Lined Laundry Basket

Wow, sewing up a storm over here, and pretending to be a pro!  So, one of my last nursery projects (yes, ONE of the last...) was this laundry basket.

Let's just say I whipped up the liner.

First, I bought this basket probably a year ago ($4.99!), thinking I would actually turn it upside down, and use it as a side table in our family room... Then, all decor projects stopped when I got pregnant, because I just lost all energy.  Anyway, last week, we realized we had the diaper pail, a small trash can, but no place for those dirty clothes everyone seems to remind us we'll have.  :)  I asked Z to pull the basket down from the garage storage loft, and I re-purposed it.

Here's the basket before (perfect size I believe for baby laundry :) )

I painted the basket blue to start- a nice royal blue in a glossy finish (spray paint, of course...)

Then, I essentially sewed up a really large pillow case (thanks mom for the idea.)  I had originally thought I would cut a circle that fit the bottom of the basket, and then sew on the sides in a tube type style.  My mom quickly helped me realize with my novice sewing skills, that simply making a pillow case type liner would be quicker, easier, and just fine for this use.  I measured the depth needed, used some extra drapery lining fabric, and winged it sewing it together.  The finished seams are on the inside, where the clothes drop in, and the rough edges are on the outside of the liner.  I just move the basket so you can't see those.  :)

I added 1/2" elastic to the roll over sides of the liner so it stays in place.  Voila!  Totally simple, and an inexpensive final touch.  I love it in the closet now, but honestly like the color so much I might find a place for it in the room out in the open!

Oh, and notice the closet doesn't have doors?  Yep, those curtains I gave you a sneak peek on are up, and totally cute & functional.  I'll share those shortly with you all... They were another glorious sewing project.  :)

Hope you're enjoying the nursery posts!  I find myself walking in the room all the time, loving how it's turning out.  More to come still :)

That Magic Red Lamp

ok, Ok, OK.  I finally got up the courage to finish my Milk Jug Lamp.  Yes, yes, I posted about him weeks back.

What do you think?

This baby took a while, because through the process: 1. I changed my mind (shocker), 2. dealt with rain and bad weather (CA has seen some bad storms lately) and 3. I had to re-sand him down after the first coats due to paint drips.  What can I say, I was over zealous with the spray paint in a few areas.  :)

Another thing I learned?  Red is hard to paint with.  To get full coverage, no streaks, and no white spots (on the first try) takes talent I sure don't have.  I understand the art of painting a car now.  Plus I was once told that red is the most difficult color to match.

Anyway, I digress.

I started with this lamp, and these two main inspiration photos (one from Pottery Barn, and the other from Shades of Light)

 

 My $10 thrift store find

  

Pottery Barn, $189

 

Shades of Light, price unknown, but over $200...

What, you say?  My lamp looks nothing like either of those?  Refer to point #1 above.  After getting the primer on the lamp, and choosing an off white called "Ivory" (Rustoleum Heirloom white would have been 1000 times better) the lamp base started to look more like the original version from the store!  Totally not what I was going for.  In fact, very far off, from what I was going for.  Sigh.

 

 

Z suggested some color (love him!) and so, I took out my colonial red spray paint, and proceeded to cover the horrible ivory.

Now, as I mentioned in point 3 above, I had drips all over!  I guess I wasn't patient enough to do many light coats this time, which could have helped on that front.  It seemed like after the third light coat though that it wasn't covering so I kept it on some areas longer than spray paint should be.  And got drips.  Sigh.

So, I sanded it down last weekend in the areas where I could really address the drips, and started fresh.

And here, today, with the lamp shade I purchased at Target:

 

...not the greatest photo of the color, because it nearly looks the same color as my new orange drapes.

I'm done.  Finished.  Finito!  I'm putting this lamp somewhere.  I swear. Yep.  All finished, and no home.  Maybe that's because he started hissing when I plugged him back in tonight.  Notice I'm referring to the lamp as a him?  That's because it was an annoying project, and sometimes men are annoying projects.  Teehee.  Just kidding.

All in all, I really do like the color, and the shape, and the drum shade I found ($10 at Target and it's linen).  Just have to find a home.  And a cure for the light buzz he has.  Any idea on how to get rid of that annoying noise?  I don't think it's a lightbulb issue because it has an CFL in it.

For now, that's all.  Laters!

PS: do you think it looks unfinished?  Like it needs a fleur-de-lis stencil, or a number (say our anniversary date) on it?  I was contemplating roughing it up a bit and using paint glaze for the first time.  Thoughts?  Like it the way it is?  Horribly ugly?  Tell me!

Leafy Green My-First-Chalkboard

Yes, that title was a throw back to the Little Tykes products.  No, this is not PVC plastic, and orange and yellow like those kiddie picnic tables everyone has.

But, it is about how I made our first chalkboard.  It was a revamp project- a fun find from the HomeGoods clearance section.  Hideous (I think) to begin with, but an awesome shape.

Because the finished product is so much better than a before, here you go:

And, here's what I started with:

 

The project was simple.  The hardest part was finding the chalkboard in the first place!  This chalkboard was on clearance, on the day I had the incredible shopping trip when all the stars aligned.  I picked it up for $10.  Check out the regular HomeGoods price, and the SUGGESTED price... wah?!  $120?  For that?  No sirry bob.

This bad boy weighs seriously about 10 lbs.  It's solid.  it was brown, with a heavy coat of mod podge and some travel theme before.  I love the little cubby at the bottom, and the curve at the top.

After I decided the office colors would be green and blue,  I pulled out the Rustoleom Satin spray paint in Leafy Green.

With my inspiration paint sitting next to me, I dismatled the screws, and took off the metal chalkboard.  (Extra sweet bonus?  since the beige piece was actually metal, it doubles as a magnetic surface AND chalkboard.  SWEET!)

 

I gave it a sanding, so that the paint would stick.  I didn't bother with primer on this one, since I sanded it down, and sprayed a total of two coats on the exposed edges.

Then, I used my little container of Chalkboard paint that I picked up at Jo-Ann's with a 40% off coupon, and painted the metal sheet.  It was banged up to start with, so it needed a coat of paint anyway.  After two coats of paint, I was ready to put everything back together!

Screwed it up, glued it on, nailed some holes into the wall for brackets, and there we have it.  I primed the board by rubbing chalk on it, then, tried to erase it off.  [I need a real chalkboard eraser- where do I get one of those?  Target?]  Ahh.  So much better.  Now, I just need to find a cute jar to hold chalk in!  Maybe a heavy duty wine glass?  I feel another project coming on.  Get me my meds.  teehee.

So, while this isn't an ornate, framed out chalkboard, it is my first chalkboard, and I'm just easing into the idea.  I don't know how much we'll use it- or not. 

Here's a photo in the office (make sure to check out the phase 1 office/craft room post from the other night here)

What do you think of my creation?!  The color?  The wall location?  Did you make sure to check out my post on this office to get the full list of new projects and about my inspiration fabric here?!  I hope so! 

Man, I'm on fire!  There's so much good stuff.  You're in LUCK.  I'm so glad you're here and actually care about my projects.  I'm just having a blast and a half!  :)

Oh, and we're all in luck that they don't make this version of that my first picnic table anymore.  My sister seriously had one.  I was jealous at the time.  :)

Sweet little Birdie Friend

I've been looking for a little birdie friend to add to my collection (of decor, not of birds) for a while now.  This weekend, I found said birdie friend.  Birdie friend needed a "birdie bath".  Enter, spray paint.

Here we have birdie friend, with a splash of primer!  She just couldn't wait for the makeover, and we missed full on before photos:

 

Yes, that's a burgundy glazed ceramic, and cream color wings

After the bird bath, she was looking much better in all white [primer]:

Then,

...all spit shined up, and feeling tranquil in grey...

Now, where to live?

Enter, milk glass compote, a weekend thrift store find (for $0.75) and a bag of spanish moss ( for $1.00 at the dollar store), and some crumpled newspaper for support:

Add the newspaper to the bottom of your display so you don't need as much moss

 

Fill over newspaper with spanish moss, and place said birdie into her nest.  She loves that "Live Laugh Love" sign, because it was just as thrifty as her, at a whopping $1.70 to make.  She suggests you check it out here.

Hmmm, I'm wondering if she'd lay golden eggs.  Just in case she wouldn't, this whole project only cost $2.75.  Birdie was $1 at thrift shop, compote was $0.75 at thrift shop (50% off day), and moss was $1, and I didn't even use the whole bag.

Very country, yes, but modern with the colors, at the same time.  I love her, but she needs a name.  Why is the name Penelope jumping into my head?  What's your suggestion?!

Flocked Winter Wreath

I'm giddy today!  I finished our winter wreath!

I got this idea while searching through Chris' awesome site, JustAGirl, when I found it a few months back.  I bookmarked it and finally got to execute once the Christmas Decor got put away a week ago.

Aren't you glad I teased you last night?   The other projects coming are just as good too!

I made this project with a few things I found on CLEARANCE (duh):

- 18" pine wreath from Michael's ($2)
- Can of white spray primer paint (had this on hand) (would have cost ~$2)
- Can of Santa Snow from Michael's ($1.79)
- Box of small 1" white glass ornaments from Joann's ($2)
- Ribbon (whole roll was $2.50)
- Beading wire, scissors, hot glue gun! (had these on hand... but we're talking no more than $10 for them all)

 

 

First, after looking at Chris' version for a few minutes, I decided what I wanted on mine.  I grabbed some pine cones from the stash in the garage (since, you know, who doesn't have pine cones laying around...) from the trip to Tahoe we took in November.  I also recalled the box of white ornaments I picked up specifically hoping to use for a winter wreath- of course on clearance!

Here's how she started...

And THEN...

...Then came the super easy steps:

1.  Spray to desired coverage with your white spray primer (I guess you could use regular spray paint, but I was closer to the primer :)  )

2.  Wait for that to dry for about 10-15 min.  (I did this, can you believe it!  See my first VOTW post for reference to my patience...)

3.  Read the vague instructions on the can of snow, and spray onto your wreath to desired thickness.  The can says thick spots won't dry properly.  I'm not sure what a "thick" spot is since it was pretty vague, but mine did dry overnight.

 

4.  Be Patient, and let it dry.  In my case, this meant tucked away in a warm bathroom overnight.  This way, no dogs noses ended up snowy, and the heater vent could blow right near it to dry it faster.

5.  Assemble your accouterments (decor pieces... I'm pretending I'm French again)...  I chose the white glass ornaments and opted for the smaller pine cones.  I sprayed the pine cones with the same white primer from step 1, and the went to work making the ornament clusters.  I just strung a few on some beading wire I had, and hot glued them together so they stayed in the shape I wanted.  I left about an 8" tail on them so I could wrap them through the wreath and secure.


*Remember to eat... if you're anything like me, and going project crazy right now, take advice from the boyfriend/fiance/husband, and remember to eat so you don't pass out and ruin your projects :)  Yes, I forgot to eat.  He prepared me dinner though, cause I was "in the zone" as he calls it.

 

 

6.  In the morning, attach said accoutrements via method required- wrap wired clusters to the wreath base, and hot glue those small pinecones in place.

 

7.  Try to wiggle those decor pieces, and if they're secure, go ahead and lift upright and attach your ribbon!  I got this great ribbon from Martha Steward at Kmart on clearance.  :)

8.  Hang, and again pat yourself on the back!  What a gorgeous wreath, if I do say so myself, and it's certainly helping me through the winter!  We don't get much snow where I'm from in CA, so at least this is a little reminder that it is snowing right now, somewhere!

 

Wow, as I look at it now, it does bear a striking resemblance to Chris' final project.  I guess I liked hers more than I thought!  :)

Don't you just love it?!  Where have I been this whole time... Do people really decorate for the winter?  Totally makes sense!  I can't really start to put valentines day and spring decor out yet, only a week after Christmas, right?!

Have you decorated for the winter at your place?  Do share!