Fall Wicker Basket

Okay, so I really REALLY love baskets.  All kinds, all shapes - I must have literally almost 100.  I used to hang them from the ceiling at our previous house, but it never seemed to look right here.   Trouble is, they all seem to be some different version of wood.


Not that there is anything wrong with that.  Not whatsoever.   But, they tend to take on some kind of dingyness to them and they are all varying shades of the same thing.   Nothing looks like it wants to work together.  

So enters my new best friend, Spray Paint.   I have been spray painting everything lately (or at the very least finding things that I WILL spray paint the next chance I get)   My poor dog is cowering in the corner - he thinks he's next.

Here's a batch of them drying in the sun....

This is what happens when you take an ordinary wicker(ish) basket and introduce him to Valspar.

The end result of this particular basket - it's the largest on the top left corner of the above photo.

A definite improvement, but I still needed to add something.    I grabbed this

and these

and went to work adding some fall "festivities" to the mix.    The foliage (for lack of a better term) has probably seen better days, since I've been stealing from it here and there.   

Some of the berries were used for this fall project

And some other pieces had been used for the candlestick "redo" on this project here

So the back was looking pretty sad and "unfluffy".   I have no real fix for this.  I just figure that will stay in the back and anybody who notices will be too polite to say anything.   So much of my life is like that.

Anyways, attaching the garland was very, very easy to do.   I simply held a piece up and figured out where to adhere it with some floral wire.   I am positve that there are better and more "permanent" ways to achive the same thing.  But since this is not for my store or a gift, it will just be used here at home.   The good news about that is also that the garland can easily be taken back apart and replaced with something else for each season!

So you'll be sure to meet this basket again.  :)

I basically wanted to make sure that wherever the wire was attached, it would be covered by a leaf or another part of the garland and not stick out like a sore thumb bright shiney gold piece of wire.

The leaves do seem to cover it up very well!

So after attaching it on each side (or maybe in five different spots altogether) we have our end result

TaDa!

I so love the way these colors look together for fall.   Here's another view :

But that's just in an upstairs hallway and I wanted this little beauty somewhere that we actually ARE.  So I ended up bringing her back down to the family room on my hearth.

Cute!  I love it.  This would be great for newspapers, magazines or even a little stash of firewood.   Here's another cute tip:

Turn a basket upside down and it becomes a GREAT area for a small display!  

Total cost ZERO and time was approx. one and a half hours (even counting waiting for the paint to dry - I think you are actually supposed to Prime it first and wait a much longer time, but whatever.)

Now I just can't figure out which I like better!  Either way could hide a bunch of yucky - very useful.

By the way, I am linking up to Reinvented's Trash to Treasure Tuesday (if I'm able, since it is Wendesday LOL!)   Be sure to  check her out here!

Have a great day!

Smiles and Hugs,
Joyce

Between Naps on the Porch is having a Tassel Give Away

Be sure to check this out also for a chance at a great give away!


Between Naps on the Porch: Welcome to the 37th Metamorphosis Monday and a Fall Give-a-Way!

Smiles and Hugs,
Joyce

The Spray Paint and The Three Pears

Story of The Spray Paint and The Three Pears

I'm again *repurposing* this tired, old post to participate in...http://itssoverycheri.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-to-make-tassel-tutorial-cheri-style.html

Like so many of you guys, I really love Ballard Design.   Like so many of you, I do not want to spend $79.00 on something that will eventually, if I am being honest, sit on a shelf somewhere and collect dust.   Like so many of you, I want to only spend about $2 on something that will eventually, if I am being honest, sit on a shelf somewhere and collect dust.

The following chronicles my mission for the perfect white pear.  Or three.  Three of something usually is better than one.  

This beauty is on sale for $79.00.   

Ballard Designs actually does have a version for much less!  $49.00.  Um, no thanks.

Here are  mine.

About $ 5.   And that's for all three!

The Magic of Spray Paint!   It's like having "New" in a can!   Yes I stole that phrase and am going to use it as much as possible - it's too true!  :)

Anyways, I realize that pretty soon (if it has not already happened) the whole White Pretend Fruit trend is going to get old.  But I can't help myself - I really do {heart} the whole White Pretend Fruit thing.  

Here's what I did.   Now, for this project, I did actually go out and purchase something "new".   My tagline on this blog used to be Old Is The New New, but I'm realizing that sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.    The Christmas Tree Shop is full of excellent bargains - and you can spend so little that it's ALMOST LIKE you didn't even go shopping at all.  For real.    (By the way, my blog has a new tagline now - let me know what you think!  :)

Anyways, the pears that I found were a bit TOO pear colored.   They were INTENSELY pear colored.  As in almost Blindlingly Green.     My camera almost couldn't really capture this new to nature color, but here they are when we started out.

.....waiting patiently outside on my handy spray painting blanket with their new BFF - Valspar Ivory Spray Paint.

When I'm seeing them in this photo, the color really doesn't look to bad, but they just did not fit in with the rest of the gang...

So a few minutes and a few swipes with the spray paint later and LOOK!.............

They Are Happier Already!    I just love to put a smile on a fake pear's face. 

Anyways, this is one after just a couple of coats...

I do see a definite improvement.   I did add one more coat, again not bothering with any painting "rules" like preparing the surface - I just sprayed them.   Brought them inside after they dried (maybe 1/2 hour?) and added some black for contrast to the stem with my Cheap Acrylic Craft Paint.

I still don't know where exactly these three are going to end up - probably like everything else in this house, they will be moved around ALOT.   But I want something striking yet simple for my dining room table and that's probably where they will start their little journey.

So damn happy with how they came out!  

I'd love to hear about any project you guys are working on!

Smiles and Hugs,
Joyce

Fun with Paint - Chalkboard Style

I will be entering this post in a Linky Party!!   Or two!   Check here for tons of Make Your Monday projects brought to you by Twice Remembered.

Also I am again *repurposing* to participate in a KNOCK OFF KNOCK OUT Party hosted by It's So Very Cheri.

This will also be included in Show and Tell Friday over at My Romantic Home.    Get yer butt here for a visit!

So if you are an avid blog follower, you might have seen the following trick repeated many, many, many times over the last few weeks.   I hope you don't mind one more! 

If you have never heard of chalkboard paint, it is like the coolest stuff ever created!   Take a look at the following "redo" and you'll be looking around your home for stuff to "chalkify" too!!

I started with a picture of a giraffe and it's baby that for some reason I have lying around.  I must have thought it was cute at one point, but needless to say, it does not exactly BLEND with the current decor around here.  But it was a good size and seemed to have some potential.

I hadn't noticed this before somehow, but it has a nice little ropy detail running along the entire edge!  It had blended right in with the greyish, weird, light brown "wood". 

Kind of added another challenge, because I wasn't anticipating it at the time and didn't want to ruin the frame.  But as luck would have it, it's just kind of inset INTO the frame - not glued or anything!  So it basically just ripped right out!

 I went to work figuring out how to dismantle this baby.

 

Alot of your less expensive cheap "art" will have something like this on the back.  These little brackets are bendy and attach the frame to the backing. 

With a little help from my super sophisticated stash of power tools....

Okay, I mean my CHEESE SPREADER..... I was able to get the whole thing apart in approximately 3  minutes. 

Now, this particular piece of priceless art was so cheap well-made, that it didn't even have real glass as a protective cover.   Just a sheet (which DID break) of super stiff plastic something-or-other.   I was thinking I'd save it to use for SOMETHING, but this part did bend and break into a bunch of little pieces.  Well, you win some - you lose some.

Anyways, I took the frame (with the rope torn out) and the cardboard backing outside to paint.

This is my secret weapon used to obliterate giraffes.   I found it at AC Moore, I believe, for about $6 and there is not even a DENT put into the amount still left after this, my first chalkboard project.   

I probably have better photos somewhere, but I basically chose an area of my yard that is away from anything that would NOT like to be covered into chalkboard material and also in the sun for fast drying.  I laid an old blanket down to protect the ground below.

I used this to cover the frame - separate blanket a few feet away from the first.

It's just a basic can of ivory color spray paint from Valspar. 

I did NOT prime, I did NOT sand, I did NOT also do anything else that one is supposed to do before painting.  Not that I am recommending that you guys ignore all relevant and practical advice, but sometimes I am a little lot too impatient to take extra steps.   Just point, aim and you are done.

Then I was left with this below.   About 2 coats on each and they dried very quickly being out in the sun.

Now I'm sitting and hoping that the cool little rope detail will look better against the white and HOPING that I can actually get it back into place without a fight.

The first piece actually did.  The rest wasn't willing to go down without a fight.  I'm guessing that the spray paint made the little "valley" that it sits in a bit too tight or something, but the stuff JUST WOULDN'T FIT. 

But with a little help from my friend (FabriTac) I managed to get the rest into place or at least attached to the frame and now all is right with the world. 

I laid the chalkboard covered piece into the frame and repositioned the bracketts that hold it into place.  Again with my sophisticated power tools butter knife.

Looking better and happier already!

See the weird little smudgy thing on the upper left hand corner ( I do this ALL THE TIME, by the way - people will come to my house and compliment something and I ALWAYS manage to point out it's flaw - why - WHY?)  Anyways, that is because I'm not sure that chalkboard paint was MEANT to go over cardboard and erase easily.   This was after trying to use an eraser, which basically just smudged the chalk around - I ended up using a slightly damp paper towel to erase next tiem and it worked perfectly!

For now, it is making it's home right here...

A little corner off the kitchen, next to where I've got the downstairs computer set up.   

The best part about this arrangement was actually an added bonus that I had not planned out..

It hides a multitude of yucky!!   I love lamps on countertops, but hate the mess of cords that you can never REALLY hide.   Plus a small stash of candles and other kitchen debris can be nicely tucked away behind it - out of view!

I'm going to certainly be looking around my house for more hidden treasure - so many things can be turned into something completely New and Useful and Beautiful!  This entire project, by the way, probably took about 3 hours start to finish and that even includes waiting for the paint to dry.  

Happy Weekend Everyone!. 

Smiles and Hugs,
Joyce

"Old Stuff" Redo Part #1

Okay, so I found some really good buys at a thrift store that I introduced you guys to right here.

I finally found a bit of time to play around with over the weekend and wanted to share the results, so far.

Okay,   remember this little beauty?

I actually didn't even give her a makeover.  Not even lip gloss or NOTHIN.  Well I did wipe the dirt off, but that's about it.    I really just liked it so much that it ended up on my hutch with some fall flowers.

The color is obviously not coming through the greatest, but you get the idea.   I actually think it would be stunning black with fall flowers, but sometimes I just get impatient!  Maybe this weekend.

Okay, and these candlesticks?

They had a little more lovin'.    I started with a basic Ivory paint.   Everything I do seems to be either Ivory or Black lately.   

All together now... Ebony and Ivory... Live Together in......

Sorry, I'll stop.   Anyways, this is what I ended up with

Prettier, but still pretty boring.   Plus the bow reminded me more of spring.    So I tried this instead....

And I kinda liked it!  The bow got moved along the BOTTOM of the piece and I added some fall foliage and berries.   A gingham ribbon along the top and a cute little birds nest with more berries on the inside.

Then I wondered what to do with it.    A candle seemed so "anticipated" or something.  I know, I'm a weirdo.   So first I tried the super trendy lately "pumpkin on a pedastal".

Yeah, not so much.

Then how about a cute decorative bird?

Still just looked a little out of place - she's too separated from the damn nest or something.  Anyways, then inspiration struck and I found the PERFECT purpose for my new old thing:

A lipstick holder for my daughter's play makeup!   

I'm kidding of course - but it's the only thing that did fit perfectly.    I think perhaps I will just stick with a candle.

Here's the other one:

Added a bow again with a touch of foliage for fall, and along the bottom some more fall berries with a couple of pine cones.

I know you are thinking that the two pieces would make alot more sense if they matched.  You would probably be right.  

Maybe someday - nothing seems to stay the same way in this house for too long before I get bored and change it all over again!

I'll be doing some more postings shortly with the rest of my "finds" along with an updated stool project,  some uses for repurposing scrapbook materials (got WAY too many of those) and I've also been having fun with Letter Decorating.

Have a great day everyone

Smiles and Hugs,
Joyce