Making a Driftwood Crate from a Seaside Find
Usually my treasures come from the side of the road but this one comes form the side of the sea.
Posts
How to Make a Bed Tray
I found this little table at the thrift store, pretty ugly but $2 and it had potential.
I am adding affiliate links to similar products you can purchase at no extra charge to create this look. Click on the bold text to open the link.
I started out by painting it with chalky paintin an off white.
It went on really smooth and dried almost instantly. I felt like I was painting with heavy cream. So far, so good...
When it was dry I traced on a design using carbon paper and an image from theGraphic Fairy.
Next I tried something new, I used a black paint stick to fill in the design instead of a brush and paint. It is important to choose oil based so the paint dries hard for the next step.
It worked great!
Next I sanded and distressed the whole piece.
It sanded beautifully and came out as smooth as glass!
I am adding affiliate links to similar products you can purchase at no extra charge to create this look. Click on the bold text to open the link.
I started out by painting it with chalky paintin an off white.
It went on really smooth and dried almost instantly. I felt like I was painting with heavy cream. So far, so good...
When it was dry I traced on a design using carbon paper and an image from theGraphic Fairy.
Next I tried something new, I used a black paint stick to fill in the design instead of a brush and paint. It is important to choose oil based so the paint dries hard for the next step.
It worked great!
Next I sanded and distressed the whole piece.
It sanded beautifully and came out as smooth as glass!
A Nautical Mantel
Living near the water, a nautical mantel is a given....
with a little bit of rusty things thrown in for good measure...
Ahoy Maties!
with a little bit of rusty things thrown in for good measure...
Ahoy Maties!
How to Make a Demijohn with Macrame
Today I'm attempting to make a knock off project
of a beautiful demijohn.
I was the macrame champion of 1977.
Not really but I did macrame all day long back then.
Here's a great antique bottle that is going to my next attempt at macrame.
First I wrapped the waxed string around the spout about 5 times.
Then I hitched on about 10 lengths of string, they should be about three times the length of the bottle.
Make square knots tying together 2 pieces of string, one from the left and one from the right.
Move over to the next two pieces, and keep going around the bottle.
Make your knots farther apart as you get to the wider part of the bottle.
When you get to the bottom, pull your knots tight again.
And end your pieces of string with tight knots.
of a beautiful demijohn.
I was the macrame champion of 1977.
Not really but I did macrame all day long back then.
Here's a great antique bottle that is going to my next attempt at macrame.
First I wrapped the waxed string around the spout about 5 times.
Then I hitched on about 10 lengths of string, they should be about three times the length of the bottle.
Make square knots tying together 2 pieces of string, one from the left and one from the right.
Move over to the next two pieces, and keep going around the bottle.
Make your knots farther apart as you get to the wider part of the bottle.
When you get to the bottom, pull your knots tight again.
And end your pieces of string with tight knots.
How to Build a Post and Beam Fence
We put in another DIY fence yesterday and once again picked one of the hottest days of the year.
We recently had to have the 50 foot pine trees cut down that separated us from our neighbors. The houses are pretty close together in our neighborhood... so now in its place we need a fence.
This time we chose a post and rail fence... You can read all about the vinyl fence HERE.
We began by measuring for the post placement, they needed to be 10' apart.
My husband Jim used a post hole digger to dig the hole for the posts.
Jim dropped in the post and used a string level to make sure they all ended up the same height.
Next came the rails, they easily slipped right into the holes.
Three more sections the same way and here's the finished fence. Yahoo!
My …
We recently had to have the 50 foot pine trees cut down that separated us from our neighbors. The houses are pretty close together in our neighborhood... so now in its place we need a fence.
This time we chose a post and rail fence... You can read all about the vinyl fence HERE.
We began by measuring for the post placement, they needed to be 10' apart.
My husband Jim used a post hole digger to dig the hole for the posts.
Jim dropped in the post and used a string level to make sure they all ended up the same height.
Next came the rails, they easily slipped right into the holes.
Three more sections the same way and here's the finished fence. Yahoo!
My …
How to Turn a Broken Chair into a Ladder
My old chair finally saw it's last year as a decorative piece in my garden.
It broke right down the middle, split into 2 sides...
It broke right down the middle, split into 2 sides...
How to Build a Junky Birdhouse from Reclaimed Wood
I began my birdhouse project with old re-purposed wood that I "borrowed" from behind my neighbor's shed.
A lot of measuring, cutting, drilling, screwing, hammering and sweating later and I was ready to decorate! The best part!
I used rusty light switch plates for the side windows and shims for the shutters and the steps. All the new wood was painted with a vinegar treatment that gave it the perfect aging. A lock box from an old door made a great front door and a rusty screw was a perfect perch. I used metal flashing for the roof, distressing and then cutting it with a decorative edge. Finally for the chimney I used a rusty spout from an oil can.
I hope the birds will love it as much as I do!
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A lot of measuring, cutting, drilling, screwing, hammering and sweating later and I was ready to decorate! The best part!
I used rusty light switch plates for the side windows and shims for the shutters and the steps. All the new wood was painted with a vinegar treatment that gave it the perfect aging. A lock box from an old door made a great front door and a rusty screw was a perfect perch. I used metal flashing for the roof, distressing and then cutting it with a decorative edge. Finally for the chimney I used a rusty spout from an oil can.
I hope the birds will love it as much as I do!
Please sign up for the Homeroad emails so I can send my latest DIY post straight to you.
How to Make Wooden American Flag Bunting
Recently I entered a contest and the theme was "patriotic."
So in honor of the Fourth of July I created a flag bunting.
I saw a wooden half circle door mat for sale at a local discount store and I knew someday it would be great for something. Today was that day,it was just what I needed for this project!
I removed the rubber separators from one side of the wooden mat so it would be even of an arch shape, then I tied it back together tightly.
I screwed the smaller end onto a strip of wood for stability.
I spray painted the bunting white and marked off where I wanted to paint the blue and the red stripes.
I used Americana paint by DecoArt.
I was feeling lucky on this project because the vinyl letters I ordered a few weeks ago came today!
Perfect for my sign!
I used an antiquing glazeon b…
So in honor of the Fourth of July I created a flag bunting.
I saw a wooden half circle door mat for sale at a local discount store and I knew someday it would be great for something. Today was that day,it was just what I needed for this project!
I removed the rubber separators from one side of the wooden mat so it would be even of an arch shape, then I tied it back together tightly.
I screwed the smaller end onto a strip of wood for stability.
I spray painted the bunting white and marked off where I wanted to paint the blue and the red stripes.
I used Americana paint by DecoArt.
I was feeling lucky on this project because the vinyl letters I ordered a few weeks ago came today!
Perfect for my sign!
I used an antiquing glazeon b…