GORGEOUS SHINY THINGS

ORC Final Reveal- Guest Room/Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Sun, 21 Nov 2021 16:31:00 -0500

It's finally finished and I am still alive to share it! This was a total race to the finish, and I had my doubts I'd get it done in time. I now have a brand new painting/ sewing studio/ guest room and I am so happy. So glad I committed to the One Room Challenge, as I am sure this room would still be collecting junk. I now have a pretty studio space to design my patterns and sew in.

This room had so many projects involved, and I kept adding new ones and driving myself crazy.

I mean who adds a faux burl cabinet IKEA hack less than a week before the reveal when you still have a boatload of sewing? Just me, and I feel like it has been years since I did a true DIY, so doing this many at once had me a bit mental.

Remember what this room used to look like?

It was my son's old room and had become the junk room.

This was my original inspiration board:

I wanted a cozy space that I could use as my studio. My office on the first floor was busting at the seams with my fabric design business. Fabric samples were everywhere and I have very little space to paint and create. My dining room had already been hijacked by sewing machines and my family was not loving my growing pains.

One big bonus is this room has great light. It faces Southeast, and the windows overlook the water so I decided to take it over and move half my office/ business upstairs. I still have my office downstairs as well, but that will be where I do my digitizing of designs, computer work and store my samples. I will post some pictures of that office soon- its been undergoing a makeover as well. This has kind of been a 2 for 1, and I feel like I have new motivation to get more rooms completed.

I decided on a terracotta and soft blue color scheme, a little lilac crept in there too.

I custom designed some of the fabrics for the room, since that is my day job after all. They can all be found in my Spoonflower shop here.

The large Tulip Stripe was originally going to be the wallpaper, but I quickly changed that up to grasscloth because I felt it would be too busy with the painted floor. I decided to use it as the draperies instead.

Originally I wanted to do panels with roman shades in the windows, but that changed as I laid out the room.

This room was going to be a workhorse and I had a ton of art supplies, fabrics and sewing machines to store so I took the closet and created a secondary work area. I added an 9' long Formica countertop with two 24" wide IKEA base cabinets that faced each other on both ends (no door, they are just open shelving). I added pegboard and shelving above. The closet was off center so I hid that by adding a curtain across the entire wall. A ceiling track worked out great and kept the curtain from feeling too formal and fussy. Everything is organized and out of sight when I'm not working in there or if guests arrive.

I call this office space 'Oz' since it's behind the curtain.

Still more storage was needed,

so I transformed an old IKEA KALLAX bookcase into a faux burl cabinet...

This was what it looked like before paint and some doors I built were added:

I built 4 doors out of pine 1x2's that were 14.25" x 30" and connected pairs together to create 2 bifold doors. The Kallax cubbies don't space out evenly, so bifold doors were just easier and I technically only had to hang two doors now instead of four.

I then faux painted the cabinet to look like Burl.

My tutorial can be found on Instagram here .

I worked as a decorative artist for a couple years out of college and learned so many faux techniques. It takes some practice and a light touch, but its actually one of the easier finishes.

I attached the doors with simple brass cabinet hinges I found at my local hardware store and used cabinet magnets to close the doors.

I added radio weave caning to the insides of the doors.

In the end I decided against doing knobs. I preferred the cleaner look without.

The DIY projects don't end there.

There was also this makeover on my light fixture.

My original light only had two bulbs and the room was just too dark. I found a basic 6 bulb branch light here and transformed it into a brass tole inspired fixture covered in blossoms.

This entire light coast less than $75 when complete-including bulbs!

The How to Light Fixture Tutorial Video is on Instagram here.

It is actually so much easier than I thought it would be and it has me wanting to upgrade a couple other fixtures in my house . I found the craft metal here . It is a little lighter than the standard tin you'd find in Hobby Lobby. I was able to cut it with scissors, hammer on texture and bend it easily. This light doesn't have to be gold- I toyed with the idea of painting it cream and individually painting the flowers a color light traditional tole lights.

Now for the other half of the room. The Guest part...

I wanted to keep a twin bed in here as a daybed, just in case we needed extra space for visitors.

Remember this corner? With its screwy double eves?

I had such a challenge creating a canopy to hide that. I really wanted a fancier canopy like in my inspiration picture, but the eve came out so far I couldn't create one that would be balanced on both sides without it looking stupid. I had to go with a simple draped one.

The nook fit a twin perfectly, so it totally dictated how this room would lay out.

The canopy is made from 5 yards of fabric with 3 hidden rod pockets.

The rods inside the eves are simple white tension rods.

The rod at the end of the bed is a basic 3/4" gold rod from Home Depot. I took the ball off the side that went into the wall and hung it using these brackets I found. They came silver, so I sprayed them gold to match.

The little dresser was actually mine as a child. I faux painted it about 7 years ago.

Right after I took these pictures my son stole it for his room. I'm trying to find a replacement.

I reupholstered the headboard and dust skirt using my Andrew Stripe fabric.

I originally made it back in 2015 for my son's room. Here is the tutorial.

I will do one on how to make a dust skirt. Its actually very simple in terms of sewing, but there is a lot of math to get the pleats to fall where you want.

I found the little bench and my desk at estate sales.

Large mirror was a wedding gift

I love the desk in this room, but it might be getting swapped out with the desk in my other office. I'm realizing it's not as practical for painting as I had hoped with the curve. I have a deeper rectangular desk downstairs... I will let you know where everything ends up once I finish that room.

I am so thrilled to finally the room complete. I have never done a One Room Challenge, and I knew that giving myself a deadline is the only way to get it done. In my true 11th hour style of course!

I am off to take a huge nap in that daybed and get back to my normal routine.

I can't wait to create some new patterns in this space!

Please be sure to check out all the other amazing transformations by this season's participants. It is so inspiring to see the creativity and hard work!

ORC WEEK 4- The Painted Checkerboard Floor

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 18:23:00 -0400

Floor is painted!

It was a long road to get here but I am so happy with it.

As promised, I am going to go over all the details.

I also got the grasscloth up and I have an excellent video I found that shows you how to paste the walls, not the paper, which was so much easier and so much neater.

Watch it here.

Back to the floors...

So some of you might know that back in the day I used to be a Decorative Painter. I painted floors, walls, gilded ceilings, faux marbled and grained, painted murals, you name it, for several years out of college.

I was a little rusty, and my knees and back definitely have aged, but I was glad I could still crank one out.

These floors were painted over plywood sub-flooring...

remember this nightmare from a couple weeks ago?

STEP 1:

Prepping the surface of your floors is key...

I scraped, sanded, wood puttied nail holes and seams, sanded some more and vacuumed like a madwoman until I had a surface I was happy with. You want to make sure there is no residue or oil that will repel paint, and since I had disintegrated carpet pad stuck to mine, I had lots of scraping and sanding to remove it.

STEP 2:

Prime and base coat your floors.

I used California Paint's ALLFLOR for my paint.

My paint store tinted the base coat to a cream tone, and I also had them tint two separate quarts to match Farrow & Ball "Red Earth" and "Parma Gray" for the stars and checkers.

They told me I didn't need a primer since I had prepped my floor well, but I would recommend it just in case. I had a funky spot in the closet area where paint lifted.

(Think I got lazy in there because I knew noon would see it.)

My floors were well covered in two coats. Be sure to allow ample dry time between coats!

STEP 3:

Laying out the design

This is the part that requires lots of math. I prefer to have my design fall evenly across the floor, so I need to determine how many squares will fit along each wall. Hopefully this picture explains what I mean.

Notice how I have perfect half blue checkers along the edges,

and the tips of the white squares touch the wall.

On the perpendicular wall, the same is true but in reverse:

I created my design in Photoshop first so I could play with colors:

Planning out the layout will save you big headaches as opposed to forcing a particular sized square to fit your room. If you must have, lets say 18" squares and won't budge, you can do it by finding the exact center of the room and then drawing two cross lines that run through it. You would then start in the center and work out. Only problem is that you might end up with tiny pieces of squares along the edges.

I prefer the above look so I try to find the size that will fit best. Take your time, grab a calculator or use one of these handy right triangle calculators - and grab a notebook to sketch out your floor. I am so sorry for what's about to follow. I tried my hardest to have this make sense, but I'm a do'er not a teacher.

First you will need to revisit the Pythagorean Formula...

OK. If you made it this far, we should hang out because you'd probably get me.

Last part...if you have nooks, all you need to do is trace one of your squares and create a template out of poster board. You want to line this template up with existing squares you created with chalk lines. Trace it faintly with a pencil and continue moving it, lining it up and tracing into any nooks and crannies.

Good lord, I hope this makes sense. I wish I could just come over and floor whisper to you.

Once this part is done, time to tape...

I screwed this part up big time because I had my kid's calling for their Uber rides.

DO this when you have no distractions, and no drinking wine until your second coat of paint.

You will need to mark off every square you DO NOT want to paint, I used a small piece of tape in the centers to do that. Next you will tape inside of the lines of all those squares. That's it.

Use an Exact-o knife to trim your tape edges where they overlap. Also, use good quality tape- Frog Tape or Sensitive Surfaces by 3M. I had a roll of both so excuse the 2 colors here....

Now paint the squares that don't have tape int eh centers.

Mine took two coats.

Pull your tape carefully, I like to pull, angled all the way back from the painted edge,

keeping my tape low towards the floor.

There will be blood. I had lots of bleeding due to the texture of y plywood.

Grab a small angled brush and touch up using the base color.

Lastly, if you want to embellish further...

I made an 8 point star stencil using an unused piece of old peel and stick wallpaper.

Contact paper also works great.

I sketched the design onto the paper and then cut it out with my Exact-o knife and a straight edge.

Just keep the backing paper on the outside edges of your stencil, but remove it close to where you will be painting. This allows for you to lift and position the stencil easily. Find the center of your square and adjust your stencil. When its where you like, press the peeled sticky edges down. I used a foam roller lightly coated with paint. I rolled a coat on and used a hairdryer to speed drying. There was lots of bleeding, it I fixed it with touch up paint.

Also , dry the back of your stencil with hair dryer each move, it keeps paint from spreading...

And that's all she wrote.

I hung the grasscloth shortly after, and have started bring pieces of furniture in.

Originally I thought I would have my desk in the window,

but it felt too close to the bed.

Desk will be getting painted, and the wall behind it will be completely curtained to hide my closet/ storage/ sewing area... This will also hide the fact hat the closet is off center.

As far as the day bed goes, I am now building something like this.

Canopy has not been determined.

Here are 2 options... Ignore the crappy photoshop.

I also am using this rug...

Stay tuned. My goal for next week is to build out the closet and start the daybed.

Be sure to check out all the Week 4 ORC Updates here!

See you next week...

One Room Challenge- Week 3 Update

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 12:02:00 -0400

Sorry, this update is not pretty or glamorous in any way. Last week was so frustrating I didn't even post! My ORC has been in a "planning, purchasing and carpet ripping phase" the past two weeks. I have redesigned this room about 20 times, and second guessed my choices like a true Libra.

Here's what I have been looking at for my fabrics:

The only thing that is for sure and that has been ordered is the wavy Andrew Stripe, the soft blue Shagreen pattern and the Emma Bouquet Toss below. The Stripe is going on the Romans and headboard/ dust ruffle , the Shagreen is the duvet, and the Bouquet Toss will be shams.

I also found a small rug for next to the bed. It works well with fabrics and the paint for the floor.

(The original rug I posted on my inspiration board sadly sold out.)

Speaking of painted floors, this is where the majority of my time went.

I ripped out the old carpet and was met with a lovely surprise. The carpet pad was so deteriorated it was stuck to the floor. So nasty. It took days of scraping and sanding.

My husband was like "Why don't we just re-carpet?"

And I was all "I have a vision of a painted floor... I must paint the floor!"

His idea would have saved me weeks, as well as saved my back and knees, but I am stubborn.

Behold the floor in its current state.

Three coats of cream paint are drying, awaiting to be painted with a checkerboard and stars....

Today I hope to paint the soft blue checkers and terracotta stars. Then its on to making a final call on the fabric assignments. A lot of the fabric should be here in a week, and I feel like I am just going to need to hang it around the room to make the final call. What I do know is the bed canopy will look something like this and go in the nook to the right of the eave.

Heres a super quick & crappy photoshop mock up of my plans (fabrics might move around):

My tasks to finish this week are:

-Paint Floor Design

-Hang Grasscloth Wallpaper

-Order any additional fabrics

-Nail down lighting

Be back with prettier pictures soon.

In the meantime check out all the progress being made elsewhere during the One Room Challenge here!

One Room Challenge Fall 2021- Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Fri, 1 Oct 2021 11:42:00 -0400

So after many years of wanting to do this, and missing the boat, I am finally doing the One Room Challenge. I have several rooms that need serious help, but I decided to go with our junk collecting spare room. Now before I show you all the ugly before shots, let's talk about the plan. This room is going to be a workhorse and will serve as a guest room/ my sewing room/ studio. My fabric design world has spilled out of my office, into my dining room and things are totally out of control. I plan on rounding up all my fabric and 3 sewing machines and creating a sewing room in the closet of the spare room. I will also have a work table/ desk in the room to increase my work area. There will be a tented daybed and lots of fabric. I am designing a few new patterns just for the occasion. This room will mostly serve as my work area, but I want to create a cozy nook for a guest to sleep in. Being able to hide the fabric area is essential!

The color palate will be warm terracottas, slate blue, cream and a pinch of dusty lavender...

So lets talk about my "to-do" list:

-Rip out stained old carpet and create a painted floor.

- Wallpaper walls with grasscloth.

-Change light fixture and add sconces to daybed.

-Build daybed into eves area.

-Rip out closet wire shelving, wallpaper closet, build new storage and work/desk area.

-Remove closet doors and add curtains.

-Design and recolor 4-5 new fabric patterns.

-SEW: Curtains, daybed canopy, dust ruffle, bedding, table skirt.

-Recover bench and chair.

-Find area rug.

-Figure out furniture and accessories.

There is a ton to do, and the amount of sewing is actually feeling a little overwhelming.

The room itself has some funky (bad funky) architectural features like strange eves.

Take a look...

I am determined to make that random, double eve go away.

There are 2 eves, different sized, and they just make no sense.

You also bump your head on that big eve,

so I need to incorporate it into the design so guests don't need a helmet.

My plan is to build the bed in and use that slant to work with the canopy.

I placed a twin mattress and it fits right in there.

Stay tuned, still not quite sure how I am going to do this...

Please note the coffee and paint stains every where! This house came with white carpets.

WHO DOES THAT? We have teenage boys and they destroyed them the first month we were here.

Can't wait to tear them out.

On other fronts, the other side of the room has a big closet I plan on turning into my sewing space.

I will stick an additional desk in the window for more surface area.

I already have the closet doors off (they are just leaning up against it).

And if I have time I need to figure out how to get rid of or disguise the sanded ceilings.

I hate them so much... add that to the list.

This week, my goal is to empty the room and rip out the carpets.

I also need to design and order my fabric. Follow along on Instagram for more behind the scenes,

I am sure I will be polling you guys on the final choices.

Please don't forget to check out all the other amazing ORC projects here!

See you next week!

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Sat, 16 Jan 2021 08:46:00 -0500

I wanted to share an easy painting tutorial with you.

I know I haven't done one in ages... in video format no less! (I almost forgot how to edit and upload.)

This Faux Tortoiseshell technique is a great one for beginners, and with a little practice you can get a fantastic look. Its perfect for small decorative objects like boxes, pictures frames, chair frames and tables. I used an old wooden box...

Here is the video, and I will link products I used below.

Materials:

Poster Board for making samples and testing colors

Satin finish paint for base color. Can be spray paint or brush on, but use SATIN finish.

Choose a red or golden yellow.

2" Badger Softner Brush

(this is essential, you will use this for so many other techniques)

Variety of Oil Wood Stains, Minwax, Zar or Old Masters are all great.

I recommend using all the same brand. I used Fruitwood, Aged Bourbon, Dark Walnut and Black.

Painter's Tape

Variety of brushed for applying stain and spots

Clean white rag

Satin or Semigloss Polyurethane

Walter Lamb-o that Patio Chair!

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 14:28:00 -0400

This post was a slow birth. Like reallllly slow.

I actually found and redid these chairs about 2 years ago, started a "how to" post and forgot to finish it. Sorry. But since I did these 2 years ago I can safely say this worked AND held up.

When I found these chairs they had great aluminum bamboo frames with not so awesome vinyl straps.

Now, I'm not saying I don't like vinyl strapping. I do.

It can give you a retro, Slim Aarons vibe real quick if done right.

Like here, yes.

Sunshine vintage Palm Spring amazingness...

bring me my caftan & drink.

But mine needed love and were crappy brown.

I wanted a different replacement material other than vinyl.

After lots of searching I stumbled on some vintage Walter Lamb rope chairs.

The rope gives it a modern nautical feel, and my bamboo frames had a classic, chinoiserie look.

I was ready to marry the two together!

So let's skip to the DIY, OK?

What you'll need:

-A chair While this tutorial is meant for vinyl strap replacement, you don't have to have them.
It just needs to have two sides that you can weave back and forth from. I

-Polyester Rope I went with 1000 ft spool of this one. It had a soft smooth texture, was mildew resistant and had low stretch. Avoid cotton- it can sag if it gets wet, hold moisture (wet bums) and grow mildew. Also street clear of scratchy nylon versions (pain in the bum).

-Fasteners If you are removing vinyl strapping you will probably have a metal S, E, or J clip. You might be able to reuse yours or just buy new ones here. If you don't have clips I recommend visiting the hardware store and getting some aluminum sleeve crimps or a rope clamp sized to the diameter of your rope so you can have a secure attachment for the rope. You can always get creative with knots, but I'm no Boy Scout and I don't want you falling through. And if you are using wood frames you can secure with nails or staples.

These are the S clips that were on my chair. The larger opening attaches to the frame and the smaller opening clamps onto the strap/rope:

-Heavy Duty Piece of Cardboard or Wood Or something to wrap the rope around to make a shuttle. The rope can tangle very fast, so I cut my lengths and then wrapped them on a shuttle to make the weaving part hassle-free.

Pliers and Vice Grips

Now let's change that seat!

1) Remove all the old vinyl strapping. The fastest way to do this is to cut right down the middle of each strap and the brackets or rivets holding them in place should pop off on each side. Check your clips to see if they are reusable.

Clean, sand and paint the chair frame if needed. I decided to go black.

My rope came on a 1000 ft. spool which is a lot of rope to manage and weave back and forth.

I cut it into manageable lengths for the seats and the backs.
To figure your lengths do this little equation:
A/B=C
CxD= total rope needed for seat (I recommend adding 10% just incase)

So for example, (A) the area I wanted to cover on my seat was 18" deep.

(B) My rope was .25" thick, multiples by 2 = .5 So 18 divided by .5 = 9 (C)

Next I took a piece of rope and wrapped it twice around the left side of the frame, brought it over to the right, wrapped it twice on that side, and then back over to the left. I measured that length and it was 48"(D) and I multiplied it by (C) 9. I would need 432" of rope for my seat. I added a few extra feet just in case.

I did the same equation for my seat backs. They only needed to be 12" high, so they needed less.

Once I had my length cut, I wrapped it around the shuttle and slip that into a plastic back to keep it from catching or tangling.

Attach your rope to your faster. I used vice grips to pinch the clasp onto my rope.

I placed my clip onto the frame of my chair and began wrapping the rope.

You might need an extra set of hands to get started.

The rope will cover the clasps.

The weave will be very similar to how you wrapped the rope when you first measured.

Wrap over the sides twice, bring it across to the opposite side and under and over twice again.

Bring it back over to the opposite side and repeat. Be sure to pull tight and have a bit of tension on the rope so it doesn't sag.

I used the vice grips to hold the rope in place when I needed a break.

The pattern you are trying to achieve is a figure 8 that occurs in the center of the seat, and by wrapping the sides twice before going back across you get a nice spacing between the ropes.

When you get to the end you will add another clip to secure it. I had someone hold the clasp in place on tree chair frame when I was about an inch away from finishing and then I wrapped my rope over it and tucked the end into the clasp. I then squeezed the clasp shut onto the rope with vice grips and cut the rope.

It took a little practice, but by my third chair you could barely see the clips!

This is the chair after 2 years of use, still going strong!

Faux Shagreen Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Tue, 8 May 2018 16:08:00 -0400

Hey there! I just completed the mother of all DIYs (in my opinion) for the sheer fact that it took all my patience to get this done. Faux Shagreen...

Shagreen is the skin, or leather, from a stingray and it has a spotty, pebbled texture. It's used on furniture and small objects and usually pieced together since the stingray hides are rather small. The hides are usually dyed, so the colors are endless.

I had been wanting to redo my IKEA Docksta tabletop and shagreen was on the list of possibilities. I have seen DIYs where folks wrap furniture in shagreen textured wallpaper or leather, but since this was an "eating" area I didn't want texture and the mess of food getting stuck in it. It had to be painted. I also wanted to exaggerate the finish into larger than usual sections, so my version is a bit more of a fantasy shagreen. I Googled "round shagreen tables" and found a blue mockup that was just the inspiration I was looking for:

Depending on the area you are painting, I highly recommend Google to get some ideas for the color and layout of sections.

You will need:

Choose a color palette...

Base color (lighter tone) in any finish except flat

Acrylic glaze tinted 2 shades darker than the base color

Large piece of cheesecloth

Brush for applying paint and glaze

Painters tape for Delicate Surfaces

Several Sharpie Paint Pens (I used white)

Pencil and ruler

Clear Coat to seal final finish

I began by base coating my table with 2 coats of Benjamin Moore's Slate Blue (satin finish).

Once it was dry I made a navy glaze using 2 parts Ben Moores latex glaze and 1 part Ben Moore (eggshell finish) paint in Newburyport Blue. I brushed a coat on quickly, staying a bit lighter in the center. This step needs to be done fast before the glaze has time to dry, so if you are doing a large surface, tape it into sections or have a friend help.

Take the piece of cheesecloth and pat the glaze, removing most of it and leaving a soft leathery texture. Let it dry for a couple hours.

While it dries, find some images of shagreen and use them as a guide. You don't need to follow these next few steps if you are just doing a small area, but in my case, I had 8 sections and I wanted them to be pretty consistent. I traced the center part of a shagreen image, concentration on many of the larger circles that ran up it. I then used a stencil cutter to cut those circles out.

This was going to be my template for the centers of each section.

I traced the circles with a white pencil and filled them in with my Sharpie paint pen.

(You can stencil this as well, but I had no luck. The first attempt was great, but then the paint started to bleed under the stencil and it got ugly.)

This pattern became the foundation for each section.

I filled in around that area first more tightly...

and then added looser, more spaced out dots along the rest of the section.

And I repeated this for all the remaining sections. I highly recommend binge watching some trash TV while doing this to pass the time- because it takes a while!

The smaller the surface the better... My table was 42" across, and a section took about an hour. I don't recommend going this big for your first project because you will just down right hate me. It was a solid 2 day project, but I am totally caught up on Vanderpump now.

Once its done and dry, clear coat twice with a latex polyurethane in a satin or low-sheen.

I wasn't in the mood for glossy here.

Not gonna lie, it was a long, boring slow-moving project but the end result was SO worth it!

I absolutely LOVE this table now.

I'm not going to let anyone eat here for a few days, and lord help the kid that uses markers at this table. I might actually do a third coat of polyurethane now that I think of it.

Part 2- the Bath

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Mon, 8 Jan 2018 09:30:00 -0500

I feel like I have so much to cram in here!

Next up on the wayback dial is our master bath renovation circa Fall 2016.

The mahogany counter came out of an old bar in NYC that got demolished. My mother had found it and kept it hoarded away for years for us. Thanks Mom! The rail along the back was a fun place to keep toothbrush cups and toiletries.

The mirrors were super sentimental.

They were the original window screen frames from the first house we lived in Salem. I added mirrored glass and new brass latches. They opened and acted as medicine cabinets.

The single centered sink happened for a couple reasons. As much as two sinks would have been normal and good, it left no counter space for your crap. I like to spread out my make up and hair appliances. The raised marble vessels were pretty big and forced you to teeter things on the edge.

Also, my husband and I don't get ready simultaneously so we only needed one sink at a time... gotta keep the mystery alive. We nixed a sink, and the round mirrors both opened toward the sink so you could see in the mirror when brushing your teeth. Not for everyone, I know, but honestly I can brush my teeth blindfolded (flossing not so much).

Used the same cabinets in my kitchen, good old IKEA. I loved the double hidden drawers to hold all my makeup and junk. (I so wish I took pictures of them- I was so organized!) And towels were folded away neatly in the bottom drawers.

To make this master bathroom we combined the kids bath (yellow) with our bath (blue).

They were back to back and mirror images of each other. Remember these?

Heres a crappy pano of when we gutted them. It gave us a 14' wide x 10' deep space to play with.

Our wish list included:

-big shower with no glass or door to clean

-deep tub to soak

-reusing the old round window frames from our first house

-incorporating the old mahogany bar top

-a neutral palate

We played with a ton of configurations and in the end we decided to do something like this...

use the left side for a long shower with a wall between the tub,

toilet vanity on the right. This also used existing plumbing to save some $$.

The shower was my favorite.

It was enormous at 10' long and 4 1/2' wide. It was heavenly. I could seriously do yoga and cartwheels in it if I wanted to. It was like your own personal locker room shower, although you could probably fit 6 people in it and have a dance party if thats what your into. Not judging.

Lord I miss that shower!

It spoiled me for all other showers. The one at our new house feels like a space capsule.

In the end, when we decided to sell, we replaced the round mirrors with plate glass because we know that most buyers weren't quirky like us and wanted to see themselves when they brushed their teeth. And I gotta say it made the bathroom feel even bigger!

I really wish I had taken better pictures of this space.

(Note crappy phone photo with the seat up above. "Hi!")

Off topic, speaking of photos, I have a quick question...

What is the best photo organizing tool to use? I have a Mac with like 150,000 pictures on it and I need to clean it up. Same for my 25,000+ emails on my phone... I don't have time to go through every picture individually.

What do you guys use? What makes your life easier? HELP!

We only got to use this bath for less than a year when we decided to move.

It has been my favorite house by far. We stayed here the longest, 8 years- a record, and I loved that we took our time on it and didn't rush into renovating right off the bat.

We had so many good memories here.

She came a long way from the chocolate brownie she used to be when we first bought her.

You were a good house Neptune Street!

As my husband likes to tell me, a house is just a house- its the memories you make in it that you get to take with you forever. Off to make new ones.

I'M BAAACK (part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Sat, 6 Jan 2018 15:18:00 -0500

Hey, its 2018 and I resolved to blog this year, so here goes nothing! Its been so long that I seriously forgot how... feels a bit like riding a bike after a couple tequila shots. Wobbly.

First off, and most importantly, I just want to thank all of you for your kind words. When I last posted I was in a tough spot, and honestly I'm still a hot mess. I still struggle with the motherhood/work/guilt thing and I have not found the silver bullet for staying organized and focused. But can I tell you how nice it is to know I'm not alone? All of your comments got me through a pretty tough time and I am forever grateful. I have gotten better at being more mindful, keeping my stress level down and overall just not giving a fuck or comparing myself to others. (That last one is a HUGE game changer.) I had to step off social media and Pinterest and blogs in general to clear my head and reset myself.

As for this blog, I am going back to the start. I had to figure out what I liked and disliked about the whole experience. I started blogging as a journal to keep track of my projects and it lead into a whole bunch of How-To/ DIYs. It makes me so happy when I know I helped someone figure out how to make or do something- so I am going to keep doing tutorials. I met so many talented and creative people here, and had many great opportunities that I'm thankful for. What I hated doing was sponsored posts, I hated editing my voice, it didn't feel authentic. It felt like an ad. So I am not gonna do that. I'm not here to get rich, although that would be cool, but it has to feel good. I make some money off Adsense, YouTube and fabric I design on Spoonflower and I'm happy with that. This blog will basically be about what I'm up to or making and I hope to help or inspire someone in the process.

OK, so where were we?

When I last left off (2+ years ago) we were remodeling our kitchen... and we have long since finished that, remodeled our bath and spontaneously moved down the street to a new house. A LOT of stuff has happened so even starting this post has been a bit daunting trying to figure out where to begin...so much to tell you, its gonna be a multi-post I suppose.

I guess lets start with the kitchen.

Back in the fall of 2015 we finally did the kitchen over completely. Took down the mudroom wall and opened her up and added lots of lights and windows.

For anyone new the party here, I've had many incarnations of this kitchen... "renovated with paint", walls taken down and lots of piecemeal.
So lets do a before montage for old times sake.

(ORIGINAL VINTAGE KITCHEN circa 2009 when we moved in)

Renovated with Paint (everything including the counters) 2011

WALL DOWN (2012)

2014

For this renovation we carried the hardwood throughout and I stained the whole first floor a soft caramel to kill down the orange oak undertones. It was a two part process that killed my back, but it was so worth it. The living room was original white oak and the new floor that got laid throughout the kitchen dining room was red oak (oopsy!) so the red oak had to be dyed with a water based greenish color first prior to staining. In the end everything matched and there was peace and harmony at the red and white oak border.

We decided not to do an island because my husband is a Spartan and felt it would make it too claustrophobic, even though I really wanted one. Just have to choose your battles.

But I must say we had some great dance parties in this space, and in the end I loved the openness of the kitchen- so I'm not mad.

We did IKEA cabinets throughout and I absolutely love them. I used their kitchen planner to lay out the space, and it was easy. I miss this kitchen so much and would totally do it all over again.

My favorite part were the drawers. And the drawers INSIDE drawers.

I loved having my plates and bowls in a drawer next to the dishwasher. The ultimate lazy unload!

I even used these cabinets in the master bath renovation, but more on that in the next post.

Found some porcelain numbers at a junk shop in NH to commemorate the 2015 finish, and put them on the mega cabinets we used as mudroom storage lockers.

Hardware is from the Dakota Collection at Restoration Hardware.

Countertop is Silestone Lagoon.

Lights over the windows are from Illuminate Vintage.

And I used my Tribal Maze wallpaper to pop in some pattern and color.

SO that is the kitchen in a nutshell. Let me know if you have any questions or if I left out any sources. I'll be back with a bathroom post next as well as more on the new house.

And again, thanks for reading this blog and all your comments. I'm glad to be back!

the nitty gritty

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 10:58:00 -0400

This is going to be a lengthy one...
Long time no blog. I have attempted to post so many times, but its been so long since I've done a real post and a lot has happened. I used to post all the time and I felt connected to the blogworld. Then life got crazy busy and I started doing sponsored posts (which I am grateful to have had the opportunity) but I never felt like I could totally use my voice and I learned I don't like to have my voice edited... I just began to feel disconnected. And then there is Pinterest and Instagram. And everything you can possibly make or imagine is already on a blog somewhere. I felt stale and like I had to force out some amazing idea or project. My life wasn't a perfectly staged Inst-photo, and I didn't feel like making it one. In fact it was a mess. So I just didn't do anything.

As I've mentioned in the past I have always struggled with balance. Juggling career and family. I have always had a ton of energy and would just steamroll through. People would always comment on how much I was able to get done, and I took it as a compliment, a strength. At some point I'd hit a bump and realize I was spread way too thin and have to reassess/ freak out/ get overwhelmed and work through it. I knew I could do one thing REALLY well, but having ADD kind of kept me in a vicious cycle of starting one thing and then saying "yes" to five other projects. I would thrive off the chaotic energy, I still do. I remember back in high school and college how I would have a project due, and I would wait until the last minute. The eleventh hour was when I did my best work.

But a couple years ago shit hit the fan and I just burnt out. It has taken me a long time to even talk about it because I really felt like it was a defect, that something was wrong with me. A few years back I was running Overlays, a household, designing for clients, running a blog and training for half marathons. It was crazy and I was stressed out and overwhelmed beyond belief. But I kept pushing and not saying "no" to anything.

The whole reason I started Overlays was so that I could work from home and be with my kids. Instead I was sitting in front of a computer doing CAD and answering emails while they ran amuck. I would take time to do things with them, but I would be thinking about what I needed to do and I wasn't present in the moment with them. When they would go to bed, I'd get back on the computer. My husband also felt like he was on a back burner. It sucked. I cut back on clients. I cut back on training. The blog suffered. But I still felt like I could do it all. I'd watch all these other women doing it, so it could be done. Right?

I was wrong. Things just got worse. I was miserable and cranky. I had always lived by the motto "Do what you love", and I pretty much was hating what I was doing. I was in autopilot on a computer screen. I didn't feel creative. As a girl that would change her wall colors three times a year, I felt stagnant- and I had no time to change my wall color! I wound up selling the majority of my share of Overlays to Cheryle my business partner. Her kids were grown, so she had the time that I lacked. Shortly after that I just sold it all off. I was done. Part of me felt like a flake and a failure that I couldn't stick with it, and part of me still does- I'm not sure that will ever go away.

After the dust cleared I was left to pick up the pieces around my house. My husband has been amazingly supportive and patient through it all. He is a much more logical and practical person, thank god for that. He keeps me grounded. I realize the time I lost with my kids I cannot get back, and worst of all my youngest son is on the spectrum. I have huge guilt over losing such an important developmental period of time in his life. I am doing my best now to make things right, but I am always going to wonder.

I struggle with my ADD everyday, more so now that my youngest has been diagnosed with it as well. I feel like I'm the worst role model for him- like the blind leading the blind- since I can't even figure out how to mange myself. The bright side to this is that it is making me be more mindful of my actions and behavior. Both of my kids are very creative, so my biggest fear is that they turn into eleventh hour whirlwinds. The eleventh hour only worked for me when I had no responsibilities and was single. Kids and a husband aren't too keen on me pulling an all nighter.

So emotionally that's where I've been. I am slowly getting my mojo back. I have gone back to taking on clients and designing, and of course I still find myself saying "yes" too often and taking on one more than I should. I'm in a weird space design wise. I think I've been oversaturated by design honestly. I took a lot of time off from blogs and Pinterest to try to figure out what I really like. It is really hard to do that when you are constantly being bombarded by imagery and color. We are in the midsts of a kitchen renovation at the moment, and I'm going all white and neutral. If I decide I want color I can always add it later. Right now I'm enjoying a white blank space and having things simple and not busy. Very opposite from the norm. I've even taken down most of my huge inspiration board in my office. I just need uncluttered at the moment.

I've done a lot of soul searching over the past two years trying to figure out what really makes me happy and what I love doing. I love creating. I love making. I love the whole process and how excited it makes me. So I plan on doing that. I have missed this blog, and sharing stupid shit and harebrained ideas with you guys. But I seriously could not do another post without writing this one, because every attempt at a "pretty" post just felt empty and fake. I want to thank you guys for reading this, for following me on this blog and for being my sounding board for the past 6 years. I'm not sure what the direction of this blog will become... I'm by no means ending it, just changing gears a bit- I am just going to post when I have something to talk about or show you. I don't want to post just for posting sake. I will be back soon with kitchen renovation stuff. Thanks again for listening.

xo
Danika

How to Divide Spring Bulbs

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Tue, 5 May 2015 08:25:00 -0400

Who doesn’t love spring bulbs? Year after year they signify the end of a long winter as their bold pops of color brighten the dormant landscape. They require very little effort, simply plant in the fall and you will be rewarded with blooms for years. Best of all they multiply, creating lots of new bulbs that you can replant or share with friends.

Bulbs create offsets, smaller baby bulbs that grow around the base of the original bulb.

bulb with offset

You may notice your bulb plants will increase in size and blooms over the first few years, and then suddenly stop performing as well. Fewer blooms are quite often a sign that your bulbs may be crowded. For example, the daffodil below was planted about five years ago. It produced several flowers previously, but this year there is only one bloom and a lot of greenery.

Underground the bulbs and their offsets are competing for nutrients and space. Energy used to create and sustain these new offsets is diverted from making blooms. The easiest way to resolve this is by dividing your bulbs. It's really easy to do, and you will be rewarded with lots of new blooms in the following years. You can get all your lawn and gardening supplies from your local True Value.

You can divide your bulbs in the spring or fall. I prefer the spring since they are easy to find since their foliage is still visible. You will want to wait until late spring when the blooms have faded and the greenery has significantly died off. A general rule of thumb is about six weeks from the last bloom. As the greenery withers, the bulb absorbs energy from the leaves and stores it for next year’s blooms.

It is important to let this process occur and not to cut back your foliage too soon.

Start by digging up the cluster of bulbs and laying them on clean newspaper or a drop cloth.

Be sure not to damage or cut your bulbs as you dig. Carefully twist and shake the bulbs apart, trying hard not to tear their roots.

Can you believe all these bulbs came from just one bulb planted a few years ago?

You will want to replant them immediately and keep them from drying out. Wrap them with wet newspaper if they are going to be exposed to the air for a long period.

Return a few bulbs back to the original hole, spacing them out so they have room to divide. Add a little organic material or compost to the bottom of the hole to enrich the soil. Plant the remaining bulbs in holes that are 2-3 times deeper than the bulb’s height.

Once again be sure to leave plenty of space between bulbs, about six inches. Cover the bulbs with dirt, trim back the dead greenery and water generously. The larger offsets should flower next year, while the smaller ones may take longer to establish.

You don’t need to wait until you suspect overcrowding to divide your bulbs. Division can be done at any point once your plants have been growing well for a couple years. They will benefit greatly from it by rewarding you with lots of healthy foliage and blooms.

I was one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. I have been compensated

for my time commitment to the program as well as writing about my experience. I have also been

compensated for the materials needed for my DIY project. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Office Update/ I'm a Flake

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 11:06:00 -0400

I'm such a flake. Its only taken almost two years, but my office is done.
I know your thinking "Yeah, yeah... shut your face. You always say that."
Really. I WANT to be done. I've tweaked and changed so many things along the way, and I finally have it how I like it. Remember, this room started off almost 6 years ago as a nursery.

Its been about 4-5 different colors, but I kept going back to the pale pink. So pale pink stays.

I painted a chinoiserie mural on my closet/whiteboard wall

(there is a flip down queen size bed inside that closet so this doubles as a guest room). Behind the doors there is yellow and white stripes and a leopard headboard.
I'll take some photos next time a guest comes.

The bookcases (actually my entire office) are all IKEA pieces that have been trimmed out with crown molding or hacked in some way.
Lots of storage for all my junk.

The base cabinets are IKEA Sektional kitchen cabinets that

I added homemade faux bamboo trim to. (see last post)

My I made the giant cork board over my desk from high density 3/4" thick foam insulation board wrapped with fabric and nailheads. It was a cheap fix, costing me under $25.
It herds my all my visual crazy to one area.

Starburst light tutorial is here.

My white boards are made out of a 4x8' sheet of tile board ($13 a sheet) that I cut down into 4 pieces and framed with flat stock molding. I will do a post on these.. really easy and they clean up great. The trick is using a rag dampened with Windex.
Look how clean they are! They are usually jammed up with jibberish and to-do lists.

I made some more bamboo trim for these babies, and painted a yellow lattice background...

I change shit around here so much that I forgot how many looks this room had.
Here's a little memory lane montage...

Starting back in 2010 when I starburst the crap out of it and made it the guest room with a tiny desk jammed in it. It was always a mess- note the laundry basket and printer on the bed!

Then I got crafty and put my office in the big closet, and painted out the sunbursts with a dark charcoal brown:

I really loved this set up, but the bed still hogged the room and collected crap like a magnet...

I tested out a sofa bed option, it just wasn't comfortable. I had a vision that I would lounge on it and read mags. Never happened...

I also built a work station, but the height was weird and I constantly had back problems from craning at the computer:

Then the room went coral for about a month:

And finally about a year ago I built a work area using a giant laminate counter and two IKEA Malms:

The Malms started to buckle under the weight, not good! So that lead to where I am today.

I think this situation is going to stick around for a while. I'm too tired to change it, and I think I have finally found a layout that is functionally pleasing. The only thing I still need to do is make a new slipcover for my desk chair. That thing is pretty tired.

Happy weekend peeps!

(First 4 photos by Tabitha Sherrell- thanks lady!)

DIY: Faux Bamboo Moulding

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 21:47:00 -0400

I recently changed out the base cabinets of my office from IKEA Malms to new IKEA kitchen Sektion cabinets. They are much deeper and offer a ton of flexibility with organization. (I can do an entire post on them!) I also added a few homemade whiteboards using simple stock moulding for frames.

Everything is very basic and flat, so I spun on some ideas to hack them into something a bit more fabulous. I have long loved the look of faux bamboo on furniture, so I did a bit of research and found a few sites that sell the actual moulding like this site here. It comes in 34" lengths and runs about $8.50 or $12.50 per piece for the 3/4" and 1 1/8" respectively. I needed over 60 feet for my project and many were lengths much larger than 34". I decided to figure out how to make it myself- and I did it for under $30 for the entire project! It was a bit of trial and error, but I think I got it down for you. It also goes pretty quickly in the "making" department. I made the moulding for the above cabinet in under 30 minutes, the more you do the faster you get. The remaining workload... the painting, cutting and applying... are all things you'd have to do with the store bought variety.

You will need:

-half round molding (Any size/ length you desire... price shop if you can. I saved $0.49 per foot by checking around with different lumber yards- that adds up quick!)
-wood putty (I liked Zar's- see pic below)
-stiff piece of plastic- I used an old rewards card from my wallet
-scissors
-small brush
-bowl of water
-extra fine sandpaper
-saw to cut the moulding ( I recommend doing all your cuts before starting the tutorial. The small bumps can throw off your 45 degree cuts.)

First off lets talk about wood putty... I found this one by Zar to work great.
I has a good consistency, not too stiff and not too runny.

I did try some tubes with epic failure.

It fell right off because there isn't enough pressure applied to get it to bond and this putty was very dry and gritty..

It's a big NO.

I did consider putting the Zar putty into a cake decorating tube, but you really need to make sure the putty is sticking to the wood. The only sure way is by rubbing or wiping it on to the wood by hand.

1) Begin by gathering all your moulding and making all cuts. It's so much easier to do this before the bamboo relief is on! Be sure to mark the backsides if necessary so you know how to reassemble.

Next want to mark where you want to

"add" bamboo. I did mine every 5 inches because of drawer heights, but this is totally up to you.

2) Make a template. Find an old credit or a store rewards card and cut two notches out.

These are going to make your bamboo lines...

3) Smear the putty onto the wood moulding by using your finger or a butter knife...

It should look something like this:

When you start, only do one or two at a time since the putty dries quickly. Once you master the technique you can do as many as you feel comfortable doing.

If you find the putty getting too stiff or dry before you are able to manipulate it, try misting it with a little water. You will also want to keep the lid of your container of putty closed when not in use.

4) Swipe that card! Starting from one side press the plastic card into the wood and drag it over to the other side creating two channels. I liked to swipe towards me when working. You can try angling the card down when you get toward the end, and be sure to go slowly.
Wipe the excess off the card.

You should now have something like this:

If you totally blow it the first few times don't give up. Just wipe it off and try again. It takes a bit of practice. If you finding that you are missing the tops or getting random bumps try cutting the template a little smaller or try adding more putty.

5) Now get your water and brush. Its time to clean up...

Dip your brush in the water and run it along the edges and down the center. This also helps create a nice smooth bond to the wood.

You can also wipe off excess and shape the edges with the brush. Don't go too crazy.
You can sand off small bumps and excess when it dries.

6) Now let it dry for a few hours. It will get very hard and should bond to the wood since the putty is made from pulverized wood and glue. I was afraid this might chip, but I dropped a few pieces and they held up fine!

I made a cabinet's worth of 1 1/8" moulding as well as several strips of the 3/4" moulding (painted white below)...

7) Once it is dry lightly sand with a fine grit sand paper (180-220 grit is good). Be sure to sand the back sides too if any putty got on them. (I used a 100 grit for areas that had a lot of excess.)

You can prime and paint them, and then apply them to your project.

I will be adding the 3/4" strips around all four of my white boards to dress them up:

And the 1 1/8" strips are going around the two base cabinets at my desk.

I used a nail gun to apply, but you can also use a strong adhesive glue.

Be sure to putty the seams and nail holes, sand and touch up the paint.

Add your hardware and your done.

This can be used on picture frames, mirror, table edges, doors, walls...

the applications are endless!

I will be bambooing the crap out of my office over the next week and I'll be sure to post better "daytime" photos. (sorry for the sucky night ones)

Happy bambooing!

New Patterns

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Wed, 25 Feb 2015 20:43:00 -0500

Winter is just ridiculous here. Boston is buried.
This is my house...

My kids have had more snow and vacation days this past month than school days.
I'm a cranky shell of a human and snow is a four letter word.
And I have developed an unhealthy relationship with memes from texting with snowbound friends,
a territory I NEVER thought I'd enter..

I've officially cracked and I now find myself cackling at pictures of giant snow penises.
Wait. I always did that.
OK, so nothing new...

One of the things I've been doing to pass the time this winter
-besides over eating and drinking-
has been designing some new stuff on Spoonflower.

Dragons, splats and pirate skulls with a paisley tossed in.

I usually start by designing for myself- in this case the boy's bath-

and then it grows into several color ways. You too can be a snow bound fabric designer,

so get busy and get on it!

I wound up using the Splat in Indigo for the boy's shower curtain...

as you can see the "Bleeding Sharpie Fail" is still on the walls.

I still am trying to decide on the wall pattern.

Most of you know decision making for myself is not my strong suit,

so stay tuned for like ever....

I'm stuck on these two:

Paint is no problem, I can change it quick. It's like decorating speed dating.

Wallpaper and I though, ugh. It's a commitment thing. I have to really really like it, and basically want to marry it- for a good long while.

I also design this one, the Aztec Trellis in Valentine, for my living room ottoman:

Living room is getting some updating love slowly...

like super slowly.

Go ahead and blink.You won't miss anything.

Up next are these chairs.

They need some reupholstering, and I'm on the "citron or aqua" velvet fence.

Bases are getting gilded. But at this rate it will be summer, but who knows.

Give me another snow storm and I just might get crazy enough to do it.

Update:

and the winning color is....

Pale citron.

I just bought 10 yards of this fabric.

It looks like velvet and it's kid proof (deal-sealer).

Now for the real work....

Be back with upholstery pics!

Weekend Project- DIY Upholstered Headboard with Nailhead Trim

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 09:17:00 -0500

I have been busy redoing the boys’ bedroom. One of the biggest changes was getting rid of their old wooden beds and switching over to upholstered headboards. The old beds were very durable, but not that comfortable. I can’t tell you how many times they’ve banged their heads while rough housing. I was over the head injuries, and secretly I was looking forward to a soft place to rest my head during story time. I found the style I liked, a clean and simple rectangle with a double row of nailheads, but I was shocked by the price. The lowest I found was $299.00 for a twin size, and I needed two! This called for a DIY. Making an upholstered headboard is so easy, especially this style. You will save hundreds by doing it yourself. As an added bonus you will get to pick your own fabric, so you will have unlimited options as opposed to having to select from what’s available online.

I created a simple tutorial with materials that are easy to find. Almost everything below came from my local True Value Hardware or a fabric/craft store. I sized the project to fit 24” wide foam, a size that is readily available to purchase online and in craft stores. I also sized the twin and king sizes to fit 2’x3’ and 2’x 6’ pieces (also easy to find, no trimming required). You can use 2” or 3” thick foam, the choice is yours. I used 3” thick foam, which created a greater profile. The 2” thick foam will give a flatter look.

To get started you will need to gather supplies. Choose your bed size below for quantities of each specific item:

You will also need:

Scissors

1/2” Thick Quilt Batting (I bought a twin size and did 2 headboards)

30” Heavy Duty Picture Hanging Cleat (I used this one, holds up to 300 lbs.)

Rubber Mallet

Needle Nose Pliers

Step 1:

On a flat surface you are going to assemble your 3/4” plywood and 2x4 pieces to create a frame to hold your foam.

Apply wood glue to the back sides of the 2x4s. Arrange with the long 2x4 going across top and the two shorter 2x4s along the sides. The bottom remains open. Pre-drill two holes on the sides and three holes across the top. Using 2” screws, set the 2x4s in place with a drill.

Step 2:

Spray the inside area of the headboard and the backside of your foam with spray adhesive.

Press the foam into the framed area and let set a few minutes.

Step 3:

Wrap the entire front of the headboard in batting. I used 2 layers of batting because I wanted a very plush headboard, but one will suffice. Batting is important because it will soften the 2x4s. Staple the batting along the backside edge of the headboard every couple inches being sure to smooth the front and gently pull as you go. Don't make the batting too tight… you want it smooth, but not “facelift” tight. You will be adding nail heads, so if using the 3” foam you’ll want a little give when you push down on the area over the 2x4s. Trim any excess batting from the back. You are now ready for fabric.

Step 4:

Time for fabric. Be sure to use a suitable fabric, nothing too thin or flimsy.

-Twin frames can handle 48+” wide upholstery fabrics vertically right off the bolt since they are so narrow, so no railroading is necessary. If your fabric pattern can be “railroaded,” run horizontally across the frame, you are all set. For full to king sizes you can easily railroad a solid, stripe or small patterned fabric so no seaming is necessary. If you chose a pattern that needs to go vertically, you will need to seam it together by sewing it to create a large width.

-I like to find the center point of my fabric at the top and bottom. I cut a small notch in it to mark it. I then mark the center point of the top and bottom of my headboard with a permanent marker. When I begin to apply my fabric I simply line up the top mark with the top notch in my fabric and start stapling from this point. Next I smooth it down across the front and staple the bottom center at its respective marks. This guarantees a straight pattern layout. I then continue to smooth and staple the fabric to the backside of the headboard, stopping a few inches from the corners. Be sure to tug gently and pick up any slack as you go.

-When you get to your corners, you want to make a neat fold to keep your edges clean. You can cut away excess fabric here before you tack it down to keep it from getting too bulky.

Step 5:

Once you have stapled all four sides and corners flip the head board over onto its back.

You are now going to apply the nailhead trim. This trim comes as individual nailheads (single nails), or in connected rolls in 5 yards lengths. I prefer the look of individual nailheads, as there is no connection points visible like with the rolls of trim, but since I am going to be using 10 yards, that would take forever to do individually. Also, since I am using a velvet, the fabric’s plushness disguises the connections a bit.

-The rolls of trim have a blank every 5 nailheads that requires you to nail through it to attach the trim. You will want to begin in a corner. I like to unroll the trim and lay it out to make sure that I will have a blank pretty close to the opposite end. If not, I center the piece so I can add single nailheads to each side to balance it out.

-Hold the nailhead trim with needle nose pliers and use a rubber mallet** to drive the nails in. Continue along the outside edge, straightening the trim as you go. When you reach a corner, finish on your last blank and then bend the nailhead back and forth until it breaks off.

-Add single nails until you are close enough to the corner to start the perpendicular edge. Continue until the top and side edges are finished. Now for the second (inner) row, measure in about 3 inches and begin again. This time use your fingers to press and smooth the fabric towards the foam. Continue around until you have two complete rows.

**If you don’t have a mallet handy, here is a little trick I’ve used…

Stick a 1” round felt furniture pad to the tip of your hammer. It keeps the nailhead from getting scratched or dented and does the job!

Your headboard should be looking good, and it is almost ready to hang.

Step 6:

Using a heavy duty picture hanging cleat system, follow the instructions on the packaging to hang. I measured and marked 4” down from the top of my headboard in a few places and used this as my guide to attach the cleat to my headboard. I then determined where I wanted the height of my headboard over my bed and attached the other cleat to the wall. I used a stud finder and marked where to drill. I really loved how easy this system was to use. It even had a built in level!

Step 7:

Once it was attached I simply slid the headboard down onto the cleat. It attached so easily and is very stable.

I can’t tell you how excited I am by this project. It has totally transformed my boys’ room, and my youngest absolutely loves his new bed. Each headboard cost less than $100, and I even reused the plywood from their old bed’s platforms. And best of all this only took a few hours to do, so it is a great weekend project.

Be sure to check out my past projects and more by visiting TrueValueProjects.com, as well as True Value on Facebook.

I was one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program as well as writing about my experience. I have also been compensated for the materials needed for my DIY project. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Super Easy Snow Storm Project- DIY Wall Texture

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 17:33:00 -0500

I got a little hut happy during one of the recent snow storms and decided to deck out the boy's room with some wall pattern. I was going to stencil it, but I was coming off a stencil bender and needed a break. Instead I pulled out some paint pens and got busy drawing on their walls.

It took most of the day, but hey... I was snowed in and going nowhere.

To do this you just need some heavy cardboard ( I used mat board), an Exacto knife, a design (I went for a repeating rectangular line) and a few paint pens. I used Krylon Short Cuts and Sharpie Paint Pens in white. I liked the Krylon, it just flowed and covered much better.

Draw out your design and then cut your tracing template...

I used tape to hold it in place and I traced away like a crazy lady.

And traced...

Important...

Start on a wall at the top left corner and do a full line of repeats across the wall.

Be sure overlap the last part (one rectangle in my case) of each repeat so it stays seamless.

Move down to start your next row, and repeat...

Bourbon drinks were had, and things got a bit unleveled in a few spots.

I also eyed the spacing between rows, so its not perfect.

But hey, perfect is boring... right?

At least that's what I like to tell myself.

You can do any pattern you like.

And hey, if you get sick of it-

it's only paint.

How to Design Your Own Stencil

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 16:18:00 -0500

I realized I've stenciled a ton of stuff on this blog. I've even done tutorials on how to make complex pattern repeats. I've just never done a basic post on how to design and make a stencil. It is such an easy thing to do, and it allows you to quickly add pattern to any flat paintable surface (even fabric). I prefer it to wallpaper since its much less of a commitment, and all I have to do is paint over it if I change my mind. So lets get started...

I've got a laundry room that has been begging to be finished, after all I did wallpaper the ceiling well over a year ago! I have been living with white walls in there and had a vision of a red and blue design. I had so many pattern ideas, and it was actually my indecisiveness that has held up this project. When you make your own stencil you control EVERYTHING... the scale, color and layout. You can design your own pattern, or access the many free pattern downloads available online . You can use a single motif (which is what I did, and I recommend it for beginners) or make a continuous overall repeating pattern (click here for a tutorial on that). Best part is that is costs just a fraction of wallpaper, and you can get the supplies you need a your local True Value!

To get started you will need:

-a pattern/design

-stencil material: sheets of clear mylar; also called transparency or clear overlay (often sold in art and office supply shops)

-hobby knife or snap-off knife and/or heated stencil cutter

-Sharpie marker

- painter’s tape

-paint applicators (4" foam roller, stencil brushes)

-paint in the color(s) of your choice

-small paint tray

-tape measure

-pencil with eraser

-large piece of cardboard to practice on

-cutting board/surface

1) First choose your design. I actually designed a single paisley pattern, but you can use anything you like. Get it to a scale you like and make a dot on the upper left hand corner. This is going to be your registration mark and will come in very handy. Now photocopy this image a few times.

2) Now it's time to figure out the size of the pattern repeat. Since this entire process is customizable you can make your pattern lay out perfectly on your walls.

Here's the trick I use. I take my photocopied images and tape them on the wall. I arrange them in a layout I like. It definitely helps you visualize what the end result will look like and you might decide you want the image to be a little larger or smaller.

When you are happy with the layout, measure the horizontal and vertical repeats. Take a ruler or a tape measure and simply measure the distance from that little dots in the upper left hand corners. Make note of these numbers.

3) Next you are going to be tracing your image onto the clear mylar. You can do just a single stencil, or stencil that has several repeats on it. I wanted to have two motifs on my stencil to make the painting part go faster, so I taped my images down on the table using the same repeat measurements from the last step. I laid the mylar over this and taped it down as well. For a one color stencil simply trace your images using a fine Sharpie marker. Be sure to trace the registration dots too.

If you are only tracing one motif be sure to measure and mark your repeats off of the left hand corner dot. Example: If your repeat was 8" horizontal and 10" vertical you will measure and mark 8" to the right of your first dot, and then 10" down from both of these. You will be using these later to align your pattern on the wall.

3a) This next step is if you are doing a two or more color stencil. I was doing a red and blue stencil. I made sure to colorize one of my photocopies first to get the color placement right. Next I traced the areas that would be blue first. Then I laid a second piece of mylar over the previous one and traced all the areas that would be red. In the end I have two separate stencils, but the registration marks and patterns line up perfectly.

4) Time to cut your pattern out. You can use a heated stencil cutter (best for curvy patterns) or an Exacto knife (best for straight lines). I tend to use both. You will need an area to cut on. If you are using the heated stencil cutter I recommend a hard surface like a piece of glass or a smooth piece of ceramic tile. You don't want to burn your table! If you are only using a knife I recommend a rubber cutting board or mat. Carefully cut out your stencil. Be sure to cut out the registration marks.

5) Once you have your stencil cut do a few practice runs to get your color and look perfected. You can use regular latex wall paint (which is what I did), artists acrylics or paint specifically made for stenciling. I suggest testing out a few types to see what you are most comfortable with. The same goes for applicators. Stencil brushes are great for small details, while high density foam rollers work great for larger areas and make quick work of it. Just know that a little paint goes a long way. If you have a lot of paint bleeding under your stencil you are using too much. Wipe your brush or roller off and keep practicing until you feel comfortable and get a hang of how much paint to use. Whatever you do, DO NOT water down your paint. It will be too runny and bleed easily. You can use a latex glaze or gel medium to dilute your color if needed.

6) Now for the fun part, painting! Make sure your walls are smooth and clean. I don't recommend stenciling on textured walls. I like to start in the upper left hand corner and work across and down. Tape your stencil to the wall in a few places. Use a pencil to mark your registration dots.

Now paint your stencil using a brush or roller (whatever felt more comfortable when you were practicing.)

7) After you finished your first repeat, remove the stencil from the wall. If you had any bleeding you can quickly clean these areas while they are still wet. Make sure the back of your stencil is clean. I like to place mine face down on a piece of cardboard between repeats so it can dry and I can wipe any paint that bleeds through the back off.

Align the registration marks with your next section to the right or below. Repeat step 6 until you have finished your wall. If you are using two colors you will now repeat step 6 and 7 with the next color.
Once you are finished erase your registration marks and touch up any smudges with your base wall color. And you are done!

Tips and tricks for corners or tight spots:

It is almost impossible to not have a spot that only requires a part of your pattern. Sometimes you can bend the stencil to fit the area, and sometimes you might need to cut it.

-I like to paint the majority of my room and leave the tight spots for last. It isn't a bad idea to make two stencils, one for main areas and one for cutting. If you find you have an area that requires the same piece over and over (like the bottom of the wall or corner) you can cut a new section just for that application.

-In cases like base boards, I like to use painters tape to cover the edge of the molding, and then I lay the stencil right over it and can apply the paint right up to the edge. Just pull the tape when you're done and you will have a clean edge.

-I like to tape my stencil to a door opening so it can quickly dry on both sides.

-If you totally botch a section, quickly try to wash it off. If all else fails, use your base color and paint that section out. Once it dries redo it.

-Sometimes you might cut a pattern and realize it is too flimsy, or a section lifts up too easily. Use very thin pieces of Scotch tape to make a connector to hold that section down and strengthen the stencil.

For more DIY ideas and tips, check out True Value on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest!

Painted Faux Inlay Floor Border with Printable Template

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 17:47:00 -0500

(My client's upstairs/stairs are currently being stained, finished and painted as I write this.

Once the holidays are over I will update this post with new photos showing the foyer and floor in all its finished glory. Stay tuned and Happy Holidays!)

I am a huge fan of painted floors. They can transform a space with a big splash of color and pattern or simply add character by simulating an inlaid design. I personally would paint my entire hardwood living area if it were up to me, but that would entail removing ALL of my furniture and having to spend a few days sanding, painting and sealing. My family is just not up for that large of a disruption. Instead, an easier way to add some character to a floor is by painting a border around the room. I have painted many floors in my life, and while painting an unfinished floor is best, there are several tricks you can use that will allow you to paint directly on your previously finished floor. No floor sander needed!

I have a client that is in the midst of renovating their entire second floor. This includes refinishing the hardwood floors on that level. They really love the look of dark wood floors, and chose to go with a rich chocolate tone. They plan on carrying the dark stain down the staircase treads to the first floor. The problem is the first floor is a much lighter clear-coated red oak. As much as they would like to redo the first floor to match the upstairs, it is just not practical for them at this point in time. We came up with a solution to blend the two floors together by adding a dark faux inlaid banding in the foyer area at the bottom of the stairs. It is a simple procedure that you can do in a day and you can use any color your heart desires. I've even made a printable template and did all the math for you!

1) You need to start with clean floors,

so wet mop and be sure NOT to use any wax products* on them.

*If your floors have been previously waxed, the wax will need to be removed because the paint will not stick. There are plenty of products designed to remove floor wax, but plain ammonia and a scrub brush work just fine too. Apply liberally and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. The wax should scrub right off.

2) Once your surface is clean it is time to measure and tape the design. The design I did is a symmetrical key style corner, and it can be used on an inside or outside corner. You will need to start the design 6" from the wall if you have any outside corners to allow for it to lay out properly. If you have only inside corners (ex: a perfect square or rectangular room) you can choose to bring it in a few inches closer. I used a 6" wide sewing ruler as a guide and marked along the floor with pencil. You can also cut a 6” wide cardboard strip to use as a template. I then ran 36 mm Scotch Blue Painter's tape (for delicate surfaces) around the room following my pencil marks (be sure to apply your tape on the side of the mark closer to the wall). This is commonly referred to as 1 1/2” wide tape, but upon making the template I realized it’s actually a hair smaller than that. I prefer this brand of tape to basic masking tape because I found it doesn't damage the existing floor finish and allows for crisp edges.

3) Next, add small pieces of 18mm painter's tape every of couple of feet along the edge of your first piece of tape. This will act as a spacer/guide

and is eventually going to be the area you will be painting.

4) Using the 36mm tape again, apply another row of tape along the edges of the spacers.

5) Remove the original spacers and move them in front of the second banding of 36mm tape.

6) Repeat step 4.

7) Remover spacers. You should now have three rows of 36mm tape running the perimeter of your room.

8) Now for the tricky part… the corners. I did mine the hard way with lots of math and it felt like a massive brain twister, but halfway through I realized this would be SO MUCH easier if I had just made a template. I spared you the agony and made one for you. Simply print and cut out. I recommend printing it on card stock so you can easily trace it, and when printing be sure to click "do not scale" or “scale 100%” if prompted. The file is sized to fit 8 1/2" x 11" paper. (After you print, just double check that the black area of the design is 18mm wide- if so you are good to go!)

Click here for the template.

Cut out the black area of the design.

9) In each corner line the two edges of the template up with your existing tape lines (see my two fingers in the following picture).

Trace the edges of the template, these will serve as guides as where to cut and add more tape.

Add tape to create the inside edge of the design. Cut away areas allowing the bare floor to be seen wherever the black design is.

In the end you should have a design that matches the template.

Repeat this for all corners.

(photo 12)

10) Now it is time to prep the floor for paint. I tend to go a bit overboard, but you really want this to stick and not chip, so a good prep job is key. First, I burnish the edges of the tape so that they are well adhered to the floor and there are no gaps for paint to bleed into. Use your thumbnail wrapped with a clean rag and rub down all edges.

11) Use a fine grit sandpaper and lightly sand the area to be painted, taking care not to lift or rip the tape. If you do, no worries… just cut out the damaged area and re-tape/ burnish. Lightly sanding roughs up the existing smooth polyurethane surface and creates better adhesion. Vacuum up any dust.

12) Lastly, I like to use a deglosser to remove any bits of wax or dirt I might have missed. There are many brands on the market, but I prefer one that can be wiped on and off with no rinsing involved. Simply rub on in a circular motion and wipe off with a clean rag taking care not to get any on the rest of your floor, as this will dull the surface.

Once the area is dry you are ready to paint!

13) You can use any good quality paint that will withstand high traffic. If you have the option of using a paint specifically designed for the floor, even better. The color is completely up to you. I had my paint custom tinted at True Value to a deep chocolate brown to match the stain my client was using on her floors.

Using a foam brush apply one thin coat, brushing in the direction of the grain to make sure it penetrates. Once the first coat is dry, apply a second coat.

Follow the dry times on your paint can.

14) When both coats are fully dried apply one to two coats of polyurethane in a finish matching what you already have on your floors. (In this case we used a satin finish.) This will fully protect your hard work and give it a longer life.

You can now pull the tape and admire your work.

One last tip… when pulling your tape, pull slowly at a 45 degree or less angle to your floor AWAY from your new paint. This will prevent you from lifting any new paint up- a common mistake.

(My client's stairs are being stained chocolate brown shortly, so I will update this post with new "completed" space photos very soon!)

Epic Sharpie Fail

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 10:01:00 -0500

Well heeeeey there! Its been a while, I know! I kinda fell off the blogging horse and have been having a tough time getting back up. I wish I had a fantastic story, excuse or mid-life crisis to explain my absence but I don't. Just life, work, kids... same old-same old...

I've been posting on Insta because its a quick fix, but I miss you guys and it's just not quite the same.

Anyway, I have tons to share with you guys, so let's just jump right in. I feel like an epic fail is a great way to start because I don't want any of you making this mistake.

So back in the end of the summer I was working on the boys bathroom, contemplating wallpaper choices when one day I got a wild hair and went at the walls with a navy blue Sharpie.

Dots........................... an endless sea of dots.

It took all day, but I didn't care.

I was full of the "manic idea crazies" and it was going to be great!

And fun!

That was until I learned a horrifying fact.

Sharpies BLEED, like "cut you" bleed.

And cry tears of sadness.

I had no idea.

I've never used them in a bathroom.

It turns out they don't like moisture and steam.

I should have used a paint pen.

So now ya know.

And I'm off to the drawing board again with this room.

Be back soon, I mean it.

How To: Upgrade a Bookcase with Crown Molding

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Sat, 6 Sep 2014 13:46:00 -0400

I've been busy getting my office pulled together! Please join me over at True Value for an easy DIY tutorial showing how to add molding to basic bookshelves to create a more custom built-in look (and a peek at how things are shaping up). Have a great weekend!

How to use a Paint Sprayer on Furniture

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 06:00:00 -0400

It's no secret that I can't resist painting something. Whether it's reinventing a piece of furniture I already have or breathing new life into a found object, I just have to paint it! We are currently in the midst of the boy's bathroom renovation and I found a vanity that fit perfectly in the small space and had the look I wanted. It came pre-painted in a soft grey, which was actually very nice, but I wanted to go bolder and had already envisioned a soft navy blue for the vanity and woodwork.

For small jobs a can of spray paint or a brush usually works just fine, but for this one I am breaking out the big guns... the paint sprayer. The vanity had a lot of bead-board and recessed nooks that are hard to get into with a brush and are magnets for paint drips. The reason I love this tool is that you can paint very evenly and it gives you a smooth professional finish. Unlike regular spray paint, which has a strong odor and limited color selection, you can use a water based latex paint in any color available and even paint indoors.

Let me give you a little background on the paint sprayer I'm using. I recently upgraded my paint sprayer to the Wagner Flexio 590 from my old Wagner Flexio 570. Both work great and are very similar and easy to clean. You can paint everything from furniture to wall and ceilings (no compressor needed), but the 590 has an additional Detail Finish Nozzle for small areas and an improved X-Boost Power Dial that gives you 8 power settings as opposed to the 570's low or high setting. If you already own a 570 and it's in good working order you can also buy the Detail Finish Nozzle separately and use it with it. This was a big deal for me because I have had problems in the past with the 570 when I was painting a smaller piece with a lot of raised detail. I tended to get too much paint in those areas and things got drippy looking fast no matter how much I fidgeted with its settings. I had much more control with the Detail Finish Nozzle.

Before you get started you will need to prep your piece just like you would for any other paint job.
-Lay out a drop cloth and protect any nearby surfaces from overspray. The spray gun does give off a fine mist so be sure to cover floors and wear a mask.

-Lightly sand and clean the surface to be painted. Wipe off any dust with a tack cloth.

-Remove any hardware or cover with tape.

This is a little trick I use to stay organized when I have to remove screws and hardware… an old ice cube tray. The compartments let me sort by cabinet or drawer.

Once your piece is taken apart, clean and lightly sanded you are ready to go!

It is now time to fill your paint gun. I used Easy Care Ultra Premium in the color "Gage-B306". This paint has a primer built in so it saved me a step and covered like a dream. I filled my reservoir about halfway. Just a little note here... if you are using the Detailed Finish Nozzle be sure to thin your paint with a little water. They don't recommend latex paints or primer because they are heavier, but I found by thinning it with just an ounce of water it worked just fine.

Be sure to familiarize your self with your spray gun. With the Wagner Flexio 570 or 590 there are three main controls you need to know.

-The Power Dial controls how much force is used to expel the paint. The heavier the paint, the more power/ higher setting you'll need. For thinner coatings like stains or lacers you will want it on a lower setting.
-The Material Flow Control allows you to adjust how much material is coming out. You will need to practice first to get familiar with how thick you want your coating to be. Too little and it barely coats, too much and it's thick and drippy.
-Finally, the Adjustment Ring located around the nozzle will control the direction and width of your paint. It offers a width horizontal swath for painting up and down motions and a vertical swath for painting in a side to side motion. The Detail Finish Nozzle offers a narrower focused swath for doing circular motions or diagonals.

Now it's time to test out the gun. I used an old piece of plywood I had laying around to practice on. I played around with the power and material flow controls until I had just the right amount I needed coming out.

If you find you are getting too much overspray or “spitting” make sure the black ring near your adjustment ring is tight. Practice moving your arm back and forth keeping the gun the same distance from the surface to ensure an even coat. Once you feel comfortable you can start on your piece.

Since I had a lot of raised areas and detail I gave the entire piece one coat going in an up and down motion. Once that dried I gave it a second coat in a side to side motion to fill any recessed areas I missed. This of course was AFTER my impatient side won out and I attempted to do TWO coats at once. The right side of my vanity ended up with a mess like this, TOO MUCH PAINT!

I would love to say I did this on purpose to show you how to fix a common mistake, but the truth is I’m just a little spastic and I thought I could actually pull two coats off. To fix this get a clean brush and wipe off your excess. Feather and brush the area out. LET DRY! If the brush strokes bother you, lightly sand. Now get back to spraying and don’t attempt that again!

Once your piece has the coverage you desire you are finished!
Clean up was a breeze. I simply poured the remaining paint back into the can and rinsed out the reservoir. I then filled the reservoir with water and ran it through the sprayer until it came out clean. I rinsed the nozzle and uptake tube clean and I was done.

Once all was dry I reassembled the door and drawers. Here is the vanity after two coats…

and now placed in its new home. I absolutely love the new color and how much it changed the look of this piece. Now I just need to commit to a wallpaper and this bathroom is almost done!

Getting the Yard Summer Ready

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Wed, 4 Jun 2014 06:19:00 -0400

Please join me over at True Value where I will be talking about getting your yard ready for summer.

This winter was extra tough on my yard!

It actually motivated me to check a bunch of projects off my list, like expanding my garden beds and FINALLY adding cobble stone edging to my patio. Hop over here to see how it turned out!

Part 2: Starburst Tube Sculpture "not reals"

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Tue, 20 May 2014 10:29:00 -0400

So yesterday I made a tubular brass sculpture using real brass. It's not for the faint of heart... you need a soldering iron which can run you between 20-30 bucks, as well as a few other supplies. Not to mention the soldering part is hard and gets freaking hot hot hot! Its great if you want the "real deal" on a budget or want to make a light fixture of something that needs to be very durable.

Today I made the same sculpture using drinking straws, some super glue and gold spray paint.

Quick, painless and cheap.

Here is a look at Round 2.

I have yesterday's real brass sculpture on the left and the new drinking straw version on the right...

Not bad, I just wish I had a brighter gold spray paint. The one I had kicking around is a bit on teh brown side.

So here is how I did this one.

Gather supplies.

-A dozen paper drinking straws. Smoother thicker plastic ones would be the best, but I was using what I had. I found a link for rigid plastic tubing you can buy by the foot in several different diameters here. Much cheaper than buying rigid drinking straws suprisingly!

-Super glue/ glue of your choice.

Start by gluing (2) groups of 3 straws together to create "A" shapes...

Once dry (about 3 minutes- patience is needed or else your fingers are gonna stick together) glue the 2 "A" shapes together forming a teepee. Add straws one by one to complete your sculpture.
It feels a bit like Pick-Up sticks...

I actually really liked it striped. I thought it would make great centerpiece or table toppers, even hanging decorations for parties...

Here it is in front of my new painting from Jenny...

and here it is after one coat of gold spray paint...

and an up close...

you can see the paper straw lines, but if its going up on a shelf it would be fine.

This is why smooth thick plastic tubing is the ticket if you are painting it.

and one more side by side.

Super easy and super cheap.

Thats all for now folks!

Later.

Brass Starburst Sculpture "for reals"

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Mon, 19 May 2014 20:11:00 -0400

I say "for reals" because I have only made these out of wooden skewers, not actual brass before.

(see sculpture here and light fixture here)

I decided to go for the real thing for this one...

I have a client that saw this and loved it, but not the $$$$ attached to it...

Having welded my kitchen lights this winter with my Dad's help I felt ready for the challenge.

I also took jewelry design in art school and inhaled my fair share of lead making stained glass so I thought "no big deal"... its actually quite a big deal. This is a level 7 on a scale of 1-10 for difficultly.

*If you don't have a soldering gun or trust yourself near high heat, spray some drinking straws gold and then glue them together. See tutorial for that here*

So, I picked up some 36" long 3/8" brass tubing at my local True Value Hardware store, a soldering iron, solder-without lead cause that is BAD for the brain, and a mini tubing cutter...

These tubes also came in 12" lengths, which is what I will be using for my client, but I wanted to make a smaller "sister" burst to go with it/ practice on.
I marked the 36" tubes at 9" intervals..

Then I used a great little contraption called a mini tubing cutter. Best tool I tell you! All you do is put your tube in and tighten the clamp. Next twist the tube once and tighten the clamp again. Repeat until the tube cuts in half. Its like magic!

It took me 3 twists/ tightens to make this happen...

They are so smooth I'd drink from them if

I wasn't such a "don't know where that tube has been" type!

I made (12) 9" pieces from (3) 36" tubes...

Now for the hard part... soldering.

I used a piece of leftover ceramic tile with a layer of aluminum foil for my work area

since this gets VERY (900 degrees) HOT!

Gather your soldering iron, solder and some fine steel wool.

You will need to rub the tubes down with the steel wool to make sure they are clean.

Very important! If there is any coating on the brass the solder will not stick and it will just break off.

I recommend having three arms for the next step if you are new to soldering, so grab a friend.

Here's the deal... you need to hold the soldering iron to the metal areas you want to solder until they reach a temperature that will melt the solder. It gets tricky because the tubes natural want to roll, so I used masking tape to hold the end in place that was farthest away from the heat source.
I used a solder with a rosin flux core (this helps it spread easier and bonds the metals together). If you use basic solder be sure to treat the area with flux separately.
I touched the solder to the brass until it melted and then I quickly lifted the soldering iron. This takes a lot of practice!!!! Next, let the solder cool before handling.

Please note my messy soldering marks... rookie.

I kept adding tubes and using tape to hold ends in place since I didn't have a third arm or a buddy...

It's my first attempt so it's quite obvious...

I used my Krylon Paint Pen to cover up the majority of silver solder marks...

Here is the breakdown on cost...

The actual tubing cost less than $18:

(3) 36" brass tubes @ $5.99 each

This is the "tools" cost, so if you own any of this you are ahead of the game...

Tubing Cutter $9.49

3 oz. Solder $11.99

Soldering Iron $31.99
About $50. Gets pricey, but just think of all the cool stuff you can now make!

Now I am off to practice some more and make one for my client.

I'll keep you posted!

One Pot Painted Three Ways

noreply@blogger.com (Danika Herrick) — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 12:39:00 -0400

I can play this game all day!

I've been staring at a couple of metal cachepots that have been sitting on my kitchen window sill for the past year and thought "these little buggers would be so easy to zhush up"- but then the phone would ring, or someone needed a snack or I'd see a squirrel and then I'd forget about them...

SO today, in the midst of a big deadline, I decide NOW was the time to bedazzle those babies. Procrastination gets shit done that doesn't really need to be done- am I right?

This took me an hour to do, and I have about 50 more ideas on how to paint this little pots, but for now I'll show you three. It just takes a little paint, a steady hand and your imagination.

There's a style for everyone here-

traditional chinoiserie, clean and simple modern lines and the eclectic/funky "evil eye".

Here are some tips...
-don't try this after drinking 2 cups of coffee- shaky hands, disaster!

-If using spray paint let your base coat color dry completely before doing your top pattern, otherwise the Sharpies and paint pens will get gooey/smudgy. Learned this the hard way.

Use acrylics to avoid the wait.

-I used a white chalk marker (this one) because it was very smooth and fluid for drawing the chinoiserie scene. It also will wash off with a wet rag if you make mistakes, so be sure to seal it with and polyurethane when you're finished.

-Sharpies work great for fine detail, just be sure to use an acrylic polyurethane on top, since some oil-based ones will make Sharpies bleed.

-Krylon Gold Paint pen does it again! Easy peasy for lining the rims and coloring in the feet.

-I used a ruler to draw in the lines on my mint green pot, and then free hand traced to beef them up a bit.

-For the eyes, draw in the whites first with a chalk marker or acrylic paint. Add colored irises with paint, and then line, lash and dot with a black Sharpie.

The change up is fast and easy to do, and they'd make great little gifts.

What's your favorite?

p.s. -I found my pots at a local floral supply shop last summer, but I've seen these ingarden centers too.