Tag Archives: tutorial

garden, home

from the garden to the dining room

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I know the Home Show was like weeks ago and you are probably so sick of hearing me talk about it and addressing the event as a proper noun but guess what, so many projects went into that little upcycled room.  So many hours.  I am going to talk about them until, well until, I can’t talk about them anymore and they fade into the dark night of the blogosphere.

Actually, until spring really when there is something new and fresh and worthwhile to talk about.  Or until we get married.  Yeah, the wedding will trump the Home Show for sure.

Anyway, what do you do with a garden trellis that you aren’t using in the garden?

Home Show - Milk painted dresser and trellis mirror

Turn it into a mirror of course!

Home Show - Garden Trellis Mirror

My neighbor is always finding little treasures along the way, much like me.  He handed this garden trellis over to me months ago and it sat in my garage ever since.  Until the aha moment came.  The moment I know you all wait for.  The moment Ryan cringes because I enlist him for yet another project.  As always, I promise him it is simple and will only take a few minutes…

garde trellis mirror

So the trellis got turned on it’s side.  Then we just sawed the ends off of the whole piece so it would be symmetrical.  And by “we” of course you know by now that I mean Ryan.

The great debate of January 2013 was whether or not the garden trellis should have 2 mirrors or one large mirror behind the entire trellis.  Hmmm…

Obviously we decided on 2 mirrors which gave a floating effect.  Still though, I ponder how 1 would have looked.

I speed dialed my old friends at the glass store and had 2 mirrors cut in a matter of days.  We removed the 3 middle bars from the back  of the trellis.  The mirrors rested on the bars in front.  Then we attached mirror hanging hardware in the back to those front pieces.  Finally, Ryan and I strategically screwed the back bars into place while keeping the mirrors centered.  You definitely need 2 sets of hands with this project to keep the mirrors centered and level.

how to make a garden trellis mirror

Yes, this was a team effort constructed right on the dining room table because as I recall it was like 12 degrees in the garage that day.  And you can also see how all of the projects in the dining room were evolving at that very moment.  Note the dangling new drapes over the old ones.  Hot mess.

IMG_9082

But of course, the dining room looks like this now with the mirror starring on one wall and reflecting light from the large window across the room.

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Which reminds me, when I posted our new and improved dining room on Monday I don’t believe I shared this angle with you which shows both the new mirror and Ryan’s vintage ball jar sketch that he made as a child.  Quite the gardeny feel this space has now.

dining room

I love how the artwork looks in the new room.  It is a perfect fit.

ball jar artwork

What do you have planned for the weekend?  Stop by the ol’ brick & mortar shop on Saturday from 10-5!

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home, musing

roses for your sweetheart

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Hi guys. Happy Friday!

I’ve been busily preparing for the Philly Home Show up. in. here. Have I mentioned that little event lately?  Not this week.  No?  I’m putting together a bedroom full of reclaimed industrial style.  I can’t wait to share it with you all in less than 2 weeks!  Woo hoo.  Expect lots of repurposed charm and tons of vintage goodies.  There will definitely be sneak peeks on instagram while I am setting up next week.  So tune in!

In the meantime, I am running a bit of a re-run post today.  Don’t hate me.  I promise you won’t remember it.  It’s an easy-peasy 3 step craft for the ol’ V-day.  Or any day really.

Felt Heart Roses!  Hooray!

So you just need felt, scissors, glue and sticks.

Then…

DIY valentine roses

Done!  Told you it was easy.

So if you like doing crafts and you’re local, you should definitely come visit our Craft Room at the Home Show (Feb 2-10).  Denise, from The Painted Home, and I will be freestylin’ in the craft room.  We’ll be upcycling, repurposing, painting, you name it.  I will be doing mini milk paint demos as well!  So if you’ve been curious about Miss Mustard Seed’s milk paint, now is your chance to see it live in person.  I might even have some available to purchase if that is of interest.  Would you like that?

how to measure and mix milkpaint

I know.  The fun never stops.

home

hanging drapes

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So I wanted to title this post “hanging drapes for dummies” but I didn’t want to scare anyone away before reading the first line.  Another title choice was “hanging drapes for thirty year olds” because if you are an actual adult i.e. over thirty, you probably already know how to hang drapes the old school way and you will learn nothing new from this post.

But as it seems, the last time I really saw drapes in my home was circa 1989 and I wasn’t hanging them.  Then the 90′s hit.  Oh the 90′s.  Balloon valances.  Need I say more about the puffy beasts that hung over suburban windows everywhere?

Moving onto the new millennium.  Or so.

My window treatments up until recently have always involved sheer panels, tab tops, grommet tops and funky, ornate hardware.  That sort of thing.  I have never once hung a drape.  Or draperies.  That word sounds so grown up and maybe even old-fashioned.

But there is a first time for everything and that was a really long introduction to…hanging drapes for dummies.  With pictures.

Follow along as I become an actual adult and introduce drapes into my home.

First let’s review what I mean by drapery.  I am talking about heavy curtains with pleats.  Old school.

Specifically, I am talking about this fabulous pair of handmade, vintage toile drapes that I scored for a song!  The fabric needs to be attached to the curtain rod.  But how?  I don’t want to use the modern ring and clip method.

drapery pleats

We’re going way back.  This, my friends, is a drape hook.  This little device does all the work!  A package of drape hooks costs about $2.50 and can be found at your local hardware store.

drape hook

Flip over the drape so you are looking at the back side of the pleats.

back of drape pleats

The drape hook has one pointy end.  Insert the pointy end upward into the seam of the pleat so it is running parallel with the pleat.

how to hang drapes

Once inserted, the curved part of the drape hook should be near the top of the pleat.

drape hook

Repeat this process pinning each pleat with a drape hook making sure each hook is sturdy.

how to hang drapes

And that’s it.  They’re ready to be hung!

how-to hang drapes

Fun fact:  A package of drape hooks contains 14 hooks.  Each of my drapes had 7 pleats.  Coincidence?

how-to hang drapes

Stay tuned for the reveal!  There’s still a lot of work to be done in the dining room.

Signed, Your first time drape hanger

home

how to mix milk paint

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Hello there my friends! Over the last few weeks I’ve been doing a good deal of painting almost exclusively with milk paint.  I love it.  The combinations of how it can be applied and finished is almost endless.  So today I thought I’d share the basics on how to mix milk paint.  I’ve had a lot of questions around that.  It can be a bit intimidating considering it comes in a powder form.

Let’s tackle mixing milk paint, shall we?

You’ll need the powder, a plastic mixing container and a measuring cup.  Bonding agent is optional.  We’ll get to that.

how to mix milkpaint

We make a lot of smoothies around here so I save the quart size yogurt containers for milk paint.  Save the lid too in case you have any paint left that you want to store.  It will last for a few days.

I have a 1/4 cup measuring cup that I use exclusively for mixing milk paint.  For this tutorial, I added a total of a 1/2 cup of milk paint (2 scoops).

how to measure and mix milkpaint

After the paint was measured, I added an equal amount (1/2 cup) of WARM water.  The temperature of the water really does make a difference.  I’ve learned the hard way.  It seems cold water lightens the paint pigments.  Trust me and use warm water if you want the paint to mix up true to color.  I’m mixing ‘typewriter’ here.

how to measure and mix milkpaint

I start with a 1 part paint to 1 part water ratio and mix thoroughly removing most of the lumps.  The instructions recommend 1 1/2 part water to 1 part powder.  I only add the additional half part water if the mix calls for it, as in the paint is too thick.  Use your discretion.

mixing milkpaint

You may want to stop there and start painting.  If that is the case, you’re leaving the finish of the paint up in the air.  For example, if you desire a potentially chippy look you just might get it with the water/powder paint mix.

On the other hand, if you prefer a cohesive finish, no chipping, you’ll want to add the bonding agent at this point.  Measure equal parts bonding agent (1/2 cup here) and add to your paint mix.

adding the bonding agent to milkpaint

Stir the bonding agent into the paint mix.

mixing bonding agent with milkpaint

You’ll notice the consistency of the paint will go from watery to a fuller body closer to what you might recognize from latex or chalk paint.  It reminds me of the same consistency of brownie batter actually.

how to mix milkpaint and bonding agent

Congratulations, you now have primer in your milk paint.  Go ahead and apply to your piece without fear of chipping paint.  No other prep work is needed.  Another important note is that you’ll want to apply 2 coats of paint for an opaque finish however your second coat does not need the bonding agent or primer added to it.  You’ve basically already primed the piece with the first coat.

mixing milkpaint

Stay tuned for the final result of this project in the coming weeks!  And certainly let me know if you have any milk paint questions in the comment section (or any other related topics you’d like a tutorial on).  As always, all of these products are available in my milk paint shop.

Happy Monday!

garden

a winter wonder: paperwhites

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As the holidays are quickly approaching, everyone seems to be looking for quick and easy decorating and gift giving ideas. Well look no further!

I present to you the paperwhite cocktail garden. This was originally posted here last year on the blog.  I noticed that it has been getting some pinterest action lately so I thought I’d break down the ins and outs of paperwhites.

paperwhite cocktail

First of all, paperwhites are a bulb.  Most commonly they are forced indoors in the winter and that is why they are typically associated with the holidays. Paperwhites are the cousin of spring blooming daffodils.  You may notice some family resemblance in their flowers although paperwhites are, well, white as the name implies.

paperwhite bulbs

Optimal bloom temperatures are 65 degrees.  A warmer home will have them blooming in less time.  On the other hand, if you have a cool home, they will take longer to bloom.  It is like putting them in the refrigerator to preserve the flowers.

So let’s get onto planting them, shall we?

I like to use vintage glassware and compotes like these ice cream sundae glasses.  They are sized just right for one bulb.

vintage ice cream sundae glasses

When planting the bulb, be sure the flat, basal side is down and the pointy, fleshy side is up.  The foliage and flower will grow from there.

paperwhite bulbs

Now you may have seen paperwhites planted in stones in the past.  This is very common however I am not a fan of that method.  Most people plant them in stones or pebbles to give the bulb support because the plant becomes top heavy as it quickly grows.  When paperwhites are planted in stones, you usually see the bulb sitting on top of the stones.  But because I like to plant them in small compotes, I use soil.  The moist soil and tight container help to give support.  I plant the bulb just under the soil with the point sticking out.

planting paperwhite bulbs in vintage glasses

Once the bulbs are in the glasses, I cover them with soil and make sure there is some underneath for the roots too.  You will be able to see the roots grow in just a few days if you use clear glasses like these – fun for kids!  You’ll all see the bulbs push themselves up.  There is really some instant gratification that comes with planting paperwhites.  The grow so quickly.

planting paperwhites

Don’t forget to water and garnish how ever you like!  Cranberries optional.

paperwhite cocktail

With all of the paperwhite planting I’ve done, you would think I’d have a picture of the blooms but I don’t!  You’ll have to plant some of your own to experience the visual and fragrant flowers.  We have some for sale in the shop and we’re open this weekend…

Linking to Funky Junk Interiors

Holiday

home

making a paper christmas tree topiary

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Happy Friday everyone!  How was your turkey day?  Ours was filled with good food, good people and good memories.  Just the way I like it.

I hope you’re not out battling the mall crowds.  Maybe you are home decorating for the holidays like me.  I’ve got an easy DIY project to share today.  I picked up the vintage paper Christmas tree topiary idea from the BHG Special Interest Publication this season so maybe you’ve already tried it?

If not, I recommend giving it a shot.  You should do it over the long weekend!  You probably have most of the supplies in your home already.  Plus, this is an easy one to do with kids too.  Here’s what you need…

  • 4″ clay pot
  • styrofoam block
  • reindeer moss
  • vintage paper in 4-5 sizes
  • wooden skewer
  • raffia (optional)
  • cranberry (optional)

Cut the styrofoam block to size and insert it into your clay pot.  You may have to secure the block to the pot with hot glue.

Insert the skewer in the center of the block upright.  Make sure it is centered and straight with the pointy side of the skewer sticking out.

Cover up your mechanics with the reindeer moss.  This hides the styrofoam.  You may want to glue this as well.  Reindeer moss is the most expensive supply used in this project however you could substitute it with a lower cost moss but you may not get the same coverage.

Once you’ve got the moss secure, you’ll start building your tree.  I chose vintage sheet music cut in squares.  You may find other interesting paper ephemera or scrapbook paper works for you.  The largest square was 4.5 inches, then 4 inches, 3.5 inches, 3 inches & 2.5 inches.  I used about 4 of each size and started by puncturing the largest squares first and sliding them down the skewer to the moss.

And in just minutes you’ll have a tree!  I topped off the skewer with a fresh cranberry for the star.

I ended up not using the raffia on this pair but you can tie it around your pot and make a bow.  You could also have kids decorate the pots with paint or glitter.

I used this pair to decorate the shop “mantel”.  It complements the book page wreath just so.

Hope you’ll come visit the shop on Small Business Saturday tomorrow if you are local!  You can preview our inventory, special sales & discounts on facebook.

Happy holiday decorating friends!

Linking to Hi Sugarplum
Holiday