Upcycled Embellishment Rack

While I was overhauling the great mess of the junk room, I did take a break every once in awhile to work on this little project.

I have been looking for a spice rack like this while out junking and you know how it is when you're looking for something specific... you never come across it.  I was seeing them all the time.  Then I saw someone painted one and used it for beads.  Aha!  Perfect for embellishments... get them out of all those little containers and I'll actually be able to see what all I have.  But as always for me... I never came across another.  Why does this always happen?  Hahaha!  I don't ever buy or sell on those online groups but for some reason I found myself in one.  And I came across this spice rack for $5.  I immediately contacted the person.  I drove and drove and drove way out in the county and spent more than $5 in gas to get to this baby, lol!  But at least it was a beautiful day and I adventured down country roads that I've never been on.  So it was a nice drive.

It was definitely used and the people I bought it from even left me some spices, lol!  So the first thing I did was put the jars and lids in a tub of hot soapy water and let it soak overnight.  The jars then went to the dishwasher, while I scrubbed each lid by hand.  I let it all dry overnight.  You want to make sure everything is completely dry before you start to paint or the paint won't stick... no matter what kind you are using.

The first thing I did was spray gray primer on the rack.  I found a thick metal rod that was to be recycled so I put a lid on the end and rotated it in the air as I sprayed primer on the top and sides of each lid.  I was able to set the rod in a bucket of sticks for a few minutes so the lid was not touching anything.  Once it was slightly dry so I could touch it, I moved it over to a piece of cardboard that had a glossy finish to complete the drying.  At this point, you need to be careful where you place your spray painted pieces as it will stick to most surfaces.  Something with a glossy finish or wax paper will work great.

I thought I had more pictures of this process but as I was strolling through pictures, I realized this was the timing of my daughter getting an acute concussion being out of basketball for the rest of the season, along with her being a Sr. Homecoming attendant so there was much going on.  In my junk room I have a little cream, mostly espresso brown and darker vintage colors.  I decided it was time to liven it up and bring in some bright cheery colors.  Along with Gloss apple red, this is the color I've chosen to accent.

What a fun piece to add to my junk room!

I have been able to get rid of numerous little containers.  And it was so exciting to see some of the littles that I completely forgot I had!  

Working on another little project for my junk room but it's going much slower.  Spring cleaning and working in the yard leaves little time for play, sadly.  😉

Wishing you a blessed rest of the week and a wonderfully sunny Spring weekend~ 

Burlap Bed Skirt

I've been looking at bed skirts for our bed but just haven't come across any that I love.  Also looking for new bedding... which is even harder to find what I want, that I'm picturing in my mind.  So I decided to make a no-sew burlap bed skirt that I came across on Pinterest.  This is the link to the tutorial that I copied:  http://yougotpersonal.blogspot.com/2013/08/diy-no-sew-burlap-bedskirt.html?m=1
Here is what our bed looked like before I started.

I did this while I was spring cleaning so it was the perfect time to get the dust bunnies and give everything a good washing, along with cleaning the mattress with baking soda.  If you don't do this, I suggest you start making it a habit because it really does freshen up mattresses.  Spread baking soda on a mattress and leave on for about an hour.  Then vacuum off.  Doing this every 1-2 months supposedly kills off dust mites too.  

I'm cheating here and telling you that you need to go to You Got Personal's tutorial page to figure how much burlap you will need.  I was blessed with a huge roll of burlap (free!) but it was cut differently so the webpage dimensions didn't help me... which meant I had to figure the math on my own, darn it.  I laid the burlap out on the floor and cut the length of the piece that I needed.  If you don't know the quick and easy way to cut burlap, here is a link that is a huge help:  http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/secret-to-cutting-burlap-straight-and I'm telling you, when I discovered this simple tip, I was amazed at how much more I loved burlap and used it more often, haha!  It can be some serious messy stuff sometimes.  

The tutorial called for upholstery pins so not thinking, that's what I bought.  But they are similar to tacks and will not stay in the box spring.  T-pins are what you need.  I used the longer ones, 1 3/4".  Being ocd, I used a tape measure and measured 8" from fold to fold.

I was honestly amazed at how quick this project went.  Seriously two hours total from start to finish and that even included putting the bedding in the wash, taking the mattress off by myself, sweeping the dust bunnies that were living under the bed, pinning the burlap to the box spring, and putting the bed back together!

Best of all... this project only cost me a couple of dollars for the T-pins because I was gifted the burlap.  When my husband saw it and was praising how wonderful it looked, I sweetly mentioned to him that he can take me out to dinner with the $$ I saved, hehe!

Now if only finding the bedding that I have pictured in my mind was this easy, I'd have it made.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!  I'll be busy with my HS Sr daughter playing in 2 golf tournaments and weeding another flower bed... thankfully we have nice weather in the forecast.  

Decoupaging a Hat Box

I picked up a fairly old hat box at an estate sale that was loaded with vintage sewing supplies.  The box itself wasn't vintage and I knew it wouldn't sell so I decided to decoupage it.  These napkins were picked up at Dollar Tree at a different time than the box... just waiting patiently to be used with Mod Podge.

I started with the lid.  I put Mod Podge around the lip of the lid, then set the napkin on that so that the edges were even.  Then on the other edge once it was dry, I cut it straight because I didn't want to tuck any underneath the lid.  If there's too much material between the lid and the box, it's tight to open and close and will eventually tear even though the napkins are sealed. 

So the top of the lid looked like this once I got the sides covered.  Do you see how there is a slight gap between the napkin and actual lid?  You won't have this when it is finished.

I cut the napkins apart in sections where the creased lines were.  Then I started brushing Mod Podge on top of the lid, layering pieces of napkins slightly overlapping as I went.

This is what the lid looked like once it was covered.  I did not fold over any of the napkins onto the side.  I cut them straight across the lid.  You'll see in the finished box...  you won't even be able to tell that they are not touching, the small gap that is there, or the slight overlap from a cut that is not perfectly straight.  It will have a complete covered look.

Once the lid top and sides were covered and the excess cut off, I brushed a layer of Mod Podge over the top.  What I love so much about this product is that it acts as a glue and sealer all in one.  One product for the whole project-- perfect.

The box itself was actually easier to cover and went much quicker.  Isn't it funny how that worked out.  Napkins are super thin and tear very easily where scissors would normally be needed... as in the second picture around the eyelet.

Once the box was covered, one coat of Mod Podge was brushed on top to seal the napkins.  I brushed the glue on a little thicker than normal and the end result is a slight texture.  When you rub your fingers across the box, you can feel little bumps.  This adds to the vintage look that I was going for.  You can see this texture a little bit in a few places in this close-up.

As you can tell in these last two pictures... once the edges were sealed with the Mod Podge, you can't even see the gap or slight overlap of the napkins.  The glue seals the napkin edges to the box.

The main thing to remember about decoupaging is thickness.  This means the thickness of the material you are using, and the thickness with which you apply the Mod Podge.  It is a lot like glue in that it will make paper buckle and pucker, especially thinner paper such as napkins or tissue paper.  Depending on the finished look you are desiring, you would normally go with a light coat of Mod Podge.  If you are decoupaging heavier material as in fabric, you can get a straight, even lay.  You would obviously need a heavier coat of glue than super thin material and you would just slightly push down and rub out the bubbles as you go.

What's really fun about decoupaging is that the possibilities are endless!  You can use Mod Podge on just about any surface and you can use almost anything to cover with.  There is a variety of finishes to choose from.  But I'm old school and still use the same finish that I have for years... matte.  I hope you see how easy it is to turn something drab into a pretty piece to display in your home, and it's fun in the process!