Lantern Makeover

Just a quick project to share with you.  I found another "treasure" at Goodwill.  This wood lantern for $2.00...

I thought I could give it new life by cleaning it up a bit and painting it.

So, I took the entire piece apart and sanded all the pieces, cleaned the glass and the metal parts. 

I then applied two coats of paint using my favorite color "sandbar".  When dry I sanded the pieces to remove some of the paint exposing the wood underneath.  I then applied dark walnut stain to all the painted pieces to give it an aged appearance.
I put it back together and this is the result...

It was a fun little project.

 

Thank you for stopping by...

 

Lesa

Simple Canvas Slipcover

Here is my attempt at sewing a canvas slipcover...

Our little apartment is a bit dark.  The carpet is chocolate brown, as well as our leather sofa and loveseat.  The chair is olive green (which I like), but I thought if I covered it in a cream color it might help brighten the room.  This is what the chair looks like...

I figured that sewing this slipcover would be fairly easy because the chair is somewhat "blocky".  Well,  it wasn't as easy as I thought and the idea I had in my mind does not quite look like my finished project, but I can live with the results.

I basically starting draping the fabric on the chair, cutting, pinning and then sewing.

And, not following any of the "how to sew a slipcover" rules!    I have a few "pinches" and "tucks" of fabric here and there but doesn't that add to the charm??  I wanted the slipcover to have a bit of a tailored look, so I added piping to the seat cushion...just the top though. 

And, a little secret...I didn't cover the entire seat cushion.  I left the bottom open - easy to remove and wash!!  (okay...I was lazy)

I left enough fabric so that the cushion cover will remain "snug".
 

Once finished I noticed that the fabric on the back of the chair just didn't look finished.

So, I made a couple of ties and attached them to the back.  By adding the ties, it helps pulls all the "drapey" fabric together. 

It is certainly not perfect, but it will work for now.

Thank you for stopping by...hope you have a great weekend!

 

Lesa



Ikea Tray Makeover

I found this Ikea tray at our local Goodwill store for $4.00 and thought I could turn into something decorative for our little apartment...

This is what it looks like now...

First, I gave the entire tray, including the metal handles and sides a light sanding using 100-grit sandpaper.  Remember...I live in a little apartment and our shop full of tools are...well...still in our shop at our home in BC!  So, sanding without a sander is not much fun.  Anyway, I sanded it, but probably not as nicely as it would have been with the proper tools, then wiped the surface to remove any loose dust.

I then applied dark walnut stain to the entire tray and wiped the excess off.

 

When it dried, I applied Buttermilk and Tuscan Red by DecoArt and Forest Moss by FolkArt in random stripes by drybrushing onto the surface.  Once the paint dried I, again, lightly sanded the surface to remove some of the paint giving it a more weathered look.

It still needed something...

 so I stenciled the number "2" to the bottom right corner using buttermilk paint.  I let it dry and removed some paint to make it look as though the number weathered as well.

I am happy with the way it turned out and it will add some color to my "revamped" floating shelves...a project I will share later. 

 

 

 

Thank you for stopping by...

 

Lesa