Decoupage

Old Timey Decoupage Lemonade Dispenser

Leave a comment

We have been in the middle of an extreme heat wave for the past week. temperatures have reached 100 degrees and over.  Most people search for ways to beat the heat, and this made me think about a cold beverage I love : Lemonade. There is also nothing sweeter then a child’s lemonade stand. Someday, I hope to help my daughter build and run a stand when she is old enough.

I had a glass beverage dispenser that was in great shape, but was a little plain.  I have seen these in thrift stores for only a few dollars.

Image

I searched the internet for vintage lemonade images.  When I found the images I wanted to use, I printed them out on my color printer.  I also found some great lemon slice clip art to decoupage on the back of the dispenser.

Image

I cut out the images, and I decided to use Outdoor Mod Podge for this project.  Since this is a beverage dispenser, I wanted to use Mod Podge that was more water proof on the outside for when the dispenser needs rinsing or when condensation occurs.  I used a brush to apply the Mod Podge and applied the images to the outside of the glass.  I applied the lemon slices to the glass double-sided so the image would appear on the inside of the glass.  Once dry, I applied 2 coats over the images to seal them to the glass.  Now I have a great piece with a more vintage feel.

Image

Image

Ugly Accent Table Upcycle-A Little Fabric Goes A Long Way!

5 Comments

We have all seen these tables at various discount stores.  Made from wood and particle board, They are functional as an accent table/side table, but that is probably the only positive selling point (other than price.)  I would call this piece of furniture an”entry level” piece for those just starting out.  A new table sells for about $9.99 at Bed Bath and Beyond I think it is amusing that they describe this table as “decorative” I see nothing decorative about it!

Round Wooden Table

I picked up one of these tables at Goodwill, priced nicely at $2.99.  This table was screaming for a makeover.  Since the table is plain un lacquered wood and particle board, no priming or sanding is needed before you get started, so it is also a great first furniture upcycle project that can be completed during the course of an evening.

Materials:

Round Wooden Table

Mod Podge Matte Finish

Fabric of choice

Black and White Acrylic Paint

Scissors and a black fine tipped marker

Table Top

This table comes apart easily which is a definite plus.  I unscrewed the legs and put them aside. I traced the table top on to the fabric with a black, fine tipped marker (the side without the design)   I generously applied the Mod Podge to the table surface and carefully applied the fabric to the table top allowing about an extra inch of fabric to fall over the sides of the table.  I applied more Mod Podge to the top of the fabric to seal it. I placed the table top aside and allowed to dry under a stand up fan. I then painted the legs white with acrylic paint.  I love adding the black paint to the bottom portion of the legs to add additional “color pop” which I love.  Once the paint was dry, I covered the entire table with another layer of Mod Podge to seal it.

Now that’s what I would call decorative!

Restyled Side Table made with cloth and Mod Podge

 

 

Before and After:

Cheap wooden accent table upcycle before and after

Think before you Toss: Upcycled Product Boxes

6 Comments

I have started to look at things differently.  Most of the change has been born out of necessity. People all over the world have been struggling to make ends meet more than ever before.   We are certainty included in this, and I have made it my mission from both an economical and environmental standpoint to think before I throw something out.  The questions I ask myself are:  Can I re-purpose this item and make it into something beautiful?  Can I use this item to better organize my home? Obviously, not everything can be saved and shouldn’t be.  No one wants to enter “hoarders territory.”  That being said, I have simply modified my way of thinking.  Why go out and spend money on storage items, when plenty of these items can be re-purposed from previously used boxes and storage bags?  That is the question I ask myself.  When I was cleaning out my closet, I came across the box that my tablet PC came in.  It was made from a heavy laminated cardboard, with a magnetic closure. A perfect little box to store items in, all it needed was a bit of decoupage to make it pretty. I had some left over scrap-book paper from Lively Computer Tablet Makeover that was fun and thought it would be great for this. Upcycled Boxes

Materials:

Box

Scrapbook paper

Mod Podge

Scissors

Black felt tip marker

Foam Craft Brush

First, Use a marker to trace all sides of the box on the scrapbook paper. Trace on the blank side.  Then cut them out with scissors.  Apply the Mod Podge to the sides and lid and carefully glue the paper to the box, smoothing out any air bubbles as you go.  Once dry, apply the Mod Podge to seal the outside of the box. Simple, Stylish, Money Saving, and one less piece of garbage in the landfill. A win, win in my book! Upcycled Product Boxes Great for keepsake storage Decoupage Product box

Image

So Happy Together! 1960’s Mod Style Coffee Table And Mini Toy Box.

2 Comments

So Happy Together! 1960's Mod Style Coffee Table And Mini Toy Box.

I spent most of the day today getting our daughters playroom together, running errands and trying to sort through a craft room that consists of more junk than crafts. I am hoping one day it will be pretty enough to share with you, but my guess is that is a bit farther into the future. Needless to say, I didn’t have much time to craft today, but I wanted to share this snap shot of my daughter’s playroom coffee table and toy box. I love how the bright fabric brings color and “pop” into our red family room. I have a new appreciation of fabrics and textiles and how much they can bring to a space.  The Coffee table surface is also holding up nicely and I use a baby wipe to clean it and it works great.

 

Repurposed Umbrella Holder Made With Fabric and Mod Podge

1 Comment

I’ll admit even with all the rain lately, I never seem to have an umbrella handy. It was pouring when I left work earlier this evening and if it weren’t for the generosity of a friend, I would have been completely soaked! So, it would seem silly, that I would buy an umbrella holder.  It was sitting there mixed in with the lamps at a local thrift store.  I was at first, drawn to the shape of the item. Not to mention the price: Only $2.99!

I thought it would make a great toy holder.  Anyone with a little one knows  you can never have too much storage for toys and books. I also jumped at the chance to use the mod fabric I had left over from The 1960’s inspired Coffee Table Makeover , Step Stool Restyle, and Whimsical Garden Pig. When I purchased the fabric at Goodwill, I had no idea these textiles were created by artist and designer Helen Trast.  In 2007 she designed “Fredrika” line for Ikea.  I was originally attracted to the bright colors and retro feel of the fabric.  It would also match the coffee table in our playroom/family room.

First, I turned the piece on its side and traced the sides the fabric with a black marker. I repeated this step for all four sides.

DSC_1039

I cut the material with scissors and set aside.  I planned on painting the inside, so I used a white latex primer to prepare the item for painting.  While that was drying, I applied Mod Podge with a foam brush to each side of the piece applying the fabric panels, and smoothing out any wrinkles with my hands.

Decoupage with Mod Podge

I then painted the inside of the piece with three coats of red acrylic paint.  Once the entire piece was dry, It was time for more  Mod Podge.  Three full coats of it over the inside and outside of the piece.  After it was finished, I used an X-Acto knife to slice off any strings or fabric overlaps on the edges.

I then applied some additional Mod Podge to the areas where I trimmed away the excess fabric.

Repurposed umbrella holder

I may not be able to fill this box with umbrella’s but I have plenty of toddler toys to keep it full!

Toy Holder

What is it? The 50 Cent Wooden Mini Pallet Makeover

1 Comment

Buy now ask questions later! The price was certainly right, only 50 cents, but what was this item and what was it’s original use?  It looked like a miniature pallet, but felt a little like a tray. Whatever it was didn’t really matter. I loved the fact that it was a fresh unstyled piece and I was determined to give it a new look. After searching the Goodwill shelves a bit more and leaving disappointed, I took a trip down the fabric aisle and found a nice old bed skirt with a triangular pattern that would be a perfect restyle fabric.

I gathered the materials I would need. Firstly, I traced the pallet slats onto the fabric with a black sharpie marker. I repeated this a total of 3 times once for each slat.  I then cut the fabric out with scissors.

Image

I applied the Mod Podge to each slat with a foam brush and glued down the fabric smoothing it out gently with my hand.  I used black acrylic to paint the non decoupaged areas. Once the piece was completely dry, I applied Mod Podge over the entire tray to seal it.  Not bad for 50 cents!

Before/After:

Image

Image

“Me Want Cookie!!!” Cookie Monster Decoupage Cookie Jar

Leave a comment

Family Proclamation: We really need a cookie jar!  Every time me or my husband open a bag of vanilla wafers for our little one, the bag rips and the box won’t stay closed. The cookies also don’t stay fresh for very long under these conditions.  Often times, I end up cramming all the cookies into one sandwich bag, not very attractive!  So, I just so happened to be in the thrift store last week, when I  came across a large glass jar with a lid for only $1.99!  This I thought to myself, would make a perfect cookie jar so into my cart it went.

As most of my readers already know my daughter is a HUGE Sesame Street fan.  Her favorite doll is her Ernie doll which she carries with her everywhere she goes and takes with her to bed at night. Her other favorites are Elmo and Cookie Monster.  It just seemed like a no brainer that a Cookie Monster/Sesame Street Cookie Jar was in order.  I printed out 5×7 Cookie Monster image from online, and for the sides of the jar I decided to recycle an old Sesame Street Birthday Party Decoration.

Materials:ImageImage

I cut out all of the images I wanted to decoupage to the jar.  The birthday decorations were a bit larger than needed so I carefully trimmed them up so they would fit. The great thing about using the birthday decorations you ask?  They are double-sided and reflected the same image on the inside of the  jar as well as the outside-Awesome.

Image

Next step was to  apply the Mod Podge with a medium-sized artist’s brush.  I carefully glued the images on the glass.  I did this slowly, smoothing out the paper with my hand as to capture as little air between the paper and the glass as possible. Once dry, I applied two coats of Mod Podge over each image to seal it permanently to the glass.

Now, we have a fun and decorative place to keep our cookies fresh without dealing with those frustrating bags!

Image

Image

The Secrets Out: John Waterhouse Decoupage Wooden Box Craft

2 Comments

I was in Michael’s Craft Store picking up some scrapbook paper, when I took a small detour down the wood craft aisle.  They had every shape and sized bird house, jewelry box, and  storage crates just to name a few.  Normally, I would just walk down the aisle and keep going,  but today I was intrigued by the idea of creating a craft from new previously un-used material. Besides, I had already looked through my home, been out thrifting, and  spent work lunches at Goodwill, and was unable to come across a simple wooden box to decoupage.  I thought one of these wooden boxes would be perfect for my friend’s birthday which was still a few month’s out, so I had plenty of time to make it in between making other crafts.

Art Minds Wooden Box

Wooden Box at Michael’s.com

My friend is a fan of the arts and I had been searching for the perfect painting to decoupage for her.  I came across the artwork of John Waterhouse  and saw a print entitled “My Sweet Rose”  It reminded me of my friend instantly when I saw it, and I thought she would love the image. I traced the box lid  on to the print with a pencil, cut it out and placed it to the side.  I used a foam brush to apply the Mod Podge to the box lid.  Once applied I glued the image to the box, carefully smoothing out any air bubbles or wrinkles.  I allowed the piece to dry.  Once dry I applied another coat of Mod Podge to the top of the photo, sealing the photo to the box.

I decided to stain the box instead of painting it.  I used a wood walnut stain, but any wood stain, finish or color would work. It really depends on personal taste.  I didn’t want the box to appear too dark so I only applied two coats total. I allowed the box dry. While drying I measured out the floral wrapping paper I wanted to use to line the inside.  I applied the wrapping paper with Mod Podge. The biggest challenge was keeping the wrapping paper from bubbling up.  I find wrapping paper the few times I have used it, doesn’t work well (Keep in mind it is thinner paper and purchased from the dollar store) The floral print ; However matched perfectly and I decided despite the challenges to use it in this project. Once the entire piece was dry I used another coat of Mod Podge to seal the entire box. I allowed the entire piece to dry under a fan overnight.

DSC_0813

DSC_0814

My friend’s birthday was July 4th, and she received the box in the mail and loved it.  John Waterhouse it turns out is one of her favorite artists, and she loved the keepsake quality of the box.

That also means, now that the secrets out I can share this craft with all of my internet friends.  I hope you enjoy!

Materials:

Used or new wooden box

Wood stain color of choice

Image/or images e to decoupage

wrapping paper (inside liner)

Craft foam brush

Scissors

Paint brush to apply stain

Wine Craft Wednesday: Upcycled Wine Bottle Garden Decorations

2 Comments

Image

There is nothing better than spending an evening decompressing after a long, hard day with a glass of wine.  Of course, even the occasional wine drinker is left to answer the question, “What do I do with all those empty wine bottles?” There are many great ideas out on the world-wide web for upcycling used bottles of all shapes and sizes.  Some of these projects call for “bottle cutting” and from what I have been reading online this is not always for the faint of heart. I wanted to do a wine bottle upcycle project that was simple and didn’t end with a trip to the Emergency Room.  I had decoupaged some bottles in the past, but I thought this time I would try something a little different.  I would attempt to make an outdoor garden marker using Outdoor Mod Podge and recycled gift bags.  First, I filled up a large pot with hot tap water.  I filled the wine bottles with hot water so they would submerse,  and placed them in the pot.  I let them sit for about and hour or until I could easily remove the wine labels.  While they dried I gathered the materials I needed.

Gift Bags

Scissors

Outdoor Mod Podge

Foam brush

I cut out the images I wanted to decoupage.  I turned the bottle upside down bottom of the bottle facing up.  I glued the images to the bottle using the Mod Podge and a foam brush.  I used my hands to smooth out the images and placed the  bottles under a stand up fan to dry.  Once dry, I applied 3 coats of Outdoor Mod Podge over the top of the image to seal. The instructions on the bottle of Outdoor Mod Podge say to let the piece dry indoors for about 72 hours.  An alternative use would be larger garden markers.  You could decoupage an image of a vegetable for example to label plants in the garden. The bottle neck acts as a stake to anchor the bottle into the ground.  Nowyou can kick back in the yard with that glass wine and admire your upcycle!

Image

Upcycled Wine Bottle Garden Markers

A Manic Monday: Rock N’ Roll Themed Candles made with Mod Podge

Leave a comment

Anyone who knows me well, knows one thing: “I don’t like Monday’s!”  It’s always tough saying goodbye to the weekend and I always seem especially sluggish coming off the weekend.  As much as I love bigger projects, sometimes it is fun, and refreshing to complete a smaller, simpler one.  This craft seemed a perfect one to share especially on a rainy Monday.

I love Rock and Roll and am a big fan of music in general.  My husband and I were sitting around on a Saturday night, Watching “That Metal Show on VH1 Classic” kicking around ideas for projects. I thought it would be cool to make Rock and Roll candles.  The dollar stores sell long white glass candles. They are perfect and literally any image can be put on them with a little Mod Podge. We chose Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy images and printed them out 5×7 on photo paper.  We cut them out and placed them aside.

I applied Mod Podge Matte onto the glass.  I centered the photo and glued the image down. slowly smoothing out any creases. Once dry, I applied 2 coats of Mod Podge with a medium brush over top of the image to seal it.  If Rock N Roll isn’t your thing.  Any image will work so let your mind run wild.  Family photos, scrapbook paper, sports images- Maybe Monday’s aren’t so bad  after all!

Materials:

candles

printed image of choice

scissors

Mod Podge Matte Finish

thick paint brush

Image

Image