Geometrical Block Printed Planter Makeover

I made this beautiful block printed planter first thing this planting season and then forgot to share it.  This essentially means it never happened at all and all of my priming and painting and sponge cutting was for not.  So I’m posting it now, just in time for the end of planting season.  Luckily, I think it’s going to look just as lovely stuffed full of Mums and tall grasses as it looked chock full of petunias.  

And the best part of this project?  It  was completely free!

It was super easy (and free!) and would make a great weekend project.  

It took me about 4 hours start-to-finish including the time it took the paint to dry.  

Here’s how I made it…for FREE!  (Did I mention this project didn’t cost me anything?)

1. I took an old banged up pot that wasn’t being used and gave it a good scrubbin’.
2. Then I sprayed the inside of the pot red with some paint I had on-hand; spray the inside first because there may be some over-spray
3. Then I primed the outside of the pot white and covered the over-spray
4. After that I gave the whole thing a coat of Cream colored paint and let it dry.

Cost so far: $0.00

While the paint was drying I made the stamp.

1. To make the stamp you’ll need an old sponge, scissors, a Sharpie & a ruler
2. I used the ruler to measure out a 2″ x 2″ x 2″ triangle
3. and drew it on the sponge with my marker
4. Then I cut along the lines and now I have my stamp…and it’s still FREEEEE!

Now you should test your stamp to experiment with how much paint to use, 

how hard to press down on it and to decide on the pattern you’re going to use. 

I used a piece of blue painter’s tape to create a line to follow while I stamped.  

This helped a little bit but it would be ok without it also.  

I continued to stamp all the way around the planter, 

moving my piece of tape to the next row as the paint dried.

Then I removed the tape and I had a perfectly printed, perfectly d.i.y.’d, 

perfectly FREE brand spankin’ new planter!  And, I can’t remember if

I told you this or not yet but it didn’t cost me a thing!!  

Rit Rooooo!!  (that’s a whistle noise)

I’d love to see your pictures if you decide to make one of your own. 

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a wonderful weekend!  

Dresser Makeover: Recreating a $799 dresser for $42

Recently I was approached to recreate a beautiful dresser with a staggering price tag.  The Collage Dresser retails for $799 and I’m sure it’s well worth it- the dresser is lovely- but “in this economy” (aka the catch phrase of the 21st century) who can really afford it?  The recipient also wanted a decidedly less “shabby chic” version of the dresser with no distressing or faux wear on the paper.

To make this dresser I started out with my basic supplies.  My client already had an old cheap dresser in her house so we saved money on having to buy one though you can always find cheap dressers on Craigslist if you were looking to do this project.   Cost of project: $0.00

I also had some semi-gloss, oil-based white paint left over from another project and used that to paint the dresser.  It’s a good idea to use a gloss or semi-gloss on dressers so that you can wipe them down if necessary.  I did 3 coats of the white with a roller.  So far the cost of this project is still $0.00.  Excellent.

I ordered some vintage wallpaper on Etsy from 2 shops, Vintage Sheet Addict and Threads & Memories, I spent about $16 at each shop and the paper is awesome.  There were so many cool designs it was really hard to decide which ones made the cut.  Cost of project now: $32.

I laid the paper out on the drawers and experimented with placement until it looked right. 

One drawer in particular gave me a considerable amount of trouble.   I got it right on the 3rd attempt. 

I glued the wallpaper in place using Tacky Glue and then smoothed it out using a brayer.  (You can find them both at Michael’s, AC Moore, Blick, etc.)  This worked better than Modge Podge because since this is vintage wallpaper that’s been rolled up for God knows how long- it didn’t lay as well as regular paper would and the corners kept curling up on me.  Because the Tacky Glue is true to it’s name and “tacky”, it was easier to make the edges stick to the drawer.   

Then I spent $10 on some basic black knobs from the Target General Super Store and my dresser was complete.  Bringing my grand total to $42 and some change.  Not bad considering this project was done as a trade- I got to spend a week at my client’s house on Cape Cod in exchange for creating this dresser for her.  I think I got the better end of this bargain.

Thanks for coming by!  I hope you liked my project.  If you did, let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to go “like” me on Facebook.   (I told my Mom I was popular…I don’t want to disappoint her.)

OMG! OMG! OMG!I’m Featured on Ecka & Pecka!! (no big deal)

Hey dudes.  I got the best email this morning from a sweet little thing named Meream over and Ecka & Pecka telling me they featured one of my projects on their adorable blog!  Huzzah!

And this little boost could not have come at a better time as I am exactly 6 weeks into my maternity leave today and have been wondering how in the world I’m going to fit painting back into my new life of bottle washing and diaper-figuring-outer-ing.  

It’s amazing how such a little thing can help make a girl feel re-energized and ready to paint!  Thank you Meream- you dream boat!  

(Maybe I’ll even get the paintings I’ve been promising my very own daughter done now too….baby steps.)

$5 DIY Googley-eyed Fall Wreath Tutorial

I’m not sure what’s happening to me but I felt an overwhelming urge to make an Autumn wreath this year.  I’ve always been into decorating, and over-decorating, for the holidays but I usually keep it to giant fake spiders, severed hands and glittery skeletons.  Your standard October stuff.  So when I found myself shopping for a wreath making supplies, nobody was more surprised than me.  It was as if I blacked out and woke up at the register with a wreath form and fake foliage in my hands. 

So, I’ve accepted it, I like wreaths.  There, I said it.  

But that doesn’t mean I have to make a button covered, gingham scarecrow country crafts with a giant bow type of wreath.   I can like wreaths and still make them look like me.  It doesn’t mean I have to buy high waisted Mom jeans or run out and lease a mini-van.  Not yet anyway.  

So here is my tutorial on how to make a quick $5 Googley-Eyed Fall Wreath:

SUPPLIES (I got the $1 supplies from the dollar store)

$1 wreath form

$1 fall foliage x3

$1 5pk mini squashes

ball of twine (had on hand)

googley eyes (had on hand) 

wire cutters (had ’em)

glue gun/glue sticks (had ’em)

To begin, start by tying the end of your twine to your wreath form and wrap the twine around the wreath for a space about 3″ long.  This is purely decorative. 

Next, arrange your 3 bouquets of fall foliage and begin snipping them off of the main branch with your wire cutters.  Arrange the new seperate pieces so that you have 2 equal bouquets (if you plan on making 2 wreaths…which I did because I have a double front door.)

Now begin adding the plastic foliage to your wreath just under the 3″ band of twine.  I used hot glue to keep the plants in place and then wrapped more twine around the base of each one- mostly because it looks cute but also to secure it in place.  

When you reach the end add another 3″ section of wrapped twine to finish it off.  You can stop here and have a perfectly lovely Autumnal Wreath to hang on your front door but I feel like it’s just too regular.  It needs something. 

In my case, that “something” almost always ends up being googley-eyes.  Or “guurely eyes” as my niece calls them.  

From the 5 pack of mini squashes I scooped at the dollar store, I grabbed a couple of ’em and gave them life.  I am not unlike the good Dr. Frankenstein in this way.  

Take your freshly googelied squashes and arrange them at the base of your fallin’ foliage until you are satisfied and hot glue them into place.  

**Note: my squashes are made of styrofoam which means they basically melt when the come in contact with hot glue.  Turn your glue gun to the lowest setting if you have that option or put the glue on the wreath first and allow it to cool for about 3-4 seconds before placing your squash so that it doesn’t turn into a puddle.**

And finally, add a twine hanger to the top of your wreath and hang with pride from your front door(s).  

Together these wreaths cost me less than $10 and they can be left up through Halloween and all the way through to Thanksgiving.  I hope you like them as much as I do. 

happy fall!

Kids Crafts: My Pet Rock

This is a fun and easy project to entertain kids on a hot Summer’s day and, depending on the supplies you have on hand, it could even be free.  

For this project you’ll need:

• some rocks
• spray primer (optional)
• acrylic paint
• googley eyes (never optional)
• a couple of kid-friendly paintbrushes
• tacky glue
• some chil’ren

Start out by collecting some rocks.  

This comes as naturally as breathing to my 5-year-old niece so luckily after a day of adventurin’ I already had a pocketful of rocks to start with.  If you can’t find any “good” rocks, you can always buy some at a craft store.  

Next, using a spray primer lightly coat both sides of the rocks. 

This helps the paint to adhere to the rock’s surface and allows bright colors to show up better on darker colored rocks. 

Once the primer is dry (about a 1/2 hour on each side) put some aprons on some kids (some that you know preferrably), put out some paint and let them get creative.  

Encourage the kids to paint monsters with big mouths, stripes, polka dots, animals they like, flowers…anything that gets their imaginations going.  

 
If there are globs of paint on a rock, the googley eyes may be able to stick right to it.  If not just glue ’em on.

Acrylic paint is non-toxic and washable before it’s dry.    

And now, if your little people really love you, they might just give you one of the rocks they just painted.  I was lucky enough to have this rock gifted to me.  “She’s a girl on this side and a boy on the other”….obviously.

Giving in to Trends: Ombre Paint Chip Art

I spent a good portion of my teenage years rejecting all things trendy and popular.  That habit has stuck with me now into my late 20’s (ok, early 30’s) whenever I see something adorable on another craft blog and/or everybody’s favorite website, Pinterest.  (See, I’m even trying to pretend like I don’t totally love Pinterest.)  Instead of happily jumping on the bandwagon and admitting that something is adorable, I dog ear it and come back later, trying not to make eye contact with it and acting like it’s not so great. 

Today I decided that it was time for me to make eye contact with paint chip art and I’m glad I did because it was a fun and easy project (not to mention practically free!) that only took about an hour to finish.  

Here’s how I did it:

First, go to your favorite paint store and grab some paint chip samples from the big wall of colors (or use different colored construction paper).  I actually felt a little bad about taking so many so I asked the guy behind the counter if it was ok.  He shrugged with complete indifference and I was guilt-free.  

Next, find a small circular object to outline onto the paint chips to utilize as much of the colored area as possible- I used a small roll of tape- and cut out your circles.

Experiment with the layout of your circles until you have ’em just how you want ’em.

Prepare your frame– I got this white matted frame for $5.99 at the Christmas Tree Shop by my house- the frame has some dings in it but I’m writing them off as “shabby chic.”

Remove the mat and backing from the frame and outline the opening of the mat directly onto the cardboard backing.

Now, starting and the bottom and beginning with the lightest layer, glue the circles to the cardboard using a glue stick.  The second layer should overlap the first slightly and the circles should become progressively darker towards the top of the cardboard.

You only have to fill in the area inside of the outline we made but be sure to overlap the edges so that none of the backing shows.  

To add a letter, take another paint chip in a coordinating color and draw your letter backwards on the BACKSIDE of it.    

Cut out the letter, glue it into place wherever your little heart desires and presto- you’re an artist.

I decided to let some of the lettering from the names of the paint show on my final product.  It gives it extra home-made-i-ness.  

Now you have a personalized gift to give as a new baby or shower present and no-one has to know about the ridiculous internal struggle that it took to make it.   

Happy Friday!

POW! ZAP! BOOM! Super Hero Shoes!!

I made these custom kicks for my super hero loving 5-year-old niece, Tabitha, who is in a two man band with her Dad that she aptly named ‘Tabitha and the X-Men.’  Wolverine is second only to Daddy in her life, she even calls people (including her Mom) “Bub”, just like Wolverine, he’s her absolute favorite.  Her other great love in life is Wonder Woman, she is a little girl after all. 

She always looks for shoes with her favorite characters but “those shoes are for BOYS, Aunt Mandee”- that’s where I come in.   

Sister bought these white canvas mary janes at Target.  They’re perfect, just-girly-enough, simple and easy to draw on.  I decorated them using a combination of paint markers and acrylic paint.  The drawings are comletely water proof- they won’t run, drip or fade. 

And now Tabitha has her own custom, Wolverine & Wonder Woman girly super hero shoes.   What more could a girl ask for?

Do you have your own hard to shop for tot that needs some custom kicks?  Email me and let’s see what we can come up with. 

Why don’t you make me?: Three-Tiered Terra Cotta Planter

With limited space in my small city yard every inch counts so each Spring I am faced with a decision: do I want pretty flowers or a functioning vegetable garden?  I envision myself having friends over for dinner and quickly running outside with my schears to an adorable, and lovingly attended to, little vegetable garden- I’d grab fresh herbs for the potatoes, pluck some peppers and lettuce for the salad and maybe bring in some grape tomatoes for my friends to snack on before dinner.  They just love that.  Then, after dinner we’d all get in my spaceship and go visit Unitron, the home of the last living unicorn.  In other words, it’s not going to happen.

What did happen however is this- a triple-decker half veggie/half flower tower of compromise.  I’m taking baby steps to becoming the world’s best hostess by growing only the greens to my future salads and I still have room for flowers! 

Here’s how I did it:

First, I invited Liz over who did everything.  (This was an important step because Liz is wicked good at this stuff and because I have a cast on my right arm up to my elbow right now.) 

Next, we took pots from the pot graveyard on the side of my house and selected 3 in decending sizes.  (These don’t have to match perfectly, as you can see.)

Pick a sunny spot in your garden to place the biggest pot- we nestled ours right into this Vinca Minor- and fill with soil until just below the top.

Add a small dowel or bamboo rod into the largest pot and thread themiddle pot onto it burying the pot about an inch into the soil of the largest pot.

Then trim the dowel until about 3-4″ is showing to be inserted into the smallest pot.

Now have Liz thread the smallest pot right over the dowel and press into the dirt on the lower level burying it slightly.  Great job Liz!

And finally, you are ready to plant your Garden of Compromise.  Liz and I decided on some green lettuce, purple lettuce, white & purple flowers, 2 small cascading plants and topped the whole thing off with a ponytail fern.

Now we truly can have our garden…and eat it too.

Thanks Liz!! ❤ ❤ ❤

Day 2: Recycled Crafts for Kids

Teaching kids at a young age what it means to reduce-reuse-and-recycle is always something taught in school but to really drive the point home, it’s important to incorporate those things into real life.  Here are a couple of great crafts to do with kids to show them ways to recycle bottles into something fun and  useful.  

Ages 9+: Ashley over at Make-It-&-Love-It made this awesome cell phone caddy out of a lotion bottle.  This craft would be great for older kids, especially those just getting their first cell phones or iPods.

Ages 5+: This awesome bowling set made by CreativeDish would be perfect for kids old enough to wield a glue gun and is a great way to keep 10 bottles out of a landfill!

Ages2+: And finally, check out this “lava lamp” made by Rainbows & Unicorns (great name by the way!) made with a plastic bottle, oil, water, food coloring and complete with sea creatures!  This is a wonderful project for little ones- also consider throwing in some glitter or sequins!

Happy Friday!!!

Makeover Monday: The Red Credenza

Makeover Monday (Tuesday Edition):

The Great Credenza Makeover of 2012

Last Thursday, on my daily trip around Craigslist, I found this beautiful 1960’s style credenza living in the garage of the nicest seller in the history of Craigslist for $25 bucks! 

The drawers and the sliding doors turned out to be the only real wood on it.  The rest of it, as far as I can tell, is made of cement mixed with whatever the heaviest thing on earth is.  Seriously, this thing weighs a ton.  Luckily my wonderful (and hilarious!) friend Zach was nice enough to throw on some sweat pants and go pick it up with me.  Thanks Zach!  (Sorry you had to wear sweat pants to class.)

We got it in the house as far as the living room where it had to stay because Zach had to go to class (in sweats) and, as I may have mentioned, this thing weighs at least 300lbs (and I can only bench press 275) so I can’t move it alone.  Living room it is.  I began to unscrew the legs…there were 7.  Interesting.  

While it was flipped over I realized that the entire thing was 3 separate pieces connected by 2 brackets and the common top.  I unscrewed the brackets and top, had it quickly inspected by Fonzie and the pieces came right apart.  I love it so much as one piece but at 8′ long I have nowhere the entire unit would even fit. 

Plus, now that they’re separate I can actually move the pieces all by my lonesome.  Holler!

I sanded everything- doors, drawers, legs, etc.

And primed them with Zinsser.  This was my first time using Zinsser and I love it!  It dried really fast and covered everything.

I painted the outer parts of the credenza (here after 1 coat) with Rustoleum ‘Gloss Sunrise Red’.  I chose the Rustoleum because I wanted a high shine and I loved this perfect color red.  The inside was painted flat ‘Olivewood’ grey.

Now for the doors.  I decided not to prime the doors, just sand them mostly because I didn’t want to tape around that little metal handle bit.  Also cause I just didn’t think they needed it. 

I put the doors in the credenza where they’ll eventually live and traced the line where they overlap.

Next I laid my doors on the amazing decorative paper I’m using to cover them and cut around their outline using an X-acto knife.  Using the line we drew on the second door I allowed for a little bit of overlap so that the image would appear as one piece when the doors are closed. 

Once you’re happy with your paper placement Mod Podge it into place.  Cover the entire surface with Mod Podge, lay your paper down and smooth out any air bubbles.  Be sure to work quick, this stuff dries fast.  When it’s in place, cover the entire surface with Mod Podge.  (It’s a good idea to use M.P. Hard Coat for this project.)

At first the glue will be cloudy but never fear, it will dry to a beautifully clear finish in no time.  I chose a matte finish and also decided to cover the second set of doors with a 2nd paper option because I just couldn’t pick one.

I put the top back on, screwed on the legs and slid the doors in and the results are a sophisticated yet playful piece of furniture that I absolutely adore.  I cannot wait to fill it with carp…I mean crap. 

***TIP from my Mom***
Instead of wasting time cleaning paintbrushes that you’re just going to use again for the second coat, wrap them in plastic wrap or a grocery bag and pop ’em in the freezer until you’re ready for the next coat of paint.  This way you only have to wash your brushes once at the end of the project which will help seriously reduce the desire to just abandon the project halfway through because washing paint rollers is such a gigantic paint in the a**.  Thanks Lady!