Christmas Card Display

Christmas Card Display

This was by far my easiest and quickest project thus far, thanks to already having made my painted chalkboard. All I did was put up some red yarn inside the frame and hang my cards with clothes pins. And it was a zero cost project because I had everything on hand. Here is the original pin. Here are some other Christmas card display ideas:

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Painted Canvas Dropcloth Rug

Painted canvas rug

This project became a little more in depth than I anticipated. Usually I have my husband around to help me simplify my ideas but on this particular weekend he was out of town so I took on a much more intricate project than I anticipated. My suggestions for the future: Choose a simple design and only 2-3 paint colors for your rug otherwise it becomes very time consuming.

Supplies:
1 painters canvas in the size you desire (I used 6x9)
Acrylic paint or water based interior wall paint in your choice of colors
Paintbrushes and rollers
Plastic sheeting
Stencils, sponges or any other medium you wish for your pattern
Polycrylic (optional)

Step One:
Lay out your canvas and iron it as best as possible. This will help your design go on straight once you start painting. If you need to you can use hem tape or sew any uneven edges at this time. I laid my canvas out and placed a towel underneath as I ironed it.

Painted canvas rug step 1

Step Two:
Tape off the design you want. I free-handed my design but wanted to make sure that my lines were straight so I taped them out.

Painted canvas rug step 2

Step Three:
Begin painting your design making sure to use a thick coat of paint since it will absorb into the fabric. don't worry about it going through to the backside because the plastic sheeting will protect your floor/ground from getting paint on it. Allow it to dry at least 1 hour before doing any touch ups.

Painted canvas rug step 3

Step Four: Optional
Cover in two coats of polycrylic letting it dry between coats. This is great for rugs that will be in high traffic and outdoor areas. It also allows you to sweep your rug easily.

Painted rug step 4

Whether you cover your rug in polyacrylic or leave it as is you will be able to throw it in the washing machine whenever you need to and the paint will remain in tact. Keep in mind though that the rug may shrink a bit as most canvas is 100% cotton.

I love our rug and feel like it really pulled the room together. I was able to use some paint colors that I had already used on furniture in the room to really unite the space.

Here are some of the pins I drew inspiration from:

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Fried Bananas

Fried bananas

This recipe was delicious and quick. I think it would be great for a party or just for one because of how simple it is. I followed the directions exactly as the poster described and it turned out wonderful. Here is the original pin.

The directions were simple, I made it for two so I just doubled the recipe

Ingredients:
2 slightly under-ripened bananas sliced
2 tablespoons of honey
A sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions:
1. Drizzle olive oil in a skillet on medium heat
2. Place banana slices in pan and let cook for about 2 minutes on each side
3. While bananas are cooking stir together honey and 2 tbs of water
4. Remove pan from heat and pour honey mixture over bananas
5. Let cool and sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!

Painting Laminate Furniture

I originally posted this over here but wanted to share it on This Pinterest Life since the idea came from scrolling through a million google images and Pinterest pins.

Can't be done you say? Here's the proof:

Total Cost: $11
Supplies Needed:
Zissner Cover Stain Primer in white
Whatever color paint you'd like for your project (I used white spray paint)
Clear lacquer spray or polyurethane
Foam paint roller

Ignore the dog toy, I didn't notice it when I was taking the photo.

I bought a laminate table top from the Salvation Army for $7.  I purchased a 2x4x12 piece of wood at Lowe's for $5 and had them cut it into 4 pieces at 29" each. I bolted the legs on and painted the entire table and legs in Zinsser Cover Stain Primer.

This is the primer

I used a 4" foam roller to paint with and stored
it in a ziplock bag in the freezer between
coats so it wouldn't dry out

I did three coats to ensure maximum coverage. FYI It is really stinky even with adequate ventilation. Then I used interior/exterior spray paint and did two coats of white paint followed by two coats of clear gloss spray lacquer. After a few days of airing out the paint fumes dissipated and now we have a dining set.  Not bad for a couple hours of work and 18 bucks.

Here are some other tutorials I found on Pinterest:

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DIY 20 Minute No Sew Tent

I've seen some great pins on Pinterest for DIY tents. Here are some of my favorite tents and forts I've seen:

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This is the basic tutorial I followed for my tent with a few modifications...
 I was able to create this project for $0 because I already had all of the supplies on hand left over from other projects. Here are the supplies I used:

• 2 old curtain panels
• 3- 3/8" dowel rods
• 4 pieces of scrap wood approximately 2" wide x 4' long
• Piece of ribbon cut to desired length
• Drill with 3/8" bit and 1/4" bit
• Staple gun
• Painter's or masking tape

Step One: I taped my scrap wood pieces together to insure that the holes would be placed in identical spots on each of them. First I taped the front pieces together then the back pieces, making sure to space the holes of all of them at the same distance and to make sure my scrap wood pieces were even in length.

Step Two: I drilled pilot holes into the pairs of taped wood with my 1/4" bit to make sure I didn't split the wood with my larger bit

Step Three: I separated the wood strips and drilled the larger 3/8" holes. I used my dowel rods as guides to make sure that the holes were evenly drilled. I made sure that the dowel rods were snug fitting but had just enough room to move since I wanted to be able to fold the tent closed.

Step Four: I fit one end the dowel rods  through the holes I had drilled for the front and back of the tent.

Step Five: I slid the first curtain panel onto the dowel rod then placed the back pieces of wood onto the dowel. I used light pressure to push down on the strip of wood to make sure the dowel rod was fully wedged in. Then I repeated the process for the other side with my second curtain panel. At this point I had two panels that were attached on one end and not attached to anything on the other end.

Step Six: I started with the first panel and and using my staple gun I stapled the excess fabric to the  the sides of the tent (where the wood strips are). Then I overlapped the second panel making sure to gather the excess fabric so that the curtain didn't sag and stapled it to the wood. Once I finished you couldn't even see the staples (I pulled back some fabric to show it for the picture). And the staples are flush against the wood so I don't have to worry about them catching on clothes or skin.

Step Seven: I added a piece of ribbon about 2 1/2 feet long to the back side of the tent as tendion to make sure that the tent would fall all the way open.

And here is the finished project!

Morning snack in her new tent

It would look great with some fun colored fabric or even ribbon ties instead of staples but I was determined to make it a zero cost project and used what I had on hand. The whole process only took about 20 minutes to put together and my daughter loves it!

Chalk Paint China Cabinet Redo

I bought this china cabinet from the newspaper eight years ago. When Hubby and I were getting married we needed a few furniture items and Craigslist wasn't around back then (I know I'm showing my age) so we scoured the newspaper and found a dining room set that we could afford and it included this china cabinet. From the moment we bought it I've been wanting to redo it so here we are 8 years later and it's finally done.

When we first purchased the cabinet it had hideous metal lattice within the windows and glass door. We were quick to remove those but it took me a lot longer to work up the courage to repaint this bad boy. I knew it would be a very involved process and really wasn't sure when I'd be able to commit a large enough chunk of time to do all that needed to be done.

Several years go by and Pinterest enters my life making this project seem doable. I had read a lot about chalk paint and thought this would be the perfect project for this makeover. I tested out my chalk paint formula here before I committed to using it for this gigantic project.

Here is how I did it:

Step 1. I started by mixing my chalk paint. I decided to use Plaster of Paris for my base because it was cheapest and worked well on my other chalk paint project. I mixed roughly 1 part plaster to 3 parts water until I got the consistancy of pancake batter. It is very important to make sure there are no lumps otherwise you'll have white chalky spots in your paint. Then I added 3 parts paint to the Plaster of Paris mixture, stirring it continuously while pouring. I also found that I had to continue to stir the paint and plaster mixture as I was using it or it became clumpy. This mixture will start to dry out in about 2 hours so make it in small batches throughout your painting process.

Step 2. I taped off the windows and glass door to give myself less work later on and then I got started with my first coat of paint. It was a billion degrees outside (okay really only like 99) but I'm in the south now so I'm pretty much guaranteed a hot and humid day from now until October. And I knew I would not be able to paint this thing at 9 months pregnant so it was now or never.

I painted outside and used low VOC paint but since I'm pregnant I wanted to wear a mask too

After my first coat of paint

Step 3. I ended up doing 3 coats of paint on each piece. The paint dries very quickly and by the time I had finished the two pieces they were dry enough to start the next coat again. That made it much easier to get this project done in a timely manner. I let the final coat dry for 24 hours before I tried moving either piece.

Step 4. I removed the tape and started scraping paint off the glass. The best way to do this without scratching the glass is to put your scraper (is that a real word?) in a very damp cloth. It worked like a charm at taking off all the paint splatters.

A scraper wrapped in a wet cloth to remove the paint from the glass

Removing paint from glass

Step 5. I finished it with Minwax paste finishing wax. I will not be setting hot or cold food/drinks directly on it so I wasn't worried about rings but I was worried about scratches from my toddler and soon to be baby. If you're painted a piece that will have lots of items set on top I would recommend two coats of polyurethane (the directions are very straight forward but it is smelly). I opted for the Minwax because I had read good things about it and it seemed fairly simple. This step helped me achieve that glossy furniture look since the chalk paint alone is a matte finish. It definitely gave me an arm workout and I couldn't help but think of this the whole time. I spread on a thinnish layer of the wax then buffed it off with an old tshirt. After you finish waxing your piece, if you see some white spots (especially in the corners) that is just some built up wax that dried. I took my fingernail or you can use your scraper wrapped in a dry cloth to very gently scrape it out. I did not scratch the finish at all doing this and was able to buff the remainder of the residue into the piece.

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After one weekend of very hard and hot work I am thoroughly pleased with my new piece!
Here are some other painted pieces that I love from Pinterest and a few more chalk paint tutorials for reference:

Original Pin

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Original Pin

Original Pin

Original Pin

Original Pin

Wire Garden Wall Trellis

It's that time of year again, when the weather is warm and outdoor projects are all the rage on Pinterest. Today's project turns a bland space into a calm and inviting area without spending a lot of money. This project was done by my friend Audrey who also posted here. We'd love to see some of the outdoor projects you've been up to!

Wire Garden Wall Trellis

On our property there are 3 buildings: our house, a veterinary clinic & an old barn. We moved in last May and I quickly got to work settling into the house since I was almost 7 months pregnant.  So the yard had to wait until this year.

On one part of the clinic there is a large open wall space that was in need of something… but bushes are expensive, so what could I do on the cheap to fill this wall?

Here was the inspiration:

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Minus the fountain… focus on the vines growing on the wall. I knew I wanted to do something different and this was just the thing!

What you’ll need:

Paper

Ruler

Tape Measure

Decking ScrewsPencil &

Wire

Needle nosed pliers with wire clippers

Seeds for the vine of your choice

First thing I had to do was measure my space and decide how much of it I wanted to cover.  There were about 14 feet between these 2 windows:

So I decided to do a trellis that would be 10 feet wide and 5 feet tall.

I drew out a plan:

I used a 1’ to 1” ratio because that was easiest.

 Drawing out your trellis is a great thing to do because originally I thought I would run the wire in 1’x 1’ diamonds/squares but when I started to draw it out it looked waaay too busy.  Instead I went with 2’x 2’ diamonds/squares.

I drew dots along the perimeter for every 1’ then started to draw in where my wires were going to go.  Whenever I hit the perimeter I darkened the dot because that is where I would be placing a screw on the wall.  (I hope this is making sense!)

Once I finished my drawing I went outside and started measuring 

& installing the screws.

(This was pretty quick and easy because our siding was 4” planks so I didn’t have to measure vertically at all. Yay!)

(If you look closely, this is just the screws.)

Once all of the screws were up, I took the wire and started in the top corner and followed my diagram for where I should go.  For instance, I started in the top left corner, so I wrapped my wire around that screw once to secure it then stretched the wire to the 4^th screw from the left and wrapped it around that screw once, then I stretched it up to the top right corner, then used the wire to create the 4 sides of the rectangle on the perimeter.

(Here’s a close-up of one of the screws wrapped with wire once I was done.)

Next I started on the screw that was second from the top on the left and followed it up to the second screw from the left on the perimeter and so on until the whole grid was up on the wall.

When I finished I planted a row of Morning Glory seeds in the dirt under the new trellis.  I knew I wanted an annual vine and morning glories are fast growers.

When it was all said and done it was much easier done than said. 

Funny how that is.

Here is the trellis as soon as I finished.

Here is the trellis today.

I chose to plant an annual flowering vine because we spent a good part of the summer pulling invasive Baltic ivy off of a different part of that building. It was not fun. Next summer I would like to use a vine with smaller leaves so that you can see the shape of the trellis a little bit better.