sewing table makeover!

Remember how I said I learned how you should use a REALLY BIG drop cloth with spray painting? Well, I learned that in the process of giving my sewing table a face lift.

 Before : cute, but scuffed up / dirty

 During...

After!

 It's a shade brighter, but I like it.  Also, my right arm is a shade stronger - after scrubbing our brick patio for an hour and a half with a wire brush to remove the yellow spray paint over-spray.  I can laugh about it now. 

end of PSA.  Thank you Krud Kutter!

wrench bench makeover

Raise your hand if you have a collection of furniture made entirely out of old tools welded together.  Oh, hmmm, just me and my siblings?  Bet you are jealous now!  Yes, the Druffel kids are proud owners of several pieces of tool art, created by Mike Druffel.  Now a wrench bench might not be the most comfortable thing to sit on for a long period of time, but this thing's not giving out anytime soon.  Though neither rain, sleet, nor hail can destroy a wrench bench, they will cause it to rust like nobody's business.  It was high time for a wrench bench makeover! 

 Super Blahh!

 My dad always included hearts in his tool art.  This heart needs love.

I started with some good ol' scouring with a wire brush, to get the rust, dirt, and flakes of old paint off.  Then I wiped the whole thing down as best I could.

I learned all about the beauty of a spray paint handle!  These things are like $4 and so amazing!  Would also suggest using a GIANT drop cloth (or three) instead of just one small sheet.  Learned that one the hard way, but that's a different story.

A couple coats of "Royal Red" and this thing is as good as new!  Tip: don't sit on a wrench bench in shorts on a really hot day!  Unless you want a tool shape branded on your....ahem.

I made sure to hit my name-tag as well.  Love this so much! 

 So then I started looking around at all the other items in my yard....

 When I get over my new fear of spray paint I'll tackle one of these. 

wingin' it

This latest project would be an example of how winging it works out sometimes!  Remember my new table (now almost a year old)? Well, I finally got some new chairs so we could stop using our ugly folding chairs!  The chairs came from Ikea - basic white numbers that needed some color.  I also picked up some plain seat cushions from Ikea. Here's how the rest went:

1. Find cute fabric at Joann's with which to cover the cushions.
2. Say quick prayer that fabric matches blue wall.
3. Think about how best to cover the cushions.  Let it roll around the brain for a few days.   Best thinking time: laying in bed before getting up in the morning, while sitting in traffic, you know - prime wheel-turning time.
4. Consider scouring Pinterest for cushion-cover tutorial.
5. Veto that idea.
6. Take some quick measurements (actually, do what Dad always taught me: Measure Twice, Cut Once)
7. Cut, sew, rip seams as necessary, re-sew, remain calm...
8. Repeat with cushion #2!

 (Don't you love this fabric?!)

So, to summarize, sometimes the best things happen when you don't plan too much.  As I learned from "The Happiness Project" - "Don't Let the Perfect be the Enemy of the Good."  Love that!

my new table

Jamie got me a new table for making a breakfast nook near our kitchen. I use it all the time! It is this one from Ikea.

I didn't have patience to shop around thrift stores for a cool table, but I think I can hang with my ugly folding chairs until I find some awesome thrift store chairs. Help please? Anyone? Sisters/Cousins/Aunties . . . this means you.

Something like these, perhaps? :)

extreme furniture makeover

I was so productive this weekend! It's not often that you start and finish a project in one day (for me, at least). On Saturday I started and finished 2 projects in one day! yep. I've been using two old items from Jamie's bachelor days: a filing cabinet and a shelf. Both have been fully functional but a little lacking in the...ahem...looks department. A little spray paint and some scrapbook paper helped to solve my problem.

Before (and trust me--they look a lot better in these pictures than in real life):

After:
After:

Are you getting how cute these shelves are?? (yes, I am bragging) If not, here are a few more pictures.

Yay me!

Project, Phase 3

So, you know the clearance rack at Lowe's? Yeah, the one with all the random crap? Turns out you can go there to get mistinted paint at sweet discounted prices! For example, I got this lovely gallon of latex for A DOLLAR. I give you phase 3 of my project:I have to say the shade looks better in real life. Promise. Phase 4 to come. This one might take awhile.

Project!

The weather in Seattle has been GORGEOUS. It was a beautiful day for some backyard painting projects!

I found this cute little wooden stool at Value Village.

Phase 1: Cleaning.

Phase 2: Priming.


Phase 3: Painting. To take place tomorrow...stay tuned!

And yes, I did say painting projectS - plural. Alli came over and we did Phases 1 and 2 with MANY little gems (you can see a corner of one such gem in the bottom left of the second picture). More to come about these, too!