Antique Phone Table

After a long day of crafting on Saturday, you'd think I would have had enough? Nah.

So while I was creepin' through Craigslist on Saturday, I had come across this gem:

Wait. I NEED this table.  I simultaneously emailed and called this "Dan".  I salivated at the thought of this untapped potential.  I dreamed of this table while doing my Boston table.  

At about 8 o'clock, my prayers were answered.  I got an email.  Table was available! I obviously emailed him IMMEDIATELY saying I could come get it, say, NOW.  Where else would a 26 year old gal about town be on a Saturday night? Oh right. At home re-doing furniture. I'm cool.

Dan did not share my sense of urgency. I had to wait until this morning.  

After getting the goods (Dan was a cool guy... lives across the street from my aunt and uncle!) I decided to forego my original plan of using scrap fabric that I already owned and go to Jo-Ann fabrics and see what I could scrounge...

THANK GOD I DID.  I found this glorious fabric:

Win #1: It was on sale for 40% off. Win #2: It was a scrap piece so I got an additional 50% off. Win #3: A woman in the checkout line game me a coupon for 20% off.  After all was said and done, I got a yard of $12 fabric for $2.50. BOOOYAH.

THE PLAN:

-paint table white

-paint shelf green (same green as my living room walls!)

-reupholster the chair

This was super easy! There were a lot of tricky parts but overall it was a very standard re-paint and re-upholster situation.

After letting the paint dry, all I had to do was screw the seat back on! And WAHHLAHH:

I am kind of obsessed with this.  The tentative plan is to sell this one too but I really do love it! 

What it cost:

-table - $30

-fabric - $2.50

-brushes - $2

TOTAL: $34.50

What I learned:

-Dan has a whole barn full of stuff. Note to self: call him when Craigslist inventory is low!

-My white paint needs replacing.  It was pretty thick.

Hope you enjoyed the double posts tonight! I promise to finally post about my ottoman and cabinet hardware soon!

Wacky Boston-Themed Table!

Yo yo yo.

So I've been a bit under the weather the past few days, so I decided to take it easy this weekend... meaning I'd craft.

Saturday morning I woke up on the ever so comfy couch of my friends' house in Worcester... surprisingly not hungover and even more surprisingly with lots of motivation.  After the trek home, I started Craigslist crawling...

BOOM. What did I find? This weird, but kind of cool table:

How could I pass up this $10 STEAL? It's solid wood and has some pretty badass detailing.

THE PLAN:

I was inspired by this post on Pinterest.  (Shout out to Webster's Chalk and Paint Powder for a SICKKKKK table and the inspiration!) I like to think that I was creative enough to come up with this idea on my own, but I'm not.

Anyways, I went to my usual places: Michaels and Lowe's to hunt down some decoupage stuff, a map, paint, and polyurethane sealer.  DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND A GODDAMN MAP IN THIS COUNTRY?!!!!  Impossible.  I was thinking of doing a cool, antique-y looking map but I couldn't find one. All I could find was a map of Boston, which actually ended up being really cool! Yay Boston!

Side note: The paint man at Lowe's knows me personally. I guess I'm a regular, which isn't so bad.  I am a regular at a pizza place and the liquor store, so I suppose this is a step up.

So I'm back home now, and the table has been cleaned and sanded.  First up: paint the details:

Yup, I used spray paint. Indoors. In the winter.  Probably took a few years off my life. No biggie.

After that dried, it was paint time!!!!

(Insert in-progress paint picture here. Oh wait. Didn't take one. I'm an ass.)

Now on to the map... cutting out the map in a circle was probably the hardest task of them all, sadly.  I had to use a razor blade after the initial cut, but it worked out in the end.  

So decoupage-ing is pretty interesting.  I had never done it before until now.  It's stressful because the paper bubbles and you think it is going to dry that way but it flattens out as it dries.  The only thing that didn't turn out lovely is the folds in the map are very obvious. Oops.

After a coating of polyurethane spray (once again, indoors), it is sealed and ready to go!

This table is so weird, but so cool! And so Boston themed!

What it cost:

Table - $10
Paint - $6
Map - $6
Decoupage stuff - $10
Sealing spray - $6
Paint brushes and rollers: $5

TOTAL: $43

Not too bad! I'm planning on selling this bad boy, so hopefully I can make a little bling bling back :-)

What I learned:

-Maps are hard to find.
-Paint samples are only $3!
-Polyurethane spray smells way worse than spray paint.
-Decoupage-ing isn't so hard.


This was only my Saturday project. Stay tuned for what I did on Sunday!!!!

Retro TV stand

So recently I joined this decade and bought a new TV.  My old gem, though functioning, kept making this high-pitched squeak that made me want to kick puppies.

(Adios old TV! It's been real!)

Yay! New TV! The only problem is that my new fancy-shpansy TV looked RIDICULOUS in my giant TV cabinet.  Which means only one thing... CRAIGSLIST TIME!

I ventured out (in the snow... not my best idea) to get this $10 gem:

Awww yeah.  

So after several snow-induced near-death experiences, I managed to go to Lowe's and Michaels and return with a quart of glossy paint and a variety of decorative paper:

The plan: Sand and re-paint the stand, reface the front of the doors with paper, and spray paint the hardware.  

Everything went well! The only hiccup was getting the paper to stick to the door.  I originally used a tiny bit of wallpaper glue but even that small amount of moisture caused the paper to ripple.  I ended up using plain ol' Scotch tape.  

The final result:

I'm slowly but surely becoming obsessed with this one! I *might* paint it a shade darker at some point, as it doesn't quite match anything in my living room... oops. I also had to completely re-arrange my living room to accommodate the new TV stand (I say this casually but this in itself required a few hours of trying different arrangements, second guessing myself, drinking wine, and calling in my ever-so-patient roommate for second opinions).

What it cost:

-TV stand - $10
-paint - $15
-fresh brushes and rollers - $5
-paper - $3
-spray paint - free! (already had some)

TOTAL: $33

What I learned:

-Maybe I should consider surrounding furniture when deciding on a color...
-I love Craigslist!

I have many more exciting projects to update you all on! Stay tuned for kitchen cabinet hardware, ottoman reupholstering, and a TV cabinet to bookshelf conversion!

Musical chairs

Yo. It's been a while. I know everyone has been DYING for a new post.

Well you're in luck.

So my Dad gave me a pretty sweet chair a little while back which I have been using for a while:

Pretty cool, right? It's quirky. I like it.  However, the seat itself is ratty and missing padding, and also just didn't match with my color scheme.  Time to reupholster!

I figured while I was at it, I would create a stool for my vanity in my bedroom, since I was currently using a kitchen table chair.  I had been scoping out thrift stores for a funky stool or chair that would work, but with little luck.  But this morning I was sitting looking around and saw this small side table (given to me years ago by my darling Peter) that I never use and decided "Ha! I shall make you into a stool!"

Off to Joann Fabrics! While I was there I bought a half-yard of each of the following:

I also grabbed some black paint and padding.  Total cost: $12. BOOYAH.

Now, reupholstering is one of the easiest things to do.  All you need is fabric and a staple gun.  And you're done.  Sadly, I do not own a staple gun.  Off to my parents house!

The stool, however, did require a bit more work.  Since it was brown and all my bedroom furniture is black, I had to give it a quick sand down and then a coat of black paint.  Simple enough.  Then I hot glued some foam padding on top:

Once the paint was dry, all I had to do was staple the fabric on.  I had my darling mother help me since it can be tricky to try and hold the fabric tight and staple at the same time.

The end product:

The stool in its natural environment:

The desk chair is my absolute favorite.  The fabric is EXACTLY what I was looking for! (AND IT WAS ON SALE!) I really like the orange next to the blue desk:

Awww yeah. Now I can sit in style.


What I learned:

-A half-yard was BARELY enough fabric for the desk chair.  Next time, at least 3/4.
-I should probably buy a staple gun.

PIMPIN' DESK!

Ok, so this may be my favorite project by far, for a variety of reasons:

-it was easy
-it was nearly free
-it's awesome

It all started when I went to Worcester this weekend. While I was convincing people to let me paint their faces (long story... but I did win a bet), the next door neighbors were getting rid of some leftover furniture.  Per usual in the dirty Woo, the pickers emerged immediately.  I noticed a cool retro desk, but dismissed it.

The next morning rolled around. It was still there. I still dismissed it. I don't need a desk. Where would I put it, Chrissy???

I went back to Twin City (Amy and Em's apartment). Upon arrival, I realized I wanted the desk.  So I made Trev-daddy claim it for me.  A few hours later, we attempted to put it in my car. After several failed attempts, we got this:

Yeah, that's not safe.

I also should mention that my dear friend Amy offered me a can of blue paint that she had at her house.  Another free find? HELL YEAH. Given my salary, free is usually what I can afford...

Well, I DID have to buy a few things... some gold spray paint, a new roller, and a paint tray. Nothing major. $9 blings.

Step 1: Remove hardware and sand

Here's the before:

It's white, a bit beat up, "shabby chic" (the cool way of referring to kinda crappy, beat up furniture).

Step 2: Paint!

Coat #1:

I got paint everywhere.  Good thing I painted on my tile floor (wipes right up!)

Step 3: Put hardware back on

And waaaalahhhh! I'm done!  It only took a few hours to do everything. This was honestly one of the easiest projects I have ever done and it might be my favorite. I now have a fabulous desk! Now maybe I'll do some work?

And did I mention it was nearly free???

Things I learned:

-blue paint is rad
-you can always get free things in Worcester
-my car is small
-the cheaper the better

HASTA LA PROXIMA VEZ!

Adios, ceiling fan!

I apologize in advance... not very exciting "before" and "after" shots here... but a whole lot of WISDOM.

With my copious amounts of free time, I get bored. And when I get bored, I decide to mess with my house.

Case and point #1: My kitchen ceiling fan.

Okay, okay. It's not TERRIBLE, but it's rather 90s-tastic, gives poor lighting, and I never use the fan.  So, I decided to replace it. I've replaced light fixtures before... this should be EASY PEASY.

... it wasn't.

I called up my dear buddy, Ashley, and made her come help with promises of margaritas and Mexican food.  I figured that removing a light is challenging enough as a one-woman job, so a huge ceiling fan would definitely require two sets of hands.

Once the fan was unscrewed, I realized there are a whole mess of wires involved in ceiling fans. UGHH. Instead of the typical black wire and white wire, I had two black wires, one white wire, and a red wire. What do I do? 

Turn to Youtube. Youtube did not help. Realize I need to get wire strippers. Go to hardware store. Buy wire stripper.  Return home. Call Uncle Mike (he's an electrician... handy!). Uncle Mike tells me to get wire tester. Go BACK to hardware store. Buy wrong wire tester. Return wire tester. Buy new wire tester. Return home. Call Uncle Mike. Confuse Uncle Mike. Uncle Mike relays his plan. I  put his plan into action.

And what happened next? The light worked! 

Unfortunately, anything past the light on the same circuit did not. No kitchen fan, no bathroom, no second bedroom (Sorry, Jeannie!)

Uncle Mike was stumped. Given that we were on the phone and he lives 45 minutes away, the probability that this was going to be resolved that evening was slim. WOMP WOMP.  

After a terrifying vision of my condo building and Sheesha engulfed in flames due to my terrible electric work, I bailed on my dear helper, Ashley (sorry, Ash!) and called in for reinforcements: Dad.

My dad is NOT an electrician. But, he knows how electricity works and is much more daring with live wires than I will ever be.  After mixing and matching, we had the following scenarios:

1. Light works, rest of circuit line does not.

2. Circuit line works, turn on light and the rest of the circuit turns off.

3. Circuit line works, light does not.

Fourth times the charm? Dad decided to get adventurous and put one of the black wires with the white wire (breaking the 11th commandment? Perhaps!) 

BOOM! (okay, not an actual "boom"). Success!

After hours of works, trips to the hardware store, and fear of fires... I finally have this little dinky, yet powerful light.

ALL THAT WORK FOR THAT STUPID LITTLE LIGHT.

What I learned:

-ceiling fans are heavy

-ceiling fans require more lighting

-red wires connect to the light switches

-99% of the time you NEVER connect a black and white wire

-Dad is more courageous than I am with electricity

Over and out.

Vanity rehab!

HOLLA HOLLA FOR A DOLLAH!

I have been on a DIY hiatus due to life... you know, teaching the kids, teaching more kids, having no $$... the usual. Now that it is SUMMER, expect more posts due my excessive amounts of free time.

Anyways, my father dearest is a hoarder... typical. He always gets random items from work (no, he doesn't steal them). Normally he takes the most horrendously ugly things, but for once, he got something kinda cool.

EXHIBIT A: The retro desk

I did not take a proper "before" shot, but it was a neat little vintage desk.  It was painted an off-white with light blue trim.

THE PLAN:

1. Sand
2. Repaint a fresh, crisp white
3. (GET READY FOR IT) Re-face the front of the drawer with damask print wallpaper
4. Get a new knob (the original fell off)

THE PLAN IN ACTION:

Not exactly as I had planned... per usual.

So I went to this wallpaper warehouse in North Chelmsford to check out some wallpapers and I found a bunch of cool ones.  I wanted something damask or vintage-y looking, as long as it was black and white.

However, you cannot purchase samples/small amounts of wallpaper. The sales clerk FIRMLY stated this many times, despite telling her the details of my project.  WOMP WOMP. If you want wallpaper, you have to buy a DOUBLE roll... so I would have had to pay $25 for a 12" x 2" section. Not worth it.

My "brilliant" idea? Wrapping paper! I shot over to Target and bought some pretty damask wrapping paper from the wedding isle.  Woohoo! (Side note: I promise I will quit it with the damask prints... I am reaching a damask print overload in my bedroom, but I promise it all works together!)

Then MORE brilliant ideas flew into my head: Why not top the vanity with the paper too? And put some glass down on top to keep it clean and undamaged? OH YEAHHH.  I headed on over to Lowes and got a piece of glass cut to fit the top of the vanity (Lowes cuts glass for FREE! I like anything free!). I also picked up a nice glass knob and some wallpaper glue.

Ok, time to get to work. The sanding and painting was easy (OBVIOUSLY I'M A PROFESSIONAL NOW... DUH) but the wrapping paper turned out to be a bit tricky...

As it turns out, wrapping paper does not work like wallpaper.  Wallpaper is meant to get wet, wrapping paper is not. So, my first attempts to attach the wrapping paper with the wallpaper glue resulted in a bubbly, ripped mess.  Oops.  I finally figured out that if I only used a TINY bit of glue, the paper would stick, but not get all warped. GO ME.

After placing the glass down and attaching the knob, I was done:

Check out that knob!

The vanity in its true habitat:

I'm in love! Now I have a one-of-a-kind vanity! All for the low price of $28.00!!! #winning

-desk: free (thanks, Dad)
-wallpaper: $4
-glue: $6
-knob: $4
-glass: $13
-paintbrush: $1
-paint: free (already had some!)
-sandpaper: also free (had some of that too!)

Baller status.

WHAT I LEARNED:

-Lowes cuts glass for free!
-Dad's hoarding is sometimes okay
-wrapping paper does not function like wallpaper
-wallpaper cannot be purchased in small amounts
-I can spend an un-Godly amount of time staring at knobs at the hardware store.



Peace out, cubscout.