DIY French Funiture

Bonjour monde blog!

Comment eat to us aujourd' hui?

Oops guess I got stuck in French mode. Today's project was suppose to be completed today but a little hitch on the craft process would delay me another week so I decided to do this as a two parter since it is actually "done" as is.

I've been talking about this project for a while now and it's been driving me crazy that I haven't been able to share this with you. I have been working with my brother to get this done. He supplied this little cabinet and said do what you want with this. It was going to get thrown away.  After a lot of research (Pinterest) 

I finally go the idea I wanted to do. French style. Which I suppose is a fancy way to say vintage or rustic. I don't know if i was fully successful with the French style but it turned out really good.

First of all I'm doing this blog on my phone. I will edit later but...seriously this is how much I enjoy doing these blogs and how excited I am to share this project with you.

So for the moment you all have been waiting for... Or at least I have been waiting!

Ok I will give you a minute to ohh and ahh over the piece. Not impressed you say? well wait until you see the before...

Ewww. Yuck... Who can see the potential in that? Well first my brother than I did. 

First thing we did...Yes I say we not because its a french theme but because my brother helped a lot. There was a lot of razors and loud tools being used. 

We tore the top off. It was beyond saving. Didn't like it didn't need it. Moving on.

I took the door off. Removed the shelf and the drawer. 

Then I sanded it down. Got all the loose pieces off and made it paint-able. 

This part was time consuming. Of course the whole thing was time consuming because I didn't use spray paint. 

Gasp! What is that she said she didn't use spray paint?! How on earth did she survive?! Well it was tricky but I managed. I bought a can of interior flat paint. Found it in the clearance section of Walmart for $3.50. Well painting this sucker like that took forever and a day. But it paid off because it turned out really well...still totally going to use spray paint for my other painting needs but at least I tried to think outside of the can. 

Ha it looks green. Its not. Its beige. So after I painted it all up nice and pretty I now had to make it vintage looking. Of course all the pieces that were banged up and cracked made this a lot easier. 

I used an acrylic paint. A dark gray color. (Think it was called pavement). I didn't want to paint it on too thick so just using a small brush I dabbed in area's and just spread the paint around giving it a sanded look. 

I did this mostly in the front on the legs and on the drawer. 

I also added some of the gray on the door frame so it would match a little. Some areas were a lot darker than I wanted so I went over it with the original beige paint. Just dabbed it with a  little brush to tone it down a little. 

Now it was time to do the door.

The grate that was in the door originally was pretty cool but it was all rusty and bent and not the direction I wanted to go in. It went in the trash. 

I knew I wanted to go with the Paris theme once I learned the style was called "French style" It seemed appropriate. I remembered seeing some pretty Paris themed fabric at Hobby Lobby the last time I went so... Off I went. 

Finding the perfect fabric we decided to play it safe and get a yard of fabric. But each project is different and I have a lot left over. 

This is another part my brother had to step in and help. Luckily my family has had an upholstery shop since I was born so I knew I could count on some one to staple my fabric to the door frame. But if you are not lucky like me than my next option would be to use some sort of tack. Whatever gets the job done. 

So after dealing with the loud dangerous staple gun (Thanks brother!)

The door looked something like this. He centered the picture so one of the Eiffel towers was in the middle. He used a piece of chalk to outline the door to get the size he needed. Making sure the fabric was tight he just stapled all the way around. Once he was done he cut the extra fabric off. (He did that to because...well you know I am not allowed to play with razors.)

Nice and neat. 

Attaching the door was a tad tricky and required a back track of some sanding and wood removal. 

Basically the door gained a few pounds with all the paint and wouldn't fit anymore. So that was an oops. 

Again that was a brother fix...He was playing with a knife this time! I don't recommend doing that. Be safe use the right tools. Don't ask me what the right tool for that would because I have no idea. I am just telling you not to do the knife thing! I will not be responsible for any missing fingers.

Craft at your own risk. 

The original knobs were all yucky and a greenish color so I went to the knob aisle in Lowes and picked out some new ones. (Yes a whole aisle just for knobs!)

Phew this blog is a lot longer than the others have been. See I knew I would make it up to you. 

After attaching the door it was complete...well for now. I told you this was going to be a two part blog. 

I will give you a hint of what is going on it next. 

It requires a printer (Ink Jet apparently)

Paint thinner

And a rubbing device. 

I really wanted to include that in this blog but when you don't read all the instructions like sometimes I don't. You miss important details like if it makes a difference if you use a laser printer or an Ink Jet. So stay tuned for that part of the blog. 

Now knowing what it looked like before don't you think this is pretty? 

Of course you do!

Don't worry the pictures will get better, once I get back from vacation I am going into serious camera buying mode. The phone pictures just aren't cutting it anymore. 

Any one have any suggestions? 

The supplies used for this project:

Old cabinet

Paint (Interior Flat)

Brush (Duh)

Sand paper 

Fabric

Staple gun/ Staples

Knobs

Acrylic paint

I usually post the estimated cost but honestly I don't remember. I didn't go to cheap on this one because well this was more of a "one of a kind" projects. I just wanted to do it because I could. 

And sometimes these blogs are about the frugalness but sometimes its about being original. 

I hope you enjoyed tonight's project. I can't wait to show you the rest of it!

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See you next Thursday!

DIY Glowing Rocks

Happy Blog Day!

How is everyone doing? Good? Good! Lets get started. 

So on Pinterest I saw a cool idea where you paint rocks with glow in the dark paint. 

What I wanted to do was line my walk way with glowing rocks. Cool idea right? 

Well I decided to listen to the voice of reason. We shall call him Mike for arguments sake. He told me to just buy the cheap little bag of rocks and see how it works. 

I am glad I did. 

So this is all I used. Just plain rocks for 97. cents at Walmart 

And Krylon Glow spray paint 4.97

Using a tote I sprayed the rocks. 

Outside of course...This picture was actually taken in a dark room. But don't let me get ahead of myself.

I made sure to put a heavy coat on and the good news it the rocks didn't loose the original color. 

I thought it would make the rocks look green but it didn't. 

After I painted them I set them under a light to "charge them up" 

Once I went into a dark room it worked. They glowed! Thought it was a success.

Put them outside...Its not a success.. 

Its not dark enough for them to actually glow. 

So if you live in a very very dark place with no street lights of any kind. Then this is a great project. 

Its easy and cheap (ish) 

I was disappointed because I really wanted to line my fairy garden with glowing rocks. But they just look like rocks. Which isn't a bad thing.

I had to use the flash or it would be a black picture. Which I did try to take a picture without so you can see it glow...but it is not that strong of a glow. 

I like this spray paint though. Some good ideas for it would be 

maybe painting the light switch, so when the lights are out you are not fumbling for the light. Or repainting those little glow in the dark stars that you stick on your kids ceiling. 

Or..

Ok I am out. 

This paint needs COMPLETE darkness.  

So for the most part I would call this a 

Only because the glow spray paint is a little pricey for the tiny can. 

But just because its a don't for me doesn't mean its a don't for you. 

I am just glad I didn't buy all the rocks I actually wanted to buy. 

So I have told you about this project I have been working on with my brother. Well I decided since I keep talking about it I should show you the starts of what I am working on. 

This is one of the before pictures. 

I don't want to show you any other pictures because this is going to look amazing! Can you believe my brother was going to throw this away?! 

Wait until you see the finished product. 

Hope you enjoyed tonight's project. Sorry it was a fail. But this is blog is called DIY or Don't :D

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DIY Shampoo Bottle Makeover

Hello Blog world! How is every one? I am doing wonderful. I am covered in all sorts of paint but hey its a good color on me. 

I have been working on a project with my brother and its taking me a while to finish because well it doesn't involve spray paint so its taking longer. I hope you understand. But I didn't fail you. Tonight's project well...It is only a partial failure. This is a good example that spray paint is very particular about what it decides to stick to. 

Let me share my end result. 

I had another color in mind but I thought that a metallic look would look "classier" but the metallic paint I have isn't plastic specific. Yes this makes a difference. When it isn't plastic specific then when you spray it on it runs. I didn't have that problem before so I am assuming that's why. Even though it says it bonds to plastic...well it does just not very well.

Wondering what this is? If you read the subject line you would already know its a shampoo bottle. 

Why did I spray paint a shampoo bottle? Well I liked these bottles, the size and the pump thing. But sometimes I don't always use the same brand all the time but now I can get any brand and use my pretty bottle. 

So that's all it was.  Just a plain old shampoo bottle. Bought the shampoo for $5.00 at Walmart 

Spray Paint 4.97

I am going to try it with a different kind of paint to see if it works better. I used the Rustoleum metallic. When I used the same paint on my bowling ball it had the same running problem. 

I thought it was just because it was a round object but I am now sensing that it has something to do with the effect on the plastic. 

This project is pretty self explanatory just spray painting a bottle. 

I cleaned out the bottle and the outside of the bottle. Its up to you if you want to paint the top pump or not. I chose to. I am not sure how it will work out in the water I will let you know if you just ask. 

I will post on my Facebook page if I do another one with a different paint and let you know the difference. 

Speaking of Facebook page if you haven't stopped by and liked the page...well what have you been doing?! Go say hi let me kn ow what you are working on if anything. Share your thoughts and ideas. 

I hope you don't think I am getting to cheap on you guys. Its almost vacation time and I am trying to save up some money. Also its all about being frugal in my world. Doing the two projects also makes it difficult to go all out on one project. I have lots of ideas for you guys and I also love hearing some of the ideas you have. I promise I will attempt some of them but I have to come across the right stuff. That's one of the problems with coming up with all these ideas, its finding everything to make it work! 

This project was 

...Just wasn't happy how it turned out. Not giving up though!

Keep checking out my blog every Thursday. 

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DIY Fancy Knife Block

Happy Blog day! How are you doing tonight blog world? Me well frustrated with technology but what else is new!? 

You probably read today's title and asked "Fancy Knife Block? Tell me how!" Well I will do just that. 

Of course I got this idea on pinterest. Its ok I have already admited that I have a problem and was able to just move on and accept it. Back to the idea. Some one just painted a knife block and put a monogram sticker on it and it made if fancy. Well my knife block isn't monogram fancy its Casey's coffee obsession fancy. 

Now my camera was dead when I did this project and I used my cell phone. Sorry the pictures are...well actually they will be about the same. Ha-Ha. 

See what I mean, Fancy. As you can probably tell my knife block is a little well yucky looking anyways. Its seperating in spots and the knives are actually really dull and cheap. But it works so no sense in replacing what isn't truly broken. But this gave me a perfect excuse to paint it. That way if my boyfriend didn't like it I would have made him me buy a new one. But this actually turned out really cool. 

It was so easy! If you don't have a knife block and don't want to buy a brand new one just to paint it go to the thrift store. I can almost guarantee you will find at least five! 

Supplies needed:

-Knife block

-Paint (I used spray paint...don't act so surprised)

-Picture (Or decal/ sticker)

-Mod Podge

First remove all the knives. If you require an adult to do so...well stop reading my blogs I am not a good role model... 

I am sure I shouldn't have to tell you this but we are the type of society where we have to be told that the Dunkin Donuts coffee we received "May be hot". So to be on the safe side I will include that step. That and I realize that sometimes I am not specific enough in my directions. 

After you removed knives set them in a safe place. Preferable some place the cats wont knock them down..Thanks to my cat I had to wash some of them because he thought they were toys for him to play with. 

Make sure the knife block is clean. Painting over dirt is wrong. Don't do it. 

Since I used spray paint I made sure I went outside to paint it. Using a plastic cover on the ground to make sure I didn't paint the grass. I sprayed an even layer on the block. 

Wait for it to dry. 

While I was waiting for my block to dry I chatted with my nice neighbor lady who decided to give me a plant. I didn't have the heart to tell her I am a recovering plant killer. 

What you do while your block is painting is your own choice. What I should have been doing was making my computer work better for the next step. 

Which is printing out a picture. This could be skipped if you decided to use a picture you already have or using a sticker or decal. Or if you are on the artistic side just paint the picture.

Once I got my picture I checked on my block and once it was dried I brought in the house. I didn't wait long...I would recommend giving it a while to dry. If you need a specific time frame lets just say 24 hours to be on the safe side. 

I cut the picture out and Mod Podged it to the block. Now the size may vary depending on the size of your block. The picture I used was "wallet" sized and that fit perfectly. 

Now while Mod Podge...Podged...Podging? Whats the right term here? Any ways the picture will bubble up in some areas. Smooth out the best you can. 

Most of them dry out anyways. Another tip I have heard was to poke a hole in with a needle. Air will escape. No more bubbles. 

Then there you have it. A fancy knife block to fit whatever theme your kitchen is. 

This project was 

Total cost was nothing since I used what I had. But if you are starting fresh:

Spray paint: 1.00 at Walmart. 

If its a wood block you don't have to get fancy on the paint. 

Craft paint would have worked to. 

Knife block...I honestly have no idea. 

Picture: Free

Mod Podge: 1.00 at the Dollar Tree. 

There you have it a nice way to spruce up a boring knife block. 

I can't wait to show you what I have been working on. But for this project I decided to go with regular paint instead of spray paint...Its taking forever!!!!! Its going to look very cool once its finally done. And it might be up for sale. Keep an eye out for that!

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Until next time bloggers!

Craft On!!!!

DIY Painting

Hello Blog world! 

How is every one tonight?

Me? Well its Thursday so I am happy! Because its blog day! And that means I get to share my new wisdom, because that's what these projects are to me. Learning experiences. Like this new one. First let me start by saying I am Not  an artist! I repeat I am not an artist!!!!

With that said I did find a technique that allows me to fake being an artist. Let me share how!

I love Coffee. Most of the women in my family do. So my kitchen is decorated with coffee cups and such. My dream is to some day open my own coffee shop which was the inspiration for this "painting". The broom stick is suppose to be a spoon. Practical Magic is one of mine, my moms and my sisters favorite movies. The coffee shop would be something we would all have a hand in. Power of Three! Not to bore you with those details I just want you to understand why there is a broomstick in my coffee cup.

Anyways, how I came across this idea was I was actually looking for something else for another project I am doing and I stumbled across this blog about a woman who does these kind of pictures all the time. Her way of doing things was a little more complicated than the way I did it. It involved projectors and such. Do people besides teachers really have projectors laying around?

The supplies needed for this project:

Canvas

Paint

Paint Brushes

Pencil

A picture

What I did first was get a picture of a coffee cup and a broom. Used a little photo shop magic and ended up with this picture. 

Notice its backwards. This is important...well only if you have words mostly. I was going to have words on my picture but I lost my courage and just decided to be safe. 

The next step is you take your pencil and outline everything you want on your canvas. Do it on a hard surface and make your lines some what thick. Once you get everything outlined place the picture face down and trace the back.

Keep checking to make sure you are leaving marks on the canvas. The lines will be light (If you use a mechanical pencil like I did...Not sure if you use a regular pencil..)

Once you have the picture completely transferred it should look something like this

I went over it with a permanent marker because again I am not an artist I do not paint. I need good guidelines! I do not recommend using Marker if you are going to use light colors for your painting. I knew I was using dark colors so I knew I would cover up the marker. 

As you can probably tell my lines are shaky and it kind of looks like a kid drew this. But that's just to show you how much of an artist I am not :D

So now you just fill it in. 

I really had big plans of putting the name of my future coffee shop on it but when my friend asked me "How mad would you get if you screwed up?" Well pretty mad. So I tried it and it didn't work so I painted over it. You will never see my ugly handwriting for as long as I can help it!

What I recommend, If you are not an artist like me use a simple picture. Or a simple saying. You can use words just print them out first. 

Don't rush. I was very proud of myself I took my time and this didn't turn out half bad. Is it going on a wall in a famous museum any time soon? No. But does any one have this picture hanging in their kitchens? Nope!

I guess I should have signed it? For now this signature will work. 

The cost of this project if I didn't have the supplies already would be

Canvas- 5.00 

Paint- .50 each

Paint Brushes- 1.00

I hope you enjoyed this weeks project. If you have any suggestions let me know in the comments. I would love to hear feed back!

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