Shabby Chic Picture Frame

I made several of these to display at my daughter's wedding.  I took an ordinary 8 x 10 frame, and painted it white, leaving a little of the wood color to show through.  Then dug through my craft box and found some vintage doilies, jewelry and lace and hot glued them around the edge.  For a really cool look, I went to www.photofunia.com and put personal photos into their selections of backgrounds and printed them out.  Really gave it a vintage feel.

Repurposed Serving Tray

This was a super-fun project!  I took an old metal serving tray I found at a yard sale, and masked off the center, painted it flat black.  Then I found an old picture frame with no picture or glass, and painted it flat black, and scruffed a little tan and cream paint around it for a shabby look.  I mounted the tray to the frame with some plastic conduit clips.  I purchased the letters, and decoupaged some coordinating scrapbook paper on them and glued magnets on their backs.  I had some really cool scrapbook paper that I cut out and burned the edges, glued to a piece of cardboard the same size, and glued a magnet to the back of it.  I hung this on a wall in my bathroom where I needed something not too bulky and it looks perfect!  This would also be a neat message center in a hallway or kitchen as well.

Shabby Chic Cupcake Holder

This is a great project for parties, weddings, etc.  I am always on the hunt for plates and cups of different sizes and styles at yard sales.  Most you can pick up for a very good price.  I used E6000 adhesive to glue the plates and cups together, letting each level sit for 24 hours before doing the next. We used these at my daughter's gender reveal party with cupcakes on them and they just looked adorable!  They are all three tiers, but made with different plates and cups, so it makes for a really interesting table display!

Vintage chair plant holder

This is a cute vintage chair I found at a flea market, but the seat was rotten.  I attached some fence boards, cut to shape and used a jigsaw to cut a circle out of the middle and painted them a bright blue.  Instant plant holder for the porch!  This item is currently for sale for $10.00.

Shabby Lamp before and after

This is before and after of an out-of-date lamp.  This was a really nice lamp in it's day, brass with a linen-look shade, but this didn't match anything I had. So, all I did was sanded the lamp base to rough up the surface, and painted it with hammered copper Rustoleum. Then I dabbed some tan and brown paint here and there and simply wrapped some burlap strips around the shade and tied in the center with some coordinating fabric scraps. 

Vintage Sewing Table

This is a vintage singer treadle sewing machine base I got at an auction.  I used a wire brush to remove surface rust and painted it with black rustoleum paint.  I had a cabinet door left from another project, so I secured it to the top with bolts and I have a very quaint side tale.  This item is currently for sale for $30.00.

Half-chair wall shelf

This is so cute! I found a shabby, chippy chair at an antique store, and sawed it in half.  The seat bottom is now a shelf, as well as what hangs on the supports in the wall.  And the best part- I have two of them!!

DIY Wedding Arbor

This was a long, drawn out process, but well worth it!  My daughter had an outdoor wedding, and we were trying to save money where we could.  So my husband had a friend who had some small oak trees on his farm and let him come and cut down a few.  He cut them to length and kind of hollowed the ends like the old Lincoln Logs to fit, and secured with some long bolts and nuts.  We them constructed a floor, with 5/4 deck boards to be used as a platform for the bridal party to stand on.  It was spring, so we decorated with as many flowers as we could find. We decorated the arbor with some angel vines and artificial flowers.  The two vintage gates on either side were borrowed from a friend and adorned with artificial flowers as well.  It turned out just beautiful!

Handmade Wedding Veil

I made this for my daughter for her wedding.  When we were shopping for a wedding dress, of course she tried on veils. She wanted something a little vintage looking, and much to my surprise, ones just like this were $200.00!!  I decided I would try making one first.  I ordered the birdcage netting from ebay for about $13.00.  I got a hair comb and feather decoration at hobby lobby for around $6.00.  I cut the netting into two pieces and sewed each together to the hair clip, and hot glued the decoration on top.  Way cheaper than store-bought, and extra sweet because it was made with love!!

Punched Tin Divider Wall

My daughter uses this in her salon as a divider wall.  This was originally a set of doors from an old barn.  We removed the glass and had a local heating/cooling company cut sheet metal rectangles to size for us.  I printed out some black & white clip art from the internet, and taped the patterns to the sheet metal, then used a spring-loaded center punch to punch the designs.I cut pieces of quarter-round to go around the edge of the holes to keep the sheetmetal in the doors.  Then I painted them olive green, and stained over the paint, brushing through before it dried to expose some of the paint underneat.  The great part about this was that I was able to punch her salon name in the middle panel.  It's definitely one-of-a-kind, and a conversation piece!

Small Stool Project

This little stool turned out really cute!  All I did was paint it satin black, and then I stenciled a checkerboard on the top. This project is currently for sale for $10.

Baby shower decor

These were so simple, and turned out so cute! The first picture is made from baby washcloths and a diaper. Just roll the diaper up, and roll the washcloth around it, and secure the end with pipe cleaners. The second, baby washcloth lollipops, are made with two washcloths per lollipop. I rolled each one on the diagonal into a snake, then began to coil the first one, securing with straight pins as I went, overlapping the end of the second washcloth about 3" and continuing to coil. Then I wrapped in plastic wrap and secured with a twist tie.

Gender Reveal, Spin The Wheel

Two projects here. First, the chalkboard: I bought an old coffee table top at an auction and painted it ivory around the outside. Then I mixed my own chalkboard paint from a recipe I found on pinterest and painted the center with that. I bought a pink and blue cabinet knob at a hardware store, drilled a couple of holes and attached them. Then I tied a piece of chalk to hang from each knob. My dad made the spinning wheel from scrap wood, so guests would spin the wheel and record their choice, boy or girl on the chalkboard.

bathroom wall cabinet made from shutters

Shutter, shutter!  More of my auction-find shutters. I needed a wall cabinet when we remodeled our bathroom, and even the crummy ones were like $70, so I put my shutters to good use. This is one set of large shutters, split for the end, and two sets of smaller ones for the front. I cut shelves to fit and braced them with some 1x2's underneath and a couple of "L" brackets. Then I cut a piece of pine for the top and routed the edge. I got a 1 1/2" dowel and cut to length to use for a towel bar on the bottom, and used a jigsaw to make a couple of brackets for it to sit in and attached to the bottom of each long shutter. Then I sanded to rough up the surface and painted to match the trim in the bath.

blank frames

I love old vintage frames with nothing in them. I took a bunch and painted them white and ivory and hung in no particular order on a long wall, even overlapping some. It filled in a big space without being too "loud".

Shutter Side Table

Who doesn't love old shutters. I have some weird obsession with them! I got a whole pile of them at an auction and when remodeling my bathroom, decided I needed a small side table. This is two sets joined together by a couple of shelves inside. I had a piece of tongue and groove flooring I used for the top. The shutters were white, so I lightly sanded them and scruffed some brown craft paint here and there, and then rubbed some stain over the whole thing.

Cream Can Lamp

This project took a little time, and I had to enlist my husband's help.  I bought an antique cream can at an auction for $10.  I already had an out-of-date brass floor lamp.  So, I disassembled the lamp and only kept and used the top half.  We drilled holes in the top and bottom of the cream can to run the light cord through.  I painted both the can and top portion of the floor lamp with hammered copper Rustoleum paint.  Then I took the existing lamp shade, and scruffed paint here and there in tans and browns and a little gold.  I added some beads to earring posts I had in my craft box and poked through the bottom edge.  I then glued a strand of gold ribbon to the bottom and top of the shade.  I took some burlap and muslin and rolled a few rosettes and hot-glued to the shade on both sides to balance the weight.  I love the idea of mixing old with new and the hammered copper paint gives it a nice vintage color!

Family Photo Display

This is probably my favorite thing in my house - yet so simple!  I found an old paned window at a yardsale for $5, and found the pair of shutters for $4.  I separated the shutters and painted them, shabbily (is that a word?), and scruffed a little gold paint on top.  I attached a piece of wood to the bottom for a small shelf, and secured with a couple strips of burlap.  I glued some vintage lace to the top of the window.  Then I took six of my favorite photos and placed them on scrapbook paper, and used some stickers and embellishments to dress them up. Punched holes and strung jute rope through them and attached to the back of the window.  I also made a small shelf to go beneath the window - just cut a piece of scrap wood and used a jigsaw to make some "corbels" for the bottom supports.

Garden Decor

Here is a picture of a couple of different projects.  I love the teacup bird feeder.  This was super-easy.  I had a teacup and saucer that was in the bottom of a box of junk from an auction.  I took some sand paper and roughed up the bottom edge of the cup and the middle of the saucer. Then applied some E6000 adhesive and glued together.  Probably let this set for 24 hrs.  Then, I took 2 sections of metal conduit, one about 3" long, and 3/4" diameter, the other about 3'long, and 1/2" diameter.  Sanded both and painted with rustoleum hammered copper paint.  I glued the short one to the bottom of the saucer with my E6000 and let dry for 24 hrs.  Hammered the long one into the ground, then simply sat the cup, saucer and short piece on top of the long one.  That way I can remove the cup and saucer in the winter to prevent breakage.
Behind and to the right, I took a new galvanized watering can, and had my husband weld a piece of rebar to the bottom and at an angle, and drilled a hole in the bottom, but towards the top the size of my water pump tubing.  I then took my water pump that I already had and ran the clear pump tube through the bottom of the watering can, forcing the water to flow out the spout and into a small pond below.

Vintage lunch pail flower arrangement

This took a little time, but turned out better than I expected.  I bought some vintage lunch pails at an auction, and decided to dress this one up a little.  I decoupaged vintage sheet music on the outside. Then I found some left over flowers in my craft box and added some burlap and pearl strands for a quaint little arrangement.  I could see this in a parlor of a historic home.

This one is currently for sale - $20 plus shipping

Well bucket planter

This is for all the "shabby" gardeners out there!  I bought an old well bucket at an auction, stood it in the corner for a couple of weeks trying to decide what to do with it.  Finally cut a section out of the top, drilled a few drainage holes in the bottom, and then cut a couple of landscape timber blocks and rounded out a section in the middle.  Instant planter for those succulents that don't need much dirt!

Amazing Grace Window Banner

Ok, I know this is not everyone's style, but it's mine! I took some vintage sheet music and ran it through my printer and printed the phrase, "AMAZING GRACE". Cut out the squares with each letter, and glued to squares of burlap just a little bigger than my letters. I then punched holes and placed some scrapbook eyelets and ran a piece of jute twine through the holes and attached each end to my curtain rod.

Candle Holders Turned Plant Stand

I got these old candle holders off a local yard sale site.  They were designed to hold tapers.  Then I cut and sanded a piece of scrap pine and screwed it to the candle holders and gave it a coat of paint.  I used this for a plant stand on my patio!

Vintage Doll Cradle Given New Life

I found this old doll cradle at a yard sale for $10. I spray painted it with Rustoleum to endure the elements and added a piece of laminated glass for a topper to make a really cute side table for my porch!

Old Spool Coffee Table

This was a total freebie for me (well, almost)! A family member passed away and when the family was cleaning out their belongings, they were going to throw this old spool away. I took it and added a portion of some bannister rails I had found at a yard sale  couple of years before. I found the white  "feet" in a dump pile. They were dining table legs someone had thrown away.  I saved them and cut off the bottoms and attached to the spool to give it the desired height. Then I stained it in a dark stain and rubbed a coat of polyurethane on the whole thing.

Patio table given new life!

This was a fun Saturday morning project. I had a patio table that had that fake wicker trim around the edge. It had rotted over time and fell off. So I raided my son's marble jar, and glued them around the edge with some E6000 adhesive. I love quirky things, so this for perfectly into my decor!

A "New" Old Vanity

This is one of my favorite projects! I found an old dry sink at an auction for$20, and added a new vessel sink and faucet I found on ebay really cheap. I sanded the finish here and there and restained it, cut a little off the front board to accommodate the sink and I got a "new" vanity for a  small bath!

Child's Wardrobe

This took a little time, but wasn't too difficult. I found an old chest of drawers at an auction for $20 . I removed all but the bottom drawer, cut waferboard to put on the back and sides, attached a few pieces of scrap plank floor boards over the bottom drawer. I fastened a large dowel rod to use for hanging clothes and made a really cute wardrobe for my first grandchild!

Cheapskate DIY Bedroom Remodel!!

So, I don't know what your style is, but mine is C-H-E-A-P!! I just can't bear to pay what stores charge for the simplest things!  So I am always on the hunt for bargains, or junk that can be repurposed into something new.  I totally redid my bedroom for around $300.  That includes painting, and laying new glueless hardwood flooring.  We happened to be at an auction and they sold a lot of the snap-together glueless flooring - we got it for $130.00.  We laid it ourselves, of course.  A couple of gallons of paint and we were ready to decorate.  I purchased cheap flat sheets at Wal-mart for about $15, split them and sewed 1/2 to 1/2 of the other one and sewed ties along the top.  I found a gorgeous wooden curtain rod at Lowe's on clearance for $10. Everything else is pretty much yard sale finds.  I scored an old sewing cabinet, painted it ivory and stenciled the "Love is Kind' poem around the edge. Bought an old chair for $5 and a burlap sack for $3 to recover the seat.  Hanging on either side of the bed are a pair of yardsale shutters ($4) I split in half and attached a piece of wood to the bottom, hollowed out a hole for a tealight, and found a couple of old light fixture globes we had in the garage to make hanging candle holders.  The night stand on the other side of the bed was a yard sale find - $3 - painted it ivory.  The wall words, I purchased on ebay for about $13.00.  The hanging items and shelf were yardsale finds - painted them all ivory and filled one with some ivory roses I had laying around from craft project leftovers. I needed something to do with jewelry, so I found some old vintage jello molds and screwed them onto a scrap piece of barnwood.  Glued a few pearl strands and some lace and voila!