To Make A Lemon Floral Vase

Dried Citrus Rose Bouquet

Citrus Orange Florals

This video was created for the Limoneira YouTube Channel! Megan Roosevelt, RDN is the Spokesperson for Limoneira. To see all our tips & videos makes sure to visit & subscribe to the Limoneira YouTube Channel! 

See below to view or print the how to! If you make this garland, please share a photo on Instagram and tag me @HealthyGroceryGirl so I can easily find and like your creations! It’s so fun to connect with you and see what you’re enjoying.

For more HGG recipe ideas you can also visit the HGG YouTube channel here! 

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Orange Peel Star Garland

Servings 0

Equipment

• 2-3 small star shaped cookie cutters
• 1 rubber or wood mallet
• 1 small nail
• 1 cooking twine

Ingredients

• 5 large Limoneira mandarin oranges

Instructions

• Carefully peel orange into large sections. Remove top and then score the peel into 4, remove sections without breaking them.
• Use cookie cutters and mallet to cut out star shapes.
• Use the nail to poke a hole in the stars and hang on cooking twine. You can hang each star with one hole or two. Both work, but if you want the stars to lay flat, two holes works better.
• String stars, and hang your holiday mantle!

Find More Holiday DIY Here!

Citrus Holiday Mantel Decor

DIY Citrus Gift Tags

Dried Citrus Rose Bouquet

This video was created for the Limoneira YouTube Channel! Megan Roosevelt, RDN is the Spokesperson for Limoneira. To see all our tips & videos makes sure to visit & subscribe to the Limoneira YouTube Channel! 

Last year we completed all of our school at the dining room table and that was a great start for us. However, because we work from home and homeschool I just felt that there was too much going on in the same space and it was a little overwhelming. I really am loving having our school take place in our shared playroom / homeschool room now because I can lay out and organize items the night before and we are also right next to our school closet for access to construction paper, school workbooks and more. 

One of my favorite features in this room is our chalkboard. Aaron and I made this chalkboard which I’ll link to the video here.

I also have some items on our wall that are from our Nutrition Schoolhouse shop. This is an online shop I created to share learning resources for kids to inspire a love for fruits and veggies. A few of my favorite items from the Nutrition Schoolhouse shop is our ABC board using these ABC Cards and also our Daily Rhythm Cards.

The daily rhythm cards come in a pack of 198 cards so there are lot of options for how to organize your day including creating a calendar and weather station.

We currently do school about 3-5 mornings a week. Once a week we have dance class, we also go to the library about once a week and then my MIL helps watch our kids for a few hours, a few times a week when we work. So having these rhythm cards helps my daughter know what is on the schedule for the day.

Next to our homeschool table is a closet which is where I store our homeschool curriculum, art and craft supplies and all other homeschool items. I also store our seasonal books and crafting supplies in totes as well. As you watch the video tour, you’ll learn more about each item in our closet!

I really wanted to create a calm and cozy place for our learning this year and we are really grateful for this room. Thanks so much for reading today’s blog and watching today’s video!

I share our homeschool days and what we’re working on more in my IG stories so if you ever want to see what our homeschool day looks like make sure to follow me on @healthygrocerygirl and also over at @nutritionschoolhouse, the small business I started to share nutrition education learning resources for kids.

HOMESCHOOL FAVORITES

NUTRITION SCHOOLHOUSE

Daily Rhythm Cards, ABC Cards, ABC Playmats, Apple Study

PRESCHOOL AND PRIMER PROGRAMS

Primer Bundle (Kindergarten-1st but flexible enough that we are using it for Pre-K), 6 Preschool Bundle (Not featured in video but definitely a great option for preschoolers!), Preschool Morning Binder, Kindergarten Morning Binder, Nature Program, Art + Music Program

We also are loving The Good & The Beautiful preschool program and we’ll move onto the Pre-K program once we complete the preschool program.

LEARNING RESOURCES

MathLink Cubes, Pattern Block Math Activity Set, Learning Step-by-Step Number Line 1-20, Helping Hands Fine Motor Tool Set, Number Construction Set, Letter Construction Set, Magnifier & Tweezers, Pattern Block Activity Set

LOVEVERY

Weather Board, Number Counters

EXTRA ITEMS MENTIONED

My First Busy Book (Toddler / Preschool Velcro Activity Book)

Dash into Learning Early Readers (Discount code: HGG15)

Character Cards

Cut and Paste Activity Book

Wood ABC Letters

Zipper Pouch Organizers

Dry Erase Pockets

Dress I’m Wearing In Video

DIY Coastal Farmhouse Playhouse Plans

When I share these DIY projects I often get asked if I have plans that I can also share. Unfortunately I do not, because I mostly make it up as I go, which is what I enjoy about carpentry and DIY projects.  I like to create an initial design and then tweak and problem solve as I build. However, just like I did with our very popular fireplace project I am writing this blog post to share as much as I can about this project from dimensions to the supplies that I used, in hopes it’s helpful if you’re looking to build something similar. I also tried to capture helpful video shots as I built the playhouse and share those in the video below. So let’s get started! 

Kids DIY Playhouse Foundation

My original concept was a small playhouse 6 feet wide and 4 feet deep with a 2 foot porch, a slanted roof and an awning. I mostly followed my original design but along the way made some changes, the biggest change was going from a slanted roof to a peaked roof.

Step one, I needed a base. I originally planned a wood deck structure on the ground, but was concerned about bugs and critters living underneath and weather rot. In addition, the cost of wood was very high at the time I built this; so I decided to do a 6×6 concrete pad instead. I used all basic framing lumber for this project, starting with 2x4s as the base. I painted 3 sides of the lumber with multiple coats of high quality outdoor paint. Then I used a concrete drill bit to drill pilot holes and attached the sill plates to the pad. I’ve listed all the supplies I used for this project at the bottom of this blog post if you’re wondering what type of wood, paint and supplies I used.

Kids DIY Playhouse Framing

Next, I constructed the corners. For this I used 2×3’s and 2×2’s screwed together. I did this to create the look of a post at each corner, but the V shape it creates gives me the ability to attach plywood to the inside edge. I attached the corners and 2×3’s for the top plates to create the basic structure, as you can see I also added a vertical 2×4 in the center of the back wall. I did this because the back wall is just plywood so it needed some more support and the 2×4 helped to hold this initial structure in place, keeping it from flexing out of alignment. At this point, without the plywood up, the whole thing is a little wobbly.

I also took the opportunity to make sure the framing was as true as possible, meaning the walls were straight and everything was level. In one of the front corners I inserted two little metal plates to lift up and level the top plate. This was necessary for my build because the concrete pad is just ever so slightly tilting to one corner. I tilted the pad on purpose to guarantee that any rain or water from the sprinklers would run off and not back into the playhouse. Lastly I used 2×4’s to create the door and window frames.

The Farmhouse Look: Board & Batten

For the walls I used 4×8 sheets of 1/4 inch plywood, which was relatively inexpensive and easy to work with. If I did this again, I would probably step it up to 3/8 inch ply for a even sturdier build. I carefully measured and cut each piece and adding the plywood is where the house really became solid.

Next step was to install the battens, to give the house a board and batten look. It took a long time of measuring and tweaking to decide on how much space to have between each batten. I have about 6 and ¾ inches, but honestly the spacing is not truly uniform throughout. I moved them around so it looks pleasing to the eye, the measurements are far from exact on this project. The battens are glued to the plywood, and then screwed on from the inside. In a few places there are screws through the framing, into the ends of the battens to help secure everything in place. Then finally, my best friend… caulking!

Raise the Roof!

For the roof, as I said before, I changed my design from a flat slanted roof to a peaked roof and wanted some sort of cool look in the peak. So I used scrap cardboard to draw up what I was thinking and determine how many and what length of wood I needed to cut. I used basic 2×2 lumber for this. I cut them, and screwed everything together. As you can see I also decided to have my 2×6 roof beam sit in the side walls of the roof, so I made space for that. Once I was happy with the side walls, I cut off the excess to give me my triangles, attached the beam and installed it on the house.

Completing The Look: Coastal Farmhouse Playhouse

Caulk and paint… and a lot of both, are key to minimizing the look of mistakes and make the house look much more professional. We love the black and white look, so I finished the house off with a basic white exterior paint. To complete the roof, I added ¼ inch plywood sheets and built a little cantilever awning. I also added a border around the roof out of 1×2’s to support and continue the edge of the awning. You can see I painted the plywood black even though I put roofing over the top of it. I did this, because I had a one month delay between finishing the playhouse and getting the roofing material. On the inside of the playhouse, I added supports in the center of the roof from the walls to the beam.

I wanted a black corrugated metal roof, but I could not find any for a reasonable price. So I got this product called Ondura Corrugated Black Asphalt Roof Panel. It is asphalt roofing material in a corrugated design, easier to handle than metal and a really good price. Not exactly easy to cut, but once I got a system down and all cut, I was able to install it pretty quick.

Simple DIY Playhouse Windows

The final step for the outside of the playhouse was the windows. I made squares out of 2×2’s and crossed the inside with 1×2’s then painted them black. Because of the imperfection in my framing, I measured carefully and built each window with slight dimension differences so that they fit as tight as possible without too big of gaps. The windows are currently screwed into place; but designed so that in the future I could hinge them and allow the kids to open and close them.

We have also built out the inside, added a sandbox and started on the landscaping around the Playhouse! When all of that is complete we will do another post and video sharing a tour! 

Materials

Because I design as I go, and I took a few months to complete this project. It is hard to know the exact quantity of lumber I used, especially when it comes to the 1×2 and 2×2. But I tried to count, and think what I have below is pretty close.

Supply List:

• (6) 2x4x10ft
• (1) 2x6x8ft
• (12-14) 2x2x8ft
• (10-12) 1x2x8ft
• (8) 2x3x8ft
• (5) 4×8 Plywood ⅜ inch
• Corrugated Roofing (3)
• Roofing Caps (2)
• Outdoor Screws 3inch
• Wood Glue
• Drill / Driver
• Miter Saw
• Oscillating Saw
• 4” Paint Roller
• 6” Paint Roller
• Foam Rollers
• Paint Tray
• Spackle Kit
• Latex Caulk
• Sanding Sponge
• ECOS Paints

I hope you enjoyed this post, and found it somewhat helpful. If you have any questions, please post them in the comments section under the video here and I will try my best to answer anything I can about this Playhouse Build! Thanks for following along on my latest DIY project and wishing you the best on your next DIY too!

You can also follow us on Instagram @HealthyGroceryGirl and if you make a playhouse inspired by this one, we would love to see! Tag us at @HealthyGroceryGirl

This is Aaron, Megan’s husband. If you’re reading this blog post it’s likely because you watched our “DIY Shiplap Electric Fireplace Build with Mantel” video on YouTube! From that video, we have received a lot of questions and requests for a plan to download / purchase to build a similar fireplace.

DIY FIREPLACE BUILDING PLANS

I’m sorry to say, we do not have a building plan! I designed our project as I went, made a few mistakes and did not write down any of my measurements because I didn’t build with the intention of creating or sharing a plan. However, since so many have asked for one I wanted to write a follow-up blog post for this project and do my best to answer some my thought process on this project, supplies I used etc in hope that is at least a little helpful!

So while we don’t have a step-by-step building plan to sell, I do provide a lot of free tips and insights in the building process below! Hopefully these tips are helpful as you begin your own project!

Before You Get Started… Measurements & Dimensions

Before building your own fireplace you’ll need to take into consideration the following:

– How high you ceilings are

– How big the fireplace you’ve purchased is, ours is 57 inches. The fireplace we used has a new model that you can see on Amazon and Home Depot, it is virtually the same but has a different frame, one that is a little thinner and is not removable. This is actually an upgrade since our kids often knock the frame off of ours, which is attached with magnetics that are strong, but no match for toddlers!

– How wide you want your total project to be

– Size, type and height of mantel

Our Fireplace Dimensions

This is the size of our project…

108 inches tall

78 inches wide

14 inches deep

These dimensions work for our ceiling height and room size. However, always adjust measurements so it works for your space and ceiling height

Supply List for DIY Fireplace

Here’s what you’ll need to build this project! I’ve listed everything below and added links. I altered the design to correct the two mistakes I’ve listed above.

• (11) 10ft – 2×4” 
• (2) 8ft 2×6” 
• (1) 8ft – 1×8” 
• 3” wood screws 
• (14) 12ft Shiplap Boards 
• Nail Gun
• Nails
• Drill / Driver
• Miter Saw
• Oscillating Saw
• Paint Roller
• Foam Rollers
• Paint Tray
• Spackle Kit
• Latex Caulk
• Sanding Sponge
• ECOS Paints
• ECOS Matte Paint: White
• Fireplace: Dynasty Harmony 57″: NEW MODEL: Amazon and Home Depot

Photo Process of FIY Fireplace Build

Below are some photos during the build process with text and measurements added to help guide you through my build and thought process!

Mistakes I Made On This Project

Two things I would probably do different next time are…

– I used a combo of 2×4 and 2×3 lumber. I did this because I was trying to make the framing lighter in weight and save a few dollars, but it really just caused confusion.

– I changed part of the design during the build which meant a lot of the lumber I bought at 8ft length would have been better to buy at 10ft.

FAQs

How to fill gaps at the edges… I used this spackle to fill nail holes and gaps and this latex caulk around the edges where the shiplap touches the ceiling/wall.

Where does the heat go? Since this fireplace is electric, it produces no heat if you just have the flames turned on. When you use the heater function, a blower pushes the heat out the front from along the top edge of the glass.

Outlet Access: I left one piece of shiplap, down low on the right side, easily removable, so that I can reach the outlet.

Mitering the Shiplap Corners: I used a chop-saw to cut the 45 degree corner for each piece of shiplap. Honestly that was the toughest part of the project as the shiplap were not all 100% flat and something about the saw blade made it difficult to get perfect corners. It is possible a table-saw would have worked better.

Finished Project!

This project is actually not completely done! I will be adding lower cabinets on both side of the fireplace. This will provide more living room storage and complete the entire look. However, here are some photos of the completed fireplace and how we’ve style it over the year for various Holidays and celebrations!

Since Aaron is the master builder he is going to share with you the details of this project below. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments under our YouTube video here and we’ll do our best to reply to them as soon as we can!

 How to design a kitchen hood cover

We considered a few designs for our hood box, including trying to match the cabinetry. Ultimately we decided against this because if you are attempting to match design, materials and color you need to get it exact or it would look off. We also had left over shiplap from our DIY Fireplace and Kitchen Nook, so a simple shiplap box made the most sense.

Another goal I had was to not alter the cabinetry too much, in case we ever wanted to remove this box and go back or do something else. The only permanent change I made to our existing cabinetry was to remove a small section of the moulding. In designing our new hood box, I used the manual to figure out the exact measurements. All 30” hoods are likely to be very similar in dimensions, but no guarantee, so I have learned to always follow the manual.

The finished dimensions of our shiplap hood box are 29.5 inches wide and 42 inches tall. The inner frame is about 28.25 inches wide, but only 36.5 inches tall, because there is no framing behind the first row of shiplap, where the hood fan is.

Demo and Hood Box Frame

The first step in the project was to remove the current cabinet doors, hinges and finally the old hood. 

Next was to put together the basic frame pieces. I first made a H shape out of 1×3’s to use as the connection for my Hood Box to the cabinets. Once I had the H piece installed, I then constructed the rest of the box frame on site – versus building the whole thing in my garage and then installing it.

Our new hood fan does not screw to the underside of the cabinetry, like the previous one. All the connection screws are along the front, sides and back, but we have tile backsplash where the back screws line up. Because of this I added some thin ¼ inch wood strips. If I were to do the project again, I would use ½ inch plywood. Filling the entire back wall behind the fan, instead of small strips. I also added a few pieces of 3/4 inch by 3/4 inch square wood dowel along the bottom edge of the box frame. I did this to add extra surface area when nailing the shiplap to the frame.

Kitchen Hood Fan Upgrade

We replaced our builder grade hood fan with the Zephyr Monsoon Mini 30” which we got from Build.com (More Power! Argh-Argh-Argh). The hood fan comes with both a square and round baffle to fit whatever your cabinetry needs, I used the square.

Originally I was going to build the shiplap box and then install the fan. But I realized that it might be difficult to get the box exactly right with the corners lined up perfectly doing it this way. So instead, I screwed the first layer of shiplap to the hood fan first, then lifted the fan in place and attached the shiplap to the frame. Now that it has been installed, if I need to remove the hood fan, I can unscrew it from the shiplap and drop it out.

Shiplap Installation

Once the hood fan was level and secured in place, I installed the remaining shiplap. When installing shiplap I always use a nail gun, it is so easy and leaves only small holes. I then filled in the nail holes with spackle and caulked the edges and large gaps. Finally we painted using a basic white from our favorite ECOS Paints.

Kitchen Appliance Upgrade

We have also updated the appliances in our kitchen. The original range was always a temporary one until the range we really loved was available. 

A few of the reasons why we love the GE Profile Collection range is that it has five burners and an edge to edge cooktop. We can load it up with pans for when we are cooking multiple things at once. BUT, the best feature of all and why we chose this range is the two ovens!

Sometimes we only need to cook one item in the oven such as a sheet pan of sweet potatoes. Heating up the entire oven for one sheet of food feels like a waste of heat and energy. Having 2 smaller sized ovens is perfect for when we are cooking one item at a time. It’s also nice for when we want to make multiple dishes at the same time at different temperatures! 

How to Avoid a DIY Fail

When doing an electrical connection, you should always have access to that connection. Because my hood box does not open like the previous cabinetry, I cut a small access door through the side kitchen cabinet. This way I can reach the outlet and unplug the hood when I need to.

Supply list for DIY Shiplap Range Hood Cover

Here is a list of all the supplies needed to complete a similar DIY shiplap range hood cover. Simply click on each item for a link to shop! 

(2) 8ft 1×3
(1) 8ft 2×2 
(1) ¼” Oak Board 
(1) ¾” x ¾” 
#8 Screws 
Wood screws 
(3) 12ft Shiplap Boards
Nail Gun
Nails
Drill / Driver
Miter Saw
Oscillating Saw
Paint Roller
Foam Rollers
Paint Tray
Spackle Kit
Latex Caulk
Sanding Sponge
ECOS Paints

BEFORE…

AFTER…

MORE HGG DIY HOME PROJECTS

If you loved this project check out our other home projects….

DIY Kitchen Island Upgrade

How To Make A Large DIY Framed Chalkboard

DIY Shiplap Wall with Floating Shelves

DIY Shiplap Electric Fireplace Build with Mantel

SHARE WITH US YOUR DIY CREATIONS!

If you make anything similar, we’d love to see! Tag us on Instagram @HealthyGroceryGirl

Here are the dates of all the lemony holidays for you to get ready for:

National Lemon Meringue Pie Day: Sunday, August 15th

National Lemonade Day: Friday, August 20th

National Lemon Juice Day: Sunday, August 29th

See below to view or print these DIY instructions! If you make this Lemon Flower Vase, please share a photo on Instagram and tag me @HealthyGroceryGirl so I can easily find and like your creations! It’s so fun to connect with you and see what projects you’re enjoying.

For more HGG DIY ideas you can also visit the HGG YouTube channel here! 

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Lemon Floral Vase

Servings 0

Author Healthy Grocery Girl

Ingredients

• Limoneira classic lemons
• Your favorite flowers – I am using chamomile flowers

Instructions

• Using a mandolin slicer, slice lemons as thin as possible.
• Stick lemons to the sides of a large glass vase.
• Add your flowers and fill with water.

Notes

If you are having a hard time getting your lemons to stay in place, you may need to slice them thinner.
You can also add the flowers into a smaller vase and put into the larger vase so the lemons are sandwiched between the two vases.

If you love this vase, see below for more easy & fun DIY ideas! At Healthy Grocery Girl, we want to help you life a healthy lifestyle and enjoy some affordable, at home family projects!

DIY Lemon Lavender Dust Cloths

DIY All-Purpose Citrus Cleaner 3 Ways

DIY Lemon Toner & Sugar Scrub

This video was created for the Limoneira YouTube Channel! Megan Roosevelt, RDN is the Spokesperson for Limoneira. To see all our tips & videos makes sure to visit & subscribe to the Limoneira YouTube Channel!  

Watch The Process! DIY Kitchen Island Upgrade Video…

How To Upgrade A Builder-Grade Kitchen Island

The island we started with was a basic builder quality island, with no real character, it is 85 inches wide, 25 inches deep and about 34 inches tall. We wanted to keep it simple but improve on what we had. This project is the simplest we have tackled in our kitchen/living space, but definitely one I needed to go slow. To make sure all of the measurements were as close to exact as possible. Any boards that were short, crooked or misplaced, even by a small amount, would stand out. So if you do something similar in your kitchen, take your time. Measure twice, cut once is my motto! 

The pattern we decided on was a simple box pattern to reflect our kitchen cabinets, with 1×4’s as the new base boards and 1×2’s framing out the sides and top edge of the boxes. Because I did not want to special order any materials, I used what I could find in-stock at my local big box hardware store, and what I found is just a ½ inch thick. I chose this because I did not want the boards sticking off of the island too much or it would have looked more like construction framing, rather than finished carpentry. 

Preparation Is Key To DIY Success

The first step was to prep the island. I removed all of the old moldings and edge/corner pieces. Lucky for us, our island was already a smooth surface, not textured drywall. If it had been textured drywall, then I would have needed to skim the surface with plaster to smooth it out (difficult) or cover over the drywall with ¼ inch plywood of some sort (expensive). But since our island was already smooth I did not have to do any more prep for construction.

Next I did a lot of measuring and marked out where I wanted all of my boards. I drew out the pattern and exactly where each board would go so I made sure it was all even. Measurements are never exact numbers so it is good to mark where you want everything and take good notes on the correct measurements. My vertical boards are 21-⅜ apart from each other and vary in length from 29 to 29-¼. Note: the builders did not build us a flat island, one side is ¼ inch higher than the other, this was fun

Adding Trim To Kitchen Island

To cut the boards for this project I used a miter/chop saw and to install the trim I used a brad-nailer with 18 gauge, ⅝ inch long nails. The trim just needs to sit in place so short nails are ok, and I did not want nails sticking through the walls into the island cabinets. I started with the 1×4’s along the bottom, I went all the way around the island, including on the cabinet door side.

After the new baseboards were installed I did 1×2’s along the top, this was just the front and sides, not on the cabinet side. Because the top trim ended at the cabinet doors, I cut a 45 degree angle to match up with a 45 on the vertical trim. This helps it all look more finished. When doing trim carpentry you want to avoid seeing the end of boards.

After the bottom and top trim were installed I moved onto the verticals. As I mentioned above, our island is not perfectly level so each vertical is a slightly different length. Because of this, I re-measured each piece before cutting and installing.

Most cuts were simple cross-cuts, but it got a little tricky on the ends of the island, where I had to do a small jog. Again, I did this with 45 degree angles to give a more finished look. When doing something tricky like making this jog, I measure what I think it should be and then make my cut a little long. I prefer to go back and cut a little more off rather than find out that I cut too short and start over.

After all the construction, it was just spackle, sand and paint… paint… paint. Third coat’s the charm when it comes to black!

Tips To Avoid A DIY Fail

Since I was only able to get these boards in a 3ft length, the long run of wood along the bottom is pieced together. To minimize seeing where two pieces meet I made those connections inline with the edge of the vertical boards.  This essentially tricks your eye and you do no notice the lines where the wood meet.

The corners of the island were the most difficult. If I had simply placed two pieces of 1×2 next to each other, one side would have been a ½ inch thicker than the rest. So I trimmed a ½ inch, lengthwise from one piece.

To smooth everything out, I used plenty of wall spackle to fill in gaps and nail holes, and used both medium grit and fine grit sandpaper to achieve a smooth finished look. The island has two outlets, and I replaced those with black outlets instead of painting the white ones.

Supply List For Kitchen Island Upgrade

Here is a list of all the supplies needed to complete a similar DIY kitchen island with board and batten trim. Simply click on each item for a link to shop! 

ECOS Paints
ECOS Eggshell Paint
Battery Nailer
Nails
Miter Saw
Oscillating Saw
Paint Roller
Foam Rollers
Paint Tray
Spackle Kit
Latex Caulk
Sanding Sponge
½ x 2 – 3ft Board (Need 12 total – May be sold individually at store or as 5-pack)
½ x 4 – 3ft Board (Need 10)
Black Replacement Outlets (USB-Charge)

Natural Eco-Friendly Paint

The paint we used is from our favorite brand, ECOS Paints. We went with their Eggshell Paint – line, which has a medium sheen and dries to a nice hard finish. ECOS recommends this for kitchens, bathrooms and other high moisture areas. And with two youngsters, it is great to have a highly washable paint. For the color, we matched a Sherwin Williams that Megan selected, called Tricon Black. As we painted the island, we were honestly a little hesitant about such a dark color, but once it was finished and the third coat had dried, we were very happy with the finished look!

Kitchen Island Before….

Here is how our kitchen island looked before…

Kitchen Island After…

As you can see… it’s looks so much better! 

MORE HGG DIY HOME PROJECTS

If you loved this project check out our other home projects….

How To Make A Large DIY Framed Chalkboard

DIY Shiplap Wall with Floating Shelves

DIY Shiplap Electric Fireplace Build with Mantel

Share With Us Your DIY Creations!

If you make anything similar, we’d love to see! Tag us on Instagram @HealthyGroceryGirl

Beyond just being super cute, chalkboards help with physical development such as:

• Shoulder and elbow stability
• Ability to cross the body’s midline
• Wrist extension and pencil grasp
• Visual focus and hand-eye coordination
• Spatial awareness
• Core and back muscle strength and posture

My daughter loves to draw pictures and practice writing her letters on this chalkboard and if you have a little one who doesn’t like to sit still… being able to stand and move around while writing and drawing is a fun way to learn! So here is the tutorial!!

HOW TO MAKE A DIY LARGE FRAMED CHALKBOARD: 

What You’ll Need:

• One quart of this chalkboard paint and then color match a Sherwin Williams color, kendal green
• Two quarts of this craft stain in pickling white and special walnut, for the frame
• We love ECOS Paints because they are made with non-toxic paints and stains free of VOCs and harsh odors.
• One 4 foot by 4 foot piece of ¼ inch plywood
• Two 6 foot long 1 by 3 boards
• Screws
• Paint Roller
• Foam Rollers
• Paint Tray
• Paint brush
• Drill / Driver
• Miter Saw
• Oscillating Saw
• Wood Glue
• Painters Tape
• Corner Clamps
• Chalk & Eraser

The Build: 

First step was to cut one foot off the plywood, we wanted a rectangular shape and 4′ x 3′ fit our space just right.

Next I cut a notch from the edge of the 1′ x 3′ boards, I did this with a handheld oscillating saw, but it would have been much easier with a table saw. You could also skip this step and just glue the frame to the top of the plywood. After notching the boards, I cut them to the correct length with 45 degree angles at the ends. Finally I added a touch of wood glue, clamped the frame pieces in place and screwed it all together.

After the glue dried, I sanded and cleaned the frame to prepare for staining. The stain process we did was two steps, first we did a light coat of the Pickling White craft stain. After the first coat of stain dried, we topped with a coat of the special walnut craft stain.

While the frame dried, I painted the plywood with the ECOS Paints chalkboard paint; I did a thick single coat with a foam roller and it worked great!

After everything fully dried overnight we glued the painted plywood to the frame. We used a little painters tape to hold the plywood to the frame, and flipped the project over so we could stack weight on it as it dried.

Finally we attached the chalkboard to the wall and seasoned the board with a coat of chalk dust. 

For some visual guidance, watch our video for this project below!

That’s It! 

If you make this chalkboard or your own this chalkboard as inspiration, we would LOVE to see! Tag us on Instagram @HealthyGroceryGirl!

xx Megan & Aaron

Playroom + Home Learning Space Tour!

Originally this room was a multi-purpose guest, play and exercise room and it was just too crowded. We moved our elliptical upstairs – still can’t believe Aaron and I did that together all during one nap time! We also brought the queen mattress upstairs for my daughter’s bed and then we decided to build a daybed for the playroom! We really only have my mom stay with us just a few times a year. So we wanted a comfortable place for her to sleep but also a bed that didn’t take up too much room so we could maximize the play space! The daybed works great because it’s like a comfy couch for reading! 

I definitely like neutral tones and am inspired by Montessori-style learning. We do not follow a Montessori lifestyle 100% but you can see a few Montessori inspired elements throughout the room. I linked sources for as many things as I could! I hope you enjoy today’s blog post! 

Play Kitchen

My kids both love this kitchen and make many meals here every day, from pretend pie to soup. I also love this letter-board from Letterfolk – you can change out the words but honestly, I forget to so it stays the same most of the year!

DIY Chalkboard

This DIY project turned out so good! Aaron and I made this chalkboard, and it’s really fun for drawing on and my daughter loves to practice writing her name and her letters. I wanted a schoolhouse green color for the chalkboard and it turned out so well. The paint we used for the chalkboard and the stain for the wood trim are both from Ecos Paints. We love Ecos Paints, they are non-toxic and free of VOCs and harsh odors. They have a ton of paint colors to choose from but you can also color match to get the shade you like which is what I did to get this exact green color I wanted for the chalkboard.

Chalkboard + Bed Paint Details

– Ecos Paints Chalkboard Paint

– Ecos Paints Craft Stain

– Ecos Paints Satin Varnish

– 1/4″ 4×4 Plywood Panel

– 6′ 1×3 Pine Board

Montessori & Schoolhouse Inspiration 

The banner on our chalkboard is made with cards from a company called Kindergarten Tool Kit. She makes minimalist preschool learning tools for ages 2-6. Some of her other cards include shapes, numbers, letters, words… We use them all the time and love them. 

This neutral flag banner wraps mostly around the room. It’s really neutral but adds some whimsical fun to the space. 

I also LOVE this schoolhouse clock above the chalkboard! The dolly or “buddy stroller” it’s called that you see in the photo above BOTH my kids love, they play with it every day taking their dolls, stuffed animals even balls on a walk ha! 

Day Bed

I found a similar looking daybed online as inspiration and my husband re-created it using the same stain as the chalkboard. Aaron did such a good job building this bed!! It’s so cute! 

Our mattress is from Avocado Green Mattress, we love their mattresses and pillows. Avocado mattresses are made with natural, renewable and certified organic materials. They are also the most comfortable mattress I’ve ever slept on. This is the twin, we have a king in our bedroom and my daughter also loves her avocado toddler pillow. Definitely check them out if you’re looking for a new pillow or mattress!

Click here to check out Avocado Green Mattress!

Lighting

The light for this room was a bit tricky because we don’t have a light fixture in this room! So we decided to hang a pendant light and to keep the cord from being too obvious we kept the light in the corner close to bed.

Light Details!

– Basket Weave Bamboo Pendant Shade

– White Electrical Cord Swag Kit

– Cord Cover

– Lighting Canopy Kit

Book Wall

I love a good book wall! I like to rotate the books and make fun book walls with our holiday books. It just makes our books feel new and exciting again. You can explore all our favorite kids book on our Amazon Shop page here! The banner and pennants are from Letters and Laurels! 

Wallpaper

Okay so now you’re probably noticing the wall paper!! I really wanted wallpaper for this room. We have never put up wallpaper before so it was a learning process but we love how it turned out! It’s a really simple pattern but also adds a lot fun to this space. 

The wallpaper is from Livette’s wallpaper and I chose it because of both the cute design and also that it’s made with 100% non-woven material that doesn’t contain PVC, plasticizers, glass fibers, heavy metals or formaldehyde. The inks used to print the wallpaper patterns also have GREENGUARD Certification. All important elements for selecting a non-toxic wallpaper. They have traditional wallpaper and also peel-and-stick style wallpaper. They have so many cute wallpaper prints, you can explore more here!

Toy Shelf

We added 2 cube shelves to organize toys and extra books. I was inspired by Montessori style book / toy shelves and wanted everything to be reachable at the kids level. Most of our toys are from Lovevery! We LOVE lovevery toys – they are so well made, educational and really engage my kids to think and problem solve. The Lovevery books are also awesome and include photos of real kids experiencing every day life – whether it’s a trip to the park or making muffins, my kids love to see others kids doing real-life things! 

I also love this “Time To Play” art print, which I got from Minted. We love minted for art – so many cute pieces! This print you can get in a variety of sizes, select from a bunch of different frames and then they mail it to you! Such an easy way to add framed art to your room. 

Pikler

Lastly – when we really need to get the wiggles out, we bring out the Pikler Triangle with the ladder and arch from Wood and Hearts and the kids love playing on this. It helps develop gross motor skills, physical strength and learning through play. I love watching them figure out how to make their way from one side to the other and they have so much fun crawling all over this.

I am so, so happy with how this space turned out. It’s our playroom, our dance party room, where we read so many books, make pretend pie and it’s been fun to share a tour with you! I will also be homeschooling E for preschool this Fall and wanted a fun room for homeschool. I like having arts and crafts and all learning supplies organized in one space. Thanks so much for reading today’s post – I hope you found it helpful if you’re creating a little play or learning space as well! Have a wonderful day! xx Megan