diy painted mountain gift wrap

So...June. You know what this means? It's dad's turn for a little limelight. It's time to thank him for all his hard work over the years raising such completely perfect children ;) Finding dad just the right gift is your job (because finding my own dad's gift is hard enough sheesh!), but I can help with the gift wrap! Because even manly men deserve stylishly-wrapped thoughtful gifts.

While browsing the shops in Princeton last month, we stopped in one of the stationary stores because I'm like a bug drawn towards the light when it comes to anything paper and craft-like. One wall was filled with pricey gorgeous sheets of gift wrap draped over rods. There was a number of lovely patterns for the ladies and a few fun ones for the guys. I hereby request a wall of gift wrap just like that in my dream [on] craft room. Anyway, my Dad liked the old bicycle print. Cool, but I'm no artist and there's just no way I could ever re-create that print without a stamp or a printer. Brad liked the mustaches. Nice, but it's old news.

So that got me thinking. What do the men in my life love? Beef, mountains, bacon, fish, fire... Here's my first attempt at gift wrap made especially for the boys. The perfect way to jazz up some kraft paper for Father's Day or a birthday. P.S. There's no reason to keep this wrapping paper only for the boys. I know some lovely, stylish ladies who would love to receive a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted mountain scene on a gift.

Supplies

Kraft wrapping paper or bags

Green and brown acrylic paint

Small brushes

a photo ode to may

May 31st. Thirty-first. Because spelling it out makes it a reality that tomorrow is the beginning of June. I'm sure I sound like a broken record, but I'm going to say it anyway...how did this happen? It's practically summer!

So in honor of the month that was, here's a random collection of photos from my camera. Enjoy!

What's a birthday without a little OwowCow...

With a side of homemade mocha cupcakes with espresso buttercream?

project progress report

I know you're probably hoping to find a new tutorial for some incredibly wonderful project I've recently completed. Alas, today is not the day you'll find one. You see this little thing called "life" is getting in the way of me actually starting (and finishing) blog projects lately. But since I want you, my lovely readers, to feel included I'm sharing a few snapshots of what's currently up our crafty sleeves. Full tutorials and details coming soon...once we actually complete something on our expanding project to-do list...

links to inspire a diy weekend

Happy weekend! The hubster and I have a weekend of diy, friends, family, and sunshine-soaking planned. Can't wait to share our projects with you in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, I've rounded up a few of my favorite diy links lately to unleash your creative side. Be inspired.

16 Farmer's Market Totes a roundup from Whimseybox - I have big plans to paint my billy ball flower design onto a tote in the future, but I'm loving this roundup of farmer's market diy totes!

Paper Hydrangeas by Lia Griffith - Gorgeous summer centerpiece! Bonus: it won't die when you forget to water.

Giant Pom Pom Flower by Hearts & Sharts - Ahh! In love with the little curly wire stem!

DIY Clay Cactus Garden by Inspired by Charm - Because who wouldn't want their own personalized clay cactus garden?! I'm pretty sure I have a few cacti-obsessed friends who need this.

DIY Ombre Jenga by Lovely Indeed - The hubster just told me he's never played Jenga. WHAT?! Guess I now have an excuse to break out the paint and the game.

How to Age Terracotta Pots - Three Methods by Craftberry Bush - Love the look of these aged pots! Perfect for a kitchen window herb garden.

DIY Macaron Soap by Hello Home Shoppe via Poppytalk - And this last one is specifically a link for the master of soap making that created the soaps in the photo above. My mom. Seriously, better than many we've seen in stores lately! I figure she needs a challenge. I'm putting in my request for a macaron shaped soap ;)

Any diy links your loving lately? Do share!

diy sneak peek

Happy weekend! Just stopped by to share our newest diy project with you. Any guesses on what we're up to? 

Need a hint? We've decided to embrace the granny chic decor that currently occupies our apartment walls. Full post coming soon. Until then enjoy your weekend friends!

fall wreath inspiration

It's officially October (despite what the weather may be saying these days) and it's time to get festive! Earlier this month Shanty 2 Chic posted this beautiful fall wreath. I'd been debating on what kind of fall wreath to make for a while, but their gorgeous and simple wreath settled it for me. It was high time to create my own version of a fall-inspired wreath.

I started with a basic grapevine wreath from Michaels. Frugalish note: Please never ever ever buy anything at a craft store full price! There is almost always a 40% off coupon that can be paired up with non-sale items. I was originally planning on buying some naturally dried berries for the wreath, but the natural items are much more expensive and not in this frugalish girl's budget.

While browsing the aisles of fall wreaths, garlands, and picks I had a light bulb moment - memories of coming home from school with my mom sitting in the middle of giant pile of garland, random flower material, moss, and hot glue working on a flower arrangement filled my mind. She's made some beautiful wreaths and arrangements over the years and as a result has her own mini flower arranging department. I left with my wreath and decided it was time to raid her supply.

diy: dresser turned kitchen cabinet

Remember months ago when I promised a diy post about another dresser we had remodeled to fit in our kitchen. Well, here it is...just a tad bit late... I could blame it on a whole bunch of things, but instead let's just talk details.  

Our goal was to turn this walnut dresser into a updated two-toned dresser to store baking sheets and pans, spices, etc. in our small (rather dark) kitchen. I wanted to be sure that any furniture we added would not make the space feel any smaller. We also wanted a versatile, neutral color that would transition well into other rooms in the future.

Here's the "before" minus the hardware:

1st step: stripping
We covered the sides with a drop cloth, donned on some gloves, and applied the stripper with a paintbrush. After letting it sit on the top for an hour or two, we removed the excess goop with a stripper tool and a scrubber. Then we used mineral spirits to remove any remaining sticky spots.  

2nd: bleaching
The top was still much darker than what we wanted, so we decided to bleach the wood. Side note: I'm not entirely sure that you can tell we did this step in our finished product because of the shellac we used. Oh well, live and learn...

3rd: sanding

Then after the wood bleach was wiped off with water. We let it dry and then sanded down the grain that had been raised in the process. 

4th: sealing

We followed the sanding with a clear spray shellac over the top to seal the wood. (Sorry, no pictures of that part). We used Zinnser Clear Shellac Traditional Finish (the same shellac we used in our prior projects), but in a spray form.

5th: sanding/painting 

Finally, it was time to paint the lower part of the dresser and the drawers! Before we painted we lightly sanded everything, so the paint would stick. We found that three coats of Behr (in a shade of white that I forget what it's called) were needed to cover the dark wood. We chose the satin enamel finish to give the dresser a bit of gloss and to enable easy clean up of messy kitchen spills.

Our diy process was slowed significantly when we discovered that the distance between the drawer handle holds is an uncommon size. None of the major suppliers sell 4 1/2 inch pulls in stores. After a few weeks of searching we finally found some on ebay. They aren't my favorite handles, but the options were slim. We spray painted the handles with Rust-oleum Satin Nickel Metallic Paint and Primer in One. I would have preferred to find sleeker handles, but this was the best we could do without paying $20 a handle.

The finished product! It fits perfectly under our window to the living/dining room. I cannot stress enough how much I desperately needed the extra space for all the miscellaneous kitchen stuff. My spices fit perfectly in the top right drawer, the big middle drawers are perfect for baking pans and cutting boards, and the smaller drawers are great for immersion blenders, strainers, etc.

I absolutely love the way the finish highlights the beautiful grain of the wood!

If you're looking to improve your kitchen or add some storage, I'd recommend finding your own dresser in need of some tlc and get refinishing! 

diy: barn sale window transformation

I know I promised this barn sale window transformation months ago, but life happened. Days turned to weeks....weeks to months...ooops! Anyway, we absolutely love the finished product! Hope this inspires you to hit up some yard sales and rummage through someone else's junk and find a treasure of your own.

The challenge: to transform an old window by eliminating flaking paint and dirt, but still keep its original rustic beauty. Here's how we did it:

Start with an old window. If it's from the 1920s like ours then proceed with caution, the paint and window caulking most likely contain lead. Prepare a well-ventilated area with a plastic drop cloth and wear a mask and gloves. If you are claustrophobic, work as quickly as possible and try not to focus on the whole mask over your nose and mouth part...

Grab a wire brush and get working. Brush with the grain until all the peeling paint is gone. The goal is not to take off all the paint, but simply to have a smooth surface that will allow the shellac to adhere well. Use a knife and carefully remove the old caulking. I took out the window panes completely because I was worried the glass would get scraped in the wire brushing process. 

Roll up the drop cloth when you're finished and throw it out. Then grab your handy dandy shop vac and carefully vacuum any remaining dust off the window and any that might have escaped from the drop cloth. 

Wipe the frame with a damp cloth to remove any barn dust, bird poop, or any other disgusting things it might have accumulated in the course of its life.... Let the frame dry and any remaining dust particles settle. This is a great project to do outside on a nice day. Unfortunately, it was cold and windy on this Saturday, so I worked on the window in the garage and then opened the door to let the garage air out before I shellaced.

Apply a coat of shellac to seal the remaining paint and wood. Use a cheap foam brush that can be throw out when you're finished. Allow the shellac to dry then flip and coat the other side. We used the same can of shellac from our other two diy projects: the dresser and nightstand.

Decide how you would like to use your window - Do you want to hang it on the wall as is? Would you like to put the windows back in with new caulking? Will you be putting a different picture in each of the panes? Or will it be one giant picture? We opted for one giant picture without any window panes. 

I love that we wake up with a view of Frenchman's Bay each morning. If only our bedroom had this view of Bar Harbor for real!

Stay tuned: a dresser turned kitchen "island" diy project coming your way in the next few weeks.

sneak peek: yard saled old window

Happy Monday, friends! I'm overwhelmed by the number of you who checked out the blog to view our nightstand and dresser DIY projects. It looks like you love cheap refurnishing and decorating as much as I do! Let's be friends (if we aren't already)!

I thought you might like to see a little glimpse of our next DIY project. We picked up this old farmhouse window from a barn sale last week. If all goes according to plan, the next time you will see this window all the cobwebs will be gone and it will be transformed into a beautiful rustic picture frame!

P.S. If we all start using the term "yard saled," maybe we could get Webster to add it to the dictionary. Yard Saled: an adjective referring to any object that is another man's junk, but your treasure. Yard Saled items are bargains normally purchased on Fridays and Saturdays. 

diy dresser with rustic wooden top

Ready for the sequel to the nighstand project? This one is my personal favorite! Perhaps because I now have a new dresser for the first time in my life! I love that I can picture this dresser sitting in an overly priced home store with a gigantic budget-busting price on it. But it's not from Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, Anthrolopie or West Elm, we transformed it! It might have taken some time to complete, but the finished product is exactly the look we were hoping to create!

Here's a look at the before picture - your standard 70s dresser ready for a makeover!

Dresser step-by-step:
1. Clean the dresser and drawers with a cloth and remove the old hardware. Do you think anyone will buy the hardware at a garage sale??
2. Apply a coat of Behr Hazelnut Creme on the dresser and outside of the drawers and let it dry overnight. Note: not the best idea to paint in the grass on newspaper, but spring fever was calling...

3. Apply a second coat of paint.
4. Lightly sand the corners and edges of the dresser and drawers and remove any sanding dust. Use a fine grit paper.

5. Apply a coat of Zinnser Clear Shellac Traditional Finish and Sealer (the same shellac we used in the nightstand project).

6. Replace the old knobs and pulls with new hardware from Home Depot.

And the icing on top of the cake - the dark rustic wooden top:
1. We picked up two 2x6x10s and had the Home Depot man cut them in half for us.
2. We wanted the wooden top to hang over the original dresser top by an 1 1/2" on each side, so we cut the 2x6s to be 53" long. And by "we," I mean my dad and hubster - I draw the line at super fast spinning metal blades. I'd like to keep all my fingers...
3. One board was also cut to be 3 1/2" wide so  it would sit flush with the back of the dresser against the wall.
4. After making the cuts, remove all the sawdust. Leftover sawdust + stain = not the best idea
5. Then apply a coat of Old Masters Spanish Oak Wiping Stain to the boards. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes then remove most of the stain with a cloth. Turn the boards over after they are dry to touch and coat the other side. Allow the boards to dry overnight.
6. Apply a coat of shellac to all sides of the 2x6s (flip the boards after a half hour to coat the other side).
7. Use a biscuit cutter and wood glue to attach the four boards to each other. The biscuits allowed us to attach the boards to each other without any visible nails or screws.
9. Place the 2x6 board on top on the dresser. It's currently resting on a drawer liner we bought at the dollar store to keep it from scratching the top of the dresser. If you have kids and are thinking about doing this project, you might want to screw the boards into the dresser.

I absolutely love the rustic top mixed with a sleek dresser. Can't wait until we get to work on our headboard and footboard in a few weeks! I promise I'll try to capture each step in the diy process next time!

P.S. If you liked what we did with this dresser, check out how we upcycled an old dresser into a kitchen storage cabinet for our tiny kitchen. 

diy rustic nightstand

After four Saturdays of painting, staining, sanding, and shellacing, we've finally completed our two furniture projects! The nightstand and dresser had been waiting in storage for someone to dust them off, pretty them up, and use them again. Along came some semi-frugal sort-of-newlyweds who desperately needed some bedroom furniture in their abode and the rest is history. 

Today, let's talk about this nightstand:

The color is a little off in the first picture, but you get the idea - it's dated and desperately in need of some tlc.

Here's what we did:
1. Dusted/cleaned with a rag.
2. Applied a coat of Silver Strand Behr paint. We actually bought two little samples in flat and barely even needed the second sample. Tip: buying samples instead of a quart saves precious $$!
3. Applied a coat of Zinnser Clear Shellac Traditional Finish and Sealer
4. Sanded in areas of typical wear on "old" pieces
5. Removed the sanding debris
6. Applied a coat of Old Master's Spanish Oak Wiping Stain. Let it sit for five to ten minutes then wiped most of it off. Let it dry overnight.
7. Applied another coat of Zinnser Shellac.
8. Added a new drawer pull (not sure the name/model, but we got it Home Depot) and viola! Done!

Lessons learned:

1. Have some sort idea of the overall look you want to achieve in the end. Ask the experts for help- there's no way we would of known which products to use without the help of my brother! If you want to see what a real master can do with wood, paint, and stain, check out his website and prepare to be amazed!
3. Sand carefully and with the grain. I got a little overzealous a few times...
4. Don't expect perfection on your first try! I can see some of the places that need a bit more stain, but no one else is going to notice unless they get down on the floor scrutinize all its flaws (and if that's the case, then you probably don't want them in your bedroom anyway!)
5. The most expensive item to buy was the wiping stain ($20). Thankfully, we also used the wiping stain and shellac for our dresser. and there is still plenty left for future projects!

I really love having a nightstand for the first time in my life! Yes, that's right. The first time in my life! I've always had a basket, desk, or hutch next to my bed, but now I feel like I'm officially an adult! If only we could find one for the hubster's side of the bed - this weekend we begin our yard sale search!

Coming soon: the dresser's transformation!