An Outdoor Rug Makeover

A few months ago I found this great sisal rug at a thrift store for $6!  Yes, I said $6!  I couldn't pass it up.  I had been on the lookout for a rug I could paint to use on my kitchen floor and this was the perfect size.

Unfortunately, I have this playful dog that thinks anything on the floor is a chew toy.  So, I laid the rug out in the kitchen to see if she would leave it alone....but, it only took about 10 minutes to decide it wouldn't work.  She was just waiting for me to leave the house so she could tear this rug apart without me stopping her.

On to plan B....a birthday gift for mom!  Once again I wasn't smart enough to get a before picture, but hopefully with this one you can imagine the before pretty easily.

I used a large wall stencil to create the background print.  As you can see from the picture, I had a few spots where it didn't line up perfectly.  This was my first stenciled rug and the surface was so uneven.  Even with the imperfections, I love how it turned out....and more importantly so was she!

Hopefully I can find another great rug like this one again very soon!

Crafty Upcycle #1: Ombre Bleached Jeans Tutorial

I am totally on board with this explosion of the ombre trend.  So, I decided to give a few pairs of old jeans a new look...one successfully and one not-so-successfully. 

Here are the before looks:

 This was a pretty easy, yet time consuming process. 

Supplies Needed:

Old (or New) Pair of Jeans

Bleach

Large Bucket or Bin

Pants Hanger with Clips

A word of warning...if you are planning on doing this, try to organize it when you can do it outside.  I was not that smart and bleached these in a bucket set in the bathtub in a bathroom with no window.  By the end of the night my eyes were burning so bad that I was having a hard time focusing on my bleach fumes induced hallucinations.  

Step 1:  Mix 12 cups of bleach with 6 cups of water in the large bucket or bin

Step 2:  Attach hanger to jeans on the end you are not going to bleach (I recommend you leave the waist the darkest and go lighter towards the bottom)  The hanger will help you control how evenly  the jeans are set in the liquid.  

Step 3:  Once you have decided where you want the first layer of faded color to be, fully immerse the jeans in the bleach/water mix up to that point.  Leave the area that you want to remain the darkest out of the mix.  Let the jeans soak for at least 10 minutes.

Step 4:  Remove the jeans from the mix and let hang dry for at least 30 minutes to allow the bleach to take effect.

Step 5:  Repeat Steps 3 & 4, but each time leave a larger section of the jeans out of the bleach/water mix.

Step 6:  Once you have bleached the entire pair, let hang dry over night.  Wash the jeans and they are ready to wear.

Note:  One pair that I bleached turned yellowish in the area that was supposed to be white.  I soaked them in liquid dish soap for a few hours and then washed them with OxiClean twice and they came out white. 

Here is the final product: 

Let's start with the bad news first....my failure jeans:

(Please don't judge me on my lack of a pedicure)

This look just didn't work.  So...I guess now I shall try, try again.  Maybe a denim skirt or a coin purse.  To be continued....

Now on to the good news...my success jeans:

This worked so much better!  I was thrilled with the final result and now I have a pair of jeans that are a little  more exciting than the rest of them.

 

From Coffee Table to Ottoman

I have had this coffee table for years and never really loved it or hated it.  It was just there.  So, I decided it was time to turn it into something I love.

One thing I really love to do while sitting on the couch is put my feet up on the table.  However, the table is an extremely uncomfortable place to rest your feet.  So, the obvious solutions was turn it into an ottoman.

But, I couldn't just leave it a boring stained wood color.  It needed a new life and that means a new color.

So, I painted the legs turquoise...

...added a foam cushion to the top...

...covered the foam with a layer of batting....

...and covered that with a chic textured black fabric.

I love how it transformed the living room.  I am no longer apathetic about this table.  Now I love it!!  Plus it is such a comfortable place to put my feet up after a long day.  Why didn't I do this sooner?

 

Upgrade your shades

As I was surfing the blogosphere, I came across this great tutorial on  I Spy DIY on adding a little bling to your sunglasses.  And who doesn't love sunglasses?  I do, but I definitely prefer the $5 sunglasses to the $75 ones.  So, this is a great way to have the best of both worlds...cheap and glamorous.

The tutorial I was following was for cat eye sunglasses, but I couldn't find the right pair with the cat eye design...however, I found these great sunglasses and they were just the right price.

I gathered my materials, curled up in front of the TV and glamorized my new shades.

20 minutes later and viola...they are no longer boring $5 sunglasses.

I added a clear coat of nail polish.  Mostly because it felt like that was the natural next step.

Check out the tutorial on I Spy DIY here.

An Etched Cake Plate Tutorial

I love giving gifts!  And not just any gift, but unique personalized gifts.  

What better way to personalize a gift than with a name, initial, monogram, nickname, etc. on it?

A great way to make a personal, unique and sophisticated gift is to etch a cake plate (or pie plate or casserole dish or glass pitcher or glass vase or glass jar or mirror or window...you get the idea!)

Now it's your turn...

What you will need:

Glass Dish

Printout of the design you want to etch

Masking tape

Clear contact paper

X-acto knife

Paint brush

Armour Etch Cream

**Just a quick note about the Armour Etch Cream: I bought the 3 oz. bottle (with a 40% off coupon of course) and I was concerned it wasn't going to be enough to etch two pie plates.  I almost bought the larger bottle, but luckily I didn't.  Since I bought that bottle, I have etched 3 cake plates, 2 pie plates, 2 casserole dishes and a large counter top glass beverage dispenser and I still have half of the bottle left.**

Once you have decided on a piece to etch, make sure you clean with soap and water and the piece is completely dry before you begin.

Print your design in bold black print and trim to fit.  Tape your design to the inside of your piece.  Be sure to line it up exactly where you want the etched design to end up.  This will work as your stencil.

**If you choose to etch a piece with a rounded edge like my cake plate cover, it may be difficult to get it lined up perfectly.  Smooth it against the glass as much as possible.

Once you have your stencil where you want it, cut a piece of clear contact paper larger than the design.  You want to have plenty of extra area covered on each side of the stencil.  Smooth out all bubbles (or if the edge is rounded, smooth as many as you can...you want to make sure there are no bubbles in the same space that you are going to etch)

This part can require a lot of patience, depending on how intricate your stencil is.  Use your X-acto knife to create the stencil.  Trace along the outline of your design to cut out the same design in the clear contact paper.  **Keep in mind the etching will be done on the area where the contact paper is removed.

(It's pretty hard to get a picture of the design in the clear contact paper, but if you look closely you can see the "W")

Elevate the side of the glass piece you are etching before applying the Armour Etch.  This will help minimize any dripping.  If possible, lay the piece down so the stencil area is parallel to the counter top.

Using a paintbrush, fill in the entire stencil.  I have found that it works best if you put a thick coat on.  I always use a layer thick enough that you can't see any glass through the cream.  Let it set on the stencil for at least 5 minutes.  If you're not in a rush, let it set for 10 minutes. 

 After letting it set up, rinse all the cream off using cold water.  Once the thick layer of cream has been washed off, remove your stencil and thoroughly wash the entire piece.

Viola! A personalized unique piece!