Drab to Fab

Valentines Day Goodies

2012-01-27T14:08:00.000-08:00

My hubby and I drove to Vegas and I need to keep my hands busy or I eat THE WHOLE TIME! (and we all know our butt's don't like that!) So I did a bunch of little Loves and XOXO's...I just made it up as I went...hence the unperfectedness.

I cut them out, frayed the edges, added a fun print behind it, and tacked it in the corners onto a 2x6. The others are just my doodles on wood and then I cute them out....I am LOVING bead board and Mod Pod random V-Day paper to them, sand, and then spray glittering to add that perfect SPARKLE!!!

Get your CRAFT on.....

Tasty Tuesdays: The Baked Brownie

2012-01-24T09:07:00.000-08:00

I'm back. I've taken an almost five-month break from devoting any time to this blog, because I had a bun of my own baking. Five months ago, we welcomed our fourth child to our family! His name is Calvin and he is just perfect. In honor of his perfection, I decided that my first new recipe card after my maternity leave should also be perfect. So here you go.

I have a confession to make: whenever a recipe calls for eggs at room temperature, I get a smuggitty little smile of smugness on my face. Because I keep chickens and ducks. And I always have room temperature eggs. Either I can go out and collect some right when I need them, or I already collected them and they're on the counter waiting to be cleaned, or I already collected them, cleaned them, and put them in the fridge . . . but they're not quite as fridge-cold as the eggs that I collected, cleaned, and cold-ed the day before.

But, darling egg-layers notwithstanding, I am smug every time I make these brownies anyway, because they. are. THE. BEST. No, I'm serious. I never thought I would invoke Oprah's name on this blog, but I found this recipe because the picture of the brownies looked amazing, and when I clicked a link to find out more, I read an article about how this recipe is from the Baked bakeshop in Brooklyn, is one of Oprah's favorite things, and is also America's Test Kitchen's favorite brownie recipe. Hell-o. With an endorsement from A'sTK, how can you go wrong? (For other delicious recipes from A'sTK on my recipe blog, BexBox, you might want to try Barbecued Dry-Rubbed Chicken, Ultimate Cinnamon Buns, and Asian Lettuce Wraps).

They are super rich, which I love, because I'd rather taste more chocolate and less sugar in my brownies. And they have that gooey, perfect crust that only the best brownies have. I have adapted this recipe slightly to mine and my husband's tastes: adding another 1/4 tsp of salt and another tablespoon of cocoa, leaving the brown sugar unpacked, and cutting out the teaspoon of instant espresso powder (I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints {Mormons}, so I don't drink coffee or tea and try to avoid other caffeinated beverages).

You can google "The Baked Brownie" and get all kinds of amazing pictures, but this is one of my own actual photographs taken on my own actual mommy camera.

It's as difficult to get a picture of this brownie as it is to get one of the elusive Bigfoot--they vanish before your eyes into the dense undergrowth . . . er, into the dense husband's mouth . . . er, they just vanish quickly.

You're very welcome.

Easy Party Lights!

2012-01-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

Super simple way to spice up lighting at a party! Or to spice up any type of jar for holding party favors/utensils/napkins/etc... Really, the uses are limitless!

Take any size or shape jar/vase- clear, & add rubber bands around it. Be creative. The rubber bands can be straight, curvy, overlap, try a few different ways until you find what you like!

Spray paint a color of your choice & Let Dry!

Pull off the rubber bands, and TADA: Super cool Jars!!!

I happened to use these ones for the Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 party I hosted! (little tea light inside the black vase)

Bonnie is the only sister that wasn't able to come. We missed her a lot! This is our mom, five of the sisters, and both sisters in law!

And a picture of a few of us with Edward and Bella at the Premiere!

WHAT WILL YOU USE YOUR VASES FOR?

Kitchen Home Organizer

2012-01-18T12:23:00.000-08:00

My Husband Brought home a crate lid to an old crate box about 4 years back. I have been dreaming of making a kitchen organizer with it, and I finally did it! It was actually super simple.

Wish I would have done it earlier.

Took the cork part of a corkboard I already owned and cut it to fit in half the crate box lid!

Next, I added Scrap Paper of my choosing around the border. I decided to use a solid print in case I ever decide to change my kitchen decor!

Scuff up edges with Ink!

Filled the other side with Cardboard to more easily work my calendar plan

Cover the cardboard with paper color of your choice. again I chose solid colors.

Added a rectangle piece of sheet metal for a magnet board!

Found an awesome website to print out some calendars!
http://www.printfree.com/Calendars.htm

A Three month plan! Every third month is the same color paper!

Purchase a few clasps that you would use for file folders. (Acco File Fasteners). Punch them through on the BACK of the cardboard BEFORE you glue the cardboard into the crate lid. That way only the clasp parts are sticking out!

This is the glue I used for most of the job- to attach the cork & the cardboard down to the wood!

Almost done. I wanted some type of basket to attach under the magnet board to hold pens, important mail/envelopes, etc....

Found the perfect holder (five months later) at D.I. for 50 cents!!! Nailed it in with two short nails!

And Viola! All done!!!

I can't even remember what I did before I had this. I use it every single day, and I get many compliments!

Now go out and make your own Organizer!!!

Gallery Wall

2012-01-13T17:10:00.000-08:00

I am absolutely in LOVE with all the beautiful gallery wall displays.

But let's face it....

I have small hallways and limited wall space, so clustering frames together would make me claustrophobic.

But I have had this idea for awhile to frame in, with molding, a piece of the wall and then collage picture frames.

Making it appear better balanced in my small space.

I first framed out my wall space.

I then painted the inside a stark white. I knew this would make everything pop. I started with stripes, but quickly decided that it was still too much for me. I needed to keep it clean and simple for this space.

So repainted the wall back to the stark white.

Once I had it framed in and painted, I also painted the molding black.

(Note to self....make the molding frame first, paint it, and then pin nail it on....That would have saved me some taping and retouching. )

Then I dug out my frame bin and started collecting all the frames I wanted to use for the wall!

I took them outside to spray paint them black and then started to piece each frame together on the wall.

More frames dug out and painted......

And VOILA!

Picture Perfect Family Tree Wall.

I love how slim to the wall it all is. My hallways are narrow and it doesn't make me feel confined!

Now to collect which pictures I want up on the wall.

I am doing several with all kinds of trees, black n' white.

And the rest with pictures of our family!

Do you LOVE it as much as I do??

I can't stop looking at it!

XOXO,

BON

Stop by soon for an updated wall with the pictures!

Chair Revamp!

2012-01-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

Here is a chair revamp that I did a while back.

I got this chair at the D.I. for only 5 dollars!

It didn't take much to turn it into something that was so much better looking!

I unscrewed the seat and back rest and whipped out my black spray paint.

It took a couple of coats and it was looking great.

I bought some fabric a while back for REALLY cheap. It was the perfect color and pattern.

I stapled the new fabric over the old seat and back rest.

As soon as the paint was dry, I put it back together!

It was one of the first "projects" that I had taken on, and I could not have been happier!

BEFORE and AFTER~!

Savanah

Bling Your Jeans

2012-01-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

You have all seen them.... those rhinestone studded pockets of the trendy girl jeans.

Only problem is they can cost a fortune.

Well, not anymore.

My friend Shauna let me in on a little secret.

You can totally do it yourself with out a bedazzler.

All you need is....

A super cute pair of thrift store jeans! Found this cute pair for $4.00 for my 10 yr old.

Loved the big stitching and they already had a diamond studded button pocket!

Some E6000. I found mine @ Walmart in the Craft section.

Some flat backed diamond accessories to bling out your jean!

My friend said she has been doing this forever.

That after letting it adhere for the adequate amount of time you can machine wash your jeans too!

SCORE!

I started out by adding a role of bling right along the pocket flap...

Then added one more role of bling for pizzaz.

I could have done tons more...but my oldest doesn't like anything "too girly" (in her words) So this amount was perfect!

What are you waiting for?

Go bling some jeans!

You know you want to!

XOXO,

Bon

Thrift Store Secrets

2011-12-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

Do you remember this post? Frequenting the DI/Thrift Stores

A post that gives tips on how to get good deals at your thrift stores.

Well here's another little thrift store secret.

I know you are probably all shopped out from Thanksgiving goodness to Christmas goodies, but seriously THIS is the time to hit the thrift stores.

You might be thinking "What? This girl is crazy!"

But it is true!

Think about it. Everyone is getting rid of "the old, to make room for the new."
Look at my pile to take to the thrift store just after cleaning out closets to make some room for the kids new Christmas Clothes and toys....

I SCORE every year at the thrift stores after the holidays.

From furniture, to clothing, to toys galore, and household items! I swear after the holidays I find some of the best prices too. I don't know if it is because of the large quantities of donations or what, but save your pocket change 'cause you might just score big!

You may score something so fabulous....like this....

My sister Sharla found this piece!
As Napoleon Dynamite would say "Lucky!"

What are you waiting for...run......
XOXO
Bon

Do it yourself TREE DECOR!!!

2011-12-14T20:27:00.000-08:00

So, this has four D to F ideas all wrapped up into one. Each are do it yourself Ideas for your Christmas Tree.

#1: Break down a wreath and use individual pieces as decoration.

#2: Cereal Box Stars

#3: Scrabble words

#4: Bird Nest Topper

Got a wreath made up of these sprigs all woven together for $2 at the D.I. This is what it looks like broken down to it's most basic piece.

I used most of the wreath for my Pot Rack about two years back but still had a bag full of extras!

Remember these? Look back at THIS post for instructions! It seemed too plain. I wanted it to POP!!!

After you've made these stars, grab some Elmers Spray Ahesive & A large jar of clear glitter from JoAnnes!

Spray your star, cover in glittler. Shake off Excess and VIOLA! (WARNING: the spray adhesive is very tacky so make sure you lay something under the product you are spraying. Especially because it has a lot of overspray!)

So Glittery!!!

Scrabble Decor. Super Simple.
#1: Lay out your letters
#2 Hot Glue them Together
#3 Hot glue a piece of twine for your hanger
#4- Hot glue a piece of ribbon over twine on back (see pic below)

Adding the ribbon strip guarantees that if your scrabble ornament happens to break, no pieces will be lost!!!

Bird next for top of my tree. It was actually a wicker ball that I shaped into a nest. Sprayed it with spray adhesive and rolled it around in the left over glitter from my stars from above. Added a little bird that was on a random piece of holiday decor I already owned.

Had to show you this super cute tree skirt my amazing friend Briana MADE! She gave it to me last year as a Christmas Present (Seriously? I was in heaven!!!)

Finished Tree. It was fun to drape my bead garland from the top instead of wrapping it around the tree!!! The tree is still pretty bare, but it's the first year I've made my own decor, and it was super inexpensive. Most of the items I already had lying around the house.

Speaking of D.I... if you wanna see us sisters find a bargain, check out our D.I. blog HERE!!!
Hope this helped get your creative juices flowing to make your tree one of a kind!

Tis the Season

2011-12-13T15:17:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about Christmas time and this Holiday Season is that peoples hearts are more turned to do good. Service is rampant. Charity abounds. And all sorts of good people reach out to others in need.

We know that a lot of readers come from the Eastern Idaho area and thought we would share a sad story that we had recently heard about.

(Click hear to read Barry and Karin's story)

http://www.bkholmandonation.blogspot.com

A fundraiser has been set up to help out this family with hospital/surgery funds and we wanted to spread the word!

This Thursday, December 15th, there will be a fundraiser dinner @ Sugar Salem High School in Sugar City, Idaho.. It will go from 6-9 PM. The cost is $7.00 per person or $30.00 per family. There will also be a silent auction.

All proceeds will go to Karin and Barry to help with hospital/surgery costs.

Christmas Tree

2011-12-05T09:41:00.000-08:00

Is your Christmas Tree up yet? Do you change it year to year or keep it the same?

I love Christmas Trees.
Hunting down the perfect tree each year in the snow with the family, putting it up inside my home,
and deciding what ornaments to use.

I add a little every year and take a way a little every year. I wish I could walk through everyone's homes and see what gorgeous ideas they have done for their trees!

It amazes me that this.....

Can turn slowly into this....

Now I feel 100% ready for Christmas to come!

When the tree is up I can enjoy the rest of the Holiday season.

Are you enjoying yours?

The Joy of Spray Paint

2011-12-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

Here is another quick chair makeover!

I got two of these chairs from a neighbor who was tossing them out.

I gave them each a light sanding and wiped them down.

This chair I choose to do a rich red.

It took two cans of this goodness, but it was worth it!

And now I have a perfect chair for me and for photog!

The Deadly Dangerous STAIRCASE

2011-12-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

Are you scared yet?

Well you would be if you ever came into my house with wet shoes and discovered these Six dangerous little buggers! Look at those slippery steps waiting to make you fall!

We have priced redoing the stairs and removing the tile but it is too expensive for now, so we thought up many inexpensive solutions.
We have ranged from plastic stair treads all the way to that sandpaper stuff on skate boards. LOL Finally, we found these rolls of thin indoor /outdoor carpet. We (by we I mean me! My hubby had good intentions to help me... lol) cut the roll to the desired length/ width and applied this amazing sheet flooring adhesive.

VIOLA,
sprained leg and concussion say goodbye!!

I also added a few stencil designs just to add a little bling :)
Don't you just love?

Horray for non slip surfaces!
And a new fancy staircase!

Inexpensive Gift Idea

2011-11-30T11:00:00.000-08:00

So me and my hubby are in between jobs, which makes the gift giving part of the holidays a bit tricky. I am sure many of you can relate to something similar. So this year we decided that this will not put a damper on our holiday cheer, but that we will do a HOME MADE CHRISTMAS!

A few things we are making the kids are: Quilts made from all the old levis I have been saving, swords from scrap wood we have. ( I have three boys,this could be dangerous) Hooded towels, with monster and superhero themes, and a friend of my sisters is giving away cute puppies so we are also making them a dog house (also from the scrap wood pile).

It has been a lot of fun making things for them!

I also wanted to think of something for my sweet neighbors and friends and this is a affordable, great gift, and made with love!

So, here is my idea.

Found these at wally world 2.00 for a package of two.
Saweet!

They come really big, so I can make two hand towels out of one flour sack.
Now I have 4 hand towels at 50cents a piece!
Can we say FABULOUS!!??

Fold, measure, iron, and cut!

I sewed the cut seam with the same color thread

There are so many different ways you could make these, but I liked this cute bird template I found on pinterest. Which inspired this design.

I also used stencils and black fabric paint on this project.
I got these two inch ones at Wally World, but you could also just make your own.

So go get some inexpensive fabric or pull out your scrap fabric.

Here is the finished product.
So easy and versatile.
I don't know any woman who couldn't use a few extra hand towels in there kitchen

Happy Holidays

Christmas wrapping: Recycle your Old Clothes

2011-11-29T09:51:00.000-08:00

My son had this old ratty box that obviously needed thrown away, but instead I decided to recycle.( Pat on back)
I have, below, an old holy pair of shorts (so fitting for this Holy season) and a pillowcase that was in the donate pile.

I covered the box and lid with a hot glue gun!
Wrapped it just like a present.
Easy, breezy, wrapped up box!

Next I added some scraps of cutesy Christmas paper in the bottom to jazz it up a bit more!

I next started choppin up the shorts.

I made a few stripes about 8 inches long

Chopped them in half and tied them together with the same fabric!

OOOOOOoooo I am just so pleased with this parcel!

Drum roll please...........
Ta da the finished reusable wrapped box!

I also added some scrap ribbon to add a little more pizazz!

Happy Holidays Everyone!
I cant wait to see your ideas on reusable recyled wrapping!

No Sew Ruffle Lamp Shade

2011-11-17T12:02:00.000-08:00

MMMM..... I am loving all the neutral pallets lately. Burlap, canvas, duck weave, all incredibly delish! So slowly I am trying to move out some of the bolder colors in my front room and go more neutral, fresh, and light!

One piece at a time I will get there.
So I started with this lamp shade.

Notice the lovely stain I can't get out....HIDEOUS!

I took this luscious fabric....oh I love the woven earthy look!

Next I cut it into strips.

Then, because I am a horrid at sewing, I hot glued pleats all the way down each of my strips.

I then layered each strip onto the lamp shade hot gluing those down as well.

I added a little rick rack around the top and a flower ...

And voila! New, no sew, lamp shade.

Can't wait to do some pillows!

Christmas Wrapping: Recycled Road Atlases

2011-11-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

Since mine and my husband's families live so far apart (Idaho and Arkansas), we are used to driving long distances to visit family members. As a result of our cross-country trips, we have acquired several road atlases over the years. And when it comes time to update to a more current atlas, I don't throw away the old one . . . I DRAB TO FAB it :).

This is my favorite way to wrap presents for the following reasons:

cheap
pretty
recycling
cool
easy

I rarely even have to use scissors! I just tear out a single sheet (or lift out a "double sheet" from the staples in the middle) and it's ready to go. {I don't recommend buying a spiral-bound atlas for either driving OR wrapping, because the pages you use the most get torn out when you still need them to find your way, and, you don't have the "double-sheet" that the staple-bound atlases give you for wrapping}.

If you have a larger gift, carefully remove
a "double sheet" from the center of the
atlas by pulling it up from the staples.

If you travel Tom-Tom style with a GPS and don't have a road atlas, snag an old one (or an outdated world atlas) at your local thrift store. Siam and Burma may not exist on current atlas anymore, but we can keep them alive under our Christmas trees!

Tulle is my favorite "ribbon"
material, though I don't think it
goes with the map-wrapping as
well as the examples below.

Colored rubber bands:
cheap, easy, festive . . .

. . . and cute!
The card is a folded 3x5 card from my
surplus of office supplies--I think it is the
perfect compliment to this type of wrapping

If you want to use ribbon, get
pastel colors that compliment
the typical orange/pink/yellow/
green/blue color scheme found
on most political maps

Kitchen twine is always a classic choice
for your packages and parcels.
(Sneak preview of one of your gifts, Bon!)

One other fun idea is to add a toy car or two
to the outside of your package--especially
if it goes with the gift!

Stay tuned for more ideas from my wrapping-savvy sisters! Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

Brown Paper Packages

2011-11-11T08:05:00.000-08:00

I wanted to show you all of the ways to use recycled grocery bags all at once, but some of my craft supplies are buried in the mountain of remodeling stuff.

So I will have to show you a few ways over the course of the next few weeks!

Start asking your grocery boy to bag your food in paper bags now, so you can have a great stock pile to wrap with!

This first way is SUPER easy.

And FREE!

So let's do a homemade gift bag, shall we?

First, get one of your old grocery bags out.

Next, cut it in half.

Third, get an old empty cereal box.

(Start collecting them)

Make sure to take out the lining and cut off the top tabs!

Next, cover your box with your grocery bag that has the words turned in!

Now on to decorating.

The possibilities could be endless.

But I just pulled out a simple stencil packet I had purchased a while back.

(Got it at Walmart for $1.97, and it has all the stencils pictured)

Simply stencil the stencil of choice on the front of your gift bag, stuff your box with the presents you will be giving, and add some tissue paper.

I wanted to add a cute ribbon handle, but all my ribbon is in that remodeling pile somewhere.

So you will just have to envision it!

A perfect recycled way to wrap!

The best part of the box is that it stands so perfectly.

Happy Wrapping~

Book Page STAR

2011-11-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

In Keeping with my book page Christmas Theme for this year, I am making star ornaments for my tree. Soooo easy to make. Buying these type of stars at the store are usually anywhere from $5-$10 a piece. This one: FREE NINETY FREE!!! And it seriously only took me 5 minutes!

You only need these 6 things to create these GORG stars!!!

Draw a star on a cereal box in any ol' way you'd like with permanent marker.

Cut out star and add score markes. from tip to center, and from inner corners to center. Score each with a box cutter (be careful not to cut all the way through.)

Cover side Opposite of the scores with an old book page. Then cut off the excess.

Flip over, fold, then Ink to your hearts desire! Now it's ready for your tree!!!
Now go make some ornaments of your own!!!

Finally

2011-11-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

Remember two years back when I redid my kitchen?

I still have projects.

Paint over the red,

redo the fixtures,

fix the air vent above the stove,

and etc. etc.

Well I FINALLY did something!

Here is the oven hood before....

Super Ug, I know.

But after some black paint and a clear coat of lacquer finish it is looking soooo much better!

Old, dingy, and wretched to New, fab, and gorg!

One more project down, a gazillion more to go!

See you next week with my wrapping post!

xoxo

Bon

Old Book Page Wrapping

2011-11-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

Super easy wrapping. Using Old book pages (Or new book pages inked up.) Our favorite place to go to find inexpensive old books is Deseret Industries. (click link to see our cool D.I. blog)

start with empty boxes - croutons have a ziplock top, the rest have lids or easy open/close tops.

There are several ways you can wrap. Be creative and come up with your own!!! I like using a glue runner (like for scrapbooking) as my adhesive.

#1: lay book pages out straight. Don't worry about overlap. You don't need to cut it, you can either tuck it under, or let page you glue down on other side line up with the overlap!

I keep old tags from jeans we buy. simply cover with a book page, and cut around the outside for a perfect fit (Or wrap page all the way around the tag.)

Ink the edges/middle. Use Hole punch to attach the tag. Add an inked christmas tree and VOILA! Crouton bag done!

#2: you can crumple a book page & then after you uncrumple, ink the creases.

It will look like this when it's inked.

Add to surface

and I like layering some packages with pages in different directions!

Spray paint lid to christmas color of your choice!

#3: strips of paper.

Ink each strip before gluing down to surface.

#4: Full pages. don't ink until after they've been glued down. Only ink the creases of the box!

And now a little Book Page Christmas Bow Tutorial. Super easy. I'm going to make a lot of these!!!

Strips of paper. Inked and folded from both ends into the middle. Staple. and repeat.

do as many layers as you'd like.

Once you reach the top, start folding to make loops stand up!

If making it a permanent part of your gift. curl two strips of paper and staple to top of box.

staple finished bow on top of your curled ribbons. and you're done!!!

Finished Products!!!! (although I think I am going to add more bows to the rest of them!)

The Great thing about the packages I chose is I can re-use them EVERY YEAR!!! Stay tuned later this week for an Inexpensive Christmas Present Idea using book pages!!! Happy Wrapping!!!

Christmas in November

2011-10-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

Get ready for

XOXO,

The Drab to Fab Sisters

Book Wreaths

2011-10-18T15:21:00.000-07:00

Saw these on Pinterest and had to tweak it and make our own.

Things you will need:

Foam Pipe Cover

Duct Tape

An Old book (Or new book & ink the edges)

Hot Glue Gun - I found out the hard way, get a LOW TEMP gun. A high temp glue gun will burn through your foam!!!

Foam Pipe Covers. INEXPENSIVE way to do a wreath. $2.95 for a pack of 4 at Walmart! Bend into a cirle, and Duct Tape ends together.

Fold page into an S. Glue one end to foam. Do not crease the folds, (Unless you want a zigzag look instead of a flowing look.)

First layer of pages. Hot glue to foam. The more overlap, the closer your pages, the fuller your wreath.

Flip the wreath over. Your first layer becomes the BACK of your wreath (so it will lay flat against the wall)

After first layer, you can fold the ends to make pages stick out in the direction you want.

Keep going layer by layer until you are satisfied.

as you near the final layers, your foam will become covered up (You could also hot glue a ribbon along the inside to hide the foam.

You don't have to add anything to the wreath, they are gorgeous by themselves. But I wanted to hang something in the middle of mine. Since it is going above my bed, I decided the word LOVE printed on an extra page of the book would be great in a frame.

center your book page on a regular sheet of paper and put in your printer!

spray paint a frame to the color of your choice. I simply glued my frame to the wreath itself, but you could get fancy and hang it with a ribbon!

Finished product on an old door for decor

Finished product on an old window & frame added to middle!

Outdoor Craft Bench

2011-09-20T09:03:00.001-07:00

I have this GORGEOUS old bench in the front of my house. unfortunately, it is about the same color as the brick of my home, so it gets lost. I've been meaning to paint it for sometime, but finally got around to it!

Step 1: Sand! I only gave it a very light sanding. I wanted the red & worn to show through once I scuffed the final coat of paint. Clean up is a lot easier if you lay down a drop cloth under the piece of furniture you are sanding (My favorite drop cloth is this old black shower curtain)

Step 2: Paint- I actually chose a high gloss black paint for 3 reasons. #1- my sister had a small bucket of it, so I didn't have to spend any money. #2- It will be harder for the weather to wear it down, and #3- I liked the end product of a little bit of gloss, but still scuffed.

This is the 1st coat. I could have left it there and let the red really show through, but decided to do a second coat.

The second coat still shows a little bit of red, and I wasn't too worried about getting a thick covering coat.

I did not paint the underside. Hopefully people won't be laying down under my bench to see if I painted the whole thing.

You know how I mentioned putting down a drop cloth? Make sure you shake the drop cloth out after sanding so when you paint, little flakes don't stick... like this! Oops!!!

Step 3: Sand again! Scuff it up as much or as little as you would like!

And Viola!!!

Add crafts or keep empty for a cute little addition to the front of your home.

Free AFTER SCHOOL Print Out

2011-08-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

So I am on CrAZy TiME...theses past few weeks. I am sure all us moms know what that is! Anywho I needed a little something for my kids to know what's expected after school, but fun. So I saw "something like this" on a blog last year and thought I'd tweek to my own "likes."

I put mine on the fridge and bought the 5X7 Magnet frames at Walmart 2 for $2.50 All they need is a Dry Earse marker and they can keep on top of what's excpected daily! :O)

(That's the plan....anyways)

Here are a Boy/Girl Template for you! Hope you Enjoy!