Frame Hanger Project
I love old picture frames. All kinds. I’ve got a hallway of empty ones upstairs. Sometimes I fill them. Sometimes I paint them. And sometimes I do something fun with them…
This frame I once painted black with a silver line. Years ago. I was over it. (Ignore the ugly paneling in the upstairs hall we hope to rip out soon)
I wanted something lighter and brighter for my office. And I needed a place to hang some of my beautiful Parabo Press photos. (If you haven’t ordered from them, you must. They are gorgeous)
So first I lightly sanded the frame. Then I painted it white. I used wall paint for this project because it’s what I had. And its quarantine. And this step wasn’t super important for this project. It took 2-3 coats, but doesn’t need to be perfect.
Then I sanded with a foam sanding block. I scraped the edges and roughed up the centers. Go slowly and start lightly. Keep going until you love it.
Then, because I wanted just a little something more for this one, I used a small brush and “dry brushed” on some charcoal gray paint. This means I dipped a tiny amount on the brush and then swiped most of it off onto a paper plate. When the brush is almost dry, wipe it on the frame. It will give you just a tiny bit of paint and give a smudge-y look. I used a paper towel to rub this in as I added it too. It came out nice and weathered.
Then to add some wire. You could use twine or ribbon, or whatever you have. I had some picture hanging wire from a hanging kit. I cut it slightly longer than the width of the frame, maybe a half inch extra on each side. Then I pulled it tight across the frame and used a staple fun to staple it in place. I twisted the extra ends into a little ball to help keep it in place.
You can get tiny clothes pins on Amazon.
And viola!
I’ve also done this before with chicken wire…
What do you think?
Doing any quarantine projects?!
XX,
Jess
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Fun Chair Love
Hi, all! Wow, have things been busy around here. Wedding is 45 days away! But, while I had a moment away from wedding projects I thought I would share some fun chairs that I absolutely adore!
Anything turquoise, especially in leather…mmm…
This room is a little too silver and modern for me normally, but this curvy chair done in a patchwork of prints is just awesome!
I love this dark walled room and even more love this zebra chair!
I have no words for how cool this chair is… AND, I can’t read all of the post, but this one was definitely a very neat DIY, so go check out the site!
Hope you enjoyed as much as I did! Updates coming soon!
DIY Serving Tray
This has been on my to-do list since we moved it. Or maybe even before. But it became even more urgent when we bought the new couch with an ottoman. Now I have no room for a coffee table, but that means nowhere safe to put drinks and essentials. However, the previous owners left us lots of junk in the barns, so this one was a snap.
Gross old window uncovered in a heap in the barn:
Add some barn door hardware as handles:
The window was in surprisingly great shape once it was cleaned up, so I added a little paint and distressed the edges, added the hardware, and then used an Uppercase Living decal I had packed away on the glass. (I had minor trouble with the decal, so it may get a new one in the future. Talk about frustration!) And here you have our new serving tray:
Just finished this little guy and we already love it. We think it looks cute in that rustic way, but is also super handy!
Well, what do you think? We are happy with the way this quick and easy project came out! Have you ever tried anything like this?
An Addiction To My “Dressing Room”
I am absolutely loving my new closet, or “dressing room,” in the new house! I am getting used to having all of my clothes, shoes, and jewelry out on display where I can easily pick outfits and use things I haven’t in a while. With the new arrangment comes, well, arranging, however. As I get settled I am slowly making changes and getting ready to paint. So, with that said, that means that I have been making some changes to my organization. If you remember my pictures of my older house, you will remember that I kept a lot of jewelry and items in an old antique metal medicine chest hung above my dresser. There was nowhere to hang it up in the closet and sitting on top of a dresser did not allow the door to open… so…
I had gotten an old flower-y frame at a garage sale that just so happens to match the colors I want to use in the closet. I also happened to have some chicken wire in the barn. A staple gun and some elbow grease later…
I think it turned out super cute. It will probaby be going on the one wall shortly. So far its been handy too!
Sheet Music Table
I have had this little vintage fold-up table sitting in the closet for a while now. My grandma had given it to me, cracked green paint and all. I would stare at it now and then, uninspired, but I knew an idea would eventually come to me.
Finally one day last week the idea did come to me! Sheet music! I happened to have some old sheet music, some Mod Podge, and even some ribbon and scrap book supplies. I, of course, forgot the before picture. And this was one of those that would have been good to have! But, after working on this project all weekend, I am finally finished and I really like the results.
I later read somewhere that in order to keep the ripples and bubbles from occurring you can dampen your paper before adding Mod Podge. I will definitely try that next! But for a first try, I think it turned out super cute! What do you all think?
Bright Chair Love
Wow, this bright baby is stunning!
Maybe I’m loving the pop of color because I’m craving SPRING…
An Office Project Finished
As I said before, I have recently started a new job. With that has come a new, but bland, office. So, I got to work. The first project I have completed is a table for the office. I found this ugly guy with a paper top for a couple of dollars at the thrift store:
I started by sanding the wood legs and sides a bit and then painting them black. I then used scrapbook paper on the top. I taped the paper down, starting with a full sheet in the very middle of the table. When the sheets were lined up nicely, I used ModPodge to cover the sheets, using a foam brush. I did several coats of this, drying in between.
Black and white, of course!
One thing I learned from using the ModPodge was that it makes the paper wet, so at first it will bubble up. This smooths out as it dries. But, I did make the mistake of lining the paper sheets up perfectly edge to edge. Lining them up with a bit of overlap would have prevented the sheets from moving as they dried. I do have a few tiny spots where there are gaps between the paper now. I learned! 🙂
Tid Bits and Projects
It seems like I havebeen so busy around here… but where is my progress? I have so my projects currently on my plate, and have been working on them, really! But, none are officially completed yet. So, I thought I would just fill you in on some of the tib bits going on around here and a few of the before shots of some current projects.
Some awesome flowers have sprouted up in the back yard. I forgot that I had planted them there in the spring! I love lillies, any kind, especially orange ones!
We are also still taking care of Gillian, the salamander. He is still in the rubber tote sitting on the table, grossing everyone out. But, we are searching for a small tank to keep him in. In this picture he is right next to the end of the leaf. Those two black dots are his eyes; he is burrowed in the dirt.
The dogs made a nice mess for me to clean up this morning. They decided that the five minutes they were left alone in the yard was just long enough to dig for moles. Here they are trying to look all innocent and quite muddy! Also check out Marley’s new collar. She thinks she’s tough!
Tony was the sweetest last night and had his amazing spaghetti pizza ready for me when I walked in the door! I even have some for lunch today.
And, here are just a few sneak peeks of the projects I am working away on…
Stay tuned…
Chair Love Inspiration
I am in the process of working on a few chair projects for the shop. So, this week’s chair love is a compilation of some funky chair makeover inspiration!
“Tie Chair Ala Alabama Chanin,” by smoothepebble. I just love these woven tie chairs, especially the ones with the dangling ends!
“Painted Chair,” by kimhas6cats. So bright!
“Design Sponge Table Chair Redo,” by thirtyeight20. Awesome fabric choice, and, I love love that ghost table!
“Fav Chair,” by k*8. Again, great fabric gives this old chair a new life.
“Repurposed Chairs Make Laundry Bench,” by jgrnly. I have an idea for a bench of chairs, but a bit fancier…
“Chair Project 1, ” by Le Silly. Collage on a chair can be really funky and unique.
Well, for now I hope this gives everyone some inspiration… I definitely have my wheels turning!
Junking!
I had just the best weekend ever! Tony and I decided to go to the flea market that isn’t far from us. Not only is this always a fun trip for me, but on the way there Tony decided to take country back roads. What a great idea! We just happened upon the first antique and junk yard I have ever seen near us! My squealing had him pulling over immediately. And of course I didn’t have a camera!
Let me tell you all, this place was amazing! There were three barns filled to the brim with old wooden chairs! I mean stacked and tossed and piled all the way to the roof tops! It was just incredible. There was a huge field of every type of amazing junk you could think of. And, when we asked about a few things the lady was so sweet and her prices were perfect! Now I have a few more projects to work on.
Everything here cost me a few dollars! The old gas can is for we borrow Tony’s dad’s lawn mower. The little orange lantern will be painted and set on the front porch with a candle. Doesn’t that look just like the $80 one they have at Pier 1 (for $1!)!? And the elephant- he is my favorite- was an old lamp base! But, with a coat of white paint he will be a plant stand for the back yard.
These little guys were another awesome find. They are Acro window tacks from the 40’s. I have special plans for them and a nail head chair or bench with a bit of a number theme…
And, of course we couldn’t come home without a search for some dice! We found these at the flea market when we finally made it there.
Overall, an awesome day and a couple of dollars got us some awesome stuff! Next time I promise I am taking my camera! Oh, and stay tuned, because there are already many more projects in the works!
Make Mine Eclectic 
