Christy's Thrifty Decorating

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 23:38:00 +0000

Customized Knobs

I just purchased a dresser for my son's room from IKEA. Have you ever put an IKEA item together? Wow. Lots of screws, nut, bolts and of coarse, the little stick figure guy that shows up in the instructions. It's a big job, for sure. I'm happy to report though, I successfully put two of these dressers together.

These dressers are plain, sanded and unfinished. I painted them to match his headboard. Both dressers come with wood knobs. I was looking for something with a little more character. I searched on Pinterest for things that could be done with knobs and found this.

Great idea and comes out great.

Supplies:

Ceramic knobs (bought mine in Home Depot < than $2.00 each

One or more Sharpie Markers, any color

Your oven

Simple to do:

Just paint each knob with your sharpie marker. I started in the middle and colored my way outward. Little strokes work great giving you final piece more of a jewel finish.

Let them dry and bake them in the oven. I did it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. You won't believe how nice they look when finished. This technique gives you the ability to customize your knobs any color you want. I picked brown for my use, but the ones I saw on Pinterest were turquoise and they looked fabulous.

Pick the color you are sure of. Once the marker hits the knob-it's permanent! No turning back.

What a great idea-too bad I didn't think it up myself.....

Here is the finished dresser. You can't appreciate the knobs so much, but I'm sure you can see how nicely they now match. Much better than the plain wood ones.

Christy

Just baked!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 02:47:00 +0000

I know.....I know. Where have I been? I'm still here and still creating all sorts of things. Mainly, turning junk into something usable. I got involved with a antiques/gift store two years ago and it has so far worked out pretty good for me. I rent a small space and sell things that I've created at home. Lot's of fun, a little extra money and a way for me to channel my creativity.
I spent as much time as possible shopping in thrift stores and finding things that I can "alter" in some way to make it sellable. It doesn't always work out for me, but most of the time someone out there appreciates it and I make some extra money.
I've also taken on some major home improvement efforts over the winter which I will post about soon. Took forever, it seems but well worth all the work. So now it's spring in Atlanta and there is plenty of yard creativity and work to deal with so I'm feeling the ache in my back already!!

Here is such one example of a "trash to treasure" that I've done and sold lately.

This little doggy was purchased in a thrift store. I probably paid $3.00 for him. He's made out of ceramic ( I think). He holds a broken chain in his mouth. My vision was to repair or replace the chain, add a welcome sign and give this guy a new coat of paint, which is pretty much what I landed up doing.

I cleaned him up and sprayed him with black Rustoleum paint. I hand painted his collar with acrylic red. When it was finished-I sprayed a clear coat of vanish over him to seal up the colors. I replaced the chain with new, black chain and attached the sign.

The sign is a small piece of black PVC sheet, but anything would work. I used my new toy-the Silhouette Cameo to cut the vinyl letters out to spell Welcome and added a small red flower with acrylic. Not really obvious in the picture, is his eyes. I hand painted them to look like he actually have a little personality-and it worked. Made him look happier too. I brought him into the shop and he sold two days later.

I am always amazed at what people throw away and what you can actually do with this stuff.

More to come!

Christy

Painting Brick

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 01:18:00 +0000

I didn't know if you could paint brickwork. My front porch bricks were so faded and old looking, that it just gave the whole front entrance a sad look. It's looked like this for a few years now. The sun beats down on those bricks everyday for hours, so time was really showing on them. Let's face it: the front door is the very first thing you see when when you arrive at someone's house. It should look friendly, clean and welcoming-don't ya think?
I searched around the Internet for some help, but didn't find much. So hard could it
be?

I took a ride to Home Depot and bought a bottle of cement stain. It's full strength and you're suppose to add it to cement. So I figured that I could add a little water and just paint it onto my bricks. I wasn't sure if it would work but for 6 bucks I wasn't going to lose much. It doesn't say that you can use this stuff for painting brick, cut it's close enough for me.

I picked a bright, sunny day and went to work.

Supplies:
1. Water
2. Cement stain
3. paintbrush
4. cup of coffee for myself 'cause it's pretty early.

Before starting this project, I power washed the porch. Nice and clean and ready to roll. It must be dry though.

I simply painted every brick and just couldn't get over the transformation. Wow....I'm so glad I did this. Now the important part is: will it last? What if it rains and the paint comes off? What if it doesn't last? Will it fade with time? I can answer some questions.

It did rain and the paint is still there. That's good.
It could fade over time. I'm hoping it sticks around though, because it looks really good.

Don't know if it will last but it's been four weeks and it's still looking good.
So I think that you CAN paint brick. This paint just absorbed into the old brick like the brick was a sponge, so I'm pretty sure it will last a while.

Christy

Repurposing Old Glassware

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 02:00:00 +0000

Here are some cute ideas for glassware that you may have hanging around. It's a great way to use pieces that have lost their use in your home. In other words, they are random pieces that need a new use and a new purpose. The whole idea is to find nice plates or bowls that you like and glue them to candlestick holders.

Here are some examples:
I found this metal candlestick in the Goodwill. It was ugly and dark green so I painted it red.

Below is a glass bowl that I also purchased in a thrift store. Total cost: $2.00 for both. The bowl was clear when I bought it. It had raised "roses" on the bottom so I hit it with Rub N Buff. This product (comes in small tubes) and works well with the tip of your finger. It also comes in many colors. Just place a little on your finger and rub over the edges that are raised. The effect is seen below.

When it's all dry I sprayed it with red spray paint. Rustoleum is my spray of choice. It's very durable and permanent.

Here's what it looks like from above the bowl. When the bowl and candlestick are all dry, glue them together. I use E-6000 glue. Works great when attaching glass.

Here is the same idea using a similar bowl. This one was also clear, with ridges. The candlestick was clear glass as well. I've used the Rub N Buff again and sprayed the entire piece black. I love the way this one looks. When they are all finished, these work great for serving candy or cookies. I'm thinking they would be great around the holidays.

Here I have used small plates and sprayed the clear, glass candlesticks brown & black. I also added some glass beads at the base. These work well as candy dishes.

They are very unusual and unique. Would make great gifts too! I would stick to hand washing them. I'm currently trying this out for a cake plate.

Christy

The Man In the Moon

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 23:14:00 +0000

Sometimes you find something and think to yourself, what can I do with this? What was it, what does it need and what was it meant to be? I call this vision. Looking at a piece of junk and having the vision to repurpose it.

I found this candle holder in a thrift store and decided to make it new and different looking. It was made out of brass and was hollow in the center. I'm not sure what was in the center to begin with, but a piece of colored glass would fill it in nicely. Also, the candle holder (which is behind the piece) would light up the glass.

I sprayed the brass piece with some Rustoleum Hand hammered antique brass spray paint.

Painted some yellow dots on the moon (IDK, it just looked like it needed some whimsy.

Clear coated the entire piece to protect the paint and it's all finished!
Looks really cute with a candle behind it.

Christy

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 01:13:00 +0000

I saw this piece in a thrift store and fell in love with it! It was so unique, very detailed on the legs, and for only 10 bucks: I had to take it home. It needed a good cleaning and some TLC. The legs were a bit wobbly, so I put some glue into the recessed holes and clamped them for a couple of hours. It also needed a good cleaning, so I actually used the outdoor hose and washed it, letting it dry out in the sunshine.

I thought about the color and what to do with it. The decision was to repaint it red and apply a black glaze.

Supplies:
wood glue for repair
clamps to hold it
red Rustoleum spray paint
Black, Valspar paint
sandpaper
rubber gloves
old t-shirts
paint brush

I've sprayed the entire piece using the Rustoleum spray paint. I used this paint because it adheres so well and is very durable when it dries. The piece was baked out in the sun for hours to dry.
The Valspar glaze is applied with a brush and then promptly wiped off, as you can see from the photo.

Look at the detail in this piece! I just love how the black glaze that settles in the nooks and crannies of this piece.

Just beautiful!

Here is the piece all finished. No need for any clear coat on this one. It should hold up just fine.

Christy

Another Trash to Treasure project

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 23:58:00 +0000

Just found this little wooden tray in a junk store and had a vision for it. First of all, it's solid wood. That in of itself makes it worth the effort. All painted up and detailed, it could serve as a place to throw "stuff", jewelry or whatever....

Before:

It's actually pretty cute, but needs some art work added to it.

Supplies:

Sandpaper
latex paint
Acrylic paint
Clear Gloss Spray
Valspar Black Glaze

Step #1.
Paint the tray with two coats of latex paint. I picked a yellow color.

Step #2
I painted the entire tray with a black glaze and then wiped it off. Love the idea of adding black glaze that can seep into the crevices and give the piece an aged look. Now for some color.

Step #3
Add color. Here I used acrylic paint to fill in the grapes and a few leafs. Work in progress here. Only one side done so far.

Step: #4
Apply several coats of glossy varnish. I'm giving it several coats so that it's durable enough to throw change and "things" into. The color in the photograph is slightly off. It's more like the photo above. Came out really pretty.

I love turning junk or trash into something useful!!

Christy

Trash to Treasure

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 00:57:00 +0000

Turning the simplest item into something that you love! Sometimes it feels so good to change the look of something and transform it into something completely different. I seem to land up doing this all the time. Make it new, fix it up, change the color or even the style.

This candlestick was about to be dumped into a landfill somewhere. It was old, scratched and pretty ugly. I'm not really sure what it's made of, but it feels like a resin.

I sanded it lightly, which is something that pretty much gets done every time something comes home. If it's getting painted, then it's getting sanded. The paint adheres to the item so much better when it's sanded first.

Painted with a brush and using a latex paint, I picked an old "blue" color. Behr paints make these little containers of "sample" paint that is sold at Home Depot. You can have them mix up any color from a sample and have these great paints at home for all sorts of projects. I picked up 5 cans ($2.00 a piece) in blue, light green, gold, pink and purple. I use these all the time as a base coat for a Shabby Chic look.

After the candle stick was dried I applied a coat of black glaze and quickly wiped it off with a clean, dry rag. I bought a can of black glaze at Lowe's. Valspar makes it. They mix it up in the store. $18.00 a can, but lasts forever.

I added the vintage graphic (just for decoration) and tied it up with jute. The graphic I got from the The Graphic Fairy.
The landfill piece is now nice enough to actually display.

From trash to treasure: for sure!

Christy

Redux: Rocking Horse

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 02:26:00 +0000

This was a quick and easy project that surely proofs that one man's junk is another man's treasure.

Something that someone had no use for landed up with me and I created a cute, useful item. I don't have any little ones anymore so I'm selling this to someone that has children around (or maybe not). I also think it would look darling out on a porch with plants on it! I purchased this at a thrift store for 4 bucks. Solid natural wood and well made. It was spray painted and left in the sun to bake dry.

I had some stencils at home that were used for painting glassware so I used them to outline a bunch of flowers on the seat of the horse and two for the eyes.

White seemed like a good color with an outline of black. All hand painted with acrylics. I thought it came out pretty cute. Hope someone finds it a new home. I love searching around for items that I have a vision for. This little guy fit the bill!

Hope everyone has a safe and fun Fourth of July!

Christy

Decorating Storage Containers

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 23:43:00 +0000

I have a bunch of these plastic and glass canisters that are great for storage, but boring to look at. I decided to store laundry detergent in one, fabric softener, doggy treats and a collection of buttons for the sewing room in the others.

Adding graphics printed off the computer and adhering them with Mod Podge seemed like a good idea, so I gave it a shot. I like the vintage look, so I looked around for those types of images.

Here's the problem. Where do you get good graphics for free?

The Graphics Fairy, of coarse!

http://thegraphicsfairy.com

She has the best images around and they are all FREE. Free images are not easy to find these days, but she has plenty. Just about anything you want is on her site. You can look through the collection (all by subject) and pick an image. Download and print. It's that easy.

All these images are from her site. Here are two for the laundry room containers. These are vintage images in sepia tones. I applied Mod Podge (matte finish) to the printed picture and placed it on the container.

After the print is dry, I applied another coat to the top to seal it.

Here's another laundry soap container.

Doggy treats and buttons.

Love the look of these containers all decorated and they look great out on a shelf.

Christy

Trash to Treasure

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 00:59:00 +0000

I found this cabinet that probably came from Target (at least the tag looked like it). Sort of cute and certainly cheap enough. The cabinet was baby blue and the drawers were yellow. Would have been great in a babies room, but I don't have any of those anymore.

I forgot to take the before picture. I'm getting rusty these days.

Anyway, I liked the cabinet and saw some potential. I pictured it black and white. I was going to change the knobs too, but decided to keep them (for now).

The vintage look seems to really be in these days. I love the "shabby chic" look but thought maybe I'd try something a little different. Crackle.

I know it's been around for a long time, but I just felt like I wanted to give it a try.

This just happens to be the crackle medium I used. I didn't read the directions....ugh.....read the directions, it really helps!! I lightly sanded the cabinet so the new paint would adhere.

I painted the entire cabinet satin black, including the drawers. The crackle technique was used on the drawers. I selected a white background with black crackles. Love it!

The knobs are just the opposite.

All finished. One persons blue and yellow junk, turned into something I really like. I may change those knobs in the future to an antique looking knob. That's just something I'll look around for in my travels.

On a totally unrelated topic, this sweet puppy was found at the gas station by my wonderful, animal loving daughter. He was dropped off there by some very heartless people. Full of fleas and ticks, he was bathed, de-ticked, dried, fed and watered. The next step: we found him a wonderful forever home. The sadness is completely gone in his eyes and he's like a new pup!! Better news: the people across the street adopted him so we can watch him grow up.

I think he may be beagle/retriever.....maybe. Plus, he has a little white heart on his forehead.
I'm so proud of my daughter, Taylor. This is the second dog she has brought home in one month. Both of them tossed out by their owners. She found a great home for both. You'll have to come back to my blog to meet the "other" doggy she found.

If you have love to give and a home to offer, go to your local shelter and adopt a dog or cat. There are so many homeless pets out there just looking for a warm bed, some food and a little love. I promise, they will be your friend for as long as they live!

Christy

Buying Junk

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 23:52:00 +0000

I'm just venting here for a few minutes.......
For years I've traveled to local thrift stores looking around for junk that could potentially be turned into something useful or decorative. Places like the Salvation Army and Goodwill carry tons of items that are no longer useful to the owners. Many items are in need of paint, repair work and just someone that sees its potential. You need vision, a creative mind and some time to work on these items. Prices were never a consideration because it's all cheap...........at least it used to be.

I am now just amazed, but troubled by how expensive these places have become considering most of what they carry is plain, old junk. Sometimes I see furniture that needs so much work that it's not even worth purchasing it. Then I see the price and really want to scream. What's happened here? The media. Television shows that give everyone the impression that there is so much hidden value in junk. Not so. Not for most of us. Internet and newspaper stories about million dollar items found at the Goodwill. Yes, it has happened a few times but when was the last time you bought a painting at the Goodwill that was worth one million bucks? No me, not you...not very often. I guess this gives thrift stores the right to charge $10.00 for a scratched up, broken picture frame (because maybe it's worth lots of money). Most of the stuff they carry is worthless junk. Someone like me looks around, finds something for a few dollars, takes it home and converts into something nice. That usually takes lots of time and work on my part. So why do we have to be scalped?

just sayin'

I know that these places do great things for people in need , but I think they are trying to take advantage of the public who is falling for stories of great riches at the Goodwill. So.....if anyone is listening out there, lower your prices on broken, scratched junk. There, I said it.

And.......garage sales lately? Really? I've had them in the past. Usually I do it for several reasons. Spring cleaning, things that are starting to collect-in mass and because, they can be fun. I don't put anything out there unless it's junk. I can't even bring myself to go to garage sales anymore. People think their "junk" is actually worth more than what they paid for it! Wow, they all must think people are stupid.

Ok. I'm done venting now. You may or may not agree with me, but it seems like the price of "junk" has gotten out of control.

Happy Hunting and I hope you find some good junk for a good price!

Christy

DIY Custom Coasters

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 01:18:00 +0000

I've been working on a bunch of coasters lately. Not really anything original or new, but lot's of fun to make and very practical to have around. When I first started making these I realized there was going to be some trial and error to get them just right. Some of the problems I ran into were: too many wrinkles in the finished product and some real sticking problems after the coasters was completed. I tried clear spray and polyurethane but the coasters still were sticky. I finally tried Polycrylic and it worked perfectly.

Here is what I used:
1. 4" X 4" white tiles. Plain, cheap tile .17 cents each at Home Depot.
2. Mod Podge-matte finish works best. (found that out the hard way). The gloss dries and remained too sticky.

3. Polycrylic by Minwax This is a must for coasters. All the other finishing products do not prevent the Mod Podge from remaining sticky. So, if you stack the coasters, they stick together or if you place a hot drink on them, the cup sticks to the coaster. The Polycrylic works perfect. No more sticky Mod Podge. I have always found that to be a problem when using Mod Podge. I also helps to allow them a few days to cure.

4. felt buttons for the bottoms of your coasters. You can use cork too but for me, it was too much work.
5. Acrylic paints if you want to add some embellishments.
6. Decorative tissue. I used tissue napkins for these, but you can also use decorative papers.

Here is the tricky part. Getting that paper napkin onto the tile without a lot of wrinkles left on the tile. How to do this? Applying the napkin a little at a time.....

Start at the bottom of the tile. Apply a line (about 1") of Mod Podge and place your napkin onto the tile. Carefully (and I mean carefully with patience) smooth out the wrinkles with your clean, dry finger. Continue up the tile. Add one section at time until your tile is covered with the tissue.

You only have a small window of opportunity to smooth out the wrinkles. You won't be able to get them all out either, but it gives the tile character.
If the tissue was larger than your tile, don't worry, let it dry and use sandpaper to remove the excess tissue from the sides.

I landed up painting the sides with a coordinating paint. Sometimes I added some hand painting to the coaster.

Apply two coats of matte Mod Podge on each of the coasters.

Let the tiles dry overnight and then apply 2 coats of the polycrylic. A small can of Polycrylic costs about $10.00. Seems like a lot, but the can I purchased lasted a very long time. These coasters make great gifts. They can be custom made for just about anyone that has an interest as you can see from the pictures.
Here are a few that I just finished:

People seem to love the sports themed coasters. Just about anything goes!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 01:17:00 +0000

What is Shabby Chic decorating exactly? According to Wikipedia, Shabby chic is a form of interior design where furniture and furnishings are either chosen for their age and signs of wear and tear or new items are distressed to achieve the appearance of an antique. Accessible, affordable, comfortable and eclectic, this popular style features white painted furniture, painted motifs, colors, slipcovers and vintage fabrics.

And, yes I do love the look of Shabby Chic.

I've also noticed that other people love it as well. Let's face it, the vintage, eclectic look is back. Granny's furniture is now looking very, very good. We no longer look to match everything exactly. It's a free for all with decorating these days, and that bodes well for all of us! Thrifty finds, garage sale treasures and furniture that can be converted into WHAT WE WANT, not what some furniture company wants us to buy. Lucky for us, right?
Here are some great examples. These pieces of furniture probably looked a lot different at one time.

courtesy of: midwestcottage.blogspot.com

courtesy of:a1egyp.egptgiftshops.com

courtesy of: chippycharm.com

I've decided to make myself some Shabby Chic style, framed chalkboards. There was some trial and error involved....as usual, but I finally got a finished product that I liked.

Supplies Needed:
*1 (any size you like) wood frame. I got mine at the Goodwill for $2.00.
*Spray paint. Color is your choice. White, cream and robin's egg blue work nice with this style.
*wood cut-outs or embellishments. Found mine at Michael's Craft store. 2 for $2.00
*black glaze. Got mine at Lowes. Valspar black glaze-$18.00. Not cheap, but lasts a long time.
*large piece of chalkboard found at Home Depot. Measures 2' X 4' for $9.95. Much more cost effective than buying the chalkboard paint! I got four chalkboards out of mine.

Directions:

1. Remove pictures and or glass from your frame. lightly sand your wood frame. Don't worry about dings and scratches-it's suppose to look old.

2. Glue on your wood cut outs. Use a clamp to hold them. Let dry.

3. Spray paint your frame with the color you wanted. Let it dry over night. Here is one of the frames (the picture is sideways....ugh), but it has the wood cut outs added to the corners and it's spray painted blue.

Below is a closer view of the wood cut out.

4. Brush on the black glaze liberally. Immediately wipe off with a rag.

Above is the frame with the addition of the glaze before it's wiped off.

5. Cut your chalkboard to the dimensions you need. I used a jigsaw to cut mine. The chalkboard cuts very easily. Sand the sides and then place into your frame. You can use staples or small nails to hold the chalkboard in place. I my case, the stable were already in the frame.

Hopefully you already have a hook on the back, if not, just add one.

Your done!
Finished product shown below.
This one has the blue undercoat.

This one below has the white undercoat.

And below......some little stained glass angels I made for our Christmas tree.

Cute, right?

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 01:48:00 +0000

Thrift Store Find

I simple little project. I found this "key" box in a local thrift store. It was painted white and cost about $4.00.

I started by giving it a light sanding. I do this so the new coat of paint will adhere. It only needed one coat of ivory to get the look I wanted.

My next step was to use white and brown acrylic paint that I randomly applied to the front.

After the paint dried, I sanded just where I placed the white and brown paint for a distressed look.

The grand finale included a simple hand painted design on the front. When you close the door, the design meets.

Now we have a place to store the keys!

Sink Jewelry

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 23:10:00 +0000

Bathrooms need updating, correct? But who has the money to replace all of the fixtures, cabinets and floors? So the question becomes: how do you update, improve and bring up the value of your bathrooms? There are at least a few things you can do that won't cost you tons of money.

1. Painting is cheap and easy. It can give you a new look, a fresh feel and make it look new again.
2. The cabinets can be painted, stained or faux finished. New handles can help update those old, tired cabinets. Since you won't need many handles, it doesn't cost lots of money.
3. New curtains, rugs and towel fixtures can help as well.

I have posted plenty of tips on all these ideas in the past so you can always scan through the archives and check things out. A while ago I took a good look at my bathroom on the main floor. It had recently been painted and I had refinished all the cabinets and the floor was still in good shape, but it needed something. Perhaps a new faucet? Yes, indeed, that is what it needed. The old one was a cheap, contractor grade faucet. I enlisted some help from my brother in law and picked out a new one at Home Depot. I've had him help me before replacing faucets, and I must admit that I'm getting better at it by watching and helping. Actually I have found that taking out the original is hardest part!

This is what I replaced it with. It kind of reminds me of an old time water pump. I love the look and especially the dark bronze finish.

But, it needed something else. Maybe some artwork? Sink jewelry?

yup....

So I decided to add some art. Specifically mosaic art. I looked around the Internet and found these leaf shaped tile. I placed them around the sink in a design that looks good to me.

Next, I glued them on using Weldbond glue. In the past, I have mentioned this glue. It is the very best for mosaics and other tough jobs. Goes on white but dries clear. Below is a closer look of the mosaic leafs.

Here is a shot of the completed sink. I know what you may be thinking.....is it hard to clean? No, it really isn't. I use a large soft brush and wipe. No problem.

I feel like the bathroom is truly updated now. Painted walls, cabinets, a wood frame around the plain mirror, new faucet and some sink jewelry. People who visit always comment on the design, like they've never seen anything like......maybe they haven't.

Faux wood graining saves the day.

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 02:21:00 +0000

Faux Wood Technique

Out on my back porch there are several wood columns that are currently painted white. I decided to change the color scheme of the entire porch from gray/white to soft gold/dark brown. To make a long story short, I had a problem....

I painted the columns a dark brown. Three coats. Still streaky? ugh. I did sand them before painting but they still remained streaky. A few family members mentioned that the streaky look was appealing......... which gave me an idea. Why not try to do a faux wood finish on the columns to make it look just like a real piece of wood. I just happen to have a faux wood tool downstairs, so why not give it a try?

Here's the tool.

And how do you use it? I watched some videos on Utube.com first and did a little research on Google. Basically it's a rock and drag motion. The more you rock, the more circular wood like grain you get. It's all in the wrist!

I mixed up the original paint (dark brown) with black glaze. 3 parts paint and 1 part black glaze. The glaze takes some time to dry so you really have some time to work with it. If you make a mistake, you can fix it. I practiced the technique on an old piece of wood before starting this project.

This is the streaky piece of wood that I didn't like: it actually looks like wood right now.

Here it is after applying the faux wood technique.

Now you can see a real distinct wood grain.

Although you can't really see the column that well from the picture above, you get the idea! They now all look like that and a lot better than before, so the faux wood technique rescued my streaky paint job!

and..................

My "sneaker head" son dared me to custom paint a pair of his sneakers. He wanted them painted in the "nerf" design (whatever that is). He downloaded a photo and gave it to me.

He gave me a pair of white sneakers to work with.

I had to use leather paints and a leather finisher.

Here they are: I won the bet!!

Fun and Easy Candle Holders

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 23:33:00 +0000

It's not like I haven't made these before, but the more I make the more creative they seem to get. There is just no limit to what you have do to these candle holders. The glass globe or glass can be purchased at Walmart or any dollar store. I've never paid more than a buck for them.

Supplies:

-Glass globe

-Mod Podge (glossy or otherwise is fine)

-Clear Spray for finishing

-beads, small tiles, acrylic paint or anything else you have around

-tissue (the kind you use to pack up gifts)

-scissors

-medium size paint brush

I start out by cutting up squares out of the tissue paper. I used Mod Podge to attach all of them around the glass overlapping slightly. This process takes time, but goes by quickly. This actually gives the surface an opaque, mosaic look. White tissue works really well especially if you are going to add another design, but any color will do. Once this is complete and dry, you can add another tissue design and then embellish with paint, beads or anything else.

Below I've got my Mod Podge out with some cut squares. Next to it is the globe, with some of the squares already applied. Yellow, in this case.

I've cut out six petals from the tissue and Mod Podged them onto the glass globe. After that dried, I hand painted some random designs onto it using black acrylic paint. In the center I glued a yellow bead with some Weldbond Glue. Weldbond is great for glueing mosaics, stones and glass to any surface. I just discovered it last year and I'm in love. It sets up quickly and dries clear. It has superior gluing abilities!! Check here if you are interested in finding out more.

Here is another one with a white background and red bandana tissue for the design, adding a white bead to the center. Notice I did not apply any tissue to the bottom rim. I just felt that it didn't need to be there.

The same technique was done on this $3.00 thrift store tray. The tray itself was in great shape so nothing was done there. I simply cut large petals out of black & white tissue paper and mod podged them onto the tray in random positions. Again, adding a few red beads to the center of every flower.

Everything gets a few coats of high gloss- clear coat on top. All sprayed before the beads are glued on.

Below, taken from a past post are several more candle holders that are out of my porch. Same idea here.

Last but not least, also taken from an older post.......some pumpkins.

I'll be making some more of these for Halloween but his time on the round globes. These are just fun to make and easy too. I use t-lights in them for candles.

When In Doubt-paint your rooms neutral.

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 00:12:00 +0000

I've received lots of email lately about painting rooms in the home, specifically the color. Many of those emails come from teenagers who are wondering what color they should pick. I've heard it all.......mom doesn't like my choice, I'm going to college in 2 years and they don't want to repaint the room and I'm just not really sure what I want. Sound familiar?

Painting a room is the most cost effective way to change the entire look. The color choice is sometimes good and sometimes, not so good. Pick the color, get the can home, put it on the wall and it looks terrible. It's happened to me plenty of times. Colors also change the feel of a room. Blue makes it feel cool, green is a great color to promote healing, red, orange and yellow promotes appetite (who needs that) and pink can make a room feel warmer. Timing plays a part too. What if you are planning on moving in 5 years? What if the kids are leaving for college in 2 years. Do you really want to paint that room a deep shade of red and then have to come back and redo the entire room again, primer and all??

I responded to all that wrote to me about painting their rooms. My suggestion was to paint the room neutral. If you are moving, that works. If you kids are leaving for college soon, that works too. But what about color? Everyone has a favorite, so why not use that too. A neutral room with all the perfect colors. For the mom who didn't want her kid painting their room electric green, then paint it neutral and add the electric green everywhere else. A few examples.

courtesy of askmissa.com

courtesy of: pinkbedroomideas.com

The two photos above show neutral paint colors with bright punches of color and it looks great. Once the furniture and accessories are removed, you have a neutral colored room.

courtesy of zimbio.com

The above photo shows a bedroom where the neutral walls even exist in the brick work.

courtesy of : beeboats.com

The above den has some real colorful accents added but the surrounding environment remains neutral.

courtesy of modern-luxury-homes.blogspot.com

This is especially pretty. The neutral wall color is white and the blue accents look amazing.

courtesy of panjuripans.com

Neutral colors with additions of pink and green. Remove the furniture and your room is white.

courtesy of panguripans.com

I especially love the above room. Neutral beige on the wall, white furniture and tropical green accents.

courtesy of pic2fly.com

The neutral walls work great in a kitchen as well. Here, the cabinets are also neutral. The lime color in the stools add so much to the room.

courtesy of squidoo.com

Pink and brown accents with a beige environment.

courtesy of squidoo.com

Black and hot pink against neutral. Wild and crazy, but removable.

There are many things that can make painting a room neutral the right choice.

-if you like change, go with neutral and change you accents frequently.

-if you are going to sell your house in a few years, go with neutral. Selling agents always recommend neutral tones when selling your house.

-if the kids are heading to college in a few years, you have just made your life a lot easier.

DIY Decorative Hooks

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Tue, 29 May 2012 00:05:00 +0000

This is my latest project. DIY decorative hooks. Easy, fun, cheap and yes, you can match them up to your own decor (that's my favorite part). I purchased most of the items you'll see at Hobby Lobby. Not everyone has this store near to them, but any craft store carries the supplies. You can use just about anything you want to create this hooks. I started by buying a few wood plaques. They ran me $1.00 each. Took them home, sanded them slightly, and gave them a base coat. See below.

On the back, I installed a keyhole hook. These hooks are put in so you can efficiently hang them onto a wall. They are available at Home Depot and Lowe's. I used my Dremel to sand out a pocket to the keyhole could be inserted. Fuzzy pic....but you get the point.

On these hooks I added some small mosaic tiles. I used Wellbond glue (the very best there is for mosaics). Let that set up.

These are the hooks I purchased at Hobby Lobby with a 40% coupon. They are porcelain and look very pretty on the plaque. I used Wellbond again to adhere the hooks and then inserted 2 small screws....as you can see below. I painted those screws a dark brass color to match.

I purchased this turtle in New Orleans and made a hook out of it. On this hook, I just painted the plaque green, adding some painted grass. (not seen in the photo, I added it after).

Below is another hook I purchased in New Orleans. I painted the plaque brown, added some mosaic tile and finally, the hook.

and there you have it. Some fun, creative and functional hooks for the home.

You can use mosaics, paint, Mod Podge, beads etc for the hooks. They also make great gifts.

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:16:00 +0000

Hi there! Iím Jessica with Arcadian Lighting, which is a great website and blog for all your light fixture needs! Iím delighted to be guest posting for Christy today because Iím going to be sharing a collection of inspiring interiors with chic leather details. A single piece of leather furniture or accent can add a sophisticated, timeless beauty to any room. I hope you enjoy!

This warm and inviting living room features a mix of vintage and recycled pieces. The 1960s white leather chair adds a particularly cool vibe.

The beautiful leather inserts in this oak wall radiates professional and sophisticated. The circular table lamp on the fireplace mantel is a handsome accent piece.

The distressed quality of the leather ottomans in this eclectic living room adds just a bit of rustic beauty. The fluffy floor pillows and horn accents give off a certain animal magnetism.

This dining room is absolutely vibrant and romantic. The Kelly Green leather chairs are a brilliant pop of color, and the contemporary pendant light is unique and eye-catching.

A single woven leather bench in this master bedroom adds a rich dark color to contrast with the pale neutral used throughout the rest of the room. The black pendant light creates a stark focal point.

The stunning warm color of this dining nook is grounded by the leather upholstered dining chairs. The butterscotch yellow curtains add a beautiful radiant glow.

The leather Chesterfield upholstered coffee table makes quite a statement in this chic living room. Each piece of furniture has its own character, which blend together beautifully.

This cozy living and dining room features a set of chairs that are certainly eye-catching. The leather upholstery and over-sized rivets make a dramatic effect. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

What do you think of leather in interior design? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to go here for a brilliant pendant light or wall sconce to brighten your home!

Space Above the Cabinets and More Groupings

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 01:56:00 +0000

People really seem to struggle with ideas for decorating above cabinets. If you have soffits above your kitchen cabinets, then you know what I mean. I can't tell you how many times I've arranged, rearranged and struggled to find "just" the right flow. My friend seems to get it right. Here are some photos.

It's all about grouping, themes and spacing. Don't forget to line those tops with newspaper. Once a year, take up the paper and replace. It will save you a ton of work-and boy does it get dusty up there.

Christy

Easy Furniture Refinishing

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 00:44:00 +0000

I've done plenty of pieces of furniture, in many different ways. Strip, sand, stain and seal. Sand, paint and glaze. Sand and paint....etc. Faux finishes, painted finishes, stencils and more. But some people don't have the time or the head to go through the steps or the additional work. And let's face it, who wants to sand anyway???

My friend recently wanted to refinish her kitchen set. It was solid wood with a light oak finish. She picked up this product made by Rustoleum and decided to give it a try. It's a complete kit with everything you need to complete you project. I have to say -the results were astonishing. No sanding involved!! Wow. Now that's easy. Below is the product. It cost her about 80 bucks. It comes in all different colors and finishes. It also gives you a choice of opaque or solid.
I just wish I could have gotten the picture of the "before". Just remember, it was a light oak color. As per my friend, she had to clean the furniture with something that was included in the packaging. Apply the finish and then apply a sealer (all included in the kit). If your finish is "opaque" then you apply a glaze. Her finish was solid, so applying glaze was skipped. Here is a photograph of the kitchen set all finished.

Another view.

She selected a black color and the photograph shows the wonderful results she got. My question to her was, "how does it hold up?". The answer was "great". So far, it's held up very nicely. No chips or undercoat showing through and she did this 8 months ago. FYI-she has three kids!! That should tell you something about durability.

She did another project using the same product on two tables in her living room. In this case she picked a brown color. Below-the results. This was also a "solid" color.

What I love about this product.

No sanding.

Easy.

A variety of colors to choose from.

Not really that expensive for what you get.

Durability.

If you would like to view some more information on Rustoleum's product, check this out. The actual product name is Cabinet Transformations.

I'm toying with the idea of using this product in my office on build in cabinets that are currently white. Maybe..........

Christy

Changing The Look of Kitchen Canisters

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:33:00 +0000

Exactly why are canisters so hard to find? I looked around for a set for a long time before I found three in Kirkland's. They weren't great, but they were the right color and functional, that's all I was looking for anyway.

However, the tops were cheap, quickly broke and looked like crap. Take a look:

The plastic tops cracked and just looked cheap to me. I thought about a way to make the tops look like a better match to the kitchen and provide a richer feel. I purchased three decorative wood disks at the craft store, on sale $1.00 each and painted them with acrylics. I selected several colors that would compliment the bases and just changed the position on each top.

Check it out below:

After they were finished I put three coats of Rustoleum Triple Thick spray on them. I love this stuff!! I gives you a "glass" finish and dries very quickly. I've been able to get it at Walmart for a pretty reasonable price.

At least I don't have to go out and buy more canisters now. These now look like I wanted them to look like in the first place. The lesson learned here is that you can sometimes fix up something, add to it, subtract or embellish it to make it what you want it to be.

More Clipboards....

I've also painted another clipboard. Clipboards make a great canvas for painting. I got the idea for this picture from a photograph on the Internet and then just added, subtracted and rearranged some of my own ideas. This also has at least 5 coats of the Triple Thick Gloss. Although you can't see form the pic, the surface looks like glass.

This clipboard was actually a lot of work, but I did a little at a time and had some fun with it.

Inexpensive Bathroom Redux

noreply@blogger.com (Christy) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:18:00 +0000

A couple of months ago I decided to upgrade the upstairs bathroom. This room is used by two twenty-somethings, so needless to say it needs to look good, but be able to be cleaned efficiently. That basically means that I want to scale down the "stuff" and make it easier to clean.

The area consists of two small rooms, one for the toilet and one for washing up. Currently the walls are green, with a faux finish and a wall paper border, white molding/fixtures with white cabinets, white tile floor and white counter top. Here is the most cost effective changes that I can do myself.

1. Paint the room. Takes one can @ $30.00. I'm going lighter this time to make the room look larger. The green was dark and closed the room in.

2. Since I'm going light on the walls, the cabinets will go dark. I'm looking to create a dark, rich wood tone on the cabinets. Much easier to clean too after a few coats of polyurethane.

3. I've selected 2 decals for the walls. I like them and they are easy to apply and give the room a "younger" feeling.

4. Change the faucet. Currently there is one ugly, cheap silver fixture there- It's going-I hate it.

5. Change the accessories-towels, rugs and shower curtain.

6. Change the light fixture

7. Frame the mirror with wood.

The room is prepped for painting. This time I purchased Sherwin Williams paint. More expensive but not as great as I thought it would be, however the results were nice. I also painted the ceiling with the same color. Next came the cabinets. I lightly sanded all of the drawers and base just so the paint would adhere to it. I decided to use artist's oil paint to create a "walnut" appearance. First I painted the drawers a light pink (base coat) latex enamel.

Then I blended 3 colors of oil paints: a light yellow ochre, burnt sienna (rusty brown) and a dark brown. I picked oil paints because they take days to dry and that would give me plenty of time to blend the colors and get the effect I wanted.

Above photo gives you an idea how the blending goes. After blending the three colors. a large brush is used and dragged down the front of the cabinet.

Three coats of glossy polyurethane finishes them off and this is how they came out.

All the handles are original but repainted with Rustoleum.

Above you can see the entire vanity and also a small curtain that I made to cover a storage area. Lord only knows what's behind that! If you look closely you can also see the replacement faucet. I selected a bronze faucet, about $98.00 in Home Depot. Put it in myself and saved myself a bundle.

Above you can see the decal I added plus the actual paint color (a creamy beige-yellow). I added this light fixture to replace a very ugly, dated silver fixture.

Above is the other decal I hung above the shower.

Added some nice fabric shower curtains.

Below.....and I'm not sure you can really see what I'm doing here, but I am building a wood frame that will surround the large, plain mirror that hangs above the vanity.

I haven't finished the top and bottom pieces yet. I used fluted wood with four wood squares for the corners. It's glued to the mirror with clear, silicone adhesive. I've done this before and it works very well. The wood is easy to cut because it's all straight cuts, not mitered corners. The wood was painted dark brown and in between the flutes is black paint to add some dimension.

With all considered, this upgrade didn't cost me much since I did all the work myself. It's all finished now except the frame that surrounds the mirror. I was happy with the way it came out and even happier that it didn't cost me an arm and a leg.

Christy