Replacing the Old Cork Board

Sneak peek of today’s project. . .

Guess what I’m doing this weekend? I can hardly wait for Saturday because my sister-in-law and I are heading back up to Cline’s Junk Antiques! Eek! So very excited! What is Cline’s? In case you are a new reader to the blog, let me introduce you to Cline’s Antiques,or, as I like to call it, a little piece of junk heaven!

Look at all that rust and furniture waiting to be refinished!
Last time I visited Cline’s I scored some great windows for only two bucks each. Yes, $2! Here is one of them.

reclaimed window

Yes, it’s dirty. Really dirty. You see, Cline’s has tons of windows waiting to go home with someone like me. The downside is that the windows, like almost everything else at Cline’s, are just piled up in the yard.
No biggie, a squirt of the hose and a little elbow grease cleaned it up nicely!
So, this window has been sitting in my garage since that shopping trip. I finally have put it to use! I got tired of looking at the cork board in the hall near my kitchen. It gets so cluttered with cards, artwork, invitations, etc. It had to go. I’ve also been wanting to create a chalkboard somewhere near the kitchen to jot down reminders. This window was the start to a perfect solution!

cover glass paint

 I masked off the glass with some plastic bags and painter’s tape. And spray-painted it a pretty gold/yellow color.

paint window

No paint project of mine is complete without a little distressing! I used my new favorite color Distress Ink, frayed burlap, around the edges and on the faces of the wood.

distress ink wood

So my dirty old window was now clean and had a pretty coat of paint on it. Time to make this baby into something special.
I had this great Gallery Chalkboard Vinyl Decor from Stampin Up! It was $25 but I got it for free with an order I placed! So I attached the vinyl to the window.

chalkboard vinyl

Next I needed somewhere to hang things that I typically tack onto the bulletin board like photos, cards, invitations, artwork, etc.
I had this burlap ribbon and baker’s twine that I got from Pick Your Plum. They were perfect for this piece!

bakers twine burlap ribbon

I used the burlap ribbon to add a big bow on the corner of the board.

burlap ribbon bow pick your plum

I wrapped a piece of chalk in the baker’s twine so I could attack it to the board.

hanging chalk bakers twine

And also draped the baker’s twine across the top and bottom of the window. I used hot glue to attach it around the back. Then I added little clothespins that I also got from Stampin Up!

bakers twine hanging line clothes pin

This was the perfect  replacement for thumbtacks and cork board!

And with that, the board was complete!

family command center

And because I love to do things on a budget, I’m proud to brag that this piece cost less than $5! Remember, the window was $2, I bought one can of spray paint, the chalkboard vinyl piece was free and the ribbon, string and clothespins I already had in my stockpile.

If you are interested in ordering any of the products mentioned above, I’ve directly linked them to the online ordering site. Items will be shipped directly to your home! Check out all the products at Stampin Up!

Ugly Bunny

Sneak peek?

Late last April, I went on a weekend shopping spree hitting up all the garages sales, thrift stores and Goodwills I could find? I got some pretty good finds that weekend, including these. . .

Do you remember? One of those finds was the ugly chocolate bunny. Why the heck did I buy this item? Because I saw it and immediately thought, “WHITE! This bunny needs to be white!” Easter had already passed, but I remembered this Pottery Barn bunny knock-off from The DIY Showoff and thought, I can make this bunny look fabulous like hers!”

Then I looked at the price. 99 cents. Really? Get in my buggy little bunny!

But I almost forgot about i! A memory of it popped into my head the other day and I scrambled to the storage closet to get it because I knew if I waited I would forget about it again! As I pulled it out from all the other junk great finds stored in there, I started thinking to myself how crazy it was that when I tossed it in there last year, Easter seemed so far away! But here we are again, already. And here is the ugly bunny!

So I undressed the bunny and got rid of his accessories.

I sprayed him with a light coat of primer.

Then two good coats of white, satin-finish spray paint.

As usual, my plan was to stop here. I wanted a white bunny. However, as usual, I couldn’t leave him alone. I’ll give you one guess as to what I did next. . . grabbed my sandpaper.

I distressed the little guy, which took a little effort since I sprayed him pretty heavily with paint. If I plan on distressing I usually go a little lighter.

Now he was perfect!

I paired him with a mossy Easter basket on my foyer chest.

Happy Easter!

Reinventing an Old Milk Can

I told you I had something to share today! I finally took a little break from the favor boxes lsat week to regain my sanity with some other type of creativity. Unfortunately that break {and my allergies} have now caused me to be way behind!

Anyway. . . I finally made good use of this old milk can. Actually, I’ve had it sitting in this spot since Christmas {I put long pine branches in it} but it wasn’t finished.

You might {or probably don’t since it was ages ago} remember on my trip to Cline’s Antiques Junk Yard I picked up this rusty old milk can. You might think it looks hideous, but I was in love! Not long before I had featured a blogger had painted her house number on a milk can for her front porch. So I was thrilled to have found one, no matter what condition it was in! Nonetheless, I think I only paid $8 for it.

Even though I like rust, this piece was a little too rusty for me. So I spray painted it with one of my favorite colors. Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze.

I used my Silhouette CAMEO to cut stencil vinyl {I’m sure regular vinyl would work fine}. I did “No. 4 “for the number of people in our family.

After cutting the vinyl, I peeled the outer piece away from the backing carefully, leaving the cut image behind.

Then stuck it on the milk can. Because the milk can surface was textured from the rust and spray paint there were some areas of the vinyl that didn’t quite stick. Plus the font was pretty intricate and I couldn’t quite get it placed right. So I had to modify my original idea of using a stencil blotter brush because I knew the paint would bleed through.

Instead I used a fine tip and painted carefully inside the stencil. Two good coats.

When I peeled off the vinyl, there was still a little bit of bleeding, but I went back with my fine tip and traced over the letters one more time which helped cover it up.

The final result! I tied a strip of burlap around the neck and filled it with long branches of greenery, cherry blossoms and my cute little sticks with lighted tips.

Oh how I love junk! And reinventing fabulousness from junk makes me happy! Now back to the favors! Have a great weekend y’all!

Skip To My Lou

Decorating with Plates {and Vinyl}

My sweet hubby bought me a new set of Pottery Barn everyday dinnerware for Christmas this year. Our dishes at the time were getting beat up and there was a few missing pieces. Well, they weren’t missing. They were thrown in the trash because they had been broken to pieces! Anyway, I really wanted some new ones.

I did still have all 12 of the dinner plates though. And I stacked them in the corner of the breakfast room hoping I could pass them down to someone. They have sat in that same corner from December 26 until today! Serious! Today I had an idea! I have this bare wall in my breakfast area {right above where these plates have been sitting} next to my my Ballard-inspired shelves. These plates were about to fill that empty space! I bought a large, vertical plate rack {I guess that’s what they are called} at Hobby Lobby and hung it on the wall.

I started by creating an image using Silhouette Studio and used the Silhouette to cut black vinyl. Once it was cut I used contact paper to remove the vinyl from the cutting mat.

Then I transferred it to the center of the plate and used my flat edge to smooth out the vinyl and contact paper. The vinyl stuck pretty easily to the plate. Sometimes getting the vinyl to stick to the surface rather than the contact paper is tricky.

Once the vinyl was stuck I slowly peeled away the contact paper.

And there is plate number 1!

I did the same thing with “est. 2004” on a different plate. This would turn into plate number 3! What about plate number 2?

Well, this is the fun part where I get to use the remaining 10 plates! Plate number two will change for the holidays and seasons! I am creating an individual plate for each season/holiday. This way I can just switch it out when I need to!

I’m skipping St. Patty’s decor this year. By the time I get around to putting it all up it will be time for Spring/Easter. So I’m just going to go ahead and get out my bunnies and eggs!

Stay tuned. I’ll show you the different plates I design for the different holidays! P.S. Easter is not finished yet! I’m waiting on my bright spring vinyl to come in the mail! I’m also working on my Easter shelves which I’ll share soon!

Great Idea for Ribbon Storage

How to make a “Ribbon Rack” from a UTO {unidentified thrift store object}.

Quite awhile ago, sometime over the summer I think, I was at Goodwill and I saw this. . .

I wasn’t really sure what it was. Maybe a plate rack? A towel rack? No idea! What I did know is that I liked it. Plus it was only $4. I also knew exactly what I was going to use it for. You see, I have a lot of ribbon. Every time I go to Hobby Lobby, I end up coming home with more ribbon. They have the cutest! Anyway, all my ribbon was in a drawer which a) made it difficult to find what I was looking for and b) a big mess when the ribbon came unrolled. This unidentified piece was about to solve that problem.

First it needed some “Heavy Cream” paint. This paint is made by Valspar and it’s one of my favorite colors. Not bright white, but not too off-white. Then, of course, I had to distress it.

The piece originally had three rods and a lot of empty space. I had hubby drill three more sets of holes.

I grabbed some dowel rods we had in the garage {I’ve told you before we have TONS of scrap wood in our garage. Every size, shape, etc. This is when it comes in handy!} and hubby measured and cut them long enough to be inserted into the drilled holes.

We ended up adding another hole and rod in between the two upper rods.

The rods fit perfectly through the holes in the center of the ribbon rolls.

Now when I need ribbon, instead of digging through my drawer, I can simply tug on the ribbon and cut it at the desired length! I love this thing!

Whoop whoop! Partying it up here this week!

Embroidery Hoop Wall Art

My inspiration for this wall art was from Blissfully Smitten. I found this adorable nursery wall  on Pinterest while searching for ideas to decorate my craft room. {Have I ever told you how much I looooove Pinterest?}

Pinned Image

When I saw these I knew they would be the perfect decor for my craft room! Very shortly after pinning this idea I found an entire box of embroidery hoops at a garage sale for $2! {Even if you don’t come across a fantastic deal like this, the hoops are very inexpensive at the craft stores.}

Of course, me being me, I couldn’t leave them they way they were! I used very dark stain (espresso) on the hoops. This was a very messy process, I recommend wearing gloves!

After the stain was dry, I applied one heavy coat of paint {my favorite, Heavy Cream from Lowe’s}. Oh yeah, I have to give a shout out to Purdy for the fabulous brushes they sent me! Love these guys! Can you guess what I did next?

I distressed it with sandpaper, of course! I told you, I can’t leave anything alone! That part was a little time consuming {mainly because you have to wait for the stain and paint to dry}. The rest is easy!

If you don’t know how an embroidery hoop works, there are two rings {inner and outer}. The rings are attached with a screw. Simply remove the screw and separate the rings.

Place your fabric over the inner circle, face up, and place the outer ring over the top. Tug out any wrinkles that might be in the fabric. Replace the screw and fasten tightly.

 I used two different fabrics in the embroidery hoops. I used the toile fabric that I used throughout my craft room for a few hoops and plain fabric that I found at the thrift store for only 50 cents for the yard for the other hoops.

I decided to try something new for the plain fabric. I didn’t really know what I was doing but what I did worked! And it was pretty simple! I printed images on fabric using my computer printer. Don’t worry, I’ll share that tutorial with you soon! I promise!

 I just knew these would be the perfect accompaniment for my Mother’s Day piece. Do you remember that wood/chalkboard piece my fabulous, creative hubby made for Mother’s Day?

Together they make a perfect gallery over my sewing table! I’ll add a few more of the hoops, I think. Maybe using a different, very simple print fabric. I might even throw a monogram {M} in the mix.
So now you’ve seen another little corner of my craft room! I know I still haven’t shown you the full reveal, just bits and pieces. I’m pretty sure it’s because the room is always a disaster from all the projects I have going on! I promise, one of the se days, I’ll give you the reveal. Complete with before and after photos!
Stay tuned. . .

You’ll probably find this project linked up at the following parties:

all crafts Handmade Projects ~ Tip Me Tuesday

 

Join us Saturdays at tatertotsandjello.com for the weekend wrap up party!
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Ruffled Christmas Trees

Can you believe that it’s December 1st?  Christmas is right around the corner! I’ve finally finished decorating my house, and I promise I will post pics soon! I love decorating my house for Christmas! I transform just about every room into a winter wonderland! I even have an entire attic for Christmas decor only! But I can never have enough Christmas decorations, so soon I may have to clean out a closet or two to hold more stuff! 
Example: A few months ago I found these cones at the thrift store. At first I walked on by, but I quickly took a few steps back and picked them up. Twenty-five cents each! What was I going to use them for? I dunno. I knew I could figure something out! And I did! 

I ruffled some fabric scraps and grabbed a couple of mismatched wooden candlesticks. {Also from the thrift store. I have a stockpile of these because they are usually fifty cents to a dollar a piece.}
And this is what I made! ruffled Christmas trees! 
How? Keep reading! 
I primed both candlesticks and painted one green and one red. Both were paint colors I had on hand. {Yes, the green one is hanging from a tree branch. I spray paint a lot of things this way to get even coverage all the way around.}
Then I scratched it up. If you’ve ever been on my blog, you know that I love to paint and I love to remove paint! I’m a bit of a distressing addict! It gives pieces character!
Starting at the bottom, I took my ruffled fabric and wrapped it around and up the cones, securing it with hot glue. 
I added an additional piece of fabric to the bottom of the cone and
 I attached the candlestick with hot glue.
To finish off the top, I added a big fat striped ribbon. 
And here they are! Two ruffled Christmas trees for under $2! Remember, the cones were twenty-five cents each and the candlesticks were fifty cents each. The fabric was leftover scraps and the paint I had in my garage. Even if you didn’t have all the materials it would probably cost less than $10!  

So what are you waiting for? Go make some Christmas trees! You can never have too much holiday decor!

Sit, Relax, & GOSSIP – A Gossip Chair Makeover

I had never heard of a “gossip chair” before this past year. They seem to be all over the Internet now! I’ve seen some really fantastic upcycled ones with fabulous bright paint and vintage fabrics. I really wanted to do mine a cherry red, but it really wouldn’t have matched anything in my home. Bummer. I do like the way it turned out and it is a cute little piece for this corner of my house.

For those of you that are not familiar with the “gossip chair,” let me explain. Basically they are old chairs or benches with a small table where one would sit to chat on the phone. Hence the term “gossip chair.” Of couse these really have no purpose since the invention of the cordless phone and now, of course, cell phones. No one sits down to talk anymore. Who has time for that when you can do it on the go? Anyway, I found mine at a garage sale over the summer. I almost didn’t get it because I really didn’t know if I would use it. But when the seller accepted my offer of $10, I couldn’t refuse! Ten dollars!
I decided to use it in this little corner that sits behind the couch between the family room and breakfast room. I have been wanting to do something different in that little space anyway, and I thought the gossip chair would be the perfect size. 
It wasn’t in great shape. Some of the finish was coming off and it was pretty wobbly.

I brought out my favorite power tool, the mouse sander and went to work. The cracks and peels smoothed out pretty easily. 
I applied a good coat of primer. 

While that was drying I recovered the seat cushion. {Actually it really isn’t very cushiony. It’s pretty much a piece of wood with a little bit of cush. I don’t think it would be very comfy to sit in for a long conversation!} I used leftover fabric that I have in my family room. If you’ve never recovered chair cushions before, it’s really pretty easy. You can find my tutorial here.

I used paint leftover from the powder room which, coincidentally, was also the exact blue in the fabric. It took two good coats to cover it evenly. I had planned on stopping here. Of course my first instinct was to start scraping the paint with my sandpaper, but I distress so much of my furniture that I thought I should just leave it be. But. . .

I didn’t think it was right. Something was missing. Instead of using sandpaper, I used my Distress Ink pad to age it. It was just the right touch.
A few accessories and a pillow to finish it off. You might recognize the phone. It’s a working Pottery Barn phone, with a $59 sticker on the bottom. I got it from Goodwill for just $5.99 a while back. I was going to paint it, but decided just to leave it alone for now. It’s the perfect touch for this bench! Not that I’ll ever sit her and use it, but it’s cute!
I needed some height in the corner since this bench is small. I found a beautiful floor lamp at Kirkland’s on sale for $49! Parker Reese and daddy put it together. 
Finished! 
You don’t have to completely re-do a room for a new look. Sometimes just changing a small area of a room can make a huge difference! Especially on your wallet! I did this for less than $75 bucks!

Easy and Inexpensive Storage Idea

Hi friends! Did you think I disappeared? So sorry for being MIA this past week. I’ve been so busy with so many other things. I had my own garage sale, made a couple of meals for those in need, had two sick little boys, MOPS and lots of moms’ night out activities! Whew! 
What crafty things have I been up to? I haven’t had too much time for creative activities lately. I’m mainly just trying to finish up the finishing touches my creative space.
Several months ago when I started on my craft room, I found this spice rack at Goodwill. My intention was to use it for my thread and hang it over my sewing table. But then I had another idea.
This is what it looked like before. Just a little wooden shelf in okay condition. I planned on painting and distressing it. Nothing new.  

I scuffed it up with sand paper and then used a dark stain on some of the corners and edges for a darker finish.

I primed it. 

Then painted it with the same heavy cream used around the rest of the room. And used sandpaper to remove some of the paint for a distressed finish.

I had asked a friend to save some baby food jars for me. I rinsed them and removed the labels by soaking them over night in water. I painted the lids to match the metal finishes in the room and filled the jars with different scrapbooking supplies. I hung it in my craft room within reach of my desk for easy access to these items while working on paper projects.

There ya have it. One more little piece of my creative space. 
These spice racks are pretty easy to find at garage sales and thrift stores. I actually picked up another one this past weekend that I plan on using for beads and jewelry-making accessories.

The Rescued Rocker

A few months ago I rescued an old green rocking chair from a garage sale. It reminded me of the Cracker Barrel chairs {which it very well could be}.  The seller was asking only $10. The chair was in pretty bad shape. It {apparently} used to be a hunter green chair. The sun had faded the paint to almost turquoise and the paint and woven areas had been weathered quite a bit. But the bones of the chair were in such great condition! Especially for ten bucks! {I somehow failed to take a before shot for you.}
I used my favorite Skil sander to remove the chipping paint and prep it for painting. I love that tool! It’s a great stress reliever! 

Two {good} coats of primer spray paint. I didn’t bother masking off the rattan back or seat because it was pretty easy to spray the target areas without getting paint everywhere else.

Two heavy coats of white semi-gloss spray paint. Again, a little paint got on the rattan, but not much.

I planned on using regular stain but then thought, “Why not use that new gel stain I got from DecoArt?” {In case you missed my post last week, a box of goodies from DecoArt arrived on my doorstep a few weeks ago.} One of the items included was Americana Maple Gel Stain. I’d never used gel stain before, so I thought I’d give it a shot.

I applied a generous amount of gel stain with my sponge brush, spread it evenly and then gently wiped it with the cloth. I love this stuff! It’s nice and thick, not drippy like the other stains. And it covers the area really well. 
Gawjus! {And just like new!} It even covered the little bit of primer and paint that got on this area! I sprayed the entire chair with a good coat of clear gloss lacquer to seal it. 
Here she is! My beautiful “new” rocker for just ten bucks and a little elbow grease. Never turn your back on a piece of junk! 

Linking up here:
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