Accent Chair

I very much enjoyed refurbishing this single chair. I love the shape of the back and the legs, it's just so classy. I chose a teal fabric for the seat and I love the contrast between the white and teal. I also had my fun painting on the stenciled flowers - pattern created by my Silhouette machine with freezer paper.  

Before:

And After:

It wasn't an ugly chair to begin with, and it's a high quality, solid piece of furniture. I am so pleased with my efforts to give this chair a modern twist of traditional beauty. I am happy that I found someone with the perfect place for it in their home.

~ Chelsea ~

Little Boy Toolbelt

I have this crazy goal to make a bunch of my nieces and nephew's gifts for Christmas this year. 

So here we go... you're going to be seeing some kiddo toys coming in the next months as I try to prepare early.
I think it's pretty safe to assume that none of them will be peaking at this blog and ruining their surprises! 

The first one so far is a little boy tool belt. So cute. I followed this tutorial, and it's so good that there is no need for me to make one too. :)

~ Chelsea ~

Another Step Stool

I still love step stools! And I love this deep Espresso Brown color too.

Before:

After:

~ Chelsea ~

Painting Metal Items

It's so easy to change the color of your pulls! Sometimes you'll want to keep them their vintage finish. But sometimes painting them is the way to go to get a new & up-dated look.

Most of the time I use a more expensive brand of spray paint, but on the white pulls below I tried this less expensive enamel and it worked beautifully.

Preparation is very important for a good, long lasting paint job.

1. Clean the item really well with vinegar (if it's really built up with grease & grime, like many kitchen pulls are, then use something stronger like Dawn or 4O9)

2. Rub steal wool all over the surfaces that you will be painting. I like to use a glove when I use steel wool because I don't like the feel of little pieces of metal in my skin.

3. Rinse well to get any chemicals from the cleaners & bits of steel off of the metal.

4. Dry really well by wiping and letting it air dry also.

Now you are ready to paint!
5. I like to use the lid to a paper box for knobs and handles. Just push the screws into the lid.

6. Lay plastic or paper on the ground to catch over spray.

7. Spray 3 or 4 nice thin coats of paint, allowing at least 20 minutes in between each coat (drying times totally depend on the temperature outside).

I like to let them dry nice and hard for at least 24 hours before using them.

Here are some pretty bright gold light fixtures before getting their new metal color!

Now they are brushed nickle!

And here is a pretty chandy that used to be bright shiny gold. It's kindof hard to tell in this picture, but now it is painted with a metallic champagne color!

It's so beautiful!

**~**Lynda**~**

Simple Shelf

My little girl's room was starting to look more like a playroom than a bedroom. I wasn't liking how all the toys were starting to be an organized mess on one side of the room. Even after several clear-outs and putting many toys away for future use, it still was too cluttery for my taste. 

My mom got this little cabinet and my dad added some plywood for the shelves. They offered it to me and I knew it was the organization solution I was looking for. 

The shelves were both raw and ugly and the inside of the cabinet was several colors of fake wood. I was ok with the color of the outside, so I decided to save money and time and just paint the inside white. I taped it off and painted a few coats of white paint and I love the result. 

I didn't take a before picture, but here's an in-the-process photo:

And here it is completed and in her closet for organized and hide-able storage for her toys. 

Such a simple shelf with a few improvements. 

~ Chelsea ~

Photo Canvases

I love these photo canvases hanging in my daughter's room. Crystal photographed the lilies and made these adorable wall decorations. 

So, snatch up some of those inexpensive flat canvases next time they're on sale to make some cute wall decor using your own photos. 

Here's what you need:

flat canvas board

a photo printed to the size of canvas (mine are 8X10)

decoupage (ex. Mod Podge)

paint brush or foam brush

nail and hammer to punch hole or utility hole punch

ribbon for hanging

This is such a simple project with such cute results. 

First, paint a thin, even layer of decoupage onto the canvas. Then, carefully place the photo onto the canvas and press firmly all over to get out any air bubbles. Let it dry, with a heavy book or something on it to make sure it dries flat. Once it's dry, paint an even coating of decoupage on top of the photo. I think it looks best if all the strokes are going the same direction, because you will see them slightly when it is dry. 

Once the top layer is dry completely, punch your holes in the top two corners. Figure out how long you want your ribbon to be (depending on how you want it to hang on the wall). Cut the ribbon, tie a knot on one end, string through one of the holes and then the other and tie off the other end. The knots should be on the back sides of the canvas where they don't show.

Hang up your art using a thumb tack or nail. 

Another idea with decoupage is to mix in subtle sparkles in a small container prior to applying to the project. The decoupage dries clear and the sparkles will give the finished project a little glow. Try it if that's the look you are after. 

~ Chelsea ~