A simple gift tutorial: magnetic chalkboard

I love giving handmade gifts for Christmas.  They are unique, customizable, and affordable - what's not to love?  A sweet magnetic chalkboard can make a great gift for anyone from a child to a busy mom to a young couple. 

Last week I shared a great magnetic chalkboard I made from an old silvery tray, but not everyone has the perfect metal tray sitting around waiting to be made into a chalkboard.  This version can be made with materials anyone can find at their local home improvement store.

Materials:

• Sheet metal - This can be found at Lowes or Home Depot.  It is generally in the plumbing section.  At my local Lowes, a 2 ft x 3 ft sheet is around $10.  One sheet can make one giant chalkboard or two medium sized ones.
• Frame - you can use a new frame or easily find one at a thrift store and refresh it with some paint
• Chalkboard spray paint
• Spray primer
• Tin snips - also available at home improvement stores for $4 or $5
• Marker
• You may also need a hammer and some small nails

Using a marker, trace the glass or cardboard from the frame onto the sheet metal.  (If your frame does not have glass or cardboard, you can trace the opening of the frame.  Just make sure when you cut it, to cut it slightly larger than your traced shape so that the metal will fit into the lip of the back of the frame.  If it is exactly the same size as the frame opening, it will fall right through the front of the frame when you try to attach it.)

Use tin snips to cut out the shape you traced.  These are fairly easy to use though it does take a bit more effort than cutting paper.

Warning - Be smarter than me and wear gloves while cutting sheet metal!  The cut side can be very sharp. I have cut myself more than once this way - please be smart and just wear gloves.  

I like to spray the metal with primer first to help the chalkboard paint adhere to the metal better.

After the primer dries, paint your metal with chalkboard paint using very thin coats.  The above picture was taken after the first coat of paint.  I usually use four very light coats of paint.

Follow the directions on your chalkboard paint - typically you have to wait twenty-four hours and then prepare the chalkboard paint for writing by rubbing chalk all over the surface and then wiping it off.

Attach the metal to the back of your frame.  I usually just use a hammer and some small tack nails to attach the metal to the frame.  Two or three nails in each side is plenty.

And you are left with a great gift - a magnetic chalkboard.  Both cute and practical. Give it to someone on your Christmas list or keep it for yourself.

Ok, this was my first real project tutorial so I have to wonder... how did I do?  Did everything make sense?  Was it mind-numbingly boring?  Too detailed or not detailed enough? And did I commit a huge faux pas by showing blood on my blog?  (I hope no one passed out or anything).

Over the next few weeks, I am planning to share more simple gift ideas and some great Christmas decor.  I will also be hosting my very first giveaway in celebration of my birthday next week so be sure to stop back by.

I am sharing this tutorial at Tatertots and Jello, Beyond the Picket Fence, Southern Lovely, The 36th Avenue, Crafty Scrappy Happy, the Shabby Creek Cottage, Tiaras and Bowties, Simple Home Life, Funky Junk Interiors, Tip Junkie, Home Stories A to Z, Domestically Speaking.

Pretty in Pink

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I had a great time with family, got to hang out with some good friends, and managed to finish tons of creative projects.  If only every week had a four day weekend! 

One of my favorite projects from the weekend is yet another little kid chair.  (As I shared before, I am a bit obsessed with tiny chairs and have quite the pile in my basement so you can expect to see plenty of mini chair redos around here).  This started out as a pretty basic little wooden chair - you can see it front and center in the picture below.


I have a total love affair with the color blue in all of its wonderful shades and that will probably never change. But over the past few months a new color has really been catching my eye. There is an amazing shade of raspberry/hot pink by Valspar called Couture. I have used it a few times now and I have decided it is the absolute perfect shade of pink. I have never been a huge pink fan, but I have decided that a tiny pop of pink can really make a room. 

So when it came time for another wee chair makeover, pink it was. I adore the color but thought it needed just a little something more so I painted on some dandelions.

I am taking this little beauty plus a ton of other new projects to my tiny shop tomorrow night.  It may not fit in a stocking, but I still think it would be a great gift for a sweet little girl (or her mom).

I also want to say thanks to a couple of great blogs for featuring my favorite little nook last week.  Thanks Crafty Scrappy Happy, Knick of Time, A Diamond in the Stuff, and Mod Vintage Life.  Each of these blogs is wonderful and well worth a visit.  (And I mean that 100% - if you haven't visited these blogs you are totally missing out).

I also want to say a big thanks to Tracy at Screaming Sardine for awarding me the Tell Me About Yourself Award  and Sarah at Renewed Upon a Dream for awarding me the Versatile Blogger Award.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I know there is more stuff I am supposed to do for these awards but it is a super busy time of year, so a big thanks will have to do. 

I'm sharing this redo over at Tip Junkie, Primitive and Proper, A Diamond in the Stuff, Today's Creative Blog, Primp, Southern Lovely, Beyond the Picket Fence, The 36th Avenue, Crafty Scrappy Happy, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Simple Home Life, Funky Junk Interiors, Tatertots and Jello, Serenity Now, Miss Mustard Seed. 

I am also entering this project over at One Month to Win It.

Thankful

1. Dark chocolate peppermint truffles from Lindt.  (Just a friendly reminder to Santa that I love to see these in my stocking).
2. My faithful old SUV - over 200,000 miles and counting.
3. An amazing husband who actually encourages the hoarding of good junk. 
4. Snow days!  (Fingers are crossed for a few perfectly timed days off from work this winter.  It's not only the kids who do snow dances!)
5. Thrift stores and yard sales.
6. A mom who taught me the value of old junk.
7. An awesome public library packed with any book I could possibly ever hope to read.
8. Bright red leaves against a deep blue sky.
9. A basement full of projects and supplies just waiting for a bit of time and inspiration.
10. This little blog and all of my readers. 

Wishing you all a Thanksgiving full of peace and contentment.

Sweet magnetic chalkboard

Only two days until Thanksgiving.  I love this time of year! 

My husband and I spent this past weekend near Knoxville, TN visiting family.  We had a great time seeing everyone and eating enough for an army.  I did manage to slip away on Saturday and do some shopping. I stumbled upon this awesome new store called the Turkey Creek Public Market.  If you are ever in the Knoxville area, you have got to check it out.  It was a HUGE indoor flea market type set-up.  There were booths full of antiques, jewlery, clothes, home decor.  There was a farmers market, a food court, and of course some really cheap, tacky junk.  There was even a Goodwill right there inside.  Paradise!  I was in kind of a hurry when I found the Public Market and I only had time to look through a small part, but someone could easily spend hours there.  I also hit up Hobby Lobby - why, oh why can't we have one of those here? 

I also stopped by a cute little store called Ironic where I picked up several colors of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint from the Back Porch Mercantile.  I cannot wait to break them open.  Though I must say I stood there for a long time debating which colors to buy.  If only I had endless money, I would have bought every color. 

Today I have a sweet chalkboard to share.  Very simple but I absolutely love it.  I started off with a vintage metal tray.  I am not sure what type of metal it is but I know it is not real silver.  (I know that because my tray is magnetic and silver is not).  I started off by taping off the edges.  This was actually the most time-intensive part of the project because of all the curves.  I just tore off little pieces of tape and followed the curves with them.  Then I spray-painted the tray with several light coats of chalkboard paint.  When it had dried for 24 hours, I removed the tape and 'primed' the chalkboard paint by rubbing a piece of chalk all over it.  And that's it - silvery tray turned magnetic chalkboard.  Love it! As you can see, I decked it out with some german glass glitter letter magnets a la Miss Mustard Seed.

So what do you think?  Anyone else played around with chalkboard paint lately?

Have a great week!

I am sharing this project at Primp, Domestically Speaking, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Southern Lovely, Shabby Creek Cottage, Beyond the Picket Fence.

Joy to the World

Yay - I love Christmas!  I used to get kind of annoyed that the Christmas hubbub was starting earlier and earlier every year but I've decided that really isn't such a bad thing.  I can't wait to start playing Christmas music and pulling out all my decorations.  I do generally manage to restrain myself from decorating until after Thanksgiving.  (Okay I wait until Thanksgiving night but that is long enough.)

These ornaments were one of my first Christmas projects this year.  I started out with a pile of these decorative 'globes'.  I was lucky enough to find a big bag of them at the Goodwill this summer.  Someone else had apparently intended to make somthing with them because they were already sprinkled with glitter. 



These are pretty simple really.  I made little tags from sheet music and scrapbook paper.  The sheet music scrap is actually from the song "Joy to the World."  I wrote Joy or Peace on each tag and then fashioned a hanger with twine.  Simple and beautiful. 

I can't wait to share more Christmas projects over the next few weeks. 

These "Joy to the World" and "Peace on Earth" ornaments are for sale at my booth.  I decked my little booth out for Christmas just last week and I uploaded current pictures of my booth under my shop tab.  I am hoping to keep the pictures updated so you can get an idea of what is currently available.  I also posted pictures of furniture pieces that are available along with their prices. 

So what do you think about Christmas in November?  Annoying or extra awesome?

I am sharing these little ornaments at Funky Junk Interiors, A Diamond in the Stuff, Tip Junkie, Today's Creative Blog, Primp, Crafty Scrappy Happy, Southern Lovely, The Shabby Creek Cottage.

Learn from my mistakes

On Monday I shared one of my favorite little spots in my home.  One of the main features of this spot is a cute little white buffet - one of my first major furniture paint jobs.  What I didn't share Monday is this buffet has a dirty little secret.

The buffet started out this nasty pea green.  I orignially painted the buffet aqua but I was never happy with the finish so I repainted it white and distressed it a bit to let the aqua show through.

From a distance it looks awesome, but up close...not so much.  Here is a close up of the top.

No, your monitor is not dirty, those are all scuff marks.

Confession: Back when I painted this buffet, I had no idea what I was doing.  And I made a colossal beginner's mistake - no top coat.  I sanded.  I primed.  I painted.  I didn't like.  I repainted.  I distressed.  And then I called it finished.  No wax.  No poly.  No nothing.  The finish was a bit dull but I was okay with that.  But now, a year and a half later - the top is literally covered with scuffs and scratches.  And if I set something on it for too long, it sticks when I try to lift it.  Not good.  I really think that is a lot of the reason I did not like the original aqua finish - it was dull and gritty looking.

I had painted tons of walls and figured since they didn't need a topcoat, it must be optional.  Luckily, I have learned a lot since then.  And now I am passing that wisdom on to any other beginners out there -

A top coat is NOT optional on furniture!!  And it is extra, extra important on any type of table top.

This buffet will be on my To (re)Do list as soon as I have some free time.  Anyone else out there make this mistake when you first started out?  Any other colossal beginner mistakes?

A favorite nook

I thought I would share a favorite little nook in our family room today. This is where my vintage camera collection is currently residing, though I'm sure that will change when I start decorating for Christmas.  I painted the white buffet a few years ago - it was my first major furniture-painting project.  It came from the Habitat Restore in a matching set with a china cabinet, a table, and four chairs - all painted this hideous shade of green.

I also hand-painted the sign a couple of years ago.  I salvaged the huge piece of wood from the side of a dog pen the previous owners left in our yard.  I painted it black and then hand-painted some of my favorite old sayings.  The sign is around seven feet long so this was a looonnnggg project. But I love it - and it is definitely a conversation piece. 

And that brings us to my camera collection.  These cameras have been collected from yard sales, thrift stores, even a couple antique stores.  I love the unique look of each camera, but I also love to think about all the happy moments each camera probably captured - vacations, birthdays, weddings, new babies.  Plus they just look so darn cool.

I threw in a little hidden message too.

I actually use the camera peeking through on the right side of the picture above to take my through-the-viewfinder pictures - it is a Kodak Duaflex IV.  I shared more about that awesome method of taking pictures using vintage cameras here if you missed it.  The pictures turn out so beautifully and you don't really need special photography skills to try it. 

I think this little nook sums up my decorating style pretty well - it is full of unloved stuff transformed with a little paint and some patience.  Though I will say this is the only spot in my house without any real color - I'm not a monochromatic, all neutrals kind of girl.

The one thing I really go back and forth about is how to best display my camera collection.  Sometimes I like collections displayed all together for a bigger impact.  Other times, I prefer them scattered around so that each item is able to stand out more.  What do you think - are collections better in one big mass or spread out more?  My husband has a collection of around 50 nutcrackers and this whole display question stumps me every Christmas when I get ready to put them out so I would love some input!

Have a great week!

I am sharing this post at Knick of Time, Mod Vintage Life, A Diamond in the Stuff, Primp, Southern Lovely, The 36th Avenue, Crafty Scrappy Happy, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Simple Home Life.

The Cheapskate versus the Chalk Paint

So most of us know all about the awesomeness that is Annie Sloan Chalk Paint by now.  I have been admiring chalk paint furniture transformations for awhile - there is no question, it produces really beautiful painted furniture.  The problem for me all along has been the cost.  At around $35 a quart plus shipping, it is very difficult for a frugal lady (cheapskate) like me to see the value no matter how beautiful the results. 

Last week I was reading the post Chalk Paint Cost and Why I Use It at Perfectly Imperfect and I was inspired to reconsider chalk paint's value.  I decided to do a little test.  Several months ago, I ordered some 4 ounce samples of a few colors of chalk paint from Shades of Amber.  I had used most of the paint on picture frames and other small doodads but I still had half the sample of my beloved Antibes Green.  I had been afraid to use my little samples on furniture pieces since they were so small.  But after reading Shaunna's post, I was feeling fiesty. 

Aside from beauty, there are three main reasons people seem to love chalk paint so much:

1. It can be painted straight onto pretty much any finish without sanding or priming.
2. It provides really great coverage.
3. It is much faster to paint using chalk paint than latex paint.

All very practical points that I wanted to really put to the test.

So I pulled a little end table from my hoard of unfinished furniture.  This is a pretty small table - only about knee high.  But I also had a very small amount of paint left - around 2 ounces.  (That would be equivalent to 1/4 of a paint sample from Lowes or Home Depot).  Also, the table had an extremely shiny black finish - typically this would require sanding (or at minimum deglossing) and serious primer.  Instead, I just started slapping on the chalk paint. 



before: glossy black



I really had no expectations but this is what I found:

1. It can be painted straight onto pretty much any finish without sanding or priming. - Even with this super glossy finish, there were zero problems with the chalk paint adhering.  Because the original color was so dark, I did have to do three coats of the chalk paint though. 
2. It provides really great coverage. - Even though I had to do three coats, my tiny little 2 ounces of paint still managed to get the job done.  (It did use every drop though.)
3. It is much faster to paint using chalk paint than latex paint. - This was also true.  Aside from all the time saved by not sanding and priming, the actual painting was faster.  I really didn't have to be careful about how I brushed on the paint because it dried to a smooth finish anyway.  And I also only had to wait a few minutes between coats. 

The back table has the exact same glossy finish this table had before painting. 

I have always thought chalk paint to be very beautiful, but did not think it was practical.  Now I am thinking that I may have been a bit hasty.  Yes, it is more expensive but it saves the cost of primer and sandpaper, lots of time, and goes pretty far.  And it is just so beautiful.  Pictures online really can't do justice to the soft glow of pieces painted with chalk paint.  I may just end up a convert yet.

Anyone else out there overcome their innate cheapness to become a Chalk Paint devotee?

I am sharing this post at Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, Primitive and Proper, Simple Home Life, Miss Mustard Seed, Serenity Now, Tatertots and Jello, Designer Garden, Home Stories A to Z, Domestically Speaking.

Slow and steady

So, I have mentioned several times that I am painting our plywood subfloors.  There haven't been any updates on that for awhile because it is very slow going.  We want to eventually do most of our house, but are starting off with our living room and dining room which are connected.  Those were the first rooms chosen because that is where the carpet was in the worst shape.

We have ripped out the carpet, prepped the wood, primed, and painted. So a normal person would be pretty much done at this point.  (Although, would a 'normal' person be painting their floor to begin with?  Probably not).  I, of course, am not done.  I can't be content to just have painted floors - I have to have awesome, one-of-a-kind painted floors.  I have some great ideas but it is taking awhile to make a final decision. 

Plus, I have decided that since the room is completely torn apart anyway, this is a great time to totally redo things in there.  So with the holiday rush coming up, there is a good chance there will not a be a floor reveal for quite some time.  I do not want to go crazy trying to redecorate plus keep my booth stocked during the holidays.  Just know the floors are coming along, as is the rest of the room.  And I will be definitely be sharing everything as soon as it is done.

In other news, I wanted to give a shout out to some great blogs that have featured my projects lately. 

My yellow nightstand was featured on Simple Home Life and Mod Vintage Life.  And The 36th Avenue featured my little aqua table.  I love the stickers she gives her features.  Here is mine:

Have a great week!

Thrifty finds: junk in the trunk

I didn't get to go to a single yard sale or estate sale this weekend, but I still have a couple great finds to show you.  I have to apologize in advance for the terrible picture quality.  I left my camera at work so I took these using my hubby's Ipod.  I am not i-savvy, so these pictures are sorely lacking.  Hopefully, you can still see the potential.

I found this old record cabinet at the Goodwill.

It is in pretty rough shape now, but I see lots of potential.

It is hard to tell, but the inside has really cool vintage number labels under the slots. 

And even better, my mother in law brought me this awesome old trunk.  She saved it from being thrown away and I am so glad she did.

I love old trunks (this is my third - you can see the first here and the second here).  This one even has all the insides intact - down to the straps used to tie down clothes.

The big question now is what exactly to do with them.  Any thoughts on how to use the trunk?  Even though this is our third, my husband really wants to keep all three.  (Hoarders, here we come).  And for the record cabinet - do I preserve the little record slots or remove them to give it a more updated purpose?

I am sharing these finds over at Junker Newbie.

Thanks for stopping by,