Category Archives: Lisa’s Scribbles

It’s the things that inspire creativity in me like reworking furniture, remodeling a house, baking/cooking, and gardening.

One Jaw-dropping Dresser Makeover – French Country Style

That’s one snazzy title, right? Well, it’s just that epic! This French Country Dresser makeover will give jaw-dropping results. Want to do something similar? Yeah, well be prepared for words like; gorgeous, beautiful, amazing and unbelievable…because that’s what you’ll hear!

Let’s get started then…

I’m a hand-me-down lover — of furniture that is. Anything old I’ll gladly take it off your hands and repurpose or create into something new. These beauties were handed down to me from my Grandparents after they passed away. They came all the way from Ohio, made a stop in Colorado for a few years till my parents moved here to Idaho and kindly delivered them. They’ve been sitting in my bedroom untouched for the last two years until I could come to a decision on how I wanted to make them over. And let me tell you, the wait was worth it!

I think what drew me to the pieces were the detailed designs.

Let’s just say they had curves in all the right places.

And those bun feet? Love!

Character all the way around that was screaming to be seen.

I did something unusual this time around, I asked my husband what color he’d like to see them since we’d be using them in our master bedroom. Now I didn’t just give him free reign here, I gave him a selection of pictures from Pinterest on dresser makeovers and we came to agreement on an Annie Sloan color named Napoleonic Blue. Typically I make my own chalk paint, why? Because it’s a lot less expensive and I can custom-create a color I really like with little effort. But this time around? I liked the color, knew I’d have a hard time matching it up, and just went for it.

Overall the dressers were in fairly good shape, just a few water rings, scratches and a little chip missing on the bottom of the smaller chest of drawers. A little wood putty went a long way to filling in those gaps. And before all you antique lovers go crazy on me and tell me I ruined such a beautiful set…they’re not antiques. They were made with quality, but I checked and doubled checked to make sure before I took on a project like this, so rest assured they’re not antiques.

Moving on…

A little water stain here…

A few discoloration spots there…

A little wood putty to fill in those scratches…

And some Annie Sloan Napoleonic Blue to make everything pretty.

That first pass with the chalk paint went on a bit thin.

But by the second coat everything was looking great. And the best part? No sanding involved!

It’s a bit bright, right? Well don’t worry, it’ll all change up by the end. The first thing I did was apply a clear wax.

A little wax on, a little wax off…seriously. You rub some on to ensure coverage and then you wipe it off. Easy peasy. After I applied the wax I went in search of a french styled graphic to add the perfect touch. The Graphic’s Fairy is one of my favorite places to find french themed transfers, you seriously need to go and look at Karen’s page, it’s amazing! Visit her printable transfers page here: The Graphics Fairy . On her site she offers various ways to help you transfer your graphic to your furniture, small project, and or fabric, all of which are amazing, but this time around I did it differently than most might think of. I used my Cameo Silhouette to create a stencil. Why? Because after painting, waxing and various other tasks that put wear and tear on my arms I wanted to simplify it for myself. And I did!

Karen offers her printable as PDF files, which I then converted to a PNG file and opened it up in my Silhouette Studio. From there I used the trace function and wahlaa! I got myself a simple super easy stencil that can be reduced or enlarged to fit my projects need!

One note, I didn’t figure this out on my own. I researched online and found most of them to be really complicated and almost gave up until I found this lovely little website, Maya Road Classic Card Kits. She goes into details on how to convert the PNG file in your Silhouette Studio using the trace function. You can see it here: Using PNG Files for your Silhouette.

After removing the lettering to create the stencil, I used contact paper as my transfer method. You don’t want to try and apply this vinyl stencil without it, it’s too flimsy.

I then smoothed it out to remove any air bubbles. Now don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be perfect as you’re just using it as a transfer method to get it on the project.

Your next step is to remove the vinyl backing. Peel it away slowly, seriously, because there are small letters involved and you could accidently remove the inside of an R or E if you’re not too careful.

Nice and sticky and ready to be applied to your project.

Be sure to choose your location of the stencil before hand and make sure you’ve measured to ensure it’s centered. Nothing looks worse than going through all this hard work to find out that your graphic is crooked. Kinda ruins the moment.

Once you’ve applied your stencil, use your spreader to push out the air bubbles and try and get the smoothest finish you can. Don’t worry if you can’t seem to get rid of them all, you can use your fingers later.

Now carefully peel away the contact paper.

And when I say carefully, this is why. Sometimes those interior parts of the outlined letter like to stick to the adhesive. If this happens just gently press it back into place and rub it with your finger or spreader and try peeling it back again. Sometimes it takes a few times to get it loose, but it’s okay, you’ll get it.

Next be sure to smooth out any air bubles with your fingers. You want to gently press them out so you don’t rip the vinyl and have your paint leak through underneath.

I then chose to grab some acrylic black paint and my handy dandy sponge dabber to fill in those letters on the stencil.

Be sure to not add too much paint onto the dabber, unless of course you want a dark finish on the project. I wanted something that looked time worn, so I used it lightly to fill in the stencil.

Once you’ve filled it all in…LET IT DRY! Yup, don’t try and peel it off now, you’ll just spread all that wet paint around and ruin your lovely piece.

After the paint has dried, peel away the vinyl to expose your graphic.

I started with a corner and worked my way down. And FYI, it doesn’t all come off in one piece.

A little tug here and there…

And then some detailed work on peeling it back from all those smaller spaces.

But in the end this is what you’re left with!

But you’re not finished yet… Here comes the really fun part! This is when you apply the dark wax and give it that aged, well worn appearance that its been sitting in a French countryside villa just waiting for you to take it home!

Again…wax on, wax off!

I know it looks a little messy, and it is, but oh so worth it in the end.

Here is is with the dark wax rubbed into all those lovely details of the dresser.

And if it got too dark? Just use a little clear wax to tone it down a bit.

Just right for me…and please excuse the messy basket to the side. Those baskets held all my drawers contents while it was being reworked. lol

Pretty snazzy, huh?

And that wood on top? It never looked better with a little sanding and gel stain!

Look at those bun feet!

And all the detailed woodwork just popping now!

And the long short dresser? It wasn’t forgotten either!

Now off you go to create your own masterpiece! And keep watch here for my master bedroom makeover! You won’t want to miss that one!

Toodles!

Cabinet & Bookshelf Makeover on a Budget

I’m the type of person that’s constantly changing things up, especially in the decor department. Adding, taking away, repurposing…you never know what’s going to change when you come over next. It’s a creative release that carries over from my novel-writing. Most of the time I like the change, and sometimes it takes me a while to figure out exactly what else is needed to finish it off to my liking. Take this bookshelf and amoire that I turned into additional kitchen storage. While I love the way the bookshelf turned out, I’m not so happy with the storage cabinet and will probably tweak it a little more once my tendonitis stops flaring up.

This is what I started with, at one time it was an oak bookshelf that I painted black and then changed it again.

Nothing too fancy about it, but I still liked the lines of it.

And here we have our basic amoire/storage cabinet that I changed up the doors on so I could have more interior storage. They used to slide inside the cabinet, but that didn’t work for me.

It too once had an oak finish that I painted black and decided it needed a color overhaul.

Huge difference with the chalk paint color, it now stands out instead of blending into the background with all the other dark colors.

And the bookshelves? I’m really loving them again.

I added an additional finish to this chalk paint project by using dark wax, and it turned out great.

And you see that lovely little graphic addition to the top shelf?

I think it adds to the details of it and gives it the vintage look that I was going for…and the bonus? I printed it from The Graphics Fairy’s website! And the overall cost of this project? Under $20!

Now while the storage cabinet looks fine in the living room, I’m thinking of adding the same dark wax finish over the chalk paint, along with a vintage graphic…as soon as my arm decides to cooperate.

Creating an Inviting Entry on a Budget

So we all have seen the front entrance that looks grand and we oh and ah over it wishing we could create that same look…and then we have that rear entry that needs a little help because we want it to be inviting too not to mention a tight budget. Well lucky you! I’m going to show you both a cute front entrance and rear at different houses using the same method, but a little differently and all for under $20!

Let’s start with my Wanna Be Remodel from 2014. It was a rental we’d owned for a long time and needed some serious work–more than just an update. So before we sold it we overhauled the entire house, and me being me, I wanted to leave my own special touch for the new owners, and that came in the way of a cute and inviting entry for this lovely little ranch.

Here’s what I started with, your basic plain boring hallway. It was on the dark side too since the door didn’t have a window.

The overall process was pretty easy and cheap, like in it only costing around $20 for the materials. Now keep in mind I already had the paint, nails etc. I started off with a pile of lumber, pine or common wood and furring strips.

I cut to length and tacked them up using a nail gun, and level. I did not glue. Why? Because I wanted it to be easy for the new owner to change things out later down the road if they wanted to. Nothing like having drywall come off with the boards and being frustrated, believe me I know that feeling.

I know you’re probably noticing that I used the furring strips all the way down and cut my baseboards to fit it. There’s no special reason for me doing this then it’s what I wanted since the two surfaces would have had different thicknesses. I wanted it to be somewhat smooth, and this was the way I could achieve it.

Again adding my own special touch to the project, I purchased the precut letters from Hobby Lobby and painted them black. Cute right? I then caulked and finished painting out the wall in a white gloss, and stood back to enjoy the view. Warm, inviting, and I left them with a good start to add hooks or a bench.

I’d come in if they offered.

Since I did this at the Wanna be Remodel and liked it so much, I decided to add this same theme to my back entry.

This time, I chose not to paint it all, just the furring strips and top modelings. I also added hooks and this has become a well-used stop to hang coats, purses, backpacks and whatever else needs to be hung!

I only added the batten board look to the one wall because I have a hall bath on the opposite side with a pocket door. I thought it best not to nail the pocket door in place as it might make it a little embarrassing when guests were over and wanted to use the toilet. Smart choice I think. 😛

DIY Christmas – Custom Decor Candles

Want to give your friend or family member that special gift that comes from the heart? Well, I got another idea for you to run with for your DIY Christmas – A Custom Decor Candle. Yeah, I know Scentsy is the big thing now, everything wickless, but sometimes your want to have a candle to add to your decor because it’s simply so beautiful. I have an easy way to either update your old candles, or create a magical gift for the family and friends in your life.

So I made these little beauties at the same time as I was Upcycling glass jars for Christmas gifts. I used some of the same supplies; ribbons, embellishments, old earrings and some upholstery tacks.

I started with some candles I purchased at Walmart. The large ones are scented, the smaller are unscented. Hobby Lobby had candles as well, but I was looking for the least expensive variety.

I gathered together my supplies.

Ribbons, tacks, some jewelry making supplies.

A few things from the paper crafting aisle as well.

Cuz seriously, who doesn’t want some bling in their life?

I then used the ribbon of choice and secured in the back with some upholstery tacks. They add a nice touch too, don’t you think?

After securing the ribbon, I embellished with a variety of my supplies.

A little paper crafting supplies with the flowers that I attached using a glue gun, and then some bling to dress it up.

I used a tack on the front to hold the tassel and key in place for this one.

And this got a little of everything.

And then I decided to mix things up by using some wire.

After adding a little bit of jewelry to the front, I secured it by twisting the wire on the back.

A little bling, a little ribbon and wa-lah! You’ve got yourself a beautiful handmade gift that will be cherished.

This little embellishment was an old earring from my niece that I added the charm to.

Now who wouldn’t want to display them on a shelf or tray in the bathroom? Or even in the living room or dining room.

Yeah, I’m gifting these away this year. So if you’re family/friends and you’re seeing this post, guess what’s coming your way!

Toodles!

DIY Christmas – Upcycling Glass Jars

In December 2013 I published a post title DIY Christmas – Candy Jars, and recently the post and comments have taken off from sites like Hometalk and Pinterest. So, in an effort to keep things rolling, I’ve updated my DIY Christmas post to include gift ideas for all those glass jars once again. And boy oh boy are you in for a treat!

I collect things, what can I say? Now let me point out that I only collect things that inspire me, something I can reuse, repurpose into something different, an original creation/variation of sorts. Upcycling has become big, there are so many things you can do with old wood, glass jars, sweaters and the list keeps growing. It’s all about creating something unique and beautiful at the same time. My husband used to call it junk, but not so much anymore. Now? Now he’s like, “So what can we make this weekend so you can blog about it?” Crazy, right?

So since he’s been working super long hours this week, I’ve been upcycling glass jars for Christmas gifts and wanted to pass the inspiration on to you.

Well it all started with empty jars ranging from spaghetti jars, hot peppers, sauces, spice jars and a few drink jars thrown in just for the heck of it. And what came out of them is pretty awesome!

You think I had enough jars saved up? It was becoming a problem on finding space to store them without my hubby finding them and want to toss them.

I gathered up my supplies; ribbons, embellishments, knobs, and some paper crafting supplies.

Those lovely little do dads were in the paper crafting supplies area at Hobby Lobby It’s the bling that caught my eye.

Hobby Lobby had their ribbon at 50% off, can’t beat a deal like that around holiday crafting time.

To start with I selected my jar, in this case it was from sauerkraut, and no it didn’t stink because I always run my jars through the dishwasher and then let them sit for a while without the lid on so the strong orders disappear. I also soak my jars for a little while in warm water to remove the labels. I’ve found that an SOS pad works great at removing the sticky residue quickly and doesn’t scratch it. And for the really sticky stuff? I use Goo Gone and let it soak for just a little bit before scrubbing them off.

I picked my ribbon of choice and wound it around the jar securing it with hot glue.

Those lovely embellishments? Those were from my niece, they were old earrings she no longer wore and didn’t want. Of course I knew exactly what I’d use them for and snagged a few others as well.

Cute right? Since I had two similar jars I embellished them the same way. I saw them sitting on a bathroom counter holding cotton balls and q-tips.

The next step was to drill the holes into the lids and then spray paint them. I thought I’d like to change up the colors this time around and did some white, silver and the oil rubbed bronze you see above, but in the end decided I like the oil rubbed bronze best.

I also cut the screws down this time since I’d be handing them out as gifts.

Here’s an example of how I attached the ribbons, a little glue on the starting piece, then a little along the way to keep it in place. The strip of glue wasn’t needed, just a little dot to secure it is all you need.

And these lovely embellishments from the paper crafting department at Hobby Lobby added a little bit of elegance to them as well.

Once I got started I couldn’t stop!

I filled mine with bath salts that I’d purchased a while ago and added the scoop to them.

You could fill them with just about anything you wanted and give them away for Christmas gifts. Because who doesn’t want a homemade gift that’s simply beautiful? And might I add cheap to make too?

If you didn’t want to add a knob, you could also hot glue an embellishment on the top as well.

You notice those candles in the pic? That’s next week’s DIY Christmas blog post.

You see this little beauty? Watch for next weeks DIY Christmas blog posts to see what else I’ve been up to.

Fun Fall Decor – Mini Wrapped Pumkpins

Quite the title, right? Makes you wonder what I’ve done now? Well, let me tell you… Those cute little white pumpkins I bought at the grocery store looked like they needed something extra added to them, so I did. A little tissue paper, a little Modge Podge and you’ve got yourself a custom decorative mini pumpkin to show off.

I started off with mini white pumpkins, tissue paper (the thinner the better), and some image transfer medium. Modge Podge would work just fine for this application as well.

I ordered the cursive paper online on Amazon. It was exactly what I was looking for, plus Amazon carries a wide variety of them in different colors and patterns.

I then applied the image transfer medium, again Modge Podge will work just fine, to the outside of the pumpkin with a paint brush. This brush actually kinda sucked as it needed to use something like a chippy brush because it was softer. But this is what happens when this is the only cheap brush you have on hand, you use it cuz you’re just gonna throw it out later.