Arch window covering and temporary window coverings!

It's that time of the year...time to put up the blinds and shades to keep out the blazing sun and cool down the house a bit!

This past week Brian and I put up the outside roll-down blinds that cover the west-facing windows in my den! I love all the natural light, but when the sun hits those windows around 4:00 on a hot summer day, oh my!

Hanging the blinds on the OUTSIDE makes a huge difference...and honestly it makes this room much more comfortable in the summer! (As you can see, I turn the couch around in the summer!)

The arch window in my living room is another story! I know....arch windows are soooo 90s. But that was when this house was built so that is what is there! It is a great place for fall and Christmas displays!

It would be very difficult to put a blind on the outside of the this window...so I had to settle with putting something on the inside.

This is how bright it is BEFORE I put up a blind....

And AFTER...

Seriously, no Photoshop and no camera tricks. Before and After...within a few minutes. That is how much difference there is and it makes a huge difference in the temperature of the living room!

Fortunately my living room is two stories, so it still FEELS bright and airy, I just don't have the blazing sun heating up the room!

I couldn't really afford a "custom" blind for this arch. When I was searching for a solution, I stumbled across a "temporary" pleaded blind...maybe $15.00. It is perfect! When I put my fall decor up in the fall I take it down, fold it up and store it away until late spring. It has a clear plastic "base" that sits in the middle of the window and you just drop one end of the pleated blind into the holder, "fan" it out and secure the outside ends. It came with a "peel and stick" adhesive on the base of both sides, but that was pretty much shot after the first year. So now I either tape it or tack it down. Even though it is just a cheap little thing, it has lasted a good 5-6 years! Worth the small investment!

So if you have a room that is uncomfortable because of the heat generated by the summer sun, think about using temporary window treatments! You just might find the room a little more enjoyable and you will help cut down your cooling bills.

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Finding cheap DIY supplies!

Whether you are refinishing a dresser or remodeling your kitchen or bath or rehabbing an old chair, you are always going to need "supplies!" I shared a few tips on this subject last year! Individually, the supplies aren't that expensive...but it can add up real quick if you do a lot of projecting or are working on a large project!

There are a few things I don't skimp on...paints, finishes, stains. I buy a lot at Habitat and thrifts stores, but I rarely by "used" or obviously "old" paints and stains. There is just no way to know if they are still chemically balanced and I am not willing to take chances with my finish products. I do look for cans of mineral spirits or varnish remover because I use both a lot and they really don't "go bad."

But along with the basics, you always need brushes, sponges, rags, sanding pads, etc. In my quest to do 10 projects at once this weekend, I stumbled on an ingenious way to save on the sponge pads I use to apply oil finishes and stains.

It's not like they are super expensive. As I have mentioned numerous times, you can pick up a package of two at Lowe's for a little over $2. But why pay ANYTHING when you can make them for almost free!

One thing I always pick up at thrift stores and garage sales is old cotton socks. I use them by the boat load when I am doing a gel stain treatment. I like to be able to toss anything that is gunked up with stains and finishes so I don't have to wash them...so I always have a large stash of shop rags and socks!

This weekend I had several upholstery projects I was working on. I was also putting gel stain on the tops of my bedside tables. Foam...socks...hum? Isn't that pretty much what my foam stain pads are...

SURE IS! Cut the foam into little chunks and stuff them in the socks. Perfect for applying the tung oil finish on the second mid century barrel chair I am FINALLY refinishing!

They are also perfect for applying stains and wipe-on poly! Then just toss it after you use it! Most projects require 2-3-4 coats of stain, poly or finish and now you won't feel bad about tossing the applicator between coats!

I paid a dime for a pair of old socks at a garage sale and the foam is free. Awesome!

It's not that these things are expensive but the cost adds up fast when you do a lot of projects or if you are going to tackle a larger project!

Towels can be bought for next to nothing at thrift stores and garage sales. Just cut them up, wash (to remove any lint) and use them for shop rags. Or you can stop in your local commercial laundry service and see if you can buy old stained towels and washcloths in bulk for next to nothing. I have a tenant who works for a commercial laundry service and she brings me bags of old stained hand towels and wash cloths! Perfect.

Socks...again, thrift stores and garage sales....pennies! Cotton socks are a must for staining and you need something cheap enough to toss after you use it!

Paint brushes can be pretty expensive (I highly recommend Purdy) and are a great thing to pick up at Habitat...IF they are good quality brushes and have been kept clean. Don't EVER buy or use "cheap" paint brushes to apply paint...your final finish will look cruddy if you use cheap brushes!

I have always used steel wool for stripping old finishes and sanding between finish coats. But when I refinished this Drexel coffee table I had to use the 3M finishing pads. One thing I love about them is I can rinse them out with mineral spirits, hang them to dry, and reuse them....over and over! It's not that steel wool is really that expensive, BUT IT ADDS UP!!!

Old coffee cans, butter and whip cream tubs, metal bowls...any container that can be used to mix chalk paint and then toss after use is great! Measuring cups and spoons, small hobby brushes, tools...all a must in your "redo" stash...pennies at garage sales and thrift stores!

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Precious little metal "ice cream" chairs before and after!

I bought these pathetic little chairs at an auction last fall....

...neglected for who-knows how many years in an old outbuilding. Rusted, rotten...so sad.

Then they were neglected for months in my garage because of the "rust issue" I just had no desire to tackle. But I did...and truthfully, it is not that big of a deal (check out how to deal with rust here)....

Then they sat in my garage for ANOTHER month.

They are so darling and I knew I wanted to do something bright and fun with them...I just didn't know what. I get serious mental blocks on upholstery projects!

(I can always tell how long a "project" has been around just by the grass...in the "before" pictures my bermuda is dormant...now it is lush and green and needs to be mowed twice a week!)

So I went to the fabric store and found the brightest and most colorful fabric I could find!

Red for the frame...red is cheerful and fun and since the fabric had every color imaginable, it was perfect!

After dealing with the rust and giving them a good dose of primer (and of course the primer had to cure for a month while I mulled over colors), I sprayed the frames with red spray paint. I cut new seats and backs out of 3/8" plywood and covered them with new batting and the bright fabric .

Here is a little hint...if the "frame" where the back goes is 11", do not cut a new board 11", cover it with new fabric and batting, and expect it to fit. It won't.

The big button (almost) dead center in the flower was a fluke! The original back had a big button and I knew I wanted a button.

So this gives me the perfect opportunity to share how to make buttons for any project...chairs, pillows, headboards! Anything that has or needs a button...you can MAKE one out of any fabric!

Just buy a button kit...they have them at the fabric stores and most hobby stores. There is a template on the back for the fabric cutout and they come in all different sizes....

They are super easy to make! Just follow the directions on the back of the package!

TIP...put a dab of hot glue on the back of the front of the button before you hammer the back on and then put a dab of hot glue on the little U hook on the back of the button. A few times the back has separated from the front or the little U hook has come off the back...the glue just reinforces them a bit!

To attach the button, I measured and located the center of the board, drilled two small holes, threaded wax covered string on a large upholstery needle from back to front, through the front padding and fabric, slipped the button on the string, then threaded it back through and tied it off. Then I put a little dab of hot glue on the knot. Super simple!

I padded the back with a little batting and covered it with red fabric!

I love these little chairs...if I had somewhere to put them, I would keep them! Darling!

When I step outside my comfort zone and go with bright and colorful, I am never disappointed...maybe I should take that into consideration next time I makeover something I intend to keep!

And here is a little "upcycle" hint. I had an old outdoor chair cushion that was thrown in a pile of things I picked up at an auction. The fabric was crud but the batting inside was good. I took the fabric off and used the batting that was inside for this chair and saved the rest for future projects. Free padding!

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Chairs, chairs and MORE chairs (and a little tip on homemade chalk paint)!!!

As I have admitted before, I have a thing for chairs. I'm not sure if it is because so many old chairs are constructed with beautiful wood or if it is because they can be picked up cheap at auctions or if it is just because I have a fetish! (If you "search" chairs on my site, you will understand just how bad it is!)

Regardless, I have quite a few piled up in my garage so it was time to go to work!

I featured the prep work on these darling little metal chairs here....

Okay, so they didn't start out so darling...but they are getting there! I have painted them and cut and covered the new back and seat. I can't wait to reveal them! Super cute!

This old gal was a hot mess!

I discovered the chair had been painted a pretty green at one time. I had every intention of stripping and refinishing her, but the "painted and distressed look" is all the rage right now so I went with it. She is painted and in the process of being reupholstered. I don't want to give away the big reveal but purple IS the hot color this year....

I did manage to get two chairs finished...

One is a rocker and the other is a side chair. Structurally they are in mint condition! They are solid mahogany and I really planned to strip and refinish them. But again, I've got to go with the flow! So I painted, distressed and upholstered the seats. I still have the rocker at home and have taken the side chair to Midtown!

The fabric used on the seats is actually a king size coverlet I bought at a garage sale.

I love it so much I actually used it on the awesome mid century chair I am keeping for my office (featured here....)

....and I plan to make pillows out of the fabric I have left! I love making pillows out of "recycled" blankets and shower curtains. Okay, "love" is a strong wood...I do not LOVE to sew at all. But I do love decorating with pillows.

TIP!!! I have been making my own chalk paint for several months and the more I come to terms with painting furniture, the more I have used it! I have previously shared the recipe....1 cup paint, 2 1/2 tablespoons plaster of paris, 1 1/2 tablespoons water....mix the plaster of paris and water together VERY well, before adding it to the paint!

As I have mentioned often, I am a pinch of this, toss of that kind of person. Well, that does not work with homemade chalk paint! Don't guestimate!!! I was having trouble with my paint "flaking" more than "chalking." I ASSUMED that a higher ratio of plaster of paris would make it "chalk" better...not so. I started actually using my measuring devices and following the recipe to a T...and the paint does exactly what it is suppose to do now! Moral of the story...use your measuring spoons and cups...there is a specific recipe for a reason! This site gives great reviews and advice on using different recipes for chalk paint! As always I suggest experimenting and using what works best for YOU!

Much done...much more to do. I hope to finish the little metal chairs this week...and MAYBE get the other chair reupholstered sometime this century. Believe it or not, I still have 3-4 more chairs waiting to be rescued!

WHERE ARE YOU?

Did you know that every time you visit a website your IP address shows up on the stat page....so the site "admins" can see all the IP addresses that visit.

Now don't panic...it's not your PHYSICAL address...just your IP address assigned to your computer. And most people have what is called a "static" address which means it comes from a "pool" of IP addresses assigned to a service provider...and that number can actually change from time to time...ergo "static." So if someone runs a search on your IP address, they most likely will just get the location of your service provider.

Sometimes I will run trace an IP number that shows up on my stats page. Okay, I know that may seem a little "stalkerish." But seriously, you can't really find out someone's home address or anything...just their general location...and I think it is neat that people in Maine and Oregon and Utah can see what I am writing about. Just interesting...and kind of weird...

Probably not as weird as my sitting here actually doing IP traces (seriously, I have stuff to do!) But it makes me wonder....

Where are YOU? You know where I am, but I have no idea where you are coming from!!! How cool is it that we are communicating with and reading about people thousands of miles away...maybe even in another country? Sometimes I will see a chair or something on another blogger's site and think "Man, I want that!" only to realize it is in Minnesota...and I'm not!

So if you get a minute, just type in the comment section (at the very least) what state you are visiting from! And as we say in Arkansas "YA'LL COME BACK!"

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Antique glass lamps.....to hot glue or not to hot glue...

Several months ago I bought two antique glass lamps at an auction. They are amazing! So simple yet elegant. Kind of a "Grace Kelly" lamp if you ask me...lol!

They have a faint decorative etching in the glass that is difficult to see...very subtle...but so pretty.

The exposed metal on the lamps have a little "corrosion" but I have decided to leave that be for the time being. Amazingly, they don't have a chip anywhere on the glass!

I decided to keep one and replace the little round crystal lamp I have in my office. But I wasn't real keen on the lamp shade, so I decided to keep the lamp shade from the crystal lamp....

I have some pearl froo-froo trim I bought after Christmas last year for pennies. I decided I would gussy up the lamp shade with trim...just to give it a little more glam.

That is where the question of hot glue vs. tacky glue comes in.

I think hot glue has a time and place. But whenever possible, especially on fabrics and upholstery, I always use a quick drying tacky/fabric glue. It takes a tad longer to set up but it holds better in the long run. Sometimes I will put a tiny bit of hot glue on something just to help it hold until the tacky/fabric glue dries completely. I do the same for wood working projects...apply a little bit of hot glue just to hold something in place that can't be clamped until the heavy duty mastic or wood glue can dry completely. But hot glue can break down in extreme hot and cold temps or even with too much "stress" from use. So I rarely use it exclusively...I just think, long term, tacky/fabric glue (and liquid nail or wood glue for wood projects) is a better option.

I see upholstery tutorials suggest hot glue for piping and trim. I personally think that is a mistake!

On this lamp shade, I applied a line of the tacky glue along the edge and then pressed the decorative trim in place....

Again, subtle...but it is the little subtle changes and additions that can make a difference in the "big picture."

HINT: If you use tacky/fabric glue, go back after the glue has "tacked" (10-15 minutes) and press the trim down again! At that point the glue will have a better "grip" and the trim will press flat and adhere better.

(Yes, that is a piece of driftwood on the table...I picked it up on our fishing trip in Colorado last year and I just love the texture of driftwood...I have another piece on my mantel in the den that I picked up off a frozen lake in Georgetown, Colorado 10 years ago!)

Lamps can be an expensive accessory in a room. But they are soooo easy to spruce up or change...just by painting or changing the shade. Several years ago I got a bit tired of my bedside lamps...too dark. So I painted the base AND the shades.

Not a humungus difference...and I am still not real keen on the style.... but it is enough to keep me from running out and paying $200 for the two lamps I wanted.

Painting light fixtures and lamps is a great way to personalize and update a space on the cheap! I featured painted light fixtures and paddle fans here and outdoor fixtures here.

Again, give it a shot...what's the worst thing that can happen...you don't like it. So what...you don't like it as it is...before you toss it, paint it or trim it. It will fetch the same price in the garage sale regardless...lol!

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Universal Ballerina Mist....

When I check on my flea booths I like to mill around and see if there are any goodies I want for ME! I try not to do this often because I do have a hard-fast rule...if I bring something in, I have to take something out.

Every once in awhile I stumble on something I just have to have!

I featured my Grandmother's Universal Ballerina dishes here and here. They are not "valuable" dishes, but ones I treasure because it was my paternal grandmother's. She was not a big "china" person and only had a few pieces of this style. I have added a few pieces here and there over the years.

I love the mist color and the platinum banding and the simple styling. Unlike my maternal great-grandmother and grandmother's very ornate and expensive china (also featured) it is very simple...kind of "mid century-ish" which makes sense since it dates around 1950...and I absolutely love it!

I have never found any pieces in flea markets. I did find another salt and pepper shaker at an antique store one time. I bought it so I would have a set I would actually use! I didn't want to use the original for fear of breaking them! Good thing I didn't because sure enough, I broke one! All the other pieces I have added have been from Ebay or Replacements.com (both great sources for replacing stoneware and china.)

But today I scored a few pieces at the Tontitown flea market!

Two refrigerator jars with lids...both in mint condition!

And a milk pitcher. It is actually the "ivory" color rather than the "mist" but I think it is a lovely little piece and thought it would look pretty next to the other I have in mist!

(Oops...still has the price tag string on it!!)

So today, I broke my hard-fast rule...there is absolutely nothing in this display case I can "take out" because they are all heirloom pieces that have great personal value. So I rearranged a few things and made room for them!

Good thing I don't have a huge china cabinet...

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Growing Knock Out roses

Knock Out roses are hardy little plants and super easy to grow!!

Two years ago I built a flower bed in an area where I have trouble getting grass to grow because of the drainage in my side yard and planted 5 little rose bushes.

They get plenty of sun throughout the day and evening, and when they bloom...OMGosh...A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

I planted these two light pink bushes years ago next to two "real" rose bushes. They too were just tiny little "bushes" when I first planted them!

(This gate door is actually the neighbors...it bores me! I am searching Pinterest for some inspiration to doll it up...maybe a pergola kinda thing....someday!)

The "real" rose bushes died long ago...probably because I have NO idea (or interest) how to maintain a "real" rose bush. Just too tedious and fininicky for my gardening tastes. They did produce beautiful roses perfect for cutting. I always thought they were something I could manage until I read my grandmother's old letters to my great-grandmother and she wrote about all the pruning and fungus and pest control and special fertilizers and blah, blah, blah.... I wasn't real torn up when they finally bit the dust. Nor did I feel terribly guilty.

I want plants that need a little sun (or shade), water and occasional fertilizer....not prima donnas that have to be properly pruned and groomed and constantly attended to. (I have enough problems battling slugs, heat and crown rot just to get my hostas through the year!)

Knock Out roses fit the bill and have amazing blooms all spring, summer and fall! The flowers are not something you will cut and use in the house...I tried...they wilt pretty quickly, but they are beautiful plants in the yard.

One word of warning...they will NOT naturally climb...and as they get bigger they can get "leggy" so it is best to put them somewhere where you can tie them up. I use plain ole' string or burlap ribbon to stand them up along my fences. I do have to prune them back in the fall and remove the dead "wood." No biggy as long as you wear gloves. Unlike "real" roses, there really is no "murderous" way to prune them...one year I took a weedeater to a few (probably not advisable!)

This is one I rescued from my apartments last year...it was still in it's original pot and was pretty much dead....

I brought it home, planted it in my flower bed...some decent soil, lots of water and a little fertilizer and presto....beautiful!

(I thought Cleo was being sweet and smelling the roses....she wasn't...she was eating them!)

If you have a fence that needs "screening" or a full sun bed that needs a pop of color, this is a perfect plant! They can easily be pruned back if you want to keep the plant smaller and more compact!

I did lose a beautiful pink tea rose bush this year I had in my side bed. Not sure what got it...maybe old age, maybe disease or bugs, harsh winter...it was over 12 years old...who knows. No biggy...Katie got me a beautiful hydrangea for Mother's Day and it filled the spot perfectly!

As I have shared before, the BEST time to buy any perennial is in the early summer...usually after they have lost their "forced blooms" and aren't nearly as attractive. Most garden and home improvement centers will mark them down considerably...just plant them in a well composted spot, water well and watch them grow and bloom year after year!

When planting any flower or bush, whether it is an annual or perennial, make sure you pay close attention to what type of "sun" or "shade" they prefer. I have found that, more than anything, it makes the biggest difference on whether the plant with thrive or struggle long-term!

Get out and enjoy your yard...even if you have a small yard or just a little patio or porch area, get out and get your hands dirty. Even if you just start with one little container plant! Gardening is honestly something you LEARN to love. Truth be told, I don't have a live plant in my house, and I have even managed to toss most of the fake stuff!

For me, flower gardening is a natural "anti-depressant" and spending time tending to my plants is always time well spent!

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Table top dresser before and after...

"Table top dresser?" Seriously? So there are dressers that go ON TOP of a table?

Well...kind of. At first glance it LOOKS like a normal dresser!

Sitting next to a paint can, you get an idea of the actual size! Tiny! A TINY table top dresser!

I am sure it is not REALLY a table-top dresser. In all honesty, it was probably built to do exactly what I am doing with it...using it for sewing accessories.

But first, it needed a few modifications and a quick makeover.

I love everything about the little "dresser,"...it is just sooo tiny and precious. The shape, size, and those darling knobs! I love porcelain knobs! They have a little screw that threads through them, through the drawer and then is secured with a little washer and nut. All four knobs were in mint condition, but unfortunately one of the screws was broken and missing the nut, so I had to replace it. I couldn't find one identical to the others, so I bought one the size I needed and spritzed it with black spray paint.

TIP: If you have to paint screws, stick them in styrofoam...makes it easy to paint! If you are painting hardware, like handles or knobs, just put the screws in them, and then stick the screws down into the styrofoam....simple!

The entire "dresser" got a KSTP treatment. I cleaned it up, applied a coat of Kilz, sanded, wiped it down with a tack cloth and then painted the "box" with my favorite off-white and the drawers a pretty blue.

One of the main purposes for this little cabinet, at least for me, was to store all my thread. So I definitely wanted drawer dividers. It has tiny little drawers, so I had to use tiny wood...which doesn't fair well when you take a nail gun to it! I used 1/4" x 1 1/2" oak "craft board," cut it to fit and then glued in place! I used a small paint brush to apply the glue so I would get a good, even coverage since I wouldn't be using nails!

I put dividers in three drawers.

I made sure they were properly spaced for different size thread spools and other sewing nick-nacks!

TIP: This little "dresser" was constructed the way a lot of older style cabinets and dressers were...wood on wood drawers. Which is fine when they are new...but over time wood shrinks and "warps" and sometimes the drawers can stick a bit. One trick I have learned is to rub an old candle all over the outside of the wood drawer, and even on the inside of the "box." The drawers will "glide" a little easier! Quick and simple fix for sticking drawers!

Now that I have it all finished, I have no idea where I will put it. I stored my ugly little plastic storage drawers in my high boy dresser, along with all my scrap material and boxes of ribbons. This little guy won't fit...and it is honestly just too cute to hide. So I may or may not keep it.

It definitely follows my decor "rules"...useful and beautiful!

Who knows...I think I will look at it and play with it. To bad I don't have one of those awesome "craft" rooms!

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Industrial fan swag lamps!

Sometimes I see things at auctions and think "Hum...I wonder what I could do with that!?"

Keep in mind, they were not all clean and shiny when I bought them. They were sitting on top of this ugly little shop cart I cleaned up and reconstructed into a decent little shop cart...and they were NASTY. Truthfully, they were sold with the cart since they were sitting on the cart...so I figured I needed to do something with them!

Before you grumble at the prices of the crafty little items at flea markets, drive an hour or two and spend the entire day, on your feet, at an auction, load everything up and haul it home, spend two or three hours scrubbing your little treasures with steel wool and straight ammonia, spend hours repurposing or refinishing, and THEN complain! Trust me...you will appreciate what the vendors do!

The shop was full of AC and refrigeration stuff and I suspect these are fans from AC systems...but I'm not sure! Someone probably knows. But they no longer served the purpose for which they were intended and desperately needed to be repurposed...at least that is the way I look at "junk."

I decided to turn them into swag lights. You could also easily convert them into fixtures that can be hard wired to an existing light box! Super cool for a bar pendant light or an exterior patio light!

First, clean the dickens out of them...seriously, a good soaking in straight ammonia didn't cut it...it took some serious scrubbing with steel wool, Bar Keepers Friend and ammonia to brighten them up.

Lowe's (and most hardware stores) carry all kinds of stuff for rebuilding and repairing lamps and light fixtures. For this project I bought a swag light kit ($13) and a keyless socket adapter kit ($4).

The little "O ring nut" the chain attaches to was "brass" colored so I hit it with some brush nickel spray paint so it would match the chain!

The first thing you need to do is string the electrical wire through the chain...both come in the swag kit. I just wove the wire through the chain. The wire is split on one end and ready to be wired to the socket...the other end has a plug.

The chain and wire came 12' long. I would suggest measuring your needed length and cutting both the wire and the chain about one foot longer than what you need...that way you don't end up with a bunch of chain and wire laying around.

The first thing I did was "dry fit" all my nuts and bolts through the fixture (fan) before attaching the chain and wiring...that way I could see if the bolt was too long or too short. You can buy threaded bolts in different lengths, so if the bolt that comes with the socket kit is too long or too short, you can usually purchase the right size!

Attach the "O ring nut" to the threaded bolt and then attach the chain to the o-ring. Thread the wire through the o-ring nut and through the bolt and then thread all of it through the fan....

You may notice I added some washers...this was so the "o ring nut" on the top side of the fixture and the socket on the inside of the fixture would fit snug after I screwed it all down tight...otherwise I would have had about a 1/4" gap and they would be loose. (It was easier than going and buying a new bolt!)

Remove the back plate of the socket by removing the two little screws that are INSIDE the socket.

String the wire through the back plate and screw it tightly onto the bolt! Make sure it is all tight!

Attach the two wires (it is actually one wire that is split on the end) to the two screws (one brass, one silver) on the back of the socket and reattach the socket to the back plate with the two little screws (This is much easier if you have TINY fingers...needle nose pliers help IF you don't squeeze it so tight it shoots across the garage and you have to spend an hour trying to find it!)

The swag kit comes with an on/off switch that can easily be attached to the wire. I did not install it since I am selling these fixtures and I have no idea where someone would want the switch...so I put it in a plastic baggy, along with the swag hooks, and included directions on how to attach it to the wire. That way someone can figure out where they want it after they hang the fixture!

If I was a good blogger, I would have hung these in a bedroom over a night stand and staged it all pretty! I am not...I'm just a DIYer who is sharing my experiences...so this is as good as it gets. Looped over the hanging rod in my laundry room...but you get the picture!!!

Personally I think the bottom one would look better with a "flood" light kinda thing...or maybe you could use Edison lights...those are soooo cool! But kind of pricey for something I am going to sell!

Truthfully, this is exactly why I love hanging out at auctions all day, hauling, scrubbing and repurposing.

A unique light fixture that someone will love!!!

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Work or garden cart!!

For months I have wanted to build a "work cart"...or for some it would make a perfect garden or deck cart. I have the plans drawn up and a material list made...I even bookmarked this site, "Between Naps on the Porch." Fantastic step-by-step tutorial on how to build a garden cart. Susan did a beautiful job and this cedar cart would be perfect for a deck or even inside the house! I love the large metal casters and the color of the cedar!!! (Check out her site...awesomeness!)

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As beautiful as this is, I just wanted something I could put my chop saw and work tools on and easily roll in and out of the garage! I bought a little grill cart that had been converted into a work cart...it was just the right size for my large chop saw, but it only had two wheels on one side so it was a little difficult to move around and it didn't have a very big bottom shelf. I really wanted something with casters and a shelf for the nail guns and skill saw!

You can kind of see it in this picture, behind the fold down work table I featured here....

Fortunately I found the exact thing I needed at an auction Saturday.

Okay, so it isn't exactly what I wanted. Aside from the fact that it was pretty filthy, I wasn't real keen on the MDF top shelf or the old sign that was used for the bottom shelf. It was constructed out of 1x3 and 2x2 and the casters aren't the really nifty metal ones, but it was sturdy enough for what I wanted to use it for and it moved easily on the four casters. It just needed a few simple modifications.

The first thing I did was remove the top shelf and the bottom shelf material. No biggy, except for the fact that it was put on with NAILS!!! I build everything with screws. First, it is easier to "deconstruct" if needed and second if you make a mistake it is easier to back out a screw than it is to dig out a nail!

After removing the top and bottom "shelf," I chalk painted the frame and distressed it. Not that I really care what it looks like but nobody wants "ick," even in their garage! I had a little bit of off white chalk paint leftover from a project so I slapped it on there!

I added a few additional "supports" between the top and bottom frames just to make it a little sturdier, then I covered the top and bottom with 1x6 treated wood. I cut the top pieces to run the width of the cart and the bottom shelf pieces were cut to run the depth of the cart.

I even applied one of my metal yard sticks across the front like I had on my other cart! It's really handy when you need to quickly measure something!

There is plenty of room on the bottom to store my nail guns and skill and jig saw! And eventually I will add some hooks on the side for a few tools I need handy all the time, like pliers and hammers! And I may even add an electric outlet and extension cord...kind of like the old Cosco carts!

Treated wood needs to "cure" a bit before you seal or stain it. While some manufacturers say you can seal treated lumber right away, I personally don't buy it. And my personal experience tells me otherwise! So I will wait 6 months or so before I apply a sealer...maybe even a pretty stain. Who knows, by then I may be ready for something different!

For now this works perfectly and cost me a fraction of building a new one from scratch!

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