DIY Snow Globes and Christmas Tree Cars.

Last week I was decorating my mantel for the holidays and came across some vintage mason jars in the basement. I knew I wanted to include them in my decor so got out some supplies and created my own little "snow globes".

I'm obsessed with bottle brush trees. I had a whole bag of green ones that I picked up at Canadian Tire last year (I've also seen them at Michael's for an outrageous amount of money. Even with a 40% off coupon, it's robbery). I also had a couple of little white ones from Walmart. It was like a forest in my dining room and I couldn't resist taking a few photos.

I just used a little tape to stick the trees to the lids. You could use hot glue but I wanted to be able to reuse the jars. Then, I added some "snow" to the jars, screwed on the lids and flipped them over. Voila! Winter wonderland!

I had a few short mason jars and decided to have a little fun with some toy cars. Please ignore the fact that this one is a convertible.. in the winter.  How cute is the minty green!

Taking the tree home from the lot! Aren't they sweet. I had planned to do this as a Christmas craft with my class but not all the cars with fit in the jars properly. I'll have to get my thinking cap on for something else!

I think it's pretty sweet just on its own too. I might have to make some more. You should make some too. So easy!

Linking up to Hi Sugarplum! Link Party

DIY: Gold Polka Dot Jewelry Dishes.

This weekend, I was inspired to do a simple diy project. It didn't take very long and the result is something sweet and useful for storing everyday jewelry in my bedroom.

Here is what you need to make one of your own:

• A variety of white dishes (I got mine at the Dollarama)

• Gold Sharpie Marker *note: the Sharpie oil based paint marker would work better but I couldn't find any in stores.
• page reinforcements ($1.99 for a pack of 100 at Staples)

On the plate, I wanted uniform dots so I just eyeballed neat rows of the reinforcements. Gently press down on the center so that you don't get any bleeds. On the little dishes, I was a little more careless with the placement, as I wanted a more whimsical look.

Next, color in the circles with your gold Sharpie. Simple enough!

After the marker has dried, carefully remove the stickers from the dishes. I used a fine needles to lift them them, then peeled them away. I had a couple of small bleeds but was able to scratch them off with the end of the needle.

Easy peasy!

I definitely like the little ones best. They are so cute! I keep my rings in them but you could keep spare change, hair elastics/bobby pins, keys, chargers, office supplies.. I could go on and on! 

Think you might try some? Let me know how it goes!

Thank you SO much for your comments and enthusiasm about my new two tone kitchen update. I liked it before but I love it even more now that I have the approval of my readers. It really does matter to me. Each and every comment makes me smile!

Lovin' Lately ~ DIY Edition.

I promise promise promise that I'll take photos of the completed kitchen this weekend and share them with you on Monday. I tried to take some photos late afternoon and they just came out really dark. Even with my 50 mm lens.

Thank you so much for all your comments and enthusiasm about my little sneak peeks. I really like how it turned out, although it's a bit to get used to. I am, after all, a lover of white and this is a big change!

It's been a while since I've done a little round-up of my favorite projects around the blogosphere, so I thought why not? Today, I'm keeping it all about the DIY projects. It keeps me inspired!

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This adorable heart backdrop. Isn't Valentine's fun?

Can you believe this dodecahedron pendant is a diy? There is some math skills involved in this one. Some people are smart.

I'm in love with this wall treatment. Would you believe it was done with a Sharpie?

I'm going to do my own little diy this weekend. It involves a Sharpie but on a smaller scale. If it works, I'll share next week. It could go either way:)

DIY Abstract Art.

It was a rainy weekend and Saturday morning we decided to get out the acrylic paint, brushes and canvases. We do this from time to time and I, for one, am a terrible artist. I always try to draw object, like trees, flowers or worse, I've attempted people. It's honestly hard to tell that I ever took art lessons as a child.

This time I stuck to abstract and I actually put some of it out on display! I'm certainly not a skilled artist but a little diy certainly added some color to the mantel in my living room.

I made a couple of similar mini ones. I framed up this one and placed it on a side table.

Have you ever tried your hand at abstract art?

Linking up to Cassie's "In About an Hour" Party. It actually took less than that!

DIY Herringbone Table Runner.

In the last couple of weeks, I've had two emails inquiring about the herringbone table runner that I made for our styled shoot that was featured on Style Me Pretty. If you follow my Facebook page, you may have spotted in on my cover photo. I decided to share a little tutorial for you all today because it was really quite simple!

At the time, I was obsessed with anything herringbone. I saw it as a fresher take on the tiresome (sorry!) chevron and was dying to try it somehow and somewhere. I'm glad it ended up on a table runner and not a big wall in my house. That's commitment but I'm telling you, I was obsessed! Anyhoo, I digress! Let's get to it!

DIY Herringbone Tutorial

First, I purchased some hot pink fabric with matched the color scheme of the wedding. I knew the dimensions of the table we were using so I planned the length accordingly. (Disclaimer.. I wouldn't recommend this but I didn't even sew the runner. I knew if was just for photos, so I simply ironed a nice flat seam on all four edges.)

Next, I taped a herringbone pattern with painters tape right on the fabric. Here are my instructions for taping:

1. Find the middle of your fabric and tape a straight line down the center. I then added another strip on either side because I wanted a thick line. I also taped a strip on each side.

2. You should also decide how deep you would like your chevrons to be. Do you want a somewhat subtle look or a perky look? Totally a personal preference. Let's say you decide you want them 10 inches apart. Start at the top and mark off every 10 inches. Then, tape from one little mark diagonally down to the next mark. Repeat on the other side. Push down all the edges of the tape with your fingernail. Take a few minutes but you'll be glad you did!

3. Next up - painting! I did 3 coats using a gold acrylic craft paint. (Tried a foam roller first but found a brush worked much better)

4. Let it dry overnight then peel off the tape to reveal a modern, geometric pattern. Thankfully, I only had one little bleed!

So there you have it! A modern geometric pattern with a little tape and some paint. Who every said you couldn't paint fabric? It was so easy that I ended up adding a the same technique to some napkins as well! 

Be sure to share your painted fabric projects with me! The possibilities are endless. So many colors, patterns, stencils to work with!

Linked up to Serenity Now Weekend Bloggy Reading Link Up.

Sticky Paint Update.

Some of you have been asking for an update on the dresser I painted a couple of weeks ago. In case you missed it, here is a before photo of the dresser. It was nice, solid wood antique piece covered in a layer of creamy white paint.

After some consideration, I decided against painting it my go-to white and selected a dark moody grey with blue undertones (Jet Set ~ Debbie Travis). I loved how it turned out but there was a problem. I used paint that I found in my basement. I have so many cans, from so many projects, that I couldn't remember where it came from. The problem was that the paint didn't seem to want to dry. It remained tacky over several days of waiting. Hmmm.. what next?

I knew there could be several reasons for while this was happening (paint had gone bad, too much colorant in the paint, etc) but I narrowed it down to finding out that the particular line of paint had a history of this. Good to know! :) I turned to my friends in the blogosphere, pleading for some advice. Was there a solution without having to strip it? I was desperate.

Which led to this idea. What about putting a layer of water based varnish on top to seal the paint? Worth a try. Well, it worked, in a sense. It sealed the paint but the moisture did not allow the varnish to dry properly and I had rough white bumps all over the dresser.

I was determined. I'd just sand off the rough spots and now that it was sealed, I could just add one more coat of the paint (mixed in a good paint) and it would be perfect! Right?.. nope. Guess what happens when you sand sticky paint? It just peels right off. {Insert tears of frustration here}

That's when we ended up dragging the dresser out to the shed and doused it in stripper. This was my first experience stripping a piece of furniture and I found great satisfaction in the process. Try to tell me you don't want to get scraping that paint right off!

I think I inherited my interest from my dad. Did I ever tell you he is the master of antique refinishing? Which leads to the next part. All the paint was removed and we gave it a quick sanding all the while realizing that it would be silly to plaster paint over it all over again. So the decision to refinish was born. So much for mulling over paint colors, this dresser is going original! 

So we packed it up and headed to dad's garage. Who am I kidding? He knows what he is doing so why not leave this part to him. I am actually really excited about it. I love painted furniture but it's nice to have some pieces that are real wood. There is something grown-up about it? Plus, I still think it will go perfect in the bedroom makeover. Which is why this problem project all came to be after all!

My Dad is a busy man though and there is lots of sanding to be done before it can be stained and varnished. I'll try to be patient:)

Pinhole Art DIY.

I completed this fun little project a while ago and forgot to share it! It didn't take long to complete and the end result is an art project with a simple, sweet modern feel. Plus, it's so easy that you can do it while catching up on your favorite shows... The Walking Dead, Downton Abbey, The Bachelor.. whatever your flavor.

Here is how you do it. 

• Find an image that you like and print it out. It has to be a simple line drawing, without too much detail. I wanted to do a Boston Terrier so I used one similar to the one below. The possibilities are endless.. flowers, leaves, coral etc. (tip: search coloring pages for kids!)

• Take a piece of art paper (I used watercolor paper) and place the finished side face down. Tape your selected image to the paper so it doesn't move around. Then, place the two pieces on a piece of foam core or cardboard. 

• Next, you need a thumb tack. Place a pony bead on the end on the tack and secure with some tape or a bead of hot glue. This acts as a spacer, otherwise the holes will be too big. You just want the end of the tack to puncture the paper.

• Start poking! Pierce through the two papers, along the lines of the drawing, until you hit the foam core underneath. Try to keep your holes as close as possible without overlapping. You may want to check your progress periodically but be careful when lifting the paper!

• When you've finished, turn it over and check out your one of a kind piece of art! Sign your name, pop it into a frame and your done.

What do you think? Will you try it? If you do, I'd love to see them:)

How to Paint Furniture & A Reveal.

I finished the little project I was telling you about! We had little cabinet in the dining room that had beautiful lines but the color and painted floral pattern were far from my taste. On the weekend, I got to priming the piece and giving it a couple of coats of Martha Stewart's Plumage paint. Using this color was a bit out of my comfort zone but I must say, I'm really loving it!

I've painted a lot of pieces over the years so here are my painting tips based solely on what I have learned. This project didn't turn out as well as others so I will also share where I think I may have gone wrong. If you aren't interested in painting furniture, fair enough, scroll down to the bottom of the post to see the finished product!

1. A light sanding of the piece. It was a bit glossy and I wanted to get rid of the sheen so that the paint would adhere properly. I like sanding sponges in a medium grain. 

2. I washed it with TSP and rinsed it well with a damp cloth. Let dry.

3. A good coat of tinted latex primer. It may not have been necessary to use tinted with this color but I had it on hand. It doesn't have to be perfect even in tone. Just make sure it isn't too thick and that it's evenly coated. Let dry overnight or at least the drying time listed on your can.

I had the primer out so I figured I might as well do a couple of other pieces I've 

been meaning to do, as well. More on those another day!

4. A good brush and a small foam roller are my tools of choice. I did two thin coats, allowing drying time between each. Brush in all the nooks and crannies, then roll all the flat surfaces blending the brush strokes. Thin coats are key. Three thin coats always wins over two thick goopy ones!

5. Let paint dry completely then apply a couple thin coats of water based Varathane or Minwax Polycrylic with a sponge brush. This will give the piece a protective finish in a satin, semi-gloss or gloss sheen. This give you that extra protection for those well used pieces and makes it oh-so shiny and pretty! If you are looking for a more matte look I would try a wax.

6. Let it dry at least 48 hours before placing anything on the piece. I think this is almost the hardest part or maybe I'm just incredibly impatient!

So what went wrong with my piece? Well, I really wanted a high gloss finish on the cabinet and went ahead and used high-gloss latex paint. When using high-gloss paint, your brush strokes and "orange peel" effect often caused by foam rollers, become more apparent. I was trying to skip step 5 yet achieve the same effect and failed. If I were to to it again, I would use my typical eggshell paint then use a high-gloss poly at the end. Live and learn!

Also, this was the first time I used a latex primer. Although it's messy and smelly, oil base is my primer of choice. Especially if you are painting a wood piece, you really want to seal out those stains and knots. 

Here is the finished piece, imperfections and all.

Such pretty legs.

All styled up.

Have a ever mentioned how much I love my brass birds?

The paint color with soon be changing and I have plans for what will hang over the piece. The white mirror will be moved to the front entry. I love making changes! So fun :)

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