The Shirt That Didn’t Fit: Clothing Repurpose

March 14, 2016ontheupcyclemom 4 Comments

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.

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:

After:

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.

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

A Blizzard of Ideas: Basket Makeover

January 26, 2016ontheupcyclemom 8 Comments

Getting snowed in has its privileges. The family and I had a great weekend, despite being completely snowed in, during the East Coast blizzard of 2016. When mother nature gives you lemons, what else can you do but make some lemonade? It was a perfect time for cooking, baking, and crafting, and the toddler apprentice and I did just that!

I picked up a lovely wooden basket at Goodwill about two weeks ago. When I made my purchase, I was unsure on what I was going to do with it. Some items I pick up are best left alone, while others benefit from a bit of “sprucing up.”

I decided to find a middle ground. The lid needed quite a bit of TLC, but the inter woven wood on the basket looked great, so I did not want to alter this part in anyway, only try and compliment it.

I decided to decoupage the lid, and accent the handles with black paint. I struggled a bit with choosing a fabric that I thought would go well with the caramel colored wood. I finally decided on a swatch of fabric that I purchased some time ago at a thrift shop. It had earthy tones that I felt would mesh well with the original design elements on the basket.

I turned the basket upside down and used a black, fine tipped market to trace the lid on to the back of the fabric. I then cut fabric tracing out with a pair of scissors. I painted the lid with white paint. Once dry, I generously applied the Mod Podge to the lid surface with a paint brush. I applied the fabric, and smoothed it out with both hands. This helps minimize wrinkles and air bubbles. Once dry, I applied three more layers of Mod Podge on the top of the piece, and allowed it to dry between coats.

Once the lid was dry, I lightly sanded the areas I planned on painting.

I took a narrow bristled paint brush and painted the handles, and some of the detailing with black acrylic paint. I applied three coats of paint total. Once the paint was dry, I applied a layer of Mod Podge to the painted areas to seal it.

In the winter, this basket will be a perfect place to store hats, scarves and gloves, and in summer it will be the perfect picinic basket or an accent piece with storage.

Materials:

Wooden Basket

White and Black Acrylic Paint

Mod Podge

Fabric of choice

Scissors/Sharpie marker/Paint Brushes (various)

The Opposite Of Spring: Halloween And The Day Of The Dead- My Fascination With Sugar Skulls

October 21, 2015ontheupcyclemom 4 Comments

Autumn has always been one of my favorite times of year. Although you may not agree, In my world everything tastes better when mixed with pumpkin. There is nothing more refreshing than a cool breeze after months of summer heat and most of all it is host to one of my favorite holidays: Halloween. As much as I hate to admit it I have a macabre side. (Many of us do or holidays like Halloween wouldn’t exist) Halloween hosts many ghouls and goblins and makes fantasy come to life for a day. It’s a fun time but an even more interesting cultural tradition that coincides with Halloween is The Day of The Dead. For those of you who may not be familiar it is a Mexican Holiday celebrated all across the world. It was originally celebrated in Summer but was moved to Autumn in more modern times and coincides with the Roman Catholic triduum festival of Allhallowtide: All Saints’ Eve, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day. A three-day celebration beginning on October 31st, It is celebrated as a tribute to departed souls and to show respect and remembrance for deceased family and loved ones. According to Frances Ann Day, Latina and Latino Voices in Literature author

” On October 31, All Hallows Eve, the children make a children’s altar to invite the angelitos (spirits of dead children) to come back for a visit. November 1 is All Saints Day, and the adult spirits will come to visit. November 2 is All Souls Day, when families go to the cemetery to decorate the graves and tombs of their relatives. The three-day fiesta filled with marigolds, the flowers of the dead; muertos (the bread of the dead); sugar skulls; cardboard skeletons; tissue paper decorations; fruit and nuts; incense, and other traditional foods and decorations”

Representations of Catrina, one of the most popular figures of the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico

© Tomas Castelazo,www.tomascastelazo.com / Wikimedia Commons

One such decoration placed on these alters are called Sugar Skulls. I have always been fascinated with the sugar skull image. Each are unique much like the soul itself. An image of a skull adorned with colorful flowers and hypnotic eyes instantly fascinated me.

In the spirit of Fall and the Halloween/Day Of The Dead tradition. Here are three fun sugar skull decoupage projects:

Sugar Skull Mini jewelry Tray

I picked up this miniature wood jewelry tray (unfinished ) at AC Moore. I hand painted the piece with acrylics and matched the primary color to the greenish-blue color on the print. (yellow, pink or black would work also) It looks great for Halloween or keep it out all year-long on your dresser. Great for holding various jewelry, rings or change. Cut print to size, apply Mod Podge and then the print. Carefully smooth out with your hands. Once dry seal with a few layers of Mod Podge allowing to dry between coats.

Day Of The Dead Miniature Wooden Suitcase Trinket Box

This adorable wooden mini suitcase also purchased unfinished at AC Moore follows the same decoupage process as above. I used the suitcase to trace the image on both sides of the piece to assure it was cut to proper size and shape. Hand painted inside and out, this would sit beautifully on a day of the dead alter filled with flowers or trinkets. The bright color captures the spirit of both Halloween and The Day Of The Dead.

Sugar Skulls Light Switch Cover

I am a firm believer in the fun a decorated light switch cover can bring to a room. I like to think of them as “little canvases” It can be fun switching them to reflect the holidays as well. Decoupage light switch covers are both easy and fun to create. First ,you trace the cover with a pencil, including the area that the switch passes through.(You can use prints, scrapbook paper, napkins, old gift bags just to name a few) Using an X-Acto knife carefully follow the tracing. Apply Mod Podge to the plain light switch cover carefully smooth out the image you want to use. Apply multiple layers of mod Podge and allow to dry thoroughly between layers.

Decorative, and full of color Sugar Skulls are full of life certainly Ironic considering it is a celebration of the dead.

Stay Safe and Have a Happy Halloween!

Where is Summer? The Birds Are Angry: Decoupage Kids Craft Bird House

June 2, 2015ontheupcyclemom 10 Comments

It hasn’t felt much like summer over here. The pool is up, the flowers are planted and beginning to blossom, but it is 52 degrees and the rain is cold! I am left to ponder the question, where is summer?

The good news: Rainy days are a great time for kids crafts. All the more reason to plan a project the toddler apprentice and I could accomplish together. The little one loves to watch The Disney Collector on You Tube. The DC Collector has become a bit of an internet phenomenon among the five and under crowd, and my daughter is no exception. She enjoys watching those carefully manicured hands opening and revealing various toys and treasures. It was while watching these videos my daughter discovered her love of Angry Birds. The birds must be angry that the weather has not been cooperating! They could sure use a house I thought to myself!

I also thought decorating a bird house would be fun project to do together. I purchased an unfinished, wooden bird house at Joann Fabric. They were on sale for .99 cents.

I then went online and downloaded some Angry Bird images. You can use character stickers if a printer is not available.

I cut the images out with a pair of scissors and placed them aside.

We painted the bird house together using red and blue acrylic paint. It required two coats. We then placed the painted bird house aside to dry.

Once it was dry, I used Outdoor Mod Podge to apply the images to the bird house. I then added a layer of Mod Podge over top of the image. Although Outdoor Mod Podge provides added protection from the elements, if left out it will eventually weather. I added a coat of polyurethane to provide additional protection and prolong the life of the bird house.

Once the bird house was dry we used a “C” Shaped hook like this one to hang it. Lets hope that now that our little backyard friends have a place to call home, they won’t be such “Angry” little birds anymore….

Materials Needed:

Unfinished Wooden Bird House

Angry Birds, images or stickers

Outdoor Mod Podge

Red and Blue Acrylic Paint

Clear Polyurethane (optional)

Paint Brushes/Scissors

C Shaped Hook (For Hanging)

Hot Summer Nights: Paradise By The Back Porch Light

May 26, 2015ontheupcyclemom 2 Comments

This past memorial day weekend, my husband and I were determined to get the yard ready for summer. My daughter received an Easy Set Intex Pool from her Uncle and Aunt for Christmas and we could not wait to get the pool setup and operational. My daughter’s 4^th birthday this year will have a pool party theme, and the date for the party is quickly approaching. My husband and I leveled out the ground in the area the pool would be placed. We laid down a tarp and spread the pool out. These inflatable Easy Set’s are great starter pools, and in our case the simpler the better since this is our first attempt at putting up a pool.

We inflated the ring with a pump, and from the inside smoothed out the lining. It took all day to fill. The next day, we hooked up the filter, placed chlorine tabs in the floater, and assembled the ladder. The water was very cold, so I hopped in to the pool for a test run. For the most part everything went great and the set up was easy. I was disappointed to find some parts in the lining that were not as smooth as we had wanted. I can’t stress enough the importance of making sure the ground is clear of any debris and level. Even after all our careful work, what seemed smooth at the surface was not always the case. Once the weight of the water pressed the ground flat, some rocks and roots underground seemed to appear out of nowhere through the lining. That being said the only way to remedy this would be to drain the pool and remove the debris from the area to smooth it out. Until it is necessary to do so, we are going to take our chances. I would feel guilty wasting all that water! Luckily the pool came with plenty of patches if needed.

We purchased a few fun summer signs from Dollar Tree and lined the fence with them for added decoration.

I also accomplished a few smaller projects. I had a decorative metal star that I picked up at Christmas Tree Shop. It was on clearance and I was never happy with the tan color. I surmised that this was most likely the reason why it was on clearance.

Since it was Memorial day and the house was decorated in Americana….

I had some extra Rust-Oleum red spray paint, and I sprayed on a quick coat. I like the star better now that it is red and I purchased it for half the price!

The other area I wanted to address was the corner of the yard by the pool. There is a rather large tree stump in this area. Some time ago, I blogged about ideas here.

I struggled with what to do with this stump for some time. This weekend that changed. I decided to make it a fun project for my daughter and I to do together. I had an old broken wooden TV tray. I removed the table top from the legs and screwed it on to the tree stump surface. My neighbor had given me some decorative, shells, glass pebbles and decorative rock. I thought it would be fun for us to create a mosaic table top for it. I used some old tile grout and glue in one and spread it onto the table surface evenly. The toddler apprentice and I then applied the rocks and glass pebbles. We wiped off any excess grout and allowed it to dry overnight. I used the unused legs of the TV tray as a garden trellis, another great re-purpose! My goal was to use as much of the table as possible. Mission accomplished!

I placed the shells around for decoration. Now Mommy has a place to put “her” sippy cup and relax by the pool, while my daughter has fun exploring and playing with the various sea shells.

Since this spring has been a bit sparse in the rain department, our grass took a hit and much of it died. Once all the yard work was done, we raked the yard and spread out grass seed in the hopes of bringing our lawn back to life! Once the grass grows under our feet, our little backyard oasis will be complete!

What do you have planned for your backyard oasis? Do you have any summer projects you are eager to complete? How do you like to kick off summer?

Crazy for Corduroy: Girls Flower Power Decoupage Side Table

April 28, 2015ontheupcyclemom 4 Comments

It has been a very hectic week in the “On The Upcycle” household. I have been working late into the night to prepare for my first flea market this Saturday. I am happy to report, that my crafting area is looking more like a usable work space, and less like a storage closet! My hope is clearing out some older items will make way for new projects.

I have also been working on a few projects specifically to use in the sale. I picked up this nice, wooden side table at Goodwill for a couple of dollars.

The original idea, was to use a black and white scarf I had for the decoupage and then paint the table with neutral colors. It is amazing how quickly a plan can change! I used a white, spray on primer to prepare the table. I applied the scarf and instantly was not all that impressed with the result. Scarves can be tricky because the fabric is very thin, and once it is glued to the table top, it has a tendency to show any imperfections on the wood underneath. That is exactly what happened in this case. Once the Mod Podge was dry, I removed the fabric and decided to start over. Then it hit me: I had this great flower power corduroy fabric from an old dress that looked very cute on my daughter but no longer fit her. I saved it in the hopes that I would find a use for it someday. That time was now!

I cut the fabric and measured out a large enough piece to cover the top of the table. I applied a generous amount of Mod Podge to the table surface. The general rule is the thicker the material the more Mod Podge you will need to use to achieve the desired effect.

Once the glue was dry, I hand painted the table with pink, purple and white acrylic paint. This was turning out to be a much different table then I had originally anticipated. After a few more coats of paint, I added generous amounts of Mod Podge to the table top to seal the fabric. I repeated this process three times allowing it to dry between coats. I also applied Mod Podge to the painted surfaces, to seal the entire piece.

Once dry, I trimmed off the excess fabric on the edges and applied more Mod Podge to seal those edges.

This is a side table with a lot of flower power and 1960’s appeal. I am hoping this table makes some little girl very happy! It will be just one of the items for sale this weekend. I also loved working with corduroy! Because of the thickness of the fabric, I was unsure as to how it would turn out and was more than pleased with the end result!

Before:

After:

Materials Used:

Old kids Garment

Mod Podge

Spray or brush on white primer

Acrylic Paint

Paint Brushes (Various sizes)

Scissors and Box Cutter knife (to trim edges)

Two Years, One Sale- On The Upcycle

April 22, 2015ontheupcyclemom 10 Comments

This April 27th 2015 marks the two-year anniversary of this blog and my creative mission to reuse, re-purpose and restyle.

For me, Upcycling is all about having fun and being creative with items that would otherwise be discarded. The biggest challenge for me has been the writing. I love to craft, but I struggle with writer’s block from time to time. The ideas for projects often come but the words to adequately describe them do not. Although I am not blogging with quite the same frequency as I once was, I am still happy that I was able to continue and complete a few larger and more challenging projects this past year, like my Lane Cedar Hope Chest. After two years of creating I am inevitably left with too many items and not enough room to keep them all. I was excited to hear that my daughter’s school is sponsoring a flea market in early May. This seemed like a great oppurtunity to have my first “flea market experience.” I have never tried to sell my projects before, so this is a huge first step for me. What better way to re-energize and make room for new projects?

It’s spring cleaning time for On The Upcycle. That being said, it’s also a fun time to squeeze in a few smaller projects in the days leading up to the sale.

I love wooden boxes and picked this one up for 99 cents at Goodwill. I didn’t care for the boxes original design, but the box itself was in great shape.

I used a spray on white primer to properly cover the previous design on the box.

I had a nice celestial print. I have been in a colorful mood lately and wanted to utilize a design with a lot of color

I applied Mod Podge with a brush, and placed the print on the box top and front.

I painted the box blue and pink to match colors contained within the print

This whimsical celestial themed box is one of the items crafted specifically for the sale.

Here are a few photo’s of previous projects I have agreed to part with for the upcoming sale:

Peacock Table

Star Wars Kid Chair:

Strawberry Shortcake Kids Chair:

Kids School Desk:

Happy Earth day to all of my friends!! How are you celebrating today? Do any of you have experience with Flea Market sales? I would love to hear from you! Any tricks of the trade or friendly advice?

Fabulous Frida: Dollar Store Decoupage

February 6, 2015ontheupcyclemom 5 Comments

Beauty can present itself in many forms. That is why I find the works of Frida Kahlo so intriguing. The subject matter of her paintings are often grotesque and painful, but one can’t help being drawn to it. Despite the many adversities life had to offer her, Kahlo never let it defeat her. She was a modern woman, ahead of her time, and created artwork that remains relevant today. Born in Mexico City around the start of the Mexican revolution, At age 6 she contracted Polio which caused her to walk with a limp. As a young women, she was involved in a nearly fatal bus accident that left her with severe lifelong and painful injuries including her inability to carry a child. Her heart was broken and this was reflected in many of her paintings, most of which were self portraits.

Frida Kahlo pictured below with her partner and muse, painter Diego Rivera in 1932.

My sister is also a fan of Frida. She recently had a surgery that would take some time and perseverance to recover from. I wanted to make her something special to lift her spirits and inspire her while she was convalescing. I thought something with a Frida Kahlo theme could do just that. I had a small wooden box that was far from special, but would be perfect to store her medications in.

First, I cleaned the box thoroughly removing dust and dirt that accumulated during storage. I printed out a 4×6 Frida print, and applied Mod Podge to the box with a paint brush. I then carefully applied the print to the box.

I used black and golden rod acrylic paint to finish off the box redesign. Once the box dried, I used Mod Podge to seal the project.

Make your own art inspired box Dollar Store Craft

Imagine the possibilities!

Materials:

Mod Podge

Print of choice for decoupage

Acrylic Paint

Scissors and paint brushes

Feeling the Frida Frenzy? Check out these other On the Upcycle Frida Kahlo inspired projects

A Pre-Christmas Miracle: Altered Upcycling’s Holiday Giveaway!

November 13, 2014ontheupcyclemom 6 Comments

I couldn’t wait to share the news with all of you! The very talented Mahe Zehra Husain (MZ) from Altered Upcycling fame is at it again! This year she is organizing the biggest holiday giveaway EVER! From the 15th of November to the 25th of December. Altered Upcycling is giving away different e-books and products weekly. All you have to do is visit: http://www.alteredupcycling.com/christmas-giveaway join Altered Upcycling’s Facebook Page and sign up on the right to have the links sent to your inbox. It’s that simple!

The Green Craft Lifestyle Christmas Addition available November 15th through the 21st of November features an “On The Upcycle” Project Pickled Lamp: “On The Upcycle” Christmas Craft

Other Freebies include:

ALICE IN WONDERLAND DIGITAL DIORAMA KIT
THE MIXED MEDIA COOKBOOK
PAPER DOLL BONANZA
PLANNERS

Be sure and check it out! I can’t think of a better way to treat yourself for the holidays!

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Decoupage College Football Chair

October 15, 2014ontheupcyclemom 2 Comments

This Saturday, two impressive college football teams will square off in what proves to be an epic battle. # 2 Florida State is favored over the 6-0 5th ranked Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are clear underdogs in this matchup, and the history behind these two teams and prior matchups, seem to support this fact. Looking for the upset, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly will surly be put to the test. They will need to play their best football yet. They will need to…..

My husband grew up watching Notre Dame and rooting for the Irish along with his father. Like many teams Notre Dame has had its share of ups and downs through the years, but despite this my father in law’s love for his Irish never waned. Every game win or lose.. it didn’t matter, It was a celebration. It was Notre Dame Saturday! If you root for and follow a team you know that it becomes a part of your life and present during many important memories. My husband and I often think of our father fondly, and though he passed many years ago, Watching the games and following his favorite team brings us closer to him. I wanted to make my husband a special gift, and it never seemed like a better time than for one of their biggest games. I picked up a lovely solid maple ladder back chair at Goodwill that had seen better days. It was priced under five dollars, and I was drawn to its design immediately. The chair has a stamp from a furniture company under the seat: Louis Albert and Company, Philadelphia PA.

It seemed the perfect project chair, and with that the Fighting Irish Notre Dame chair, was born. If you have followed my blog, you know I have a special place in my crafty heart for chairs. I am drawn to functional pieces of art and to me a chair embodies both these elements nicely. I printed out the college decal of choice on my printer. I then cleaned and prepped the chair with a white spray on primer.

I applied Mod Podge to the seat with a foam craft brush. I then added the print, gently smoothing out any air bubbles with my hands.

I added a thin layer of Mod Podge over the top of the print to seal it. Once dry, I began the lengthy process of painting the chair. I used the team colors, gold, blue and green for the color scheme. It took several coats to obtain proper coverage. I carefully painted the area around the image, and although time-consuming, it made the image appear to flow with the seat. Because of the small areas, I decided to paint rather than to cut the image out. Adding Mod Podge before painting the paper prevented damage and curling. Two coats of Mod Podge over the painted area, properly sealed it. I decided to give the feet of the chair some character by adding the gold dipped legs. Once the paint was dry over the span of about two nights, I covered the entire chair in Mod Podge to seal the acrylic paint.

Now my husband has a special chair to sit upon and watch the game this weekend. Another Notre Dame Saturday of family memories with our own daughter, and a Fighting Irish college football chair to enjoy for many years and games to come!

Before and After:

Not a fan of the Irish? Make your own college football chair:

Materials:

Decal or Team Print Of Choice

Old Wooden Chair

White Spray On Primer

Mod Podge

Acrylic Paint (Team Colors of Choice)

Craft Brush, Paint Brushes

Scissors

On The Upcycle~

Reuse, Repurpose, Restyle

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DIY

The Shirt That Didn’t Fit: Clothing Repurpose

A Blizzard of Ideas: Basket Makeover

The Opposite Of Spring: Halloween And The Day Of The Dead- My Fascination With Sugar Skulls

Where is Summer? The Birds Are Angry: Decoupage Kids Craft Bird House

Hot Summer Nights: Paradise By The Back Porch Light

Crazy for Corduroy: Girls Flower Power Decoupage Side Table

Two Years, One Sale- On The Upcycle

Fabulous Frida: Dollar Store Decoupage

A Pre-Christmas Miracle: Altered Upcycling’s Holiday Giveaway!

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Decoupage College Football Chair

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