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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Save That Money!
I’m sure you all try to save money, especially if you are a parent! Kids are expensive, am I right?! So I love finding new ways to save and still be able to do the things we want and have the things we need. And I found a new, awesome way!
Kids on 45th! You’ve got kids? You like to keep them clothed but also like to keep your money? Yeah, you need to check them out! 😅
This is a mama-founded company that’s all about helping mamas like you save money (yay!) and time (yes!) on your kiddos’ everyday clothes. They ship “surprise” boxes of gently-used (and some new with tags) clothes to moms around the country for super-low prices (items start at $1.99 and max out at $12.99 for a winter coat!).
They were so kind and generous to gift my boys a box to try. We are definitely going back for more.
My favorite part? That they customized the items to my kiddos. I could specify what we do or do not want and even what types of things or colors my boys like or don’t. We said we like camo and animals. And look what they sent! Spot on!!
They even have a ‘Happiness Policy’! They build a surprise box of clothes tailored to your kiddo’s style, but if there is ever an item you are not in love with, two taps on your device will get you a credit for the item.
I love the low prices. You can get quality kids clothes for cheap! They have sizes newborn to 14/16 clothes, all in excellent condition. Prices start at $1.99 for baby items and max out at $12.99 for big kid jackets! You get free shipping when you spend $65 too. And, there is no subscription needed and no styling fees. You get what you need ans that’s it!
I love that this saves me time along with money! No trip to the mall needed. Two minutes for online shopping was all that I needed. I didn’t have to search and scour at retailers, thrift racks, or pages cans pages online. No coupon hunting. And no gas spent. You don’t even have to get dressed. 🤣
One more plus? This is green! We all want to reuse and reduce are footprint here. This is another way!
So, my verdict? We are Kids on 45th shoppers for life. Truly. We are so tickled about our experience and cannot wait to make more orders!
Xx
Jess
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We were gifted a box of clothes in exchange for a review of the service, but all opinions expreases are our own!
Inspiration and Big News
After being out of town, and a little out of touch, most of last week, I am finally catching up. Reading through a backlog of blogs today I ran across the most gorgeous farm house tour on Apartment Therapy.
The details of this home struck a cord with me, because we happen to have just bought an 1891 farm house. Yes, one more move! We close in about two weeks. We are anxious, nervous, excited, and very busy. This is the first time I will really be moving away, although not far, just to Iowa. This is our dream home, and we are very excited to remodel and decorate once there. Pictures soon to come!
But for now, here are two of my favorite images from Shannan and Cory’s home tour. Check out the rest here.
I love that light fixture! And the pillow is gorgeous! I am so excited to put some of this inspiration to use in the new place!
This was one of my favorite photos because of the crate used to hold towels. We found an old crate of glass bottles at a garage sale for a few dollars, and had planned to use the bottles as wedding decor. Little did we realize that the crate had a Tipton, IA business emblem on the side, which is where we later bought the house! I would love to incorporate our crate in a useful way like this!
What do you think?
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?
Our New Buffet
Our new buffet is actually what was once a very old and icky buffet. I saw it at a garage sale for a few dollars and couldn’t resist. I thought it would be fun to see if I could bring life back to this old gem. It was a lot of hard work getting the old veneer top all off and fixing some chunks that were missing from the detailing on the front. Then I sanded, filled, sanded some more and painted with a glossy black paint. It still has some areas that have small flaws, but I am probably the only one who notices now. But, it is sturdy and I have plans for this to one day become a baby changing table once I inherit a piece for the dining room from my grandmother. Here it was before:
And after:
No too bad, eh?
An Awesome DIY Project
This chandelier is completely awesome! I drool everytime I look at this picture. Someday I hope I can work up the courage to attempt this DIY project. For now I call it inspiration and stare longingly at the photo each day.
Antler Hooks
All of the homes that Design Sponge features are simply beautiful! But, today I found one of them to be particularly inspiring!
The home of the owners of Antler&Co is not only beautiful, but I am stealing this antler wall hook idea!
Gorgeous, no? See the rest of the home here: http://www.designsponge.com/2011/06/sneak-peek-greg-grey-of-antlerco.html
Old Chair Becomes New Chair Love
About a year ago I was given this kind of ugly old chair by a friend who knew I had a thing for chairs and also a thing for redoing ugly vintage pieces. The chair sat in my garage just waiting for me to be inspired. And finally… I have a new dining chair!
Here is the funky chair before:
This baby was probably gorgeous is its day, but the orange had to go. And the finish on the wood had also seen better days. So, I got to work. I first unscrewed the cushion from the chair from underneath. Then I had to pry off about a million staples. But, this step proved to be quite inspiring. You see, I am a beginner reupholster-er. This chair gave me a bit of creative insight. Once I started prying off the staples I realized that not only was the fabric cover itself tacked down, but also the piping around the bottom of the cushion was a separate piece. This was a strip of fabric folded in half and stapled around the edge. Easy!
Here is a look at the cushion and staples. You can also see the strip of piping.
And here is my new dining chair, including my take on this simple piping idea!
I love how the piping contrasts with the leather fabric. The color ties in with the dining room so well. And here’s the new beauty in its place at the dining table:
The fabric on the table is another project to be coming soon! I am working on a fun table runner to brighten the place up for summer!
My 50 Cent Table
Last weekend I found the sweetest little antique table and a garage sale. For 50 cents. Yes, 50 cents. Here she is:
I saw the potential. It was a bit wobbly, but with the tap of a hammer, the leg was put back into its slot, and viola! No more wobble. Next, I lightly sanded the entire table. Then I applied about 4 coats of a turquoise pant with a sponge brush to the entire table. Once the final coat was completely dry, I used a fine sandpaper and roughed up the edges of the table and legs for an antiqued look. Here she is now:
I love it! And I really like the way it fits in the living room, but I think this could be one of those pieces that travels easily from room to room. I’m completely satisfied, and all for a total of 50 cents!
Vintage Plates
When I got my first apartment my mom and I found an entire set of unused, gorgeous black dishes for $40 at a resale shop. I have lovingly used them ever since. A couple of years ago, during a hurried move, a box broke open and almost all of the salad plates, bowls, and mugs were broken. Fortunately, all of the dinner plates pulled through. But, I have been on the hunt for some fun dishes to mix with the black plates ever since.
The other day at a thrift store I ran across a full set of adorable blue, vintage salad plates. They were .49 each, so for about $4 I added these to my set:
Here are a few shots of a mock place setting, just to see how sweet they looked 🙂
The blue glasses are from a flea market and the black charcoal glasses were given to me by my grandfather and came from Germany. The candlesticks are a mix of vintage and CB2, and my silverware is all new Oneida. I really like how it all mixed together. Although, these photos remind me how I can’t wait to refinish the dining table! What do you think?
Make Mine Eclectic 