Package theft from front porches has become an increasingly large problem in the U.S.  As many as 20% of people have reported a package lost or stolen from their front porch since 2017.  I live in California which ranks number 3 in the nation for porch piracy.

Law enforcement agencies are now encouraging homeowners to use package tracking and notifications, as well as tighten up surveillance of their front porches.  Just the presence of cameras can discourage package thieves from targeting your house vs. one which lacks security systems.

I am SO EXCITED to share today’s project.

I actually finished it about two weeks ago, but never got around to taking photos and writing about it until now.  But I just LOVE IT!

I have been obsessing about all the great marquee lights I’ve been seeing all over the internet, but now they have gotten so affordable and accessible in stores that I never felt like it was worth my time to make one from scratch.

At least not in the traditional sense of making a marquee light.

But then inspiration struck when I was washing out a set of old K-cups (I always save them since they aren’t recyclable and I have had project ideas for them in the past). I was lining them up on the counter and I realized how cool they looked when I started creating shapes. 
Of course, with Valentine’s day around the corner, a heart shape was the first thing that came to mind.

I thought about gluing them down and spray painting the whole thing so it was one color but three dimensional, and then I thought, “WHY NOT LIGHT THEM UP AGAIN?!”

And that is exactly what I did.   This time with pink mini-lights
There aren’t many projects where with each step you finish, you get more and more excited about it.. but this project was one of them:
So how did it come together?

10 Wooden Lanterns You Could Build Yourself

As part of this month's power tool challenge I needed to create a lantern out of wood.

This summer I made a trip out to my parents house and I spent a little time going through their basement.  My dad always has new and interesting treasures that he finds at flea markets and junk shops. 

Over in one corner I found this filthy wooden tripod, originally used for surveying.  I knew immediately that I wanted to turn it into a lamp so I packed it up and brought it back home with me.  (I stuck it in my suitcase.. I wonder what the TSA thought!) 

I have wanted one of these tripod lamps for-EVER.. since seeing them in the Pottery Barn catalog. 

My version looks pretty darn close! 

If you aren’t lucky enough to find an authentic vintage tripod, you can actually buy wooden tripod reproductions on Amazon for about $50.

Of course, they won’t come with the patina (or cobwebs) that are found on the authentic deal found in your dad’s basement but they are still cheaper than a $470 floor lamp. 

To turn this beauty into a light, it is pretty straight forward.  You just need a make-a-lamp kit and a lampshade.  (You could buy the rewiring supplies individually but the kit makes it easy.) 

I removed the center threaded washer from the tripod and added a threaded rod though (I used a longer one than the one that came with the kit, because the original was too short.. I secured the rod to the washer using a pair of nuts.  

I replaced the washer into the tripod and made sure the threaded rod was high enough to support the new light. I added the light kitAnd then attached the wires. Finally I added the shade and it was time to test It out! It worked great

 

This was just one of a series of amazing DIY projects.  You don’t want to miss them: 

The Kim Six Fix Vintage Surveyors Tripod Lamp

Virginia Sweet Pea DIY Candlesticks Using Upcycled Bedposts

H2OBungalow Upcycled Metal and Wood Table

Create and Babble Little Round Stool

My Love 2 Create Small Decorative Caddy

My Repurposed Life Easy One Pallet Project

Designed Decor Build Your Own Tufted Bench  

 

My kids have really gotten into Perler beads this summer.  I shared a few of their projects on Instagram lately, and they got me all fired up to play along too.

The kids have been having a fun time with @perlerbrand beads today. I will be picking them off the floor for the next two months but that is par for the course! #craft #kidscrafts #perlerbeads #pusheen #minions #owl #beads #crafty #create #craftymom #kids #summerfun #creative #creativelife #fun #kidscraft #craftaholic

A post shared by Kim Six-TheKimSixFix.com (@thekimsixfix) onJun 27, 2017 at 1:01pm PDT

I decided to move away from two dimensional flat projects, and came up with a easy cylindrical container shape.  You could really make ANY pattern on it, so I played around with a few different patterns.  You could use them to store pencils or makeup brushes or pretty much anything really, but I turned them into succulent planters.. since hey.. TRENDY! 

Today’s project is a crossover between a craft and home decor.  I was invited to create a Shibori project as part of the Create & Share challenge. Shibori is a modified form of tie dying, using indigo dyes.  I wanted to do something a little unexpected to I tackled a lampshade!

There were 6 other bloggers in the challenge and they came up with their own ideas for Shibori.  I also love how the actual pattern in the dye is different for everyone.

Lighting technology has come a long way in just a few short years. ENERGY STAR Advanced LEDs are replacing traditional incandescent bulbs because of the huge energy and cost savings (as much as 75-90%). Now that LEDs are available in a range of colors and brightness levels, you can have the warm and cozy feeling you get from incandescent bulbs, but at a fraction of the cost.

But did you know that that technology has extended into the realm of holiday lighting as well? Gone are the days of energy draining mini-light strands with loose bulbs that would result in the entire string of lights going out. LED lights are long lasting, shatter proof and most importantly cool to the touch. This puts them at a huge advantage over traditional incandescent lights.

For this project I used LED string lights for just those reasons. Safety, cost savings and the fact I could re-use this string for as long as 20 years!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Schneider Electric . All opinions are 100% mine.

My regular readers know I’m not afraid of technology!  I have smart lightbulbs, a smart garage door opener, and now I have a smart thermostat!  Schneider Electric, the leader in weather service technology, agreed to send me their Wiser Air smart thermostat in exchange for this post and I wanted to share my thoughts and walk you through the process of just how easy it was to install.

I spend a LOT of time in my garage.  In fact, after we purchased this house it was one of the first 'rooms' in my house I fixed up because it is so much more than a garage for us. It is a mudroom, and workshop and storage area.

Right now my garage is full of projects and I'm not actually parking my car inside.  Because it is more of a workshop than a parking spot,  I am constantly coming and going out, opening and closing the door to control the temperature, or let light in, or to load and unload my building supplies and thrift store treasures.

I recently found this black lamp at a thrift store for $3.  I had originally thought of spray painting it a bright and funky color but decided against it.  Instead I thought I would leave the base alone and add the personality to the lamp in the shade itself.

I recently shared Josh's new bed that I built for him and the most fun feature about it.. the built in sconce on the headboard. Installing that light was a little trickier than it may first appear.

I am pretty sure a large percentage of houses built in the late 80s and early 90s have a large fluorescent fixture in the kitchen.  Back then, they were considered the most efficient way of throwing large amounts of light.   Our house had one, along with the vast majority of houses in our neighborhood:The problem is, that now in the 21st century, there are even MORE efficient lighting options available.  Ones that throw much brighter and whiter light, not the yellow (humming) glow of fluorescent tube bulbs.  So when I redid my kitchen, I knew the huge ceiling box had to go.

Replacing a fixture like this is pretty straight forward.  Messy? Yes.  But otherwise it is pretty simple to replace.

Every month Stacy from Not Just a Housewife sends a pair of DIY bloggers a home decor item in the mail and challenges them to create something unique with it.  She calls it the Styled x3 challenge.   (You can see examples of previous challenges at the bottom of her post.) 
This month she challenged myself and Claire from A Little Clareification to style this hyacinth bowl in our own way.  And you know me.. I needed to bring out the POWER TOOLS!

I’ve been alluding to this project on Instagram for a while now, but I am finally rolling out the reveal today!  It is my DIY floor lamp as part of Brittany’s DIY Lighting Challenge:

Earlier this week, I did a periscope broadcast of me replacing one of my standard two socket kitchen counter outlets with new USB integrated outlets.  The kind that have 2 outlets and 2 USB ports although there are lots of great versions on the market.

I know not a ton of people are on Periscope yet (and since those broadcasts only last 24 hours), I decided I would edit that video down and share it here as well: