Showing posts with label Tutorial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tutorial. Show all posts

February 24, 2016

Target Table Upcycle: Maple Top and Painted Base

#Target Table Upcycle: Weatherwood Maple Top, #MissMustardSeed White Wax and Custom #Chalky Painted Base

So I just watched Cinderella and I freaking love that movie! How many of us need a fairy God Mother? I mean think about it, with the wave of a wand, you would have perfect hair, a sweet ride and best of all, a special pair of shoes that identify you. Of course, all that would fade at midnight, but it doesn't have to. Especially when the story is applied to this banged up Target table who underwent a Cinderella moment, to become a beautiful console with a brand new, real wood top. 

May 27, 2015

DIY Restoration Hardware Weathered Gray Finish

diy-restoration-hardware-finish-with-Weatherwood-Stains

Brace yourself...this is gonna be a long one! Holy moly was this project intense, but oh-so-worth it!! I have been obsessed with the idea of a Restoration Hardware style table in our little dinning nook for over two years. You know what they say, "good things come to those who wait." Any ways, I wanted RH, but with their tables are too stinking expensive! It did take me forever to plan the project, find the table, and get the time to do it, but I fought the law and guess what... I WON! 

April 22, 2015

April James Interiors: Weathered Wood + Chippy Old Finish VIDEO Tutorial


This week I have such a fun treat for you- a majorly big overhaul of this vintage craftsman style cupboard by the ubber-talented April James. April is my local Annie Sloan stockist- her shop's in Spanish Fork, UT. We met and became fast friends over a shared love of paint and all things crafty. The only difference is, I am a self-taught amateur and she is a many times certified faux artist. 

May 4, 2014

DIY ▴World Market▴ White Standing Figure


Paper mache figures have been popping up all ver the place, like RH Baby, Anthro and World Market. Sometimes they're affordable, while others times, well...not-so-much. But you can actually personalize your own paper mache animals with just a few materials and a little bit of time.

April 13, 2014

Cutting Board Care


A long, long, time ago... well, maybe not that long ago, probably in 2006, my husband decided he wanted to make me an elaborate jewelry box for my birthday. He got online and looked for kits and somewhere along the way, he decided he could make it himself. His brother is a high-end cabinetmaker, so Zack went down to his shop to make a blueprint. Somewhere along this carpentry journey, my husband realized that he actually had zero ability to make the jewelry box. Instead, his brother Kyle helped him make something more inline with his skill set, and thus, I have these custom cherry cutting boards. Believe it or not, I actually like these cutting boards way more than a jewelry box. These gems get used way more frequently, but you actually have to maintain them. Read on for the tutorial. 

December 2, 2013

DIY [Faux] Concrete Planters


I'm not the type of gal who can keep plants alive. Cats and dogs, no problem. Maybe even a baby, although I haven't tried yet!  But plants? No me gusta! If you look close enough, you can see the brown tips at the leaves. Fortunately, the plants have survived long enough that I could get pictures of them for this awesome post. I don't expect them to survive my "house of plant death" much longer, so I'm taking bids if anyone wants to place a bet when these bite the dust. 


Although the plants won't last long around here, at least they can look good while they're here! I love the concrete pots I've seen around the Blogosphere, but I haven't had a chance to try it myself. In the meantime, I already had some of those cheap, orange terracotta pots and I thought I could mimic the look I wanted. 

October 7, 2013

How to DIY Antique Gold Finish [Lantern]



STOP THE PRESSES! 
I have the solution to the government shut down! I once read a story about a King who turned everything he touched into gold. Most of you know who King Midas is, but for those of you who don't, King Midas had the golden touch. So this week I thought I'd give it a go and guess what, it works! Everything I touch, turns to gold.  Republicans are going to be so happy now, knowing that these wonderful DIY products can and will be accepted by the U.S. Treasury. Democrats will also be equally pleased to know that Republicans are happy and that there's piles of cash to spend on who knows what. In a perfect Mr. Rogers world, gold would fix everything. (sigh) But until we get there, I guess were just going to have to rely on our leaders, until the DIY movement seizes the house, the presidency, and the justice department, amending the constitution so that DIY can and will be available to all. Anywho, I hope you like this project. 

September 23, 2013

Doing "Dipped Wood" Right- from Pretreating to Sealing

How to DIY dipped wooden spoons


Before we begin today's blog, I'd like to conduct a little experiment. Go ahead and pull your wooden spoons or your wooden spatulas out of your drawer. 

Once you get them set up on your counter, go ahead and throw a few words out there that describe your kitchen utensils. Go on friend- You go first, then I'll go. No seriously, go ahead!  OK, we'll go at the same time. 
Ready.... One... Two... Three... 
ACK! UGLY! PLAIN! POO! 

September 9, 2013

Create Textured [French] Canvas Art


Thought I would share a little French conversation I had with a Frenchman today. 
  • Me: "Bonjour, mon nom est Bec, et votre nom est?" This reads, Hello, my name is Bec, and your name is? 
  • French Guy:  "Mon nom est Français Frank, et vous êtes un Américain stupide!"
  • Me: "I love your french accent, it just sounds so..."
  • Husband: "I only took a year of French, but I think he just called us stupid Americans.
  • Me: "Ahhh..."

June 24, 2013

➷ DIY OxyClean Recipe + Printable Recipe & Label ➹


Yo! My husband was watching Rocky last night and saying, "Yo Adrianne!" over and over again, repeatedly. I'm not sure why, but anytime he gets into one of "those 'key word' moods," as he calls them, I buy everything he sells. 

When he gets and my throat is dry, I shout, "Yo! Rocky, I'm thirsty," and he gets me water. If I'm up and he shouts, "Yo Adrianne, I'm hungry!" I get him food. I imagine if anyone were to walk in on this spectacle, they would laugh themselves silly! Or they may be just incredibly confused. A little while back, Zack got me watching that commercial where the guy is interviewing for a job and has a stain on his shirt. If you haven't seen it, well you should!
This one is also super funny too- seriously,
->> don't worry, this all comes together in a minute.
Anyways, whenever we go out to eat Zackers has a this confounded way of getting something on his shirt every. single. time. I don't know how he manages to do it?? But it's so frequent, now he bends the shirt and makes the stain scream-talk while he talks to me. It's super funny! But when we get home, that stain has got to come out. 
I know many of you probably use OxyClean, but at the rate I use the stuff I needed to make my own. Did you know you could do that? 
All you need is a 4 things, which you most likely have at your home.  

▲  Materials ▲  ↴

 ➲ Hydrogen Peroxide ⫿ ➲ Baking Soda or Washing Soda ⫿ ➲ Water ⫿ ➲ Spray Bottle

▲  Tools ▲  ↴

⫿ ➲ Measuring Cup, Whisk
And no this is not a paid post for either Tide or Arm and Hammer- that's just what we're using today, promise. 
I've written up the formula for you a few ways, on a pic so you can pin it or whatever you need. I also gave you a digital copy of the label I made and use. Just drag it onto your desktop, or go ▻ here to download it. I added the recipe right to it, that way I can remember what I need, without pulling open the computer.
Once you have everything, just mix it up. I used a whisk this last time and I liked how it turned out to I added that to your list. All you do is combine all three wet ingredients very well. I read that washing soda does a better job on laundry due to a higher pH or something. I just baking soda because I have like 9 million and 3 of them in the house. 
The ingredients will look something like this, with a little more bubbling in real life. But you get my drift. You can use this mixture as a laundry pre-treater or just add it to a load. Just use a couple tablespoons for pretreating stains, like Zack's shirts, and add a cup of DIY OxyClean to each load. I usually make a couple batches of this stuff at once, cause around here, we need it!

I added links to some of my similar posts, in case you're looking to make more of your own Cleaning Products or maybe just want more Free Printables!

▲ For more Printables  ↴  ▲

 ▵▲▵

▲ & For more Cleaning Supply Recipes ↴  ▲

 ▵▲▵

▲▵▲



Here's the recap- an easy peasy way to DIY a cleaner ->


Tell me, do you have the same troubles with stains? 
Does your husband repeat movie catch phrases until he gets you to say them?
 photo 2fc9bcc8-3007-4b83-a06b-544496708353.jpg

May 18, 2012

DIY Industrial {style} Expandable Light



One day while browsing Etsy I cam across this super sweet vintage light- only problem...it sold for 1200$. 
Yup. One thousand, two hundred dollars. Now remember- it is authentically old and stuff, so that maybe counts for something.
{I purposely did not provide a link to this sale- cause I don't want to screw up someone's business/livelihood- so I didn't want to link my "fab" DIY to their sale--comprende?}
 
OK- back to the light- the second I saw it, I knew two things.
{1} I wanted it as a sconce for my spare bedroom.
{2} I knew I could make my own!
What You Need: 
Tin Funnel {from Harbor freight- 5 bucks}
Frack Mirror {from Ikea- 5 bucks}
 Light Kit  or salvage old one- {dismantled old light- zero dollars}
Vintage looking or "cool" light bulb {depends on which you buy}
 
This project was so super easy- once you have the right supplies. You read the supplies right- the Frack is a mirror from Ikea. It's in the bathroom supply section of the store and comes with a sweet expandable arm. 


Instead of buying a light kit I used the innards of an old light. I glued the base of that light {that metal pole} to the base of the funnel. Then glued the pole at the end of the light to the screwable portion of the Frack mirror.

 
I used clear automotive glue to adhere all the pieces together. It's supposed to be good for high temps- but I haven't given the lamp a good trial run...so I guess we'll see! {I'll keep ya posted! ;-)  } There's probably a zillion ways to put these items all together- but it was one of those things where this wasthe stuff on hand and went for it.
 I super love how the light can be expanded over your head for easy reading- or not. The arm swings- so the light can stay against the wall- or the window. It really makes for a great bedside reading lamp- something unique and vintage-y looking. I know some folks dig the original- and wouldn't think twice about the 1200 price tag...but my heart goes pitter-patter for a good deal and a great DIY.

 Here's a few bonus shots- from the post with new map art I just made.
You can see how the expandable piece moves in and out. It also swings side to side, so it can be moved out over the bed- or against the wall, out of the way.

What do you guys think- original or knock off?

May 3, 2012

▫Ballard & RH▫ "Quad" Clock Knock Off

Hey cute friends!  I hope you're not tired of all my copy cat knock offs- cause I have yet another one to share today! I've had this guy saved on my "to do" list for months and months now. It's a retro clock that sells at both Ballard Designs and Restoration Hardware! 
Newgate is an English company- and they seem to specialize in vintage looking clocks, that mimic the look of London railway station clocks. Sweet, right?

My knock off is of their "Quad" model- at RH is measures 22 in square and is on "sale" for $279.Isn't she a beaut? I love the old-school charm.





Here's what I did- my mind automatically thought of Ikea's Ribba square frame- to recreate the shape of the clock. It comes in at 20 in square, and also has the deep profile. Similar to the width of the Newgate clock- but also VERY IMPORTANTLY deep enough to house the clock gears.You could use whatever frame you want, but keep that in mind.





Materials: Picture Frame {I used the 20x20 Ikea Ribba Frame} $15
2 Sheets of poster board- $1
2 sheet of Foam Board- $2
Glue- {I used Rubber Cement}
Paintable Caulk
 Primer, Silver Paint, Dark Silver Glaze, Rub n Buff
Rag
Ruler & Carpenter's Triangle
Black Marker
Number Stencils- $4
Clock Mechanics Kit - $8
Decorative Nails
Total:  $ 30

This will seem like a lot of steps- but none of them are hard {I promise.}

[1] Prime: You want a good primer if you're using the same frames I did. I wish I would have mixed some chalk paint instead, since Ikea frames are MDF coated in that shiny plastic-y paper. I used some leftover plastic primer- and just in case you were wondering...Kilz will not work and force you to peel all your paint off and start over- not that that happened.  :-(  Make sure to prime the frame and the square spacer insert that comes int he Ribba frame behind the glass.
[2] Cut: Start by recreating the look of the "top" of the clock. To do this, cut a piece of poster board the same size as the top of the frame. Mine was 20 x 20- just like the frame. This will mimic the look of the metal sheet on top of the clock. Cut a piece of foam board two inches smaller in width and height.

[3] Glue & Cut: Center the foam core on the poster board, with the shiny side of the poster board facing the foam board and glue them together. {This way the poster board will absorb less paint.}
Now cut out an opening for both pieces. You want this to be the size you'd like the clock to be. I cut my opening 16 in square.
[4] Caulk: Use the caulk to fill in the gap between the foam core and the poster board- to mimic the look of smooth metal. Try to make the caulk as smooth as possible! It really helps to have a wet finger when dragging it to smooth out the caulk- this also keeps ugly fingerprint lines away.
 [5] Paint: Use some silver acrylic paint, then using white and black paint mix a few slightly different shades. Use a rag to paint them onto the frame, mixing the colors a bit when you apply them. Try to blend them but still allow for different levels of saturation in different areas. 
Paint the inside of the square spacer that came with your frame. 
Then give the poster board/foam board combo the same paint treatment. {More about the paint treatment here.}
*Be very careful not to bend or crease the foam board! This would make your project kinda suck- not that I did this part twice or anything!*

[6] {Optional} Silver Finishes: I use Rub n Buff in spots to give the clock extra sheen and shine. {You can find this info in depth here.} 
Then I finish up with little spots of dark silver glaze {the same silver paint mixed with more black paint and 1:1 ratio of glaze.}




 I think this step helps create the look of imperfections and really mimics the look of metal super well. I like to paint the pieces individually, before they are all put together so the final clock will look like different pieces of metal with scattered imperfections.

[7] Glue: Use rubber cement {or some other multi-surface adhesive} to glue the poster board/ foam board combo to the top of the frame.
And this is what happens when your camera is on the wrong mode- and you only take 1 pic- while you stencil with one hand...
[8] Clock Face: Cut the other piece of poster board to fit inside of the frame. You can use the backer board as a size guide. Using a ruler, a carpenter's triangle, and a black marker start to draw out the face of the clock. I made the outside borders around the face each an inch wide. The carpenter's triangle is perfection to recreating the hash marks found in the inner boarder. 

[9] Stencil: Use number stencils to make the clock face. I filled them in with marker- not paint; it was super easy. Mine are 2 inch numbers and, though I paid for them, you could print some off and cut them out and glue them on or even make your own stencil.

[9] Add Gears: Create a slit in the center of the clock face and insert the clock kit, per the kit's directions. 
Cut the last piece of foam board to the same size as the backer board/ hard board that came on the frame. Then remove a portion of the foam board to allow the clock gears a bit more breathing room.
[10] Compile: Put your frame together in this order: frame, glass, square spacer, poster board clock face, original picture mat, foam board with space removed for clock gears. I used a little spray adhesive to hold the "clock face" to the picture- that way it provides more support to keep the clock working well.












[11] {Optional} Nails: Hammer in a few nails, for purely decorative purposes. We're trying to make it look like these nails hold on the metal sheet {aka poster board} not glue! The inspiration piece has three on each side.

Now hang her up, sit back and admire you work!
Wow! That seems like a lot of steps- but they're easy and fast...just not fast to write them all down!
All in all, coming up with this plan and determining the better way to do it- took me the afternoon. 

Which was nowhere near 300 bucks! In fact, mine came in at 1/10 the cost- 30 dollars!! Shewee- that sure is sweet! This is one of those projects that I just wanted to see IF I could do it, ya know? I feel pretty good about its new home, too. It's hard to decorate with vaulted ceilings; hard to find items the right scale.
I was worried it would look cheap, you know, like poster board and markers or something. But even my critical eye is happy with the finished look.
 I am sure there are a million typos in this post- but it's three in the am- hello! And I want to get this finished before the hubs and I take off for a few well deserved days away! I'll miss you!


April 19, 2012

[Restoration Hardware Hack] Faux Zinc MDF Table Makeover

If this piece of furniture {Baker's Rack Open Shelving} and this piece {Zinc Open Nightstand} fell crazy in love and had a little furniture baby, then it could look something like my side table makeover! Can you see it?

But let's start at the beginning- this is the 3rd update for our "Spring into Action" challenge. Remember my before pic- this side table in need of TLC. I almost tossed'em or yard saled the pair- since they were only 60 bucks brand spankin new and aren't even made of real wood! BUT the size and shape could work, and I needed the little drawers for living room storage- so I stayed with it. 
  Last week I let your know I had painted the tables black- using a DIY chalk paint formula. I used chalk paint so I could skip the prime step and skip right to the paint. And for the record chalk paint does have great adhesion to MDF, I was very pleased with it. 
What I didn't show you- I took off the top of the table, to be replaced with some real wood!

To create a metallic look I started off using Jamie's {Freckled Laundry} tutorial-it's about the best tutorial I've ever seen. Jamie is so super duper talented.
 I happen to have the right paint on hand to follow through her directions. I probably shouldn't have taken a pic with the freezer paper- it's really just a trick I use to keep the paint from soaking into the paper plate. So you can disregard it when/if you buy supplies.
Following the tutorial, you use a rag to blend three shades of silver, creating a slightly varied finish in color. Buuuut, I followed all 14 steps and wasn't that happy with my version-{*super sad face.} Though this was at no fault of the tute. More like I'm still working on my glazing skills. So I backtracked to step 5.
 
You can see from the pic- it's silvery and shiny from the paint. But I wanted a more reflective surface.

Then I used my old friend, Rub n Buff, to apply another level of sheen. I also used this to create imperfections in the finish and create depth. Look at how the furniture reflects light. I took this pic n an overcast day with the curtains closed, and still you can see the shine!
Here's a few close up shots so you can see the finish. I applied the Rub n Buff with a toothbrush, like I explain here. I used it in spots, making it thicker and thinner in areas to help recreate the look of metal.
 
I used cheap-ish preassembled pine wood and had it cut it to size. I decided to cut them the same size as the base, trying to modernize the traditional tables a bit. The wood cost me 20 bucks and would have been cheaper if I had decided to make my own with planks- probably costing $12-13. This time easy won, though!

Then I used a homemade stain made from vinegar and steel wool to age and stain the wood. {I describe it in depth at the bottom of this post.} The wood is warm with gray tones in it. It is a little more yellow than I'd like- but that's due to the polyurethane, not the stain. 
I can't belive how many projects I've done in this room now! Things are finally starting to wind down in here a little bit. Looking around the room from left to right I made:
Last but not least- Z Gallerie Subway Art Knock Off  {on the left of the next pic}
 I think things are starting to come together. Although I removed the previous {fake} medium brown wood tone side tables- there's still lots of dark wood in the room. You'll find ebony wood on- the feet of the couch, picture frames, and for the entertainment center. You can see the corner of it poking out on the left side of the pic. 
And on the other side of the room, more dark wood found in the {yet-to-be-recovered}chair and mirror. It feels a lot calmer and cleaner to have just two-ish looks to the room. Of course the West Elm knock off tree stump table I made isn't an exact match for the new tabletops, since they're different woods- but since I used the same homemade stain, it is pretty similar.
That pretty much sums up the challenge- I can say I'm at peace with how the tables turned out. For about 25 bucks I don't have to stare at that red-toned "wood" ever again! Not bad for a 60 dollar Target table, huh?
I cannot wait to see how the other 11 participants fared in the challenge! Check'em out when you get a sec!