furniture Archives - Crap I've Made

Outdoor Table Makeover

May 14, 2012 By Char @ Crap I've Made 24 Comments

How was your weekend?

Did you do any work in the yard?

We did. And we gave a $10 thrift store find some new life and a new home on our front porch.

My mom and I were at a thrift store a few months back, following up on a Pyrex tip (yes, really), and we saw this teak table. It was $10 and we both NEEDED it. She drives a tiny little 2 seater and couldn’t actually get it home, so I won. Open-mouthed smile

See how you can turn that middle part over? Fun, right?

Structurally, it was in great shape but the wood needed some love. And by “love” I mean “child labor”.

Yes, my 4 year old is wearing a Santa shirt in May…what of it?

And then we planted the shallow tray with some succulents

and added some gravel.

And a before and after shot:

Totally worth $10, right?

To see the rest of my $100 porch makeover (and some prettier shots of the table), come back tomorrow!

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Filed Under: DIY, furniture, Lowes, makeovers, outdoor, thrifting, wood

“Vintage” Sign Tutorial

April 30, 2012 By Char @ Crap I've Made 51 Comments

Do you love the look of old metal signs?

I do.

Do you love the price of old metal signs?

I do not.

Plus, what are the odds that it’ll be just the right size and color? Not good, friends…not good.

So, when I had the idea to put one on Macy’s pallet headboard, I knew I’d have to DIY it.

My first stop was the ducting section at Lowe’s.

They sell metal sheets elsewhere in the store (near the plexi glass), but they’re about 2-3 times as much. Is it “nicer” metal? Probably, but we don’t need nice for this project. Open-mouthed smile

The sheet measured 24” X 36”, but I wanted a slightly different size. I cut about 2.5” off one of the long sides so my piece was 21.5” X 36”. You can score with a razor blade/utility knife and then snap the metal along the line, but it takes some SERIOUS patience and massive amounts of scoring. I went the quick route and used tin snips (WEAR GLOVES) and then used a file to smooth the edge (WEAR GLOVES).

I liked the look of a metal border, so I taped off the edges and then I applied some yellow paint. I used Jonquil from the new Martha Stewart Crafts by Plaid line. That paint works on pretty much any surface, including metal. You don’t need a great coat, because you’re going to sand it and beat it up. Make sure it’s mostly covered, though. Peel off the tape and sand. I used an electric sander with 220 grit. If you’re doing it by hand, you could use rougher paper (lower grit #). Here’s a shot after I had sanded:

I put the tape back on and applied some vinyl, cut with my Silhouette CAMEO™, in the center in the shape of a vintage Chevrolet logo.

I traced the center part manually in the Silhouette Studio® Designer Edition software and then used the font “Hood Ornament” to add the lettering. It’s not quite the same font that Chevy actually used, but only true car dorks would know that.

Once the vinyl was applied, I put on a coat of Martha Stewart Crafts by Plaid paint in carrot.

After I peeled off the tape and vinyl:

And then I sanded some more. Once I was happy with it, I mounted it to the headboard with a screw in each corner.

I will probably go back and put a clear coat on it, but it’s cold today and I’m a wuss. Open-mouthed smile

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Filed Under: DIY, furniture, home decor, Lowes, paint, Silhouette, tutorial, vinyl, wood

World’s Easiest Pallet Headboard

April 26, 2012 By Char @ Crap I've Made 23 Comments

If you’ve ever asked me what BC does for a living, you probably remember me saying “I don’t know.” It’s true…I don’t. Here’s what I do know:

There’s a crate shop involved.

This crate shop is the source of LOTS of scrap lumber. And pallets.

So, when I couldn’t figure out a way to make my initial dreams of a corrugated metal headboard be non-tetanus inducing, I decided to go the free route and use some pallet wood. I thought the rustic wood would be a nice contrast to the white board and batten and that it would go well with the vintage car vibe we’re going for, too.

BC came home with a double sided 42” pallet. Apparently both of those characteristics are rare? (Shipping dork alert!) I loved the look of it so much that I decided not to rip it apart.

I found this fabulous light at Lowe’s in the outdoor lighting section:

I bought a cord kit and wired the light to work as a plug in. I’m not going to tell you how to do this, because I’m not an electrician. You should ~~probably~~ consult one before you do this.

I mounted the light to the pallet and loved it

but it needed some height.

I went for another cheap and easy solution.

BC cut me three 17” pieces of a 4X4 and a 42” long piece of 2X4. We screwed the legs (the 4X4) to the 2X4 and then mounted it to the bottom of the pallet.

See?

The bed frame will be bolted directly into the 4X4’s.

Whether or not I stain/paint/something that wood to make it the same color as the pallet has yet to be decided. It’ll probably depend on how visible it is once there’s bedding on the bed…that’s how I roll. I’m also pondering another potential addition to the headboard involving something I got in the ducting section at Lowe’s.

In the mean time, I wanted to remind you all about the $100 Lowe’s gift card giveaway I’m running through noon tomorrow. GO HERE to enter.

And while you’re waiting to see what else I’ve done to the room/if you’re the lucky gift card winner, head on over for your FREE Subscription to Lowe’s Creative Ideas Magazine:

Disclosure: Lowe’s provided me with a gift card for this month’s room makeover challenge.

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Filed Under: DIY, furniture, home decor, makeovers, tutorial, wood

Giveaway: UglySofa.com X 3!

May 3, 2011 By Char @ Crap I've Made

Thanks for sticking with me through this WordPress migration! I’ve gotten some emails about things that aren’t working, and I appreciate them. I think everything is working now, but if it’s not…you know where to find me. I’ve also gotten some feedback that people don’t like the truncated posts at the bottom of the page. I’ve got it set now so that there are three full length posts and then 3 truncated posts on the main page. If you’ve got strong feelings on that situation, shoot me an email with what you’d prefer to see (i.e. how many full length posts on the home page, how many truncated). If there’s enough of an uprising (just kidding…you all would never cause an uprising, right?), I might make a change.

So, about that giveaway.

Let me introduce you to UglySofa.com.

UglySofa.com sells new condition slipcovers from pretty much THE most well known company out there. They refer to them as “Brand X”, in honor of the X they put on the tags to prevent returns to said company. I’m going to refer to them as Lottery Yarn, if you catch my drift. And I think you do. Right?

You start by determining if your ugly sofa has square cushions

or T cushions

and then you get shopping.

On many of the covers, they show you a real life shot of the cover on a couch, no catalog magic involved.

So, what’s in it for you?

UglySofa.com is giving THREE of you a slipcover (up to $179 retail value) of your choice!

TO ENTER:

Click on over to UglySofa.com. Have a look around. Come back and leave a comment on this post saying which slipcover you’ll pick if you win. (Entry #1)

Extra entries:

Go back to UglySofa.com. Sign up for their newsletter (left hand column). Come back and leave a comment on this post saying that you did. (Entry #2)

Like UglySofa.com on Facebook. Come back and leave a comment on this post saying that you did. (Entry #3)

Giveaway will run for one week. I’d also like to point out that UglySofa.com is running a ridiculously good sale right now where all one piece slipcovers are $29.99 and all separate seat slipcovers are $49.99. (If you’ve ever priced slipcovers before, you know what I’m talking about.)

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Filed Under: furniture, giveaway, Uncategorized

Guest Post: Neighbor Jami & Her Nursery Furniture

March 29, 2011 By Char @ Crap I've Made 26 Comments

Neighbor Jami is back today telling us about the paint technique she used on her nursery furniture!

As far as Lucy’s furniture went, I had none…at least none I wanted to use. My existing crib was way too bulky and masculine for a dainty little girl’s room, and I had given all my other baby stuff away.

So I put the word out via Facebook that I was in need of a crib and would be willing to take one off someone’s hands if they were needing to get rid of one. Within 2 hours I had landed one from my pal Mindy.
Next, I bought a solid wood dresser at the Bountiful DI for $25.00. Have I mentioned I love the DI? I do.

(The knobs are new, from Hobby Lobby)

I painted these both using a spray paint by Valspar in “Pistachio”. After a few coats and letting them completely dry I sanded the edges and then rubbed “Distress Ink” in the color of “vintage photo” on the sanded areas. (Distress Ink is basically a rubber stamp pad you can find at any craft store.) I then finished by spray painting a clear coat in a satin finish.

My Rocking chair:

My camera stinks so you can’t fully appreciate the color. It is called, “Crystal Aqua” by Valspar. A cushion is in the process as we speak. I also lightly sanded the edges and glazed the edges the same way as mentioned before.

My cute and talented neighbor and friend Decorator Wendy gave me these cute little boxes she purchased from Pottery Barn, to use next to my changing table. James painted these using the same “Aqua-Crystal” paint by Valspar that was used on the rocking chair. Then I cut out these labels in white vinyl using my silhouette.

-Jami

Hopefully the next installment will feature Char actually having sewed some bedding. If not, we might have to break up!
-Char

And, one more thing. Apparently Valspar has changed the name of the spray paint color in question. It is not longer called “Pistachio”. It’s something like “Leaf Green”, but the paint guys assured Jami it’s the exact same color. I’ll updated with the official name after my next trip to Lowe’s!

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Filed Under: DIY, furniture, guest post, home decor, Lucy's Nursery, paint

Slipcover for IKEA chair

July 18, 2008 By Char @ Crap I've Made 9 Comments

My mom and I ripped apart a plain white slipcover and used it as a pattern for this one. It took us most of 2 days on account of serious OCD tendencies and a need to have the checks lined up perfectly. Would I do it again? Maybe. And don’t look too closely….it still needs to be hemmed.