Frugal Spring Dining Room Makeover

Sorry I've been a little M.I.A. the last couple days, this Freshman Homemaker was busy, well, homemaking!

My normal Musical Tuesday post will have to wait for next week. I've given the dining room a decor makeover that I can't wait to share with you!

Last week, for Happy Things Thursday, I featured Living and Learning with Luisa with her up-cycled flower vase centerpiece project.

It was such an adorable homemade centerpiece that I had to try it for myself!

Luisa chose a very light palette, but I am incapable of doing so. I took the route of a much bolder color scheme. To each their own, right?

Here's my dining room as of earlier last week...

 

Meh.

I've gotten to associating the blue with the winter months because it was our most used tablecloth this season, and I had no centerpiece (or any decor, really) to speak of.

Off to Michael's and Marhsall's I went for a bargain shopping trip. I got a new tablecloth, a new set of place-mats, and the supplies I needed to create my centerpiece.

I have been trying my best not to buy these little guys for weeks. Not because I didn't like them, I LOVE them, but because I couldn't justify the expense for a couple little figurines. Lo and behold, this time they were on sale for less than a dollar each! That pushed me over the edge and in the basket they went!

Self adhesive ribbon tape in 24 beautiful vibrant colors!? Yes, yes, and yes.

This gift wrap was on sale by the registers at Marshall's for 50% off. With it's cute vintage newspaper print, how could I resist?

The pedestal was on sale for next to nothing because of an imperfection in the glass. Can you see it? Neither can I. In the cart it goes...

The mason jars are from my collection, of course. Which, by the way, is getting low! I'll have to keep my eye out for them next time Tim and I hit the antique stores.

To make my new centerpiece, I started by cutting a square out of the wrapping paper just a bit larger than the surface of the pedestal.

Then I traced the outline onto the back of the paper.

By cutting just an inch or so inside the outline, I created a nice cover that (sort of) matches the contours of the pedestal.

It didn't turn out perfect because my scissors are AWFUL. Note to self, buy real (sharp!) scissors for my next project.

The print on the paper is fun with all the advertisements. I saw this complimenting flowers well, for some reason. Not sure why, but we're rolling with it.

I'm sure there was a better way to do this, but I wanted to be able to remove the paper if I wanted to so I chose ye ol' scotch tape to hold the paper down.

Again, not perfect, but still better than just using the flat white. Boring! Not to mention my bird figurines would have disappeared against another white porcelain surface... unacceptable.

I spread all the adhesive ribbons out on the table and picked four pairs of colors that struck me. These were to be my decorations for the mason jars.

The ribbon worked wonderfully and stuck right to he glass! All I had to do was measure the length and press it down with my fingers. Bonus: It comes off easily too, in case I change colors for the summer.

These are my flower vases for the centerpiece!

Slight hang-up: trying to put all four of them, with flowers, on the pedestal was just too much. You couldn't see the ribbons! So, I spread them about the house...

One goes above the sink in the kitchen... 

One goes on the coffee table in the living room (please excuse the flash, light was NOT cooperating)...

And the other two make my centerpiece...

 Much better! Now my dining room feels a little more in season.

I'm so much happier with my coffee/blogging space!

Here's the official before and after:

Now if only the WEATHER would catch a hint! Bring on the sunshine!