SUPER easy toy chest.

I have to admit I almost threw this box out, but decided (luckily) to save it a little longer. My hubby made this wooden box in scouts when he was younger. I was upholstered in BLUE VINYL, but I fixed that. ;)

So. I saw this cute saying on a vinyl cutting web-site and decided I love it but didn't want to pay the fee to have someone cut me some vinyl lettering, plus that would take WAY too long and I had to make this right away.

I picked a font I liked and studied the letters (you must be able to envision it to draw/paint something specific) and then drew light lines in pencil (measuring for height nd width of course) to block in the letters. I then drew (LIGHTLY!!!!!!!!!!!) the letters and then filled them in with paint. It looked a little plain when I was done so I used the end of my paintbrush, dipped it in paint, and then made dots.

A quick tutorial on VERY simple upholstering:

Detach whatever bit of the furniture you are going to re-upholster (mine was the top of the chest) remove any hardware, upholstery nails, staples, fabric etc. Get a piece of foam and cut it to size (I just used what was already on there since it was still in decent condition) glue it down to keep it in place (I would, but you don't have to I suppose). Pick and then cut fabric to cover. Make sure you have a couple of inches extra (you'll need it to go over the sides and wrap 'round part of the bottom). Lay your bit of furniture upside down and using a staple gun staple ONE side of the fabric just to get something to pull against. You must pull your fabric as tightly and smoothly as possible. I would start with the opposite side of the first side you stapled.  Stretching and smoothing staple one side at a time to the underside of your bit of furniture. I made a loop of ribbon and stapled it in the center of the front so there would be a little handle to lift the lid. If you are upholstering a seat cover you are probably done and can re-attach what you've upholstered. If, like me, you've done something where your staples are visible, you'll have another few steps. Find a carboard box or bit of wood. Cut to the size of your newly-upholstered furniture piece. Using hot glue cover much like you did the last piece with fabric. there should be one side completely smooth and covered and one side that has fabric pulled over the edges. Hot glue (or use your choice of gluing-medium) the thin, covered bit in place making sure all your staples and edges are covered. Voila! You have now re-upholstered something!

GOod luck. I make NO promises, but it worked for me! Leave your questions!

"They all paint tables and embroider cushions" -p&p the movie

I was watching the newer version of Pride and Pedjudice and heard the quote, "...They all paint tables and embroider cushions...." and thought to myself that THAT must be a lost art too since I never really hear of anyone handpainting tables.
I got the project bug and decided I had to paint a table... immediately.

Probably it isn't as fancy or refined as the tables of old, but this is my funky, personal version of a painted table.

Thing is, it is completely custom and completely 'me' and it cost me around five dollars.

I bought a 'decorator's' table at Target on sale for five dollars. Pretty much it is a circle and three legs out of MDF board. Typically people buy a 70" round table cloth and a circle of glass (also sold at Target) and call it good but I couldn't for the life of me find a table cloth I loved and that matched my living room.

First I painted it red and had every intention of painting a checkerboard onto the top (still want to do this some day) and make it a fun little game table. I never did that and when inspiration struck I was glad I hadn't.

I love paisleys. Just so you know.

So, I painted my table with acrylic paints (first laid the background [rule of thumb when painting....background goes in first] and then painted the individual paisleys) and then when it was dry I varnished it so people could put cups of water etc. on the table and all my hardwork wouldn't be ruined. This means that if I ever want to change the table I will have to remove the varnish with that awful, harsh stuff (I can't remember what it is called at the moment... paint stripper?) and sand and then re-paint. But I love it an don't plan to have to.

So now, I am in my own way (according  Charles Bingley anyway), an accomplished female because I can paint tables! ;)

Amazing things happen with a fresh coat of paint.

Spray paint is one of the most economical ways to change or update something and it takes relatively little work. Most of the time.
2 1/2 cans later my cute, but boring black bench got fifteen hundred times cuter.

The color is Summer Squash and I got it at Home Depot. Note: spray paint is less expensive at Home Depot (as compared to Wally World) and they have a WAY bigger selection.

I got this at JoAnn's. It was a bronze color but I had to paint it. I got this last year at about this time. The time of the year when I am DYING for spring and it just isn't coming fast enough and I have to do something around the house to usher it in.

Before

After

I loved the red star but it no longer matched the room it is in so now... it is orange.

I mixed orange with a little brown paint to make a color I wanted (I didn;t want it too bright) and then I used a dry brush with ome brown paint to make it look distressed by just swiping it lightly across the star all around it til I thought it looked good.

Homemade art.

Getting back into painting again. It's been a while. I love making art for my family and my home. I look around and feel a sense of fulfilment knowing I can beautify my home and it will reflect me and those I love and my love for them. I just did this on three 8 by 10 artist canvases and it is going up in my baby's room.

The canvases are very inexpensive (from wal-mart, they come in the 3 pack) and I just used my acrylic paints that I buy at a craft store and use on my crafting. No special supplies here!