kelsey.mackall, Author at A Dabbled Dwelling

DIY Built In Shelves for the Living Room

December 29, 2023 by kelsey.mackall

We recently moved to a new house with paneling and built in shelving in the living room. I was so excited for the potential of those built in shelves, but I wasn’t thrilled with the look of the original shelves. The shelves were oddly placed and prone to looking cluttered. I wanted a cleaner, more cohesive look.

The Easiest Built In Shelves Ever

I had some red oak boards that were going to be perfect for this project. The wood is so warm and the color is just beautiful. My plan was to use a 1×6 for the shelf and a 1×4 to trim out the front. First things first, I cut my wood to size with my miter saw using straight edges.

Next I took the wood I cut into the house and set it on the 1x2s that I had screwed into the wall studs at my desired height. I used my nail gun to attach the boards to the supports, and then again to attach the 1x4s to the front of the shelf. The 1×4 on the front acts as a trim and gives the shelf a more finished look.

Woman puts board on shelf supports on wall

Built In Shelf Success

I absolutely love how these built in shelves turned out. They have a classic look and really finish off that wall of the living room. I styled them with my favorite decor and the room looks so much more complete and whole. Adding shelves is a super easy and fast fix for any room! Click here to see me build these shelves as part of my fireplace makeover.

A DIY Mailbox for Under $50

December 1, 2023 by kelsey.mackall

On a whim, I decided to update my mailbox because the old one was lacking style. I wanted something with a classic feel that would look nice and make it easier to see our house number. This DIY mailbox managed to stay under $50, which is a bargain for the updated curb appeal that it gave my house.

How We Built a DIY Mailbox

First things first, I had to remove the old mail box and post from the ground. Once I got that out I was able to remove the mailbox from the post so that we could reuse it. I took my trusty spray paint and painted the box black and the flag gold. Next up I built a simple dual-post structure with 2x4s and fence pickets, and attached the mailbox to it. I put the new post structure into the ground with concrete and ripped a fence picket down the middle to attach to the front and the back to give it a more finished look. When the concrete was dry I stained the wood and added the new house numbers to the mailbox. I love how this DIY mailbox turned out.

Mailbox post is being placed into the ground

Woman is placing wood strip on the front of the mailbox post

And It’s Done!

It looks so good, and it was such an easy project. The update really improved the curb appeal of my house and it’s a super stylish addition. My favorite part about this DIY mailbox was that the total cost was under $50! Click here to watch the video of this build.

How to DIY the Cutest Yard Decor

November 25, 2023 by kelsey.mackall

I was itching for a quick project and wanted to use up some leftover tile from my kitchen reno. My yard was looking a little bland so I decided to use the tile in some of the cutest yard decor. I started with a bag of concrete, some dollar store bowls, nylons, and leftover tile. It took me an afternoon and I ended up with an adorable addition to my yard.

How to Create the Cutest Yard Decor

I started by mixing up the concrete and filling the bigger bowls with it. Then I stuck smaller bows into the concrete so that there would be a place to attach the stems. To make the stems I filled nylons with more concrete and shaped them so they would appropriately hold the tops I made with the bowls.

A woman pours concrete into bowls while a small child looks on

A woman places a small bowl in a larger bowl of concrete

Once the concrete was dry I removed the tops and stems from the molds. I used liquid nails to attach the tops to the stems. The extra tile was so satisfying to smash with a hammer, and then it was fun to attach to the tops with more liquid nails. After they were all put together I had the cutest little mushrooms to put in my flower beds.

A woman removes mushrooms tops from molds

A woman is gluing mushroom tops onto a stem

A woman is smashing tiles with a hammer.

A hand is placing broken tile on top of concrete mushroom

So Cute!

See how cute they are? They are adorable and a great addition to my flower beds. I love the mosaic touches on the top and that it was such a great use of my leftover tile. That tile is so beautiful and I am so glad I was able to use it here. If you would like to watch the video of the process click here!