Happy Thursday, friends!  It’s been an odd week over here in many many ways. At the risk of having an over-sharing hangover, I’m not going to dive into that, but I could NOT let one more day pass without sharing this DIY that I’d had on the docket!

There are times when I have an idea for the end product, and there are other times when I have an object that love and I need to use in something… So I hold onto it forever, hoping that its time in the spotlight will one day arrive. Well, the day has arrived for this beautiful Mercer dinner plate from Crate & Barrel.  

I actually wanted to buy a whole set, but only being married five years, we still have all of our original dinnerware and it’s in great condition. So, I ended up buying a few just because I wanted to use them somewhere. Anywhere.

Then, last week, I found this votive holder.  It was just $4 at Home Goods and I although I like candles just fine, I had another idea for it.  It would make a perfect companion for my lonely plate that was stashed away in my office waiting for its day in the sun.  The plate being only $5 meant that the whole DIY modern cake stand was assembled for less than $10.  Yes, a modern, organic, minimal beauty for less than it would cost to buy something not as beautiful.

If you’ve been hanging around here long, you’ll know my craft mantra – making something yourself needs to either be cheaper or prettier than what you can buy.  If it’s neither, than there is no purpose (in my opinion).  I mean, this cake stand!  It’s a two step DIY that cost under $10, but can you believe how it turned out?  It looks like something you’d buy at a trendy minimal boutique for $100!

I firmly believe that simple actions using beautiful materials is the way to go when it comes to crafting and DIY.  I like showcasing the beauty of a material or technique and, of course, making something gorgeous in the process.

Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that make the biggest impact, no?

Tell me, have you done anything super simple lately that has you smiling?