Old Window Makeover

If you're on Pinterest at all, you've probably seen people taking old windows and doors and shutters and other house parts and re-purposing them into something new for their home, or into pieces of art.

Oh how neat it would be to re-create furniture in every room in my house with old stuff like that! If I were still newly married and looking to furnish my home, that would be the way I might do it.

But I don't need a headboard or coffee table made of old doors. I don't have an empty wall that would benefit from an old window turned mirror. So even though I have wanted so badly to do a window project at the very least, I did not allow myself to buy any old windows.

Then, recently, I saw some folks who took old window frames sans glass and hung them from their covered patio area, giving the outdoor area the appearance of a room with windows. I didn't really need a lot of prodding to decide I needed a window to hang from the "ceiling" of my covered deck. It was game on!

The very best part was that I was visiting my Mom when I discovered I needed a window and we got to hit the junk stores together looking for one. She knew the perfect place to go.

I sanded the window just a little bit, and cleaned it up, but otherwise,
I left it in a rustic state.

I used a dry erase marker on the underside of the glass to draw my design.

My daugher helped with the drawing.

Using the drawing as a guide, I painted the correct side of the glass.
When I was finished, I washed off the dry erase marker.
I decided to make it a simple silhouette of tree limbs and birds,
so I just painted with black paint.

I used hooks and short pieces of chain to attach the window
to the frame of the deck.

I love the homey feeling of my deck. When the weather permits,
I like to bring my laptop outside and work from this tempory office.

We recently made some changes in the girls' bedrooms, and I needed to sell my old wicker furniture. This wicker etagere was the only piece I didn't sell. I painted it red and gave it a new home on the deck, adding to the homey feel.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3

Bistro Table Makeover

This afternoon, I'm sitting on my deck enjoying my "new" bistro table. Actually, my Mom bought this little set for me 17 years ago when I was newly married and we'd purchased our first home. As the years flew by, it began to show its age. I had been wanting to give it a makeover, thinking maybe I could put a mosaic design on the table top. But that seemed like a really tall order, too complicated and expensive of a project. I had no idea where to begin. To be totally honest, I was afraid to try it.

Definitely time for a makeover!

As Spring began to bloom and stores began to display pretty new sets, in the back of my mind I was shopping for something new. But the practical side of me told me that even if a makeover project was a little bit expensive, it wasn't going to be more than the price of something new. I'd need to get over my fear.

I started out by painting both chairs yellow and the table frame green. Thanks to my neighbor, Tony, for helping sand a few rusty places. My initial plan for the tabletop's mosaic design was to use broken dinner plates. I figured I could get some plates pretty cheap at Old Time Pottery and break them up. But I didn't find all the colors I needed and ended up looking at the stained glass at Hobby Lobby.

I asked a man at church who makes stained glass windows about how best to break the glass, and he invited me to get glass from his broken pieces. As a result, I was able to return most of what I'd purchased! Thank you, Mr. Summers!

First, I cut the glass and laid the pieces on a paper drawing of my design. 

Using a dry erase marker, I drew my design on the bottom side of the glass table top. Then I transfered the stained glass pieces to the table top and glued each piece in place using a glass bonding adhesive. It was easy to erase the marker once my pieces where all in place.

When the glue was dry, I added the grout. I had to add two layers of grout to build it up enough to fill between the pieces of glass. After the grout cured for 24 hours, I sealed it.

But that's only part of the transformation. Okay, it's most of it. But I couldn't put those old cushions back on. No way! I already new it was difficult to find small round cushions. I'd actually been looking for new ones for a few years. And by "looking," I mean when I'm in a store that sells that sort of thing, I glance over what they have to see if they have any to fit my set. I never really took the looking very seriously. But knowing that it might be difficult to find what I needed, I half decided I would either leave them cushionless, or try to re-cover the old cushions. But as I was perusing the back corner of Target, I came across their outdoor section clearance and found two pillows I happened to like. I decided I could add a center button and turn them into cushions for my chairs. Who really cares if they're not round? They would offer far more cushion than the old ones if I were to re-cover them, and I didn't feel I could make something for less than the clearance price I would pay.

Here it is! My new table with fat new cushions on the chairs!

The moral of the story? Whatever project you're afraid to start because you think you can't do it, don't put it off any longer! Go for it! You won't know until you try. Well, maybe within reason. You won't see me replacing the linonium with tile on my bathroom floor any time soon.





Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

Garden Love - Topsy Turvy Planter

A few years ago a neighbor down the street put up a Topsy Turvy Planter, and I have wanted to make one since. Then they started popping up on Pinterest, and each time I would tell myself that this is something I MUST do. And now I have.

For the most part, I followed these instructions. I used a 14" pot for the base, then a 12" pot, two 10" pots, and an 8" (or maybe it's a 6") pot on the top. And instead of re-bar, I used a shepherd's hook as my central pole.

How, you ask, did you get those pots on that shepherd's hook?

My shepherd's hook has a fork at the bottom, as do most shepherd's hooks, for extra support that would prevent me threading my pots up from the bottom. So I planted the hook where I wanted to build, then I started by threading the largest pot over the hook through the drain hole. But in order to thread the pot through the hook itself, I had to chip away a little at the drain hole to make it an oval instead of a circle.

I used a screwdriver and hammer to gently chisel away just a tiny bit. That's all I needed to be able to thread the pot past the hook. I had to do this with all sizes of my pots, except for the smallest.

I added plants like Wave Petunias, Lantana, Moss Rose and Evening Primrose that "fall" out of the pots as they lean. Then as a final finishing touch, I added a birdhouse hanging from the hook.

And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:11

Craft Review: Spoonful's Curly Birds

Today we had my daughter's 10th birthday party. She had a Peacock theme, and we decorated in blue, green and peacock feathers. She didn't want cake, so I made a big Chocolate Chip Cookie Peacock "Cake" for her.

It's 3-D. The body is another cookie setting on top of the feathers. It looked beautiful and tasted yummy, too. I have a feeling we've started a new birthday tradition when it comes to cake.

______

For a party craft, we made Curly Birds from Spoonful. One girl at the party told me several times how much she loved making her bird, a sentiment shared by several of the kids. So I think that means we have a winner!

Click here for instructions on making these paper birds.

My only suggestion in regard to the instructions is that you glue the tail feathers to the body first, then glue the head in the appropriate place. I made my bird the night before the party as a sample for the kids to see, and having the tail in the right place first makes it easier to judge the appropriate location of the head.

I cut all the paper strips the night before to cut down on the time needed for the activity. The younger kids needed a little extra assistance assembling their birds, but for the most part, once I showed what to do as we went along, each kid was able to work on his/her own. I had to help a couple cut the tail feathers, so for younger kids, be prepared to pre-cut the triangle portion of the feathers (and beak), or draw cut lines for them to follow.

Our flock of birds turned out VERY cute, and several of the kids even used scraps left from cutting the beaks to make feet.




The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord's perfections and meditating in His Temple. Psalm 27:4

Flower Pot Mushroom Fairy House

Several days ago while shopping at Hobby Lobby, my daughter saw a craft idea for a terracotta flower pot frog, so I purchased a 6-pack of the tiny pots. Today we sat down to make a frog but we couldn't find the instructions. I had most of it in my head, but I just wanted a little confirmation, so of course I turned to Pinterest. We found the frog... but we also found an adorable terracotta pot mushroom fairy house.

 
We couldn't resist the cuteness, and I happened to have what we needed to make them, so we decided to go for it!

The link to the Pinterest idea was bad, so we made ours just based off the photo.

In addition to paint, you need a terracotta pot and a Styrofoam ball. We used the small pots that are about 2" in diameter at the open top and the ball is the 3" size.

Cut the ball not quite in half.

We used regular acrylic paint to paint the balls. I have to admit I wasn't sure how to paint Styrofoam, but the acrylic paint worked great.

We used a toothpick and stuck it into the piece of the ball that we cut off so that the part we painted could stand up and dry more efficiently. Be sure to give plenty of time for it to dry, because it will take longer than other surfaces.

We used "Patio Paint Outdoor" for the terracotta. It's weather-resistant and adheres great to the terracotta. We painted them with a door and windows to look like a little cottage.

We used a round sponge brush for the polka-dots on our mushroom tops. When everything is dry, glue the ball to the pot, and your mushroom fairy house is complete. We used E6000 glue for that part.

Even though we used weather-resistant paint on the pots, I can't say for sure how well this will hold up if left outside. My daughter plans to put hers in her fairy garden, and it's outside, so we'll see. Mine will go outside, too, but probably on the deck were it will be a little more protected.

My younger daughter decided to make hers into an Indian girl.

Be on the lookout, because the frogs have not been forgotten...






By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4

Smarties for the Teacher

We had some really great teachers this year, and I am so thankful for love they have poured into my kids. We always like to give a little handmade gift to say "Thank You," so we made them one of our Terra Cotta Gumball Machines. We filled it with "Smarties" candies and the girls each wrote a little note thanking their teacher for helping them be a "smartie" this year.

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; If service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching... Romans 12:6-7

The Best Easter Basket Ever

Let's face it. The last thing my girls need are more toys or stuffed animals. I mean have you seen their beds? Their play room? Maybe you haven't, but trust me on this. They don't need more stuff!

I decided this year that their Easter Baskets would not contain a toy or a stuffed animal. While I've never been the kind to go overboard on Easter Baskets, even one toy or stuffed animal would be one too many. 

But I didn't want it to be all candy, either. They have enough of that, too. This year I did something a little different. I was told it was the best Easter Basket ever by my almost 10-year-old.

Each basket contained a little more than a dozen eggs, some with candy and some with small pieces of paper. Coupons. A coupon to skip a chore. A coupon to stay up 30 minutes past bedtime. A coupon for an iTunes song download. A coupon for a dessert of their choice at Sonic. Seven different coupons for seven different things that would be a special treat for them. And most of them would not cost us a cent.

Best. Easter. Basket. Ever. Who can argue with that?

This just might be the beginning of a new Easter Basket tradition.




My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. Proverbs 3: 1-2

Minions and Robots and Valentine's... Oh my!

Several years ago, I started a Valentine's tradition with my girls, and now they wouldn't dream of doing things any other way. Each year they make Valentine's cards for their classmates.

Trust me, it can be hard work getting my youngest, now 7, to sit and make that many cards. Sometimes we have to do it in stages. But when the work is done, they have such a sense of accomplishment.

This year we took ideas from Family Fun Magazine. My oldest made the Tic-Tac-Toe inspired card found on page 71 of the February 2014 issue.

She made them with two different messages, one for her closest friends and another for everyone else. We used M&Ms for game pieces; her message and Tic-Tac-Toe game drawn onto card stock.

Wonder how many will play a game before they eat the game pieces?

We packaged the card and candies together into treat bags and taped them in the back with fun Valentine tape we found at Hobby Lobby.


My youngest made cards found on page 70 of the February 2014 issue of Family Fun Magazine.

We glued large googly-eyes to the bottom of chocolate kisses and put several into a treat bag. Each bag had about 7 kisses, with 3 of those kisses having the googly-eyes. We stapled the bag shut with a piece of folded card stock to share her Valentine sentiment: "I have eyes for you!", replacing the word 'eyes' with a set of smaller googly-eyes. She added some extra hearts just for fun.


But that was not the end of our Valentine fun. This year they needed to provide their own Valentine boxes. Though I do remember one year one of them making a box at home (we just added pink paper and heart stickers to a shoe box), most years they've made boxes at school.

For this project, we turned to Pinterest. My oldest decided on a robot she found.

While it's very similar to the one she saw on Pinterest, my daughter decided to skip the legs, change the arms and add a bow. It's just too cute!

My youngest has been a little Minion crazy lately, so it didn't really come as a surprise when she wanted to have a Minion Valentine box. There were several different versions on Pinterest, and we took ideas from several of them, including making his mouth as the box opening so Minion can eat the Valentine's cards. We made his goggles, arms and legs 3-d with the use of toilet paper rolls. He turned out very adorable and I hope he makes it to Friday because she keeps trying to feed him various toys.






Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

School Desk Makeover

A couple years ago, I found an old school desk for my youngest daughter. The rest of the family had his or her own desk, she needed one, too. Right? It was terribly ugly, but I knew I could take care of that problem with a little paint. However, the project ended up on the back burner until recently when my daughter brought up the subject.

Last Saturday we had a really beautiful and pleasant day - a perfect day for a paint project on the deck.

Here's the before picture. When I bought the desk, it was painted a plain off-white color. Very ugly. You can see that my daughter added some doodling to the desktop area, and that gave me the idea to paint the desktop with chalkboard paint. Then she could continue to write on the desktop without messing up the paint.

I had her decide what color she wanted to paint the rest of the desk. She first chose blue. Then green. And finally settled on yellow.

I used a high-gloss indoor/outdoor latex paint so I wouldn't have to worry about a clear coat. We used some old flower stamps from my craft closed to add a little decoration. 

 - You'll find these same flowers used in several projects in my blog!! 

My daughter wanted black flowers to match the black chalkboard desktop, and I used a glossy acrylic craft paint for them. Then I added some yellow flowers to the desktop using the same yellow paint used for the rest of the desk.

We think the result turned out great, and most importantly, my daughter loves it. She just gushed over it and absolutely could not wait for me to give her the clearance to sit at her "new" desk and draw on the desktop.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Psalm 127:3