There's Always Time For a Small Project!

My life has been a whirlwind this summer!

Between birthdays, babies, weddings, and many other things, 

I haven't had as much time as I would like to work on projects around the house!

Well, the other day I found myself with a little free time. 

I didn't have the energy or time to do anything big, but I really felt the need to do something creative!

So this is what I came up with.

 

I picked out one of the boards I have in a big pile outside;

 

grabbed some letters to trace;

painted, sanded and dry-brushed some white over the top.

Voila! It looks great over the kitchen window.

I have needed something here since I changed the color of the kitchen

 and moved the red sign that once lived here.

 (Now I just need to get a curtain up!)

This project took under an hour, so it just goes to show you,

 there's always time for something creative!

Repurposed: From Man's Jacket to Book Bag

My daughter is starting grad school soon and I wanted to do something for her.

I found a man's wool jacket at a thrift store and decided to turn it into a book bag.

It wasn't too difficult, just took a bit of thinking.

First, I measured her laptop to make sure it would fit,
 in case she wanted to carry it in the bag.

I looked over the jacket to decide where would be the best place
to begin cutting and what parts would be good to preserve.

I decided to save the pockets, buttons and lapels.

 I put one pocket on the inside and one on the outside.

The small pocket at the top became a pencil holder on the side of the bag.

I left the buttonholes and overlapped the round edges
 of the lapels to make the strap.

To make sure the bag would be sturdy and structured enough,

 I lined it with felt and used drop cloth between the lining and and the wool.

Finally, I used black seam binding to wrap all the raw edges.

The only difficult part was sewing together all the fabric

because it got pretty thick in some parts.

But in the end, it was worth it.

 It's really cute and she will get a lot of use out of it!

DIY: Turning a Door into Something Beautiful and Functional

Everyone loves old doors and windows these days. But sometimes you come across a door that's not old, but it has good lines and it's solid. 

This one has been sitting in my garage over a year, bought from a neighbor's yard sale,
 but it finally has a purpose.

Not sure what to call it, but it has chalkboards and a shelf, so it would make

 a good message center or entry piece. 

I found an old door knocker that adds character and the saying is an

 Emily Dickenson quote, "Dwell in Possibilities", that I really like.

The color is a very pale aqua, though it is hard to tell in the photographs.

I'm really pleased with the outcome and am now looking for it's new home: 

kitchen, family room or entry?

Furniture Project: Secretary Desk

I LOVE this newest piece of yardsale furniture!

This is what it looked like when I found it a few weeks ago:

Technically, it was a bar, but what I really loved about it was the fold-down front.

It would be perfect for a desk!

And the details would really stand out with paint!

I decided to paint it grey and white. Now, I don't use chalk paint because it is just too expensive. So, to get the look, I use flat paint as the base color. (over primer, of course). It has that mat look to it and reminds me of chalk paint at a fraction of the price.

But to make it really look like those furniture pieces you see all over Pinterest, I add white/cream in a satin finish to the little nooks and crannies.

Look at the difference below:

The door on the left has the white paint added to it. It gives the piece so much more depth and interest and the satin finish gives just enough gloss to contrast with the flat paint and make it look even more "chalky".

 I painted chalkboard paint on the desktop and added corkboard (painted aqua to brighten it up) to the back to make it even more functional.

The final step was wax. I use Miniwax, mostly because it's cheaper than others.  The wax protects the paint and, again, gives it more depth and interest.

Ready for Oregon Street Antique Mall.

Wedding/Baby Shower Gifts

I like to take handmade gifts to wedding or baby showers whenever possible.

Sometimes it's easy to make something personal.

For a cute wedding gift, try this:

Spell out the word, "Love" using pretty paper as background and add the wedding date.

 Or use luggage tags with scrapbook paper to match the wedding colors as background. Add the wedding date in the corner to make it even more personal.

As for baby gifts, most people find out their baby's gender early, making it easy to make a personal gift.

Scrapbook paper to match the nursery, baby's name written on luggage tags, 

add date of birth, maybe even height and weight.

But sometimes it takes a little more creativity.

For example, I attended a baby shower recently for someone having her third child. They don't like to know gender ahead of time, so I didn't have much to go on.

This is what I came up with:

Pretty scrapbook paper as the background again.

An appropriate saying, such as,

"we are known to You by name and loved for all eternity"

 

Then I added 3 luggage tags to write each child's name and birthdate on.

I included a few more tags for any future children.

Get Creative with Chalkboards: Versatile, Functional and Beautiful

Chalkboard paint is one of the greatest inventions of this era. Ok, I am exaggerating a bit, but I really, really love chalkboards! And so does everyone else.

They can be made out of anything and are super easy and cheap!

Yard Sale Frames

 If there are pictures in the frame, you can paint chalkboard paint right over the top.
If there is a mirror, like was the case in the blue carved frame, you can either paint over the mirror, or turn the mirror over and paint the back. This gives you the option of mirror or chalkboard!

Doors and Windows

They are the perfect shape and often have a natural space for a chalkboard, either a pane or panel.
And the knob is a perfect place to tie a piece of chalk .Great for messages, lists, anything you desire.

Tables

.

 Turn any table into a message spot, a place to keep kids happy while you are busy, or a serving table where you can write the name of the dish right on the table!

You probably have something hanging around the house just waiting for chalkboard paint!

Furniture Project: Various Small Tables

Small end tables are always a good buy at yard sales and thrift stores. No matter the finish, once you paint them, they take on a whole new look. All of these tables below were boring brown wood or veneer and totally unappealing. But they had something worth saving about them.

Love the French legs and carving on this one.

A color surprise inside the drawer!

A really nice size and turned legs, plus the double shelves.

A little grey color and French saying (That's life!)

The only thing this one had going for it was the price (free).

But with a little paint and creativity, even ugly can be overcome!