bedroom upgrades

Remember these free shutters I found at an estate sale? Well, they have finally been given a purpose.

 

With my grandmother's beautiful hopechest in mind...

and the following accessories...

we purchased a new quilt.

Then, I stained 3 of the 5 shutters with Cherry Watco Danish Oil. Then they looked like this:

 

We added picture-hanging brackets to the back of each shutter...

Then carefully hung them on the wall above our newly adorned bed.

Needless to say, we slept well last night.

free everything

So, Saturday morning Kevin left early for work. I was browsing the Craigslist garage-sale and free sections when I came across a post titled "Free Estate Sale."

What did I do? Went. Obviously.

This, ladies and gentleman, is what I came back with... 

These are specifically what I went for - the shutters! I'm thinking Pinterest can help me with these 

(like this or this)

 Brand new Christmas decor and crafts

 A whole file folder holder full of brand new file folders (perfect for a future teacher!)

 Cute sets of dishware, glassware, etc

Can't wait to make-over this kitchen canister set!

 Crazy huh? It was just a free-for-all. Take whatever was left in this house. So, myself and a hundred other people made our way through this house, and took whatever we wanted. It was possibly one of the strangest things I have ever done.

Anyways, I hit up some not-free garage sales on the way home.

The only things I paid for were this cute little wine-rack table, brand new stamps, a cute mug, and bathroom accessories (16$ total)

Happy garage-saling!

DIY coaster tutorial

I have been wanting to make these for a while now, so here it is!

First, you will need the following:

However many tiles you would like to make (I bought eight) [.16 cents @ Lowe's]

Scrapbooking paper (or newspaper, maps, book pages. etc.) [5$ @ walmart for a zillion pages]

Sticky felt strips or dots [2$ @ walmart]

Mod Podge (matte or gloss style) [3$ on clearance @ walmart]

Acryclic paint (white, or any color you would like) [1.50 @ micheals]

Acrylic clear spray sealant [3.50$ @ walmart]

Scissors

2 paintbrushes (1 paintbrush/1 spongebrush would be better)

Sponge or smoothing tool

Pencil

Step 1. trace your squares onto the portion of the paper you would like to use, then cut

 

  Step 2. using smaller paintbrush, paint edges of tiles with acrylic paint, 2 coats

 (10 minutes between each coat) 

Step 3. trim paper to correct size according to top of tile

 [smaller is better than too big-you won't have to get the edges of the paper to roll over the edges of the tile]

Step 4. using larger brush/sponge brush, paint an even layer on Mod Podge onto top of tile

 Step 5. quickly place paper onto tile (you have a few seconds to adjust it)

 Step 6. Use sponge to even out paper, smooth out any air bubbles 

(make sure the edges are smoothed completely)

 Step 7. place another even layer of Mod Podge over top of paper and sides of tile 

(don't skimp on the amount you use, give it a good coating, also smooth out any air bubbles with finger)

 Step 8. let dry at least an hour

 Step 9. when you are sure they are dry, give tiles a very light sanding 

(you can sand off any brushstrokes, debris, or imperfections)

Step 10. spray paint the tiles with the acrylic clear sealer

(or get your fiance/significant other to do it, because he is a billion times better at spray-painting evenly)

 Step 11. let dry at least 10 minutes, and you can do more coats if you feel like it needs it
(I did 2 coats, just be sure to do a light sanding in between each coat)

Step 12. when completely dry, place your furniture protecting felt dots to the bottom

Step 13. wait an hour or two, then enjoy your handiwork!

 

 

 

Save them for yourself, or wrap them up in twine/ribbon/yarn and give as a gift!

Notes:

•  if you are feeling especially DIY, or can't find Mod Podge, or prefer to use something less expensive - try Margaret @ Pinspired's DIY Mod Podge tutorial
• I would have purchased a small sponge brush (had I remembered) so as not to have as many brushstrokes when using the Mod Podge (or just remember to sand lightly)
• You can use matte or gloss Mod Podge, it doesn't matter - but DO pay attention to what kind of clear spray paint you buy - I chose to get a "satin" finish as I am not a huge fan of glossy finishes
• I originally bought felt "strips," but they made the coasters too "tall," so instead I went back and bought the brown "dots" seen above (they aren't as thick)

Any other suggestions are welcome!

Happy crafting!

the planks - knit blanket

Current Project: Knitted "Plank" Blanket via Martha Stewart

the directions/pattern for this blanket can be found here

A wonderful lady that I work with showed me this blanket, which she made a smaller version for her new grandson. I dove right in, but have since slowed down because while it is a very simple blanket, it is very time-consuming. I have been working on it in pieces, which is easy because that is exactly how you make it - crochet knitted pieces together. I have been calling it the "Plank" blanket because the pieces remind me of floor planks the way they are put together.

this and following two images via

After much consideration (and many store return lines), I chose these colors.

Red Heart - Buff Fleck is the main color because it is neutral, has beautiful blue flecks throughout and is cheap. When you have to buy about 15-17 skeins, price is important. For the accent color I chose Waverly for Bernat - Blue Gown (after changing my mind half a dozen times). I chose this country blue because it picked up the blue tones in the main color, it is incredibly soft, and I was able to get 3 skeins of it on clearance at Michaels'.

I printed out the PDF instructions, adapted the number of cast-on stitches for the gauge I had (using size 10 bamboo needles), and then numbered the planks to keep track of which ones I had finished. This will also make it much easier to stitch together the planks when they are done. I started with the largest pieces first, I am currently about done with the 60x20 inch piece. This blanket will fit a full/queen bed, I think. If anything it may be a little larger than necessary.

I bought these tags at Walmart (great for homemade gifts) to label the pieces and included the dimensions just in case.

I think I have used about 5 skeins so far, maybe six. No worries though, here is the stash (including the original blue I planned on using and have yet to return).

One day I will post with the finished product...Happy knitting!