Restyle

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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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

Checkbook Cover Revival: Fabric Scraps and Mod Podge

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Looking for an easy, fun project on a Sunday afternoon to do while you watch football?  I know I am! It has been a rough few days and I am hoping to relax on this lovely sunday and enjoy week one of the NFL games and cheer on our fantasy football team.  I have been on a small blogging hiatus, battling a nasty fall cold and continuing to go on with life as usual, work full-time, and as always, be a wife, and a mommy to a 2 year-old with an un-ending supply of energy.

It was my toddler apprentice who gave me the idea for today’s project.  My daughter was with me in our craft room the other day exploring as usual. She found some great scrap fabric to play with.  It made me think about ways I might be able to utilize these smaller fabric pieces, and then it hit me!  I had a tan checkbook cover that was in need of a revival.

I gathered what I would need:

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Mod Podge

Scrap Fabric

Paint Brush

Black Marker

Scissors

First, I opened the check book cover, laid it out flat and traced it onto the fabric with the black marker.  I cut the tracing, with a pair of scissors and placed aside.  I applied Mod Podge to the outside of the check book cover, generously with a paint brush.

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I carefully applied the fabric to the checkbook smoothing it out with my hands.

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I applied Mod Podge over the fabric and placed the checkbook in front of a fan to dry.

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I repeated this process three more times, which left a nice,  smooth finish on the cover.  I decided to leave the inside as is.  I didn’t want the paper checks to “stick” to the inside cover.  Mod Podge is attracted to paper. (as it should be!)

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What a great way to use fabric scraps and add a little life to your checkbook!

The Broken Chair Challenge Part 2: Chair Back Photo Frame

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It all started when I purchased a lovely (but very abused) chair from Goodwill for $3.99.  I loved the design qualities of this chair and thought it would make a lovely restyle. I especially loved the is.  Which means “ Lily flower” in French.  I removed the chair seat, only to discover it broken beyond repair. I was not willing to let this chair go, and  I was determined to find a replacement seat.  My husband and I kept our eyes open for any broken chairs on the side of the road that we could use to salvage a seat.

For months, this chair sat and I resisted the temptation of buying a chair to salvage.  Then one day, my patience paid off.  My sister and I went thrift shopping one weekend and in front of the store they had free furniture.  I was ecstatic!  Their it was the perfect candidate, a chair missing the arms, but with a perfectly usable seat.  I confirmed with the store manager that this chair was indeed “free” and loaded it into the car with the biggest smile planted on my face. I immediately removed the seat when I got the chair home and it was a perfect fit.

Upcycled Black and White Damask Chair

To read more about this project see The Broken Chair Challenge: Upcycled Black and White Damask Chair.

Now, I was left with the remnants of another chair, and did not want the all the parts of this chair to end up in the trash.  It had a lovely seat back, and I had seen some lovely upcycling of chair backs into picture frames on Pinterest. I decided to give it a try.  One great example of this can be found at All Things Thrifty.com

Old Chair Back

The finish on this was extremely worn. If it had not been in such poor shape, I don’t think I would have opted to paint it. By far,  the most difficult and challenging aspect of this project was sawing the legs off the chair back.  I used a hacksaw, but it was quite tough to do!  An electric or battery operated hand saw would have worked better, but on the bright side it was at least a 500 calorie burner! Rarely can you say you burn calories crafting!  Once this was completed, I sanded the area that was cut.  I took the chair back outside and spray painted it black, using about two coats.  I allowed the piece to dry overnight.

The next day, I chose a large photo from one of my daughter’s previous Picture People photo sessions.  I measured the area and trimmed the photograph to sit inside the middle of the chair back.  I used a hot glue gun to adhere the photo to the wood.  I had a few craft jewels and roses that I added to the chair back to make it “pop”  I originally glued a large rose to the bottom of the chair back, but decided to remove it later as you will see in the photos below.  One of the smaller roses, I carefully glued to her hand in the photo, It creates an illusion that she is actually holding a rose in the photo.  I think it gives the photo a bit of an extra dimension.  A nice little “touch” to the project.

Hand Holding Rose

I decided to hang this in our bedroom which is black, white with grey wall.  It was very difficult to snap an adequate photo as the flash kept reflecting off the shiny surface , but it is lovely and I am so glad I tried this!

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Think of all the possibilities before you toss that old chair!

Materials:

Hot Glue Gun

Spray Paint (If you choose to paint)

Old Chair Back

Scissors

Saw (If needed)

Screw driver (if needed)

Sandpaper

An old chair back re-purposed into a Picture frame

A Gift For Mom: Decoupage Sports Team Hand Painted Wooden Tray

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My Mom is a big New York Yankees fan and I wanted to make her something special for her birthday.  I was in Goodwill this past week and came across an unfinished wooden craft tray.  Someone had started to paint the tray, and I could see a pencil outline of a man and a woman in a boat.  Obviously, it was a craft that was started with good intention and never finished.  In my haste to begin this project, I didn’t take a before picture.  There are many wooden trays available at Thrift shops and craft stores.  For an example of this, click here.

The tray was unfinished for the most part and ready to paint. I painted over the previous pencil tracing and paint with a bit of white latex primer before getting started.   I printed the Yankee logo I wanted to use on my printer.  I traced this on to the middle of the tray’s surface.  I wanted to avoid painting this portion of the tray so that the color would not bleed through the print when I was ready to decoupage it on.

I painted the tray’s inside red, and the rest in Yankee’s Royal Blue. I placed it aside and I allowed it to dry in front of a stand up fan.  I then applied Mod Podge to the unpainted area with a foam craft brush in the middle of the tray.  I very carefully applied the print logo to the tray, smoothing out any air bubbles or wrinkles with my hands.  While I allowed this to dry, I touched up any painted areas that needed it. Once completely dry, I sealed the entire piece with Mod Podge.  My Mom loved it and we had lunch yesterday to celebrate her day!  Happy Birthday Mom!

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Materials:

Unfinished Wooden Tray

Acrylic Paint

Mod Podge

Print/Decal

Scissors/foam craft brush

White latex primer (optional)

Life Lessons Learned: Freebies, Coupons, and One Journal Makeover

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While I was pregnant with my daughter, I started a habit of “gathering” and searching for free samples and coupons online. Becoming a mom for the first time,  I was in full on thrift mode. There are many of these sites online and many of them make you jump through hoops and often times do not deliver on there promises.  One of the best sites I came across and still follow today is Sample Stuff.Com.  It takes the best offers on the web and shares them with you first, so you have the best chance at getting free samples, coupons and sweepstakes.  They also post updates when items are no longer available.  I have gotten dozens of free items including yearly magazine subscriptions to Rolling Stone, Town and Country, Family Circle, and Better Homes and Gardens, just to name a few! So why am I sharing this?  It ties into this upcycle, a freebie I picked up from Oprah (yes, I said Oprah)

A while back, Oprah was  giving out free Journals to go with an upcoming “Lifeclass” a self-enrichment course that required keeping a journal.  I had heard of this promotion through the Sample Stuff Site.  I actually was interested in taking the class, but then life got in the way of Lifeclass, (Ironic I know) and there sat an empty journal.  The journal was nicely made with a strap and built-in book mark ribbon.  I have wanted to carry a journal and write for sometime, and this would be perfect; However a restyle was in order…

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Inside the cover and front page

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I picked out some nicely patterned scrapbook paper and gathered the materials needed:

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I traced the front and back covers.  I decided to leave the book spine free of paper. I cut out the tracings and placed them aside.  I applied Mod Podge with a foam craft brush to the front cover and gently applied the cut scrapbook paper smoothing it out with my hands.  I then repeated the same for the back cover.  I cut a small piece to cover the inside cover and carefully and neatly removed the 1st page.

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Once the outside of the book was dry, I applied Mod Podge to the covers to add some durability when taking this journal on the go.  Now I have a great recycled life journal to take with me and the best part was.. it was free!

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Tangled No More: Upcycled Wooden Shaker Peg Rack

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I have a confession.  I am horrible when it comes to keeping my jewelry together and organized. I am always losing earrings,  and I constantly tangle my necklaces together.  When I picked up this Shaker Peg Rack at a thrift shop, I planned on using it to hang “crafty”things in my crafting area. I decided against it when I realized it was more urgently needed in our bedroom for jewelry.    I reached my breaking point this weekend, when I went to change my necklace only to discover a tangled mess!

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I decided I would use the fabric featured on Upcycled Spaghetti Jar Lamp.  I tried removing the pegs, but needed some of the hubby’s strength to remove them. He was able to loosen them and I was able to finally pop them out. My plan was to glue the pegs back on later. After pulling them out, they still fit snuggly which was great.  Removing the pegs would make it easier when covering the rack with fabric, and it would appear seamless.   I traced the rack surface onto the fabric with a black marker.

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I cut the fabric outline with a pair of scissors.  I placed the fabric aside.  I applied Mod Podge to the wooden rack with a foam craft brush, I carefully applied the cut fabric to the wooden surface smoothing it out on the surface with my hands.  I marked off the spot on the fabric, where the peg holes were.  This way, when dry I could pierce the holes with a scissor tip without making the fabric shift and move. I placed this piece aside to dry and painted the pegs with black acrylic paint.  I painted any areas not covered with fabric black.  Once the paint was completely dry, I covered all the painted and fabric covered areas with another layer of Mod Podge, and glued the wooden pegs back into the holes.  I used two long black screws to mount the jewelry holder to the wall.

This fabric and style looks great in our grey/neutral bedroom. You can use any fabric or color scheme you like and unfinished Shaker Peg Racks can easily be picked up at yard sales and thrift shops for a couple bucks. The perfect upcycle!

Upcycled Shaker Peg Rack Made with fabric, Paint and Mod Podge

Decoupage To The Rescue! Lost Basement Table Gets A Makeover

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Last stop before curbside in our house has always been the basement.  This poor glass table had been banished to the basement for seven years, the entire time we have lived in our house!  It was pushed in a corner and with flower pots and miscellaneous basement junk stacked on top of it and covered in spider webs. My husband and I try to keep the basement clean, and clutter free, but it is not always easy.  As much as we dislike our basement’s dampness, cement walls and floors, the spiders seem to love it! That’s good because they help control the other bugs crawling around down there! yuck!  If any item deserved a little TLC, and a makeover it was this table! I cleaned it in our utility sink and brought it upstairs.  The glass was easily removable, and the table cleaned up nicely.

Basement Rolling Glass Table Rescue

I laid out the fabric,  I was using on the floor and traced the glass on to the back of the fabric with a fine tipped marker.  I cut the tracings with scissors, and set the fabric aside. It is amazing that a pair of curtains bought at Goodwill, and originally sold by Ikea has been used in 5 previous projects on this blog! These curtains were a great buy and I still have scrap pieces left.  When I started doing this, I was shocked at the high cost of fabric. I always make sure I take a walk by the linens aisle at the thrift stores. Old bed sheets and curtains are great for  furniture re-styles because of their durability and come in great patterns.  You can still purchase this fabric called “Fredrika” through Ikea here.  I love it! For me, Even though it is modern made, it has a 60’s flower power appeal, and I love the colorful textiles from that era.

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I generously applied the Mod Podge, with a paint brush to the outside of the glass.

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Then, I carefully applied the fabric to the glass, smoothing it out with my hands.  I repeated this three times once for each piece of glass.  I allowed the pieces to dry in front of a fan. Once dry,  I applied Mod Podge over the top of the fabric to coat the surface.  I applied 3 coats to each table top.

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Ta da! The colorful fabric turned a dirty and dusty table bound for the junkyard, into a colorful, and fun piece!  A true basement rescue!

Upcycled Rolling Glass Table Restyled with Ikea Fabric

Upcycled Decorative Jar Lamp: Take Three

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Upcycled Decorative Jar Lamp

 

It all started with a spaghetti Jar, a broken lamp and a upcycle idea.  I found myself making a third decorative fabric covered glass jar lamp tonight.  (See Decorative Lamp # 1 and #2 to read tutorials on how I make these jar lamps.) I enjoy making these because each one turns out unique and the style possibilities are endless when it comes to the different fabrics you can use.

I also had the chance to work on a few smaller projects and organizing my craft space.  I decided to use the same sheet  I used for Cloth Covered Galvanized Bucket.  The Lamp is being displayed in a built-in vanity in our hallway that displays a special family blue vase.  The light this lamp omits illuminates the vase nicely and it is pleasing to the eye as you walk up our stairs.  Upon further inspection today, on a trip up to our attic, I stumbled across more of these “nightlight bulb lights”  These certainly will come in handy for future luminary crafts!

Upcycled Decorative Jar Lamp Reflection

 

 

Fabulous Fabric: Little White Wall Shelf Restyle

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Old white flip shelf

While I was going through our spare bedroom and it’s contents in the attempt to make way for a crafting space, I discovered this little, white, framed wall shelf.  I remember purchasing this from a department store many years ago.  It came in a set of three and the frames where various sizes.  I used this shelf in our bathroom for quite sometime.  This shelf was the largest among them.  I did not find the two other, smaller shelves, and I  was unsure of their whereabouts.  I am hoping I come across them again.

Although these frames functioned well, I thought they lacked style  and were rather plain.  That is when I got an idea.  I decided to upholstery staple some fabric to the back of the shelf frame.  I spread a large piece of this spare fabric snuggly over the back of the shelf with the design facing outward,  I stapled the fabric to the wooden shelf about every inch around,  I then trimmed the fabric with a pair of scissors.

upholstery stapler

When I turned the shelf around I noticed a few scratches and minor chips on the shelf area.  In order to conceal this, I used black acrylic paint and applied two coats allowing the paint to dry between coats.  Once the paint was completely dry, I applied a coat of Mod Podge to seal the paint and prevent any further chipping.

Shelf restyle, paint fabric and Mod Podge

Now that is more like it!  I love the difference the fabric makes in this piece.

Fabric and Mod Podge Shelf

I decided to display our Willow Tree figurine we were given as a gift when our daughter was born.  It hangs below our family photo canvas and I think it fits in nicely!

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Materials:

Framed Wall Shelf

Fabric of choice

Acrylic Paint

Mod Podge

Scissors

Upholstery Stapler