The title says it all, I was
able to build this amazing
set of mudroom cubbies
from wood left on the road
side. I am happy to share
the secret with with.
MUDROOM CUBBIES MADE FROM ROADSIDE TRASH - dark staining
The title says it all, I was
able to build this amazing
set of mudroom cubbies
from wood left on the road
side. I am happy to share
the secret with with.
OLD DESK INTO NIGHTSTANDS - with rustic cedar wood tops
Turning an unwanted desk into
a useful set of nightstands isn't
as hard as it sounds. Let me
show you what I started with
and how I made a pair of
adorable farmhouse cabinets.
INEXPENSIVE WALL ART - botanical prints
I wanted some larger
art prints for the wall
but I couldn't afford to
spend a lot so I kept my
eye out at the thrift store.
HOW I PAINTED MY TURQUOISE SHELF - tutorial
This is the much requested post
all about how I refinished our
big shelving unit with 3 colors of
paint to look like an inspiration
photo I found on Pinterest.
SHELF OF TURQUOISE - apothecary drawers
 |
| inspiration photo |
One Saturday evening while surfing
Pinterest I stumbled across a painted
cabinet that inspired me to paint a
similar one I had. It was time to get
mine tidied up and organized and a
new color would be fun, especially if
it was going to be turquoise.
FARMHOUSE WOOD CONSOLE - from glass to weathered wood
This wood table originally
had 2 pieces of glass inset
in the top but not anymore.
I thought it would be a
perfect project to upcycle
by creating a new top.
SHABBY CHIC VANITY SET - painted with annie sloan
Winter always seems to bring a
feeling or need to get organized.
This winter I have been
organizing by re-arranging
some rooms. Some things need
to change in the way I get
things done around here and
in doing so I found this little
vanity set.
FAVORITE CHRISTMAS PICTURES
THANKS TO PINTEREST
Pinterest is great to get ideas
for the holidays. Everything
from decorating your homes
inside and out right down to
games to play with your family
from decorating your homes
inside and out right down to
games to play with your family
on Christmas day. I tend to lean
toward the pictures of
simpler things, white lights
in evergreen trees, pine cones,
vintage wood objects, metal
sleigh bells, hints of dark red.
toward the pictures of
simpler things, white lights
in evergreen trees, pine cones,
vintage wood objects, metal
sleigh bells, hints of dark red.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR A GOLD DIPPED DESK
MAKING AN ELEGANT SEWING SPACE This is how I made
and decorated a sweet
sewing space using a
transformed office desk
with gold dipped legs.
with gold dipped legs.
HOW I DID MY TV GALLERY WALL - wall art in the bedroom
We had a challenging wall in our
bedroom to decorate. It is the wall
opposite our bed so we would be
looking at all the time and it was
pretty big for our small space.
pretty big for our small space.
SHARING TIPS FOR ADDING LEGS, HARDWARE, & PAINT - white bedside cabinets
I hunt for vintage cabinet hardware
all the time but a lot of that time is
spent collecting individual pieces
until I accumulate matching sets
that can be used. I finally found 4
of these fancy scrolling back plates
and now I wanted to show them
off on a new project.
HOW I PAINTED WALLPAPER - in our motor home
The interior of our motor home was
dated and to spruce it up I opted
to paint most of it. The walls were all
covered in wallpaper and the cabinets
were all covered in a vinyl sticker. The
first step was to pick up a roll of poly
and some masking tape.
HOW I CONVERTED OUR RV BEDS - in our 1988 motor home
Last week we shared the interior
makeover BEFORE &
AFTER photos of our motor
home. Many of you have asked
for more so let me try to tell
you some of the highlights. First
let me say I had one month for
the entire makeover and no time
to take photos before leaving.
That means the AFTER photos
were taken after all the wear and
tear from our trip across Canada
and back. She held up very well!
makeover BEFORE &
AFTER photos of our motor
home. Many of you have asked
for more so let me try to tell
you some of the highlights. First
let me say I had one month for
the entire makeover and no time
to take photos before leaving.
That means the AFTER photos
were taken after all the wear and
tear from our trip across Canada
and back. She held up very well!
SEE THE TOUR OF OUR MOTOR HOME MAKEOVER - 1988 georgie boy cruise master
The interior makeover of our 1988
motor home started this summer. It
was time for us to take a vacation and
I wanted to make the motor home
super comfortable for our adventure.
The plan was to hit the road on a
cross Canada trip that would last for
more than a month.
motor home started this summer. It
was time for us to take a vacation and
I wanted to make the motor home
super comfortable for our adventure.
The plan was to hit the road on a
cross Canada trip that would last for
more than a month.
HOW I USED ANNIE SLOAN OLD WHITE
A CABINET RESCUE
I remember that morning, we were running late because
someone slept in. It was one of those Saturdays I enjoy so
much, spending time with George, getting out to all the yard
sales and finding other people's junk I can repurpose into
something new and wonderful.
PAINTING BEDROOM FURNITURE - using annie sloan chalk paint
It took my husband some time before he
agreed to let me paint our dark wood
bedroom furniture. Like most new
couples we went out and purchased an
expensive set of matching furniture as
our first thing together. I quickly found
it difficult to decorate in the style that
made me happy when all the furniture
was so dark and heavy.
PLATE WALL DISPLAY - shabby chic style
"BUY IT WHEN YOU SEE IT BECAUSE YOU LOVE IT"
I have always found the key to
creating successful & wonderful
wall displays has always been to use
the things I love and have collected
over time. But more importantly
when I want to get to work building
a display I look for items that have
been stored out of sight and out of
mind, like these plates stacked in a
pile in the back of a cupboard.
WHITE SECRETARY DESK - vintage wood working
The only thing to suffer during
the making of this secretary was
the house work. This project was
actually built from many pieces
headed to the landfill.
ASCP WHITE NIGHTSTANDS - large bedside cabinets
I created another pair of
bedside tables similar to
my own. They are big &
gorgeous with some
incredible details I'm
happy to share with you.
RECYCLING DINING CHAIR LEGS - shabby chic bedside tables
There are so many unused and unwanted
dining chairs out there. Every thrift store
and charity shop I go to have a selection.
Most people have a chair or two in their
garage. There are some great up-cycle
projects out there already on Pinterest
and I would like to add one more to the
list with the help of Annie Sloan Chalk
Paint.
Paint.
SHABBY CHIC TALL BEDSIDE TABLES - painted with annie sloan chalk paint
I built this lovely set of matching
beside nightstands by adding legs.
They were finished in a creamy
white creating the perfect shabby
chic look.
They were finished in a creamy
white creating the perfect shabby
chic look.
SANDING OR WET DISTRESSING AS pure white chalk paint
TO SAND OR WET DISTRESS
Recently I worked on two similar
piece of furniture and because I
wanted to compare distressing
techniques I did one with
sandpaper and the other
I wet distressed.
Recently I worked on two similar
piece of furniture and because I
wanted to compare distressing
techniques I did one with
sandpaper and the other
I wet distressed.
SHABBY CHIC WHITE DESK - painted with annie sloan chalk paint
This is a beautiful shabby chic
antique desk with matching stool
that I painted with Annie Sloan
Pure White.
Pure White.
HACKED WALL ART - recycling vintage objects
I enjoy taking unwanted and broken
items
and
finding a unique way to combine them
with
another vintage piece to create a unique
piece
of wall art for your home. Below I have
a few
examples of a few of these projects.
SIGN PAINTED ON GLASS TUTORIAL - vintage french graphic
This was a big graphic project to
undertake
as the size of this glass panel is about
a foot
and a half wide by another 2 and half
feet tall.
I hand finished the french typography
right
onto the glass door of this Annie Sloan
painted cabinet. This DIY project is not
for
the faint of heart, and takes patience
and
determination to complete. Now with that
established let's get to the details ...
WHITE ART DECO DESK & SHABBY CHIC SWITCH PLATES
I am not a real fan of art decor
style furniture. But I do have
to admit it is all made with
nice solid wood which is great
to work with. When I started
working on this vanity/desk
project I never dreamt it
would turn out as good as
it did. Let me know your
thoughts.
style furniture. But I do have
to admit it is all made with
nice solid wood which is great
to work with. When I started
working on this vanity/desk
project I never dreamt it
would turn out as good as
it did. Let me know your
thoughts.
FRENCH TYPOGRAPHY CABINET
This could be a
great shoe cabinet!
She looks and really is a true vintage cabinet
turned into an amazing shabby chic statement
piece with a vintage french advert on the
glass door. Long legs and 3 authentic
antique glass knobs.
She looks and really is a true vintage cabinet
turned into an amazing shabby chic statement
piece with a vintage french advert on the
glass door. Long legs and 3 authentic
antique glass knobs.
HOW TO PAINT AN UPHOLSTERED CHAIR FROM TOP TO BOTTOM with annie sloan
I
have painted many upholstered chairs with
Annie
Sloan Chalk Paint but this is one of my
favorite
DIY PROJECTS to date. This chair has
been
with me for a long time and it took years
before
I would commit to paint it. I knew how
good
it could look but it was still so hard to put
paint
on it for the first time. Are you thinking
about
doing it too? Maybe some of the answers
you
need are in this post.
HOW TO CREATE A FAUX DRIFTWOOD FINISH
Are you looking for instruction to create a faux driftwood finish with paint? I have written a how to on creating a grey wood grain type of look on a piece of furniture. This is really a simple project but can get a little messy.
HOW I PAINTED MY FRIDGE with annie sloan chalk paint
The day finally arrived that my shabby chic
fridge was finished, and this DIY project didn't
cost a lot. I was just trying to solve what to do
with some rust stains and broken handles
before it escalated into something bigger.
Check out my SHABBY CHIC FRIDGE ...
VINTAGE FURNITURE REPAIRS - leg supports
Thank you to a couple of ladies who offered their
solution in the comments of my last repair for fixing
saggy drawer bottoms. Every tip and trick is welcome
in the hopes that it will help the next person. If you would
like more information on FLIPPING drawer bottoms as an
option to fix your drawers I wrote an article about that here.
Now on to today's repair ...
VINTAGE FURNITURE REPAIRS - broken drawer joints
Recently I worked on a buffet that needed
major repairs. I photographed most of it
to share how I fixed each problem.
I'm hoping it can help a few of you to
take on a repair or two of your own.
VINTAGE FURNITURE REPAIRS - saggy drawer bottoms
I took on a furniture project recently that turned
into about 8 hours of wood working repairs.
I photographed a lot of it so I could share it
with you and how I fixed each problem.
Let's start with the first problem ....
CANDLES, BOXES, AND A LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE - UPDATES
and Hello readers!
I took it slow in January and did not blog. Boxing
day I injury myself to the point it was hard to do
many tasks so that set the tone for awhile. I started
puttering around the house as most of use do in
January getting things organized again and finishing
off old tasks. It was all at a much slower pace than
usual but I still got a lot accomplished.
Check it out ...
BUILDING LIL BOXES - recycling Christmas cards
The first time I made one of these boxes was
when I was quite young. And truthfully I have
never stopped. They are perfect for hiding small
presents in, or safely storing a small ornament
while packed away for the year. They can also
be used for an advent calendar, hiding a small
treat inside and hung from many different
places in your home.
PAINTING AN ANTIQUE DINING TABLE
Our first dinner at this table ended up being
rather nice. We had been working all afternoon
getting ready for the first snow fall of the year.
Rolling up hoses, readying the walk ways for
a fresh covering of snow. I had also started a
pot of chicken soup earlier and in between
tasks I would find my way back to check on
it. Sitting down to a nice warm bowl after a
long day is always great but for me it got even
better when GG told me he found his ring
while cleaning his vehicle. It is not of
great value but for us it hurt deeply when
it went missing.
better when GG told me he found his ring
while cleaning his vehicle. It is not of
great value but for us it hurt deeply when
it went missing.
SHABBY CHIC TV STAND - long legs & gold paint
Our TV stand is completely unique and a
one of a kind creation I made from an old
2 drawer chest a friend gave me. The piece
needed a lot of attention in one way or
another but little did I know this is what
the end result was going to be.
TO PAINT OR NOT TO PAINT - french country cupboard
Many people go through the
struggle of whether they should
paint wood furniture or not. I
do struggle sometimes with the
decision as well. I have had
many pieces of beautiful wood
furniture that I have re-home
because they didn't fit in
here. This dresser and cabinet
to the left have been with me
for several years enjoyed as is
but I have wanted to paint them
for awhile now. It just took
some time for me to jump in
with both feet.
struggle of whether they should
paint wood furniture or not. I
do struggle sometimes with the
decision as well. I have had
many pieces of beautiful wood
furniture that I have re-home
because they didn't fit in
here. This dresser and cabinet
to the left have been with me
for several years enjoyed as is
but I have wanted to paint them
for awhile now. It just took
some time for me to jump in
with both feet.
BUILDING MINI EVERGREEN WREATHS - tutorial
The smell that these wreaths bring into the house for
the holidays is priceless and I make a few every year.
Supplies for these wreaths are as follows:
flexible wire
strong utility scissors
live greenery
gloves (optional)
PAINTING PINE CONES - snow kissed pine cone tutorial
It must be that time of year again cause the erg
to create tons of holiday decor is upon me. Over
the weekend I took some time to build a few
wreaths for friends and family. And I wanted to
share a simple and easy trick to embellish pine
cones so they stand out and make a statement
on my wreaths.
HOW TO GET THAT PRETTY TURQUOISE LOOK - sewing project 5
creating distressed and layered finishes
so I used it when I wanted to create a
layered color effect on a thrift
store jewelry box.
layered color effect on a thrift
store jewelry box.
BUILDING WALL ART WITH A VINTAGE MAP
This is my DIY map wall art I built from discarded
items and also PART TWO of the convertible
workstation created for Janome Canada in their
MAKER's SPACE series. For those who
have not been following these projects, I was
challenged to re-purpose several second hand
items to use in a makers space and this project
can be made for decoration or for function.
challenged to re-purpose several second hand
items to use in a makers space and this project
can be made for decoration or for function.
BUILDING A SMALL SPACE WORKSTATION - gold dipped and turquoise
Do you need a dedicated work place but live
in a small space with little extra room? I have
built a convertible workstation for exactly
that, small space living. I used thrifted items
and transformed them into beautiful decor.
This is the next project I did for
Janome Canada in their MAKER's SPACE
series. This will be a two part "HOW TO",
with this first article showing you how it
works and how I started by building andin a small space with little extra room? I have
built a convertible workstation for exactly
that, small space living. I used thrifted items
and transformed them into beautiful decor.
This is the next project I did for
Janome Canada in their MAKER's SPACE
series. This will be a two part "HOW TO",
with this first article showing you how it
painting the base cabinets.
REPURPOSING AN OLD SPOON RACK - with krylon spray paint
Janome Canada tasked me with repurposing several thrifted items, including an old spoon
rack. I thought this should be a fun DIY project.
I have seen more than enough of them sitting
on thrift store shelves so I figured start with
some Krylon paint and see what happens.
RE-PURPOSING A FRAME INTO A MESSAGE CENTER
When you live in a small space like
I do, it is great to have things that are
dual purposed. To help with organizing
the work space I overhauled a picture
frame into a message center and I enjoyed
this DIY project that included making a
chalk board.
UPCOMING PROJECTS
I used my creative skills for the fall launch
of Janome Canada's next machine series.
It is called the M series and the machine is
designed for all the MAKERS out there.
The LOOKBOOK for the launch has been
released and inside you get to see pages of
creative ideas from Canadian artists including
several of my projects. I was tasked with
repurposing everyday items for use in a
MAKER's space. Come check it out!
PAINTING A COUNTRY STYLE DESK and new shabby chic switch plates
Last time I showed how to change the style of a
piece of furniture with trim and appliques but
there is something simpler to use as well. A
new coat of paint has such a strong ability to
change the look of old things. It can breath
change the look of old things. It can breath
new life into a something you wanted to throw
away and create a completely different style.
PAINTING A SHABBY CHIC TALL DRESSER
I run across many dressers from this era but this
pieces was one of the nicer ones. It was made with
real solid wood, top to bottom. MDF is usually hidden
somewhere in most pieces of furniture built after 1968.
I knew I could take this COLONIAL style and work
some magic on it to get a nice COTTAGE feel in the end.
HOW TO PAINT A SMOOTH FINISH - using annie sloan chalk paint
Anyone who owns a piece of my work
or has visited and touched the finish
on my furniture usually comments
about how smooth it is. There are
many different things you can do to
get a smoother ASCP paint finish
when using a brush and I am sharing
some of the secrets I use.
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