Showing posts with label crown moulding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crown moulding. Show all posts

Monday, February 22, 2010

I bought a what?

Yes, I did pick myself up a gun cabinet at the thrift store a few weeks ago.
Why?
Because I have seen one redone and I thought it was really cool.
This thing was really, really dirty.
I had to first hammer out the gun shelf and then place thin wood over the bottom where the guns fit.
It's really a well made cabinet.  I felt bad about painting over wood, especially when my primer fizzled and splattered all over, ruining the future paint finish.
I gave it some crown moulding, it always makes everything look a little fancier.
 Plus, I'm getting pretty good at cutting it.
I also added three shelves, because I want it to be a bookcase to go in the office.  
I thought I was going to use my mistint that I found for two dollars, but it was a  too dark.  I ended up choosing one of Martha's gray colors. There's quite a bit of gray in my home, so I think the cabinet will fit in nicely. 
I do need to tell you about these incredible rollers they are selling now.  I believe they are called smooth surface rollers.  They don't leave bubbles and the edge is foam so it can roll right into those tight spots.  Maybe I'm the last to know about these, but I really like them.   
Next I distressed and glazed with black.  I had to cover my crummy prime job and this seemed to do the trick. 
The cabinet came with doors and my first instinct was the get rid of them.  Then my mom told me to save them to keep the dust out.  
Here it is decorated with a few things. 
  
 


The glass doors were not very pretty, so I picked up some frost paint at Home Depot and attempted to make square patterns. I wanted to frost the doors because this cabinet is in the office and I have a ton of not so cute books I would like to hide.

I used extra contact paper, because I didn't have any tape with the right width on hand.  I first made a grid with dry erase marker so I could align the squares evenly. 
Here's the glass all sprayed.  This stuff is really tricky.  I wasn't very careful and it dripped and left dots, then when I went to pull the paper off, some of the paint pulled up.  Luckily it scrapes off really easy with a sharp blade.  I did spray on the inside, so little hands aren't tempted to scratch away! :)

I don't know if I really like it that much, but I can always remove them....or the paint. 

This cabinet fits nicely in the office. My decorating skills need some improvement.....I'm better at making things than decorating them....:) Do you think I should keep the glass doors? 
 


****My mom gave me her opinion on the finished cabinet.  She thinks the square pattern in the frosted glass fights with the square pattern in the wood of the cabinet.  I think I agree.  If I keep the glass I think I will frost the entire thing. From what I can tell from the comments so far, the opinions are mixed.  I do have to say overall- it does look much better than when it started, glass or no glass !


Linking to






Funky Junk's Saturday Nite Special

Furniture Feature Fridays
The DIY Show Off

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Remember Me???

How could I forget?
I've been trying to get up the courage to hang this baby up
and I finally did it.
It wasn't the task in itself that scared me....
it was the weight,
the crashing images that raced through my head and having to undo all the computer cords and figure out how to put them all back together as I rearranged my little office space.
I went and bought all the little hooks, super wire, and screws that would be the perfect recipe for success.
I marked some marks, found the studs and used my beloved level to get it straight.

I ended up using a 2 x 4 I trimmed down to fit in the back to hang it on which I screwed into the studs and also add more stability as I screwed in from both sides.

I predrilled the holes and still ended up with these.....nothing a little spackel can't handle!

I put a few things on it to display until I figure out what I want on there.
But for now.....it's perfect and I'm feeling a little proud.....
And yes....my Big Stud helped me!

If you've been wondering why we Crafty Sisters have been MIA this week....
read the funny bit about Candace's carpet cleaning experience.
Even funnier is how scared she was to deal with the carpet man coming back so her hubby recommended she call her tough big sister to deal with him.  Is that a compliment?  I'm still laughing about it.:)
One of her kids officially broke her first window.....
I got my Easter Letters all done that I'm teaching a class on for next month.  Phewww.
So this week get ready for Candace's big reveal, some more fun Easter Decor and who knows what else we'll get an itch to do!
Happy Sunday!


Friday, February 5, 2010

The WA LAH Magnetic Board!

For 2 years I've had a piece of sheet metal sitting in my garage.
I've had great plans for it but never had the time to do anything until now.
Not that I really had the time and I made the big mistake of trying to construct this baby
while my hubby had a few days off of work.
That was mistake number one. 
You'd think I'd learn my lesson every time I ask him to go into Walmart with me.  Within seconds of entering his feet hurt and I can't hurry fast enough to get out.
Same thing with asking for construction help...which always ends with me throwing my hands in the air and banishing him from the garage with threats of "I'll just get my sister to help me."
You see there's a reason we "crafty sisters" stick together....
and all of our projects are limited to Monday thru Friday 9am-5pm.
So here's my baby...I mean the finished project:
Ain't she cute????
Can you see Candace and I reflecting in the metal?
WA LAH is how I presented it for my sis's approval....(that's how my little girl says Voila and it just sticks in my head, I guess that's what happens to moms huh?:))
I've been wanting a magnetic board of sorts/catch all for a long time
and I've had this idea floating in my head.
I didn't want something everyone else had.
I wanted a little stash place for pencils/staplers and the other junk I can't live without.
And hey, I had to use that big piece of crown molding.  I quickly found out why it was in the trash...it was slightly bowed.  But I won't tell if you don't!


1.  I made my plan-drew it out on paper.
2. I gathered my supplies and laid them out to see if this really would jive.
3.  I started with a new product Elmer's Wood Glue Gel~~it was sweet, didn't run and was so easy to clean up!
4.  Nail away baby!
5.  I actually cut the crown molding myself after watching Tom Silva from This Old House's great instructional video HERE.
6.  I wood fillered it all in.
7.  Primed and Painted~~not all spray paints are created equal! I can honestly say Rustoleum is the bomb!
8.  Another great tip my Mom gave after she spied the fix it guy at her house, when using yicky particle board (which I did for the top shelf) smear a little bit of wall spackle over it to fill in the little pits and it results in a smoother finish and is easier to paint!  It worked!
9.  I nailed the sheet metal on with upholstery nails.  I didn't want it permanently stuck on just in case I change my mind or I drop the whole thing trying to hang it up....
10. WA LAH!  (Yup, Walah!) I love it!
The beauty of this project is that it cost me practically nothing.
I had the sheet metal cut (2 years ago) from a local metal fabricator $30 it is 2' x 4'
Crap wood from my garage stash I dumpster dived for $0
Spray paint & Primer $7
Smile on my face PRICELESS!
Now I just got to figure out how to hang it up.....Honey can you help me?????





 





Funky Junk's Saturday Nite Special

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Before and After....The 10 Dollar Mirror


I found this cheapo mirror for ten dollars at the thrift store the other day.  I believe it goes on the back of a dresser?
I had an idea floating in my head, but it involved crown moulding.  I was terrified because I really had no idea how to cut crown moulding.  A few months back I googled a how-to and found an instructional video from This Old House that explained it so simply. I love PBS!  I am a "life-long learner!"
I chopped off the attatching legs for the dresser, and then I almost ruined it!  I stepped on it, and I heard the wood crack.  My mom always told me I was as graceful as a bull in a China shop.  I seem to have a clumsy issue. Really, my mom does tell me lovely things about myself too! :)
Anyway...I had to back the entire thing with 1x2's.  This actually made it look better by giving it a little more depth. So, it's a good thing I'm clumsy!
This is the scary part.  Look at the angle of the saw.  I believe you set the bottom at 34 1/2 and the top at 31 1/2?  I'll double check that later. You first cut one side for the side piece, then flip it over and cut again. It made a perfectly mitered piece.  The tricky part was figuring how to cut the other side and not ruin five dollars worth of crown moulding.
Look at that!  I like the mirror, but this was worth it learning how to do this!

I found this little scroll work piece and thought it might look nice on it.  It's unbelievable all the stuff I have stashed in my house.  My sister and I use to take our kids to the same preschool for two years and we would hit the craft and hardware stores intending to make stuff.  All of it is coming in handy now that I'm doing projects left and right.  The point is...I'm using it!

I glued and nailed on the moulding. I also attatched some extra small moulding on the inner rectangle.
Next came primer and paint.
I liked it in white and thought I might keep it that way, but it blended into the trim of my house. 

 So, I tried the ORB that everyone has talked about.
Why
am I the last one to know how great it is? 
I'm usually a couple years behind on everything...TV shows, movies....
 The spray was so even, and there's a slight flicker of copper in it. 


I highlighted with some acrylic copper paint to make the lines pop.

The pictures don't do it justice.  I had a hard time catching the light.

Not bad.  Now...I need a bench to go underneath. 
 Anyone have any ideas? :)



Linking to
Domestically Speaking's Power of Paint Party
A  Soft Place to Land's DIY Day
Between Naps on the Porch, Metamorphosis Monday
Funky Junk's Saturday Nite Special
Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday 

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