Nightstand Before & After

Okay, don't judge me too harshly, as I bought this bedroom set more than 10 yrs ago. Rattan was big back then! It was from Pier One! The height of sophistication!

Before: A rattan monstrosity



After: A decoupage dream!



The hardest part of this project was prying off that darn rattan -- each piece was individually stapled down! But once I got it all off, all I had to do was cut pieces of fabric about an inch and a half bigger than the drawer fronts, and apply them with (what else?) Mod Podge. Then sand, prime, and paint the rest of the nightstand with white flat paint. Once that was dry, I decoupaged the fabric on to the top and side panels. After adding a couple of pretty drawer pulls (from Anthropologie, naturally), and a piece of custom-cut plexi for the top, I was done!

Looking back, I would have used a semi gloss paint for the night stand. It makes dusting so much easier (not that I do a lot of dusting, mind you). But overall, I love the splash of color this lends to my bedroom. Next project: making over the matching dresser!

Buttercup Purse

I love purses, I love free, and I love to sew. Lucky for me, Made by Rae has combined my three favorite things by offering this free purse pattern! Woot!



Not feeling like trekking all the way to Joanns to get a magnetic snap, I deviated a bit and used a botton loop closure. I think it works fine, and allows me a little more room on the inside for putting my phone in the interior pocket. I also vetoed the bulky strap included in the pattern. So far it's working as a clutch, but I might add a different type of strap sometime soon. The pattern and tutorial are pretty easy to follow too!

I think it's a pretty cute little spring / summer lightweight clutch, and I am considering enlarging the pattern to make a tote bag. I also think it could be made smaller, and modified to include a zipper, to be used as a cosmetic bag. How multi-functional! Love!

Chair Makeover

As I was walking my dog last November, I came across this little beauty sitting on the street corner. Don't worry, it had only been out there a few minutes before I snagged it (not long enough for the hobos to pee on it).



I had been hankering to try a tailored slipcover like the kind they're always making on Trading Spaces, and this free chair was the perfect way to break in my new staple gun. A few yards of Lena fabric from Ikea, and some high gloss brown paint for the legs, and I was in business!

Mimicking what I had seen on TV, I cut largish pieces of fabric, and pinned them directly to the chair. Then I put pins all along where the seams were in the current design. The curved back created some difficulties that I had to improvise around, and fitting the cover back on the chair after it had been sewn was a bit of a problem. Since the top of the chair is wider than the base, I ended up hand-sewing the final seam to make it fit. Overall, the process was trial by error, but I think the results are pretty satisfactory!



Right?

Herb Garden

As I was cruising the dollar bin at Target last night (yes, it was a Rockin' Friday Eve), I spotted cute little ready-to-pot herb kits. I bought three: oregano, sweet basil, and chives. Though I have a brown thumb and kill every plant I get near, I have high hopes for these. They've been easy so far!

Just soak the soil pellet in 1/6 cup lukewarm water and watch it expand before your very eyes! Mash it up with a fork, and transfer it to the pot. The instructions that came with the kit said to only plant ten seeds. I did that with the chives and basil, but the oregano seeds were so darn tiny I added a few more... maybe this is why I kill everything.



After potting I added some simple little signs cut from card stock and mounted with a bamboo skewer. Part of me was afraid I wouldn't recognize the herbs after they'd grown in... did I mention I am not exactly a gourmet chef?



Still, they're cute in my kitchen window sill.

Decoupage Birdhouse

Spring is here! Every morning I am greeted by two little sparrows tapping on my window, and I can't help but think they are asking to come in for breakfast (little do they know the content of my fridge consists of Tim Tams and expired condiments). So, I thought I would give them a dedicated space of their own.

I simply painted the outside of the birdhouse brown and blue, then did the inside in a contrasting red. Once everything was dry, I used several coats of my old standby, Mod Podge, to apply the craft paper flowers to the roof. Since the house is going to be out in the elements, I sealed everything (including the inside) with an all-purpose sealer.

Michaels has a wide assortment of unfinished birdhouses that you can do up to suit your own purposes.



By the way, I found out after completing this project that there are different kinds of houses for different types of birds. It's quite possible that the Michaels birdhouses were never intended for actual bird use. If you want to investigate before buying, check out this site for tips and guidelines.