20 Below Thursday #73

PLEASE check out this post for all of the ways you can follow my blog! :)

How’s your week going?!  Mine’s OK – we still have a month of school left and the kids are acting like it’s the last WEEK of school!  Yikes!  Please pray that we all make it through! :)

In other news – I got bangs today!! :)  So exciting!  I shared a picture on my FB page…it’s also on my Instagram! (username: christinasadventures)

I can’t wait for you to WOW me with your creativity! :) I’m excited to see what amazing projects are linked up this week!

(The button can be taken on the right sidebar)

Here’s the rules:

  • You must have the button or a text link on your blog, either in your sidebar, or in your actual post
  • Post to your craft directly, not simply your main blog page.
  • DO NOT advertise your Etsy shop or give-away through this linky party.
  • Link up as many projects as you would like! Just make sure they are something that YOU have made yourself.
  • The total cost for your project must be under $20.
  • No repeats please! Try to keep the links fresh and new…no one likes to see the same project every week!
  • Please visit at least one other craft and leave a kind comment. We all love comments!

I will spotlight my favorite projects on Sunday!

By the way, while you’re here, come check out my Etsy shopeverything is under $20!



Posted in 20 Below Thursday | 1 Comment

Sunday Features #71 & #72

First of all – HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!  I am not yet a mother, but I am incredibly thankful for my mother, my mother-in-law, grandmothers, etc.  I hope all of YOU hugged a mother today! Smile

I have a TON of awesome projects for you to admire because it’s TWO weeks of thrifty projects combined!

I am way over-due with my spring wreath – and I am so in love with this one from Too Much Time on my Hands:

 

How unique is this fish net candle from Made in a Day?  It would be perfect to add a nautical feel to any room!

 

You all know I love making over thrift store finds – especially lamps – and Brown Girl Decorating shared an awesome tutorial for how to recover those thrift store lampshades:

 

I seriously love the youthful feel of this alphabet table from Here’s to Handy Andy – it’s a perfect addition to a kids room!

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Did you know that you can make your OWN wire baskets with some chicken wire?!  Stone and Rose showed off how she styled hers with drop cloth liners too – I’m so doing this!

 

2 Crafty 4 My Skirt showed off her beautiful table that was *free* – it’s made all out of pallet wood and wood “scraps”!

 

I love this make-your-own fabric bowl from Thrifty Crafty Girl – so creative!  It’s even reversible! Smile

 

I really love the ombre paint AND the nail/string art from Delicate Construction!  She shares a great tutorial so you can make your own:

 

Finally, this bright pallet planter from Craptastic is the perfect summertime addition to Katie’s garden!

 

SUCH great projects, ladies!  I’ll be pinning these to my “features” board!

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Refinished Wine Rack with DIY distressed wood top

I am *so* excited that I was finally able to do another furniture make-over!  I feel like it’s been SO long, and I miss it way too much!  While we’re able to save a lot of money (awesome!)  by living with my parents, we’re also very tight on space, and I just can’t take up precious space with unfinished thrifty finds.  But there was this “dead space” between our bathroom door & our kitchen’s open doorway, and I’ve been searching for MONTHS for something that could fill the space.  I needed something that wasn’t too deep (it would jut out too much) and something that was less than 2 feet wide, so it could fir the space between doorways.  After much searching, I found a wine rack at ReStore.  It is solid and was in pretty good condition – but it was missing a top (kind of important) and I wasn’t digging the veneer.

Here’s how it turned out:

before and after

 

Here were the two major problems:

problems

Thankfully the uneven base didn’t make it less sturdy – it just made it weird.  I think this might have originally been part of a kitchen cabinet set, and it was just ripped apart and sold in pieces at ReStore.  This piece was priced at $30, and then I got 20% off so I paid $24 for it.

I started attacking the piece by figuring out what I was going to do with the top.  I got so excited when I read this post and I knew this was exactly what I wanted to do!  So I got some wood from Lowes and had them make the appropriate cuts.  While I was getting the wood for the top, I decided to get pieces for the bottom as well (to cover up that bizarre uneven bottom).

Then I followed the tutorial I found online, which uses tea bags, vinegar, and steel wool…to age the wood.  The lumber was not expensive ($6.50 total), so I figured if it didn’t work, I wouldn’t be too upset.  BUT I wasn’t upset at ALL, because it totally worked, and I am in love with the results!!

wood

Once I had aged the wood, I had to decide on a paint color.  I like the look of a dark top contrasted with a lighter piece, so I decided to use some “oops” paint I got from Lowes a few months ago, but had never used.  Of course I primed it first (spray primer for inside edges & wine rack, brushed primer for the flat surfaces).

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The next part nearly killed me.  If you look closely, you can see that I needed to get through THREE layers so I could reach the back piece behind those wine rack “grids”.  I did this all by hand, and my arm was covered in paint, and it felt like it was ready to fall off of my arm.  I am SO glad that part of this project is over!

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Once I painted the wine rack part, the rest was easy!  I gave it 2-3 coats in certain spots, let it dry, and then rubbed over some edges with sandpaper to scuff it up a little bit.

Once the paint was dry, I pulled out the wood I had aged.  I used liquid nails to secure the boards to the top of my piece (you can view the “fun” I had with my caulk gun in my Instagram picture Winking smile )  Since I wanted the look of old barn wood, but I didn’t really need nails to secure the wood to the top of this piece, I opted for wood tacks (super cheap at Lowes).  It must have taken me less than a minute to tack them into the wood – it was so quick and simple!  I didn’t care if they were in straight…I actually didn’t want them to look close to perfect, so I just did it quick, and called it a day!

I didn’t take pictures of this process, but I did also use liquid nails again to secure aged wood to the bottom of this piece – it actually “floats” above the ground slightly, so it does nothing to support the piece, but it just helps to hide that weird uneven base.

I was finally finished, and could sit back and admire everything that came together!

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I have really poor lighting in my house – so it makes for poor pictures Sad smile  BUT I wanted to show you how I am going to “style” it for right now…

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YES – I know I need to get some more wine bottles (like I needed an excuse?! Winking smile )

I got the basket at Michaels ($12, but then I used a 40% off coupon).

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The bottle & vase were thrifted a few years ago, and the flower votive holder was on clearance at Michaels.

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This wood top is by FAR my favorite part of this project:

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I’m so happy this project fills the space, and is functional at the same time.  I imagine we’ll be using this as a “drop-off” area for purses, etc. since it’s near our door too!


Linking up to:

Shabby Nest, Remodelaholic, Under the Table and Dreaming, Today’s Creative Blog, Finding Fabulous, The DIY Show-Off, Tatertots and Jello,  Shabby Chic Cottage, Stories of A-Z, House of HepworthsCRAFTHouse of Grace, Domestically Speaking, Creations by Kara, Lolly Jane, Somewhat SimpleYoung and Crafty, A Glimpse Inside, Someday CraftsMy Girlish Whims, The 36th Avenue, Serenity Now, My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Not JUST a Housewife, Whipperberry

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Posted in furniture, paint, wine, wood | 9 Comments

20 Below Thursday #72

PLEASE check out this post for all of the ways you can follow my blog! :)

So I’m sorry I didn’t get last week’s features up on Sunday – it’s NOT for lack of awesome projects! I just have SO much going on right now – I should be able to tell you all about it within the next few months :)  I’ll do DOUBLE features next Sunday! :)

In other news – I’m totally loving Instagram – and I decided to join up with the #PhotoADayMay – my username is christinasadventures if you’re interested – I’d LOVE to follow you as well!! :)

I can’t wait for you to WOW me with your creativity! :) I’m excited to see what amazing projects are linked up this week!

(The button can be taken on the right sidebar)

Here’s the rules:

  • You must have the button or a text link on your blog, either in your sidebar, or in your actual post
  • Post to your craft directly, not simply your main blog page.
  • DO NOT advertise your Etsy shop or give-away through this linky party.
  • Link up as many projects as you would like! Just make sure they are something that YOU have made yourself.
  • The total cost for your project must be under $20.
  • No repeats please! Try to keep the links fresh and new…no one likes to see the same project every week!
  • Please visit at least one other craft and leave a kind comment. We all love comments!

I will spotlight my favorite projects on Sunday!

By the way, while you’re here, come check out my Etsy shopeverything is under $20!



Posted in 20 Below Thursday | 2 Comments

20 Below Thursday #71

PLEASE check out this post for all of the ways you can follow my blog! :)

Thanks for all of your help with the shin splint questions last week – they’re still very much a part of my life but I’m TRYING to learn how to increase my workouts gradually (this is not fun!) and using lots and lots of ICE and stretches!

In other news – I’m totally loving Instagram – and I decided to join up with the #PhotoADayMay – my username is christinasadventures if you’re interested – I’d LOVE to follow you as well!! :)

I can’t wait for you to WOW me with your creativity! :) I’m excited to see what amazing projects are linked up this week!

(The button can be taken on the right sidebar)

Here’s the rules:

  • You must have the button or a text link on your blog, either in your sidebar, or in your actual post
  • Post to your craft directly, not simply your main blog page.
  • DO NOT advertise your Etsy shop or give-away through this linky party.
  • Link up as many projects as you would like! Just make sure they are something that YOU have made yourself.
  • The total cost for your project must be under $20.
  • No repeats please! Try to keep the links fresh and new…no one likes to see the same project every week!
  • Please visit at least one other craft and leave a kind comment. We all love comments!

I will spotlight my favorite projects on Sunday!

By the way, while you’re here, come check out my Etsy shopeverything is under $20!

 


Posted in 20 Below Thursday | 2 Comments