Check out this classy tray. This is probably one of my favorite transformations ever! In her former life, she was a baby doll changing table:

Former Life:

New life:

Can you believe it?

My girls had the whole set for their dolls, the changing table, crib and high chair. They were well used toys and favorites for many years. The changing table broke some time back, and since I like to keep junk useful stuff around until inspirations strikes, it’s been tucked away in a corner.

Here’s some of the pieces…

I didn’t get many pictures of the process, but I’ll do my best to tell you how I did it:

1. The legs broke off from the top of the changing table, leaving holes where it had been screwed in. I used drywall joint compound to fill the holes, then sanded both sides smooth.

2. I wanted to have a chip paint finish, so I painted some of the edges with black acrylic paint, then spread Vaseline in some places. Check out this post for more information about creating a chip paint look with Vaseline.

3. I sprayed several coats of Rust-Oleum Painters Touch Ultra Cover 2x in Heirloom White Satin finish.

4. Once I was satisfied with the finish, I used sandpaper to remove the paint to create a distressed look. The paint comes right off where Vaseline was spread.

5. The finish wasn’t quite what I envisioned so I decided to experiment. I had some Rust-Oleum Dark Walnut Wood Stain in my cabinet, so I brushed on and wiped off until I had a look that I liked. That was still tacky the next day (we were having some muggy/humid weather), so I moved on to another project and let that sit for several days.

6. To create the patch-work effect on the tray, I cut several different pieces of scrapbook paper in various sizes and moved them around until I liked the look. Using Mod Podge, I decoupaged the paper to the tray. I left them on the tray in my pattern (so I wouldn’t forget how I wanted them), and just moved them aside to spread Mod-Podge.

I think the best way to avoid air bubbles is to Mod Podge the paper to the surface first, flattening with something like a credit card as you go – you will still see air bubbles, but they should go away as it dries. Once you’ve given that a little time to dry, sparingly brush Mod Podge over the top of the scrapbook paper (again, it might appear to bubble, but should go away as it dries). If you end up with a bubbles after it dries, you can usually stick those down by carefully scraping (with a fingernail or a credit card) again.

7. I wanted to seal the top but didn’t want a shiny surface, so I sprayed many layers of Minwax Polycrylic in satin finish (I probably sprayed 10 layers over several days).

8. Every tray needs handles, so I picked out some that I thought complimented the finish and attached.

At this point, I still wouldn’t want to let anything wet sit on it, but it would make a fabulous coffee table tray.

What kind of sealer do you use over decoupaged items? I use the spray (because I’m lazy like that). Does the kind you brush on work better?

Thanks for visiting.

Click here to check out some of the fabulous linky parties I may join.

Yesterday I went live with my Facebook Page for Southern Flair Crafts. Please help me spread the word. ‘Like’ my Facebook page (on my sidebar to the right) and share with friends. When I reach my first 200 likes, I’ll give away one of these magnetic boards to one lucky follower.

Thanks!!

Remember these ugly kitchen canisters? My husband thought I was crazy for spending any money on something so hideous, but I saw some potential. Here’s the transformation; not too shabby…or maybe a little shabby chic.

It’s been a couple of years since I participated in a craft fair (kids getting older means less free time), but this last weekend I participated as a vendor at the Louisiana Cajun Food Fest in Kaplan, LA. I didn’t do too well – made a few sales, but I met some great people and had a lot of fun. I’d never participated at a festival, I definitely do better at craft fairs where people are coming specifically to shop!!

Anywhoooo, since I knew the festival was coming up, I’ve been busy making things and refurbishing for the past several weeks. These once ugly canisters finally got their makeover.

The first thing I did on all of the canisters was pop the hideous acrylic oval off the front, and remove the knob from the lid…that was an immediate improvement. Then I got busy transforming.

Makeover #1 – Homemade chalk paint

The first time I tried homemade chalk paint, it turned out perfect and I LOVED it (I’ll post that project later), this time, however, it didn’t turn out as well. I used acrylic paint, plaster of paris and a little water (I don’t follow a recipe but mix until I like the consistency); the actual recipe I found called for 1 T plaster of paris mixed with several drops of water, and 1/2 cup of paint (of your choice). The paint I used for this project was a thinner consistency, so I added more and more plaster of paris. My paint was harder to spread, and was a little lumpy. After drying overnight, there were a few little cracks, however, a light sanding smoothed those out.

I wanted to glaze my little box, and of course, wanted to make something myself… I stopped at Hobby Lobby for some Delta Creative Faux Finish Glaze Base ($2.47 for a 2oz bottle), it says that it will transform any acrylic paint color into an instant faux finish glaze. It didn’t work too well for me… I mixed the glaze with some brown acrylic paint, but the consistency was weird – a little too thick. It might work better on a different kind of base, my homemade chalk paint may have been too porous, but I used the glaze anyway. I brushed on sparingly and wiped most of it back off.

I like the way the finished box turned out. I got the knob at Hobby Lobby (they are always 50% off). The decorative piece on the front actually came with the knob, I thought it looked better on the front of the canister.

Makeover #2 & 3 – Spray paint and decoupage

I love spray paint. I think I’m just a little lazy, but on something like this that only required a light sanding, spray paint rocks! I’ve tried several kinds, but my favorite is Rust-Oleum Painters Touch Ultra Cover 2x in a satin finish, I used that on both of these. I sprayed two coats of paint, let it dry thoroughly, then sanded the edges to distress.

I pulled the ugly acrylic ovals out of the garbage (hate to trash something when it can be reused), sprayed some Goo-Gone to get all the years of yuck off, then used Mod-Podge and tissue paper to decoupage them. Once the Mod-Podge was dry, I painted two coats of Delta Creative Gloss Exterior/Interior Varnish (drying between each coat. I also found the varnish at Hobby Lobby $10.33 for 8oz (use your coupon for this), but it goes a LONG way. I glued my newly transformed ovals on their respective boxes using E-6000.

Makeover #4 – Spray paint

This one is my favorite (I’m loving turquoise right now). Again, I used spray paint, but this time I used Valspar (my second favorite). I sprayed two coats, let it dry, then sanded; I love the contrast of the brown and turquoise on this one!

This knob also came from Hobby Lobby, and the piece I used on the front came with the knob.

_________________________________________

NOTE: before adding hardware to the boxes, I sprayed each with several coats of Minwax Polycrylic to protect the finish.  

I love the way these turned out!  Some paint, distressing, a few coats of Minwax Polycrylic, and new hardware transformed these outdated and drab kitchen canisters, to interesting and fab storage boxes.  

Have you ever tried homemade chalk paint?  Please share your recipe and any tips and tricks.  What about Glaze?  Have you tried Delta Creative Faux Finish Clear?  What tips do you have for glazing?

Thanks for visiting. 

Click here to check out some fabulous linky parties I may join. 

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The Scoop Link Party @ Lolly Jane

Catch as Catch Can @ My Repurposed Life

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/hide-metal-swing-chains-for-a-softer-look-on-the-porch/

We spent several hours browsing. I don’t think our girls were expecting that kind of shopping but they enjoyed themselves too. My favorite part was seeing (and giggling about) the toys/dishes/furniture, etc. that Nicki & I remembered from our childhood. Hard to believe we’re looking at all that stuff in an antique mall – now our girls really think we’re old.

I’ve mentioned Nicki before; she’s my friend with the flair for decorating (and fashion); she’s our go-to girl for party decorations, paint colors, home décor, what to wear, etc. She’s decorating her office/outdoor kitchen in an old rustic look. She found a fantastic towel hook for the bathroom that’s made from antique facets welded onto a bar, and two perfectly distressed chairs (with missing seats). I get to help her put the seats on the chairs (YEAH). I’ll post the chair make-over, and pictures of her office/kitchen (and the towel hook) in the future, I’m sure it will be FABULOUS.

My finds weren’t as exciting. I was hoping to find something (anything) that I could transform – I did. Check these babies out! They are actually hideous (I apologize if you have some); I think I may have offended the shop owner when she was pointing out the “pretty dark wood and beautiful inlaid plaques” and I told her the plaques would be the first to go. I’ve thought of at least 10 different transformations. They will definitely NOT be a set of kitchen canisters, but some stylin’ boxes if I ever get around to transforming them when I’m through with them. I also found a new cabinet door that was missing a panel – lots of different ideas for that swimming in my mind too – I may build a cabinet for my craft room and keep the door in tact. Someday….. in the future…… I’ll post my transformations.

My super stylish (once upon a time) kitchen canisters

My peek-a-boo cabinet door

On the way back we stopped at a flea market outside Lafayette called Jockey Lot. That was more the girls’ style, their ‘fabulous finds’ included Duck Tape Wallets – to me that’s kind of like being issued a challenge; I had an “I’m going to make that” moment – so I did. I’d have posted my copy-cat wallets but I ran out of Duck Tape. LOL Stay tuned….

Here’s the wallet Pey bought. I didn’t get the name of the lady that made the wallets to give her credit, but the girls love them.

I absolutely love these wooden boxes. They are so versatile and they look great with any décor. My favorite part about them is that they are made with reclaimed fence pickets; they have that lovely weathered look – and I didn’t have to do anything special to achieve it.

I’ve made these before and didn’t keep any for myself. I’ve been waiting for the right moment (or spare time) to make more. I didn’t come up with spare time, but I’m working on Christmas presents, and I wanted some of these to use as gift baskets so I made the time. I even added a few to my Etsy store.

Here’s what they looked like before.

I decided on a good length, measured, and used my miter saw to cut the pickets. I assembled by gluing the edges and using a finish nail gun to hold it all together; they are very sturdy. I usually do a drop test by accidentally knocking at least one of my items off my work surface onto the floor, my box held together just fine (but I wouldn’t recommend dropping them). That’s why I hardly ever just glue my projects.

Look at my fancy nails LOL. I got them done for a weekend with my best girl friends in New Orleans, and liked having pretty hands so much, I just had them filled again. They are solar nails, and I have to rave about them because I’m HARD on my fingernails, and these have stood up to glue, spray paint, being sanded, cleaning products, being used as a scraper for dishes, etc. and still look pretty good.

Here’s the after picture. I have cabinet pulls to attach to the sides as handles, but didn’t have time for that part; I really like them just the way they are.

Again, my favorite part of the project is repurposing!! Fence pickets are one of my favorites, gotta love the naturally weathered look. Check out the lemonade stand I made for my girls out of fence pickets. I have a lot of pickets left; please tell me about any other project ideas you have for pickets.

I scored a broken twin sleigh bed with trundle from my friend Dana. It has lots of great wood and my imagination is running wild…can’t wait to turn that bed into many other great things.

And, check this out. I picked a few of these wood shutters up from the side of the road (I only had room for 3; wish I could have fit them all). I’m working on repurposing one of these; STAY TUNED to see how it turns out…

I found this idea on Pinterest (of course), and knew I’d make them someday.

‘Someday’ came sooner than I expected. My husband showed up with a case of these:

Little did he know (although he should by now), that his clay disks for skeet shooting would be my latest craft frenzy. Oh the possibilities!!

This was pretty simple, so I didn’t do a full tutorial. Use E-6000 glue to glue the disks in any arrangement your heart desires. When the glue has dried, spray paint.

Embellish any way you’d like (or not).

My favorite part of this project is that the whole set of candlesticks cost less than $1. My husband paid about $7 (with tax) for a case of 90 clay disks.

I’d love to hear about any super thrifty craft ideas you have.

Happy crafting.
Tammy

Doesn’t this cute pumpkin just scream FALL? I love it. I wish I could claim the idea as my own (but it’s not), and I can’t give credit to anyone in particular since I’ve seen SO MANY variations pinned on Pinterest. Regardless, it’s a great idea; the first time I saw it, I knew I’d make one someday.

As I was planning monthly Girl Scout meetings through December, this came to mind as a great Halloween craft for the girls. I like to plan crafts that will last!! For the Holidays I love getting out and displaying the fun things that my kids have made through the years.

Most of the wooden pumpkins I’ve seen on Pinterest were made with 2 x 4′s, but I decided to use 2 x 6′s so the Girls would have a larger surface to decorate.

Here’s the process

Materials

• 2 x 6 x 8
• Square dowel ¾” x 36”
• Sand paper & sander
• Wood glue
• Finish nail gun & nails
• Paint & other embellishments

Cut the wood for the pumpkins to the desired length. I used 2 x 6 x 8’s and cut into 18 pieces (17 at 5 inches and 1 at 6 inches).

Cut the square dowel for the stems to the desired length. The stems I made for these are about 1 inch. You can really use your imagination here; I’ve seen them made with round dowels or pieces of branches. Since I was making these in bulk, I did what was easy!!

Sand all the cut edges of the pumpkins and stems. I rounded them all with my palm sander (I put Peyton to work sanding a few).

Attach the stem. I used my finish nail gun to nail the stems to the pumpkins. Normally I would have glued and nailed, but my wood glue disappeared. After I nailed them all, my helper (Ashton) and I used spakling to fill-in all the nail holes. Then, since we’d filled the nail holes, I sanded all the stems again.

Here’s the pumpkins ready to paint…(did I mention that we have 26 Girls in our Troop?)

Here’s the pumpkins the Girl Scouts made.  Aren’t they cute? We had to get pictures from both the front & back since most Girls made their pumpkins reversible…

Mine is kind of plain compared with the creativity of the girls…  The leaves attached with rafia, were left over from flower stems I disassembled to make hair clips (all the things I save eventually come in handy).

Hope you enjoy!

Here are some of the posts that I got my inspiration from…

I know the title sounds a little weird. My husband wears coveralls to work. I CAN’T STAND folding them. There really is not a good way to get it done (not one I can figure out), and Lance’s closet is just not set up to hang the coveralls on hangers.

Folding my laundry is one thing I’m pretty meticulous about. I’ve been folding the coveralls and putting them on a shelf in his closet for years, which drives me crazy because they get so wrinkled. I usually do a load of laundry every day so I can drape one pair over his closet door so they won’t wrinkle (and I don’t have to fold them – slick huh?).

Preparation for school each year triggers an organization frenzy for me. Not only do I have to get all of the school supplies in order, but I’m compelled to clean and organize.

The weekend before school started, I organized my closet (still need to go through the clothes), and I had to wash several loads of laundry I’d fallen behind on (which meant 4 pair of coveralls to fold). Fed up with those pesky coveralls, I actually contemplated making room in my closet so they could hang on hangers. Then I stepped back into Lance’s closet determined to find a solution.

Here it is…

The best thing about it is that I had everything I needed right here (for one anyway – I need two more hooks to make one for the other door to avoid over-crowding).

Those of you who have fancy maple or oak shelves and drawers in your closets, may wrinkle your noses that I didn’t even bother to stain or paint the wood, but since Lance and I are the only people who will see it, I’m not concerned with how it looks. Now if I were making this for my entry closet, it would be a little fancier.

Here are the details:

I found a 1 x 3 board in my wood stash that I cut to the appropriate length using my miter saw.

I raided my hardware bucket and found these small hooks (that I bought at Walmart a while back for cheap).

I measured and marked where I would put the hooks, and screws to hang on the door, then pre-drilled the holes.

I attached the hooks to the board…

…and screwed the board to the closet door (using 1 1/2 inch wood screws).

Voila!!

No more folding coveralls for me – YAY!!

Thanks for visiting!
Tammy

School was closed Tuesday through Thursday this week due to hurricane Isaac. We thank God that we saw very little of the storm; just light wind and rain. We all got a little cabin fever though so we had to think of some creative boredom busters.

This is a recipe that my Mom (and I) made when I was a child, slightly modified. The original recipe calls for coconut, but since it’s not my favorite (and I usually don’t have any on hand), I omitted it.

Since Ashton requested a snack, I put her to work…

No Bake Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies

1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar

3 cups oatmeal
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup peanut butter

Add the oatmeal, cocoa powder and peanut butter to a large mixing bowl.

Place the butter, sugar, and milk in a sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil. Dump into the mixing bowl and stir well.

Drop rounded tablespoons onto wax paper and spread slightly (don’t make them too thin). Then wait for them to set (the wait is the hardest part); the time depends on the temperature, and humidity of your room. (In Wyoming the setting process was much quicker than here in Louisiana).

I’ve put them in the refrigerator to speed the process, but I don’t think they set as well (or taste as good – I think the oats need the slower setting time).

Ash measures all the ingredients for me and puts them in the bowl and saucepan. I handle the boiling and dumping of the saucepan ingredients, and mixing the hot liquid into the mixing bowl ingredients. Then I put Ash to work again scooping the cookies onto the wax paper.

We love this recipe because it’s easy and made with ingredients we have on-hand.

Ashton’s favorite part is helping with cleanup…

My favorite is the finished product (and the time spent with my kids)…

I’d love for you to share any no bake cookie recipes you have – we love quick and easy!!

This stylin’ little iPod case was a special request by my youngest daughter, Ashton.

It started out as this:

Looks like a pile of garbage. Right? Wrong!! Scraps of fabric and cardboard turned stylish iPod case. Throw in some elastic and a bejeweled brad and TA DA!!

Inspired by this post I found on Pinterest by Come Together Kids, I decided to make a case for the new Acer tablet my daughter Peyton bought for herself. Click the picture to check out the tutorial on Come Together Kids.

What a clever idea. What this post did for me was give me an ah ha moment. I knew I wouldn’t use an old book, or follow the tutorial (I don’t follow directions well), but I knew right then I would make Peyton a case for her tablet (something that otherwise might not have occurred to me). Thank you Laura at Come Together Kids, and thanks to everyone who shares projects on their blogs, Linky parties and Pinterest for spreading the creative inspiration.

Peyton’s case is still a work-in-progress. Since I eventually make more of my creations to sell, I want to make sure it’s durable, so I’m sewing the fabric cover, but I still have to work out how to finish it.

The other night, I had an epiphany; I decided to sew the fabric to the cardboard. It turns out the cover I made for Peyton’s tablet is too thick, but I grabbed a piece of a cardboard box and ran it through the sewing machine. IT WORKED (and put my creative mind in over-drive).

When I started the case for Pey’s tablet, Ashton asked if I’d make a case for her iPod. Perfect project to try out my cardboard sewing technique.

I grabbed some scraps of fabric, and a box (Girl Scout cookie case), and dove in.

1. Cut the cardboard to the desired size (slightly larger than the iPod), then bend to create a book cover. I used a ruler to mark the two places I wanted to bend the cardboard, then placed a book on the cardboard with the edge lined up with my marks and folded the cardboard up.

2. Cut two pieces of fabric about one inch longer and wider than the cardboard.

3. Lay the cardboard on the table with what will be the outside of the case (book) facing up. Spread tacky glue on the cardboard, and place the fabric right-side up on top of the cardboard. Smooth the fabric.

4. Flip the cardboard over, cut the corners at diagonals, fold all 4 sides of the fabric over and glue to the box making neat corners.

5. Fold the sides of the second piece of fabric and iron so the folded fabric covers the inside of the case/book when placed on top. Use Tacky glue to glue down so all edges are lined up.

6. Sew a straight stitch about 1/4 inch from the edge around the cardboard (I keep a quilting foot on my sewing machine since I often sew thicker or layered materials).

7. Sew elastic diagonally in the corners to hold the iPod. I used two pieces of elastic in opposite corners – that holds the iPod very secure.

Almost done…

Finally, I needed something to hold the case closed. I thought about attaching ribbon to tie or velcro the case closed, but to make it look neat, I needed to glue the ribbon to the inside of the case before the fabric. Too late for that. I needed something I had on-hand…. What I settled on was a bejeweled brad (found in the scrapbook section of Hobby Lobby), and thick elastic cord (kept from broken tent poles – more saved junk put to use).

I poked a hole through the cover of the case, put the brad through and bent the prongs. I made sure that there was space between the brad and the cover for my elastic cord..

I glued a piece of felt over the bent prongs to help keep the brad secure,

and sewed the elastic cord inside the back cover and IT’S FINISHED!! YAY!!

I think the turned out so cute!! Now my imagination is going wild. There are SO many possibilities….

Thanks for checking this out. I’d love it if you’d pin it!!

Tammy

Click here to see a list of the fabulous linky parties I may join.

Monday Link Up Party @ Making the World Cuter

Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch

Tip Me Tuesday @ Tip Junkie

Wednesday Adorned From Above Link Party @ Adorned From Above

Penny Pinching Party @ Thrifty Home

What I Love Wednesday @ Lollipops

Wow us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style