Ikea Mirror Makeover … And Teen Girl Groupies

March 23, 2015 By Linda 15 Comments

A few weeks ago my teen daughter and her friends went to see a boy band play. But it wasn’t some famous scream-at-the-top-of-your-lungs-and-pull-your-hair-out-as-tears-stream-down-your-face-in-sheer-excitement boy bands.

This band was made up of 13- and 14-year old boy classmates.

And they didn’t play at a giant arena. They played at a bar. And not just any bar. But a bar my husband could only describe as an old man bar. If you’ve even been to Chicago, you know exactly what this means. Kind of sad. Kind of dirty. Kind of empty …

often times found on the outskirts of a neighborhood. On a busy road. This one was on Irving Park Road near the entrance ramp to 90/94. You know, the filler up before you hop on the highway bar …

We figured one of the boy’s uncles or aunts or twice-removed cousins owned the bar. And they were playing at 5 PM on a Sunday. So we figured it would be pretty safe. Especially since adult supervision was included …

My daughter sent video of the band playing. To my surprise, they sounded pretty good. Well, the instrumental part sounded pretty tight. The jury is still out on the vocals …

but I’m chalking it up to the iPhone video.

😉

When the early-bird mini concert was over, my daughter was lit up with excitement. Gushing about how amazing they played. And I looked into her into eyes and could see she had her first encounter with band goggles.

Yes, I’ve had my own run-in. During college. Those goggles were so misty that I somehow overlooked the mullet. And the parachute pants. And the Member’s Only jacket …

I find it funny how putting an instrument in a boy’s hands and putting them up on stage can suddenly transform them from awkward, geeky classmates …

to rock stars!

{cue smooth transition}

Kind of like the power of paint. They’re goggles for your home decor.

Good one, right?

Because this Ikea mirror started out looking much different than it does now …

Not exactly geeky and awkward like those 13- and 14-year old boys. I would describe it as goth-like. A touch scary. And it very much reminded me of Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent …

But I knew it would be a quick fix …

with some Annie Sloan Chalk paint in Pure White.

I covered the mirror with newspaper and tape.

Gave it two coats of paint.

Lightly distressed with a sanding block.

Voila! From Maleficent to Magnificent!

A true paint goggle rock star makeover!

Linda

P.S. For more projects in my daughter’s room mini makeover, click here and here and here and here. And you can find the “before” purple room here.

P.P.S. Here’s the big fancy pinnable graphic for the mirror makeover …

Sharing: * Live Laugh Rowe * Savvy Southern Style * Between Naps on The Porch * The DIY Showoff * Inspiration Monday * French Country Cottage *

Dirty Little Secrets …

March 19, 2015 By Linda 31 Comments

I realized, after the fact, that my graphic calls out all diy bloggers.

I didn’t mean to.

And that it seems like I’m introducing some type of multi-blogger confessional.

I’m not.

The only dirty little secrets I’ll be sharing here are my own. Though, I’m not the first diy blogger to make this confession …

and I’m pretty confident I won’t be the last.

🙂

Here goes. I’m going to come clean …

an interesting word choice …

my house is a mess.

And it has been since I started blogging in October 2011.

In my quest to create, photograph, edit, write, and publish pieces here for you all, my home has suffered.

Not that I was a good housekeeper in the best of times …

sigh …

but since I hit publish on that very first post, my house has been the messiest it has ever been in its messy history. Even messier than when I had two active toddlers messing with it. And they were the master mess-makers.

Until now.

Turns out I’ve taken over that title. I have become the mix-master of messes.

🙁

But things need to change. The mess is messing with my creativity. My motivation. My mojo.

My sanity.

So I came up with a genius idea. I figured since all-things-blog take priority around this here house, I would blog about the messes. And the clean ups.

Brilliant, right?

My house thinks so. It’s been busting at the seams to share with you what’s behind closed doors …

And hidden inside closed benches …

And lurking in seemingly orderly storage bins …

Each week, I’ll take on one room in the house. And spend one hour a day during that week giving it a deep dive clean …

and setting up organizational systems to keep it clean.

And then I’ll report back. I’ll share the messy befores and (fingers crossed) the beautifully organized afters. I’ll also pass along any tips and hints that occur to me along the way. And share a printable check-list of my mess-wrangling plan-of-action for each room.

First up is the first room everyone sees. The entry …

Sure, on the surface it appears fine. But there are dirty little secrets lurking about …

🙂

Linda

P.S. Yes, that is a Valentine’s heart wreath still hanging in the entry.

P.P.S. Yes, those red pillows are from my Christmas decor …

sigh.

Gold Bed Frame … Spray Painted!

March 16, 2015 By Linda 22 Comments

Gold Bed Frame: How To Spray Paint A Bed Frame.

If you’re ever in the middle of a project and run out of liquid nails, just use toothpaste.

That’s right. Toothpaste.

Because toothpaste has some serious staying power. I know, first hand. Because this past weekend I ventured into the kid’s bathroom …

armed with a chisel and a jackhammer. 😉

I don’t know how the toothpaste got everywhere. And I mean everywhere. The sink and faucet, I understand. But the shower curtain? Not so much.

Are they brushing their teeth so vigorously that toothpaste is just flying off in every direction?

Mike took care of the de-toothpaste-ifying of kid’s bathroom last time around. But I didn’t feel it was fair to subject him to that horror story again. So I rolled up my sleeves and dug in.

Literally.

And what, you may be asking, does the kid’s toothpaste-encrusted bathroom have to do with a gold bed frame? A bed frame that I spray painted with metallic gold paint …

Well, because I can typically avoid the kids bathroom for weeks on end. Months even. But while working on Molly’s room redo this past month, there is was. Staring me down each time I walked out her door …

Especially during the assembly of her bed frame. Many trips in and out to bring up parts. And many trips up and down to look at the one illustration on the outside of the box offering a few clues as to how the bed frame should be assembled …

sigh …

because instructions were not included. And none could be found online.

But before embarking on the puzzle that was assembling, there first was the spray painting. With Rust-Oleum’s Metallic Gold Spray paint.

The bed frame before looked like this …

It’s the DHP Hayley Metal Daybed that I found on Wayfair.

But now it looks like this …

I know it may seem crazy to spray paint a brand new bed frame. Right out of the box. But when I spotted this gold bed frame online, I fell in love. As did my daughter. So I was on a mission to recreate that look …

Plus, the original new out-of-the-box black metal daybed was an affordable $114 (on sale). So I didn’t feel too bad about taking a can (or four) of gold spray paint to it …

The trickiest part was the “how.”

I debated between assembling the bed frame in the garage and spray painting it there, or just lying out the parts on cardboard and painting one side and then flipping to spray the other.

In the end, I opted for the spraying of the parts. I gave them 24-48 hours before flipping over. And then another 48 hours dry time before assembling. Oh, and I ended up using four cans of spray paint to get the job done.

The added bonus of this project? The kid’s now have a sparkling clean bathroom …

free of toothpaste!

🙂

Linda

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You Might Also Like:

Teen Girl Room Makeover Reveal (click here)

Teen Girl Bedroom Project Links:

Painted Armoire | Gold Spray Painted Bed Frame | Ikea Mirror Makeover | Paint-A-Pillow | Chandelier Wall Stencil

I would like to thank Rust-Oleum for providing me with the metallic gold spray paint needed for this project. However, any and all opinions about gold spray paint and Rust-Oleum and the potential use of toothpaste as a liquid nails substitute are 100% my own.

Spring Flowers in Mason Jars

March 13, 2015 By Linda 13 Comments

There are days when I read other blogs and I think, maybe I should be more playful. Or more upbeat. Or more descriptive …

and my posts should end with some kind or moral. A lesson learned.

Maybe I should share my escapades at the craft store. Or the home improvement store. But then I remember they were errands. Which sounds just as boring as the word ‘errands.’

And trust me, those craft store and home improvement errands were boring. Uneventful. I’m not a browser. I’m a get in and get out as fast as I can-er.

I barely make eye contact.

Or maybe I should make references to Hallmark channel movies. But I don’t get the Hallmark channel. I do get Lifetime. Though, their movies tend to lean towards husbands killing wives. And wives killing husbands. And stalker roommates. And teen pregnancy pacts …

not the upbeat happily-ever-after tone I was looking for.

I do watch Grey’s Anatomy reruns. But those episodes only offer up potential references to knives sticking out of heads and hands stuck in meat cleavers and people impaled on (fill in the blank). Not exactly what you want to read about as you enjoy your morning scone and cup of coffee. Or tea (like me, sans scone).

There are also those Sex & The City repeats I watch on E! and Oxygen and Comcast On-Demand. Although those references would throw this blog into a whole different genre of blogs …

especially the HBO On-Demand original, unfiltered episodes.

😉

And then I remember, I should just be myself. Because if I try to imitate others, you’ll see right through me. Especially the handful of you who read this blog regularly.

You would call me out.

So I guess that would be the moral of today’s post …

the lesson learned!

Be yourself. Or myself. I mean you be you. And I’ll continue to be me. 🙂

And speaking of learning and lessons, I’m over at Inspired Home blog today sharing some Spring flower arranging tips. In mason jars, of course. And how I wish I had taken that flower arranging class in college …

because it’s probably the only useful, practical lesson I would have learned during those fours years.

🙂

Linda

Sharing @ Link Party Palooza | The DIY Showoff | Between Naps on the Porch |

Throwing It Back to Aged Locker Baskets

March 12, 2015 By Linda 4 Comments

You know how everyone is always talking about bringing the outdoors in?

Well, as far as I’m concerned the outdoors can stay out.

Pretty please with sugar on top.

Because lavender scented bug spray does not smell like lavender. It smells like bug spray.

And that rotting cabbage smell we woke to on Saturday morning … and spent much of the morning hunting down … had absolutely nothing to do with cabbage.

So while I’m on a mission today to decidedly and determinedly to keep the outside out — with a capitol O.U.T. — I thought I’d throw it back on this throwback Thursday #TBT to a favorite project of mine …

It’s no secret I like shiny things. Shiny and sparkly and covered with glitter. I’m drawn to shiny things like a bear to honey. A moth to flames. A fly to a fly zapper …

and hopefully ants to bait traps ….

😉

Then there’s the .01% of the time when sparkly just won’t cut it for me. Like when a shipment of new locker baskets I purchased to wrangle and organize all those random-in-need-of-wrangling things that always seem to find their way onto the dining room table. They were just too … well …

shiny!

See how they’re all chrome-ey and reflecting the light-ey? Well, that would not do. Shiny chrome baskets were not in the master plan for the dining room redo …

Luckily, it was a simple fix. I even pinned a tutorial I found online here.

I just grabbed some gray spray paint and … well … gave them a good spraying.

Once dry, I mixed together some white and black acrylic paint and dry brushed some gray paint over the gray spray paint. Which seems odd, but it added another layer of texture … and dull-ness …

I just did it all quick and sloppy. Like it represented years and years of crusty build-up … and not just 15 minutes of me and a brush and some paint one afternoon last week …

Then, of course, each basket got its own number. You know, so those new-made-to-look-like-vintage locker baskets wouldn’t be confused. I just printed the numbers onto plain old printer paper, and then gave each printer paper label a few coats of Mod Podge gloss. You read that right. Gloss.

Hey, I needed to add a bit of shine back. Those Jersey roots runs deep …

😉
Linda

You can find more of my before & afters here …

Chandelier Stencil

March 9, 2015 By Linda 14 Comments

You know that “Champagne taste on a beer budget” saying? Well, my daughter and I have chandelier dreams on a …

a …

a …

hmmm …

I can’t seem to come up with the beer to champagne equivalent in the realm of lighting.

Perhaps light bulb budget?

Either way, we both want a chandelier in her room. And when we make the big switcheroo and move her into her brother’s larger room when he heads off to college, we will absolutely hang a chandelier.

And when I say we, I mean I will call our electrician friend.

😉

But for now, her mini room makeover needs to remain gender neutral with paint color and fixtures. So I opted for the next best thing.

A chandelier stencil.

An easy fix with a few strokes of paint when we transition from young woman to young man’s room this summer.

It all started with paint. Because isn’t that how all great wall stencils begin? 🙂

My daughter chose blue. Which surprised me. After the kitchen and living room and dining room and master bedroom redos, she started to lament that everything in our house was turning blue. But in the end, I just love the color she selected: Clark+Kensington in Heirloom China (37C-7). In Eggshell.

Before doing anything, I read the directions. Twice.

Then I created a horizontal line with painter’s tape, measured up from the floor to indicate the height of her new bed frame.

This part took me a few tries to get it just right. I’d climb up the ladder, tape the stencil on the wall, climb down the ladder, stand back to scrutinize. Then I’d decide it was too high. Too low. Too far right. Or left. And try again. And again. And again.

But the true key to my success was Cutting Edge Stencil’s amazing, life-altering clip-on level.

thankfully the level is not blurry in person … 😉

Once the stencil was taped in place, I loaded up the roller with paint. And then rolled it off on a clean paper towel.

Let the fun begin!

And breath. Yes, there is always the holding of the breath when removing the stencil. And while not perfect, I think it looks amazing …

… with the exception of the chain. I wanted it to go up to the ceiling.

Using the stencil level (and my eyeballs), I overlapped the stencil to repeat the chain.

Voila!

It’s such a statement piece on the wall!

Chandelier dreams on a light bulb budget indeed …

Linda

I would like to thank Cutting Edge Stencils for providing me with this beautiful stencil. However, any and all opinions about the chandelier stencil and Cutting Edge Stencils and the awesome life-altering clip-on stencil level are 100% my own. Oh, and you can find the chandelier stencil by clicking here …

Sharing:

White Painted Armoire

February 16, 2015 By Linda 23 Comments

White Painted Armoire: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint White Painted Dresser.

Turns out I’m not a multi-tasker.

I’m a mono-tasker.

I’m not sure why it’s taken so long for me to realize … and admit .. this truth. A truth that’s been dangling in front of my eyes for years now.

Perhaps because the idea of multi-tasking had taken such a strong-hold when I first started my professional career. It was a badge of honor. The all-powerful woman who could make the bacon …

and bring it home too.

Fearlessly juggling home and family life. All while wearing heels.

For too many years, I pretended to be a multi-tasker. And to all outward appearances, I was juggling like a pro. Only I knew I was juggling like a circus clown. With a cherry red nose and giant floppy shoes …

flailing around with my arms flapping.

Come to think of it, I’m pretty sure the reason I chose family over career when I decided to be a stay-at-home mom was because I knew, deep down, I couldn’t multi-task. And that career would win out.

So I chose to mono-task the kids.

And what, you may ask, does this whole multi- vs. mono- tasking rant have to do with this white painted armoire makeover?

Turns out I’m a mono-tasking DIYer too.

Because as I’ve been working on de-purple-people-eater-ing my daughter’s bedroom, the rest of the house has fallen into shambles.

Dust rhinos have overtaken the stairs. The dining room table is barely visible. And don’t even get me started on the upstairs hallway …

or the kids bathroom!

Ah well.

The only upside is I was able to mono-task the painting of this oak armoire.

I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White. And then distressed it lightly …

Before giving it a coat of clear wax.

I finished it off with glass knobs from Restoration Hardware.

I had four of these knobs from more than a decade ago. On a whim, I checked in at Restoration Hardware to see if, by any chance, they could track down four more for me. Turns out, they still stock these knobs.

Shocking, right?

Turns out Restoration Hardware is a mono-tasker too!

🙂

Linda

PIN IT!

You Might Also Like:

Teen Girl Room Makeover Reveal (click here)

Teen Girl Bedroom Project Links:

Painted Armoire | Gold Spray Painted Bed Frame | Ikea Mirror Makeover | Paint-A-Pillow | Chandelier Wall Stencil

You can find more of my furniture makeovers by clicking here …

Paint This! Builder Grade Cabinets

January 30, 2015 By Linda 9 Comments

There are winners …

… and there are losers.

I’ve always been a loser.

And I don’t mean the finger-forming-an-L-on-the-forehead kind of loser.

I mean the I’ve-never-won-anything loser.

And when I say anything, I mean raffles and giveaways and lotteries.

Games of chance.

It seems the universe has been working against me. Or perhaps the universe was working in favor of others?

I think we all know at least one of those winner people. Year after year their name is drawn from the hat at the office Christmas party. When they throw their business card into the bowl at the restaurant to win a free lunch, you just know they’ll be lunching for free …

But me?

I never win.

But I never stopped dreaming about the win. And the possibilities about how I would live large once I won the lottery. Or the HGTV Dream Home. Or Ellen’s 12 Days of Christmas.

But I think … I think …my luck may be turning around.

I’m edging closer to the winner’s circle.

Let’s hope I’m not jinxing my winning streak with this post!

Last month, I won a Holiday Tablescape giveaway on my friend Laura’s blog. Some really cool dishware.

Then this week I received an email from my friend Debbie at Refresh Restyle. Turns out I won her giveaway too! This time for a HomeRight paint sprayer! Okay, technically I won the runner-up prize.

But that’s better than being a loser.

The timing of this win could not be more perfect, because I’m gearing up to redo the kitchen. Again. And the thought of hand brushing all those cabinets (for the second time) is a bit daunting …

… not to mention they’ll need a coat of primer too.

But now that I’ll be armed with my new HomeRight paint sprayer, this job should be a breeze.

-ish.

In anticipation, I’ve been pinning like crazy on my it started with Kitchens Pinterest board (here). Looking for DIY kitchen projects that started with basic builder grade cabinets, and were transformed into jaw-dropping showstoppers with a few coats of paint.

And maybe some MDF. And moulding.

I’m excited to get started …

and take you along for the ride.

But first I need to fill out that Home Depot survey for a chance to win $5,000. Oh, and I need to pick up a lottery ticket …

Linda

P.S. I realize it sounds like these giveaways were fixed what with me winning from my ‘friends.’ But I swear they were on the up-and-up!

Sharing: * Between Naps on the Porch *

Vintage Look Crate DIY

January 28, 2015 By Linda 34 Comments

Vintage Look Crate DIY – How To MakeUnfinished Wood Crates Look Vintage.

I made a very important discovery this week.

Was it earth-shattering?

Not really.

Did it rock my world?

Not quite.

Will it forever change the way I blog?

Perhaps.

You see, I discovered that just about anything looks so, soooo much cuter with a tissue paper banner hanging over it …

Don’t you agree?

I made this banner to use for a different photo shoot for a different project. (You can find my banner tutorial here …)

But when it was time to take pictures of my finished vintage-look-crate DIY, I thought they would look cute in the background.

And I was right …

right?

I fear I may have to style each and every project from this day forth with a tissue paper banner. Using different color tissue paper to compliment the project …

It could be my ‘thing.’ You know, say you’re cruising Pinterest and you see a picture with a tissue paper banner in the background, you would immediately know it’s mine …

… because of the soon-to-be-iconic It All Started With Paint tissue paper banner prop.

Or maybe not. Maybe it’s just my thing this week …

But enough about the banner. Let’s talk about what’s hanging below that banner. My vintage look crate DIY …

Vintage Look Crate DIY Tutorial

Materials*

Unfinished Wood Crate (16″L x 12.25″W x 9.25″H)

Varathane Wood Stain in Early American

Vintage-Look Knobs (found mine here at World Market)

Foam Brushes

Clean Rags

Sandpaper (120 grit)

Plaid Crafts Martha Stewart Adhesive Alphabet Stencils

Black Acrylic Paint

Drill & Screwdriver

*some affiliate links included.

I started with some basic unfinished crates I found on Amazon (here). I also spotted very similar crates stocked at Michaels last week.

I started out by asking my husband to drill some holes in the front for the vintage-look knobs (found here at World Market). Then I lightly sanded around the drilled holes.

I used the Varathane Wood Stain in Early American that Rust-Oleum sent me (thanks Rust-Oleum!). It’s the same stain I also used on my sawhorse desk.

I brushed on a thick layers of stain. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes, and then wiped it off with a clean rag.

I stained both the insides …

… and outsides.

And I’ll be honest, that took a while. And it was messy. Mostly because I’m a messy stainer …

Once dry, I gave them a a quick sanding. To make them look a bit aged.

Then it was time to stencil. I used black acrylic craft paint and Martha Stewart self-adhesive stencils (I found mine at Michaels but you can also buy them online at Amazon).

Since I wanted my crates to look like they’d been around the block a few times, I attacked the stencils with sandpaper.

But I went too far …

So I grabbed a clean rag and dipped it into the stain. I rubbed it on and immediately rubbed it off.

Aaahhh. So much better …

So, so much better …

I really love how they turned out.

Really and truly.

I may even love them more than those tissue paper banners.

And now I have two more to make. For the Etsy shop workspace.

But first I have to tell those little village people that Christmas has been over for a month now and they really need to take down that tree in the town square …

Linda

You might also like …

How To Age Locker Baskets (click here)

Turn New Toolbox to Vintage, Rustic Look {click here}

Tissue Paper Banner Tutorial

Sawhorse Desk DIY

You can find my full gallery of DIY & Craft projects by clicking here …

How To Hang Shutters … Indoors

January 14, 2015 By Linda 17 Comments

In what feels like a million years ago, I pulled a pair of shutters out of my next door neighbor’s garbage.

Okay, it’s not like they were inside the garbage can covered in cat food and used tissues. They were leaning up against the garbage can. Leaning in a way that said take me, I’m yours.

I spotted them when I pulled into the alley. After parking my car in the garage, I stuck my head outside. I looked to the right and I looked to the left to make sure I wouldn’t be seen. Then I scurried as quickly as I could over to that pair of shutters and pulled them into my garage. Closing the door behind me, lest I get caught by my neighbors.

This all happened years before DIY and home decor blogs were born. Blogs where women across the nation – and around the world – began fessing up about how they raid their neighbor’s garbage bins.

I had no idea I was being trendy. I just felt like a scavenger.

An embarrassed one at that!

My husband, like the hundreds of thousands of other husbands whose wives scavenge the alleys and sidewalks and dumpsters for free stuff, just shook his head in confusion.

But I had a vision for those shutters. I brought them inside and down to the basement where I planned to give them a fresh coat of paint.

And there they sat for 13 years.

I rediscovered them last year and started using them as a backdrop for my mason jar Etsy shop pictures.

And when I remodeled the family room, I decided it was time to fulfill my original vision. To frame out the pass through to the kitchen …

… the pass through that was once the window to our back deck.

So 14+ years after digging through my neighbors trash, I found myself facing the same conundrum that kept them in the basement.

How to hang them?

As I pondered this question, I removed the old rusty hardware …

… and gave them a coat of paint.

Yeah, yeah, I know some of you like the old rusty and chippy look of junk pulled out of the garbage. To me, they just looked dirty …

While the paint dried, I took a trip to Target and roamed their hardware for chicks aisle. And found a few solutions. Starting with this I don’t know what to call it whatchamacallit picture hanging hardware thingy …

I marked where I wanted it on the back of the shutters, and pulled out the drill …

… and screwdriver.

I attached the picture hanging whatchamacallits on both sides of the shutter.

I was concerned about the weight of the shutters … didn’t want them falling off the walls onto the kids heads while they watched TV … so I found this little contraption in Target’s hardware for chicks aisle.

I can’t remember the exact weight the packaging said it could support – maybe 5 pounds; maybe 10 pounds or more – but I knew it would be perfect.

I did have to use a hammer to push that curved hook thing into the drywall …

I would like to claim I measured it all out perfectly the first time out …

Um, no.

Luckily all my mistakes are hidden behind the shutters.

And I did learn from my mistakes, so hanging the second shutter was much, much easier.

Just think, it only took 14+ years for my vision to come to life!

And now my husband can finally stop shaking his head …

Linda

P.S. You can find the full family room remodel by clicking here …

P.P.S. You can find more of my “how to” posts on my Before & After page. Just click here …

Sharing: * Savvy Southern Style * The DIY Showoff * Inspiration Monday @Refresh Restyle * Between Naps on the Porch *

Chalkboard Wall Calendar DIY

January 9, 2015 By Linda 36 Comments

How To Make Oversize Chalkboard Wall Calendar

This is the time of year when everyone is talking about trends. Trends in food. Trends in fashion. Trends in décor. And trends in the DIY world.

We’re looking ahead to 2015, making forecasts and predictions; and looking back at 2014, evaluating what worked …

and what didn’t.

Then there are the stories and blog posts about trends that need to go away. Can you say coffee filter wreaths anyone?

I know chevron is on the chopping block. Though I’m not giving up on it in 2015.

I’ve heard mutterings about how crafting with mason jars must go. But I’m holding on to that trend. Fiercely.

And considering that I am currently in the midst of painting, distressing, and mailing out close to 60 mason jars ordered through my Etsy shop, I don’t think the mason jar trend is going anywhere but up in 2015.

Another trend some have started to mumble and grumble about – but I’m hanging on to fiercely as well — is chalkboard paint.

In fact, I might even go so far as to rename the blog, It All Started With {Chalkboard} Paint.

😉

I’ve already added a chalkboard wall in the new workspace I carved out in the basement. But that project has not sated my appetite for chalkboard painted surfaces. In fact, it’s had the opposite effect, making me hungry for more …

in the form of an oversize chalkboard wall calendar.

How To Make Chalkboard Wall Calendar

I started my chalkboard wall calendar project with ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape Delicate Surfaces with Advanced Edge-Lock™ Paint Line Protector 2080EL,

… a level, and a piece of chalk.

Using the level, I drew vertical and horizontal chalk lines that would make up the outer border of the calendar.

And I used those lines as guides to tape off the area.

Now came the tricky part. Because I wanted all my chalkboard wall calendar “days” to be equal in size, I grabbed a yardstick and a few strips of ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape Delicate Surfaces with Advanced Edge-Lock™ Paint Line Protector 2080EL to map out the vertical and horizontal lines. I pulled out the level and chalk to draw them first before taping off.

And as you can see, I had to adjust the height and width a bit …

Finally creating a grid with five vertical rows and seven horizontal columns.

This next step wasn’t really necessary – especially since I was using ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape with Advanced Edge-Lock™ Paint Line Protector – but I was more worried about human error. As in me (aka “the human”) not sealing the edges as well as I should. Especially since there were so very, many edges to seal!

So I gave the edges a quick coat of the wall color paint.

That way, if any paint seeps under the tape, it would be the original wall color.

Then I gave it two coats of chalkboard paint.

And removed the tape.

And I may have jumped up and down with excitement.

🙂

After three days drying time, per the chalkboard paint instructions, I seasoned the surface by rubbing over it with the side of a piece of chalk.

After which I erased it.

My least favorite part because the dry eraser against dry chalkboard surface gives me the shivers. Brrrr …

To finish it off, I used some reusable stick-on number stencils (found at the craft store) to create the dates with chalk.

And I’ll be honest, it’s questionable if I’ll take the time to stencil the dates in future months. I’ll probably just chalk them in by hand.

The chalkboard wall calendar days of the week were made using wood letters from the craft store; spray painted gold …

… and hung with removable Command™ Picture Hanging Strips.

And now I can use my chalkboard wall calendar to map out my future chalkboard paint projects …

because, trust me, I really do have more planned.

🙂

Linda

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Industrial Look Work Space

Sawhorse Desk DIY

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You can find even more of my chalkboard paint projects by clicking here …

I am proud to be a 3M sponsored blogger, and, as part of my responsibilities, I get the opportunity to evaluate ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape. Opinions are my own and additional products used in the project were selected by me.

You can learn more at: ScotchBlue™ Painter’s Tape Website | Pinterest page | Twitter page | Facebook page

Saw Horse Desk How To

January 5, 2015 By Linda 19 Comments

Kevin at The Home Depot was my main man. He looked to be no more than 18- or 19-years-old. And to him I looked like an octogenarian. I know that because he was surprised that I managed to get a giant sheet of plywood off the shelf and onto my cart.

And to be honest, I was surprised I managed to get a giant sheet of plywood off the shelf and onto my cart; it was touch and go …

But once Kevin and I connected – after I spotted him walking down the aisle and waved him down to ask if he could cut the giant piece of plywood precariously leaning in my cart – it was pure magic.

I shared my vision for the saw horse desk DIY for my new work space. And he nodded along. In fact, I think one of those nods was in awe of my soon to be awesomeness. His eyes narrowed. His hand cupped his jaw. And a smirk of recognition crossed his face …

or perhaps he was still trying to envision me getting that giant board of plywood off the shelf and into my cart.

Regardless of the meaning of the narrowed-eye-cupped-jaw-smirk, together Kevin and I read the packaging on the saw horse hinges; hinges that look like this …

and this …

They come two to a package. I purchased two packages, because I needed four. I found them in the tools section of the store.

And on that packaging … packaging that Kevin and I put our heads together to read … we found out we needed 2 x 4s for the legs. Not only that, the packaging provided multiple 2 x 4 cut lengths needed depending on the desired height of saw horse desired.

We may have high fived.

I opted for a custom cut length for my saw horse desk legs: 33” long. This gave me a desk top that would measure 36” from the floor; a measurement that includes the 1/2” plywood board topper.

At this point in the process of material gathering and saw horse hinge packaging reading, I whipped out my calculator. Keith was impressed. Or maybe horrified. Either way, I figured we would need two 8’ long 2 x 4’s that would give us four 33” legs, and the two 22” bridge pieces. You know, for this horizontal piece that would be clipped between the two saw horse hinges…

We also needed two 6’ long 2 x 4’s for the remaining four 33” legs.

In summation, this all comes out to:

Eight 33” legs from 2 x 4’s (two 8 footers, two six footers)
Two 22” bridge pieces (from the remaining lengths in the two 8 footers)

The whole time, Kevin was beyond helpful. When we hit the 2 x 4 aisle, he inspected each 2 x 4 to make sure it looked good. No, not good. Perfect. He checked for warps. He checked for mangles. He checked to make sure the knots weren’t too knotty. He checked to make sure the board wasn’t missing a giant chunk. He checked to make sure the board wasn’t too splintery.

Did I mention Kevin was the man!

And then he pushed the cart for me to the cutting area.

I’m pretty sure he thought I was 100 years old,

but that’s okay. Because he took such amazing care to make sure each leg was perfectly cut to the same exact length.

I took all my lumber home and gave it a quick sanding.

Some of the edges were rough after the cuts.

Then the plywood top and the 2 x 4 legs were stained. I used Rust-Oleum’s Varathane wood stain in Early American.

{And thank you Rust-Oleum for sending me the stain!}

I brushed on a thick coat, and let is sit for a 5-8 minutes or so before wiping off with a rag.

After the legs and top were dry, I gave them a coat of Rust-Oleum’s Varathane brand triple thick polyurethane.

This stuff is amazing! Just one coat so you don’t have to fuss with the coat and sand and coat and sand process.

{And thank you, again, Rust-Oleum for introducing me to this amazing new project and sending me a sample can!}

Once everything was completely dry, the desk assembly involved inserting the 2 x 4’s into the saw horse brackets …

… and then clipping in the bridge piece.

The last piece involved adding the 1/2” plywood top.

I’ll admit I cheated. I didn’t nail the saw horse brackets into the wood. I just inserted them in. It was a snug enough fit, sot I thought I’d see how it works before pulling out the hammer. And nails.

And blood, sweat and tears.

For now, so far so good.

Linda

P.S. You can find the work space reveal here …