Young House Love

DIY Home Decorating Projects, Tutorials, & Shenanigans

| By | | 173 Comments

Book Projects By You (Over 300 DIY & Craft Projects!)

As soon as we decided to number all the tips in our book over two years ago we hoped to someday create an online component where folks could upload their take on any of the projects along with the project number. And that day has finally come! So not only will folks be able to access this page right here, we’ll also be linking to it directly from our book page – so if you’re ever bored and want to check out a ton of reader submitted projects that have been completed after checking out our book (which will just keep growing over time) this post should eventually be chock full of them!

It’s sort of like a book-related Pinterest Challenge that doesn’t expire for over a year, so you can add away and come back to see what everyone else has whipped up too (you know we love to share the love!). And speaking of l-o-v-e, since there are about 500 ways to skin a cat, whether you’ve done something similar or put a totally new twist on something from our book, we’d LOVE to see it! Here are three of our favorites that readers have sent us/blogged about – and please feel free to upload yours underneath (which you can do even if you don’t have a blog)!

  • Project #120: Make Paint-Chip Art from Margaux & Steve at Young Nesters.

  • Project #147: Make Tissue Paper Art by a reader named Alise. She doesn’t have a blog, but she described her process as tracing the outline of a fish into tissue paper and cutting it out instead of making scallops/fish scales and then Mod Podging them to the canvas. I love the use of one orange fish in the group – just to make things interesting!

And now here’s the part where we tip our homemade hats to you guys and invite you to share your take on any of our book projects. If you have a blog you can just link up here, and if you don’t you can always add a link to a free photo sharing site like Flickr or Facebook with your pics (remember to set the photo to public so we can all see it). Here’s how to upload your project:

  1. click on the blue “Add Your Link” button with the odd cartoon head at the bottom of this post (you might have to do some scrolling, depending how many projects are added)
  2. in the URL field, add a link to your specific blog post about your project (not your home page) or the Flickr/Facebook link
  3. where it says “name” write the project number (ex: “Project #114”) as opposed to your actual name, the name of your blog, or a description of the project

We’re crazypants excited to see what you guys have been up to!



Stuff We Love

Comments

  1. No blog post to link back to, but your #155 was my inspiration for ornaments this year. I did little cameos of my daughter and gave one each to her grandparents.

    Reply

  2. ohemgee you guys read my mind! I am super excited to get started on the stamp family tree project (158?) for my father-in-law for this Christmas and I was all like “I will definitely have to show John and Sherry!” (dork moment) I e-mailed a trading/hobby store in Warrenton, VA that is the closest to me and the owner has all of the stamps I need and is shipping them to me! And they’re cheap! Squee! xoxo

    Reply

  4. I just stumbled upon your blog and am devouring everything! My husband and I are in the process of renovating our new house and we can use all the help we can get! Hope to be able to link up once we complete a project!

    Reply

  5. Ooh, this is very exciting! I have an index card in your book with the #s of the projects I want to do first. I think I shall be painting my front door this weekend (if it doesn’t rain!) so I will be sure and take pictures!

    Reply

  6. Fun post!

    Amusing how many bloggers there are out there that sound like Sherry wanna-bes with their blogging style.

    Reply

  7. I clicked on 50.#231. Unfortunately, the post about how front door was refinished was at the very bottom–and I had to page down through many unrelated posts to find the project that related to your list. Is there any way to isolate just the relevant post?

    Reply

    • Hmm, maybe it was a momentary glitch? We just clicked on it and it took us directly to a post about refinishing the front door (the first five photos and the last two photos were door related with two cute cat pics in there for fun). Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

  9. At the risk of coming across as the totally weird person that I am…I had a dream about y’all last night! I dreamed that you did a book signing at your *house*–and instead of thinking it was cool, I was really weirded out about it, and kept asking you guys if it was OK, and saying “I just think it’s invading your privacy!” You were both all, “Oh, no! It’s fine!” and kept going to the office to play on the computer. But when I toured around your house, it was TOTALLY different (layout, everything!) and I thought, “Wow, John and Sherry can REALLY re-do a place fast! They are incredible!” and then, magically, I was back in my own house, which was also suddenly totally different, and I thought, “Wow! John and Sherry have helped me to see my house in a whole new light! I could never have envisioned this without them!” (Mind you, it was LITERALLY a totally different house, LOL!) My dream ended with me ripping up hideous burnt-orange carpet in a room of my home that doesn’t exist, and dreaming of the possibilities that you had both inspired. Oh, and John had a pet name for Sherry: “Pancake.” Don’t ask me where that came from! But it was adorable in the dream!

    Crazy. But fun!

    Reply

  10. OH MY GOSH, there is a reader named ALISE! My name is (obv) Alise. I am so shocked/excited because A) I’ve never met an Alise with the same spelling as me and B) There is a crafty/artsy Alise somewhere (Ah-mazing)!!! When I saw the name and the DIY project idea I honestly thought to myself, “did I think of this?, doesn’t seem like me?, is it possible it was someone else?, ……weird.” Thanks for the wonderful daily posts YHL!

    -MN Alise

    Reply

    • This is a crazy small world! The only other “Alise” I ever met was about 17 years ago at a “Young Life” camp in North Carolina. I was there with my high school and there were students from all over the US. I met a fellow camper named “Alise” from somewhere up north. To this day people will tell me they know an Elyse or Elise or Alice, and I tell them about there being only one other that I’ve ever met. I have to wonder whether or not this world could be so small that this “Alise” from MN is the same one!? :-)

  11. Ugh, so embarassing. I am 94. project #124, no thumbnail! I don’t have a blog and used the shutterfly sharing link. Help! (or at least remove my sad no thumbnail). Thanks!

    Reply

  12. Well, that was easy. Next time I tackle a book project, I’ll be sure to come here for additional inspiration first! This is such an awesome, generous idea. Thanks!

    Reply

  13. I’m so in! I’ve been wanting to do something for years and I just read about it in your book last night. This is going to be fun!

    Reply

  14. this is a truly intelligent use of your blog for your book. the community building aspect is brill, as all of us who have been posting our craft projects on flickr for decades know. i’m always happy to see y’alls’ brains working. go, you.

    Reply

  15. Great idea. I might have gone a little link-up happy, so I apologize, but it is so fun to share/see all of these fun projects that you guys have inspired us with via your blog and your book! Now off to check out the rest of these great projects… thanks for taking up the rest of my day! ; )

    Reply

  17. Thanks for hosting, guys! Loved looking through these projects and seeing lots of my good pals- Ten June, Hi Sugarplum & A Thoughtful Place :) Love those ladies. Your book is so inspiring! xoxo

    Reply

  18. I can’t wait to take on a book project. I plan to do white cabinets and some love in my mom’s kitchen – but in the meantime, it’s got a lovely spot on my bookcase; not on the coffee table as my kids would likely draw some graffiti in it.

    Reply

  20. Finally got around to adding some book (and blog) inspired/related posts. It’s so cool to see what everyone else has done. I’m dying to see if #48 will make me love our ugly dining room chandelier, but it’s too cold in Minnesota for spray painting, so I guess that will have to wait until spring! Thanks again for sharing your projects…and letting us share ours!

    Reply

    • Oh no! Anyone else having an issue seeing it? We still see it and have received a few recent submissions so it seems to be working for others. Maybe try using another browser?

      xo
      s

  22. Oh good, I thought I was crazy because I don’t see it either! I’m in IE but I bounced over to Chrome and couldn’t see it there either. Mysterious…!

    Reply

  23. Omg! I got your book for Christmas and it was the best present this year! I have been waiting what feels like forever for this holy grail! It is just as amazing as i thought it would be!

    Great Job John and Sherry (clara and burger to)

    Young House Love Follower
    Victoria

    p.s come do your book tour in CANADA! WE LOVE YOU OUT HERE TO!!

    Reply

  24. I’m so glad that y’all are making a stop Charlotte for your book tour!!! I’m starting my third project from your book this month for our master bedroom. Thanks to your book, I finally figured out what I’m going to do for our headboard!

    Reply

  25. Hi John (and Sherry),
    John, my sister (a former schoolmate/locker neighbor of yours) mentioned to me that you recently “liked” her Facebook post where she mentioned that she got me your book for Christmas and that I was already hard at work on some projects! I felt like I had been indirectly touched by celebrity and was inspired to share one of my projects– it looks like I’m the first to give #5 a try (or at least to share it)! I also made her a set of jars a la project #51 (as a fellow TJ alum I knew she’d appreciate the periodic table references), but don’t have a photo of those. Anyway, your book is absolutely awesome! And I can’t wait to keep working my way through it! Thanks for everything you guys do!

    Reply

  28. This is great, but also a bit overwhelming! Any possibility of you ordering all the submissions by project number (instead of the order they’re linked up), or lumping them together? (i.e. click on a thumbnail to see all the spins on project #87)

    Reply

  29. J & S

    I have spend (well, I am afraid to disclose amount here as I may faint from the dollar sign and number) a lot of money on design and decor books. I picked your up at my local Chapters book store here in Ontario, Canada.

    I am completely blown away by the gravity of this book. I have recommended it to everyone I know (and don’t know..lol). This is truly an amzing accomplishment and you dogs knocked it outa the park…I mean GRAND SLAM AWESOMENESS!!!

    Okay, now that I got your attention….HELP!!!! I realize you both must be two of the most (amazing)busy people with parenting, home reno’s, book tour and everything else that life brings your way. Here is my call for any advice or help you may be able to send my way.

    I am completely and totally overwhelmed at this present time. We purchased a supposedly little-bit-of-a-fixer-upper in December 2011. Long and extremely stressfull story short…we found MOULD! We gutted the house. We found wires taped together…NO junction boxes…the well piped burst…flooded the basement…had to put in all new walls, kitchen, and bathroom.

    We just moved in this past December 2012. One year after we were supposed to move in. Ugh!

    Anyhooo! I just wanna know HOW to organize my time, my brain, and focus on getting things done. How do I do this? When I wake and see all that needs to be done…I just wanna sit and cry (I have been known to do that a considerable amount this past year).

    Where do I start? I still have do trim work in most areas, caulking, painting,finish the kitchen, I have no laundry room as yet :( and feel so unorganized. ANY TIPS or ADVICE would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you if you got this far in my message. You two are amazing and I have been following you for four years now.

    Loyally,

    Sue

    Reply

    • OMGosh!!!!! I MEANT “You guys knocked it outa the park”. I am gonna go crawl under my pillow now full of horror at my misprint in the message above :C
      I have to learn to edit before I click SEND….So SORRY :I

      Sue

    • Aw Sue, thanks so much for the kind words about the book! You’re so sweet and we’re so glad you’re enjoying it! As for the house question, at the bottom of this post we explain our method (as well as writing out our entire to do list and keeping track of what we get done). Hope it helps!

      xo
      s

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *