Some More of My Favorite Guys
Slowly, I am pulling together some of the photos I took in haste preparing for last month’s craft fair. Here are some more accessories, I made over to sell.
This guy was in bad shape and needed some love. The veneer was chipped and the finish worn. So I repaired the chipped veneer with wood fill, primed and painted it.
If I am not mistaken, the original use was for magazines or record ablums (remember those?). But I thought it could be used in an office to hold current files just the same. I was planning to stencil it but then I decided to go with a grain sack aesthetic instead.
And I shared you this little guy with you earlier but I never showed you the before. Check out the needlepoint cover.
This foot stool was a little shaky so I took it apart and re-glued the joints.
The finish was a mess too.
So I used some ASCP Old White and the remaining section of a flannel shirt I used to make one of these pillows
to cover the cushion.
What do you think?
Partying and sharing on:
Saturday:
Funky Junk Interiors: Saturday Night Special
Monday:
Between Naps on the Porch:Metamorphosis Monday
Mod Vintage Life:Mod Mix Monday
You are Talking Too Much:Monday Link Party
Apron Thrift Girl:Craft Catwalk
Crafts Keep Me Sane:Motivate Me Monday
Tuesday:
A Bowl Full of Lemons:One Project at a Time
Coastal Charm:Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Shades of Amber:Chalk Paint Party
Sweet Little Gals:Turquoise Lovin’ Party
Wednesday:
Beyond the Picket Fence:Under $100 Linky Party
DIY by Design: Fall into Fall
Domestically Speaking:Power of Paint Party
Faded Charm:White Wednesday
Handy Man Crafty Woman:Wicked Awesome Wednesday
Primitive and Proper:Piece of Work Wednesday
Primp:Primp Your Stuff Wednesday Link Party
Restore Interiors: Restored It Wednesday
Savvy Southern Style:Wow Us Wednesday
Three Boys:Vintage Furniture
Beyond the Picket FenceOpen House Party
Thursday:
House of Hepworths: Hookin Up with HOH
No Minimalist Here:Open House Party
Saved by Suzy:House Party
The Shabby Creek Cottage: Transformation Thursday
Friday:
Finding Fabulous: Frugalicious Friday
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday
Miss Mustard Seed:Furniture Feature Friday
My Repurposed Life: Catch as Catch Can Party
My Romantic Home:Show And Tell Friday
Remodelaholic: Anonymous
Simple Home Life:Simply Creations
Tatertots & Jello:Weekend Wrap Up Party
The Charm of Home:Home Sweet Home
The Shabby Nest: Frugal Friday
What I Learned From My First Craft Fair
Thank goodness, the craft fair experience is behind me. Early December, I decided to give craft vending a try. It was a lot of work and very overwhelming. Not just the actual day, but preparing for the day. I learned a lot and it’s good to know that I haven’t lost my ability to persevere. I felt like giving up many times but I didn’t, no matter how sleep deprived I was. My hats off to all who do this regularly.
Here is some of what I learned:
1. Hauling furniture from my home to the fair and then back again which included a flight of stairs is just not for me. If I were to ever do it again, I would stick to small home furnishings and accessories.
So instead of these
I’ll stick to this cutie
She wasn’t so cute when I found her though. ASCP took care of that.
2. Perfectionism has no place when producing hand crafted tems for resale. I found myself doing and redoing trying to meet my self-imposed high standards which greatly hampered my productiviy. Somehow, in the frenzy of the preparation, I forgot that handmade is all about the beauty of imperfection. Each item is suppose to be uniquely it’s own, distinguishing it from mass produced items.
Although I was going for the distressed finish, the nightstands didn’t turn out like I had envisioned. I thought I would give it that Miss Mustard Seed touch as you see here by decoupaging the damaged sides with sheet music. Works with french country, not so much with mid century modern. Another lesson learned.
However, they did come a long way from when we first met. The laminate was buckling and falling off in some places yet in tact in others.
And two of the drawers were in serious distress.
3. Knowing the craft fair before making the commitment is a must. I knew this but I was wooed by the reuse, recycle theme and thought it would be the perfect place to be. With that said, this was a first time event with no track record.
Sadly, after all that work, I didn’t sell a thing. None of the vendors sold much of anything. This event was not advertised. Vendors were required to use their Facebook contacts to publicize the event. The Build It Green customers had little or no interest in our wares.
I wanted to have the experience and I did. Don’t get me wrong, I would have much preferred to have made some sales, however, what I learned during the process made it worth my while.
A couple of accessories, I will probably keep for myself. This one for sure.
I think it would be a cute way to store rubber bands, paper clips etc. As for the rest, there’s always Etsy or Craigslist. Right?
Have any craft sale stories, advice or tidbits to share?
I’m sharing this post with:
Beyond the Picket Fence: Under $100 Linky Party
DIY by Design: Fall into Fall
Domestically Speaking: Power of Paint Party
Handy Man Crafty Woman: Wicked Awesome Wednesday
Primitive and Proper:Piece of Work Wednesday
Primp:Primp Your Stuff Wednesday Link Party
Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesday
No Mininalist Here: Open House Party
Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday
Between Naps on the Porch:Metamorphosis Monday
Little Grey Chair
Have you recovered from your holiday festivities? I love the holidays but I love the day after even more. Wondering why? Because I spend it in my PJ’s, lounging with no plans and eating way too many leftovers. With that said, I sure hope your holiday was everything you wanted it to be and more.
Lately, I’ve been having a blast experimenting with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP). I truly wish I could find the before picture but it was deleted or misfiled. Sorry about that. I assure you, it wasn’t anything to write home about.
After two coats of Paris Grey followed by some wax, VOILA.
The paint is so easy to work with.
The distressed finish looks rather authentic, don’t you agree?
ASCP is my new BFF:)
Sharing this post with:
Funky Junk Interiors: Saturday Night Special
Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday
Domestically Speaking: Power of Paint Party
Happy Holidays!
“May your home be filled with the joy, love and family as you celebrate and create memorable moments to cherish in the years to come.
Wishing you and your families a very happy holiday!
Enjoy
A Lamp Tree Display for Christmas
Have you ever heard of a lamp tree?
Are you sure? It’s a tree made with lamp shade parts of course. I just made that up but that is what I did.
I used lamp shade frames in assorted sizes and placed them on a metal rod, all of which I just happen to have laying around. Each tier is held in place by rubber washers. It was the easiest thing to put together. I just slid each tier and used a washer on top an bottom to hold it in place.
This broken clock frame was used for the base.
The rod happen to be threaded on each end so I could screw it into a piece of wood and secure it using a metal washer and nut. Then, I hot glued the clock frame to the piece of wood and painted the base with ASCP Paris Gray.
I used a wooden drawer knob for the topper, but I think I am going to search my house for a lamp finial to use instead.
I thought of this idea to display ornaments at the craft fair but I realized it could be used to display cards at home as well. By the way, the craft fair didn’t go well but I’ll leave that story for a later post.
I adore burlap and love to think of ways to use it. I wrapped styrofoam cubes like a present, secured it with hot glue and added some trim. Again, all things I already had on hand.
Here are a few more closeups. I’m having a ball experimenting with blurry backgrounds. Finally getting the hang of my DSLR camera. Yeah!!
Pine cones are another one of my favorite things.
I love to create things from odds and ends. It’s so much more rewarding and requires that extra ounce of creativity and resourcefulness.
I’m sharing this post with Funky Junk Interiors: Saturday Night Special
Between Naps on the Porch: Metamorphosis Monday
Domestically Speaking: The Power of Paint Party
In Over My Head!
I have been MIA yet again. Totally overwhelmed preparing for the upcoming craft fair this Saturday. Since this is a first for me, I had no idea about the amount of hours required to produce sufficient inventory. I have been up to the wee hours of the mornings over the last three weeks and still don’t have as much as I had anticipated. Oh my goodness, everything I do seems to take twice as long as anticipated. Here is a sneak peak at a few of the things I will be selling.
I love how the footstool turned out. In the spirit of the reuse and upcycle craft fair them, I used a flannel shirt to cover it and make the pillow.
I have a thing for flannel shirts. It’s one of my favorite things to wear during the winter. I got these from the thrift store and pleased with the results.
That’s all I have for now. I sure hope I get a chance to take pics of the rest. For now, it’s back to work for me. I will be sure and let you know how it went. In the meantime, if you have any tips for me, please let me know because I am in over my head!
I’m sharing this post with:
Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday
Funky Junk Interiors: Saturday Night Special
Nightstand Insomnia
These nightstands have been keeping me up nights.
I acquired them for zero dollars from a friend of a friend. They were part of a bedroom set, that my friend’s friend wasn’t able to sell on Craig’s List. The other pieces were massive so I decided to just take the nightstands. The finish on them was extremely durable. My mouse sander just skimmed the surface. I decided to give Citrus Striper a try; however, with all the curves and crevices, it got a little to messy. It was necessary to bring out the big guns, Mr. DIY’s belt sander. One pass and the beautiful hard wood was exposed. It was so pretty, I decided to remove the entire finish.
I have been stuck at this stage for two weeks. Usually, the finishing plan comes to me when I am prepping and stripping but for some reason I can’t make up my mind.
It needs some additional sanding around the curves and crevices which makes the stripping process much more tedious.
And even with all the inspiration I found of similar nightstands, I just can’t make up my mind.
Facelift Furniture: Turquoise French Provincial Nightstand (clipped to polyvore.com)
The Blue Eyed Owl: before & after {hot pink nightstand} (clipped to polyvore.com)
confessions of a craigslist junkie: A Pretty Little Thing (clipped to polyvore.com)
I will be selling them at the Crafted at the Canal – Holiday Reuse Fair so I want to choose a color or finish that will have mass appeal. Stain, paint, two toned and/or distressed finish? I need your help so I can get some sleep:) What do you think?
I am sharing this post with:
Between Naps on the Porch:Metamophosis Monday
You are Talking Too Much:Monday Link Party
Apron Thrift Girl:Craft Catwalk
Domestically Speaking:Power of Paint Party
Beyond the Picket Fence:Under $100 Linky Party
DIY by Design: Fall into Fall
Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday
Out of the Box
I like to find pretty ways to containerize life’s everyday clutter, paper, electronic accessories, supplies. Wooden boxes are one of my weaknesses that I use to do just that. Anytime I see one at a thrift store, I can’t help myself. Here are a couple I found some time ago.
Not too pretty, I know but with a little paint, everything has potential.
I couldn’t find the before picture of this one but here it is after I primed it.
And this is how they look now. So much better, don’t you think?
I used craft paint on both of them.
A stencil for this design
and rubber stamps on this one.
I think they have a vintage feel and their waiting for their wax finishing but I can’t decide if I should distress them. Distress or not to distress, that is the question?
As for the inside, although I painted the inside of one, I was thinking decoupage or a fabric insert would be nice too. I really have to decide soon as I plan to sell them at the Crafted at the Canal Reuse Craft Fair next month. What do you think?
I’m sharing this post with:
Between Naps on The Porch: Metamorphosis Monday
Coastal Charm:Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia:Tuesday’s Treasures
Shades of Amber:Chalk Paint Party
Domestically Speaking:Power of Paint Party
Handy Man Crafty Woman:Wicked Awesome Wednesday
Funky Junk Interiors: Saturday Night Special
Taking the Craft Fair Plunge
I always fantasized about becoming a craft vendor yet for some reason I never took the plunge to at least try it. When I came across an email in my inbox for a craft fair with a recycle theme, I knew that would be the perfect opportunity to test the waters. Build It Green! NYC is a salvage yard located in Astoria Queens is opening a new location in Brooklyn and they are having a craft fair kickoff. It will run for two consecutive weekends, December 10-11 and 17-18.
I have a month pull everything together. The last couple of days I have been brainstorming and planning what I want to make and sell. In the spirit of recycle theme, I am using what I have to create my inventory; I am even trying to use the paint left over from my past projects. I spent today sanding and priming and deciding on what color to paint everything; mostly frames, mirrors and wooden boxes and small home accessories. I keep changing my mind and second guessing myself, wondering if the colors I choose would be appealing to others. Here is what I had in mine.
Both images Better Homes and Garden
While I only had eyes for all shades of blue and brown, I really love how the pops of orange make these rooms sing!
The question is, do I go with what I like and hope others appreciate my design aesthetic? Or, do I try and figure out what the craft fair attendees like and design accordingly? I am in need of some serious craft show schooling, so if you have any tips or suggestions, please let me know.
Potholders, Potholders, Glorious Potholders!
I’ve been having had a difficult time finding potholders that work for me. They’re just too stiff. Either the fabric layers are too thick or the rubberized layer interferes with my gripability ability to get a good grip on hot pots. So I thought I would just make some for myself and decided to poke around for some inspiration first.
I love the vintage/retro appeal of this first design. I found it at Lark Crafts and is an exerted from the book, Stash Happy Patchwork. It’s amazing how a bunch of fabric scraps can look so lovely!
How about this two handed quilted design by Jessica over at A Little Gray.
She has a great tutorial if you would like to try one for yourself.
Or this easy design perfect for the novice sewer. It was featured on Design Sponge’s DIY Wednesdays.
I really like this next one because it offers layers of protection and an easy-to-sew quilted design.
Now my knitting skills are really limited but this cable knit potholder I found on Katy Elliot makes me want to change that. Isn’t it beautiful?
How do you feel about loops? You might remember this from summer camp or elementary school?
And this is the green version featured on re-nest is made from discarded tube socks (washed, of course:)
And just in case you don’t sew or knit, there’s always a crochet version.
And since the basket weave stitch creates extra thickness, I’m guessing that one layer square will provide ample protection. If not, layering 2 squares together should definitely work. Or how about a crochet and fabric combo. So many possibilities are running through my head.
DIY potholders are definitely in my future, now that I have my inspiration; I hope I have inspired you as well. And if you decide to make some, be sure and use cotton fabric and yarn and a heat resistant inside layer as synthetic fibers burn easily. Happy sewing, knitting, crocheting or looping, whichever way you decide to go to potholder heaven!
