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





Canvas & Gingham Pillows

I decided to slipcover my existing pillows to brighten our apartment.  I found green gingham for "buy 1 meter get 2 meters free".  I couldn't pass it up.  And, I already had canvas so here is what I put together...

Here are the canvas pillows.  I wanted to make ruffled pillows and decided to do each one differently...

 

I made this pillow using a standard-sized feather pillow as an insert and I did not add ruffles because my husband likes to lay on the couch and I thought this would make a much more comfy pillow to rest his head!  I added the chocolate brown stripes using craft paint.

 

 

The gingham pillows were left "plain".  I simply added cording to the edges to give the pillows a "finished" look.

 

 

 

On the backs of all the pillows I added ties...

 





Here they are all together...

 

 

Thank you for stopping by....

 

Lesa

Canvas Chalkboard and Seagrass Basket Organizer

We don't have much space in our tiny apartment so I thought this idea might help in keeping pens, paper and other junk from collecting on our "already limited" counterspace. 

It was simple and cheap to put together and the pictures are pretty self-explanatory.   I bought the canvas from Michaels for $24.00.  It measures 30" x 48".  I wanted a large canvas to cover all of the existing holes left by the former tenant.  I bought the cafe rod from Walmart for $10.00 together with the curtain rings. 

And, I found the seagrass baskets at London Drugs...regularly 5.99 each - on for .99.  I had the chalkboard paint.

 

To give the chalkboard a bit more interest (for the pictures) I re-created this design from a similar picture on the internet.  As you can see, I simply free-handed the artwork/lettering so don't judge my artistic abilities.

 

 

 

 

Thank you for stopping by...have a great week!

 

Lesa

 

 



Canvas & Vinyl Bag

Here's a sewing project I'd like to share with you.  After seeing a bag that my sister-in-law had sewn for herself, I decided to attempt something similar.  I have to admit...hers was much prettier than mine and she is an extremely talented quilter/seamstress.  I just do what I can...

This is what I started out with ...vinyl, natural canvas and 100% cotton (for the lining).

I used vinyl on the bottom of the bag because it will be easy to wipe off if it gets dirty.  Plus, it makes the bag a bit more sturdy.

I also used vinyl (and canvas) for the handles...

 

and I added vinyl for the trim on the inside (liner) pockets.

 

 

When sewing vinyl there are a couple of tips that my sister-in-law shared with me that  I'd like to share with you.

 

1.   Do not use pins to secure the vinyl as the pins will leave permanent holes in the vinyl.  Use hair clips...this is a "brilliant" solution.  These clips will work well on anything that is to thick or too delicate to pin. 

 

 



2.  Use a piece of paper underneath the vinyl when sewing the pieces together to prevent the vinyl from sticking.  It just helps the vinyl to "move with easy" under the pressure foot.  Once you are done sewing you can just rip the paper off without affecting the stitching. 

I am happy with how the bag turned out and it will be very functional for lugging my stuff to and from work.

Thank you for stopping by...

Lesa

Apartment Living

As some of you may know, my husband and I moved from our home in British Columbia to Alberta.  At the moment, we are renting an apartment...however, this is only a temporary arrangement for the next four months.   The apartment is only 825 square feet, but has everything we need to be comfortable.  Two bedrooms, one bathroom, open kitchen and living space and a laundry room.  I am very thankful for the laundry room, as I can't imagine having to run up and down stairs sharing laundry facilities with other apartment dwellers. 

Anyway, I thought I would share a few pictures of our little place with you.  Keep in mind...it is small and I am not allowed to paint or change the existing decor. 



There is my last project...the Ikea pine chest makeover. 

 

 

 

This table is from "Ana White" which I built for our living room in our other home.  Works well against this small wall in the kitchen and provides counter space for my pottery canister set.

We bought this pub-style table and stool set for $100.00.  Not something I would choose for my home, but it works well in our tiny space.

Here is the kitchen island from my other house.  Before we moved, I added castors to the bottom of it to make is more portable for the new space.  I have such little counter space, so I am glad I brought my island!  Great prep and storage space!!

The cupboard doors were missing when we moved in so I made a burlap curtain to hide my pots and pans.

Here are the shelves my husband built for the other house.  And, you may recognize some the the accessories from older posts.

 

 

So there you have it...the beginnings of our temporary home aka apartment living.  Thank you for stopping by...hope your weekend is a great one!

 

Lesa

 

 

 

Ikea Pine Chest Makeover

I bought this pine chest from a local thrift store for $19.00.  It is a little beat-up but has alot of potential. 

I decided that I would try to make-it-over into an old painted chest by adding a bit of stain, paint and hardware.  Here is the result...

First I sanded it with 100-grit sandpaper.  I then applied a drak walnut stain to the surface.  Once the stain dried, I painted the chest with two coats of cream colored paint - "sandbar".  After the paint cured, I used my palm sander with 220-grit sandpaper and sanded the entire chest to removed some of the paint allowing the dark walnut color to show through.  After removing the sanding dust, I rubbed more dark walnut stain over the surface, removing any excess stain, to give the piece an aged look. 

I bought the galvanized hardware for $20.00 which included 2 handles, 8 -3/4" wide corner brackets and the latch.  I applied a spray primer to the hardware and then applied rubbed oil bronze paint.  I attached the hardware to the chest, first measuring for placement.

I still felt it was missing something so I scrounged through my husband's scrap metal buckets and bins and found this...

I have no idea what it is but I liked it, so I gave it a coat of rubbed oil bronze paint and secured it through the latch. 

I think it looks like a heart lock.  Anyway, I think it finishes off the chest. 

Now I will be using it as a coffee table in our apartment!

Just an update...my husband and I are relocated to Grande Prairie, Alberta.  We are keeping our current home in BC and renting a 2 bdrm, 1 bathroom apartment in Alberta.  I am going from 2300 sq. ft. to 825 sq. ft.!  Needless to say, I am only taking personal items and a few furniture pieces from our home...this chest being one of them!  Anyway, I guess I will be posting about my decorating adventures in an apartment!  Should be fun!!

Have a great weekend and thank you for stopping by...

Lesa