Mostly Wood Night Stand Makeover

Like a child, I have phases. Right now I'm in my cereal phase. Gotta have me some cereal and all the dang time. It won't last forever, though. One morning I'll wake up and think the idea of having cereal is simply gross. Then I'll start a new phase where I can't get enough canned chili, chocolate ice cream or grapes (all very recent phases of mine).

I also craft in phases. My crafting area will be filled with embroidery pieces I'm working on, or I'll start knocking out bird house after bird house. For the sake of the blog I'm trying to keep things a bit varied and not totally work within my phase, but it's hard! Right now, my phase is furniture. I find something old at a garage sale or a thirft shop with excellent bones and I want to take it and paint it and make it my own. 

So please bear with yet another furniture make-over post and check out  my awesome new night stand! I have been on the lookout for something affordable and real wood. I got about 75% of my desires with this piece. While some of it is that nasty comp board, it also has a lot of real wood in it. Like real wood drawers. Nice.

My original desire was to stain the wood black but since it isn't 100% real wood, I decided to just paint the sucker. Besides I have 3 or 4 half used quarts of black glossy paint out in the garage that I somehow continue to accumulate.

Firs things were first, though. There were some fairly major functionality issues. The top was warped. I mean like a semi-circle kind of warped. I put that top directly on the garage floor and Russell and I loaded it with as much weight as we could make happen. Moving boxes full of books, paint cans, 5 gallons of joist compound (or whatever it is). Then it sat for weeks and weeks. 

At first I would sneak out to the garage to check on the progress every couple of hours. Then it was once every day. When there was literally no visual change I quit checking on it. Then one day weeks and weeks later I happened to see it and notice that it was flat! 

I was dragging those heavy boxes and cans off of it that very second and digging out my mouse sander. I technically had a whole bunch of other things to do, but who cares! I was fixin' to have a new night stand to replace my old, flimsy, tiny and crappy comp board one. Everything else can just sit tight!

There is no DIY because you don't really need one. I sanded it, primed it, painted it and then painted the little squares behind the lattice silver. Oh, and I had to fix up some wood that had come loose, reattach the top and fix one of the drawer rails. And after I was finished I felt so, so accomplished! The only thing is that now I need to do something about that cherry dresser across the room that clashes something terrible!

Until tomorrow! Don't forget it will be Shoesday!

Pin Tested - Glue Distressed Headboard

For a while now I have been desperate to try out the pin that has been floating around like crazy... Can you really use Elmer's glue for a crackle effect instead of expensive crackle mediums? I must admit that I was crazy stoked. 

Unfortunately, it didn't really work out as well as planned. In the end while I was able to salvage the paint job I still wasted a ton of glue to have a practically solid green headboard. The thing of it is, I have NO clue what I did wrong. It has obviously worked for some, why not me? It was suggested that perhaps it is just too humid here for it to work. I don't know if that is the case but it seems plausible.

So, if you are just as desperate to try out the glue to crackle pin I say go for it. I also say test it on a small area first 'cause there's nothing quite like having to start a big ol' headboard over again. I'll proceed this post with what did work for me.

You will need:

• headboard (mine was cheap compressed board, not real wood but it worked out  OK)
• sandpaper
• primer
• flat paint for undercoat
• contrasting paint for top coat (I got a custom paint sample from Lowes for $3 & still have some left over!)
• Elmer's glue (if you want to try it out)
• metal scraper
• fine grade sandpaper (in a block is great for the added heft)

First I gave the headboard a good, rough sand and followed that by cleaning it with some alcohol and a clean rag.

Next, I primed the headboard with three coats and followed with two coats of flat white paint.

When totally dry I slathered on the glue and waited and waited and waited for it to get tacky.

When it became my definition of tacky I quickly brushed on my green top coat, taking care to only brush on once in every place and not reapply anywhere if possible.

Then, I sat on my driveway and watched waiting to see these huge, gorgeous cracks occuring in my paint.

When I finally got up to see what the heck was going on and touched the paint, I noticed that it was dry even though it hadn't cracked yet. WTF?!?!

So in order to salvage a bad situation, I busted out my sanding block and metal scraper and distressed the sucker by hand. I paid special attention to the edges and anywhere that it looked like the paint maybe wanted to possibly crack. Any place where the paint wasn't totally dry, I used my scraper to peel up the green to show the white underneath. 

Then I went around with my little pot of green paint and a small brush and touched up some areas that were a bit too distressed compared to the rest.

Up close and personal with the distress.

In the end, I'm happy with the results and I think it looks fabulous. Would it have looked better with the big crackles I saw in my head? Maybe but why worry about what could have been when I can admire what I have.

Besides I can't complain too much. The total project cost me less than $5. $1 for the headboard (yellow tags were one cool dolla' at the thrift store!) and $3 for a little tester pot of paint from Lowe's in green. $5 distressed if not crackled headboard, heck yeah!

Happy hump day!

Suitcase Side-table DIY

I know I have mentioned it about a gazillion times, but once more won't hurt... I'm redoing my guest room in shabby chic! It's a really exciting project for me because I wouldn't consider this to be in the realm of my style. But, as I've been working on it I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe it is 'cause I love it!

Today I'm sharing with you my shabby chic suitcase side-table that I made. It was quick, easy and best of all, it cost me only $2. Nice. So get out there and start checking out old luggage at thrift stores and flea markets because you're gonna love this table!

The way I made my table was by setting and permanently attaching the suitcase to a chair. I wanted it to look like it could genuinely be a suitcase sitting on the chair that a guest placed there. I think it turned out fantastic and I love that the concept in my head worked out as well as the real table!

For this project you will need: 

• Wood chair (I had mine already but you may need to buy one)
• Sandpaper
• Old suitcase
• Cleaner and a rag
• Brush
• Primer
• White paint
• Fabric, spray adhesive and staple gun (if necessary)
• drill
• Long wood screws

 

STEP 1: Take your old chair apart and give it a good clean. Throw out the seat or retain if you may revert the base back to a chair some day. 

STEP 2: Go over the chair with sandpaper to rough it up a bit and cover with primer and then paint. I like to prime until there is absolutely no difference in color - if the whole thing is the same white, you don't have to go over the primer with multiple coats of paint. 

STEP 3: If necessary, reupholster the back of the chair. Spray the front with adhesive and attach the fabric. Pull the fabric taught and use your staple gun to firmly attach to the back.

STEP 4: If you haven't already, give your luggage a good clean. Scrub the outside if necessary and clean out the inside. I wound up totally removing all of the fabric from the interior of mine as it smelled like an ashtray. Since I don't anticipate guests getting into the suitcase I didn't recover the interior but you may want to if you also gut the suitcase.

STEP 5: Use your drill and long wood screws to attach the suitcase to the seat area of the chair. I used four screws on the front corners and two on the back to firmly affix.

Place in your home and dress up the top with necessities like books, lamp, telephone and you're done with this project!

Not only do you have a super cute side table but you also have some hidden storage space for things like books. Or, if you have forgetful guests, like I sometimes do, stash their left behind goods into the suitcase for safe keeping until their next visit.

That's all for today. I've got two other shabby projects to share with you this week including a headboard! Plus, I've got a Shoesday that I'm so excited about that I'm sharing at Mom Spark. Stop back by to check it out! Happy Monday!

Done to Death, Newly Corked Table Tops

About two years ago I went furniture shopping. I found the sofa of my dreams but had the hardest time finding side tables and storage for cds, the archaic medium that they have become. Searching out the decent furniture shops, which are abundant in the Oklahoma City area, by the by, I couldn't find a darn thing that I liked.

Then I went to Target of all places and found the perfect, perfect ones! They were huge, square, modern in shape and best of all... each had four cubbies for storage bins and four cubbies for magazines and the like. Sold! 

The thing is and was that I knew that they wouldn't last long. If my Mimmie taught me anything it is that you get what you pay for. Especially with furniture. 

Flash forward to modern day and the tops of these tables are jacked. I have some really, really cool melamine Warhol coasters that I got for Christmas. I don't use them. Instead I will set my sweaty glass of water on an unopened bank statement or a grocery list that bit the dust. The end result on pressed wood with a very thin veneer on top is not pretty.

I looked for new tables. Heck, I looked for the same tables to replace over again because I LOVE them so very much. It looked like it wasn't meant to be. Walking through the hobby store I saw rolls of cork. Light bulb! Rolling with it.

To recover the tops of your worn tables with cork you will need:

• Rolls of cork or slabs of cork - both sold a hobby stores
• X-acto Knife
• Heavy objects e.g. books, full boxes, cases of sodas
• Wood glue
• Wood Stain
• Rag & Gloves
• Polyurethane & Brush

First off, a few words about the cork. There are two viable options for your tabletops. First is a roll of cork.  It is 2 feet by 4 feet in size and I believe it is a litle shy of a quarter inch thick. It's easy to work with and cut with an x-acto knife. But, it is the thinner of the two options. They run around $13 and you can use a discount coupon on them at Hobby Lobby and Michael's.

I'm not sure what the really thick pieces of cork are technically called, but I only saw them at Hobby Lobby and I believe they were just shy of $20. It looked like they might have been for desk tops, but honestly I didn't look too closely since I already completed the project with rolls. The size was also 2 feet by 4 feet but I'd say the thickness was closer to an inch. I imagine that it would be easier to cut with a utility knife than an x-acto knife.

Since my tables were 2 feet by almost 2 feet, one roll should have been sufficient. What I didn't count on was at the end of the roll finding about six inches of corner  missing. So... unroll and carefully check before you start cutting. Because I didn't do that, my cost for the project doubled due to having to buy another roll.

STEP 1: You can see my irritatingly scratched and scuffed tables in the first pic. What you can't see is that I cleaned them with a dry rag and then hit them with some alcohol and allowed to dry.

STEP 2: Place a healthy amount of wood glue on the table top and a thick, thick line of glue around the edges. Unroll the cork directly onto the tables . 

STEP 3: Place books, cans, and other heavy objects around the table, making sure to especially cover the edges and corners. If you go a bit overboard with glue, as I apparently did, be sure to clean it up while it is still wet. Allow to dry about an hour before continuing.

STEP 4: Use your sharp knife to trim up the edge of your roll and any areas that overhang. Use the leftover roll to cover another table, attach to your wall, or save for other projects. Before proceeding on, give your table(s) a good couple of hours to dry. 

STEP 5: Take a finger and rub along the edges of your cork. If there are any areas that stick out, use your finger to remove the excess. Bust out your knife again if you need a little more assistance. You should notice that totally dry, you should have an easier time getting a close, straight cut.

STEP 6: Put on your gloves and dip your rag into your wood stain. If it's really saturated, ring it out a bit. You want to very, very lightly stain the cork and allow to dry. Continue the process until you achieve the darkness that you are happy with. Allow the tables to fully dry, or until touching the cork does not leave any stain on your fingers. (for me this was overnight, but it also rained that day).

STEP 7: Bust out your poleyrethan and brush and apply 2 or 3 really thin coats, allowing to dry fully between. When your last coat is dry, your tables are ready to get back into use.

I hope that you've been having a great week. I'm out of Texas and back in Oklahoma. Home sweet home!

Updated Leopard Chair

A few years back it was time to get a new car. What I had previously was a four door sedan with awful gas mileage and a tendency to frequent the mechanic. I had only three requirements for my new vehicle. 

1. It had to get good gas mileage.

2.  It had to be a neat/uncommon color.

3. It had to be some form of a hatchback.

The gas mileage is a no brainer. The color is because I like my things weird and I know what really matters in a car :) The hatchback is because I have a tendency to bring large things home. Like 8 foot pieces of wood and chairs from garage sales. Don't think I didn't get these things home when I had a sedan. I did. I just don't know how street legal my trips home were.

Flash back to the current time and place and I've reupholstered yet another chair. To be honest, it's not the first and it won't be the last. As a matter of fact, I have yet another diamond in the rough sitting out in my garage just waiting for the perfect fabric. So, at best, this is the next to the last chair recovering post, but no promises.

The thing about a chair is that it is small enough that it can be tucked into a corner and forgotten. BUT when you have more company than normal over... BAM! You suddenly have an extra seat. Plus, whenever you're changing out light bulbs in that room there is no need to run and get the step ladder. BAM! Drag the chair over.

I have decided that I won't rest until every single room in my house has it's very own, crazy cute, corner chair. The chair you're looking at now is my awesome living room leopard chair and I love it!

Want to reupholster your own chair? It's really, really easy and super rewarding. You will need:

• chair with good bones (if it's rickety, missing a leg, etc. it may be a lost cause)  
• new chair padding (available at hobby stores near pillow stuffing) 
• batting (in the same section as padding)
• approximately 1/2 yard of fabric
• spray adhesive
• staple gun
• scissors
• sandpaper
• spray primer
• spray polyurethane
• wood putty
• paint and paint brush

STEP 1: Disassemble your chair, placing screws and the like someplace that they will be found again. Take your chair and sand it everywhere, taking a bit more time at any spot that is overly beaten up. Use wood putty if necessary to even out, sanding smooth after dry. 

Spray your chair with several coats of primer (I always wind up using 1 full can per chair, FYI) allowing to dry in between. Take a quick look at the texture. Is there anywhere the spray did something funny? If so, run over quickly with very fine sandpaper to fix up.

Using a good quality brush, or a sponge brush, paint at least two coats of paint onto the woodwork. Be sure to flip over so that you also get the underside.

Finish with a coat or two of polyurethane. Allow to dry fully.

STEP 2: Trace the bottom of your chair onto the new foam topper. They are available at hobby stores near the stuffing for pillows and stuffed animals. They range from 1 inch to 3 inch in thickness. I chose 3 inch because my bootie appreciates the extra comfort.

Use very large, very sharp scissors or a knife to cut the foam to the correct size. Spray the foam with your adhesive and attach to the seat. Allow a couple of moments to dry.

Cover the foam and seat with batting and staple to the bottom.

STEP 3: Place your fabric face down on the ground. If you want any particular portion of the pattern to show on the seat, try to center that portion of the fabric. Place your wood seat and new foam pad on top of the fabric. Pull over the back and use your staple gun to attach.

STEP 4: Retrieve the chair's hardware and reattach the seat to the wood frame. Give it a quick test and place in its new home. Stand back and admire the awesomeness that is your new chair and your bad self.

It's a Dog's Life! Agatha's Dining with Class

Updated on Friday, August 24, 2012 by Allison Murray

My big girl Agatha is a canine getting up in years. She now has her very own piece of furniture that holds her food and water up at her level and saving her some discomfort and stores her extra treats and toys. Full tutorial!

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