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Archive for the ‘crafts’ Category

Transformation of an old school desk

Posted in back to school, crafts, Decor, DIY, Home and Garden, Home Makeover, tagged , , , on July 24, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Vintage School Desk

I was taking a stroll with my family and noticed an old school desk sitting nicely at the curb. Wow! I thought. I can probably put it up for sale and get some cash for it. I ran back home to get my van so I can lug it back home.

When I brought home the school desk my girls immediately fell in love with it and asked me a bunch of questions. They wanted to know how old the desk was and if I used such a desk when I went to school. They told me not to sell it but to restore it to its former glory. They even promised that they would do their homework on it every day.

We decided to make a family project out of the desk. We went shopping for supplies at LOWES and got to work sanding, cutting, priming and painting. We replaced some of the wood and repainted the surface. The finished project came out amazing! Everyone loved it. Below are the pictures in its stages:

Stage # 1

Since the wood was split and weathered, it needed to be glued and clamped.The seat had a lot of splinters and loose wood that we removed. Wood filler was applied to all the cracks. When it was dry, the wood was sanded to a smooth finish.

School Desk Collage 1

Stage # 2

Since the desktop was decayed and beyond repair, we had to fabricate one out of solid pine. It was cut, sanded, primed, and painted. I removed the desk pole/bracket from the old desktop and primed and painted it a metallic silver by RUST-OLEUM. The desktop itself was primed with a RUST-OLEUM primer and painted a gloss purple with Painters Touch RUST-OLEUM paint. My daughters decided on the color purple since it matched her bedroom decor.

School Desk Collage 2

Stage # 3

The rust was sanded off and the chair was primed with RUST-OLEUM primer. The wood portion of the chair was covered and taped so that I can paint the metal part.Once the paint was dry I used # 7  polishing compound to have that extra gloss. I then did the reverse, covering the metal and painting the wood purple.

School Desk Collage 3

Here are the pictures of the before and after. My children loved it. Let’s hope they make good on their promise and do their homework diligently like they promised!

School Desk Collage 4

 

 

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Halloween Party Decor

Posted in crafts, Decor, halloween, Napkins, Table Linens, Wedding and Parties, tagged , , , on October 14, 2014| 1 Comment »

Halloween is a busy day. There’s the costumes, Trick or Treating and Halloween Parties. Decorating the the house with Halloween Decor does not have to be complicated. It can be fun and simple. After spreading out your favorite tablecloth, preferably black, white, orange or grey, and decorate with a Spider Web  Table Cloth or Spider Web Table Topper and give the house a spidery appeal. You may want to consider putting on a vinyl tablecloth so there will be an easier cleanup  when the party is over. Fold some cloth napkins and make some fun spider napkin rings. This is something you can make in advance with the children. Made with felt, black pom poms, and pipe cleaners is it fun and inexpensive and is pleasing for children and adults alike. Here’s how its done:

http://www.hgtv.com/entertaining/how-to-make-spider-napkin-rings/index.html

Spider Napkin Rings

 

Create a witches place card and invite all your friendly witches inside. Get the children involved by asking them to go outdoors and collect the branches. Personalizing the place cards makes everyone feel special. Click on the link to show how its done:

http://www.hgtv.com/entertaining/witchs-broom-halloween-place-card-holders/index.html

Witches Broom Placecard

 

This Halloween Pinata may take some time to put together-but a fun activity with candy? What can be better than that?! This bright candy corn pinata is a great colorful decoration as well. There’s still enough time! Lets roll up our sleeves and take out our scissors and glue. We may still have some time for some Halloween desserts as well!

http://www.hgtv.com/handmade/how-to-make-a-candy-corn-pinata-for-halloween/index.html

Candy Corn Pinata

 

 

 

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Autumn Decor to Brighten your Home

Posted in Autumn, crafts, Decor, Fall, halloween, Home and Garden, Place mats and table runners, Table Linens, Wedding and Parties, tagged , , , , on September 16, 2014| 1 Comment »

Decorating for Fall doesn’t have to be costly. There are so many items available at our fingertips that celebrate the Fall season. About a Mom posted a pretty Pumpkin Flower Bouquet that is so easy to make. You can use a few small pumpkins as centerpieces or one large one as decoration. Slice off the top of the pumpkin, scoop out seeds and add fresh Fall flowers. Click on the link for more info:

http://www.aboutamom.com/how-to-make-a-simple-fall-centerpiece/

Pumpkin fall decor

Brighten your kitchen and dining room areas by adding Fall table runners, leaf place mats, and bright autumn color tablecloths and cloth napkins to add beautiful autumn decor to your home.

orange tablecloth

Decorations though are not just for the living and dining room areas. Bring serenity into your bedroom by making this creative wall art out of leaves. Use pressed leaves and tape them to crafting paper. Hang a few rows with removable adhesive strips for high impact above a bed or sofa.

http://www.midwestliving.com/homes/seasonal-decorating/easy-fall-decorating-projects/?page=12

Fall Wall Art

As mentioned in our previous post, pumpkins and apples (and of course colorful leaves!) are bountiful this time of year so we can make good use out of them and enhance our surroundings.

 

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Why we celebrate Fathers Day

Posted in crafts, Decor, Home and Garden, Table Linens, tagged , , on June 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Father’s Day originated in 1909 when a woman named Sonora Dodd came up with the idea. Mrs. Dodd’s father, William Jackson Smart, had raised her and her five siblings after their mother died in childbirth. While listening to a Mother’s Day sermon at a church near her family’s home in eastern Washington State, Mrs. Dodd thought about the sacrifices her father had made for his children and the fine job he had done in raising them.

Because her father had been born in June, she decided to encourage the churches in her area to honor fathers in June. Through her efforts, the first Father’s Day was celebrated in Spokane, Washington, in June 1910.

Fathers Day Trophy

Although Congress passed several resolutions over the years in support of Father’s Day, it did not become an official U.S. holiday until 1972, when then-President Nixon issued a proclamation declaring the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day in the United States.

There are all kinds of cute ideas to honor Dad on Father’s Day. There is a cute trophy that can be made from Styrofoam cups. A decoration with lots of little rocks spelling out “DAD ROCKS” by Crafts by Amanda is really cute too. Any card homemade or bought lets us tell Dad that we think of them and they mean a lot to us.

There is nothing like serving Dad a special lunch or dinner by spreading out a nice table cloth, setting up the table in his honor, and serving dad something he really loves.

vinyl round tablecloth

DAD can reciprocate by being the best DAD. What children love is time and undivided attention. Special time spent bike riding or hiking together can be remembered for years to come. Think of something you both enjoy and make it a great day together.

 

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Valentines Day Ideas for Your Table

Posted in crafts, Decor, Home and Garden, Table Linens, Valentines Day, Wedding and Parties, tagged , , , , , , , on February 11, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Since love is around the corner! We would like to share some cute ideas for you to prepare for Valentines Day. Choose a nice tablecloth for your table such as a pretty lace tablecloth or your finest table linen for this special day. You can also pick a table cloth with romantic colors like red or pink to set the tone. It all really depends on who you are preparing for-a fun party or a romantic dinner.

Here is a great idea for Champagne Party Favors. If you are having children around you can always substitute another beverage for the champagne.

http://www.celebrations.com/c/read/champagne-with-love-party-favor

DIY Champane Decoration

The “Tree of Love” centerpiece is a pretty and inexpensive way to decorate your table. It is a day like Valentines Day that we should step back and reflect what is really important in life. Fill up a flower pot with red candy and stick in a branch. Now add your very own “flowers” and attach with clothespins.

LOVEly Family Tree

These love bugs are adorable and fun to put together. All you need are some marshmallows, toothpicks, and some little candies to decorate.

Valentines Love Bugs

I love this sweet tooth idea. If you are trying to avoid the excess candy and trying to stick to healthier valentines ideas, or if you’d like to give some gentle reminders when the day is done this one’s for you!

Sweet Tooth

Lastly create a personal touch with a personalized card. Decorate with your favorite shaped pasta for a neat and professional looking card. We have a great opportunity for showing that someone how dear they are to us. Let’s utilize the day and make the most of it!

pasta valentines cards

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Last minute DIY Christmas Ideas

Posted in Christmas, crafts, Decor, Home and Garden, Napkins, Table Linens, tagged , , , , on December 18, 2013| 2 Comments »

For many people preparing for the Christmas Holiday started long ago. The shopping, the baking, and most of the cooking are all done and even the presents wrapped and ready to go. For others it starts now right before the Holiday. We searched for some easy to do projects that will make your house glow with the Christmas Spirit and no one will know that it was done in no time!

Candy Cane Vase

After spreading out a nice table cloth on your table you like to add some accessories. Here is a super easy festive DIY candy cane vase from Better Homes and Gardens. The nice thing about it is that you can use a plain vase you have lying around the house,  an empty pickle jar, perhaps an empty can from cooking, or empty baby jars if you would like to make mini vases. You can make one big vase for the center of the table or a few little ones. Use a rubber band to hold the candy canes in place and then tie a pretty bow to cover it up! Here is the link for the candy cane vases:  http://www.stylisheve.com/stylish-eve-diy-holiday-edition-presents-candy-cane-vases/

In keeping with the candy cane theme, roll up your pretty cloth napkins and tie with some ribbon. Then stick in a candy cane. Your table will look pretty and your candy cane vase will be intact from people wanting to take some candy from it!

Christmas Napkin Rings

Decorate your home with a wreaths made out of green clothespins. Clip onto some round red wire, tie it with red ribbon and hang up it up. Add some pretty family photos or Christmas cards. If there are children in the home they can draw some hand prints and can paint them or if you don’t want a mess have them draw hands on green cardboard and then cut them out. Paste onto something round (maybe a paper plate) and they’ll be delighted with their homemade wreath masterpiece.

wreath

Hopefully these quick and pretty ideas will free up some time so you can whip up some cookies and can be more relaxed when the holiday arrives.

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Labor Day History and Ideas

Posted in crafts, labor day, labor day ideas, labor day parties, Picnic, Table Linens, Wedding and Parties on August 30, 2013| 1 Comment »

For a lot of people, Labor Day means two things: a day off and the end of summer. But why is it called Labor Day? Labor Day is a day set aside to pay tribute to working men and women. It has been celebrated as a national holiday in the United States and Canada since 1894.

Labor unions themselves celebrated the first labor days in the United States, although there’s some speculation as to exactly who came up with the idea. Most historians credit Peter McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, with the original idea of a day for workers to show their solidarity. Others credit Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J.

banner_labor_day

The first Labor Day parade occurred Sept. 5, 1882, in New York City. The workers’ unions chose the first Monday in September because it was halfway between Independence Day and Thanksgiving. The idea spread across the country, and some states designated Labor Day as a holiday before the federal holiday was created.

Now that we know the history, why not celebrate? Making a party doesn’t have to be stressful. Here are some cute ideas to celebrate the day in addition to the July 4th Ideas that can be enjoyed on Labor Day as well (see below post)

labor day crafts

Getting together with family and friends? Lets barbecue! I love the corn on the cob party favor with the slab of butter-it’s too cute! Here is the link so you can make it yourself.

http://www2.fiskars.com/Crafting/Projects/Entertaining-Parties/Decorations/Labor-Day-BBQ#.UiCbxjYtqTU

Red White and Blue

Here is another neat idea-Take a red and white dishtowel and some pretty blue hydrangeas, arrange and wow-the results are amazing! Enjoy and Best wishes for a Great Labor Day weekend.

 

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