Month: September 2013

Restyled Polka Dot Cutting Board

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I have a glass cutting board I used for cutting paper and crafts.  I have several cutting boards, and did not have a use for this one in the kitchen so,  I used it for crafting on and cutting paper.  I was sitting at my work station one day and decided to “dress it up” a little.  I had this great black and white polka dot scrapbook paper.  Since the cutting board was made from a clear glass, the idea was to adhere the paper to the back, and allow the polka dot image to appear through the glass without affecting the usable surface.

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I applied Mod Podge to the back of the cutting board  with a foam craft brush and adhered the scrapbook image facing out. I then trimmed the paper around the glass.  I carefully matched the polka dots up so the pattern appeared as seamless as possible.  I applied Mod Podge on the back of the paper to seal it.  If I were to use this as a real cutting board, I would use outdoor Mod Podge to seal the back for added protection.  This cutting board will be used for cutting, but not used around water so I used Mod Podge matte finish to seal it.

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Just think of the possibilities!  It also would make a nice decorative piece also if not used as a cutting board.  You could Mod Podge any image and photos behind the glass!

Pretty As A Peacock: Side Table Redesign

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I picked up this side table at Goodwill.  I loved the design qualities it had, but this piece was in poor shape.  Most of the finish was worn off, and it had issues with sturdiness.  Due to these shortcomings, this table was priced right at only $3.99.

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It sat for a while collecting dust.  I wanted to do something really special with it, but my vision was stifled.  I used it to work on projects, but this table certainly deserved a more dignified life, A trip to Jo Ann Fabrics changed everything.  They have a new super store less than a mile from home and it stocks row upon row of fabric.  I came across a beautiful peacock inspired fabric.  It made me think of the side table and I decided to buy about a yard of it.  I liked it so much I wanted to have extra to use in a future project or two. It felt nice to treat myself a little, plus I had a 40% off coupon!

I took the table outside cleaned it, and tightened it up as best I could. I used a can of white spray primer to prepare the table for painting.

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Once dry I brought it  back inside the house to the craft room.  I flipped the table over tracing the table on the back of the fabric with a black fine tipped marker twice, once for the top surface and once for the middle shelf.  I cut the fabric with scissors.  I applied the Mod Podge on both shelves and carefully place the fabric down, smoothing it out with my hands,  I applied Mod Podge over top and allowed it to dry,  Any excess fabric, I trimmed with a box cutter knife.  I also applied extra Mod Podge to the corners where the fabric meets the table .

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I used two coats of black and white acrylic paint to paint the remaining areas of the table. Once the paint was dry, I used a Polyurethane clear gloss to seal the table and give it a shiny appearance.

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Before and After:

peacock table before and after

 

Want to strut your stuff and make a peacock inspired table?  Here is what you will need:

Table

Peacock inspired fabric (From Jo ann Fabric)

Mod Podge

Acrylic Paint

Spray on Primer

Polyurethane clear sealer

Box Cutter, Scissors, Fine tipped marker

Paint Brushes

 

A Much Needed Kitchen Table Makeover: “On The Upcycle” Style.

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Our furniture sees it’s share of abuse in our home.  It would be easy to “blame it on the two-year old”, but the biggest offender in this household is me.   Before I began reorganizing what is now my crafting space, I had one place to craft on and that place was the kitchen table.  As much as I tried to be careful, with every new idea and craft came new damage to the table surface. I had to use a table cloth to cover the damage.

My husband and I originally purchased this set from Walmart before my daughter was born.   After years of living with some of the worst off the scrap heap kitchen tables.  The hubby and I decided we needed a more respectable table.  A table where a family could sit, eat and enjoy each other’s company, and not have to worry about the table collapsing while doing it!

We chose The Wood Casual Pedestal Dining Table in Black Finish sold by Walmart.  We liked the basic style and the table is very sturdy.  The table is about 3 years-old and the table itself is still in great shape.  I wish I could say the same for the table’s surface.  My fault totally!

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I had been putting off fixing it for quite sometime.  I was going to need a lot of Mod Podge and a clear sealer for this project!  This table would need protection against heavy use.

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Materials:

1 1/2 Yards of fabric (table measured 41×41)

High Gloss polyurethane sealer

Mod Podge

Scissors

Large Paint Brush

Small foam paint roller

First, I cleaned the table surface. I then covered the table surface generously with Mod Podge.

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I carefully, laid the fabric on the table surface allowing some fabric to drape over the sides.  You can use the Mod Podge roller tool, but now that I have been doing this for a bit, I actually prefer using my hands.

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I used my nail to feed the fabric into the table groove for a tight fit.  I applied a layer of Mod Podge over the top of the fabric, and on the sides. I allowed this to dry throughly.  I then used a pair of scissors, trimming off any additional fabric.

I applied additional Mod Podge to the edges shaping the fabric with my hands.  I applied three coats of High Gloss Polyurethane with a foam paint roller,  I waited about four hours between coats and the final coat was left to dry overnight,

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It matches Flea Market Bar Cabinet nicely and looks great in our yellow kitchen,  I was worried about the surface drying tacky, but it dried nicely.  If you want a smoother surface apply as many coats of the Polyurethane as needed until the desired effect is achieved. Since the table is shiny, I struggled to get a photo without any reflection in it!

Table Re Surface using fabric

Ruining the kitchen table never looked so good! No table cloth needed!

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What it means to be a Good Neighbor: A nomination and Aqua Corps.

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It has been a hectic week of travel  with not much time for crafting.  Yesterday, I was so pleased to find out my blog “On The Upcycle” was nominated for a Good Neighbor award.  The Good Neighbor Award is for someone you’ve met in the blogging world you wish could be your real-life neighbor.   Thanks to Katherine from Pillows Ala Mode for sponsoring such an award.  I was truly honored and touched that someone took the time out of their day to say something nice about something I care so much about!  I wish Katherine a very happy 2nd blogging anniversary and thank her for all the support she has shown to someone new to this world!  Talk about an amazing neighbor! Congratulations to Crafty Staci who won the award and grand prize!  Check out all the nominees here!

It made me think that being a good neighbor also means helping the less fortunate people around you.  My friend told me about a local group in the area that helps the less fortunate of Camden, NJ called Aqua Corps. 

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Aqua Corps feed the homeless, host Thanksgiving day dinners for the homeless, and perform community outreach for the less fortunate people in Camden.  They are trying to raise money to purchase a permanent location for their cause at The Hero Network.  Be sure and support them if you can.  To learn more about Aqua Corps and what they do to help the homeless  Click Here.

Thanks again to all my WordPress neighbors who have taken the time to stop by my home online and be so kind.  Means the world to have the support of such an incredibly talented bunch!

Stepping through time: DIY Cemetery Flowers And A walk through St Peter’s Cemetery, Staten Island, New York

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Yesterday, my daughter and I took a trip to visit my aunt in New York.  During the trip, my sister and I traveled over to St. Peter’s Cemetery in Staten Island to visit several ancestors memorials.  I called the cemetery office and spoke with Pat who was wonderful!  I e-mailed her with a list of names I suspected were interred at the cemetery. She responded back with several and provided the grave plots and locations along with a cemetery map.  I planned on photographing the graves, but also wanted to leave something for them out of respect.

I found some old artificial flowers and glass candle holders in our attic as well as some left over styrofoam packing materials.  I decided to use these items to come up with a small tribute to each grave as I visited.

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I had to create five total and did not have enough styrofoam for the bases.  I used two glass candle holders instead with a small piece of styrofoam inside to attach the flowers.  I used scrap fabric, paint and hot glue to put these together.  I was also stopping by to visit my grandparents and made a special one for them with my daughter’s picture in it.

Repurpused Grave Memorial Flowers

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My daughter visiting her great grandparents

Stay tuned for more of the genealogy series!

The Cats Meow: Repurposed Cookie Jar Planter

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In my kitchen recently while organizing and cleaning, I came across this great white cat cookie jar I had for many years that I picked up at a yard sale.  When I originally purchased it, I knew nothing about it.  It had a slight crack in the front.  Through the years, the straw hat was broken and missing, and it sat for 7 years collecting dust on the top of the kitchen cabinet.

I took it down and gave it a look.  Thanks to the internet I discovered it is a Metlox Cookie Jar.  Turns out they are vintage and very collectible when in good condition. Online they go for between $35.00 to $125.00! Of course this cat had seen better days, and wouldn’t be worth anything with a cracked nose and a missing hat.

I am starting to begin to think my upcycling ways are beginning to rub off on my husband.  When I scratched my head as to what to do with it he suggested a planter!

Upcycled Broken Metlox Cookie jar

What a great idea!  I purchased a small fall mum and placed it inside the jar.  Since there are no holes at the bottom of the jar, I left the mum in its original container so the water can properly drain away from the plants roots. Recently, I lost my beautiful cat Clyde at the age of 17 to kidney disease.  I created a memorial garden in his honor,  and I thought this would make a great addition to it. A great way to upcycle an old cookie jar!

Metlox Broken Cookie Jar Upcycle

Feline Memorial Garden

 

My daughter was more interested in the wind chime, but loves to help mom in the garden and in the craft room.  She is my little toddler apprentice after all.

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Just For Fun: Rainbow Brite Decoupage Tote Bag

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I have been intrigued recently by the idea of using decoupage on purses and suitcases. This requires me to work with different materials I have not tried before, and overcoming certain obstacles such as shape, texture and overall size. I thought this tote bag would be a great practice project, and a cute item to carry/store my daughter’s toys in.

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Their was an overall texture to the bag and I was not sure how the Mod Podge would adhere to it. I was concerned at the possibility that the texture underneath the paper would make the decoupage appear wrinkled.  I printed out an image of the Rainbow Brite characters.  I trimmed the image with a pair of scissors.   I applied Mod Podge to the bag surface with a foam craft brush carefully smoothing out any wrinkles in the paper.  Once dry,  I applied multiple coats of Mod Podge over the image. (The more coats on synthetics/plastics, the better the bond) It appeared to adhere to the bag well, but I have been burned by plastic/synthetic surfaces before.  The Mod Podge simply does not adhere well to these surfaces. Through constant use by two year-old hands, only time will tell the durability of this project. I would guess that canvas would be a bit more “user friendly” The decoupage looks great and the surface does not appear to have affected the paper much.  I hope my toddler appreciates Rainbow Brite as much as her mommy does!

Rainbow Brite Decoupage Tote bag

Materials:

Tote bag

Print for decoupage

Mod Podge

Scissors

foam craft brush

And The Winner Is…. Me!?!

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Good Morning to all my blogging friends!  It is a happier Monday than usual, thanks to Diana at Ray’s Sew Crafty.  I just wanted to personally thank her for making my day!  She has an amazing crafting blog, and is a lover of cats as I am!  Be sure and check it out! Diana sponsored a Labor Day Giveaway on her site and I happened to be the very lucky winner of a book of beautiful scrapbook papers (Can you say decoupage?)

Scrapbook paper winner!

Congratulations also to  Laura (from the Sew Frou Frou Quilter ) She won the cute Hugabook story book panel.

Also… If you missed it, be sure and check out my friend Elise from 2 Geeks and a Grandma at Cheeky Geeks Blog.  This month, Elise is featuring all things “Geeky”  Sci Fi, Retro you name it!  I was honored when Elise asked if I would be a guest blogger, my very first guest blogger position! My contribution is a  full tutorial on how to make a retro upcycled kids table and chair featuring an old Strawberry Shortcake record.  Be sure and stop by and check it out! Elise will be featuring all things “retro” this week.   Visit her for more to come, should be lots of fun!!

Enjoy your day my friends!

Cheeky Geeks : Geek Month Celebration

Strawberry Shortcake Sunday | CheekyGeeks

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I want to thank Elise from Cheeky Geeks for featuring “On The Upcycle” during Geek month.  This week is retro week and what a better way to celebrate than with an upcycled Kids Strawberry Shortcake Record table and chair.  Be sure and check out my full tutorial on Cheeky Geeks.

Strawberry Shortcake Sunday | CheekyGeeks.

r\Retro Strawberry Shortcake Chair and Record table
Cheeky Geeks : Geek Month Celebration

Upcycled Strawberry Shortcake Kids Record Chair

Simple Saturday: Decoupage Sports Fan Desk Clock

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This project was quick, and easy to create.   If you have never ventured into the wonderful world of Mod Podge before, this is a great starter project for you!  A sports desk clock is also a great gift for the special man in your life or a female sports fan such as myself.  When I stumbled upon this cute little clock made from Ikea, at a Good Will store, I had no clue what if anything I was going to do with it. The price was certainly encouraging! On this day items adorned with a yellow ticket were 50% off !  This cute little item cost just 1 dollar!

Ikea Desk Clock

 

My husband suggested that since the clock was Eagles Green, it would make a great Philadelphia Eagles Football clock.  I thought this was a great idea, in honor of the new football season, and our fantasy football team who opened week one with a win thanks to McCoy and Jackson. I found some sports images online and printed them.  These would be great for decoupage and looked as though they would fit well on the surface,  The clock was a bit of an odd shape after all.

Eagles print outs

 

I cut the images out and do to space restraints used the only the eagles letters, and the larger eagle.  I used a small paint brush and applied a light coating of Mod Podge to the back of the paper cut outs and carefully applied them to the front of the clock surface.  I placed in front of the fan, and when dry added additional Mod Podge over the top of the images.  I repeated this step twice,

Mod Podge Clock

This took less than a half hour to make and came out wonderfully!

Now are you ready for some football? Well at least you’ll know when the game is starting!

Sports Fan Clock made with Mod Podge