Home Improvement

The Shirt That Didn’t Fit: Clothing Repurpose

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I was up late shopping one night when I came across a lovely shirt on Ebay.  I usually don’t purchase clothes unless I can try them on first, but I had recently ordered something and it worked out perfectly, so I was feeling braver than usual.

I received the item, and to my dismay it did not fit.  The seller had a no refund policy, so I attempted to relist the item for sale. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any luck reselling the item,  so I decided to utilize the shirt in a different way.  I loved the pattern and material, so I decided to re-purpose the item and use the fabric for decoupage.

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I carefully cut out the gold star pattern, and used a little Mod Podge to apply these to my kitchen back splash.  This added a much needed “pop” of color, and matched the kitchen decor perfectly.

Before:

DIY Kitchen Back Splash

After:

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I had some fabric left over, so I decided to use it to make an accent lamp for my office.  I had an empty spaghetti jar which would work perfectly for this project.  I applied Mod Podge to the exterior of the jar and used some twine to add a decorative quality to the base. I applied the twine with hot glue.

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For more details on how to create a decoupage jar lamp, check out some previous On The Upcycle decorative lighting projects…

Spaghetti Jar Lamp

Pickle Jar Lamp

 

Mod Podge Your Cottage: Window Sills Accented With Fabric

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One of the features I loved when we first saw our house was our front living room window. It was a large half hexagon shape with a deep window sill.  It is a nice accent area, and fun to decorate during the various holidays.  During other times of the year our Tiffany knock off lamp illuminates the window and the front of the house outside. Our cat loves to climb in and chase after various bugs who find themselves unlucky once he discovers them. It is also the perfect spot to place my stereo cabinet, which also acts as a nice window seat.  The downside is the ledge often gets dirty and is difficult to keep clean. I also wanted to add an accent and brighten the dingy white paint that constantly needed a touch up. I thought decoupage would be a nice option here. I had used a similar technique in a previous project Decoupage Mania Restyling your home with Mod Podge.  For that project I used scrapbook paper to cover a built-in wall vanity.  I decided to use fabric on this window sill project due to more decorative variety and the larger project area. Our living room is a neutral sandstone color and I chose a neutral flower pattern.  The advantage of using fabric makes it easier to remove if you want a change the look as opposed to using paper which tends to tear apart when you attempt to remove it.

I used a magic erasure to thoroughly clean the area before getting started.

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I cut two pieces of  fabric and lined up the images to create a seamless appearence in the middle of the sill.  The best part? The cut fabric doesn’t have to be perfect. Once the Mod Podge dries it is stiffer and easier to trim with a box-cutter knife.  Any excess fabric can be removed later.  I applied Mod Podge with a foam brush and placed the fabric over top.  I then applied Mod Podge over the top of the fabric.

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I allowed the Mod Podge to dry, trimmed away any excess fabric with the knife and applied an additional layer of Mod Podge over top and around the edges.

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Once dry, Mod Podge leaves a nice, clear protective and easy to clean surface.  It also adds a decorative touch in any room.  The styles of fabric and possibilities are without limits, and suddenly I have to urge to do more decorative sills throughout the house!

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Finished Decorative Fabric Decoupage Window Sill

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Neutral Floral Pattern-Fabric Purchased at Joann Fabric

 

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Materials:

Mod Podge

Fabric

Foam Brush

Box Cutter Knife

Times They Are A Changing: Repurposed Kids Changing Table

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Our diaper changing table was a very useful piece of furniture while it served it’s purpose.  Once my daughter outgrew it however, I wondered how I would reuse it. For a while it took up space in the craft room as I contemplated what to do with it.  It just so happened that I was looking for additional storage in our kitchen and I thought that the changing table could easily double as an extra set of shelves.

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The family and I took a trip to Joann Fabric and I purchased a colorful floral fabric for the project.  Since I had quite a bit of area to cover I purchased 1  1/2 yards of material.  I decided to leave the areas free of material in its original dark wood color, or if desired it can be painted the color of choice.  Just be sure and use a primer first especially if it is dark wood.

I cleaned the piece thoroughly before getting started.  Once dry I used a small foam roller to apply Mod Podge generously to the table surfaces.

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I cut the material with scissors allowing some extra fabric to hang over the sides.  I then carefully laid it on top of the Mod Podge smoothing out any air bubbles or wrinkles.  I generously applied Mod Podge over top of the fabric.  I repeated this for each individual shelf, and used two coats of Mod Podge for each shelf.

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Once the Mod Podge was dry and clear, I used a box cutter knife to carefully trim away any excess fabric from around the edges.  I utilized the table groove as a guide while slicing the fabric.  I then used two coats of clear polyurethane to seal and protect the table from moisture.

Repurposed Changing table

Now I have a bright and cheery shelf for the kitchen and desperately needed additional storage.  The colorful fabric really pops against our bright yellow walls, and am happy to be able to continue to use what was once a very important and sentimental piece of furniture.

 

Decoupage Diaper Changing Table

 

Materials:

Old Wooden Changing Table

Mod Podge

Foam Roller

Box Cutter Knife

Scissors

1 1/2 yard of Fabric of Choice

(Primer and Paint Optional)

Polyurethane clear sealer

Stories of a house From | Inspire Me Heather

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{stories of a house} my quote wall | Inspire Me Heather.

Since the last several days have consisted of me battling a nasty winter cold and the weather (Over 12 inches of snow last evening) I wanted to share with you a great Mod Podge project from Inspire me Heather.  It consists of a wall decorated with favorite quotations.  I would love to create a wall like this leading up to our attic, or down to our basement area.  I think I would try decoupage tiles, or even coasters.  I thought this was a fun project and I wanted to share it with all of you.

So.. I am putting down the snow shovel, and tissues, and moving on to my next upcycle project..

Design On A Nickel: Bathroom Cabinet Decoupage Restyle

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Of all the rooms in our home our bathroom I can say without a doubt is my least favorite.  Our house was built-in 1937 and most older homes provided basic accommodations when it came restroom facilities.  Adding to these difficulties is the fact that we have only one, small bathroom in our home and it is in desperate need of a re-model.  That of course financially is not in the cards for us now.  However; I am a firm believer in making the best out of a situation, and I have had plans for quite sometime to work on improving our bathroom.  Our biggest eye sore was our bathroom sink cabinet. Replacing it was not an option, so I thought I could use some paint and a fabric decoupage to improve the look of the cabinet and add some design qualities to a rather bland and uninspired bathroom.

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Generic bathroom cabinet

I hadn’t tried a project like this before and I knew it would require quite a bit of work.  I picked up a half yard of fabric from Joann Fabric and prepped the cabinet by cleaning it with a damp cloth.  I used a screwdriver to remove the doors from the hinges.  I then removed the knobs and placed them aside.  I used a white all in one latex paint and primer to paint the outside and inside shelf of the cabinet.   I used a paint roller on the larger areas and a smaller paint brush for the areas the roller couldn’t reach. I also painted the cabinet doors.  I allowed the cabinet to dry thoroughly overnight. It took about three coats to completely cover it.

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The next morning, I traced the painted cabinet doors onto the back of the fabric.  Any access fabric, I would trim away later with a box-cutter knife.  I applied Mod Podge to the doors with a foam craft brush.

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I then applied the fabric to the surface and smoothed it out with my hands. I applied another coat of Mod Podge over the top of the fabric and I used my nail to work the fabric into the crevices.

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I repeated the same process for the second door and allowed them to dry in front of the fan. Once dry, I used a box cutter knife to carefully trim the excess fabric using the groove of the door as a guide.

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I reconnected the doors to the cabinet and reattached the knobs.  I applied an additional fabric swatch to the front of the cabinet, and repeated the same process of applying the Mod Podge and fabric and trimming away the access fabric.  I then touched up any areas of the cabinet with paint that needed it.

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I really love the aqua and brown color scheme and hope to incorporate some more color in our bathroom.  I feel this may be a great start to improving our tiny neglected lavatory! I was surprised at how well this project turned out and the cabinet has gone from eyesore to accent!  It cost only about ten dollars worth of materials to make this project a reality, and I am really glad I gave it a try.  I have a feeling this is only the begining!

Fabric, Decoupage and Paint Bathroom Cabinet Makeover

Bathroom Cabinet Makeover Materials:

Mod Podge

All in one latex primer and paint in one

Fabric of choice

foam craft brush/paint roller

paint brush/fine tipped marker

Box cutter knife/scissors

Before and After:

Bathroom Cabinet Makeover Before and After

The Broken Chair Challenge: Upcycled Black and White Damask Chair

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I spotted this chair in the back of a Goodwill store.  There were various miscellanies items piled on top of it, and It involved quite a bit of work to break this chair free. I was attracted to the chair design  ( The chair featured a fleur de lys) and I loved the detail.  The chair seat was in very rough shape and it would require re-upholstering.  The overall chair frame seemed like it was in ok shape, and I thought enough of this chair to assume the risk.  The chair was priced to sell at $3.99.

When I got it home,  I ripped the blue material off the seat and discovered the seat was broken and could not be repaired.  Now, I had to salvage another chair in order to repair this one!  My husband and I kept our eyes open for any “curbside” or “free” chairs, I prefered to use  a free chair and not purchase one, but months went by until I found a freebie chair that would be perfect, A lucky find at a thrift store. The chair seat would turn out to be a perfect replacement, and I have future plans to upcycle what’s left of the chair frame.  Stay tuned!

First, I cleaned the chair, and primed the chair frame with 2 coats of a white latex primer.  Once the chair was dry, I began to paint it in a white and black color scheme.  I used black and white acrylic paints to paint the entire chair.

This chair was quite a challenge to paint. The chair had a lot of cut-ins, and detail, and required a lot of patience when it came to the paint brush. I sat the chair in front of the fan until it was dry, and then added a layer of Mod Podge overtop to seal the chair.  It dried nicely.  Now I was ready to re- upholster the chair seat. The original fabric I chose was a black fabric with white roses.  When I placed it up against the chair, I despised how it looked!  So, It was back to the fabric store to pick out another style and I went with the Elegant look of Damask.  I used less than a yard of material and cut and traced it to fit the new seat, leaving extra material for underneath the seat.  I used an upholstery stapler and carefully stapled the material to the back of the chair seat.  Once I was done I screwed the seat back on to the chair.

This chair was not short in challenges, but in the end it was worth it. Looking at the finished chair,  I would say this chair turned out to be worth the risk, and a broken piece received an elegant new lease on life!

Upcycled Black and White Damask Chair

Back of B&W Damask Chair

Rear View of Black and White Chair

Before and After Chair Made with aint,cloth and Mod Podge

Before and After

Black and White Demask Upcycled Chair

Materials:

Roughed up chair

White Latex Primer

Black and White acrylic paint

Mod Podge

Damask Fabric

Brushes/Scissors

Upholstery stapler and staples

Screwdriver

Black Marker to trace seat to fabric

Decoupage Mania-Restyling your home with Mod Podge

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I am starting to think I have a problem.  I am addicted to decoupage!  My husband and friends joke with me that soon all that I have will be decoupaged, (including my underwear) and they may be right!  I am hooked.  The reasons are it looks great, and is an inexpensive way to restyle a home.  I also admit, I am a restless soul who can ever seem to sit even for one moment, and when I do, I am busy contemplating my next project or idea.  One of these areas in our home is at the top of our stairs in the hallway.  I believe it was intended to be a vanity.  There is a mirror and an outlet close by.  I basically use it as an area to display my husband’s mother’s blue vase.  (She passed away many years ago, so it means a lot to have an item of hers displayed in our home) and a small lighted Christmas tree during the holidays.   For a while I had considered tiling the area, but that would be quite an extensive project, although I know it would have looked amazing! Then I thought to myself, Why not decoupage it?  It’s similar to wall papering after all.

I used some scrapbook paper with a fairly neutral design.  I simply cleaned the area as best I could and applied Mod Podge Matte with a large paintbrush to the area.  I cut the paper in sections, trying to match the design the best I could so that it would appear as seamless as possible.  I smoothed out any air bubbles using my hand this time. (A bit messy but it worked rather well , and luckily the bathroom sink was nearby so no permanent mess to deal with.)  I placed a fan in front of it to help it dry quicker.  I then used multiple coats of Mod Podge to seal it (about three full coats overall.)  Now it looks neater as the original surface, looked rough even when I had painted it.  I find it is safe to clean a Mod Podged surface with a damp cloth.  I have even used a Clorox wipe and it was fine!  Overall I am happy with how this turned out and I think it makes the area look neater and adds a little “pop”  I was imagining other surfaces this could be tried on.  Window sills instantly come to mind as well as the bathroom cabinet.  No surface is my house is safe from decoupage! ; 0 )

built is wall vanity before

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DIY Kitchen Sink Backsplash

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One day, my neighbor (gotta love him) offered me some free tiles.  He had just finished a project of his own and had extra tile he didn’t plan on using.  Of course I can never turn anything “free” down, so I happily accepted them and thanked him graciously.  Of course at the time, I had no idea what I was going to do with them.  I always wanted a kitchen backsplash, but I had never worked with tile before.  He had more faith I could do it than I had in myself.  He told me it was a relatively easy project to do.  My neighbor had suggested that I buy the adhesive and grout in one.  It worked out great and was simple to use.  The tiles my neighbor gifted to me were plain white.  I wanted to add more color, so I went to Home Depot, and purchased smaller blue mosaic tiles.  I laugh at this now, but I had no idea I could cut and glue and apply them on the mesh sheet they come on.  So, yes (are you ready to laugh at me and learn from my rookie mistake?)  I took every tile off and applied them individually!  This took forever and I wish I knew then what I knew now… It would have cut the project time in half!  It also would have been easier to measure and keep the tile from being applied crooked.  I had to fight to keep it straight.  You live and you learn!  I used a tiling trowel to spread out the grout adhesive.  I them applied the tiles.  I used the same mixture to grout the tiles and fill in the spaces in between.  Luckily, I didn’t need a tile cutter, which was a good thing, because I didn’t buy one!  Did it come out perfect? No, but it wasn’t terrible and gave me the confidence to try other things.  So I would say overall it was a success and cost under $50.00.

Since discovering Mod Podge I am thinking about decoupaging a few of the tiles to add more pop, but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet!  If I do, I will be sure and share.

Adding “Bling” to your outdoor table with glass marbles and tile

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One day I was sitting outside staring at our old patio table.  Like a lot of things in our home the table was rescued from the trash heap.  It was given to us when my mom moved from a house into an apartment.  It worked out great for us, because at the time all we had was a plastic patio table that had seen better days.  I would go to department stores and pine over all the elaborate outdoor furniture.  Fancy Fire pits, gazebo’s etc. OK so I am a bit of a dreamer, since there was no way I could afford any of it!  Of course that didn’t stop yours truly from stealing a good idea or two from my window shopping and making my own “shabby shiek” version.  I had some left over mosaic tiles so I thought I would add a little “bling” to the table’s edges.  If you are really an adventurous type, you could actually add the tiles to the whole table.  For the job I used a Grout and adhesive in one. There are varying opinions on the internet regarding the use of this product and whether it works as well as grout and adhesive do independently.   I find that it has worked well for the smaller tile projects I have  completed.  The table has been out in all weather conditions and I have not lost one tile so I find that the combo product has held up pretty well.  I used small mosaic tiles along with decorative glass marbles I purchased at  dollar tree.  I think this small change gave the table a lot more character.  Also, another money saving tip:  If you want to save money on a table umbrella, the beach umbrella’s work just as well and are $10-$20 (and even more in some cases) less than the actual table umbrella’s.

I may not be able to afford that fancy gazebo, but through some ingenuity I can have my own little backyard oasis at a discount!

Tiled outdoor table

Beach umbrella VS Table Umbrella save money!

Necessity, The Mother of Invention-using left over tile to create a counter top cutting board/hot plate

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They say necessity is the mother of invention.  When it comes to home improvement, sometimes you are forced to think outside the box, as was with the case of our burned kitchen counter top.  When we moved into our home about 7 years ago, our house was in need of some major TLC.  Up until that point the house was more like a college dorm than a family home.  The young man we purchased the home from had moved out to California, and he was letting his friends rent the home from him while he worked on selling it.  Needless to say, they did more damage while they were there, than good.  My husband and I were on a strict budget.  Most of the issues in the home were minor, but irritated us regardless.  One of those “annoyances” involved our kitchen counter top.  Their was a huge, highly visible burn mark right in the middle of the laminate counter top.  My husband and I could not afford to put in replacement counter tops, so for a while I simply used Velcro to fasten a small wooden cutting board to cover the ghastly burn mark, but I needed to come up with a more permanent solution.  My neighbor, god bless him, gave me some left over tile he had from a project he had just completed.  I used most of it for a  backsplash .  While putting up the back splash, I came up with a cost effective solution to our burned counter top problem.  I used the extra tiles to create a ceramic cutting board/ hot plate and matched it to the back splash.  I purchased a combination tile adhesive/grout which works great and is easy to use.  I took the tile and adhered them to the counter top using the adhesive and grout.  I then used the same adhesive and grout in one product  to seal over top and fill in the spaces between the tiles.  I used the smaller mosaic tiles to frame and add some color.  The result was something I could live with and it saved me hundreds of dollars in costs to have the counter top replaced.  I thought I would share this for those like us on a budget, but looking for inexpensive solutions to home improvement problems.  Almost 7 years later we still use the space as a hot plate and cutting board and replacing the counter tops became less of a priority on our to do list!

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