You raid the fabric boxes right quick and rig up some bows.
Our theme is whimsy! all should be good.
When you're having a tea party but you haven't gotten around to covering those super old, freyed, paint splattered, scratched by the cat chairs. You raid the fabric boxes right quick and rig up some bows. Our theme is whimsy! all should be good.
1 Comment
I revamped the DVD cabinet. I've been dying to get my hands on it. The tangle of wires the only thing putting me off moving it. I used leftover wall paint, a little wallpaper, vintage door handles (slightly battered but still good), and picture frames to give it a new look. uHere is the before picture. It's a beautiful cabinet with a lovely shape. Just a tad dark for the corner it sits in. Also, one door has troble shutting, I plan to fix this. I Used . . .
I removed the door handles and doors. I removed the hinges entirely, to prevent them from getting covered in paint. I gave the cabinet a key sand. I found a little undercoat paint and used this as the base coat. I just used a paint brush to brush it on. I gave the cabinet 2 coats of wall paint. I used a small roller on all flat surfaces, it leaves a lovely smooth surface. Here is a shot of the cabinet drying after its two coats. I painted the doors and left to dry. I pasted wallpaer onto the back of a picture frame. I postioned the picture frames on the door fronts. I planned to glue them into place with wood glue but I ended up sticking them into place with command strips. The advantage to this is I can remove/change the frames without fuss. I used these velro command strips. Turns out I didn't have wood glue. I drilled a hole for the handles. I screwed the doors back into place. Place the hinges so they curve away from the door. The finished product!!
A little non-tutorial/tutorial here. I sometimes sell things at markets and I wanted a way to give my stall a customised look, those are best stalls, the thoughtout bakery stand with wooden pallets filled with fresh bread, the bright home kitchen tablecloth with the buckets of ribboned floral bouquets. This a kind of combo tablecloth/drop cloth. Made to fit the table exactly. I forgot to take pictures and I worry my explanation is overly confusing but here it is anyway, a somewhat tutorial. You Will Need: A table : Cloth/cotton/fabric : Measuring tape : Paper (something large - gift wrap and newspaper are fine choices) : Fabric paint + brush : Scissors : Sewing machine : Pins I forgot to take pictures (well, I did but they're all close ups of the cat) Instead I drew a thing. My table looks vaguely like the sketch above. I'm going to show you how I patterned and measured using the table above. Pattern the table top. This is super easy. Find a large sheet of paper (I suggest patterning paper/ butchers paper/ gift wrap/ or failing any of that tape together sheets of newspaper) Lay the table top down and trace. BOOM! Easy. Once you have your pattern pin and cut out fabric (add a seem allowance, 1-1.5cm is enough) Okay, you've got the tabletop done now you need to pattern the dropcloth. Essentially it's a rectangle made up of all the parts marked red in the picture above By the purple parts. The basic formula looks something like this: Length= width(x2) + length(+10) Width= Height of table Basically it's a big rectangle that wraps around the sides and front of the table. You don't have to add the two 5cm bits that overlap the back of table. I just like them because they prevent the tablecloth from sliding off the table, they also don't have to be 5cm exactly just loop a bit round the back. The dropcloth pattern may be very long and you may need to sew pieces of fabic together in order achieve that length. Once you have the dropcloth measured out, cut out fabric. (Don't worry about a seam allowance on the dropcloth) Lay fabric out somewhere and paint a vintage table design. Use fabric paint, follow the directions, paint, dry, iron etc. Piant smack bang in the middle of the dropcloth, and make sure your painted design isn't larger than the front length of your table (otherwise it will wrap round the sides) I made a template to practice drawing giant tables. In the end I placed this template under the fabric and traced. The dropcloth has been painted, it's dry and heat set. You might want to hem the bottom of the dropcloth, or you could strategically use the salveged edge of your fabric instead. Pin and sew dropcloth to table top piece. You'll notice the dropcloth wraps all the way around the table. And there it is.
DIY PVA Crackle PaintI recently found out you can make your own crackle paint, using PVA glue and acrylic paint. Well, I had to give it a go. I tested it out on a bit of wood. I took photos so you can follow along. Its a simple proccess, you just sandwich the PVA between two contrasting colours of acrylic paint. Start off by painting the base layer - the colour the cracks will be. Leave this layer to dry completely. Once the base layer is dry add a thickish layer of PVA. Wait for the glue to go tacky. A better crackle seems to occur when you leave the glue to get a little too tacky, to the point where you think you've let it go a little too far. This is probably the hardest part, the impulse is to paint the second layer on straight away, but waiting will produce a better crackle. Use a coarse brush to add the second layer onto the tacky glue. The cracks will form in the direction you brush. Leave the tacky glue and paint layer to dry. The cracks will continue to widen as the layers dry.
Most PVA isn't water resistant, so it would probably pay to coat any craft project in a waterproofing clear varnish. Stopping by with a quick recycle, to exspresso yourself with. Recently, I repainted our old coffee table. Its an old wicker coffee table we are very fond of, it came to us via a neighbour about 12 years ago. We've always loved it, but recently we've been wooed and wowed by the great recyled and upcycled furniture revivals that have been sweeping the markets. A couple of times we have been tempted to buy a replacmet coffee table. The poor wee dude he still serves us well, he just isn't as trendy as he once was. Long story short a tidy up of the shed unearthed a can of white paint and a new lease on life for one livingroom coffee table. I haven't got a tutroail for this but the method is simple, paint that old wicker table white. I've got before and after shots. Use an interior paint with gloss, thats important, other paint may just scratch off. Oh, and wash any piece of furniture before you paint. Usually its advised to key (lightly sand) furniture before sanding. I went for a shabby chic/distressed look, sanding back the paint on the wicker details. A look at the coffee table back in the living room.
A Pallet GardenIts currently Spring (at least as I write this it is) The garden is undergoing its usual Spring makeover. The aim this year is to add in more fruits and vegetables. You will need:- A pallet (trendy little buggers) - Spare planks of wood / another 1/2 pallet - Weed mat for lining - Soil - Plants MethodI thought it would be cool to fill a pallet with soil and plant in it. The only trouble we had was filling it, soil spills out everywhere. You can wrap the outside in weed mat but aesthetically this is less than pleasing, Plus the wood trapped between weed mat and soil is likely to rot and disintegrate. I had a spare/ half dismantled pallet just sitting around so I prised off some planks and nailed them to sides of my pallet. These will create a stable surface to staple the weed mat to. Cut, layout, and staple weed mat to the inside of the pallet. And fill with soil. - Cats are a useful paperweight (Thanks Figwit!) Add plants and wait, maybe water a little too.
I made two of these, one for courgettes and pumpkins, and one for peas and beans. I added a trelise to the back for the peas and beans to climb along. Money Shadow BoxI'm planning on doing some markets coming up, which means i'll need lots of change for a healthy float. From experience I know I'm going to run out of change quickly, I never manage to save up enough, because I foget and only spend the two weeks before scrounging up coin. The bank is too far away and I never get out there before D day. Initially I thought I'd set up a change jar, then I had an idea. Money shadow box. fun, decorative and effective. Did you know it is extremely hard to find a shadow box? I looked everywhere they sell frames. no one had any. I did find a small frame in some trendy store but was $30 for a tiny little thing. The creative hag in me thought I could do better. Of course late night brainstorming came up with a solution. Make one. Now, I'm no wood working god, or demigod, or even a distant relation (come to think of it I'm not even minimally skilled) NO major construction work. But I can glue bits to other bits rather effectively. I went out to the store and found a pack of 3 identical photo frames (original cost $5, on sale for half off - $2.50 HELL YEAH!!) The 3 of these glued together will make lovely shadow box. Supplies- 3 set of identical frames - Pliers - Glue - Ruler - Saw - Paint - Clamps - Paper - Pecils/paints - Sanding paper My epic frames ............................................................................> StepsMy frames had these little metal tabs holding the glass in place. With the help of some pliers I removed these from Two of the frames. I left the third frame as is. I glued the glass down into place in one the frames that had the metal tabs removed. This frame will be the front of the shadow box. The second frame that had the metal tabs removed is going to become the middle of the shadow box. I need to cut a slit in the top of this frame so that money can be dropped through, like a piggy bank. Using a ruler I marked out a gap big enough to fit a coin. Using a saw I cut this chunk free. I sawed about halfway down, to the base of the frame. I find sawing down in small chunks is easiest. Each chunk will just snap and break away. I'm going to admit that I don't actually have a saw, so, what I used was a gardening saw with serrated teeth. I love these knives, they can cut anything. Serrated edged blades work best for this, straight blades like a Stanley knife do not do the trick. Its also useful to clamp the frame down to something sturdy. My somewhat haphazard mad cutting skills needed a tiny little bit of a sand. A nice sand smooth's everything out. As you can see here I now have a lovely money slot in the top of this frame. I painted the money slot to make it look like nobody had tampered with it. (damn it Odysseus) Next I glued the first frame (the one with the glass) to the second frame (the one with the money slot) I glued the third (untouched) frame to the back of these two. I put all three under a clamp to dry out nice and tight. The cool thing about a shadow is that you add a cool back drop. My shadow box is going to collect spare change for a float, so, of course, the decorative picture had to be float related. I toyed with the idea of a little sail boat but ended up in steampunk territory with a little dirigible bobbing in the clouds over the word 'Float' Once dry I placed a pane of glass, my dirigible picture and backing into the back of the last frame - now the back of the shadow box. Lastly feed it some jingly coins.
Hot glue is one of the true great inventions of this world (for crafters at least) Did you know can bring new life into an old frame with the use of Hot glue? You can literally do anything with hot glue. Materials- An old frame - Paint - anything acrylic, wood paint, house paint, a test pot etc. - Hot glue gun - Hot glue sticks - Pencil MethodHere I have an old dark wood frame that needs a new lease on life. The first thing to do is to give it a base paint, I've gone for white. You wait for the paint to dry then grab a pencil and draw out a design. Any design you want, complicated or simple. whatever, have a scribble. I've gone for a swirly heart thing. While your doing this pop the hot glue gun on to heat up. Now hot glue over the pencilled design. A close up; 3D hot glue heart. Last step, give it a lick of paint. You might want to give it two coats.
A shabby chic tardis in disguiseI love the idea that, somewhere down the line, the Doctor loses the Tardis and some resourceful person comes along and decides to repurpose this old antique. Or one day the Doctor gets creative with house paint. This was a project that got away from me. It was supposed to be a simple exercise in Shabby Chic Couture. Many rooms in the house have recently changed colour, the furniture needs to match. At the start of this two month thought the idea was to, simply, paint the furniture. When there was paint leftover from redecorating it became a good excuse to try out some shabby chic decorating. Starting with a light on dark blue wardrobe. I failed to notice that the dark blue paint I'd purchased closely resembled Tardis blue - especially when applied to a rectangular Tardis shaped box. Do I make a Tardis? or do I go shabby chic? Forget Titans, it was a clash of the ideas. The solution.....Mash the two ideas together. Hello shabby chic Tardis. you will need:A wardrobe Sandpaper or paint remover (if required) Masking tape Small roller Paint brush Paint tray White base coat paint 1 litre Semi-gloss paint - Dark blue (Tardis blue) 1 litre Semi-gloss pant - in a light colour Test pot of back paint Artists brush or stencil brush Stationary - Ruler Pencil Black Sharpie Paper (for stencil) Craft knife (for stencil) methodstep oneIf possible take the wardrobe apart. Remove the handle. Fill in any nicks or holes with wood filler. Sand all surfaces of the wardrobe. Don't worry about sanding all of the stain off, all you really need is to rough up the varnish, and sand off any lumps or bumps. If you find this too hard you can use a paint or varnish remover. My wardrobe was covered in that iron-on fake wood, which had a very thick varnish so a used a jar of brush-on paint remover to take it off. *Tip - When using a brush-on paint remover, pour the remover onto the surface of the wood, then spread using a paint brush. *Tip - Choose a rounded edged scrapper, or round off the edges on a squared scrapper, this should help prevent the scrapper from gouging the wood. This tip is especially important when stripping an antique or a piece of furniture that holds sentimental value. step twoOnce you've finished sanding, use a damp cloth to wipe off the sanding dust. Paint a 'base' coat over the wood - using a paint brush, add a thin layer. This will help to protect the wood and allow the top layers of paint to sit better. step threeNow it's time to add the first layer of paint. The dark Tardis blue. (I used Venice Blue Semi-gloss paint from Resene) Use a small roller to paint the flat surfaces and a thin paint brush on the edges. Apply 2 layers. step fourDraw and paint on the Tardis features . Paint a dark strip at the top of the door, you'll want 2 layers. I used a dark blue but black would work. Create a stencil of the "POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX" sign by printing off the letters and cutting out with a craft knife. Use an artist's brush or stencil brush and dab at the stencil with white paint (from base coat) Using a ruler mark out the windows and squares of the Tardis. Edge with masking tape and paint. *Tip- you only need to paint around the edges of the squares. Paint the square closest to the door handle white. Use a black sharpie to write on the 'FREE FOR PUBLIC" sign. step fiveThe tough part. Paint over the Tardis with you lighter colour (I used Spindle semi-gloss paint from Resene) Same as before use a small roller and thin paint brush. Give it 1-2 coats. Note - The lighter paint will not cove the black sharpie letters. Don't worry, you don't want to cover those completely. step sixSand back the top layer of paint to reveal the Tardis underneath.
To give it a naturally aged look pay particular attention to ageing the parts of the wardrobe that experience the most use - along the edges and around the handle. Step seven Put the wardrobe back together (If you took it apart) and replace the handle. Done. Allons-y!!!!!!!!!!! The paint is on - a sherlock inspired deskLook its Sherlock. He's in a robe. Cheekbones. Hello John. Nice wallpaper. How do I get it? No idea. I can't. Now, Now! Lets pull a Sherlock and deduct. I can't have the wallpaper but I can have the pattern. Lets stencil!!!!!!!!!!!! You will need:Desk Sandpaper 1 litre white base paint (you only about 1/2 litre) 1 litre Semi-gloss paint - in a light colour (I used Spindle from Resene) 1-2 test pots of dark paint (I used Prussian Blue from Resene) Small roller Masking tape Paint brush Artists or stencil brush Card/thick paper Craft knife Spray on tac glue - restickable (optional) Spray on varnish (optional) 221B house numbers (optional) Superglue Varnish spray methodStep oneIf possible take the desk apart. Remove draws and handles. Fill in any nicks or holes with wood filler. Sand off or rough up the varnish. * If you don't rough up the varnish enough the paint will scratch off. step twoUse a damp claen cloth to wipe away the sanding dust. Base paint all surfaces. You only need one layer. step threeMasking tape edges as you paint the flat surfaces in your light semi-gloss paint. Use a small roller to paint the flat surfaces. You will need 2 layers. Remove masking tape and use a thin paint brush to paint the edges. step fourMaking the stencil - You can either print off an image of the design or draw it free hand. Trace out the pattern on thin card/thick paper (I used a manila envelope) . Use a sharp craft knife to cut out the pattern. *Tip - Cut out about three identical stencils. After repeated use the stencil will get heavily coated in paint and will need to be swapped out for a fresh one. step fivePlace stencil on the top of the table. Using a light amount of paint (darker test pot paint) with an artist's or stencil brush, dab at the stencil. Don't brush as this will cause the stencil to leak. You may need 2 layers per stencil. Keep moving matching up the pattern. If the stencil does leak a little, you fix this later by brushing a bit of the light paint colour over the mistake. * Tip - Use a hairdryer to dry the paint quicker. *Tip - Spray on restickable spray tac to the back of the stencil, this will help to keep it in place as you work. If you don't have any, use masking tape to keep the stencil in place. step sixPaint the draws and add handles. Glue on 221B house numbers - This is optional. House numbers are expensive! You could alternatively stencil on some numbers or paint and glue wooden numbers.
Put the table back together (if you took it apart). * Tip - If your desk will be under heavy use, it may pay to spray the top with a varnish. This will help to protect the stenciling and stop anything from sticking to the paint. Done! Enjoy |
Author - JEBARSBY TUTORIALSHere you will find craft ideas, tutorials and fandom crafting. Maybe some recipes Archive
May 2018
Categories
All
|