Friday, October 28, 2011

DIY Upholstered Headboard


3 1/2' x 5' custom-cut plywood, abt 1/2" thick: $18
Queen-size batting, 2 bags: $34
3 yards linen fabric: $18
remnant felt fabric (to cover back): $5
Upholstery tacks, antiqued: $3
Total: $74

 


I couldn't help myself - I also mod podged a matching fabric lampshade.


Compare:

West Elm Grid Tufted Headboard, $449

Urban Outfitters Daughine Headboard, $325
West Elm Allegra Hicks Diamond Tufted Headboard, $549
Restoration Hardware Chesterfield Upholstered Headboard, $1190

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Adventures with Spray Paint and Mod Podge, Part II

This has been my bedside table for many years.  It was just a naked light-colored solid wood (something heavier than pine, but I don't know what).  I painted it dark teal, giving it one of those distressed/antiqued streaky paint jobs simply by using the foam brushes, and I found a great sheet of scrapbooking paper to place on the bottom shelf.  I sealed it all up with mod podge, of course, and found a nice pewter knob.  Cost: around $8 (less than 1 can of spray paint, knob, paper, and use of previously purchased mod podge and brushes).  This one I really love.







Adventures with Spray Paint and Mod Podge, Part I

Second-hand furniture of Champaign County, look out: I've discovered the joys of spray paint and mod podge and I have my eye on you.


My first foray into the wonders of mod podge was probably around the age of 10, with no more exciting materials to work with than construction paper and old magazines.  But I was recently reinitiated into this dark underworld after staring at a couple hand-me-down tables gifted from my friend Jen when she moved away last year.  (Miss you, Jen!)  These are great tables - solid wood with cute design - but in need of a new look.  They were covered in a dark wood stain that did nothing to enhance their shape, and somehow made them look like fake wood paneling.

I forgot to take a photo of the smaller one pre-fun, but I will eventually post a photo of the coffee table that matched it.

I attacked this first project with an optimistic creative impulse.  No idea what I'm doing?  No problem!  I will find the answers by wandering aimlessly around Hobby Lobby!  Well, sorta.  Two hours later I returned home with nothing more than some pretty damask craft papers (I cannot find these online but the designs are similar to this style and palette), two cans of spray paint (Rust-o-leum Satin in Eden and in Summer Squash), and a large bottle of mod podge (I chose matte rather than glossy because I thought it might not draw as much attention to my mistakes).  It's really hard to imagine an entire table based on the top of a spray paint can.  This could easily go in the puke-green direction, but I decided to take my chances.  Then I looked again at the table.  Faced with my cluelessness about such matters, I went to the best source of information for all things wonderful, wacky, and stupid - the internet.  Thanks to some excellent craft blogs, including the funnest of all - Mod Podge Rocks!  (Did you know that people are mod podging things like coasters, acorns, and shoes?  It's a brave new word we live in!)  I found some examples and some instructions (apparently in craft world, referred to as "instructibles").  Whatever they are called, they are incredible useful.  Hail to the diy crafting geniuses out there in internetland!  After another hour or so at the Home Depot buying sandpaper, cheapy foam paint brushes, and painters tape, I was back in action.



First I spray painted the drawer in Summer Squash yellow, and the rest of the table in green.  A little drippy, but no matter, I am not a perfectionist.  I was probably too liberal in my spraying "technique" (which consisted of no technique except spraying with wild abandon).  It dried pretty fast (20-30 min), so I did a few coats until the paint can was empty.  The next day, fully dried, I brushed the top of the table with an exorbitant amount of mod podge and placed my paper on the top.  I tried to squeeze out all the air bubbles, but this was harder than it looked.  I ripped the paper in a few places, probably because it was soaked in glue.  I pushed everything into place as best as I could.  When it dried a bit, I brushed mod podge on top as well to seal it up.  Cool!

But I hadn't planned for the edges very well.  For some reason I thought it would look better if I left some green edge on top of the table, almost like a frame around the paper.  This may have been a mistake.  It would have been very easy to cut away the paper around the edges to fit perfectly once it was dry. But too late, I had precut the paper before adhering.  Plus, although the yellow drawer was a very cheerful and a nice color, it seemed to clash in spirit with the paper.  So I returned to Home Depot for more sandpaper and more Eden.  I repainted the drawed in green and tried my best to paint over the edges on top.  Not awful, but might want to redo the top at a later date.  Or, maybe I could paint some cardstock-strength paper and adhere that to the edges for a cleaner look?  Since this was my first effort, I don't mind it being kind of sloppy.  I bought a cute ceramic knob for the finishing touch.  All told, a super cheap redo at around $14-18 (paint under $4 per can, paper 59 cents, mod podge around $7 with a lot left over, and $3 for the knob).  It's definitely cheerier than before.



Thursday, September 16, 2010

Scenes from a Drive

Monday morning, Sept 13: Awoke in a motel in Ukiah.  How I arrived there involves the 5, the smell of cow manure, and the audiobook version of Into Thin Air.  The rest of the drive entirely unremarkable.  However, the drive from Boonville to Arcata , and a couple days later from Arcata into Oregon, is one of the most beautiful and magical that I have ever had the good fortune to experience.  Some quick views that don't even come close to doing it justice:




 




 








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House of the Runaway Chicken

Every so often the vagaries of travel offer the opportunity to reconnect with a dear friend from one's past, and I have discovered through trial and error that these meetings can be vaguely satisfying, slightly disastrous, intensely sweet, or some unpredictable combination.  Whatever the outcome of such a visit, one thing I never could have foreseen was watching said dear friend wrangling a runaway chicken in his yard in the wilds of Northern California.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Library Schmibrary

I admit to completely slacking off my last couple days in Pasadena.  I did in fact go to the library on Thursday, but instead of walking through the doors I found myself veering off through the entrance to the botanical gardens.  I mainly spent my time in the Japanese and Chinese garden.  In the zen garden I was unable to achieve enlightenment, but this was mainly because of the unhappy children.

Japanese Garden



Golden Bamboo
Bonsai Forest
Zen Garden

Plantain Trees
Chinese Garden

Lizard Posing