a little of this, a little of that

Friday, May 14, 2010

Evolution of our Porch

I love our big, covered porch.

It's one of my favorite places to sit and watch my munchkins play.

However, the patio furniture we had was kind of....boring.

No pizzazz!

I mean, it was the cheapest set they had at Wal Mart....

So, a makeover was in order! My favorite kind of project!

I decided to go bold on this re-do. I was going to use.......Orange!

Do you love this fabric or what?! Awesomeness!

It's called oilcloth. It's totally waterproof, and can be wiped clean. Perfect for outdoor furniture.

Here are some online resources that sell oilcloth:

Mendel's Fabric

Oilcloth Addict

This stuff is seriously AWESOME! I've seen lots of ideas out there for oilcloth: baby bibs, diaper bags, placemats, table cloths, etc.

Anyway, using the old seat covers as a pattern, I made new covers for all the cushions, complete with white piping on the edges.
(I wish I could give step by step instructions, but it was a "figure it out as you go" project!)

Here's how it turned out:

Some close ups:

Here's my two side chairs:

I almost forgot to mention that I painted my chairs. Primer first, then a few layers of textured black spray paint.

It turns out looking like this:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Now I can go relax on my brightened up back porch!

Linking Up at:

Poppies at Play
Mustard Seed Creations
Shabby Nest
Finding Fabulous
Tidy Mom
Remodelaholic
KoJo Designs
Tatertots and Jello
Funky Junk Interiors
Making the World Cuter
Under the Table and Dreaming
Between Naps on the Porch
The Girl Creative
Sumo's Sweet Stuff
Made by You Monday
A Soft Place to Land
Todays Creative Blog
Domestically Speaking

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Antiquing a Mirror {all by yourself!}

I love stuff that is worn and weathered. I think antique mirrors are so fun. They can be hard to find, and pricey. I loooove these from Anthropologie:

So neat, right? They are only $695.00. Yes, you read that right!

I was inspired by these in Ballard Designs:

I love the jute around the edges, and the leather strap. Would look great in my house.

Well, today I would loooove to show you how to make the Ballard Designs mirrors, with an antique twist.

Supplies Needed:

Mirror{s} (my mirrors are 18")

Jute or Twine

Paint Stripper

Muriatic Acid

Vinyl tubing

Gorrilla Tape (or duck tape)

Black Paint (brush on or spray paint)

Neoprene Gloves

Face Mask

Glue Gun
Disc Hangers

WHERE to find your supplies:

Mirror{S}-most craft stores only sell mirrors up to 10". I ordered mine online, and found a large selection for a low price. (18" for $6.99 each)

Jute or Twine-can be found at any craft store

Paint Stripper-head to your local home improvement store

Muriatic Acid-this is actually a pool cleaning chemical, and can be found at any home improvement store in the pool section ($6 for a gallon). Or if you know anyone with a pool or access to a high school chem lab, it could be free!

Vinyl Tubing-can be bought by the foot at your home improvement store. It is in the plumbing section ($1.20 per foot)

Gloves/Face Mask-you WILL need these! ($4 for both @ Lowe's)

Glue Gun-you should already have one of these :)

A precaution: Muriatic Acid is the same thing as hydrochloric acid. It is perfectly safe to use if YOU are careful. Never ever use this around children or pets. Wear gloves, a mask, goggles, and shoes! This stuff can dissolve rocks. It is dangerous if not used properly! BE CAUTIOUS!

FYI: A little about the anatomoy of a mirror. It is glass (or plastic) with a reflective film, and then paint on top of that film to protect it from scratching.

Steps to an AWESOME antiqued mirror

    1. Liberally apply paint stripper to the back of the mirror, and let it sit for
   10 mins.
    2. Wipe off the paint stripper, and most of the paint should come off; rub
         or scrape hard if needed!

3. Wipe off mirror with a dry towel.
4. Fill a spray bottle with Muriatic acid, and lightly spray where you want the
acid to EAT THROUGH the reflective coating.

5. Watch your mirror; the acid works fast. Wipe off any excess acid as
soon as you get the results you want. (the blue arrows show the dark
spots where the acid ate through the reflective coating)

    6. Scratch up your mirror some with something sharp. I found that scratch
         marks added a nice touch to the "acid burns"

    7. Wipe the mirror down thoroughly with a wet towel. This will prevent the
         acid from continuing to eat the reflective coating.

    8. Allow the mirror to air dry for 10 mins or so.

    9. Spray paint or brush paint the back of your mirror black.

10. After the paint dries, enjoy your Antiqued Mirror!