DIY TV Stand Dresser Make-over

Hey friends! It always seems like I'm playing a game of catch-up with you all whenever I write a new post. Maybe I need to get better at this.. 

In case you haven't heard, as of tomorrow I will have spent my first whole week living in Duluth! I'm super pumped to begin my classes and find out what opportunities this new city has to offer. The past few weeks, however, have been absolutely crammed. I've been running around like a crazy person trying to get all my stuff together for my new place. Today, I'm going to introduce you to my biggest project: a TV stand made from a dresser! A week or so before I left, a wonderful co-worker informed me that she had a dresser she wanted to get rid of. I told her I'd gladly take it off her hands. :) 

Here's the before picture: 

It turned out to be the absolute perfect size. Although I liked how it looked previously, it wasn't quite the style I was going for. So I peeled the zebra print duct tape off and removed the hardware. Since it was already white, I just gave it a good sanding and it was ready to go. 

I had picked out deep red, navy blue, gold and various matching colors for my allover color scheme, so luckily I had a quart of beautiful deep navy leftover from my bedroom. (In case you wanted to know specifics, it's called "Lost in Space" from Ace Hardware).

Ta-da! Then I spray painted the original hardware that came with the dresser (the black ones were replacements) with white Rustoleum spray paint. Luckily, I had this project in mind a few months ago and my mother brought home a couple refrigerator shelves from a fridge they ended up tossing at work. They slid in perfectly between the boards for the top drawers. 

Then I used this little guy, a circular saw attached to the drill, to make two holes in the back for cords.

BAM. Easy as pie.

So now I'm all moved in and everything is set up! Unfortunately, the sound system and speakers didn't fit in the left side shelf so I ended up setting another table next to the dresser. Instead, I slid in a crate full of paints to fill the negative space. Above that is my record player and the tv, and under that is my trusty VCR. I am currently using the four drawers as storage for VHS tapes, DVDs and extra blankets. The setup makes me look forward to cold winter nights when I can pull out a fluffy blanket, snuggle up and watch an old movie or listen to a peaceful record with cup of coffee :) 

Keep an eye out, much more to follow :) 

Have a happy weekend! 

-Al

Problem Solving - Coffee Table Transformation

Oofta! What a busy week I've had! But I have to say, I'm absolutely pumped to share my latest project with you. Last summer I picked up a coffee table from the side of the road. At first, I had planned to remove the finish and then re-stain a pattern on top. That failed miserably, and I left a nasty black mark from incorrectly attempting the removal. That's when I said, "Hey, what else could this be?" And thus, the bench was born.

So here we are, before I started destroying the wood..

And here's after. See that big black stain? Yeah... oops.

So I painted the legs white instead :)

I used some spray adhesive to get my 2" piece of foam, measured to the size of the table, to stick more securely to the wood. I have to say, I was pretty impressed with how well it worked. I flipped it upside down and it didn't even fall off! Neato! So after the foam was on, I measured and cut a piece of quilt batting to help soften the edges and give the bench a little more cushion. Then..

I made friends with a staple gun :) 

Voila! Next, I cut my cover fabric and did the same process.

:) I left it on all fours and stapled it from underneath instead of flipping it like I did with the batting so that I could make sure my fabric stayed tight and even. And my hair kept falling out..... 

Then after lots of hard work, it was finished!!

I'm so incredibly happy with it. It's going to make the perfect bench to sit and read, play ukulele, or draw on during the summer. I have big plans for this patio room, so stay tuned :) This is just the first element.

Can I also say how incredible the weather has been these past few days? Gollee, it's just swell. Have a wonderful week and get outside a little! 

-bunny

DIY Chalkboard Labeled Bottle

Hey all!

So here's the thing. I never drink anything. Ever. Therefore, I'm 99% sure that I'm dehydrated all the time.. Then one day, I stumbled upon this little beauty in the grocery store!  

The tea was awesome, I definitely recommend giving it a shot. Once I had finished, I realized how much potential this little glass bottle had! How could I just toss it in the recycling bin when I could recycle it myself?

So.. I took off the label with some trusty Goo-Gone.

 At this point, I already knew what I wanted to do with it. 

 I mixed up some old black acrylic paint I had on hand with a sprinkle of non-sanded grout to make chalk paint. The real measurements are 1 cup of paint and 1 Tbs of grout, but I only needed a small amount so I just winged it! And it worked :) Then, I applied the chalk paint to the lid and the side of the bottle in the shape of a label. You know.. just in case I forget what I'm drinking or something...

Pretty nifty, huh? If you aren't comfortable free handing the label, you could definitely print one that you like out and trace it onto some contact paper. Then just cut out the positive space (the label itself), stick it on the bottle and fill it in with your paint! I had to give mine a good three coats but it could vary depending on the type of paint and amount of grout used. 

So I don't know about you, but chalk sticks and I do not always go together well. I mean, they work just fine but if I want to make variations of think and thin lines.. well you can just forget it! I'll have you know I was overjoyed when I found out they make chalk pencils. Yes. Pencils with chalk.

Adios chunky chalk sticks!

The pack on the left is some quilting chalk pencils I picked up at Jo-Ann Fabrics the other day. If you use these, make sure you're getting chalk pencils, since some quilting pencils are made with wax and other materials. I also experimented with a white charcoal pencil, which is what I used on this bottle. It works just the same! 

Tada! I'm so in love with this project, I can't wait to take it everywhere! And I'm definitely not going back to chalk sticks for typography. 

Have fun!!

-Alison

P.S. - I wish my pictures could be bigger, but since I'm using my phone if I go much larger they start to get blurry and nobody wants that.. Sorry :( 

Little Yellow

So guess what, guys!

 I recently obtained a smartphone and after taking a week to figure out how it works, I realized it has a pretty decent camera! This is very exciting news, especially since I've been working on projects up the wazoo over here. I mean, what else was I supposed to do while being stuck inside for 3 days straight during a horrible ice storm that shut down the entire city?? 

One of my many projects included finishing up a desk I picked up this fall at a garage sale. I don't know why it took me so long to finish up, but I'm so relieved that it's finished and I'm ready to get it out of my house!!! 

So now I present to you, my first finished piece of refinished furniture! 

Okay, but really. How horrible is the hardware on this? That's why I chucked it. :)

And this is the result...

To break up the boldness of the yellow and bring out the white of the knobs, I added three white stripes to the insides of each of the drawers. BAM!

And aren't the new knobs absolutely adorable? I sure think so. 

Forgive the fuzzies please!

Overall, I'm really pleased with how it came out! I'm really looking forward to my next furniture project, and the fact that I can take pictures until I get a legitimate digital camera makes me so happy. :)

Have a great week!!

-Alison

Friday Finds

Okay, so it's not Friday anymore. This weekend really got away from me. Anyway,  I've been keeping busy the past couple days. I've spent a lot of time and energy working on that little table, and I've recently been finding new exciting things! I'd love to show you :)

First are two little square mirrors I bought at a garage sale down the street! Even though they're kinda ugly, I thought they had a lot of potential.

Okay, they were really ugly. Luckily, a little sanding took away the gold trim and got them ready to paint! Next, I added a layer of white, sanded, a layer a black, sanded, then applied a light coat of mod podge to protect the paint and give it a little shine. Here's how they ended up..

The other thing I wanted to share is something I'm very excited about.. and they were FREE!!! That's my favorite price! :)

Yippee!! They're old, rusty tire rims! After cleaning them up and giving them some loving, they will have a second life holding pretty flowers and possibly herbs! :)

Happy hunting!

-Alison

Mirror, Mirror

I finished up this mirror the other day! It was one of my exciting finds over Christmas break.. $3 at Savers!! I've always been on the lookout for interesting frames and mirrors, so when I spotted this across the store I knew I had to claim it. The only problem was that it was a really awkward tealish-blue color. Shortly after my purchase, I went to Wal-mart and picked out some petal pink spray paint. Sadly, it sat in my closet for months, waiting to be refreshed and used. Finally, I was able to change that. I was disappointed with the flatness of the color and shape after it was sprayed, so I decided to hand paint some white and yellow accents. (Lesson for spray painting: don't let the object lay directly on the newspaper, especially while drying. The paper stuck to the back of the mirror and I spent way too much time cutting out all the holes with an exacto knife.) Here's how it turned out. I apologize for not taking before pictures.. I'll make sure to provide them in the future!

I enjoyed taking pictures of this one. It almost looks like a portal to another world!

Another project to check off my to-do list! Yippee!

-Alison

Little Boxes

Happy Saturday! Here's a look at what I've been up to the past couple days:

The other day we were visiting some family friends, who've graciously let me hunt for new projects in their basement. It was then that I discovered these little beauties...

Aren't they just lovely?! The box on the left appears to be an old, wooden milk crate. I'm sure he will have no problem finding a new home in my room :) I'm not exactly sure what purpose the box on the right was made for, but it is very solid and spacious. It even has a little latch on the front, in case you have something secret to lock in ;)  However, when I opened it...

Eeeeek! That sure is a bright red! That will definitely have to go. I'm thinking maybe a deep blue or a rich yellow would be a nice new base coat for the interior. There is also the decision of whether to remove the current, slippery stain on the outer wood and replace it with something different. Someday it'll be a wonderful little storage piece :)

This brings me to my current project - the little artsy table! I am in love with this table, it has such a unique shape! I was lucky enough to spot it at a garage sale for $3 :) It's also the guinea pig for my first time stripping paint!! Wish me luck...

Isn't it just adorable?! I have plans for this little guy.

Mmmmmm... strippy ;) This is little drawer is missing his knobs! Not to worry, new ones will be on the way soon.

To finish off, I'll leave you with a photo of how I prepared to get this little guy started! Enjoy.

Chemistry safety goggles + yellow rubber gloves = extremely attractive.

-Alison