Turning a Footboard into a Porch Swing

I have a beautiful handmade four-poster bed.

Unfortunately, the bedroom in this House with Potential

is pretty small and the big bed dwarfed it!

So, I took off the footboard and mounted the headboard to the wall.

The footboard I stored in the shed, figuring I would be able to use it

again in another house.

Over the last few years, I have decided I liked not

having a footboard, so I began to think about what

I could do with the one taking up space in my shed.

I decided on a porch swing.

Now, usually when I come up with an idea like this,

I assume it will be pretty easy; my husband, however,

assumes the opposite.

And he is usually right.

This time, I was right!

It really was pretty simple.

The first thing we did was take off the posts and
straighten out the sides.
We then added arms, made simply out of wood left
over from another project.

The seat was made from slats with 2x4s on the bottom
for added strength.

I thought it might be tricky to hang it, but it too was simple.

Just measure from the top to the arms and add about 10"

to compensate for the slight slant in the chain.

 It's now a favorite spot for the kids!

Repurposing Junk Into A Potting Bench

I am always looking to get rid of the "junk" around my yard,

but in a purposeful manner.

So, we took an old window, some fence boards

and my father-in-law's very old (and falling apart) work bench,

put them together and, voila, a potting bench!

I can now organize and take stock of all my

pots, gardening tools, mulch...

I also have a few less items in my junk pile.

And it's pretty to look at!

Added bonus: it helps disguise an ugly shed,

but that's a story for another day!

http://www.impartinggrace.com/2016/05/grace-at-home-no-202.html

DIY Orb Light

I have wanted to make one of these lights ever since I first saw it on Pinterest!



It wasn't difficult at all.



I used 1 1/2 large embroidery hoops, screwed them together at the intersections, 



 then added a light kit from the hardware store.



Finally, light in the living room!



My New "Subway" Art

I made a few smaller signs like this for Christmas and liked them so much,

 I decided to make one for myself. 

 I started with a large cabinet door and painted it white.

Next, I used vinyl letters of different sizes and fonts to write some of the names of God,

then painted black over the whole thing.

Peel off the letters when it's all dry.

Top 10 Posts of 2013

Drop cloths, beadboard wallpaper and painting furniture led the list this year.
 They were also some of my favorite projects!

 Looking back at this crazy year, here are my top 10 posts:

#10: Repurposed Phone Booth

This was a fun project, turning an old phone booth door into a pantry door.

#9: Red Cabinet

 

I loved this little cabinet from the moment I saw it; 

it was just screaming to be painted red!

#8: Slip-covered Chair

Drop cloth slipcovers were popular in my house this year!

#7: Turquoise End Tables

Turquoise was certainly the color of the year! 

Everything I painted this color just flew out of my booth!

#6: Painting a Family Antique

This project was somewhat hard to do (emotionaly),
 but I absolutely love the results!

#5: Lace-Painted Table

This was a project my daughter took on, using a piece of lace and spray paint.

#4: Painted Kitchen Countertops 1 Year Update

Such an easy project with great results!

#3: Wing Chair Tutorial

The first time I slip covered a wing chair, it turned out great!

#2: Wallpaper Your Refrigerator

This was a slightly crazy idea, but it looks pretty good!

#1: Wallpaper on the Ceiling

 This was also my favorite project of the year. I absolutely love it!
Bonus: it was easy and inexpensive!

Two Quick Holiday Projects/Gifts

I had to come up with a couple of quick gifts for a holiday gift exchange. With not much time, either to shop for materials or work on the projects, here is what I came up with:

 I found both ideas on Pinterest, there are lots of similar ideas out there.

 This one just needed some stickers and paint.

 I used what I had.

 This one just needed scrap wood and paint.

 Which I have in abundance!

 Love its rustic charm.

Both projects took under an hour, not counting paint-drying time.

And best of all, they came from repurposed items:

 an old rocking chair seat

and cabinet door.

Repurposed: Fun Chalkboards from a Vintage Dresser Top

This was once the top of a dresser, circa 1980. You know, a big mirror in the center with frosted flowers decorating it, sconces on the two side pieces.

 The dresser got a nice white paint job and went on to a better place, but this sat in my garage for 2 years, totally in my way, because I just didn't know what to do with it.

I finally removed the sconces and had Husband cut it in three pieces. The mirror broke, but everything else stayed in good shape. He then added luan to the backs and I set to work:

a large chalkboard with shelf

turquoise chalkboard with cubby

navy chalkboard with cubby.

This is why I never throw anything away!

Repurposed: Old Phone Booth into Pantry Door

These are my old pantry doors, at the end of the counter on the right.

They're okay, they match the cupboards and blend in very nicely,
 but they're nothing to write home about.

So when Husband brought home three doors from an old phone booth,
I thought, why not try one of those to add some interest?

The width was perfect, like it was meant to be.
The height was a little short, so we added a board to the bottom and voila!

I chose a door that didn't have glass in it and we added some very thin plywood to make chalkboards

I painted it to match my "new" kitchen island, which I love!

A basket underneath holds trays.

After living with it a few weeks,

I decided to lighten it up with some dry-brushed white paint.
I like the lighter look!