Project: Map Cubes

Here is a peek at some custom art that we created for a room. We purchased these 8x8 artist panel cubes at the craft store.

Along with some metallic tissue, modge podge paste and foam brushes.

I googled some maps of Africa and printed them out on regular printer paper. I placed the artists cubes face down on the tissue, traced the square outline and then cut the tissue to that form. I painted a layer of modge podge on to the cube and very carefully placed the square of tissue on top, adjusting the alignment until it fit and then added another layer of modge podge. Let that dry while I cut the continent of Africa out the maps, covered the back of the cut out with the glue mixture, centered them onto the cube and then finished it off with another layer of paste.

It only took about 15-20 minutes for each layer of paste to dry and then I would paint on another to secure the map and create a sort of shellac. Modge Podge is available in two varieties, shiny and matte, we went with matte for this project. I think the shiny would have amplified all the little creases. To finish them out I painted to sides are charcoal grey, in hindsight I would have painted the sides first and then modged.

Forgot to take the final-final photo of all of them lined up but here are two finished cubes.

Project: No Sew Table Cover

I have a little side table like this that is meant to be versatile with the change of a table cloth. I couldn't find any table cloths that I liked and apparently it is ok to charge like $30 for pure polyester and that wasn't going to cut it.

Enter zebra print fabric.

First step: cut a piece for the top.

Second Step: Used the staple gun to secure the fabric to the top by pulling the fabric tight around the edges and stapling my way around the circle.

Step Three: Measure and cut panels for the side- this is where the no sewing comes in. I ironed the sides to create crisp panels and then affixed one side of adhesive velcro to the top.

Step Four: I affixed the other piece of velcro to the table top along the edge. Then I took the panel and watched the magic of velcro first hand.

Step Five: Check it out! The panels were coming along nicely but there were some small gaps between the fabric due to "on the fly" measuring but, aha! because it is velcro I was able to move the panels around until they lined up perfectly.

Step Six: You can barely see the velcro but that is ok because the awesome pink pom-pom trim will cover that up. A little tug here and an adjustment there and then it was secured with some thumb tacks I just had around the house. I want to do a nailhead trim but they were out and you know what these don't look too bad for now.

Et voila, fini! It's a little Pottery Barn Teen with the zebra and the pink pom pom but you know what that can be swapped out. As with any project it requires tweaking and now I can go back to the trim section to check out what they have.

Not bad for not having picked up a needle and thread or hot glue gun, huh?

Project: TV Stand Make-over

This little three drawer dresser used to be the night stand in the room that my sister and I would stay in at our grandparents house. I inherited it and put it to work as the tv stand in my living room. The finish was unfortunate. It is this off-white/yellowish color dating from the 50's or 60's and it was blending in with my butter yellow walls,

that I want to paint blue remember?

After determining it wasn't an antique of major value and that I wouldn't be painting over walnut or zebra wood I started to prep it for a paint job. These sanding sponges are the best, so easy to use and they did the perfect job of roughing up the surface.

Picked out my paint color and primer and purchased several cans for the project. It's the worst when you run out half way through the job and end up making 3 trips to the store for the same thing. Buy more than you think, it's cheap ($3 a can) and you can always make one trip back to return the unused paint.

While the paint was drying I started to work on the hardware. The drawer pulls are these beautiful, brass butterflies that you hardly noticed before because the blended with the dresser and were tarnished and dark.

Break out the Brasso and voila! Those butterflies were ready to take flight.

The newly polished pulls went back on the drawers and they looked totally different.

Here she is in all her glory. Such a difference! The butterflies really pop and the plum color is perfect next to my eBay pillows. Yeah!

Anything can be monogrammed!

Monogramming can be e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e. 

Here is a simple project that would take an every day shade and make it something that is one of a kind. You can purchase these iron on letters from JoAnne's, Michaels, or any other craft store and apply them with fabric glue to your shades with your initials.