Pack my Bags! Fun and Easy Decoupage Vintage Suitcases

June 8, 2014ontheupcyclemom 14 Comments

When shopping in thrift stores, I am always on the lookout for certain items on my personal wish list. Many times I leave empty-handed as these items tend to be harder to find and that is why they remain on my list. It is the search for these and other welcomed surprises that make thrifting so much fun. Every now and again I get lucky, and it was truly my lucky day when I stumbled upon three lovely hard case, blue vintage suitcases reasonably priced at Goodwill. I was also delighted to find the interiors of this cases in excellent condition. For the larger case, I chose a blue and white fabric from Joann Fabrics, and decoupaged it onto the suitcase surface for my first ever restyled suitcase. I wanted to make each suitcase unique, so I patiently waited for ideas to come along for cases two and three.

I was walking around Goodwill by my work the other day and stumbled upon a lovely pillow sham. It was priced right at $1.99. Usually when it comes to linens and fabrics at Goodwill, it is hit or miss. This was a lovely pattern of white , red, and a touch of blue. Whenever I see blue I think of those suitcases and thought this would be a perfect fit for one of them. The question was if I would have enough fabric to complete the project. Unfortunately they only had one pillow sham in this pattern for sale.

It turns out when I got it home, I had just the right amount of fabric to restyle the second largest case, and I was thrilled!

First, I cut the decorative fabric away from the plain blue fabric on the pillow cases underside.

I placed the suitcase on the top of the fabric to get an idea of how much fabric I would need for both sides. It was easiest to cut it in half. I allow the fabric to hang over slightly, as I planned on trimming away the excess fabric later. I applied Mod Podge generously with a foam craft brush to the suitcase surface.

I then carefully laid the fabric over it, repeating the same process twice for both sides of the suitcase.

Once dry, I applied Mod Podge generously over it to seal the fabric. I also generously applied Mod Podge to the edges where I planned on trimming the excess fabric.

Once dry, the fabric stiffens and I carefully used a box cutter knife to trim the extra fabric using the suitcase crevice/seam as a guide. Keep in mind to use just enough pressure as too much can damage the suitcase.

I applied two more layers of Mod Podge to each side of the suitcase. Working the glue once again in around the suit case edges.

I loved how this little suitcase turned out! Stay tuned for suitcase number three coming soon!

Material Used:

Hard Top Suitcase

Fabric of choice (For this project I used an old pillow sham)

Scissors

Foam Craft Brush

Box Cutting Knife

Mod Podge

Clear Varnish (Optional add for extra protection)

Repurpose and Remember: Ideas for The Backyard

May 27, 2014ontheupcyclemom 2 Comments

This weekend officially kicked off the start of summer in our household. On Saturday, we celebrated our daughter’s 3^rd birthday with a small family BBQ. I am usually big on party planning, but this time I was forced to pull it all together last-minute. This week has been hectic to say the least, as our daughter also started Preschool. I am happy to report that things went well and the only tears shed were our own! She handled going to school and riding the bus with ease and excitement, and asked us several times throughout the weekend if she was going to school! Mission accomplished!

On Sunday, the hubby and I decided to do something we rarely get a chance to do: Enjoy our backyard. I like to think of our outdoor area as an extension of our indoor living space, but we very rarely get to relax and enjoy it together. This weekend, with the holiday in full swing we decided to enjoy some time outside. Sunday night in our area was absolutely beautiful. No mosquitos and a cool evening breeze tickled the trees. It was the perfect evening to sit and enjoy what Mother Nature had to offer. We put the little one to bed, hooked up the monitor outside to listen for her, and we lit a fire in our outdoor fireplace, sat back and enjoyed a relaxing much-needed evening together.

I thought I would share some simple ideas to creating the scene for a relaxing evening at home. Kudos to my husband, who came up with a simple but very useful idea. A popular item at kid’s parties are glow sticks and bracelets. The sticks that continued to glow, he used to line our back porch stairs. Not only did it look cool, but helped us navigate the stairs safely in the dark.

Over the years we have received quite a few decorative candle holders as gifts. As much as I would like to display each and every one in our home, there just isn’t enough wall space. This particular gifted item was originally a decorative fireplace screen that was also a candle holder. Although it was a lovely idea, we could no longer safely use it with our three-year old. I decided to repurpose it as an outdoor wall hanging. I attached it to our patio area wall with screws and used flameless tea lights to illuminate it. It adds a festive and romantic feel to our seating area, and was a great way to repurpose an old decoration previously destined to attic exile.

I have always been a fan of the neighborhood Dollar Store. Dollar Tree in particular has some great affordable decorations. Patriotic decorations are no exception. Since our daughter’s party is held close to the Memorial day holiday, I always incorporate patriotic decorations with her birthday décor. I picked up these great round paper patriotic decorations. Dollar tree sells a version of these that light up online, but the ones that I purchased did not. To remedy this I added flameless battery operated tea light to illuminate them. This added such a lovely look. Battery operated tea lights are a great way to add decorative lighting without the dangers. Having a three-year old roaming around, open flame candles and tiki torches become a hazard. Despite this I still love the look and feel of luminaries and this is a great way to enjoy them without the danger.

When my husband and I sat back and soaked it all in, we spoke of, and were thankful for all the men and woman who sacrifice so much to protect our freedoms. If it wasn’t for these sacrifices, we would not be able to have moments like these. Thank you to all those who have sacrificed so much so we can live in freedom and have a quality of life that we often take for granted.

Bed Skirt Craft Table Makeover

May 17, 2014ontheupcyclemom 3 Comments

May is turning out to be a rather hectic month. My daughter’s 3rd birthday is just around the corner, not to mention she is about to start pre-school for the first time next week. At the risk of sounding cliché, time is flying by and filled with things to do, forms to sign, and errand filled lunch breaks. Despite this, I have been busy working in the background on a few projects though at a slower pace than usual. One of these projects was resurfacing my craft table and organizing the space. Despite my best efforts, my craft room has become a cluttered nightmare of various holiday decorations, toys and kids clothes which never made their way up to the attic. I was once again determined to clean it up and work on the craft table.

This old desk top computer table had seen better days but worked well as a crafting table. Of course a table used for this purpose is going to bare the scars of crafting, but I had a lot of left over fabric from an old bed skirt that I had used for a few previous projects. The pattern and color scheme also happened to match the room nicely. I cut two pieces of fabric to fit over the table surface. I applied Mod Podge generously with a foam craft brush. I carefully applied the fabric to the table surface creating a seam to connect the two pieces together. I then applied Mod Podge to the top of the fabric.

I applied several layers of Mod Podge allowing it to dry clear between coats. I painted the areas I could not decoupage black. Once it was dry it created a workable surface that was much more attractive than before.

Table Before and After

Craft Room Shot featuring “On The Upcycle” Projects

Getting better with organization Lets hope I can keep it that way-Finally!

Fun with Chalkboard Paint: Kitchen Cabinet Memo Board

April 19, 2014ontheupcyclemom 8 Comments

One day I was standing in my kitchen staring at my boring cabinets when the idea came to me! My daughter loves playing with chalk and drawing. The hubby and I often have the need to communicate through various “notes” left around the house. We could really use a better way to communicate. What better way then to create a family chalkboard? I had often thought about modifying our kitchen cabinets in some way and this was a fun first step. I was eager to try one of the most talked about craft items on the web, chalkboard paint. My idea was to use the paint to create a chalkboard on the side of the kitchen sink cabinet, but the ideas for its use don’t end there. Be sure and check out Brit and Co 40 Creative uses for Chalkboard paint and you will be amazed at all the fun possibilities.

I went to Joann Fabric and picked up some black chalkboard paint. It was regular priced at around 6 dollars, but I used a 50% off one regular priced item coupon which knocked the price down to below 3 dollars!

When I got home I cleaned and prepped the area of cabinet I planned to paint. The bottle recommends 2 coats, but I used 4 total as I was attempting to paint over laminate.

The project was relatively easy. I used a brush to apply the paint allowing it to dry thoroughly between coats. The top side of the sink was damaged so I used a strip of fabric across the top to cover the area and add a little “pop” to the chalkboard. I applied the fabric strip using Mod Podge and covered it in Polyurethane since it could be exposed to water being in such close proximity with the faucet.

I waited about 24 hours for the final coat to dry before using the chalk. It worked beautifully!

Now we can leave each other messages, post holiday greetings, and our daughter can use her imagination and draw!

And yes if you are wondering those are Peeps on a stick my daughter is holding. Happy Easter Everyone!

Times They Are A Changing: Repurposed Kids Changing Table

April 14, 2014ontheupcyclemom 2 Comments

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Completely Stumped: Upcycled Tree Stump Ideas

April 10, 2014ontheupcyclemom 4 Comments

Recently, my backyard neighbor approached me about cutting one of our trees down. I have wonderful neighbors, and since it was her idea to remove the tree she also offered to pay for it. She has a huge vegetable garden in the summer and the tree was a bit of a nuisance to her garden. The tree was leaning and didn’t seem particularly healthy. Not to mention, little saplings would appear everywhere in our yards and grew like weeds. Due to such factors, it seemed like a good idea to have it removed. Unfortunately, we are now left with a bit of an ugly tree stump, and the guilt of removing a tree from nature, but the truth is our yards are too small and too close for such forestry. I began doing research on ideas when it comes to upcycling tree stumps. I am still unsure as to what I am going to do with ours, but found some inventive ideas online I wanted to share. After a long winter, it seems appropriate to welcome spring in such a way!

1. Interior Holic

Who wouldn’t love a tree table! Just one of many ideas on this site! Tree stump natural flower planters, Tree stump side tables covered in polyurethane you name it this site has it!

2. A Cultivated Nest

A DIY site dedicated to crafts is home to the unique idea of a tree stump chair! I love this idea! It not only recycles an old broken chair, but saves the old tree stump creating a unique piece of furniture in the process!

3. And… there is always HGTV ! Lets not forget our other backyard neighbors, birds! This link will show you all the ways to greet and care for birds in a natural garden setting. This lovely idea uses a tree stump with a basin resting on top for a natural looking bird bath.

Do you have any creative ways of recycling tree stumps? Are you as excited as I am to get outside and do a little spring cleanup?

Spring into Decoupage: Scrapbook Paper Drawer Makeover

March 23, 2014ontheupcyclemom 3 Comments

Spring fever has hit the suburbs, despite the meteorologists predicting yet another snowstorm/nor’easter early next week. With that the spring cleaning begins which was apparent yesterday after receiving a knock at the door from one of my many fantastic neighbors. He was cleaning out his garage and wanted to know if I was interested in a really lovely unfinished celestial shelf.

and this absolutely lovely unfinished wooden bench with seat storage!

I thought it was a dream that these beautiful pieces would literally show up at my door but it was true! If I didn’t want them, my neighbors were taking them to Goodwill to donate them. I know Goodwill would have been happy to have these items especially during this unsuccesful trip when I snapped a photo of their depleted furniture room which is usually FILLED with items. It has been a tough winter indeed!

Now, the challenge begins… I have to come up with design ideas for these wonderful pieces that do them the justice they deserve. Meanwhile, all of this did make me think about my own much-needed spring cleaning and looking for items to reuse and repurpose that I already have instead of buying additional pieces. A project I did fairly recently incorporates that idea. As crafters we accumulate various supplies some of which we never use. I have a collection of scrapbook paper that fits this profile. The good news is there is nothing better than scrapbook paper when it comes to decoupage. It can be used for so many projects not just it’s obvious purpose. One of my very first projects involved a pair of upcycled bedroom tables. It has been almost a year since completing these tables and they have held up fantastically well. When I restyled them, I left the inside of the drawers undone and decided this would be a great way to use up some of that scrapbook paper.

The process is simple first I figured out how much scrapbook paper I would need. I added creases on areas I would cut. I set these pieces aside.

I applied Mod Podge to the drawer surface with a foam brush.

I carefully applied the paper smoothing it out with my hands. The Mod Podge Rubber Squeegee Tool also works well for this, especially in the corners. Once the Mod Podge was dry, I applied an additional coat over top.

A great way to reuse, restyle, repurpose. Do you have any green crafting ideas for spring? Am I the only one excited at what I might find while Spring cleaning?

More Brass in Pocket: Reuse Old Blue Jeans

March 12, 2014ontheupcyclemom 1 Comment

I am hoping I am not the only one this has happened to. You are at work walking around minding your own business, when someone whispers to you. “uhh you have a hole in your pants.” As embarrassing as it seems at first you are still thankful for this person telling you. Unable to see it, you probably walked around all day like that, or even worse for weeks like that!

I wear my clothes until they are literally falling off my back. Especially if I find clothes I like that I feel comfortable in (which for me is rare) I wish I was more of a fashionista. I love fashion when it comes to others, but struggle when it comes to my wardrobe.

Since starting my upcycling mission I tend to think on the “green” side of things. Before these jeans let me down in a big way, I loved them and the comfort they provided me. Why not pay homage to them by allowing part of these pants to live on? Why not turn my initial shame into a useful repurpose?

This is problematic when your weakest crafting skill is sewing. So I decided to think simple. I repurposed the pockets. Separating them from the jeans was simple. I used a pair of scissors to cut the thread connecting them to the jeans. These pockets when removed make stylish change purses and are great for storage of small electronics like USB storage devices. The possibilities are endless!

got storage anyone?

No worries my environmentally friendly crafters! Despite my shortcomings as a tailor I saved the left over denim. Learning to properly sew is on my bucket list, so I am hoping this denim will come in handy in the future!

Hello Kitty Themed Kids Surfboard Bench

February 28, 2014ontheupcyclemom 1 Comment

It has been an especially harsh Northeast winter and many of my usual thrifting haunts have been light on stock especially when it comes to furniture pieces. Despite this, I certainly don’t mind the thrill of the hunt. You never know when you will find something unique. On such a trip, I came across an interesting kids bench (At least that’s what I think it was!) at a local Goodwill store. It appeared to be a surfboard and the painted design was hideous! Despite all of the negatives with this piece, I felt this would be a fun redesign, and I loved the detachable legs. This feature made the legs easier to paint. Nothing conjures up images of summer like a surfboard, and that is just the kind of project I needed!

I cleaned the entire piece with a Magic Eraser. It had an unidentifiable sticky substance all over it and the Eraser worked well to remove it. I used a white spray primer to cover the brightly colored design. I was planning on using a fabric decoupage, but felt the bright colors may bleed through the fabric. Using a primer first prevents this, and gives me a clean slate to work with. Once the primer dried, I used a foam craft brush to apply Mod Podge to the bench surface.

My daughter and I stopped by the craft store and I let her look through the aisle filled with different character fabrics. She seemed to like this Hello Kitty print and I happily obliged, being a Ms. Hello Kitty fan myself. When I was young the local mall had a store called Sanrio and they sold Hello Kitty and all her “friends” merchandise. It was one of my favorite stores to visit in the mall. I bought a half yard, and roughly traced the fabric to cover the table surface. Once the Mod Podge dries, any excess fabric left over around the edges and handles I trim with a box cutting knife. The glue stiffens the fabric and makes it easier to cut. I placed the fabric down on the Mod Podge soaked surface carefully smoothing out any wrinkles with my hands.

I placed it aside to dry, eventually I would add a total of three full coats of Mod Podge on the fabric table surface. I painted the legs with two coats of pink and white acrylic paint. Once the legs were dry I covered them in a Mod Podge layer. I then reassembled the table legs by screwing them easily back in to place.

My daughter loves sitting on it. It looks great in her room and it is a nice piece of kids furniture to use while helping her get dressed for her day.

Hello Kitty Girls Surfboard Bench

Before and After

“Be Mine Daddy”…. Valentine’s Day Kid’s Craft Ideas

February 14, 2014ontheupcyclemom 2 Comments

On this Valentine’s day morning, many areas of the country are beginning the task of “digging out” after yet another treacherous winter storm hit the east coast overnight. Just days before the same winter Nor’Easter wreaked havoc in other parts of the country such as Georgia and the Carolinas. On top of it, the little one and I have been battling a series of winter colds and are being forced to spend much of our time in the house due to the lousy weather. Despite this, we have managed to make the best of these situations and have spent a lot of quality time together as a family.

I wanted to make my husband something special for Valentine’s day this year, and as with most of my creations, I like to get my 2 1/2 year-old daughter (Also known as the toddler apprentice) involved in the process. I also knew that my husband being the wonderful dad he is, would appreciate the fact that his daughter helped mommy make his gift with “her own little hands.” I have seen many great Valentine’s day kid’s crafts online via Pinterest and other sites, and I had many ideas swirling around in my head. I saw a great project courtesy of the Roylco kids craft blog (which I follow, and love) and although I decided to create my own version, The Roylco project was quite inspiring. Be sure to check it out!

For this project you will need:

Black, Pink, Red and White Construction Paper

Scissors

Kids White School Glue

Black Marker

White Non Toxic Kids Craft Paint

Frame (Optional)

First, I dipped my daughter’s hand in the white paint after pouring it on a paper plate. I pressed her hand on the black construction paper. This was challenging and it took a few tries after the first two attempts became slightly smudged. There is no greater excitement to a little one then “messy fun” so she didn’t seem to mind the multiple attempts at getting it right! Once I achieved the desired effect I allowed the construction paper to dry. After about an hour, the paper was dry and ready. I drew different sized hearts on the red, white and pink paper and carefully cut them out. The little one enjoyed squeezing the glue on the hearts and sticking them to the paper!

Such a Good Helper……

Next, I wrote little sayings in the hearts. I thought this would be cute, but if you prefer it, you can skip this step. I wanted to make it more personalized for him. I then found a great glass frame in our attic to frame it in. Now we have a great piece of Valentine’s Day wall art for years to come, permanently immortalizing our daughters little two year-old hands forever. (Can’t you tell I am an overly sentimental person?)

The apprentice and I also made a Valentine’s Day glass jar lamp. I had some great left over heart themed scrapbook paper I won courtesy of Ray’s So Crafty’s Labor Day Giveaway. I have made several jar lamps, and like to interchange them on the light bases, depending on the mood, or for holidays. I simply cut the paper, applied Mod Podge to the glass and adhered it around the jar carefully matching up the seam. An easy, simple decoration guaranteed to warm hearts during this frigid Valentine’s Day.

“On The Upcycle” would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Valentine’s Day. Hoping you are able to spend it with those you love today!

On The Upcycle~

Reuse, Repurpose, Restyle

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Upcycling

Pack my Bags! Fun and Easy Decoupage Vintage Suitcases

Repurpose and Remember: Ideas for The Backyard

Bed Skirt Craft Table Makeover

Fun with Chalkboard Paint: Kitchen Cabinet Memo Board

Times They Are A Changing: Repurposed Kids Changing Table

Completely Stumped: Upcycled Tree Stump Ideas

Spring into Decoupage: Scrapbook Paper Drawer Makeover

More Brass in Pocket: Reuse Old Blue Jeans

Hello Kitty Themed Kids Surfboard Bench

“Be Mine Daddy”…. Valentine’s Day Kid’s Craft Ideas

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