Organizing My Fabric Stash

Tags

collection, DIY, fabric, organization, project, storage, What I'm working on

As I started to unpack my craft/sewing room, I remembered this great pin I found on Pinterest for storage solutions and thought I’d use some of them in my new space!

First of all, I had mini-bolted all of my cottons just before the move.  Super simple and makes for easy organization!  Just use comic book boards!  They are acid free and a great size for making your fabrics look neat and tidy! (I’m pretty sure I saw this idea here)  Simply fold your fabric in half (salvaged edge to salvaged edge) and then half again.  Then place the comic book board at one end and start folding your fabric over the board for the entire length of your fabric!  Voila!  Mini-bolts!!  Then you can stack them in shelves for a pretty way to store your fabric.

Mini-bolted fabric stash

Now for this idea, you don’t need to have your fabric mini-bolted…but it sure helped. 

Hanging File Folders

Mini-bolted and ready to hang

I simply cut the hanging file folders down and slid them into the mini bolts.  If you don’t have your fabric already mini-bolted, you can cut the folders in half (giving you two hangers) and bolt around each piece.  Easy Peasy!

Neat and tidy

Hanging pretty

Now to organize my knits and upholstery fabrics!

~Angie

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Unpacking, Decorating our Mantle and Making a Halloween Minion!

Tags

design, DIY, family, furniture, new, room, Things I've made, tutorial, upcycle, What I'm working on

Hi All!! We had our furniture delivered a little over a week ago now and we’re slowly unpacking and settling in.  We love our new home and are lucky to be in such a great and friendly neighborhood.  We’ve unpacked the main floor but I’m leaving my sewing and craft area for last…maybe. 

So far, I’ve been able to decorate a few spaces and am in love with our mantle.

The Mantle

I picked up the picture a while ago at Value Village for $15 and I’m so happy to finally be able to hang it!  The ceramic bust was a curbside find.  The birdcage was a clearance item and the letter A was a thrift store purchase.  Finally, the “Thumbs Up” I found at Winners.  And don’t forget the chairs that I re-upholstered this past spring. Don’t they look amazing in front of the fireplace?

On top of unpacking the house, I needed to get moving on finding costumes for the boys since Halloween is only a week away.  I came across this fantastic tutorial and just had to try it! 

Almost finished the Minion…just need to make the overalls!

What do you think? 

Just add child and be ready to have the best Halloween ever!

Ah-Mazing idea…and great tutorial by the owner of Mink’s Paperie!

Hopefully I’ll have the house unpacked before Christmas!
~Angie

Quick Craft – Chalk Paint Mason Jars

Tags

chalk paint, collection, DIY, makeover, paint, project, quick craft, Things I've made, tutorial, What I'm working on

Chalk paint is all the rage in the crafting world at the moment. It is so easy to use and so versatile! You can paint anything with it with little prep and easy clean up (check out this pin). That makes it a win in my books.

I’ve seen this done around the web lately and decided to give it a try myself. I had picked up these mason jars at a local thrift store and had painted the inside with spray paint (super easy to do!) to match my decor. They sat displayed on the shelf for quite some time, and looked lovely just as they were. But I noticed that I was really enjoying all the decorating posts that used a lot of white with a few accent colors. So, I decided to paint them again, but this time on the outside and with chalk paint.

Mason Jars painted inside with spray paint

I wiped them down and gave them their first coat. Although I didn’t sand in between each coat, you could if you wanted to. When the first coat dried (20 min or so…super quick) I gave it another coat and let it dry again.

applying the first coat

drying

Once they were dry, I took out some sandpaper and lightly distresses in a few areas. What was nice about having already painted the insides of the jars, was that the color showed through in some distressed areas.

distressed and beautiful!

Chalk paint is a super easy way to update your decor! What would you paint?

~Angie

Linking up to:

http://www.lizmarieblog.com/2013/06/inspire-me-linky-party-14/

http://www.thecottagemarket.com/2013/06/junkin-joe-features-and-linky-party.html

http://www.keepingitsimplecrafts.com/2013/06/motivate-me-monday-177.html

http://www.settingforfour.com/2013/06/project-inspired-linky-party-no_10.html

Shabby Chic Farmhouse Style Outdoor Table

Tags

barn board, DIY, easy fix, fix it, furniture, project, Things I've made, upcycle, weekend, What I'm working on

What do you do when you get served a big heaping basket of lemons? Being the crafty person that I am, I try to make something out of it.

This weekend, a combination of wind and heat did a number on our glass patio table. Let’s just say that I was not impressed with having to clean up the million bits of glass that used to be my table top.

The Before!!

Seeing as there have been a lot of table top redos using barn boards or pallet boards lately, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to put my spin on the trend. And it was about time we had an update to our outdoor furniture anyway. Using some left over fence boards, Hubby and I created a new tabletop for our table.

Laying out the Boards

We laid out the boards on top of the table and when we had the final configuration, Hubby cut them down to size. We fit them back onto the table frame. Then Hubby marked out the center of the table top and cut a hole for the umbrella.

Hole for the Umbrella

We are now back in action, and ready to enjoy the summer in our new shabby chic farmhouse style table!

Shabby Chic Farmhouse Table

~Angie

Linking up with:
www.remodelaholic.com – http://www.remodelaholic.com/2013/05/healthy-summer-recipes/

http://www.redouxinteriors.com/2013/06/link-party-107-and-les-features/

http://www.soyouthinkyourecrafty.com/im-crafty-no-49-upcycling/

Vintage Suitcase Side Table

Tags

antique, bed room, DIY, furniture, makeover, project, Things I've made, tutorial, vintage, weekend, What I'm working on

Have you seen all the creative things people are doing with vintage suitcases? I am in love! I don’t know if it’s because I love anything vintage, or because of all the times I’ve moved in my life (let’s just say that currently, the record in one house is 4 years), or because of all the pins on Pinterest. There are so many possibilities! Besides the more common ‘stack of suitcases’, you can make a pet bed, a chair, or a table. You can even make shelves and drawers or medicine cabinets out of them. Look here for a bit of inspiration.

Needless to say, I have a small collection of vintage suitcases and trunks and this weekend, I finally got around to doing something with one of them.

The suitcase…

I decided to make an end table out of one of mine. You could try the hardware store for legs, but I like to see what I can reuse from something else. So, I hit up some thrift stores to see what I could find. Enter a cute little circle side table that had just the legs I was looking for! And for a whopping $5! Unfortunately, I forgot to take a before pic of the table, but I have a few ideas for repurposing the top.

I removed the legs from the table and set them aside while I gave the suitcase a little tlc.

Removing the legs

Next up was to position where I wanted the legs to be and drill pilot holes.

Positioning the legs

Drilling the pilot holes

Attach the legs, turn it over, and voila!! Perfect! You can even use the inside of the suitcase to store your journal, or some books, or whatever else you can think of.

Voila! A unique side table!

Depending on the suitcase, you may want to add a bit of plywood to the inside to make it sturdier. Just cover the plywood with a bit of pretty fabric. And if you’re worried about attaching the legs securely and esthetically, you could use Chicago screws, which will ensure a secure fit without any protruding screw ends.

I have plans for this table in our guest room. Can’t wait to be able to work on it.

What would you make out of a vintage suitcase?

~Angie

Linking up with:

http://www.artsychicksrule.com/2013/05/project-inspired-linky-party-15.html

http://www.redouxinteriors.com/2013/05/link-party-105-and-les-features-plus-i-am-hitting-the-road/

http://www.commonground-do.com/

http://www.lifewelive4.com/2013/05/linkyparty13.html

http://www.artsyfartsymama.com/2013/05/artsy-corner-link-party-3.html

http://www.housewifeeclectic.com/2013/05/creative-showcase-creative-link-up-with.html

A Bed fit for a Princess

Tags

bed, bed room, chalk paint, DIY, furniture, head board, makeover, paint, project, vintage, What I'm working on

Over the weekend, the princess vanity went to its new home. Such a beautiful piece and Lady G is such a lucky girl! And as Lady G’s mother and I were standing back admiring it we were talking about how the room was going to be decorated. She told me that this was the first piece for Lady G that was not a hand-me-down from her brother. Well, didn’t I have just the piece to create a beautiful set fit for a princess!

Enter this twin bed set. I had originally picked it up (each part in a different place!) with intentions of building a bench out of it. But, clearly, this bed was destined for bigger and better things! And as soon as Lady G’s mother got a look at it, her redecorating plans got a kick-start! We started throwing ideas around for accessories and such! Let me tell you, this is going to be a beautiful room!

Before…she needs some work

The only problem with the bed was that there were no bed rails…all I had was the head and foot boards. Luckily, the next day as I was running errands, I stopped in to one of the local thrift stores that I frequent and there they were (for $4.00)!!!! Sweet! And a perfect fit (as sometimes older bed rails can be fussy). I also picked up another head and foot board set that I hope to turn into a bench.

Now, back to the bed frame. The original paint finish was chipping and there were some stickers and tape that needed to be removed. A scraper got all of the stickers and tape off and a good sanding smoothed out the surface. I gave it a good wipe down and filled in the nicks and dents.

Time for paint! Since this piece was to match the princess vanity, I used the same blue and off white. I painted the posts white and the boards blue.

And the blue goes on

A little medallion attached to the headboard and a little distressing gave this piece the character I was looking for.

Adding some Bling

And now, the finished product!!!

The Princess Bed

Lady G’s mom is so pleased with it! She can’t wait to surprise her little girl with a super girly bedroom that will grow with her. I so loved being a part of this room. Now, off to find something else to paint!

~Angie

Linking up to:

http://www.artsychicksrule.com/2013/05/happy-monday-project-inspired-linky-party-14.html

Princess Perfect Painted Vanity

Tags

antique, chalk paint, DIY, furniture, makeover, paint, project, vintage, What I'm working on

I’ve been collecting antiques and furniture for a while with the intent to paint them. I just love to be able to be creative and artistic and refinishing furniture has given me so many opportunities to do just that. I’ve refinished many pieces in our home, including our dining table and chairs, our bedroom furniture, my youngest son’s dresser, and some of our living room furniture. Needless to say, I have the painting bug!!

Enter this vanity I picked up at a local thrift store…who donates the proceeds to Mental Health! A win-win in my books! This beauty needed a bit of work. The veneer was peeling, there were pieces that needed some glue, and a little tlc all over. But she had beautiful lines!

Before

First things first, she needed a good wipe down! And doesn’t everyone feel better after a bath? I removed the hardware and started to work on the peeling veneer. After a quick google search, I decided that the ironing method would be my best bet. And it worked like a charm. The old peeling veneer came off and she was looking better and better. A beautiful wooden medallion (for some bling), a bit of wood glue to fix some loose pieces, and some wood filler to smooth out the surface and we were ready for some color!

After a good cleaning

A little bling to dress her up

Painting the top…she’s gonna be purdy!

I chose a beautiful blue with off-white accents to make this piece pop! The drawer pulls got a good cleaning and a coat of paint too. A bit of furniture wax to seal and protect the finish, and she’s ready for a photo shoot! She certainly is stunning and fit for a princess!

Voila! Fit for a princess!

She is off to her new home this weekend. I just know she will be loved and adored. Now, on to the next project!

~Angie

Linking up to:

http://www.artsychicksrule.com/2013/05/happy-monday-project-inspired-linky-party-14.html

Vintage Camper Reno – Part 2

Tags

camper, DIY, makeover, project, remodel, travel trailer, vintage, What I'm working on

After a crazy weather week which included snow (20 cm! What happened to spring?) and cold and rain, we’ve finally had some nice weather. And what better way to spend the day than to tackle the camper reno.

Ready to go!

The kids were in school and Hubbs was at work. Armed with my work gloves and a bucketful of determination, I headed out to the camper. We had only gotten half way through the gutting stage (see the post about that here) so I still had a fair bit to do. Since I don’t know much about electrical or plumbing (that’s what Hubbs used to do before he joined the military), I decided to just do what I could.

Front corner

Back corner

Tearing out the rest of the bench seating was the easy part. I quickly got both areas down to the frame and looked around to see what I could do next. We still needed to remove the stove, sink, heater, and refrigerator. The biggest problem for me was that the camper had been built with 8 point headed screws (had to google that one). It took forever to find a screwdriver that would work on them. (I am certainly not proficient in screwdriver terminology…I use descriptions such as square, “x”, line, etc.)

Removing the stove

The first appliance to be removed was the stove. It came out fairly easily, and I got a huge ego boost. If it was that easy to remove the stove, I wonder how easy it would be to remove the heater? How about the fridge? Turns out it wasn’t as easy as I thought. So I just tore out the walls around them.

Tearing down around the heater

Now I was on a roll! Next onto the bathroom walls!

Demoing the bathroom

Finally, Hubbs and the boys were home, and I got some help.

My little helper!

Hubbs removed the fridge, heater, sink and pipes for me. But since it was getting late in the day, we had to stop. Oh how I wish there were more hours in the day!

Almost finished gutting

As we were doing a final clean up, we found a cute little treasure! A fishing knife that floats!

A great find!

Next step is to remove the remaining cabinet and countertop, and then on to the flooring! I’m hoping to tackle that job this afternoon!

~Angie

*Update: We did not finish this project. Hubby ended up with an opportunity for a career change and we just were not able to complete the project before he left for training and then a move shortly after his return. Hopefully we will be able to do something similar in the future.

Quick Craft: Spring Wreath

Tags

burlap, DIY, fabric, flowers, handmade, project, roses, spring, Things I've made, What I'm working on, wreath

My youngest will be 5 this weekend!!  I can’t believe it!  Where did the time go?  I was thinking back to his past birthday parties and realized that this spring has been a lot colder this year than it was in the past few years.  What’s going on here?  Time for a touch of spring!

I had been wanting to make a new wreath for our front door for a while and was inspired by this tutorial on making burlap flowers.  These flowers were super easy to make and I love everything about this wreath!

And so here is my version.

My version

Now, once it warms up, I can work on prettying up my front step!

~Angie

Painted Furniture Reveal

Tags

antique, chalk paint, design, DIY, furniture, handmade, makeover, paint, project, Things I've made, What I'm working on

This week, I decided to update some of my furniture with a bit of paint. (See the post here) I wanted to start with my mid-century credenza turned tv stand but had run out of painter’s tape (I needed to tape off the top because I was only going to paint the bottom). So I ran next door to borrow some (I have awesome neighbors!). Lucky for me, my lovely neighbor had some and she decided offered to help me paint my bookcase as well! This was my first project using chalk paint, which you can read about here.

Here are the pieces before:

Mid Century Bookcase – Before

Mid Century Credenza – Before

These lovely pieces were “rescued” from the side of the road this past fall. Can you believe it? Lucky for me, one person’s trash is this woman’s treasure.

I have scraped, sanded, primed, painted and varathaned furniture pieces before, and I have also used spray paint. I have never worked with chalk paint and now I am in love! You don’t usually have to do much prep work (ie, sanding, priming, etc) besides just washing down your piece, and you can achieve so many different aged and distressed finishes with it. It is FANTASTIC!! Waxing your piece afterwards gives it a protective coating and depending on the wax you use, can add more aging and distressing.

Here are the pieces part way through:

-with a few coats of paint

-with a few coats of paint

Looking better already! Now for a pop of color!

A pop of color

And now the reveal:

All finished and waiting to be “dressed”

What a transformation!

Credenza Turned Awesome!

I just love the color!

The pieces are so bright and give the room a light and airy feel. And by placing a basket underneath the credenza, all the cords from the electronic are neatly hidden away!

Looking back at their former selves, I am in awe of the transformation of these pieces. And the colors are simply stunning! Sadly, I do not have any info on the colors (except the Duck Egg Blue from Annie Sloan used on the top shelf of the bookcase). The bottom two shelves on the bookcase were made from mistints I had on hand (yes, I also hoard paint!) and the color on the cubby of the credenza was made by combining what was left of the two colors on the bookcase.

Next up on my painting list…the roll top desk and the buffet and hutch!

~Angie