My Creative Escapes - photography, crafting, DIY and more: paint

Showing posts with label paint. Show all posts

Sunday, March 20, 2011

DIY - Pottery Barn inspired Low Activitiy Table

Paisley PassionsAnd here it is!!!! It's done!!! Have I mentioned how much I love Ana White!!!

I used her plans for the inspired Pottery Barn low activity table. Here are Ana's plans.

Here is mine - total cost was $70 in wood, and $30 in the caster wheels. $8 in paint. So $108 total.

Here is Pottery Barns: $380.

I started my building on Sunday...I love to build!!!! Very therapeutic and I am in love with the smell of fresh cut wood.

Here are my table legs coming around.

The whole side .

Ahhh - it's looking like a table!

Oh - and my new favorite toy!!! It's a Kreg Jig! Oh - I love it - makes a fabulous sturdy table - and minimal amount of work. Love it!

I get so excited when all my joints line up.

The braces are in for the table top.

Sigh....and on to the painting. Have I mentioned my hatred of painting..I primed the table, then on to the real coat of paint. Take one.....

Hmmm....It was a FAIL....Looked liked plum.

One of the drawers.

Another drawer...color was BAD.

Just bad.

Before I get into the final project. My painting mis-hap. First coat - was like plum like. Then the next color was a really plain light brown....yuck! So I spoke with my mom...and she recommended a Rustolium paint - it is Kola in a Semi-Gloss.

So - then we painted it...Next day - so excited to go down and see it. It is crackled...sigh...so I sanded it lightly trying to make is smooth before the next coat went on. I went upstairs, and my husband got the sand paper, and went I came down - there was a patch of white - and the paint was peeling. So - we spent all Saturday stripping, and sanding...but it was for the best. It turned out great - a day later than I wanted - ok about 5 days later than I wanted. But - here you go!

Do you like those white shelves in the backgound - I made those too - you can find them here

Here is my little man..yes he is wearing Christmas pj's and it is march...What do you want from me :)

We put the caster wheels on it - so he can push them in and out. Highly recommend them - the kids couldn't come close to pulling them out without them. Warning - it is expensive!!!

No lie - it was about 30 seconds after we brought the table in - Mikey climbed right on top - sat down like he owned the place. It's his new jungle gym - but at least it is close to the ground and sturdy - right!

Love to know what you think!!!!

Linking up to these parties:

Between Naps on the Porch , DIY Show Off Project Parade , C.R.A.F.T. Dittle Dattle , Keeping it Simple , Under the Table and Dreaming - , Chocolate Sundaes - Sundae Scoop , Skip To My Lou, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Making The World Cuter , The Girl Creative , Mad in Crafts , Sew Chatty, All thingz Related - Anything Related, Tip Junkie - Tip Me Tuesday , Todays Creative Blog - Get Your Craft On, Hope Sudios , Craft Edition , A Diamond in the Stuff , Primitive & Proper , Domestically Speaking - Power of Paint Party , Blue Cricket Design , Tea Rose Home , My Backyard Eden , Savvy Southern Style , DIY By Design, Someday Crafts , Sew Much Ado , SevenThirtyThree, The Shabby Chic Cottage - Transformation Thursday , Somewhat Simple - Strut Your Stuff Thursday , Beyond The Picket Fence , Tales from Bloggeritaville , Brambleberry Cottage , Gluesticks, Fireflies & Jellybeans , Momnivore's dilemma, At the Picket Fence, My Romantic Home , The Shabby Nest, Remodelaholic, French Country Cottage , Fingerprints on the Fridge, Fun to Craft , Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Funky Junk Interiors - Saturday Nite Special, Tatertots and Jello - Weekend Wrap Up Party, Craft Envy - Saturday Spotlight , Along for the Ride, A Vision to Remember, Under the Table and Dreaming, The Girl Creative - Just Something I Whipped Up ,Chocolate Sundaes - Sundae Scoop , Yesterday on Tuesday

Monday, February 14, 2011

Cradle make-over

Here is my before and after of a cradle I "refinished" for my daughters 3rd birthday.

So - here is my quick story. I went to my favorite thrift store. I saw the wood cradle. I passed it by because it was like $10 - and it was more than I wanted to spend. So - then I went back a week later - and it was there - it was a sign! It was meant to be my daughters for her baby's.

So - I sanded it, primed it, painted it. Then I made a pad for it - so the baby was comfy (that is the animal print one. Then I made a quick blanket with material I had on hand. I made a pillow (black), stuffed it with an old pillow stuffing. Then I wanted to add a little extra touch. So I "upholstered" it. I took some of the left over foam from these chairs cut it to shape, covered it with leftover material. Then I faked tufting. I put buttons on it - just plain old sewed them on. Then I glued it to the back. Trimmed it out - and it was perfect!!!

It was a hit with everyone! All three of my kids fight over who can get in it. It is right next to my daughters bed and she tucks her babies in every night. I say looking back - it was a steal for $10 total!!!

Linking to:

Just a Girl

French Country Cottage

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Fun to Craft

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

A Little Knick Knack

Primitive & Proper
Domestically Speaking - Power of Paint Party
The Thrifty Home - Penny Pinching

Friday, January 21, 2011

Wooden Chair re-do

I am finding a whole new appreciation for the bloggers out there that do tutorials with images – man – it’s a lot of work J I am sure this is way confusing, I should have wrote it as I did it instead of after while looking at pictures. I did the whole thing with a pattern on scrap fabric before I cut into the real stuff!

Here is a tutorial on how I made a custom cushion for my “new” chairs. This project cost me $2 – love that. The chairs were free from my mom (thanks mom!), the fabric was leftover from my Victorian Chair makeover. The padding was free (thanks mom!), I just picked up 2 cans of black spray paint - $1 each.

Here is my Before and after chair:

Then I went to the garage and started painting – I lightly sanded 1^st, washed and put about 2 coats to cover. I didn’t prime it because they were already painted. I then sealed them. Three kids and 2 dogs – need to be sealed!

Then I went to my nice free foam

I measured the sides. Front to back, top side to side, and top bottom to bottom (does that make sense?)

Trace out your pattern. I did the bottom first – drew a straight line, Then I went up the length of the chair, made a small mark on each side, then in the top, measure the middle of the long straight line for the bottom, and made a mark – then I centered the next measurement for the top. Sorry – confusing….

Make sure it fits as you want on your chair – make adjustments as needed and use as your pattern for the rest.

Trace out as many as you need and cut – always use your first, so your sizes don’t continue to vary

Then – cut out a pattern. I used material I had laying around – didn’t want to waste my good fabric if it wasn’t going to work. This was my first time trying this. I traced the foam I had just cut out with chalk (one picture was from my pattern making, other was when I did my final ones)

Ok – still with me? Then I got a piece of paper – and cut about a ½ inch strip – and I made another outline around the edge. Because you cut exactly what the set is – you need to allow a seam allowance, and room for the cushion.

Side note: I was going to attempt a ruffle….yeah – no….Love myself some ruffels, not on these though....

Oh – when I did my pattern – I didn’t plan out my straps. I measure my chair – and cut the straps. I am going with a more sleek look – you can see from the pictures at the end – will go into more detailer later. But – they ended up being about 4 inches wide, by 8 inches long. I folded them in half the short way, flipped the top down – so it was a smooth end. And sewed a continuous line of 8 of them (2 for each of the 4 chairs) (insert 12-13). Then flip right side out.

And starch and press, while you have it out – starch and press all of your fabric. (See mom – I do use my iron – just not on my clothes)

Ok….Then you need to match like sides together and pin. Make sure to pin your straps where they need to be. Straps face inside of what you are sewing, so when you reverse them – they are on the outside. Mine went literally right to the corner.

After a few attempts – I learned for my pattern – to move the needle to the center point – and sew along the line. It gave me a good seam allowance and room for my insert.

Then flip them right side out – see if the foam fits (cross your fingers), and put on your chair.

What I did for my straps was have them short – wrap around the back, and use Velcro and a button for decoration. Easy to put on and off, and no tie required.

What do you think – I think they look sleek and modern. And – like our new puppy – isn’t he cute!!!

While I had the fabric out – my wonderful husband told me he didn’t like my corkboard I made earlier in the week, so I quickly recovered – and looks WAY better - even got some cute pictures up of my kiddo's.