Pink Dresser Redo

Almost 2 1/2 years ago I stumbled upon

this little dresser at a local thrift store.

It was pretty sad looking and the drawers were a bit messed up.

After bargaining with the sales guy~something I'm proudly

getting better at~yup, I'm one of those gals

that if you look even slightly intimidating I'll just hand my cash over

and run away, I got it for $6.

So it has set in my garage and been chewed on by the squirrels

until I had any time to rescue it.

The exciting thing was that it's solid wood, no particle board crap here.

I gave it a good sand over and had to repair some corners.

Wood putty is amazing stuff~you can literally reshape missing corners.

Candace and I reshaped a whole table edge using the stuff eons ago

and you would have never guessed it at all.

So be brave and get some!:)

It did take almost 3 cans of spray paint to give it a luscious finish

and I was sure happy with the color.

I used spray paint because I knew it would stick.  

I didn't want to worry that I didn't get all the varnish off

so acrylic paint would stick.

Plus it's just easier!

My daughter and I have been working on redoing her room.

Gone is the Pepto-Bismol pink I agreed to when we moved in.

I know, I know, who listens to a 3 year old=2 thumbs pointing at me!

We have a warm butter yellow and now the pink is just a nice addition of pop.

 I picked the cute knobs up at Hobby Lobby for just over $7

and fixed the inner sliding hardware for $6.

 The knobs couldn't be more perfect!

So for right around $25

my daughter has a new dresser nightstand!

Now to find the perfect lamp......

Flash Back Friday!!!

Sometimes we get a little over zealous with our projects and

our excitement to share them with you all.

So here we are this week with a couple of projects not completely finished.....

but we hope you'll peek back this weekend for the glimpse at what we've been up to.

I'm afraid the only "creating" that was picture worthy were

the Extreme Elephant "mud pies" made by my daughter for the dung beetles to come devour.

Yes, we watch a little too much of the Discovery Channel in our home....

Plus yesterday we went shopping together and check out my score!!!

We love going to import home decor stores and getting inspired!

Especially by the price!  Lookey lookey!

Ahhhhhhhhh.  I don't know which I love more, the stuff I got or the price!

Do you have a favorite home decor store where you live?

Do tell!

SO

Today we are having Flashback Friday for one of our earlier projects!

Candace was the pioneer in learning how to upholster things in our crafty partnership.

On one of her visits she quickly got me addicted!

All I could do was scour, and I mean scour

the thrift stores for a wing back chair to tackle!

This one had been loved by a sharp clawed kitty but the bones where good!

I had some discount fabric my hubby picked out for pillows he wanted me to make.

Before

I carefully took it apart, removed the not so pleasant smelling spots, scrubbed the filthy thing as best I could.....labeled with a marker and meticulously documented with my camera

so I could actually put it back together.

After

When I was done I was almost as pleased as giving birth.:)  I said Almost.....

When we moved here I had to downsize quite a bit and my good friend bought it from me.

I must admit when I visit her family blog, I get goosebumps seeing it being loved in her home!

Thanks Linnea!

Large Magnetic Board

 

 My kids have had spring break this week, so projects have been kept to a minimum.  It has been pouring and even snowing at times, a bad week for spring break!  We did manage to get out and have a little fun.

  On the really rainy days, the kids played on the Wii and I started sorting my scary piles of junk, which led me to organizing the desk area ~ and making an excuse ~ to make something for it. :)

This project is fairly easy, thanks to Home Depot!  I had all my major cuts done there

 and

 reused the metal from the old magnetic board. After that- it's painting and gluing only!

Believe me, this space NEVER looks this clean...only for pictures.  I showed Nicole and she was shocked.  I don't think she's ever seen it that clean!  The magnetic board is rarely visible with the usual tall towers of papers in front of it!

 

**BEFORE**

This is the old magnetic board.  A little outdated.  I wanted a larger, neutral board. 

 We made a similar magnetic board months ago

and I thought I could enlarge it to fit my space.  

I hung magnetic bulldog clips on nails, so I can use them on the side or on the actual magnetic board. I stuck extra magnets on the clips.  I think it kind of looks like a knob.

 

I painted the outside board with chalkboard paint.  Maybe now I will remember all of those appointments!   In the last month, we missed three dentist and one doctor appointment!  I write it down and forget where I put it! 

 Here's how I made it.  If you want to see how we made the smaller version, go here!

I used a thin sheet of MDF on the back, beadboard for the middle and topped it with the metal sheet.

I used E-6000 glue.  Do you have any recommendations of GLUE, for metal to wood?

After I finished the board, it looked so plain,  So, I made some magnets.

I made the Graphics Fairy's pretty butterflies. 

 I attatched a magnet on the back.  These were fun! Her site is full of so many great projects!

 

That's it!  I think it looks much better! 

Now, if I can only keep it looking like this! :)

Thrifty Decor Chick's Before & After Party

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

Thrifty Decor Chick's Before & After Party

Trash to Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented

 DIY Day at A Soft Place To Land

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch