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DIY Barn Door Installation Without Removing Trim

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 23:54:24 GMT

6 Easy Steps to Install a Barn Door Without Removing Trim: DIY Made Easy!

(plus a few tips to avoid mistakes I made, you'll thank me later)

Welcome, friend! Today I want to share my most recent project where my husband and I completed a DIY barn door installation without removing any trim. Yes, that's right... you can add a barn door to any room of your home while leaving your existing door trim! Leaving trim will save time, money, and plenty of stress on your part (which is also why I chose this route). If you are ready to take on a DIY barn door installation in 6 easy steps, then join me and keep reading!

Do you have a traditional single door that creates dead space or a traffic jam when opened? If so, this project will be perfect for you! The beauty of sliding doors is they only take up space on a single wall when opened or closed. This essentially frees a wall inside your room, or in the area outside. For our purposes, the sliding door freed space in our dining room bar and created a new focal point in our bedroom. Before I lose you at the thought of a barn door, let me explain how these doors are more versatile than you may initially think!

Barn doors are great for updating any doorway whether it is for a bedroom, bathroom, pantry, laundry room, or hallway. They can add interest in any space and are great for optimizing function where a traditional door is lacking. The best part about using this type of door is they can be used with any home design, not just in a farmhouse! Case in point, the barn door we installed in our primary bedroom creates a cohesive design with my organic transitional style. (if you're wondering what in the heck organic transitional is, think a mix of traditional and modern style (transitional) with a lot of textures and natural elements in the mix). In other words, it's not farmhouse. Yet, the barn door addition has elevated the design of both our primary bedroom and dining room while creating 100% more function in both spaces. I call that a win-win!

Now let's get to exactly why you found this post! In this blog you can expect a step-by-step tutorial showing how we installed our barn door in less than 4 hours from start to finish. We completed this project on a Saturday morning and to be honest it was quite simple. My husband is always my right hand man during DIY projects and he has a shop full of tools that I always raid to make everything go smoothly! I will list out the tools we used during the project as well as others that you may have on hand. Completing this barn door installation definitely requires two people for efficiency, so recruit your go-to DIY buddy and let's get started!

How to DIY a Barn Door Installation Over Existing Trim

For starters, I am going to give you a bare minimum supply list to help you complete this project. If I used a different tool during my project I will explain why and give you a link to where you can find it! I am not being paid to sponsor or promote any item in this post, these are tools we have and frequently use on DIY projects.

Supplies to install your barn door

Barn door with hardware kit

-I highly recommend you purchase a door that has an included hardware kit because the door will come with pre-drilled holes, which makes your life SO much easier. If you are handy with a drill and willing to make your own measurements for hardware then you can purchase separately. However, I 10/10 suggest purchasing these together to decrease your time spent and stress level during this DIY project.

-This is the door and hardware kit combo we purchased. It was important to us to have a durable door rather than the cheaper, hollow core alternatives. I am extremely impressed with the quality of every aspect from this purchase, from the door itself to the hardware. It comes in a single box and you do have to assemble the door. Two person assembly took us less than 30 minutes and it was very straight forward. The door is very sturdy even with us assembling it in our living room which attests to the quality. The double sided handles even met my high standards, and I honestly expected to have to order my own hardware. Pleasantly surprised and highly satisfied!

-https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5ZW73QV/ref=emc_b_5_t (I would like to reiterate this door does require assembly, so if you want a pre-assembled door then do not purchase!)

Phillips Head Screwdriver

-You can manage this project by using a screwdriver but I HIGHLY recommend using a drill instead (add extra time to your project if you go the screwdriver route!). If you don't have a drill or the budget to purchase one, ask a friend to borrow! Once you use a drill for a DIY project you will never go back to using a screwdriver. I'm speaking from experience here, it's worth the investment!

Wrench

-The hardware kit with our door required a wrench to tighten the rollers to the door frame. You can use any adjustable wrench that you have on hand and I have linked one below.

-https://www.amazon.com/Edward-Tools-Pro-Adjustable-Wrench/dp/B0868VRMN3/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2YKOMWPEFUBDF&keywords=wrench&qid=1677428990&s=hi&sprefix=wrench%2Ctools%2C159&sr=1-4

Level

- You can complete this project with a basic level, but we also used our laser level so I will link both. It is key during this DIY project to get your support board and track perfectly level for your door to open and close properly.

-https://www.amazon.com/CRAFTSMAN-CMHT43191-MAGNETIC-TORPEDO-LEVEL/dp/B08DJDWHQ9/ref=sr_1_5?crid=298OWIPLU3TPV&keywords=level&qid=1677429376&s=hi&sprefix=level%2Ctools%2C267&sr=1-5

Stud finder

-https://www.amazon.com/CRAFTSMAN-Finder-4-Inch-Depth-CMHT77633/dp/B07QJD6VLL/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1SN2YZHY11IGM&keywords=craftsman+stud+finder&qid=1677431211&s=hi&sprefix=craftsman+stud+finde%2Ctools%2C223&sr=1-2

Support board

- I bought a 1x4x8 to use as a support board for the door track. I wanted to leave our original door trim and the clearance of the track was not enough to also clear the trim. I also wanted an extra layer of safety by drilling the support board into studs to support the weight of the door. If you do not like the look of a board with the door track, make sure to measure the depth of your trim so that your door won't cause any damage! I will be adding this step into my tutorial, but skip over if you want to mount your hardware directly to the wall. We also trimmed around 8 inches off the support board because our track sits up against a wall. You can have Lowes or Home Depot make those cuts in store if you get your measurements prior to purchasing!

-Look at your door hardware's specification to see the clearance from the barn door to the wall, and compare this to the depth of your trim. We used a 1" deep board, but we could have probably used a 3/4" for a closer fit.

Measuring tape
Pencil to mark studs and measure for drill holes

Supplies that will make your life easier but not necessary

Drill

-If you are going to splurge on ANY item for any DIY project, please invest in a good cordless drill! It will cut your project time and effort significantly, and also reduce stress during. Trying to use a screwdriver for even simple projects requires a lot of "elbow grease" and can wear you down. Using a drill will make sure your screws are safely in place to provide stability in your assembly. I can't stress this more, if it is in your budget then please invest in a drill. You will thank me later because it certainly changed my life during DIY projects!

-We have a battery operated Craftsman drill that I use for all of my DIY projects and furniture assembly. It's lightweight, reliable, and even has a flashlight feature to provide light while in use. If you don't have a drill (with drill bits) on hand and need suggestions for an affordable option, check out the link below!

-https://www.amazon.com/CRAFTSMAN-CMCD700C1-Cordless-Drill-Driver/dp/B07KKGXFF5/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2564QC5BMFMQF&keywords=craftsman%2Bdrill%2Bset&qid=1677430086&s=hi&sprefix=craftsman%2Bdrill%2Bset%2Ctools%2C194&sr=1-3&th=1

- You will also need screwdriver bits with the above drill. This set will allow you to replace using a screwdriver in any future projects and has both driver and drill bits! https://www.amazon.com/CRAFTSMAN-CMAF1253-53-Piece-Drill-Drive/dp/B07KHJN6PV/ref=sr_1_5?crid=33AXJOQMITMK8&keywords=craftsman+drill+bit+set&qid=1677430379&s=hi&sprefix=craftsman+drill+bit+set%2Ctools%2C124&sr=1-5

Laser Level

-This is our laser level. It has the wall mount option which I use very often with hanging art, picture molding, and the list goes on!

-https://www.amazon.com/CRAFTSMAN-CMHT77634-10-FT-Laser-Level/dp/B07KKFHM4F/ref=sr_1_2?crid=10O7Y66FJAY66&keywords=laser+level+craftsman&qid=1677430902&s=hi&sprefix=laser+level+craftsman%2Ctools%2C118&sr=1-2

Here is a quick shot of my supplies used during this DIY Barn Door Installation

O kay, now you have a supply list! I always suggest checking your inventory and creating a shopping list for any tools you may need to complete a project before getting started. I have learned that lesson the hard way! There is nothing worse than making hardware store run (or two) in the midst of a project, so take my word on this one.

To start this tutorial, I want to show you my problematic door. My husband and I tried and tried to find a better way for our primary bedroom door to open to no avail. Every option either had the door covering a light switch, blocking another doorway, or impeding the view from the dining room into the bedroom. After much thought, and time spent scrolling on Pinterest, we decided that hanging a sliding barn door would solve all of these issues! Here is the traffic jam of a bedroom door we were dealing with:

As you can see, the primary bedroom door took up valuable real estate in our dining room. We recently set up a dry bar on this open wall because we love to entertain (and my husband has started a new bourbon collection). Once we set up this bar space, it was clear this door finally had to go. I may have enticed my husband with his new bourbon display in order to get the project done, but as they say "a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!" Luckily, my husband was fully on board with this plan so we decided to get started.

Initially, we were worried about how complex installing a barn door without removing trim may be. We knew that leaving the existing trim would save us time and effort, but we worried the install would not go as smoothly as the blogs describe. I am here to tell you this DIY project is one of the easiest we have done in our new home! I'm already planning out which other doors I can replace with sliding barn doors now.

Steps to Install a Barn Door Over Existing Trim:

1) Remove the existing door

-In our project, we removed the existing traditional door and hinges with the drill I linked above. My husband used a metal punch to get the door off the hinges, then I used the drill to remove the hinges from the trim. You can also use the drill to remove the door from the trim while keeping the hinges intact. The best thing about the sliding barn door we purchased is that it can be installed over your existing trim! Skip the demo, and keep your trim intact by following this tutorial. It doesn't matter if your trim is traditional, farmhouse, colonial, etc. You can do a DIY installation with any type of trim!

-Side note: if you keep your existing trim, you will have to put a little work into repairing any damage left by the previous hinges. We plan to use spackle and touch up paint to refinish our trim and I will update this blog as this is completed!

2) Install Door Header (support board to hold track)

-The most strenuous part of the DIY project was this step. We took extra time to measure and mark the placement of our door header since this would be what ensures our barn door wouldn't rip out of the wall in the years to come. The support board we purchased was a 1'x4'x8' primed spruce pin fir board, and we trimmed it down to accommodate the size of our barn door track. Make sure you double check your measurements and allow an extra 1-2" on each side of your door header in addition to the track length. This step makes sure your door can open and close freely, and is very import if your barn door is close to an existing wall like ours was! If you are mounting the track directly to your wall, you can skip this step.

-We started this step by using our stud finder and a pencil to mark the studs. I highly suggest you put 2-3 screws directly into a stud for your support board. This gives you stability and reassurance for your sliding barn door! Be sure to thoroughly read the directions of your barn door hardware to see the height your track will be. We marked the wall for the recommended height of the track, and then drilled the door header to the wall. We used our laser level to mark the height our track needed to be while installing the door header.

3) Install Sliding Door Track

- This step went by quickly because we already had our laser level marking the center of our support board! We double and triple checked this height was correct for the door we purchased, which I also recommend you do. If you are following each step on this tutorial then you should already know where your track should be on the door header, so go ahead and drill your track in place! You can continue using the level to make sure your track will allow the door to open and close smoothly.

4) Install Door Hardware

- Again, another bonus of purchasing your barn door combo with a hardware kit means you have everything you need AND the door has pre-drilled holes for the hardware. This was a lifesaver! We simply attached the door rollers to the barn door as directed and did not have to worry about any measurements. We had already assembled our door prior to me deciding to blog about this project so I do not have any photos of that process. I will say it took us less than 30 minutes and was very straight forward!

-*Pro tip: make sure you know if you want your handle on the left or right side of the door before installing the roller hardware. We accidentally put the rollers on and had the handle on the left side which did not work for our doorway. This will make more sense as you are installing and I will add a photo to explain. If you look below, the circular rollers go directly on the track. When this was hung up on our wall, it allowed the door handle to be on the right side of the door. This only applies if you have a handle on each side of your door which we did. Clear as mud? Okay!

5) Fasten Door to Track

-AKA the most exciting step!! Prepare to see your hardware pay off in 3, 2, 1!

-We each took one side of the door and made sure our roller sat centered on the wall track. Then we gave it a quick open and close to make sure our measurements were correct and the door would work. IT DID! *cue mini celebratory dance* Once the door was hanging on the track, we installed door stops that were included in our kit. You put these at each end of the track to keep it from opening or closing too far. It also provides a "soft close" because the stopper is rubber, which prevents the door from slamming in either direction. We loved this feature, and it will prove especially useful with future children.

6) Install Door Handle and Bottom Door Track

- Our sliding barn door came with two handles and a bottom door track. I recommend finding a hardware kit that includes all of this! The double sided handles allow you to open and close the door from either side of the room. The bottom door track is the secret VIP of this project and let me explain why. The biggest complaint I hear about barn doors is how they come off the track and are a pain to open and close. I can guarantee none of those people installed their bottom door track! We screwed this small track at the edge of our door trim and it keeps the sliding door in a straight line. We have yet to have our door fall off the track! Although it may be scary to drill the track into your flooring, I promise it will be worth it! We tested spots to put this track several times and settled on the edge of the trim because it stays in the door whether opened or closed. Here is a close up of this bottom door track and please excuse my dusty trim. You can also see from this photo how adding the support board gives our barn door clearance over the existing trim! I will fill in these holes later when I repair the trim.

Okay, friend, now step back and admire your hard work! If you followed this tutorial you should have been able to successfully install your sliding barn door without removing trim in a few hours. Talk about being productive, and you completed a DIY installation in only 6 steps! I love projects that are simple, yet make a huge impact on home design and this barn door did just that. Check out photos below of the finished product!

Popular Questions About DIY Installation of Sliding Barn Door Without Removing Trim:

What was your overall cost?

-$320! Our only cost was to purchase the barn door and hardware kit which made this project very affordable! There are several more budget friendly barn door options online, or you can always build your own door. We wanted a quality, sturdy door that would withstand any pawing by our dog or chaos with future children so we chose to go with a middle price point. You can spend thousands on a high end barn door too, so there truly are options for any budget with this project!

-Your cost will be higher if you need to purchase any of the tools on my supply list at the beginning of this blog, so plan accordingly!

Does your barn door offer the same privacy as a traditional door?

- The simple answer is no. We knew we would be losing some privacy when we chose to leave our existing trim because the barn door cant sit flush with the trim. We have about a 1/4 inch gap around the entire door, so you do not get the same privacy a traditional door provides. For us, we weren't worried about a small gap around our door as we only shut it at night.

Do you have issues with your barn door jumping off the track or falling on the ground?

-Thankfully, no! I attribute our fortune to the bottom door track I described in step 6. We are actually going to order an additional one to place at the end of the track for better stability later down the road, but we haven't had a single incident of this so far!

Do you have any questions about my tutorial or our DIY process? Any feedback on our doorway transformation? Please leave a comment and find my DIY page on instagram @thehouseofwatson to find reels and more behind-the-scenes of each project I complete! This is a brand new blog and I'm just a girl chasing her dreams, so I would love to have your support. Follow, subscribe and feel free to send any questions you may have about your own projects. I am so happy you are here and remember.... if I can complete a project, so can YOU!

How To Repurpose Cheap Christmas Ornaments With DIY Textured Paint

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 03:23:23 GMT

Are you tired of your old Christmas ornaments? Maybe you scored a haul of Christmas baubles at a thrift store and need a DIY tutorial to create a high-end look? Either way, you are in the right place!

Do you love luxury Christmas decor but can't make yourself pay the outrageous prices? You are not alone, my friend! My core interior design principle is to mix high-end pieces with affordable "dupes" to create a timeless look for less. Christmas is no exception, and I started a DIY list as soon as pulled out all of my holiday totes this year. I am a fan of adding trends with classic decor to balance out a room, and my goal each year is to DIY a trending decorative piece. By not splurging on trends, I am able to invest in high-end decor that I will use year after year. One project I chose to tackle this year was to repurpose cheap Christmas ornaments using textured paint to get a luxury look for less!

Do you want to know the best part about repurposing cheap Christmas ornaments with DIY textured paint? You can use any type of ornament you have! I have painted all types of shapes, sizes, and materials without issue so the sky is the limit. For this project, I used a combination of old glass and plastic ornaments, and this box of baubles I scored at a thrift store!

$10 for 50 baubles, can you say score?! I couldn't pass up this deal to use for my DIY textured Christmas ornaments. These baubles are plastic which makes them both pet and child friendly! I have a local salvage warehouse I go to each week and I was able to find some great Target pieces like these. Other places you can search for cheap ornaments to repurpose are places like: Goodwill, Facebook Marketplace, local thrift stores, etc. Don't forget to search through any old ornaments you or friends/family may have too!

Okay, so now you've decided you are ready to take on an easy DIY project to repurpose cheap Christmas ornaments. Let's go ahead and make a supply list so you can make sure you have everything you need to get started.

DIY textured Christmas ornament shopping list:

Ornaments
If you don't have any to use, here is a link to a set of 30 baubles on sale for $10 on amazon (use the 50% off coupon to get this price!)
Paint of your choice
I used several paints to get a variety of textured looks, but you can stick to one paint to make it easy! I have an entire shelf of leftover paint cans/samples so I always try to use what I have when I start a project.
Types of paint I used and suggest: chalk paint , water-based latex paint , and acrylic paint . Click the links if you need an idea of where to purchase these! I chose a neutral palate for my project with subtle hints of color, but that is my go-to!
Baking soda
This is your secret ingredient to get textured paint!
Paint brushes
I used a 1" chip brush that you can find at any hardware store for around $1 (or you can use any small brush of your choosing but chip brushing add great texture!)
Wooden chopsticks/skewer
A canister or vase to hold drying ornaments

Color scheme, check. Supplies, check. Now it's time to prepare your project area! I chose to paint my DIY Christmas ornaments in the dining room, but you want to make sure you choose a well-ventilated area due to paint fumes. Next, I put down a barrier on my table to protect from any paint splatter. You can use newspaper, trash bags, cardboard, or anything you have around the house. I chose to cut open a large trash bag because I am always working on multiple projects at a time and my dining table is an ongoing Christmas extravaganza. One of these days I will learn to work on one project at a time... but today is not that day!

Alright, now it's time to start painting. *Pro tip: Invite someone you love to join in on the fun. I convinced my mom to spend the day working on DIY Christmas Ornaments and the more, the merrier!*

Are you ready to start repurposing your cheap Christmas ornaments into luxury dupes? Let's go!

List of steps to repurpose cheap Christmas ornaments with textured paints:

1) Pour your chosen paint into the container of choice. You can use disposable plates or line a paint tray with aluminum foil (these are my go-to options but you can use whatever you prefer!) I chose to to lay out large sections of aluminum foil on my garbage bag and pour out small sections of each paint color on the foil.

2) Mix baking soda in your paint of choice to create textured paint. I start with the general rule of 2 parts paint to 1 part baking soda and tweak the recipe based on the consistency. I wanted exaggerated texture on my ornaments so I chose to make the paint very thick (think cookie dough consistency which is more like 1 part paint to 1 part baking soda). The key is to get your paint thick enough to give the texture you want, but not too thick to where you can't spread it on the ornament. I know this may not be what you want to hear, but this project relies heavily on a trail and error basis. It may take you several tries you get the paint exactly how you want it which is how I worked through this project too! You are in good company, and the beauty of DIY is there truly is no wrong way to go. It's all about your journey and loving your end result! **Pro tip: You can always add more. If you don't have enough baking soda, add a small amount more and mix. If you have too much baking soda, add a small amount of paint and mix.**

3) Remove the tops of the ornaments and sit aside in groups of ornaments. Make sure you know which tops go with which ornaments as well. I learned this lesson the hard way by tossing them all in a pile, and I had to try individually to fit the correct top on each ornament. Learn from this lesson and save yourself an extra hour at the end of your project! For the tops, you can paint these a certain color or leave them as-is. This is completely up to your vision and color scheme, as most tops are versions of silver and gold. I chose to leave most of my tops original because I am a fan of subtle mixed metals!

4) Insert a wooden chopstick/skewer into the ornament opening and start painting! (see the picture below to show how I used the skewers to hold my ornaments)

5) You can try small brush strokes or "dabbing" the end of your paint brush onto the ornament. I used both of these methods when painting and I loved the variety it created! I tried not to touch anything besides the skewer during painting, but sometimes you have to keep your fingertip on the edge of the ornament to keep it from spinning. If you end up touching the ornament to steady it during paint be aware you will end up with paint coated fingertip! *Pro tip: My goal was to make unique ornaments that did not all match so I used various painting methods/color combinations to create a cohesive, neutral design! The beauty in textured ornaments in they look hand crafted and do not need to look the exact same.*

6) With your ornaments on the chopsticks/skewers, put the open end of the chopstick/skewer into your canister or vase I added to your supply list. You don't want the ornament to touch anything, so make sure it don't slide side to side. Allow dry time between coats!! This is imperative to creating the luxury dupe you came to achieve. Dry times will vary based upon your chosen paint and how thick your coats are. I suggest a minimum of 1 hour to dry between coats, but always test the tack of your ornaments before getting them near the tree! If any paint sticks to your finger when you gently touch it, add another 30 minutes to allow ample drying. You do not want paint residue on your beautiful (and expensive) tree! Here is a sneak peak of my ornament drying set-up:

7) Apply a second coat if needed after drying. This is optional because sometimes you are able to get the perfect coat on the first try. The beauty of textured ornaments is that imperfection IS perfection, so you aren't following a specific rule set.

8) After your ornaments have fully dried, you can put the tops back on. You should have these separated into piles for each ornament type so you can easily reassemble and start decorating! I chose not to add a clear coat to any of my ornaments because I wanted the matte, textured finish. If you have children or are afraid of wear-and-tear on your new luxury ornament dupes then feel free to add a matte top coat!

9)Step back and admire your final product. Do you love it as much as I do?! Here are a few photos to show my cheap Christmas ornaments turned luxury dupes with textured paint!

Alright, friend.... you did it! You officially repurposed cheap Christmas ornaments with textured paints and *hopefully* made the luxury dupe of your dreams. If you don't love your first few ornaments, that's okay too! My mom and I weren't happy with our first attempt and chose to thicken the paint for our second round to create our desired texture. I've said it before, and I will say it again. This project is about trial and error, and luckily when you DIY there is no wrong answer! Only lessons learned, and those help you achieve the perfect end result on your next try.

I truly believe in this philosophy as a self-taught DIYer. One big truth about life (and DIY) is you never know, until you try. So many people get stuck with "what if I fail" or "what if this turns out nowhere near what I pictured?" What is the worst that happens if you are right and your fears prevail? You are out a few dollars from your thrift store ornaments or your old ornaments that have been collecting dust for years are now not as you pictured? THAT'S OK! You can easily start this project again at step 1 and tweak your methods. Solve what didn't work the first time and make a change. I guarantee you will love your end result the second try!

If you are stuck and still can't figure out what is going wrong... please email me! I would love nothing more than to help you problem solve your DIY project. After all, I created this blog to make a community to empower one another. Let me help empower you! I believe in you as much as I believe in myself, because I also started these DIY projects with no experience. You won't learn unless you try, and you won't achieve beautiful results if you never start!

I hope you loved this project as much as my mom and I did! Feel free to comment or email me about your experience. I love to hear everyone's perspective on DIY projects and even learn new methods from each of you! Thank you as always for taking time to read my blog and follow my instagram for daily updates @thehouseofwatson. See ya on the next blog!

As always, remember: If I can complete a project, so can YOU!

How to DIY a Crate and Barrel Nutcracker for Less than $20

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 03:49:06 GMT

How I created a Crate and Barrel Christmas nutcracker dupe using supplies I found around the house:

Welcome, friend! If you are anything like me, you are happily entering the week of Thanksgiving with one thing on your mind. Bringing out those totes from the attic to take inventory of CHRISTMAS DECOR, of course! I know, shame on us who celebrate Christmas too early by decorating prior to Thanksgiving. I never have been one for rules, so why follow this one? We spend hours getting our decorations perfect, and in my opinion they deserve more than a mere month to be enjoyed! Okay, my point has been made and I will step down from my holiday soap box. On to the reason you really came here... a Crate and Barrel nutcracker dupe you can easily DIY for under $20!

Let's start by checking out my inspiration for this DIY Christmas nutcracker dupe:

I'm not sure about your Christmas budget, but mine did not allow for $70 per nutcracker this year. I thrive on combining high-end decor with low-end dupes to create affordable, yet stunning design. This interior design principle also follows me into the Christmas season as I create a list with "splurge and save" columns to plan any new purchases. I had to carefully choose where I wanted to invest money in higher end items and where I can save money with DIY projects. For Christmas decor, I tend to splurge on timeless pieces I know will use year after year such as garland, trees, pillows, and decorative throws. Pieces I find on my save column include trending decor that I know made fade out of style after a few years. I adored this years trend of monochrome nutcrackers, and as well all know nutcrackers have waxed and waned in popularity since the 1990's. Thus, my decision was easy and I chose to create a high-end dupe for the nutcracker look I wanted so I can splurge in other areas.

A few things I loved about the Crate and Barrel Nutcracker: monochrome, texture, and simplicity. I chose to replicate each of these elements in my own DIY nutcracker dupe to create the designer look at less than half the cost! The most difficult part of this project was finding the perfect nutcracker (spoiler alert, I found exactly what I wanted at my favorite crafting store) which turned out not to be difficult at all! I will link both of my nutcrackers below because this deal is too great to pass up. I raided my supply stash for the paint needed in this project, but I will list what I used below in case you do not have any extra at home.

Crate and Barrel Christmas Nutcracker DIY Project List

24" wood nutcracker from Michaels- 50% off making it $17.99 (and it is taller than the C&B original!)
14" wood nutcracker from Michaels- 50% off making it $8.99 (I chose to use two nutcrackers of different heights to fit my design plan but feel free to use any height you prefer!)
Chalk paint- You can choose any color you would like for your nutcrackers! I personally prefer chalk paint to acrylic or latex for this project because it dries matte and provides an extra layer of texture. I had Krylon Chalkboard Paint in Black in my garage so to keep cost low, that is what I used! I purchased this from Lowes but you can find it at most hardware stores.
Baking soda- Yep, that's right! The official secret ingredient is baking soda. Mixing it with your chalk paint will give you the perfect texture to recreate the C&B look. More details about this below!
Paint brushes- I chose to use a 1" chip brush that I had in my stash. I love using chip brushes on DIY projects because they create a beautiful texture without any extra effort! These can be found at hardware stores usually around $1. You can also use any small flat paint brush to get in hard to reach areas, but I was able to get full coverage using the chip brush!

Okay, friend! You have your shopping list and you're ready to get started! It's time to paint, so gather your supplies and put on some old clothes. Trust me on this part, paint always finds a way to splatter on my expensive leggings no matter how careful I am (yet I somehow never learn this lesson, but that's a story for another time). Don't forget to take a "before" photo of the nutcrackers to show the transformation your DIY makes!

Alright, you have your paint clothes on and took your before photo. Next, find something around the house to create a barrier between your paint and workspace. You can cut open a large trash bag, spread newspaper, or lay out cardboard across your table. I chose to cut open a large trash bag because I converted my entire dining table into a Christmas DIY project extravaganza last weekend (stay tuned for those on upcoming blog posts!). Finally, it's time to get to business. Here is a list of the steps I took to create the my designer nutcracker dupes:

Pour your chosen chalk paint into a container or on disposable plate. I lined a paint tray with aluminum foil to help with easy clean up, but you can do this step based on supplies you have at home.
Paint first coat on your nutcracker (without any baking soda). The goal is to get a thin, even layer for your first coat. It is ok if some of the wood still shows through because your textured second coat will cover it all! Allow the paint to dry before moving to step 3. As always with DIY projects, the drying directions are open for interpretation. When I am painting furniture, I always adhere to drying guidelines... but not so much for crafting projects. As I said before, I am not one for rules. So I will be transparent in saying I let my first coat dry for about 30 minutes before moving to step 3 (oops). **Pro tip: keep your paint brushes covered in paint during this time or they will dry out and cause clumps in your paint. You can fold the ends of the paint brushes in aluminum foil if you intend to let the first coat dry over 30 minutes**
Once your dry time is up, mix some baking soda in your chalk paint to create a textured second layer for your nutcrackers. I start with the general rule of 2 parts paint to 1 part baking soda and tweak my recipe based on the consistency. You want the paint to be thick enough that it creates your desired texture, but not too thick to where you can't get the mixture on your paintbrush. Clear as mud? These projects rely heavily on trial and error so you will have to see what mixture gives the results you are looking for! I wanted subtle texture, so my mixture was a similar consistency to thick pudding. Just enough to add texture but still be painted on easily. **Pro tip: do a trial run on any scrap wood you can find. If you do not have any at your disposal, you can paint the bottom of the nutcracker's footstand to see what your paint constancy will look like. Just beware that paint will spread onto your barrier once you sit the nutcracker back down.**
I always start a new paint project with the area that has the lesser line of vision. AKA the back or the bottom in most cases. I started painting the back side of my nutcrackers to work out any kinks in my methods before moving to the front. When using my chip brush, I alternated between paint strokes and dabbing the edges of the brush onto the nutcracker to create various textures. I allowed this second coat to be thicker than my base coat as I wanted the textured paint to cover any bare spots left. A thicker coat means a longer dry time, which for me can be relative but I did want to make sure this second layer fully dried. I let them sit for an hour while I worked on other projects and determined they were dry to the touch, which in my world means they are safe to start decorating with! Again, I caution you to do as I say, not as I do. If you are painting thick coats, or even choose to do a third coat, then you want to atleast let the paint dry for 24 hours prior to decorating with your nutcrackers.

In true Whitley form, I chose not to adhere to my own knowledgeable advice. I placed the nutcrackers on my hearth to see if I had achieved the texture and contrast from the Crate and Barrel originals.

Success! I am quite proud of creating my own Christmas nutcracker designer dupe using supplies I already had at home. The beauty of this tutorial is that you can tweak it any way you like. Do you want a different color? Do you want to add a metallic sheen? Do you want to skip on the texture and have a smooth finish? The options are limitless! The best part? I finished this project and only the cost of the nutcrackers (which are currently 50% off at Michaels as a happy reminder)! Even if you had to purchase every item I listed for this project, your cost is far less than half the cost of one Crate and Barrel Nutcracker. Not to mention you will have excess paint supplies to create more nutcracker dupes, or even start another new Christmas DIY project! You can click here to look at all of my recent blogs if you need inspiration for your next DIY project.

I will end this blog with a side-by-side of the inspiration photo versus my Crate and Barrel Christmas Nutcracker DIY Dupe for less than $20. Feel free to leave comments and share, I would love to hear what you think of the end result! Thank you for taking the time to read through my tutorial and I hope you choose to follow along with my future projects. For daily updates and behind the scenes follow my instagram @thehouseofwatson .

Lastly, don't forget: If I can complete a project, so can YOU!

An Introduction to The House of Watson

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 01:42:31 GMT

Let me tell you what my blog is all about...

Welcome, friend! I am so happy you came across my blog and I hope you choose to stay awhile.

First things first, my name is Whitley and I started this blog to share my journey in DIY and home design. I am a Registered Nurse who found a second calling in the field of interior design, and I chose to start chasing my dreams over the last year! I have been doing DIY projects and interior decorating for years but over time I started to consider if I could turn this passion of mine into a career. What started as a daydream has transformed into a business that has changed my life in the best way. As I was reminiscing over the journey that got me to this point, I wondered if anyone else may be interested in following along with me. So here’s to hoping that answer is yes and if so, welcome!

From my blog you can expect to learn about DIY projects, interior design, balancing two careers, starting a new business, home staging, and everything in between! When I’m not working as a nurse or in a client’s home, you can find me starting a new project in my own house. This behind-the-scenes blog will show the "polished chaos" that comes with home design because the process is not always as beautiful as the end result!

Curious to see how you can learn to complete projects and make your own design dreams come true? Follow along with my latest projects on instagram @thehouseofwatson where I give daily updates between blog posts!

The motto: If I can complete a project, so can YOU!