A few Furniture Updates~

So ever since I decided to actually sell I've been kind of antsy and nervous. What if no one buys my stuff? What if no one likes it? what if what if what if?!?!?!

Ugh scary. But those fears haven't held me back from making more- it's a sickness I think. 

Remember when I found that cute little side table for $5? Well it is now all redone, shiny and new and ready for someone to take it home!

The top was all messed up with some sticky gunk that I had to remove with GoGone

The wood on the top was actually really nice. So I restained it a darker color and painted the bottom blue.

I also revamped this little beauty I found on the side of the road:

The mirror was broken and long gone out the frame. But the frame was in good shape so I knew I could save it. 

After removing the mirror that was left behind and some clean up and paint, I used the side "wings" to create a cork board/ chalk board:

I used mending plates to attach the two pieces together. And I used the existing backboard (that the original mirrors were attached to) to make the cork and chalk board. Pretty easy and I saved something from being thrown away!

The larger mirror frame I turned into a large chalkboard. The existing backboard on this piece was in bad shape so a new piece of hardboard was cut and painted with chalkboard paint. You can see it hanging up in my booth!! Yay!

More exciting projects coming soon!!

The One Tool We All Have & Some Inspiration

I've recently found a new tool to add to my arsenal. Can you guess what it is? It's something that we all use everyday- any thoughts?

It's my hairdryer! Yes- my hairdryer has become a tool I've used in two projects recently. First with my updated bar cart and then to remove the marble tops off these side tables:

Latest Thrifty Finds

I realized that I haven't shared any thrifty finds lately. That's partly because it's been slim pickins around here but recently I've scored some fun finds.

So what better way to start the New Year than to share them with you!

First up is this awesome Mid Century Nelson inspired bench I found on the Altus Classifieds page:

Super Side Tables

Don't you love these Mid-Century side tables? I've been seeing a lot of them around lately.

I've heard them called "Step Tables" They are so versatile, they can work in almost any room of the home, living room, bedroom etc. You can leave them the original wood or paint them up!

My friend Stephanie found this awesome table at the Goodwill and gave it a new life with some paint and tape. !!LOVE!!

 

My Mom (Hi Mom!) found a pair for $10 each and gave them a fresh coat of paint. She uses them in two different rooms in her home.

And I rescued  a pair from the side of the road and stenciled a pattern on them:





So if you happen to come across one of these little guys don't pass them up! Give them a new home, they will really appreciate it. 

Simple Side Table

So, about that cute little side table I bought at Ikea. I bought it because it was inexpensive and I had the perfect idea for what to do with it.

I used a poster that I have carried around since college. I used to love (and still do) these old advertising posters. I had a few different ones hanging up in my room in college but don't have any hanging in our house now. I had to make some compromises when the hubs and I moved in together. ;)

So to I decided to use my new table to incorporate one of my old posters into our new home. I started by painting it red and then Mod Podging the Cat Poster on the top. I finished it off by covering it with this:

EnviroTex makes a thick clear coat that is almost indestructible. The box says it's like 50 coats of poly urethane. I like the look it gives a finished project. I've used it once before and have learned several things. 

1. Use it outside because it's messy

2. Don't do it on a windy day. It takes a long time to dry and dust and leaves will get stuck in it.

3. You don't need that much to cover your surface

So, here's the finished product:

So to review:

+  + + =

I'm not sure where I'm going to put it yet since most of the colors in our house are earth tones. It'll just hang out in the sun room for a while until I decide on a home for it.

End Table Redo

In our house we have a sunroom. It used to be just a place for me to fold laundry and watch TV. But since Con-Man was born, we have been using the sunroom for our guest room. Most of the furniture in there is a mix of leftovers that didn't fit else where in our house. Like these end tables I found on the curb:

(Sorry about the bad picture quality! I lost the charger for my new camera and have been using my old one...)

I like the style of the tables, kind of retro modern. But the finish on each is pretty bad, Cheap wood laminate. I never thought anyone would really see them but me, but we've been having a lot of company over lately and have some more coming this weekend. So I decided it's time for a little sprucing up. 

I thought a pattern on top of the tables would be a nice look. This technique didn't take me very long, just 2-3 hours for the whole project.

I really liked the pattern on this image I found on the internet. 

I enlarged it on Photoshop.

Then cut the shapes out with an Exacto Knife. This took me the longest. I knew choosing a complicated pattern would take more time but I liked it. (Ugh my camera is horrible!)

I did then a light sanding so the paint would adhere better.

Next I painted the tops of the tables with some leftover paint I had. 

I matched up the templates and taped them down to the table. For a really clean look contact paper would have worked better, but then I would have had to cut the shapes out twice since my printer won't print on contact paper. 

Then I went to work with the spray paint! I used Rustoleum Heirloom White.

I think they turned out pretty cute! Not bad for finding them on the street, all this project cost me was $4 for spray paint!

Here they are in the sunroom.

Next project has to be recovering those pillows that came with the couch. Can you see them in the corner of the pic? They're pretty blah.

Linking here