Thrifty Thursday: Picture Re-purposed Chalkboard & Gold Liquid Leaf!

Thrifty Thursday with a Twist of a Makeover...
I am back with the full story oh how I re-purposed the frame I mentioned last week that cost me 25 cents at the Goodwill Distribution in Gorham.  Here is the before and after...

Before anyone asks why I would do away with such a classic amazing picture, it's because it was in really bad shape and the front of it was peeling, discolored and had water marks all over it.  I opted to remove it and put a new piece of wood in the frame, but I decided it was a solid base to work with and it would have been more work to do that instead.  So I ended up spraying right over the picture itself since its on an mdf type board (no glass with my picture, but I have heard of people spraying the glass with chalkboard paint and it working.  Never have done it personally however).  I love chalkboards because of their personalization.  I especially love one in the kitchen to write messages for events, quotes, scriptures or even the dinner menu for guests.   I have a small one that I made a while back, but I had been on the hunt for a larger one.  I still could go with a bigger one than this, but for 25 cents I had nothing to lose :)  Here is how my chalkboard transformation took place...

1. Covered the outside with a plastic trash bag and taped it down on the back so that I could spray the chalkboard base first.  I was a little impatient and wanted to get the ball rolling immediately when I bought the frame.  That didn't happen because you need the weather to be fairly nice so that it will dry properly and not blow all over the place when spraying.  I would love a garage someday where I can open the doors and do projects during the colder months.  Spray paint is finicky so conditions have to right.

2.  Removed the trash bag and the frame now looks like this. I did about 4 coats of chalkboard spray paint.  The backing that I sprayed wasn't completely even and was a little rough.  I sanded it a little before spraying it.  If you look at it up close you can see the unevenness but nothing that bothers me.  That's the beauty of liking an aged/vintage look because imperfections to me just bring added character to the piece :)

3.  I didn't care if the chalkboard paint got on the wood a little because I was going to spray the frame next.  I used a metallic gold spray paint from our local Ace hardware store and the Krylon chalkboard spray paint. I covered the front of the chalkboard with white paper while I sprayed the frame with the gold.

4.  I spray painted the frame with 1-2 coats of the Metallic Gold.  I was going for a vintage aged look and wanted it to have a layered effect so I didn't want the gold spray paint to be one saturated color.  I bought a gold leafing paint (similiar to gilding) that I used on top of the spray paint.  Here is the metallic gold by itself first.

5.  Next I applied the Gold Liquid Leaf with a small soft bristled paint brush.  This didn't need to be even strokes since I was going for a layered aged effect.  This product will last FOREVER (a little went a long way).  It was $5 and well worth the little "extra touch."

6.  You are supposed to wait 1 hour in between the liquid leaf coats.  I applied one coat and may do some touch ups once I have it on the wall.  I am going to wait and see what it looks like once its up in the kitchen.  I did take the brush and lightly went over the edge of the chalkboard along the frame to give it an old look.  I I had made a little boo boo and touched the chalkboard by accident with the gold liquid.  I thought I was going to have to go back with the chalkboard spray paint, but instead I decided to roll with it and make it look like it was part of the plan.  I love how the liquid leaf looks over the spray paint.  It shines/shimmers and gives it the look I was envisioning.  It compliments the mirror in our living room above the mantle very well.  They look like they could be siblings :)  Here is the finished product...

Total cost for this project:
*Frame: 25 cents
*Chalkboard spray paint: Already owned it from previous project.
*Metallic Gold Spray Paint: $4
*Gold Liquid Leaf (optional for the look I wanted): $5

Under $10.00 for this project!

This could become an obsession for me.  They are fun to make and would make great gifts!  Anyone make one recently or been wanting to?  I say GO FOR IT....its easy and simple!  Such a fun way to display notes or a message to someone in your family :)

Monday Makover- Part 1: Boy Room Update...Baseboards and Some Little Finds!

Goodmorning on this cold Maine morning.  Ohhhh, the beauty of living in a frigid cold state. It's about 9 degrees outside right now so I'm wrapped up in a warm blanket with a cup of coffee in hand, waiting for the house to warm up a bit, while reflecting on the blessings in our life.  Makes me appreciate the roof over our head and the little things so much more when I think about what others have to endure during seasons like this.  Thank You God for Your provision and meeting our basic needs and may those who are in need find You as their source!  Life is hard enough by itself, but to try to live it in our own strength would be brutal. I am so thankful that I can lean on the true source of life.  This old hymnal/prayer has been on auto repeat, ringing loud in my heart the past few days.  I'll leave you with this before I go into the makeover context of this post...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heav'ly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Now onto Makeover Monday.This week has been a busy one so I haven't accomplished as many projects or blogged as much as I had wanted.  We did however make a little head way in Eli's room.  We bought the molding for the wall and the hubs put up the baseboards this weekend.  We found this tutorial (here) with a great visual description on putting up "Board and Batten."  We bought 3- 8ft x 4ft MDF sheets at Home Depot.  They were $25.00 a piece and molding trim for the top was around $10-$15 (super cheap compared to using real wood.  Once primed and painted, you will never know.)  Nate had Home Depot cut the sheets to the width he needed for the baseboards and the batten molding. The baseboards were cut 6 inches wide and the batten molding was cut 3 inches wide (little wider than most batten molding, but I loved the look).   They cut the MDF for free so it was totally worth it for him because it will save him a lot of time and mess.  All he has to do is cut the length, glue, nail and install.  Easier said than done, I know:)  It's definitely simple, but the measuring and leveling will make it a little more time consuming I'm sure.  Will keep you posted as the process continues.  As for now, the baseboards are installed and here are some pictures of the finished product.

MDF molding after it was cut into strips.  Large sheet is leftover MDF that we can use for other projects.

 These are the small nail holes made with the nail gun.  Will cover those and use paintable caulk on seams once I get to the priming and painting step.  I contemplated priming and painting the baseboard before installation but I decided that I'll just put painters tape on the floor and do it all at once.

 Here are the tools used: Chop saw and nail gun/air compressor (Nate's Father's Day gift this past year and it has come in handy a lot recently!)

 The remainder of the molding will go up this week hopefully, so I will make sure to document it fully as we go along.  Can't wait to prime and paint!

As for me this past weekend, I made a trip to Christmas Tree Shop.  I haven't been there in months so I was looking forward to a girls date there with my mom and sister.  I knew going in I was on a hunt for one mission: Eli's room.  I found a few miscellaneous items that I'm looking forward to using once the room is complete.  Here they are...

Gray chalkboard/shelf- $12.   The color doesn't show its true self in this picture, but it it is a gray color in person.  It has an old/aged look to the stain where it is distressed along the edges.  I thought this would be great to hang his baseball hats and other clothing items on and use it as a message board.

 I LOVE signs like these and I was so excited when I found this at the bottom of a rack.  I had seen this particular saying online a while back and wanted to implement it either in the playroom or his bedroom.  It was meant to be and was only $2.99!  It's a metal sign with gray distressed stain along the edges.

 Since we are doing a "Discovery" room (which can grown with his interests through the years), I thought it would be fun to incorporate maps and globes into the mix.  Here is a plastic globe that is the perfect size that he can put on a shelf and take off to play with. It originally came on a stand so it was tilted on an axis but it was the last one left and didn't have its stand.  I was able to buy it for $1.00.  Such a great learning tool and decor at the same time!

 This globe below is white ceramic and the continents are lightly etched on it.  I love this for display purposes only and could not pass it up for only $2.50.  Thought it would pop out and look awesome on a shelf against the navy blue wall.  Love finding unexpected things like this that are inexpensive and pull all the little details together. 

Hopefully within the next 2 weeks we will have the shell of the room completed so Eli can move back into his room.  Will keep the updates coming as things progress.  Any kid makeovers going on in your world?  I need to find some organizational storage that is functional yet cute.  Hoping to make an IKEA trip soon...that place is amazing and is a must see if you have not been!  Be back soon!

Thursday Thrifty Finds Including Explosive Crates!

I love thrift stores and I love a good deal.  It makes me happy and is one of my favorite pastimes. 

Thursday is for Thrifty Finds. 

While the hubs has been on vacation this week, we ended up going north for a couple days to visit the in-laws.  My mother-in-law loves thrifting and going to antique stores so we made an afternoon of it this week.  We went to the Fairfield Antique Mall in Fairfield, Maine.  This is the same place where I found my mantle in my living room last year.  Their prices are fairly reasonable depending on the vendor and it's like a field trip when I go there.  It is so fun to just walk around and check out all the treasures that fill the booths, even if I can't afford them.  I just like to touch and dream! I constantly have ideas floating through my head when I walk through a place like this.  I find I have to try to keep my focus because I can get side tracked very easily :)  My mother-in-law loves redoing and re-purposing furniture so it was fun throwing ideas around as we looked.

My main mission was to find old crates for Eli's big boy room that we are renovating.  I would like to stack a couple as a nightstand/bookshelf and use some for toy bins.  I found 2 and they ended up being 50% off which was an added bonus ($15).  I loved that on the side it said "High Explosives...Dangerous" meaning powder dynamite was packed in those crates.  I knew Nate would love it since he worked for Maine Drilling & Blasting in college and Eli would think it was great because anything that explodes in his mind is awesome!   Here they are.  Can't wait to use them!!

Next item that I have been on the hunt for in my searching is an old scale for in my kitchen.   I love the old, vintage look of a scale for decorative purposes but also it can be used for cooking/baking as well if needed.  Here is a creamy/white one I found. Most of the scales I found in the past were anywhere from $35-$60.  This one was $15 which couldn't be passed up. When I brought it home, it was quite dirty so I scrubbed, disinfected it and with the use of a magic eraser it looked so much better!  It does have rust on it, but for me it's just added character! I may do a paint touch up, but I'm undecided for now. 

Eli has been using his big highchair for his stuffed animals and boy baby that he owns.  I have been looking for a small one that he could use in his playroom with his kitchen set, but everything I've seen has been pricey for the quality.  I wasn't searching for one on this particular shopping trip, but in the midst of looking I came across this sweet little highchair.  AND the BEST part....it was on SALE!  The tag said, $3.00. I thought it was a mistake so I took a second glance.  But sure enough, it was only $3.00 at checkout.  I couldn't believe it.  Eli is in LOVE!  He could not wait to get it home to feed his bear :)

This last item is not one I was hunting for either but I have been wanting one in the back of my mind.  It is an old crate looking box that could be used for multiple purposes.  I intend to use it as a table display with either seasonal decor, condiments/silverware for parties and could also be great for displaying craft supplies in jars in the middle of the table when I have girls over for crafty get togethers.  My mother-in-law has some of these and I think they are adorable.  This one had "old tool box" on the tag, but it also is similiar to some that are old chicken feeders.  I liked this one in particular because of the shape.  Here it is....what would you do with it?

Well, these were my thrifty finds for the week!  Stay tuned in the coming weeks as I give you some ideas on re-purposing cheap finds on a dime.  This week I bought a picture frame for 25 cents at Goodwill.  I plan to do a project with it this week, so post to come!  This Friday we are starting our big project in Eli's room.  Expect a post about the beginning process of the floor by Monday.  Happy Thursday !!

Winter Treasures...A Few of My Favorite Finds!

Once New Years day comes and goes, I am itching to get my Christmas decor down and do a good thorough cleaning before the next season of items emerge.  After having a lot of color around for the holidays, I'm in a winter white color pallet mood to change things up a bit.  White is often dismissed as being "blah" but I find that layering different tones of white and cream can actually be a beautiful thing!  I decided to leave out my white trees and mercury glass since it goes well with the "winter white" theme.  I once heard Nate Berkus (love that guy) say that mercury glass is a timeless decor that will never go "out" and it blends beautifully with so many different styles.  You can actually make your own, and I'll do a tutorial date on that soon as well.   

It's funny how I stumble across good thrifty finds while out and about.  I rarely go out with the intention of finding treasures but somehow in the midst of shopping for something else, treasures somehow find me.  My family often laughs at me when I go shopping because I have to tangibly touch everything I see.  I have a hard time buying anything online because I have to use my sense of touch before being confident with my purchase.  When I go into a store, I get a thrill out of pawing through things to find a deal.  It gets me excited when the challenge arises.   What would take someone 10 minutes to scan a store, takes me a good hour at the least.  I love going to Target just to walk around.  It's like a field trip for an adult :)  I NEVER like to buy anything full price because I know it will at some point go on sale or I can find something similiar elsewhere for a better price.  I think that's what being "thrifty" is all about.  It's not being cheap and stingy but being able to search for a quality gem for a fraction of the price.  You get more for your money that way and it makes this stay at home mom very happy! 

Recently, I came across some great finds and thought I'd share so you too can be on the look out as you are out and about.  Some of my favorite places to visit are Goodwill Distribution (huge warehouse about a mile from our home), Target (clearance home section), local Goodwill store in town, Michael's, Christmas Tree, Homegoods, and Dollar Tree. 

Here are a few of my favorite finds this season...
 

Snowflake pillow-  Target Clearance on end cap.  Bought 2 for $5 each.  

Gold Lamp Base- Goodwill for $1.99. 
It has some rust spots on bottom so I'm either going to try to find a product to take those away or spray it a color. It has good bones.  Will keep you posted.  Burlap Lampshade is from Target, $12 which makes the lamp $14 which isn't bad for the size of it.  

White Lanterns-  Goodwill Distribution, $1.50 each. 

I didn't even realize this place existed until a friend of mine told me about it (Thanks Star :).  It's my new favorite place.  You have to be in the mood to dig through bins, but when you do, you can find some great stuff.   All furniture is 99 cents and everything else is by the pound.  These lanterns were heavy so the price per pound goes down.  They bring new inventory out every 30 minutes.  The lanterns are about a foot and a half tall.  Can be hung on the wall separately or I have put them together as one large lantern in the picture above.  I use it on my make shift side table with candles in it.  They are white with a distressed/vintage finish.

Wooden Letter Sign- Michael's for $1.00.  

It's a blackish/gray tweed fabric over the wood.  I found it in the dollar section.  I replaced my "Merry" sign from Christmas with the "Let It Snow".  I used a white/cream scrapbook paper for back and hot glued the lettering to the paper.  Great winter art!

Round Gold/gray/white Tablecloth-  Target Christmas Clearance $4. 
I rarely use table cloths but I love this fabric and thought if I ended up not liking it as a tablecloth I could make a curtain or pillows out of it. 

Large Pinecone-  Homegoods $2 Christmas Clearance.  

I plan to use it as part of my decor on front door.  It looks like a long enlarged pine cone with snow on it.  Has an old/vintage flare to it.

Placemat- Target $1.00 in Christmas clearance.  

I love the color combo....white, tan, teal green, dark gray and metallic silver strips. Looks like an old rag rug.  Instead of using them as place mats to eat on I decided to use it as part of the centerpiece on my table.  I refinished the crate above with cream paint and brown stain this past summer and I have canning jars in them with epsom salt for snow and tea lights which give a pretty glow at night

 Card "Be the Change You Wish to See in the World."-  Trader Joes for $1.00.  

While looking for cards I saw this one and immediately knew I wanted it to frame for in the kitchen.  It looks like cross stitch even up close, not to mention the saying that has such powerful meaning behind it.  They have beautiful cards that are all frame worthy.  Inexpensive piece of art that looks amazing when framed!

Have you found any great finds lately?  I love hearing and seeing what other people come across in their hunting.  Have a great weekend all!

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