Stonewash

Hey Lovelies! I'm back with a small redo. I picked up this little stand at the second hand store for $8. It is solid and heavy! 

I love the lines. The top had a faux leather look, but it is actually wood.

I was having a hard time making up my mind whether to paint it white or blue. In the end, blue won out. I made diy chalk paint. I also made my own shade of paint by mixing Valspar paint. Three parts Desert Fortress and one part Deep Sea Diving.

Of course I couldn't just stop after painting it. 

 I distressed it, then added some burnt umber glaze. Once I was satisfied with the look, I buffed on some paste wax to give it a gleaming sheen.

I absolutely LOVE the end result!

Linking up at: 

DIY Candle Stand

I have seen different variations of these stands on Pinterest. From candle stands to cupcake stands. Your imagination is the limit.

I wanted to make a candle stand to incorporation in my craft room redo. While browsing the second hand store, I found some little saucers that I thought would work great for this project. I used glass candle stick holders that I picked up at the dollar store.

These would look great at the Holidays done in larger plates to display appetizers or deserts. Or birthday parties to hold cupcakes.

Here is how I made mine.

 

 Supplies

plates

candle stick holders

E6000 adhesive

alcohol 

cotton puff 

paint

paint brush

 

Clean the plates and candle holders with alcohol. 

 

 Paint the inside sections of the candle holder. I used Folk Art Enamels. 

Set aside. Now, paint what ever designs you want on the plates. I did polka dots, because that will fit in with my craft room decor. Skip this step if you have found plates with a design already on them that you like.

I used the end of a dowel rod to create my  dots. Just dip it in the paint and tap it on the surface. I painted both top and bottoms of the plates.

Once everything is painted, let it dry over night. Be sure to follow the directions on the paint bottle. You may need to bake them as well.

Ok...it's the next day.  LOL

Apply adhesive around small end of candle holder, then press to center of plate. Then apply adhesive to the larger end of candle holder and place bottom of plate on top of it. Repeat for rest of plates. Let sit over night for dry time.

By placing the candle holders upside down, it frees up more surface space for your items.

I just love how it turned out!  If you make one, please link up in the comment section of this post. I would love to see what you created!

 

Little Red

I'm so excited to bring the first post from Studio 718!

Other than scrap booking, I have a love of taking something old that was headed for the landfill and recycling it. Or everyday items found at the second hand shops or yard sales and giving them a new life. I had never thought of blogging about them until I started following The 36th Avenue, and learned there are hundreds of people sharing my love.

I picked this cute little table up....FREE!!!  It was a bit rough, but sturdy. It had great potential.

I started by giving it a good ole washin' with hot water and soap. I let it sit for a bit so it would be good and dry, then I lightly sanded it.

Most types of paint work well when redoing furniture, but I personally like the look and feel of chalk paint. On the market, there is an awesome chalk paint by Annie Sloan. I just can't justify spending $56 per quart plus shipping. So I make my own. There are a number of different recipes for chalk paint found on the internet. I found what works best for me it the baking soda and paint mixture. Again, a personal favorite of mine is Valspar latex paint.  What you will need for this.

1 cup baking soda
1 quart of paint
mixing bowl
paint brush
water

mix baking soda and paint, stir well until there are no clumps. That's it! easy peasy huh?. As you are painting, the mixture may start to thicken up, just add a bit of water and stir well.

The paint will look thick and uneven, you DIDN'T do anything wrong. This is how it goes on. Once you sand it, it will be smooth as butter. After sanding and distressing, I rubbed on some wax paste. Oh how the color just popped! I finished it off with 2 coats of wax, waiting for the first layer to dry completely before applying the second.

Are you ready for the final reveal???  I LOVE how it turned out!

 

A couple close ups

What do you think?

I have a few projects waiting in the wings, I recently had surgery and have not been released yet to do any heavy sanding. So check back often!