Wall murals....

Decorating with wall murals is not that difficult....and it is an awesome way to instantly add a big impact to any room, especial a play room or kid's room!

A few years ago I decided to surprise my youngest daughter with a full room makeover while she was at choir camp. Paint, new side table, lamp, desk chair makeover, bedding, rug...everything. She was all into Betsy Johnson at the time so I used her design as a touch of "inspiration." Katie's first words when she walked in...."I hate it."

I wish I had all the "before the before" pictures handy. When I first bought this house she was only 3 so decorating with the pastel pinks and blues was easy (imagine castle walls with trellises of ivy!) ....so precious. Then she went through the teal/purple/lime green stage. That was really awesome and it last a few years.

But as she entered her teens she wanted something a little more "mature." Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that one should not assume what ones teenager will like. Better to let them have a hand in any design decisions, especially as she reminded me, it is "MY personal space."

Unfortunately, I knew our "design tastes" were on total opposites of the spectrum when she told me she wanted "dark grey," specifically chalkboard grey. No way in this world was I painting a room "dark grey." The last thing I wanted was my spunky, cheerful daughter getting swallowed up in the dark dank world of goth doom and gloom which I was certain would happen if we painted her room such a depressing color.

But then she told me she wanted a "fail whale" mural. Huh? What the heck? So she googled it....I thought it was pretty neato! She picked out the red and blue accent colors. And as her "vision" became a little clearer, I realized she had a pretty awesome plan in her mind.

We painted the "fail whale" mural on one wall and painted her study cubby with the brighter blue and red. (Originally the study cubby had a built in twin bed with a trundle...it is an addition I built years ago...rather cute but I took her bed out of it when I did the Betsy Johnson inspired room...it was the only thing she liked!)

I had a hand in the basic paint design (okay, so I was a common laborer) but I let her add her own little design elements...posters as a headboard and art, Christmas lights, knick-knacks....after all it is indeed her "personal space." And I want her to love her space as much as I want others to love theirs!

We agreed on a nice grey for three walls....we used Valspar flat paint. It works beautifully as a "chalkboard!" She loves it and she writes her inspiration quotes on it!

Okay, the mural....there are a several ways to get a mural on a wall.

If your design element is small enough, you can actually trace it onto the wall by taping sheets of sewing trace paper together. I like the sewing trace paper because it isn't "messy" and it wipes off easily!

You can free-hand the piece...which I did here....

This is a mural of Mitchell's high school mascot...it is on the garage wall. There use to be one on his bedroom wall, but I painted over it when I remodeled his room after he went off to collage. (Be prepared to paint several coats of primer over these things when the time comes to paint over them!)

Or you can use a large "stencil" like Sarah did in my grandson's "Monster" themed game room. She has a friend who is a graphic designer and they have the machines to print off and cut out large murals...might be worth the money it would cost!

Or you can use a projector like we did in Katie's room. In all honesty, the "fail whale" was a tad too big for the size we wanted on the wall, so I projected his head onto the wall to get the scale and then I free-handed the rest. I made a little cardboard template for the birds and traced them.

Regardless of the method you use to get your design on the wall (templates, tracing paper, projector, free-hand) first paint your base color and allow it to dry well. Then use a sewing pencil to lightly mark your design and then use latex paint and small brushes to paint the details. The little "sample pots" of latex paint at Lowes are the PERFECT size for these projects and VERY affordable (around $3 each) when you need several colors! You can have ANY color mixed in the sample sizes so don't limit yourself to the premix colors!

Again, murals are a GREAT way to add a huge impact in any room! You are only limited by your own imagination. Anything you can think of that you LOVE can be painted on a wall.

And remember too, there are a LOT of wall mural inspirations on line...Google it!

And the great thing about paint...if you don't like it, paint over it!!!

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Pretty in pink....and a little zebra....

Earlier I posted this "before" picture of a little dresser I brought home from the apartments.....missing a drawer and really not attractive! (I found it, and this one, in the same unit!)

But it was relatively sturdy and I knew I could install a shelf where the drawer was missing...perfect for little decorative baskets! Or books...or whatever!

I never posted a before picture of this chair....and unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture BEFORE I took it all apart. But basically it was just a little gray chair I found at the apartments...kinda nasty as usual and veeeery boring.

Both have been in my garage for months...kilzed and ready to go. What to do, what to do. I just couldn't get "inspired." I don't have a problem doing this stuff, I just have a problem deciding exactly WHAT to do. But the other day I was walking through Hobby Lobby and I saw all this pink and zebra stripe little girl's decor, and I thought "Oh MY!" Inspiration at last. Keep in mind, I have NO place in my home for this but some little girl somewhere is going to love this stuff....

The zebra stripes on the drawer fronts are hand painted. Don't get too impressed. While I have a tad of artisticness and creativeness in me, I'm honestly not THAT talented. Here's a little secret...if you see a design or picture you want to put on a piece of furniture, trace it onto a piece of wax paper. Then place the wax paper on a piece of sewing trace paper and trace it onto your piece. (TIP: use sewing trace paper...it doesn't "smudge" as badly as other traceable papers and the markings are easy to remove with a damp cloth!) You can do this on ANYTHING...walls, glass, furniture, anything!!! I painted the drawers white, traced the fabric design on wax paper and then traced that onto the drawer fronts....then painted them with black latex paint. And with everything, I sprayed it with a clear coat!

You can even print things off the computer and trace that...if the printed picture is too small for the project you are working on, just take the picture into any edit program and break it up in sections that can be printed off and then taped together. If it is REALLY big, you can always project it onto the object with a projector. We did that with a mural on my daughter's wall...if she EVER gets her room clean enough for me to take pictures, I will share her mural...totally awesome. Ever hear of a "fail whale?" Google it...it really is awesome!!

Anywho....animal print is not really my cup of tea...evident by the fact that I pretty much hated my bathroom when I decorated with "leopard print" in a failed attempt to decorate around my ugly gold shower doors!

But after seeing a little inspiration and how "fun" it can be, this was a fun little project.

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Sew awesome....

I really want, and honestly need, a sewing desk...some place I can store and use my sewing machine without having to set it up on my dining room table. I found this sewing desk in a thrift store and man-oh-man was this thing seriously ugly!

I knew this desk could be a little treasure after the cruddy paint job was stripped away!

And even to my surprise, what a treasure it is...what I found under two layers of paint was beautiful mahogany. Initially someone had painted it a really disgusting green and then I guess they tried to improve it by painting it a flat black.

This is a prime example of hurting a piece in a failed attempt to "enhance" it! Truth be told, I felt a little guilty painting the base and drawers white. But I could never live with myself had I not restored the top to it's prior glory!

Before I started refinishing, I cut the opening a little bigger to accomodate my sewing machine. TIP ALERT: when cutting veneer mark the cut with a pencil and then score the veneer with a utility knife. Then use a jig saw with a very sharp blade to cut "inside" the score...if you don't, the veneer with split and splinter and you will make quite a mess!

Normally I use Formby's Furniture Refinisher to strip latex paint and old varnish...but two layers of paint needed a little more muscle....so I used a citrus stripper. I will not use anything stronger on veneer (always use any stripper per the instructions and in a VERY well ventilated area!) This piece didn't have a single chip in the veneer and I didn't want to risk hurting the piece by using industrial strength stripper! Took a little more time and more than one application but it was worth it.

After removing all the old paint, I took 0000 steel wool and mineral spirits and gave the wood a "bath." When stripping wood, regardless of what you use to strip it, always "wash" the piece with mineral spirits to remove all the "crumbs." After it dries, take VERY fine sand paper or 0000 steel wool and sand lightly before applying stain or a finish.

TIP ALERT...keep old toothbrushes on hand to get into groves and corners when stripping furniture. DIYers never throw away old toothbrushes, coffee cans, socks, old tshirts or towels...trust me, you will need them!

Since I knew I was painting the base and the drawers, I didn't strip them but I did sand and prime well before painting.

And again...ALWAYS USE TACK CLOTH BEFORE PAINTING OR APPLYING FINISH...AND BETWEEN EVERY COAT!! I seriously can not stress this enough! So many DIY tutorials tell you to "wipe down"...again, I challenge you...wipe down your piece with a clean cloth, and even some mineral spirits...then wipe it with a tack cloth! You will be shocked at how much crud was still there!

Two coats of gloss white paint on the base and drawers. A light coat of walnut brown stain on the wood to even out the color and give it a little more depth....4 coats of my favorite Formby's Tung Oil. New crystal knobs. Total awesomeness!

I can not stress how beautiful this wood is....I wish I was a better photographer. And I wonder if I should have stripped and stained the drawer on the right...but then again, I kind of like the paint/stain contrast...I think I would love it either way!

I REALLY love tung oil.... it allows the grain of any wood to just shine! And it is sooo easy to take care of and touch up when needed! (Now I know why my father refused to use polyurethane) I think so many use polyurethane because they are concerned about durability....that is honestly not an issue with tung oil! Try it...it is almost impossible to mess up the application (unlike poly) and it is extremely easy to touch up scratches in the future if necessary!

This project was pure joy! Anytime I can take something that has been so abused and turn it into a treasure it just makes me happy!

Maybe now I will enjoy sewing just a little more!

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Swing into spring...

NOW is the time to do this project...too stinking hot in the summer and you will want to enjoy it during the lazy days of summer!

I have built 5 of these swing pergolas...two at my house, one at my daughter's first home, one at her current home and one for a neighbor. It is not a difficult project to built but one that requires two sets of hands and a little muscle! And with everything, patience!!!

I have posted a tutorial HERE. It is not a terribly difficult project and one I think most DIYers could easily manage.

This is the SUPER sized pergola I built onto my house about 11 years ago...I won't even begin to tell you how it is constructed...but I can promise you, if the house is blown away, it will probably still be standing! And notice the wisteria canopy...seriously, that stuff is CRAZY!

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Pathetic little shed no more....

Time flies... I didn't understand why my 4-5 year old shed looked so pathetic and was already showing signs of rot in places...then I realized that it was actually 9-10 years old and had never really had a makeover other than adding some little window planters!

I didn't want a "typical" storage building in my backyard. So when I bought the "kit" at Meek's originally and contracted them to build it, I had them put a higher pitch on the roof and use architectural shingles. I designed a cute little "cottage" style door for them to build and I also added two inexpensive windows and shutters. Cost a few pennies more, but is much more attractive than your typical storage building!!!

But now it is time to spruce up the little place.

I really just wanted to paint the shutters and door black, but as you can see, the door had a few issues....like a serious case of rot! As did the siding on the side...and I have always wanted to add little "scallops" above the door and paint the hinges black and add cute little lantern style light fixtures...

Even the simplest little projects turn in to complete "rehabs" around here!!!

But that is when you learn that doing this stuff is not THAT difficult! Sometimes the only thing stopping you from making a change is FEAR of it being too big....how do you eat an elephant...one bite at a time ;)

How do you start a project....just be willing to take the first bite!!!!

So we begin...I took down the shutters...marked them on the back so I would know where they go (remember...paint fumes cause memory issues...this has nothing to do with age!) Gave them a good little bath and then used good ole' spray paint! Beautiful!

I also took all the screws from the shutters and the hinges, stuck them in an old styrofoam lid, and sprayed them with black paint!! Easy way to paint screws to match!

I pre-primed and pre-painted all the trim I was going to be using on the building and door. I still have to caulk and do paint touchup after it is installed, but it makes that job a little easier!!!

I took the door off and left the hinges attached to the trim on the building...but I have always wanted the hinges black, so I taped them off and sprayed them with black spray paint as well. The siding on the side of the building had some "rot issues" from years of standing water, so I chipped away the rotted material and put a new piece of trim along the bottom of the building to "hide" the rot. (Before you do this, make sure the area is now VERY dry and there are NO termite issues...look for little ant creatures with wings or their little "tracks" in the wood. If you see ANYTHING that is remotely suspicious, call your termite company!)

On to the fun part....rebuilding the door. Unfortunately, I was so focused I didn't take pictures along the way. But I basically used the old door as a "pattern." Any time you need to replace or rebuild, examine closely what is there....what materials were used...how is it put together. Fortunately, this door was a pretty easy read for me...so I bought the materials, measured, cut, glued and nailed. And presto...I have a new door.

After cutting the door out of the wood siding material, I had enough left over to make the little scallop things I wanted to put above the door. This took a little creativity, but I had made a scallop fascia for a little cabinet I made for my daughter years ago, so I pretty much knew how to make it. I took 6" strips of the leftover wood siding material, used a coffee can to mark the scallops and then cut them out with a jig saw! I then installed them on the little building by overlapping one row on top of the other and painted them! No biggy!

I added some little lantern style fixtures! (they don't REALLY work....there is no electricity in the building...but they are kinda cute! But I think I need bigger ones)

I still need to repaint the little porch railings...and I can't wait to get the planting done in the beds...but all in do time!

For now, the MAJOR work is done! And my little garden shed has new life!

This may seem like a HUGE and daunting task for a novice DIYer. But seriously, if I can do this YOU CAN DO IT! Before you can complete any rehab or makeover, you just have to START IT! Take it slowly and examine what is already there...but conquer your fear and start!

My father did not teach me to rebuild a storage building door. He didn't teach me to make scallop siding...he didn't teach me to tile or sheetrock or install hardwood on my stairs. He taught me to DO....to think...to look at something you want to change and figure out what you have to do to change it! Really if you think about it, DIYing is kind of like life...if you don't like something change it...but you have to be willing to take the first bite! And honestly, if you get stuck, you have to be willing to ask for help when the going gets tough....but never quit or give up!

We are soooo fortunate to have the internet...you can Google just about anything and find a ton of places that will tell you how to do just about anything! They may differ in some respects, but that is where you have decide what you are comfortable doing....and what makes sense for the project you want to complete!

Dad didn't have internet...he just had a lifetime of experience and knowledge...I get very sad when I think of all he took with him. I am grateful for the knowledge he gave me...but more than anything I am grateful for the confidence he gave me to start any project and figure it out!

If I can give you just a "smidge" of that confidence, you will have received a tremendous gift!

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Window sills....

I've been working hard the last few days on my little garden shed...want to paint the shutters, but if I paint the shutters, I have to paint the door, but the door is rotten so it needs to be rebuilt, and while I'm doing that I might as well...blah, blah, blah. NEVER ending. But I'm almost done and I will share soon!

In the mean time, I wanted to share a SIMPLE project...

Marble window sills (or any solid surface material for that matter!) Have you ever noticed the nasty black crud (i.e. mildew) on your window sills...or how the paint flakes and chips, especially after they get rained on a time or two.

Easy solution!!! Cultured marble window sills. Such an easy, inexpensive solution. Now honestly, if you had to do them ALL at once, it would be a tad expensive. But start with one or two...maybe the few that get left open the most in the spring (oops!) and over time replace all your sills with marble. I usually pay around $25 per sill.

It really is simple! Take a VERY sharp utility knife and carefully "score" (cut through) all the caulk around the existing sill. Basically between the existing window sill and the window, wall and trim. Then take a flat tool (a chisel, flat screw driver, metal putty knife) and use a hammer to tap it between the sill and the trim under the sill. Your objective is to lift the sill up...so however you can do that carefully....it doesn't matter if you scar up the sill, but you don't want to make too big a mess of the wall or trim. Once you have the sill off take it to a culture marble manufacturer (easy to find in your phone book) and they can use it as a template for your new marble sill. I usually get "white on white"...will match any white trim color.

If you are going to do more than one, make sure you number or somehow label your pieces so you will know what goes where! You may THINK all your windows are 3' wide...trust me, there is a good chance there is a hair difference!

To install your new marble sill, first "dry fit" it to make sure it fits properly! You can make minor adjustments with sandpaper and even a skill/jig/tile saw IF you know what you are doing and feel comfortable doing so (cultured marble is NOT difficult to cut) If you can't make the adjustments yourself, mark where the cuts need to be on the marble with a permanent marker and take it back to the marble shop.

You will probably have a small gap (1/8" +/-) all the way around...that's okay, you will fill that in with caulk. If it fits properly, just put a good thick "squiggly" of silicone caulk on the framing board the sill will sit on, install the sill and press firmly. (If there is a gap between the actual window and "framing sill" you will want to run a nice heavy bead of silicone caulk to prevent air from getting in. If the gap between the window and framing sill is BIG, you might consider stuffing it with insulation before installing your new sill!)

Now, here is the tricky part...you really should use silicone caulk to fill the gaps...and that stuff is NOT for the novice. A 100% silicone will not clean up with water AND most are not paintable. So if you are not a GREAT caulker, I would suggest using a "painter's caulk." Easy clean up and you don't have to worry about it if it gets on the wall or trim...because it will hold paint.

Remember my instructions about caulk...cut the tip small and at a 45 degree angle, with a very sharp razor blade. When you caulk a gap, squeeze the gun trigger gently and keep it moving along the gap. The deeper and wider the gap, the slower you will want to move the gun....the narrower or shallower the gap, the faster. Again, it is a learned art....practice does make perfect. But caulking is a necessity with MOST DIY projects!!!

If you are really afraid you are going to make a big mess, take the time to tape off the area...run masking/paint tape along both sides of the "gap"...caulk...wipe with your finger...immediately pull up tape!!! If you are going to attempt using silicone caulk, I would highly recommend doing this!!! Keep mineral spirits handy for clean up!

After you run a bead of caulk, take your finger and run it along the caulk/gap. You want a nice, smooth "line."

Caulk between the sill and the window/wall/trim...all the way around. If you are using painter's caulk, it will easily clean up with water...silicone caulk cleans up with mineral spirits.

The entire process really isn't that difficult...and in the end you have a beautiful window sill that will never rot or chip, is super easy to clean and is very forgiving when you leave the window open during a thunderstorm!

BTW, if you are having a new solid surface installed in your kitchen or bathrooms I would highly recommend having the installer cut and install a new sill for any windows from the solid surface you are using...I had my granite installer cut a window sill for my kitchen window! Looks beautiful and no more worries when I forget to shut the window before it rains!

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Bathroom makeover on the cheap....

I told you earlier in the week this time change thing would be the death of me. I. AM. DYING. It makes me work too late in the day. Today I started rebuilding my storage building door and painting the shutters...a project I will share when I am done. Funny thing is, with all the work I do, I threw my back out this morning WASHING MY TRUCK! Immediately went the chiropractor, came home and started taking down shutters and building a new door...and I wonder why I feel like death tonight!!! Geez.

But on to something fun!!! Since I didn't get today's project ready to share, I'll share an oldie but definitely awesome!

When I first bought my 1800 s.f. 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home it was plenty for my family then. After a year I added a den and a year later I added a "master suite." But I have always known that a big master bathroom was something I could easily live without. I basically shower, primp and do "other" business in there...rarely do I have time to lounge around in my whirlpool tub with candles and a good book. As a matter of fact, I think I have tried out the whirlpool maybe twice in 13 years. When my house was under construction I added a glass block window over the tub before I tiled. (I bought the house while it was being built but did a lot of the finish work myself!) The mistake I made was not adding an operable window at the time.

While they were installing the GOLD shower doors, I was thinking "EWWWWW! What was I thinking when I picked THAT!" I disliked it from day one...but I attempted (unsuccessfully) to decorate around them for 12 years! I also tried to add much needed storage by adding a little white cabinet. But try as I might, I could never get the bathroom to "feel" and work the way I needed it to. The ONLY thing I liked about it were the beautiful maple paprika cabinets I have throughout my house...to this day I still love my kitchen cabinets! But in the bathroom...not so much!

So last year I decided to do a "semi" makeover in my bathroom. I had just bought some beautiful granite at an auction...enough for my kitchen and all three bathrooms (again, I promise to tell you about that ubber sweet deal!) This is what I ended up with....

Okay, where do I start. Very tight budget so I had to spend wisely!

Paint, that is a given in any room makeover...light, clean...gallon at the most! I did paint the ceilings but after 13 years, it was time!

All the tile was fine. Thank goodness because that can be costly! But the shower doors HAD to go...gold...seriously, what was I smoking? Removing old shower doors is seriously the EASIEST and one of the biggest changes you can make in a bathroom. Remove the doors. Just lift up and tilt out. Take a hammer and carefully knock the top bar "up." Be careful that it doesn't hit you in the head (yeah, I really do learn these things the hard way). Now, MOST shower doors have just 3 little screws securing the side brackets to the wall/tile/insert. So take the little screws out and "pop" the side rails off the wall. Usually silicone is used as an adhesive, so you may have to do a little prying on the side rails and the bottom rail, but they will come up. After all the rails are removed, take a razor blade and gently scrap the silicone off the walls/tile/tub. The three little holes...just take a little bit of silicone and "fill" them. Haul the entire insert to the curb and say "bye, bye!" Buy a pretty rod and spa curtain and say good bye to soap scum and that nasty black crud that grows in the rails!

Cabinets. I bought new cabinets. Big expense. But in a bit, I am going to share a way to change the entire look of your cabinets and bathroom without spending a lot of money!!! Seriously...you WANT this!

I was going for "modern" so I decided to go with brush nickel fixtures and hardware. I priced the cabinet hardware at a local home decor store....$28 A PIECE...I only needed 7 but really...$28 for a stupid little handle? That is when I discovered myknobs.com Found the hardware for around $8 a piece....SWEET!

Originally I was going to put in two mirrors...but I bought this one on sale at Hobby Lobby for the hall bath and it didn't work in there so I hung it in the master bath and loved it....so I put in the totally awesome pendant light fixture instead! Well, okay, my totally awesome son in law installed it when he put in the recess lights (not pictures)!

There is only me...and it's a small bathroom...so two sinks was a waste in my opinion. I decided to add much needed storage and just have one sink. I got the sink and faucet on Overstock.com! They have great prices on bathroom fixtures. Always check them before you buy any fixtures or lighting!

Again, great deal on the granite top. Glass tile back splash...yum! A small amount of glass block in a bath back splash can add A LOT of style and class for very little! (That will be a great tutorial...it's super easy!)

The biggest change was the new window. That required some pretty serious construction and vinyl and sheetrock repair but it was doable. And having an operable window in a small bathroom is a must have in my opinion!!! I put in one of those nifty "crank out" kinds and I loooove it!!! It is so nice to be able to air out the bathroom on nice days!

And of course when you do a "remodel" there are always those "little surprises." Like the wad of pine needles and leaves I found in the HVAC vent....no air was getting through those vents....but some critter obviously had during construction. I also discovered that when the plumber installed the wall plumbing behind the cabinets (tech term, rough in) he tore out the sheetrock and insulation, and then the cabinet guys just set the cabinets right over the gaping hole in the wall....you could literally see daylight when I removed the vanity. I always wondered why the floor was soooo cold!! And I never could figure out how water pipes I KNEW were in the floor managed to freeze when it was bitter cold.

So I promised an inexpensive cabinet makeover....a process that will change the entire look of your bathroom and is ubber easy!!! Seriously, it is soooo easy that it totally offended my "craftsman" senses. Keep in mind, I just came to terms with painting wood furniture...so "refinishing" cabinets with this process really offended my senses. But I tried it in my kid's bathroom and my guest bath and I LOVE it! My daughter has refinished her bathroom cabinets, I have used it in the kitchen in my manager's house, and one of my friends just refinished her entire master bath! It is amazing!

I found this process on Pinterest....which linked me to "Monica Wants It." Monica gives a GREAT tutorial on refinishing cabinets...follow it to the T...do not deviate. (Monica used this on oak cabinets...I have maple...worked great on both! I also used it on unfinished oak and it worked just fine!) I have used it three times, and it has never failed me! Nor my daughter nor my friend! Totally awesome. (I wish my photography did it justice...but it doesn't!)

If you need to make an inexpensive change in your bathroom, use this tutorial to refinish the cabinets (don't forget the hardware!), get rid of that nasty shower door, give the walls a fresh coat of paint and update your lighting! You would be surprised what a few little changes will make! And YOU CAN DO IT!

Oh, and one personal tip...over the years I have changed all my towels to WHITE! Why? Because I can bleach them and they always smell fresh...no more musty towels. And they look awesome in my new bathroom! Very "spa" like! And TJMaxx or Marshalls always have great prices on shower curtains and bath rugs!!!

Bathrooms are a great place to learn to DIY. You can go big and do big, or you can start small and do a little at a time! Budget, time and desire dictate!

Have questions on how you can "change" your bathroom...email some pictures and I will give you some suggestions! beckcampbell@cox.net

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Please sir, may I have some more pillows....

I'm telling you, even when I try to be clever with my post titles, all I do is show my age...grrr.

Pillows....LOTS of pillows. And for a reason, not just because I LIKE to sew...because honestly, I REALLY dislike sewing. I can do it...and IMO everyone should know how to do the simplest things on a sewing machine. Sew a hem, make a decorative pillow, make curtains. Simple stuff...not necessarily make a tailored jacket or Easter dress, but simple stuff. My mom had me take sewing lessons when I was a teenager. Didn't necessarily like them, but I am grateful I can use a sewing machine now. If you can't, sign up for a class at your local craft or fabric store and learn. Buy the cheapest, simplest sewing machine and learn how to use it. My machine basically sews straight stitch and zig-zag. I think it does button holes too, but I don't...

So back to WHY I had to make a bunch of pillows. First, last year I decided I didn't like the big fluffy cushions on my couch. Haven't really liked them since I bought the couch. But they were expensive and filled with down fill. If you have ever bought stuffing for pillows, you know it is expensive....not something to waste. So I bought some inexpensive white cotton material, measured out 19 x 19 and 13 x 21 squares for pillow forms ( allowing for a 1/2" seam all around), sewed them together and stuffed them with the down stuffing from the too fluffy cushions. I think they call that upcycling now....much better adjective than cheapo. I ended up with 5 oblong and 5 square ones....wow! he reason I made and stuffed forms, is because as you may know, some down feathers are "pokey." Having the form in the pillow helps protect your guests from being speared by a feather. If you are just using plain old "fill" (without feathers) no need for the forms. Just make the pillows and stuff them!

Once I had all these pillow forms, I started digging through my leftover material from past projects. Mostly upholstery projects. I found enough to make these pillows....

I had material from the dining room chair recover, the peacock chair, my wingback chair and my daughter's houndstooth chair. The white cable knit is actually a sweater I bought at Goodwill for $2, and used to make a pillow!

Depending on the amount of material I had, I cut some 19 x 19 and some 13 x 21. Two for each pillow.

I trimmed all of them (except the cable knit) with piping. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS! I just like the way it looks...start simple and forget the piping if this is your first attempt!

Now piping CAN be tricky. You can buy it already made and ready to sew into your pillow....but that is a tad expensive....they have some inexpensive premade but they also have some really nifty ones with beads and all kinds of stuff! If you have enough material, you can actually make your own piping. But most people don't understand that piping material MUST be cut on the bias....which means it has to be cut at a 45 degree angle across the material or it puckers reeeeal bad...which means you have to have A LOT of material to make the bias for your piping. Confusing, I know.

Easiest, and by far the cheapest, is buy "premade" bias tape and cover piping with it. It comes in all colors and you are sure to find one to accent any pillow you are making!

Just iron the bias tape flat, fold in 1/2 and sew in the piping with your zipper foot (seriously, learn to sew a straight line!) and then sew it onto one side of your pillow....then pin the other side of the pillow, face down, and sew again...leaving an opening to stuff the pillow form or batting. Then just "whip stitch" the opening. Seriously, NO biggy if you can do the basic stuff on a machine! (Seriously, take a lesson or have a friend teach you!)

God knew what he was doing when he decided I would not have a lot of money. He knows I am a creative person and would miss out on the joy of learning to do things like refinish furniture, painting a room, and designing and building if I had money to PAY someone to do it. And honestly, if I won the lottery tomorrow, I would still do those things because I enjoy them.

But I probably would never sew again....I just really don't enjoy it. But I do enjoy having nice thing...little treasures throughout the house...and decorative pillows are little treasures.

So I sew......

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Black doors...

As you see from my "to do" list, I have a few things I need to get done around here. Today I am finishing up the nasty dresser I brought home last week (not even on my list) and I am finally making the pillows that have been piled on my dining room table for a week. So later, maybe tomorrow, I will post about those two projects...for today I thought I would post the project I STARTED last fall...by that, I mean I still have the entire upstairs to do, but ohhhh what a difference it made downstairs.

Just Google "interior black doors"! Oh. My Goodness. Beautiful!

Last fall I saw a thing on Pinterest about painting door knobs. Thirteen years ago, brass was fab...not so much now and at $20 a pop, I wasn't about to change out all my interior door knobs. So I took them all off, primed and painted them black with spray paint. Looked pretty cool...

....until I saw some pictures of ALL black interior doors. Now THAT is cool!

Painting ALL your doors may seem like a daunting task. So start out slow...do one room at a time.

All my doors were already painted with a good quality oil based trim paint (AKA alkyd paint)....so I choose to use oil base when I painted them black. If your doors are already painted with latex, use latex. Again, latex paints are MUCH better than years past! (Word of advice, if you are every changing the "type" of paint, make sure you prime FIRST! You can "tint" your primer so you only have to do one coat of the actual paint) Black is a VERY difficult color to mix, so I bought a premixed black in SATIN finish at Sherwin Williams. I used a foam roller and high quality paint brush. I made sure to tape off all the hinges and knobs. Also, trust me...the first coat will look beyond AWFUL! Patience...paint a second coat before passing judgment...one coat of black on white WILL NOT cut it.

Regardless of what kind of paint you use, always put paper (newspaper works great!) or a drop cloth under the door....trust me, black oil based paint is TOUGH to get off any type of floor (which is why I have black speckles under my doors....grrrr)

Both the boys (yes my adult boys still "claim" their rooms!) want their closet doors red....I think it will look awesome, so I will do all the upstairs bedroom doors in black and their closet doors in red...someday...maybe. I am kind of hoping this fad passes before I actually get to it. After all, the only people who go up there are the kids....I only go up to retrieve dishes and dirty clothes...and that's only because I run out of dishes and don't want to get hit with 10 loads of laundry all at once!

Off to finish pillows and the dresser....busy day!

This is the first time in three months I haven't been busting it every day at the apartments....nice to finally have a little time at home to get some things done!!!

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Type A personalities should not blog......

It's not that I haven't been doing DIY projects for decades, it's that I have SOOOOO many I want to do and share NOW. So I am going in 50 different directions trying to get a dozen little projects done so I can post them. A dresser, an ottoman, an old office chair, pillows, the 3 legged table, ANOTHER table I picked up at Goodwill today (it has all it's legs intact), cork boards...you name it, I've got it going on here. It's madness and my house is a disaster....NOT a good thing!

Seriously, I think I have a few years left in me....I mean honestly, eventually I'll run out of things to post if I try to do it all right this minute....typical "type-A" personality.

But I did get one project finished today....thank goodness.

About a month ago my son asked me to spend a Saturday at an auction with him....I LOVE auctions but more than anything I love spending time with the kids when they actually WANT to spend time with me! And it was a cabinet shop going out of business...fun fun!! Ask me how much of the stuff I bought I REALLY needed....ummm...probably NONE of it. But I picked up a huge stack of cork board....and of course that stuff is not cheap and who doesn't need a cork board?

So I set out searching for old frames...any interesting frame I could find. Found most of them at Goodwill for next to nothing!

Pop the picture and glass out, cover the backing with cork board and paint the frame....PRESTO!!! Nifty cork board!

The large one is for Matt's girlfriend, Kaitlyn. She is the mother of my grandpuppy, Beau. Did you ever read "Marley and Me" or see the movie (OMG, if you want a good cry....) That is Beau....silliest dog in the world but I just adore him.

Anyway, when I went back to Hancock Fabrics today to buy the other THIRTY BOXES of pearl and bead strands (seriously, who could pass them up at 90% off....I just didn't realize they had soooo many left!) I found these nifty little 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 magnetic picture frames on clearance for .40....paint them up and they are cute as a bug on the cork board.

Now, here is where I ran into a "design" problem. When you run into a design issue, or your "best laid plans" aren't panning out, do what I do....wing it. My PLAN was to put a strip of magnetic tape across the board, cover with the cute houndstooth ribbon and then stick the magnet photo frames on it. No dice. The magnetic tape was crap and NOTHING would stick to it and the magnets on the frames weren't any better. To top it off, I soon found out that hot glue is NOT a good medium for cork board.

So, I used regular glue to attach the ribbon onto the board, glued 3 super powerful magnetic "dots" on the ribbon, hot glued magnetic dots to the back of the frames, and PRESTO....we have take off!!! Or at least we have some cute little frames that can easily be changed out from time to time!

There are soooo many things you could do to spruce up a cork board. Cover the cork in fabric, attach vinyl lettering or even paint on the cork, cover with ribbons and bow....just so many ideas...Google cork board imagines and you will be surprised at the ideas that are out there.

I have some old window panes I took out of an old house...they have three divides in them and I am going to put cork in one, metal for magnets in one and chalk board in the one....I'll post that if I ever get to it....but before I do that project, I am bound and determined to get some of the others completed!

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