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New Zealand Road Trip with Kids (10-Day Itinerary + What I’d Do Differently)
All Posts | Lifestyle | Travel

New Zealand Road Trip with Kids (10-Day Itinerary + What I’d Do Differently)

We just got back from a 10-day road trip across…

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DIY kitchen renovation in progress with flat pack Kaboodle kitchen cabinets being assembled and installed, showing practical cabinet installation tips, tools, levelling, and budget-friendly renovation ideas for an Australian home kitchen makeover.
DIY Projects

Tips for Installing Kaboodle Kitchen Cabinets (What Nobody Tells You First)

When we started planning our DIY kitchen renovation we went…

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DIY medieval castle dollhouse with handmade details, featuring creative, kid-friendly crafting ideas using simple materials like popsicle sticks, egg cartons, and clay to create a rustic, imaginative dollhouse design.
Life

Castle Dollhouse Ideas (A Tour of Our DIY Medieval Dollhouse)

DIY castle dollhouse guide with medieval design ideas, step-by-step tips, and creative inspiration to build your own enchanting fortress.

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A whimsical and budget-friendly Fairy Garden Birthday Party filled with DIY decor, easy food ideas, and magical touches—perfect for creating a charming celebration without overspending.
All Posts | Decor | DIY Projects

How I Threw A Fairy Garden Birthday Party on a Budget (DIY Ideas + Easy Decor)

Fairy garden birthday party on a budget: easy DIY decor, cake ideas, simple food, and magical touches for a whimsical kids party.

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Close-up visuals from a DIY dollhouse stone tutorial showcasing step-by-step techniques, textures, and materials for creating realistic miniature stone finishes.
All Posts | DIY Projects

DIY Dollhouse Stone Tutorial

Create charming mini exteriors with this DIY dollhouse stone tutorial. Compare tools, tips and materials for realistic cottage-style results.

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How to List a Home While Living in It
DIY Projects

How to List Your Home While Living in It (Without Losing Your Mind)

Selling your house while still living in it? Here are realistic, family-friendly tips to keep your home show-ready—without going completely insane.

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sanded vs. unsanded grout
DIY Projects

Sanded vs. Unsanded Grout: Choosing for DIY Tiling Projects

Discover the key differences between sanded and unsanded grout for DIY tiling projects. Learn when to use each type, tips for mixing, and how to choose the best grout for floors, backsplashes, showers, and more!

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Secondhand Gift Ideas for Kids
All Posts | Products

Secondhand Gift Ideas for Kids

Every year around the holidays, my social media feed fills…

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How To Make DIY Built-Ins with IKEA Cabinets
DIY Projects | Renovations

How To Make DIY Built-Ins with IKEA Cabinets

AKA my foolproof formula for DIY built-ins that look custom…

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How to List a Home While Living in It
All Posts | Decor | Life

Home Staging Tips: How I Prepped Our House for Sale Without Painting It Gray

We recently listed our house—our third in five years—and once…

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Hi, we're Emma & Alex!

DIYErs | parents | chronic project starters

We started DIYing when we bought our first house in 2019 and now we've renovated three houses because we had the audacity to start then had to figure out how to get it done.

We're here to share what we've learned and hopefully inspire you to start, too!

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shoemakesnew

shoemakesnew

A thrifty Aussie mum with the audacity to DIY anything. Old house, new projects, & life back home after a decade abroad šŸ› ļø
āœ‰ļø: emma@shoemakesnew.com

I’ve narrowed down the design for my 4-year-old’s kitchen-turned-bedroom to what I’m calling Subtle Treehouseā„¢ļø. 
I’m thinking this cool tree mural (that closeup looks very story book), dark wood tones and a dusty blue but which one??
All the colours I sampled were:

Rocky Coast 
Dusty Cornflower
Smoke
Little Falls
Blue Spruce 

All from @benjaminmooreaustralia šŸ˜ I like all of them but can’t tell which will be best on all the walls? I’m thinking the lightest one is probably the way to go since there’s not much light in this room? 

#boysbedroom #kidsinterior #benjaminmoore #bluebedroom
Okay so since we last chatted about this kitchen-t Okay so since we last chatted about this kitchen-turned-kids-room plan, you’ve convinced me to do a wallpaper and paint combo but now I’ve unsurprisingly spiralled and have made too many moodboards. 

What colour/design direction do we like? Keeping in mind it is a 4-year-old’s room, but also I want it to grow with him and he’s the most easygoing kid ever and doesn’t have a strong opinion slash changes his mind every 2.5 seconds anyway so someone’s gotta be decisive šŸ˜…

#kidsroom #kidsinterior #diyproject
I actually can’t even pick which is the worst an I actually can’t even pick which is the worst and in making this I realised I’m very dramatic and could’ve added 15 more to the list šŸ˜‚

#renovationjourney #diyprojects #diyer #diyhome
Not saying a $50k quote for a kitchen reno isn’t Not saying a $50k quote for a kitchen reno isn’t justified, but I am telling you I won’t be doing that. 
So here’s the full breakdown of our kitchen cost, the pros and cons of going as DIY as possible, and what I’d tell anyone thinking about doing the same. 
Let me know if you have any questions, I love to overshare. 

#kitchenreno #kaboodlekitchen #budgetdiy #kitchenremodel
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