"Chalk" for chalkboard labels

I picked up these chalkboard labels for pennies ages ago with a small gift card to Crate & Barrel. I really like the way they look on the glass jars I use for flour, sugar, and similar foods. But I didn't like the way the chalk writing looked - I just couldn't get it to neat enough for me. And, it rubbed off too easily.

My solution was a white pen I found it at Michael's in the scrapbooking section. It was $1.99 and I had a coupon for 20% off my total purchase!

It gives the illusion of chalk on the stickers and was easy to write with. Love, love, love!

It's these little touches - inexpensive and easy - that make such a big difference in decor, I think. They just kind of tie things together and give a home a more polished look.

Touching up or painting baseboards - TIP

We've been tearing up the carpet in a couple rooms of our house. Underneath is hardwood flooring, and I'm so excited! But this has also exposed portions of the baseboard previously hidden from paint brushes. In one room, the baseboard is bright blue in spots! I decided to first prime those spots before painting the whole baseboard. I didn't want to tape the whole room to protect the floor, and honestly, I was too lazy to even want to put down newspaper ;) so I used a little trick. I placed a piece of cardboard at an angle to the baseboard and primed that section. Then I moved the cardboard down a section of the baseboard and primed. This will even work when painting the baseboards. Paint the baseboard as close to the floor as you can, then use the cardboard trick. Do be careful not to drip on the floor! I keep my paint can on a large piece of newspaper and move that with me as I paint. And I keep a rag handy :)

   

 

A spray painted bathroom faucet

This post has been quite a while in the making! I've been thinking about painting my bathroom sink faucet for some time. I've seen many bloggers do it, and really liked the results. Our silver faucet didn't really fit in our bathroom decor, and it was kind of beat up. But I didn't want to replace it - it's not in the budget right now, and it's kind of a pain.

 

So I finally bit the bullet and did it! I taped around the faucet and covered the surrounding surfaces with newspaper.

 

Faucets are shiny, slick surfaces, so I gave it a coat of primer. Then I did several light coats of oil rubbed bronze spray paint. When I removed the newspaper (a couple days later), there was a bit of spray paint on the counter. A little nail polish remover took it right off without damaging the counter (but test your counter in a hidden area first, if you try this). It came out great! But it didn't stay great : ( One handle, just ONE handle, started chipping. I have no idea why.

 

So I started over. I primed the chipped area. Then gave it a coat of orb. I finished up with another coat of orb on the whole faucet. This time I added several light coats of a matte finish clear coat, for more protection. It was a pain to do it once, and really a pain to do it twice, but it seems to be holding up well this time. And I really do love the way it looks.

 

Dealing with outdated technology when it messes up your decor

We ditched our land line years ago. For the most part, that's not a decor issue. Most phone jacks are small and near the baseboards - so not very noticeable. But our house is nearly 50 years old and we have a wall jack in the kitchen. It's rather unsightly, but I didn't know what to do with it. So, even though it didn't work, I kept a phone hanging there ; ) I figured that was better than just leaving it empty...

But over the weekend I decided I'd had enough! Paint, of course, was the answer. It's metal, so I primed first (didn't bother with sanding).

Then I gave it two coats of the wall paint.

I hung a photo partially over it, and now it blends into the wall. It's no longer that noticeable, and doesn't detract from my decor. An easy, free fix!

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Making do when you can't afford new

My bed frame (a platform) is a zillion years old. It's made of some sort of chipped wood, I guess, and covered with laminate pieces. Not really my style anymore (OK, it's not really a zillion years old, but it is nearly 30 years old and my tastes have changed), plus the laminate pieces keep falling off. I've put them back on using various methods, but they never stay, and then new pieces fall off. I finally decided the real solution is... paint! As pieces fall off, I paint the wood with gray paint I have on hand (it's floor paint, but it works). So the cost is free! It's darker than the laminate, but it's in my bedroom, close to the floor, and partially covered by my comforter - so it doesn't really stand out to anyone glancing in the room, unlike the bare wood.

 

 

This is the actual gray color of the bed frame. Do I still want to replace the frame? Yes. But will this do in the meantime? Yes!

 

Spring!

It's supposed to be 61 degrees tomorrow! And I have the day off from work. I'm hoping to get some spray painting done : )

Adding a little fun color to the shelf in my office

When I painted this shelf (that I bought for $1!), I debated painting the chunky little legs a fun color.

And today I did it!

I used some blue craft paint I had on hand. I mixed in a little white craft paint to make it a shade closer to blues I already have in the room. I just used a small foam brush and gave them a quick coat of the blue. It's a subtle bit of fun color, and I love it!

 

Spring spray paint projects

Winter continues... and my spray paint projects are piling up. Can't spray paint in below zero temps! When spring finally comes, I want to tackle these spray paint projects:

• Two frames for my office
• The metal trashcan in my office
• The metal register grate in the bathroom
• A plant pot for my office
• Finishing the guest room night stand I started last year
• Another guest room night stand

       

 I'm sure I'll be adding to this list!

Quick Fix - Whiteout

Not too long ago I told you about my quick fix for nicks and scratches on black painted items. My favorite fix for white painted items is whiteout. It even comes with it's own little brush!

Auction shelf redo

When a couple of schools closed in our area I discovered online auctions. I love them! I bid on furniture or other items from the comfort of my home, get emails when I've been outbid so I can decide if I want to up my bid, and then pick up my prizes after the auction is over. This shelf is one of my finds. I thought I had some pix of the whole shelf before, but apparently I don't. Sorry : ( I paid $1 for it! And a 20% auction surcharge - so really $1.20. And I bought bread sticks for my daughter and her friend - they picked it up for me because I was out-of-town on pick up day. Totally worth it! But it needed some love. It was bright yellow and blue and the shelves and top were covered in contact paper.

 

(This piece came from another school closing.) To my delight, the contact paper peeled off the shelves easily! The top was a little tougher, but not bad.

 

The top was really rough under the contact paper, though. So I sanded it really well.

I primed it and then painted it white. Though I've been embracing color lately, this pieces is large and I didn't want to paint it again any time soon. So I wanted neutral paint for it, and since I knew it was going in my light and airy office, I went with white, and I'm glad I did. I'm considering a design for the back of the shelves, though - maybe using stick on vinyl. And I might paint the chunky little legs a bright color. I'd also like to put some decorative molding on the edges. I'll keep you posted.

 

(Yes, I have quite the collection on the shelves. lol They house my camera collection, as well as signed books, photos, and an assortment of items that have good memories attached. ) This post is linked to:

Would I use chalk paint again?

 

So, after reading my homemade chalk paint post, a reader asked me if I'd use it again.

I think I would. But probably for smaller projects than a dresser. And maybe only for projects I plan to distress. But it was easy and inexpensive to make, and a little did go a long way. I think I owe it to chalk paint to try again! lol And, I have to admit, I'd like to try some "real" chalk paint. I just wish it wasn't so expensive!

Transforming a wall hanging

My parents have been packing up nearly 45 years of living in preparation for moving to a new home.

They've purged tons, and offered me some things. This was one of them:

 

I really liked the cats on it - they're fun! - and I thought they would look nice in the room I'm slowly turning into a guest room. But the yellow checked border made it look too "country" for my tastes. Paint is the simple solution, of course ; ) I just used 50 cent craft paint from Walmart, a small brush, and a sponge brush to paint black over the yellow checked border. So cute!  I think the black really makes the cats pop more, too. And now it works with my decor.

    

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I finally tried homemade chalk paint

We recently purchased a new (to us) dresser for our youngest daughter. (We went to Restore - if you've never been to one, check them out! They sell used household items that have been donated and the proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity.)

 

 I knew I would be distressing the dresser to match her other furniture, and this seemed the perfect chance to finally try homemade chalk paint. I used this recipe. I found plaster of Paris at a local craft store. A large carton was very reasonable - under $6. And the recipe was very easy to make. The paint went on easy, though it didn't work well (for me, at least) with a roller. I ended up using a sponge applicator. I'm a roller girl so this was a little disappointing. It did seem to go really far, like promised. But I didn't seem to get great coverage. I had to do multiple coats. In the end, the dresser came out great, though. After painting it, I used my sander to rough it up a bit. I sprayed the hardware with Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint. I've been hearing about this on blogs for ages and was excited to have a chance to try it out. I loved it! And it was the perfect touch for this dresser.

Krylon MAXX?

I was in Walmart yesterday. I was NOT shopping for paint. Really. But as I passed the paint aisle to get to the light bulbs, I saw these:

Looks like Krylon has come out with an ultimate coverage paint. As you know, I love Krylon spray paint. I can't wait to try out this new type!

Spray paint accident; new centerpiece created

When I painted the frames in the corner of my living room gold, I did in my garage and some leaves had blown in. I accidentally spray painted a couple... and I loved the look! So I grabbed some more, in a variety of shapes and sizes, and spray painted them on purpose. (When my husband came home from work he asked in a bit of a surprised voice, "Did you spray paint leaves on purpose?" lol) 

(Note: The paint did not preserve the leaves; they still curled at the ages after they dried. But they did not disintegrate or in any other way fall apart.)

I mixed them with some Christmas ornaments and pinecones in a large glass container and used it as a centerpiece. I'm so happy with the way it came out! And it cost me nothing to make!

 



 

My favorite quick fix

 

Don't you hate it when something painted black gets a chip? If you're like me, it seems so noticeable! Fortunately, black is the most forgiving color out there. I use a black Sharpie permanent marker to fill in the chip. If it looks to glossy, I quickly wipe it with my finger. The black remains, but the gloss will be gone (and your finger will be a little black ; ) It's a quick fix with very nice results!