Stars & Stripes {WREATH}

The other night, while trying to tackle a LONG to-do-list, I found a few things in my craft stash that I thought would make a perfect Patriotic wreath.  So, I decided to forgo the to-do-list and do something a little more fun.  My crafting time has really been dwindling lately, so it was SO good to finally feel like I had done something crafty!

This was a great project because I had all the supplies on hand (yay, free for me), and it didn't take too long!

 It's pretty self-explanatory, but here are a few easy directions if you want to make your own:

Cut Strips of burlap.  I used white burlap and cut it into 2.5" strips.

 Paint half of the strips red.  I just used a foam brush and regular craft paint.  Spray paint would have been a bit faster, but I didn't have red, so this is what I used.  It was more of a blotting than a painting process.

 Cut the burlap to fit around the wreath, and hot-glue into place.  Alternate the white and red strips, overlapping just a little bit.

 Tie the star to the wreath, and hang from the door.

I love it!  I was needing a change to my front door, and this is perfect!  Gotta love the USA!

From Clock to Chalk

So I have had this broken clock for awhile.  I just couldn't bring myself to throw it away, because I really liked it.  I knew that I would eventually I would know EXACTLY what I wanted to do with it.

And it happened.  One day last week while perusing some blogs, I though CHALKBOARD.  That is what my clock needs to be!  So I dug it out and went to work--not that it took much for this transformation.

The "face plate" had a hole in the middle.  I just put a piece of duct tape on the back, filled it in with wood filler. and sanded it down.  Then I spray painted it with chalkboard spray paint (AWESOME!!!). I also decided the whole thing needed a little more color.  So I took my paint that I used for my headboard transformation  and painted on a couple layers.  Then lastly, I just sanded it down a bit to show some of the original black.

I am so happy with how it turned out!  And it was simple.  Hmm, I think that is about how all of my projects are these days!

Fall Burlap Banners

Happy Fall!  I keep waiting for life to slow down a bit, but it just isn't happening.  I am squeezing in some time for crafting.  The hard part just seems to be posting it to my blog.  But, here is a SIMPLE little project that I did recently:

They were super fun and super easy.  They are pretty self-explanatory, but here are some pictures of the steps along the way:

**I didn't show a pictures of this, but I made a triangle template out of a cereal box.  It made for quick fabric cutting and ensured all of my triangles were the same size and shape. (Well, the best you can get when you are working with burlap!)

Once my triangles were cut out, I printed out my letters, cut them out, and then traced them onto the burlap with a regular Sharpie marker.  I even used a brown marker to outline the letters that I painted white and orange and it turned out fine.

 Next, I simply painted in the letters with regular craft paint--nothing fancy.  I did find that it worked best to kind of blot the paint as I went to fill in the little squares.

Then I just decorated the triangles.  To make the circles, I just dipped the end of a sponge brush in paint and then dabbed it onto the burlap--re-dipping in the paint for each dot.  Easy.

Next, I just sewed on a strip of ribbon to connect all the triangle pieces.  I did overlap the corners just barely, and I used a zig-zag stitch.

Lastly, I sprayed them (especially the edges) with a clear sealer.  I am hoping this will keep them from fraying.

I had so much fun making these!  You should give it a try!

The Redo {Headboard & Dresser}

This is a project I have been wanting to do for oh, about 3 years now.  So what has been holding me back--a little FEAR.  I was totally overwhelmed, but finally I decided this was the time.  I dragged my husband in for a lot of help.  Seriously, he was VERY opposed to the project.  He kept asking me if there was another project I could get really excited about.  He also let me before we got started that he thought it was a bad idea--that way, if it turned out horrible, I was 100% to blame.  But, he was a champ!  I couldn't have done it without his help.

So you want to see the before/after pics??? (forgive my bad pictures.  VERY BRIGHT SUN=Bad pictures)

 So, the result-I absolutely LOVE them.  Seriously!  I have to thank my friend Jessica for talking me into painting the headboard a fun color.  I was going to use cream for both pieces.  SO glad I went with the tealish/blue.  It makes me excited to finish my bedroom decorating (it has been highly neglected over the years)!

Do you have your own furniture you want to redo?  Here are a few tips.

1.  Use a good primer.  I used this Zinsser primer.  NO NEED FOR SANDING!!!!

2.  Spray on your paint.  We used a paint sprayer (yeah, the kind you would paint a house with).  If you don't have access to this, I would recommend using spray paint.  This primer also comes in spray form.

3.  Don't be afraid of glazing.  I am sure if somebody who actually knew what they were doing when it comes to glazing, they would probably laugh.  However, I love the depth it gives the furniture.  I found a few glazing video tutorials that were a great help.  Also, I just used craft or acrylic paint to mix with my glaze.  It seemed to work fine for me, however, I have never used latex paint to have a comparison.

5.  I also sprayed a protective finish on once I had finished the painting and glazing.

4.  Don't be afraid.  Just do it!!!

Happy Day!  It's finally done!