2016 has been a year of growth and a lot of fun projects here at Simple Practical Beautiful. We landscaped the backyard, upgraded a few rooms in our home, threw some great parties, and made some fun crafts. Actually, there were a lot more crafts than I’d planned, but they were well-liked, especially during the holiday months.
Here’s the top ten projects that have been popular this year on Simple Practical Beautiful.
Moana’s necklace
Disney’s Moana has been a big success. Besides being a fun movie to watch, I think it’s popularity is because the main character is strong, kind, and very relatable heroine.
The movie’s success has made this tutorial on how to make Moana’s necklace very popular, especially on Pinterest.
Fairy Garden Fun
Part of this popular post about fairy gardens was inspired by the Disney movie Pete’s Dragon. But I think so many people have read it because of all the creative fairy ideas my daughters came up with for the patio fairy garden they built over the summer.
How to Add an Electrical Outlet
This year I started learning and becoming more comfortable with electrical home improvements. I replaced several ceiling light during the year, but the most popular electrical post by far is a video my husband helped me create about adding a new electrical outlet.
DIY Soccer Goal
Soccer is huge, at least at our elementary school. My daughter was so excited when I made her a PVC soccer goal so she could practice her moves at home in our backyard. Apparently she’s not the only one who loves playing soccer because this post was a big hit.
How to Choose and Lay Sod
We put in grass this year, and it made a huge difference in our backyard. We now spend a lot more time out there because my kids love playing on the grass. Laying sod was relatively easy (The prep work is the hard part). And the “extreme gardening” video we made is a lot of fun to watch.
How to Install Irrigation Valves
Before we could prep and lay sod, we had to install a sprinkler system. And before we could lay the sprinkler system, we had to add irrigation valves. Surprisingly, this post on how to install irrigation valves was even more popular than the post about the sprinkler system itself.
DIY Bathroom Drawer Organizer
I think everyone must battle clutter in the bathroom because this post on how to make a simple organizer for a bathroom drawer was a hit. I just used a couple of small boards to build it, but the stain and contact paper make it look pretty.
A Small Retaining Wall
Building a retaining wall can change the look and landscape of a small backyard, and it’s an easy DIY home project. This popular tutorial gave instructions on building and adding drainage to a small retaining wall.
DIY Balloon Shades
These relaxed roman curtains are feminine and elegant and very easy to make. They only require a little sewing and some very simple hardware. And they look perfect in my girls’ room.
Fairy Houses Made from Old Containers
In May, I posted several ideas we used at my daughter’s fairy garden birthday party. This post about making fairy houses from old bottles and containers has been the most popular. I think it’s because it combines two very popular trends, fairy gardens and upcycling.
Sorting Hat
My tutorial on how to make this iconic prop from the Harry Potter movies and books wasn’t published in 2016, but it has been the most popular post on Simple Practical Beautiful this year by far. The Sorting Hat is still in demand.
Coming in 2017
I’ve got several projects I’m really excited we’re going to be working on this coming year. As always, it will be a mix of home and garden improvements and partie and DIY stuff for my kids. Next week I’ll be sharing my plans for our three biggest project, so stay tuned. Also, if you like the posts I shared from 2016, make sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter to see all of my future projects in your inbox!