Burlap Covered Lamp Shades With Scrap Flowers

I have been picking up some basic lampshades and in the garage they have sat....

I had a bit of motivation and some burlap!

I love covering lamp shades, because you can get so creative and pretty much anything goes.

The first time I ever attempted covering a shade I used a pattern, just an fyi that it not the easiest first attempt, lol!

A fun solid pattern like the above are a piece of cake.

Just lay the fabric on the floor and wrap it around the shade to ensure you have enough.

Then grab some spray adhesive (make sure you do a light even coat) and slowly smooth your fabric over the shade.

I use a sharp hobby (razor) knife to trim the edges and lightly hot glue them under the inside rim.

Then decorate to your hearts desire!

I love making scrap flowers, usually I make these when I am watching the kiddos during bath time!  It's all about multi-tasking when your a Mom, right?

Easy, fun project!  Try it out!

Subway Art DIY

I finally finished my DIY Subway Art!  Literally this has taken me months!  Not because it was super difficult, I just couldn't get that motivation.  So yesterday afternoon I was supposed to be doing book work for my hubs business....but guess what?  Motivation struck instead, lol!

I was so motivated when I saw this tutorial from From Gardners 2 Bergers.  Becca did a great job on her instructions...but I still couldn't figure it out!  I played around with my Word program but I really didn't have any luck.  I had to talk myself into this "I am a smart girl, right?"  add that with the fact that I really, really wanted some of this art in my house!  So I started looking at photo editing sites.  I finally settled on iPiccy.com

Once you are on the site you have the option to create a new blend.  Then you just choose fonts and sizes and go to town.  I created the whole piece....it took me awhile.  I ended up choosing fun words from our home town.  Then I save the image on a U-drive.

Then I hit another road block.  Becca finally found a Staples that did an engineers print.  Well I don't have a Staples by me.  I called the Office supply store closest and they had no idea...great!  We do have Office Max and Office Depot, I so cannot remember which one ended up having this BUT THEY DO!!!

I didn't have the best little gal in copies at the store; really I got all of her life stories and different stories of her having to deal with customers when she is really hungry because it is almost lunch time! (For real) (I am not kidding)  They didn't know what an engineers copy was but I just explained that there was a black and white copy that I can get really big for really cheap, lol!  Luckily she finally figured it out!

After about an hour and a half, and yes I came home with 2 because she couldn't get it to print the full 30x40.  She said I will have to come back and someone that knew a little more would have to help me....let's face it, I was spent!  Mine ended up being 24x24.

I was super excited but then these prints sat and sat at my house!

Yesterday, I pulled out the jigsaw and trimmed a piece of thin plywood for my backing.

Then I applied Modge Podge all over the board to adhere the poster.

Next I lined up the poster to the board and used the handy dandy Home Depot Gift Card to run over the top and get the bubbles out.  Don't panic!  There is only a couple of dollars on the gift card, lol!

I wanted my piece really distressed so if you don't you will have to be really careful rubbing on the top.  The black comes off really easy!

Next I flipped it over to attach the edges.

I stapled the back side down and on the corners, I folded these similar to when you do a corner on upholstery.

Next I distressed the entire piece, I really wanted it to look old.  I took some really fine steel wool and ran it over the entire print.  For the hanger my husband help me screw in some knoted jute twine.  I liked this look, kind of industrial.

This should be sealed with a spray sealer for paper; yeah I haven't done that yet!  I don't think anyone will touch it up on the wall, but the black does rub off when you do.

You can see this as you walk in my front door; makes me smile every time!  Love it!

So what do you think of Subway Art?  Do you love it or hate it?

Orb Basket Lamp

I am so excited and happy about this project, I had to share (even though hubs is in bed and can't hang it right now).  Thankfully you, my sweet readers, are used to my horrible pictures!

Wanna know what I made?!?

My first lamp ever!!

and it is super cute...

Here are the little goodies I built this with:

2-Metal Garden Hanging Baskets

1-Lamp Socket

1-Plug End

Lamp Cord

Cool Bulb

Decorative Chain

Small Black Zip Ties (electrical dept)

4" Black Pipe Nipple (plumbing dept)

1" Floor flange (plumbing dept)

Let's just say this project didn't go smooth exactly, and I so didn't miss my calling as an electrician!  That job takes some patience (which I have little!)  I know I have told you all before but I work in a hardware type store, so through my blunders my co-workers were amazing coaches!  Basically I had to re-do this a couple of times.  Some of us just have to learn the hard way I guess!

First I spray painted the floor flange black with some spray paint.  Remove the cocoa liner from the baskets and remove the hanging chains.  Put the floor flange under the basket and zip tie it to the basket.

Then I threaded the metal pipe nipple into the floor flange and ran my wires through and up the top.  In the above picture I used electrical tape to hold the lamp socket while I was threading the lamp cord through the chain.  I removed it now and it is staying!

When it is all wired I zip tied the other basket to the bottom.  My little hint, make sure the bulb is in before you attach the baskets together (yeah it was a tough project! LOL)  My original plan was to wrap the nipple in scrap book paper.  I did it.  Then I didn't love it.  Yep had to cut the zip ties again!  Good thing I bought a whole pack!

I love the scroll design on these baskets!

Just in case you were wondering...YES it does work!

I bought a fun bulb, but it wasn't the most cost effective!  Sometimes a girl has to splurge, ya know!  I cannot wait to see this hung.  Hopefully you were impressed that I took a few of these pictures while holding it in the air, lol!

Now I will be on the hunt for these baskets at garage sales all summer!

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Dresser With Chalk Paint, Come Back!!

Do you ever do those projects, that when you look back you think "I so should have kept that?"  I am doing that right now.  Awhile ago I showed you a dresser that I was working on for my shop space at Rusty Glamour, remember this?

Wow until I posted this again, I had forgotten what it looked like!  I was really drawn to this piece, the hardware was super cute!

For this dresser I mixed up my favorite concoction of homemade chalk paint (1tbsp of un-sanded tile grout+1 cup of paint).  The best thing about this paint is there is no need to prime first!   Even though it looks white, the color is actually Revere Pewter from Benjamin Moore (one of my favorites!) So I grabbed a brush and went to town!

If you haven't tried this before, remember it is scary to look at (I am sure you remember that console I did?) Don't worry your pretty little head!  It will turn out fabulous!

After a couple of coats, I grabbed the sander and went to town!  This paint sands like a dream....after that was all done I did a couple of coats of paste furniture wax.

Sorry these aren't the best of pictures, these were taken in the booth (it gets kind of tight every once in awhile, lol)

Well here is my problem, now I am re-arranging my house and just keep thinking of a hundred places I would love to have this dresser!  Oh well, I think she went to a really good home!  Hopefully they love her as much as I did!

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Easy Chicken Wire Memo Board

One of my favorite projects is to make chicken wire memo boards.  They are quick, easy, and super cute all hung up!

Here's the low down:

Find an old frame.  Here is mine; a very dated hunter green beauty.

Break out all the goodies so the frame is empty.  (I kind of jumped to the break apart before I remembered to take a pic, sorry!)  Now if you want the chicken wire in it's natural form, you will want to paint your frame before moving onto the next step.  For this project I am painting the wire as well.

Flip the frame over and staple the chicken wire to the back of the frame.  This frame was kind of a pain; my wire was too short, so I improvised and overlapped the wire.

Don't worry about the frame edge, or try to make it look nice when you are stapling.  You will flip it over and no one will notice-awesome!  This is still in the hunter green form, with the silver chicken wire.

Once my wire was all stapled down I flipped it over and spray painted the entire thing.

I love the look of clothespins for the hangers.  Of course I have to glam them up a bit, here's how:

Find a piece of scrap book paper.  Trace your clothespin on the back of the paper and cut it out.

Grab the infamous Modge Podge, or you can use some plain old white glue (I have used them both with equal results).  Attach the paper to the clothespin.

TA..DA..  Easy, peasy, cute memo board!

I made this cute black one for my new office at work!

This is one from my daughters room, perfect little spot for her artwork!  Hers has bee up awhile, looking like it needs a new coat of paint, lol!

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