DIY Painted Faux Tile

It all really started when I found this teensy blush pink coffee creamer and I painted my front door PINK!!  Then the idea snowballed to bring the color in to another part of my house, and my coffee station was on my mind for change and it was a perfect fit!!  I used the next color darker down on the paint chip from my front door, called Priceless Coral, from Behr.  It needed to pop just a bit more for me and it worked! 

I wanted to keep this project as budget friendly as possible and I am proud to say the total was under $30.00 for the can of paint. That's it! Here is a look at the before picture.  I LOVE my coffee station, but it was time to zhuzz it a bit and make it brighter!

I also needed a template for the hexagons so I had an idea to use the marker from Shift Shop, a fitness program I have done a few times in the past.  This was PERFECT!!  They were also flexible, making it perfect to trace the pattern on around the shelves!  I tried a few colors out, then I actually tested my idea out on a piece of foam board to make sure my brain and the final product matched up! 

I did buy a few different color testers out because I wanted to play, but ended up going with my first choice.  Isn't that always the way? 

After taping things off, I started in with painting one coat of white and coral then I needed to get pattern placement done. I just estimated where I figured the coral would be ending and then started.  I did a second coat of white, then mocked up the pattern on the coral, then the white.  I taped it off and the painted on the rest of coral.  Then I gave the coral a second coat. 

The next morning, I started in the center bottom and traced on the hexagon grid.  I used a white colored pencil, so the lines were just visible enough to see.  Of course, I was using white paint for the lines, so this was perfect.  I just used some of the white wall paint, and made sure to add drops of water to it to keep it flowing as needed. Latex paint thickens as it is exposed to air so this is important.  

After the grid was made, I then traced on the other lines inside the hexagons by using a ruler and the white colored pencil again.  

Then it was time to get to work!  It took most of the afternoon to paint all the lines because the angles were awkward and it was hard on the arms. But with copious amount of coffee and sheer determination, it got finished! I just used a small round brush I got at Michaels.  It was a LOT of linework, but to me it is therapeutic and I loved it actually. :-)

I shopped my house for all the decor because that kinda thing makes my budgeting soul VERY happy!  

SIDE NOTE:  I do have to pick up a teensy piece of moulding for the back of the station (there was caulking residue I just didn't remove properly) but that will only be a few dollars.  Overall, I am proud of how it turned out and LOVE the insane new vibe this side of my kitchen has now.  And most of all, I proved to myself that I could do this on such a small budget!  WOOP WOOP!! 

TIME LAPSE OF ENTIRE JOB:

Cushion Covers in 10 Minutes

Feeding my Buffalo check addiction has been SO gratifying with these super fast & easy cushion covers. It literally took me 10(ish) min from start to finish, and once you make one, your next one will be faster.  Let's get started!

First things first, you are going to need fabric.  I just eyeballed it and grabbed a yard of this gorgeous teal flannel buffalo check.  If you want to be sure, measure your cushon sizes first. I knew from making the cushion cover for my Front Entry Reno that I was definitely good with one yard for 2 of these covers.

You will also need:
*scissors
*pins
*measuring tape
*iron & ironing board
*your cushions or inserts to cover (I have these GORJ cushions from Urban Barn that I am covering just for the holidays)
*matching thread

HOW TO MAKE COVERS:
Hold your cushions taut from corner to corner and measure across the top (width).  Do the same down the sides (length).  This will give you your base height & width measurements.
My cushions are 22" wide x 12" high.

Height - Add 1" to the height. (Mine: 12" + 1" = 13")
Width - Multiply the width by 2 then add 6 inches (Mine: 22 x 2 = 44, then + 6 = 50")

This is the size of the piece of fabric you will be cutting. Mine was 50" x 13".
NOTE: My cut fabric in pic below is folded in 1/2.

 With fabric right side down facing ironing board, press shorter ends in 1/4", then press them over again 3/4'.  Pin in place.  Repeat on opposite end. Stitch both ends.

With the fabric right sides together, overlap your hems about 4 inches.  I really just eyeballed where the center would be, but if you want to be precise, measure the halfway point.  After you have this overlapped, pin together, and your total width should match your first initial pillow measurement, as you can see below in pic.  Pin the other side as well.

Stitch across uppper and lower raw edges with a 1/2" seam.  Clip your corners, turn cushion cover right side out, and press.

Here is the back flap once pillow is inserted.

 Annddd, again, full view.

This is a really FUN way for me to add a bit of fuzy warmth in my living room on the cheap.  Plus, I will probably keep these up all winter, just because there can never be enough Buffalo Check in my life!

I freaking LOVE how it looks with my vintage ochre velvet cushion covers.
Have you made these? If so, did you find them easy?

Stay weird ;-)

Wendy

PS: I got my inspo from My Childhood Treasures

Pompom & Pinecone Garland DIY

OK so let me start by saying, technically these are NOT pinecones, but they are cones from my daughter's Hugh Jass evergreen tree, which I think is a blue spruce.  They are cones...they work.  Where I live the pines are few are far between, so I subbed in the next best thing! Real pine cones would be FAB!! 

Let's carry on shall we?

Ok so I have been obsessing over all the Pompom things this Christmas and everything is RE.DIC.U.LOUS.LY overpriced for my budget, so when met with a challenge...Martha comes out to play in the sandbox.  

I am feeling over the top creative this holiday season and because we all need a bit more glitter and fuzzy things in our lives, I decided to make this garland.  My kitchen window was looking sad and lonely and this was the perfect accoutrement. 

I bought this yarn a few years ago at Michaels and found it in my stash and throught it was about right for the task.  And Ohhhh, those pompoms are sooooo fluffy!

I didn't resort to rocket science.  I wedged a piece of thin jute between my center fingers to tie the pompom, then wrapped my hand 40 times (It sounded logical in my head) and then tied it off, cut the loops, then gave it a good jhuzzing (aka: fluffing) and trimmed it into a pretty shape.  

Onwards to the bling.  Glitter...the glue that hold my life together.  #notkidding

So I dug in my craft box for glitter I already had and found my Martha stash.  I got this a few years ago, and honestly, I am not even sure it is still in stores.  Since copper is the hot trend right now and the perfect compliment to the teal yarn, the choice was easy.

 *CAWWWW, CAWWWW*

 I simply brushed on some white paint...I had Behr Swiss Coffee for another project so I cracked open the can, brushed paint on the bottom half(ish) of the cones and then while the paint was still wet I sprinkled the magical glitter over the paint.

 I propped the cones up on a little piece of wood I had to dry.  

So here is the deal on assembly:  I made 7 pompoms and 6 pinecones.  I roughly measured the length of garland to my window so it went across the top and down both side. I used a thin jute string.  I spaced out the pompoms evenly on the jute, and simply tied them to the main piece of jute string I cut. I grabbed some thread from my sewing box for the cones, because jute was too heavy to tie around these as they are more delicate.  I tied the thread around the cones, knotted twice, then tied one cone between each pompom.  EASY, PEASY! That's it.  

I hung it above the window, giving it a little bit of a drapey swoop in the centre.  I think it is a fun addition to my holiday decor and it really took no time at all.  Because I had all the materials in my stash, this project cost me nothing, which to me is winning!  :-)

Do you love to create your own holiday decor?  I'd love to see what you are making.  If you have a blog post, drop your link to your creations below in comments.

Stay weird,

Wendy

Chalkboard DIY

OHHH, don't you just LOVE those moments when you stumble upon a most gorgeous find for less than a cup of coffee?  I nabbed this baby at ReStore (it was hiding inside a hugeee cupboard there) & knew exactly what I wanted to do with it right at the store:  A Chalkboard!

I took it apart and gave it a good cleaning and was ready to dig in.  

I wanted to use the actual print itself for the chalkboard, so to seal it in and give an awesome base to paint on, I brushed on a coat of KILZ.  

I still had a lot of Cascadia FAT paint left from redoing my SIDE TABLE, and with Christmas coming, this frame was screaming to be painted in this color. I did 2 coats on the frame.

If you have never tried FAT Paint before you should check them out HERE because their colors are AHHHMAZING!!  I am semi obsessed with all things FAT right now.  #sorrynotsorry

This is hands down my favorite chalkboard paint: RUSTOLEUM CHALKBOARD PAINT, which you can get at The Home Depot or Lowes if you have one close.  Clean up is super easy!

This is 2 coats of chalkboard paint. 

After everything dried I used a sanding block and gave the frame a light sanding, focusing on the edges and places where things would naturally wear off over time.  That keeps it authentic looking. I love seeing the original gold peek through. I then sealed the entire frame with MINWAX CLEAR PASTE WAX, then buffed it out after 5 minutes.  I used FAT Patina Wax in the nooks and crannies to give it even more depth and warmth.  LOVE.  IT! 

I prepped the chalkboard, then reassembled and I am ECSTATIC over how it turned out. This might not be it's permanent home, but I had the space here to hang it up and I could not wait! I am SO excited to start decorating for Christmas and include this in the mix!

**CUE ANGELS SINGING**

Do you have a chalkboard anywhere in your house or have you wanted to add one to your decor?  I'd love to see yours too! Drop a link to your blog below in comments and share with me.

Cheers,

Wendy