Paper Mache Newsprint Ornaments [DIY]

December 1, 2012 by Picklee: Jordan

One of my favorite things about Christmas is setting up the tree and admiring all the ornaments I’ve collected through the years. Most of my ornaments have either come from places I’ve visited or bring back special memories. This year, I decided to make a few of my own ornaments after I discovered these amazing Newsprint ornaments on Terrain…

After falling in love with these ornaments, I figured I might be able to make my own DIY version! I ended up creating a few different ornaments, but the first was the funky flamingo! So I started off with a simple paper mache recipe: 3 parts flour to one part water, and a dash of salt.

Next, I added a bit of paint to give the flamingo it’s pink color. I used a transparent gloss enamel paint by Deco Art because I wanted to be sure the newsprint on my flamingo would show through, all while keeping it’s signiture pink color. I slowly mixed in the paint until I arrived at the perfect pink color…is it true that flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp? I’ve always wondered….??

Next, I used 16 gauge wire to create my flamingo body…this took a bit of time to get it just right…

I stuffed a little paper inside the flamingo’s belly to keep it’s shape! Next, I cut newspaper into small strips to get it ready for the paper mache…

To apply the newsprint to the flamingo, I dipped it into my flour, water and paint mixture then simply stuck it onto the flamingo’s body…

I applied two coats of newspaper to the flamingo then let it sit out and dry for about two hours. He looked great after this, but I decided he needed a bit more color, so I used the Americana transparent gloss paint again and brushed on a very light coat.

My flamingo ornament turned out so great, I decided I would make a few more animal ornaments to go along with him! I ended up making a whale, seahorse, and a silly octopus…these are the colors used to create them (by Deco Art, Americana):

Here are the rest of my Newsprint ornaments!

Which newsprint ornament is your favorite?

Feeling extra creative? Check out Deco Art Paint’s 12 Days of Christmas for many more Christmas ornament ideas using their paints!

You can find these ornaments available for purchase at Picklee on Spring!

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Rating: 3.9/5 (7 votes cast)

The Vintage Fan Restoration [before & after]

November 7, 2012 by Picklee: Jordan

Every so often, the stars align just right and I’m able to convince Brett to come along with me on a flea market trip. Generally, he enjoys those types of things (not as much as me, but enough ), he just gets too busy and forgets! On a recent trip, we stumbled upon this awesome vintage Kenmore fan. I think these things are great, I just won’t normally buy them because I’ve got pieces of furniture on my mind. I was glad Brett tagged along because he convinced me to pick up this fan, and promised he’d take on the restoration, fine by me!

Brett did a fabulous job documenting his transformation. He first shared it on his blog, DailyMilk, now we get to enjoy it!

We’ll start with the before and after of the fabulous vintage Kenmore fan transformation:

Pretty amazing transformation, huh? Brett did all of this using plenty of tools, a ton of patience, and good quality spray paint!

In order to properly restore the fan, Brett decided to completely disassemble the whole thing. He wanted it perfectly restored and painted. The first thing he did was remove the fan cover by taking out a screw on the back of the fan. The cover slid right off to reveal the motor and brackets holding it in. Before he got into cleaning the inside he figured it might be best to remove the fan cage too. He pried the cage off with a screwdriver, cleaned it, and set it aside. Brett thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned every part and every particle of dust with antibacterial cleaner.

Next, Brett removed the fan blade by squeezing an Allan wrench between the blades.

Brett then removed the entire motor. Mainly because he wanted to paint the fan shaft gold, the same color as the fan blade, without getting paint all over the black motor body. Also, since this fan was so old, it had all kinds of dust and grime stuck to the motor and vents, which you could also smell…this absolutely needed to be addressed!

When it came to cleaning the grungy brass “Kenmore” plaque Brett first assumed he’d have to go out and buy brass cleaner. Then he figured there must be another solution on Google; sure enough, he found a fer great options. What he chose for an easy brass cleaner alternative was good ol’ worcestershire sauce! He used an old toothbrush and scrubbed the brass with worcestershire until it was clean. It worked really well!

To prepare the fan for it’s paint job, Brett taped up the newly cleaned brass. He first traced it with a pen to make sure it fully adhered to the brass, then trimmed it with a razor blade.

Now that all the parts were separated, Brett used gloss black spray paint on the fan body, and gold metallic on the blades. Three coats of paint later, the fan had dried and it was time to put it back together!

What a wonderful transformation! I’m so glad Brett took this on too, he’s already itching for another one…I can see why, the results are incredible!

This fan fit perfectly on my newly revived industrial modern desk too!

What do you think of Brett’s fan? Share your thoughts and rate it below!

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Rating: 4.5/5 (20 votes cast)

Tangerine Bead Strand Bracelet [DIY]

October 15, 2012 by Picklee: Jordan

When it comes to jewelry (especially bracelets), my motto has always been “simple is better”. I really don’t like the feeling (and sound!) of clunky pieces clanging together on my wrists… I’m not really a costume jewelry girl either, when I put on a piece of jewelry it usually stays on until it I either get really sick of it or it falls off…partly because I’m not the best at “accessorizing”, but mostly because I get so busy I just forget! That being said, I’m really loving the string jewelry right now. It looks so simple & classic, and the best part for me of course is that you barely know you’re wearing it! I created today’s DIY bracelet with this trend in mind…here it is, the Tangerine Bead Strand Bracelet…

The Tangerine Bead Strand Bracelet [DIY]

For this DIY string & bead bracelet, you will need embroidery string (color of your choice, there’s a million options!), 6-8 tiny beads (of your choice), and a metal finding post.

First, slide your beads onto the metal finding post…

Secure the beads onto the post by using jewelry pliers to roll the end of the finding into a loop. Keep in mind that you will need two loops on either side of the finding to slide the string through.

Cut two pieces of string in equal lengths (each of mine were approx. 10″). Then slide them through either end of the finding. There should be extra string length so that you have enough string to tie the bracelet around your wrist.

That’s all folks! Your bead strand bracelet is complete! Simply tie it around your wrist, trim the extra string and your done!

The possibilities for variations on this bracelet are virtually limitless! Here’s another variation on the DIY Bead Strand Bracelet…

Oh, and if you like that blue & gold chain wrap bracelet click here to learn how to make it!

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Rating: 5.0/5 (8 votes cast)

Rustic Wood & Iron Table [DIY]

October 10, 2012 by Picklee: Jordan

After finally completing our finished basement, Brett and I (let’s face it, mostly “I” ) were left with the task of furnishing it… To me, this was the fun part, the moment I had been waiting for! We had already decided that the basement would be Brett’s space, a “man cave” if you will, minus the flashing Budweiser signs and football branded memorabilia…I’m sorry, I just can’t! So we found a style we both agreed on- coastal/ rustic (hence the comfy nautical striped built in seating area we created).

As we began filling up the space, one piece we were in need of was a sofa table. There was no way I was going out to buy one…we’d spent enough money on this basement already! So since we were going with the whole coastal-rustic vibe, I decided to hit up a nearby marina/ beach for some inspiration. I came across a huge pile of salvage dock pieces, coincidentally the same length as the sofa table we needed …I convinced Brett to help me load it into the car (despite how ridiculous we looked to onlookers!) I had a clear vision for my DIY rustic sofa table…I wanted it made from this simple salvage beach wood, and black iron legs, sort of like this rustic farm table from Restoration Hardware:

Using lots of inspiration, I created my own rustic wood & metal table for a fraction of what it would cost to buy one! Here’s how the finished product turned out…

Rustic Wood & Iron Table [DIY]

The first step I took in creating the rustic sofa table was to measure the exact height that I wanted it to be. I took my measurements to Home Depot, where I found this fabulous threaded black iron pipe (1″ diameter). The wonderful thing about good ol’ HD is that they’ll cut just about anything for you! So I grabbed 4 pieces of black iron pipe, then brought them over to be cut and re-threaded (such a cool process if you’ve never seen it before!). Once the pipes were cut, I grabbed 4 flanges to mount to the wood (which I would screw the pipes into), along with 4 black iron end caps (these would be the feet on my table).

Here’s a better image of the piece of salvage dock I picked up

Once I got my table parts home, I flipped the table top over then measured and marked where I wanted the legs to go. This was the spot I would attach the flanges to.

l’m getting much better with the power tools!

Next, I simple screwed my pre-cut pieces of black iron pipe into the flanges underneath the table…this is too simple!

For the last step, I simply threaded the iron end caps onto the bottoms of the pipe so they would be the feet for my table….

…and that’ it! I was really surprised at home simple this table turned out to be, and it looks truly amazing! I think I’ll leave the table top raw for now, then maybe I’ll apply a coat of poly later…

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Rating: 4.6/5 (43 votes cast)

Re-purposed TV Console [your pick]

October 4, 2012 by Picklee: Jordan

Today’s wonderful “Your Pick” transformation comes to us from Allyson over at Domestic Superhero. Allyson was in search of a TV console table for her new 51″ TV, so she set out to find one at her local consignment shop…but what she found was far from that. Allyson found a beat up old dresser instead, but not just any old dresser…a dresser with a destiny…destined to become her new TV console table that is! Here’s how the dresser looked when she found it:

Allyson sanded down the piece and removed the top drawers so that it would be open shelving for her TV console…

Then she gave the piece a good coat of primer…

Next, Allyson painted the piece a funky shade of yellow, how fun!

Since Allyson decided she wanted the piece to have a distressed look, she applied a coat of dark glaze on top of the yellow. After the glaze dried, she painted the piece with one more coat of yellow paint, then it was ready to distress! Allyson sanded down the paint in different areas (mostly around the edges) to give the console table a weathered look.

The last thing Allyson did was give the original hardware a coat of iron rubbed bronze spray paint. Here’s how her re-purposed TV console turned out! Pretty amazing, huh?!

If you enjoyed Allyson’s yellow painted cabinet, then you’ll love these yellow painted side tables too!

Rate Allyson’s transformation and share your thoughts below!

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Rating: 4.8/5 (26 votes cast)

Up-cycled Burlap Pumpkin Wreath {DIY}

September 18, 2012 by Picklee: Jordan

Yesterday, I posted a fun Fall DIY on making pumpkins from nylon stockings. So part two of the project is putting those pumpkins to use! I decided to use my nylon pumpkins to create a new Fall wreath! This DIY Fall wreath could not have been simpler to make. The only material it required was burlap and of course foam tube for the wreath. Here’s how my Burlap & Nylon Pumpkin Wreath turned out…

Fall Burlap Pumpkin Wreath {DIY}

For this Fall wreath, all you will need is burlap and a foam wreath base. I like to use 3/4″ pipe insulation, which is available at any hardware store (find it here). A six foot length of the foam tube only costs $1.18 and it works perfectly for making wreaths! This little tip will save you lots! I cut the foam tube to size, then used duck tape to attach the ends together.

Cut your burlap material into 2″ wide strips (and as long as you can make them). I used recycled coffee bags from a local coffee shop.

Wrap the burlap strips around the wreath base, use hot glue to secure them to the wreath.

Now its time to attach the nylon pumpkins to the wreath. Click here for the simple DIY on how to make these pumpkins. Use hot glue to attach the pumpkins to the burlap wreath.

Here’s a close up of the completed Burlap Fall Pumpkin wreath…

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Rating: 4.0/5 (2 votes cast)

Up-cycled Nylon Pumpkins [DIY]

September 17, 2012 by Picklee: Jordan

I just started to dig into my Fall decor…don’t you just love this time of year? I can never get enough of the crisp air, warm apple cider, pumpkin pie, the list goes on! So as I was going through last year’s Fall decor, I figured it might be fun to make something different and up-cycled this year. The question was, what could I create for Fall using materials that I already had at home? My mind went straight to pumpkins…and the material? Nylon Stockings. The end result were these (super fun to make) funky little Nylon Pumpkins!

Up-Cycled Nylon Pumpkins [DIY]

Gather up a spool of thread and a couple pairs of old nylon stockings, various colors work great (I used tan and purple).

Cut the nylon into pieces, each approx. 6″ in length.

Leaving one end sticking up, pull up the opposite end,creating somewhat of a cup. Think of it as an upside-down mushroom.

Using pillow stuffing (or really any type of filling), stuff around the inside of the cup you created with the nylon stocking. Be sure to keep the end you pulled through sticking up.

Using your thread, tie up the top of the filling stocking. Leave approx. 1/4-1/2″, this will become the pumpkins stem!

Next, spin the thread up and around the stem of the pumpkin, just to get the top into that stem like shape. Then bring the thread back down the stem and wrap it once around the body of the pumpkin. Spin the thread around the stem again, then wrap it around the body of the pumpkin again in a different spot. Continue wrapping the thread around the body of the pumpkin a few more times (pulling tight) so that you create the groves in the pumpkin.

Once you’ve finished wrapping the thread around the pumpkin, tie up the thread back around the stem.

At the point, you can finish off the stem however you would like. One option is coloring the stem in with brown marker to give it a natural look….

Or, you could wrap and glue a piece of bright colored ribbon around it…

This tuned out to be such a fun project, and I’m more than pleased with the way my nylon pumpkins turned out!

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Rating: 4.2/5 (12 votes cast)

Fresh Picked Friday {8/17/12}

August 17, 2012 by Picklee: Jordan

{8/17/12}

I hope you all had a lovely week! Here’s a few of my favorite things to kick off the weekend…

The New Black (white & gold)

Take me away (Tuscany, Italy)

tuscany

Who Knew? (transfer ink to wood with no heat!)

Rise & Shine! (Healthy Greek Yogurt Pancakes)

greek_yogurt_pancakes

Loving for this season (laid back prep)

Shut the barn door! (DIY barn door tutorial)

Betcha didn’t know…(Staples prints 3′ x 4′ “engineer” prints for 4.99!)

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.- Walt Disney

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Rating: 5.0/5 (4 votes cast)

Before & After White Cane Chair {your pick}

August 9, 2012 by Picklee: Jordan

Today’s Your Pick submission brings up a blast from the past. Remember those big, solid brown cane chairs that were in everyone’s den or “sun room”? These were huge in the 80′s and early 90′s (similar to my ugly 80′s buffet), for some reason I’m thinking Golden Girls…man, I loved that show! Anyway, point is, those original cane chairs went out a long time ago, right along with hi-top sneakers and spandex shorts. However, the modernized cane chair has made a big come back, like these from Shabbfufu:

French Style Louis Cane Side Chair With Fog Linen

This new cane chair trend is what prompted Debbie (of meandmydiy) to transform an old, outdated cane chair for her daughters room. Debbie decided to paint her chair a weathered shade of blue with white cane to give it a fresh, updated look. And the best part? She used painters canvas drop cloth material to recover the chair’s fabric and pillows! How clever and innovative!

Check out the incredible results…

Debbie shares the story behind her transformation:

“This is a chair that I picked up from Craigslist and refinished for my daughter’s bedroom. I used paint to transform the frame, and painter’s canvas drop clothes to do the rest. The matching pillow was also made from the same drop cloth, and painted using latex paint and painter’s tape. I couldn’t be more pleased with the results!”

Debbie’s cane chair transformation turned out amazing!

Share your thoughts and rate Debbie’s cane chair transformation below.

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Rating: 4.7/5 (25 votes cast)

The Bright Painted Furniture Movement {Inspiration}

August 8, 2012 by Picklee: Jordan

I’ve shared a few posts lately about brightly painted furniture, like the trash-to-treasure nightstands and little lime table. Bright, vibrant colors have it going on right now, from jewelry, to clothes, to furniture… Adding one simple piece of brightly painted furniture to a room can bring it from simple & understated to frisky & fun instantly. And the best part about this trend? It’s the PERFECT opportunity to transform and revive any old piece of furniture, so you’ll save $$ too! Normally, when I paint furniture I like to look for pieces with great detail and character, but the process is a bit different for me when I’m painting something a vibrant color. Since bright colors have a voice all on their own, it’s okay to use more ~~old & boring~~ simple pieces of furniture. So dust off that old, forgotten about table in the attic and give it a fresh coat of FUN!