Low Cost Train Table.

When my four year old son asked for a train table this Christmas I thought surely I could find a suitable set for an affordable cost even if I had to buy a plastic one from Walmart. Then, I began shopping and let's just say I had no idea the cost of a train table these days! So, you guessed it...I decided to make one.
Here's where it all began...a $6.00 thrift store end table! I painted it black (paint I already had) and cut the legs and castors off to lower the heighth. Then (with my dads help) I took an old used round table with a laminate top on it (great for cleaning) and cut it into a square. My dad then cut trim to fit and nailed it in. Then I began to work out a layout for the track using existing pieces I had at home and some my dad picked up at a thrift store for $3.00. Once I had the layout arranged where I wanted it we (my dad and I) mounted the table top to the end table with screws.

Here is the finished product. I painted all the tracks and some of the pieces black as well because I didn't love how the wood looked against the tan laminate and I felt a colored track might be too busy (even for my little boys). Then I painted the trim a bright blue and glued (epoxy) it all in place...I know that most train tables come with tracks unattached but I didn't want to be picking up pieces all of the time and since this gift was for a 1 year old and a four year old to use together I thought it would be best to keep it all in one place.

Notice the built in drawer for added storage. I took the old hardware off and tied a red rope at both ends for easy accessability.

Well, that's it. Not fancy, I know but I think my boys will just love playing with this table and track set. Can't wait to see their faces in the morning! Oh, I almost forgot...total cost for this project was $30.00! Can't beat that :)!

Snowed in?

I just love the simplicity of creating your own paper snowflakes. It's so magical to me that something as simple as a piece of white paper and a pair of scissors can create something so whimsical and delicate, so uniquely individual in design. The suspense that builds while opening each one becomes almost addictive and I find it hard to stop once I begin. Either way it's a great way to release some creativity on a cold winter day :)

Slowly...very slowly, but surely!

Bold you say? I was thinking the very same thing :)

Remember these? After much deliberation I have decided to paint the chairs black...the chairs which happen to be sitting in a garage 2 hours away from me and a BIG THANKS goes out to my in-laws for storing them until I can get them here! Two seat covers down...and four more to go! I am mixing up the fabric patterns a bit so keep checking back to see what the others end up like! Can't wait to see the red/orange color and pattern pop against the black in my kitchen!

Felt Wreathe.

I wish I could take credit for this idea but I actually copied it from a tutorial given on http://designspongeonline.com/ which happens to be one of my favorite design websites...check out their before and after link. LOVE it! Anyway, back to the wreathe. The styrofoam cost me $6.00 from Michaels and then I just bought 1 yard of white felt (you could use any color of course, I think a hot pink wreathe would look gorgeous in a girls bedroom) and cut a bazillion 3" round circles. Sorry I didn't count them! Then fold them in half and then in half again and stick a straight pin through the bottom corner and into the styrofoam. Yes, it is that easy and I think I may keep it up all year round...I am loving how it looks hanging on my door. I also pinned some burlap ribbon to hang it from but if you want a cleaner look just skip the ribbon and hang right on the nail.

A few of my favorite things...and on a budget too!

Here's the finished tree in all its glory (hehe)! Interesting tree topper, I know, but I totally LOVE it on my tree! Since I am fairly new to the whole decor bloggin world I have just been discovering some other great blogs to check out. While doing so I found some "tree party's" where you can upload photos of your decorated Christmas tree for others to see and in turn check out others...what a great idea, huh? Well, you guessed it...I uploaded this baby on http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/ and on http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com So what are you waiting for...go get yours uploaded and check out all the great ideas and inspiration out there :)!

As I mentioned before, I was desperate this year to change up our tree decor but with a very limited budget had to be very creative in doing so. I chose to use a black and white scheme and used picture frames as ornaments to hang on the tree. I started hunting the thrift stores in late October for the frames and luckily for me there were plenty to choose from ranging in price from 10 cents to one dollar. I used black and white spray paint as well as acryllic paint to coordinate them all. I just love how they all turned out and that EVERYTHING on my tree is refurbished in one way or another! Oh, and I almost forgot...the tree also came from a thrift store this year ($25.00, lights included)!

I picked up this old wooden frame for a $1.00 and spray painted it black. It is a gorgeous frame and I have a feeling I will be using it year round. Also, above the frame is a little glass ornament. I picked up a bag of these at Michaels a couple of years ago for around $5.00 and have been using them on the tree and elsewhere ever since. They came in various sizes and shapes which I also love. Oh...I almost forgot the rag garland...don't you just love it on the tree? I must admit that was a bit tedious to make but I am so glad I did!

Here is one of my favorite new creations...I tore strips of cotton fabric (an old sheet will do) and fastened them over the outside of some old ornaments then glued down a tack on top with some string for hanging. I love the "old" feel these give as well as how they tie in with the rag garland wrapped around the tree. I also ended up using some torn sheet strips as garland around the tree.

I hope this gives you all a little inspiration in decorating your tree this year...it's nice to know that you can still have something pretty in your home and not have to spend much! Happy decorating!

More homemade Christmas gifts...

I know, I know you're sick of the blocks already but unfortunately for you I am not :) I just can't get over how easy these are and fun at the same time. Thanksgiving is such a great time to gather together with those we hold most dear...our families. Each year as part of our gifts to our parents and grandparents my husband and I try to include a recent portrait of our family and our children. I thought this would go along great with the prints this year. Hope they like them! Oh yes, and wrapping or embellishing with ribbon is another treat for me! Happy Thanksgiving everyone and check back to see my finished tree in a few days...the frames (ornaments) are almost finished!

Notice anything different?

Remember this headboard I bought for $20.00 at a consignment store? You might also remember how I recovered it in a nice simple off white fabric shown below. Now...do you notice anything different about it?

That is the question I asked my husband when he came home today. His answer, "No"! I admit it was a subtle difference I made but had a huge impact on the look in our bedroom. If you still haven't figured it out I changed the buttons on the headboard from white to brown. After I completed the chair (left corner) and placed it in the room it's bold fabric and dark colors sucked all the attention away from the rest of the room. After creating some interest in color by adding a high contrasting color to the tufted buttons I brought some balance back into the space. Love the result...now I just want to drape a light colored throw over one half of the chair, and maybe a small pillow...then some sort of artwork above the chair...okay I'll stop now :) I'm linking this post up to http://thriftydecorchick for her before and after party...check it out...loads of inspiration!

I finished!

All finished!

Here's the fabric I intended on using to recover the chair...right up until I found my 4 year old cutting it up! Actually he didn't cut very much but just enough to prevent me from using it. I'm sure I can find another use for it but it was a maddening experience at the time :)

The new and improved chair with a fabric much more my style and only $4.00 a yard! I really didn't think I would be able to finish this for a while but it took alot less time to recover than I thought it would...I was able to start and finish the whole recovering in the time my 1 year old was napping today (2 hours 10 min)! It doesn't get any better than that! Hope you like!

Coming soon...

Perhaps this "before" image does not inspire you...I am hoping my "after" will. I was really hoping to have this finished by now but due to other circumstances that I will not take the time to go into I'm afraid it won't be finished until sometime this week...or next :) Anyway, just thought I would post this as a teaser until the big reveal. I paid $8 for this old thing and once completed I think it will be a perfect addition to my bedroom. Stay tuned ;)

It's all about presentation...isn't it?

My sister has a friend who recently did this and I loved the idea so I picked up some random plates at the good old D.I. and some candle holders. I spray painted some of the bases because they were silver or gold to begin with and then with a little epoxy glue created unique pedestal stands to serve Christmas goodies on this holiday season...it's hard to believe something so cute could cost less than those ugly plastic trays from Walmart! I can't wait to see some homemade fudge resting on these plates!

Thrifty organization

I found these metal filing drawers for $2.00 each last week at a thrift store and couldn't resist snagging them since I have been in desperate need to organize my supplies once and for all. I used 1 can of spray paint to brighten them up a bit and there you have it... I feel fortunate to have a large craft room in my home that I can work in and now I won't be going through every other drawer and room in the house trying to find a certain pair of scissors to use on a project...well, that's it now back to work :)!

An early start.

I know, I know it's barely November and here I am posting about Christmas already but before you condemn me let me explain my reasons for doing so. After putting away my Halloween decorations the other day I pulled out a couple of boxes of Christmas decor. As I looked at the same old ornaments I have been using for the past three years or so I realized how boring and uninspiring they were. I separated all of the colored balls and glittered icicles from the other ornaments and that's when I decided to change things up this year. I want to create a timeless look for our Christmas tree and using what I already had I began to paint and refinish ornaments and so far am loving the transformation from the old tired look I had before. This year our tree will be adorned by varying picture frames reminding us of the relationships we hold most dear to our hearts. I am just getting started but because I am shopping thrift stores for these items I have to start early in order to have it completed by the end of November. I can already picture the end result and although it excites me I am refraining from turning on the Christmas music until after Thanksgiving...so there you have it, what are you doing to spice up your holiday decor this season?

Wall Photo Collage

Check out the Saturday Night Special #9 Party at http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com where I uploaded this project to a list of so many other DIY inspirational projects and add your own!Seriously, there is no end to the talents and creativity out there!
Ever have a hard time deciding which photos to hang where or have hard time combining different types of frames? I think this is a great way to display a variety of favorite photos without going overboard on the wall. For these collages I used modge podge and applied it to the back of the photos as well as to old canvas' and a wooden box. I painted the outside edges with some brown craft paint as well to sort of unify the three since they all vary in thickness and size. I love how they turned out against my new burnt orange wall (autumn ridge is the official name of the color, although my son insists the color is called "red brown"). I bought the paint two years ago and unfortunately they no longer carry it but luckily can match my existing color since I have a little left over to finish the rest of the hallway. Here's a closer look at one of them...I think the hardest part was deciding where to put each photo...so many possibilities!

$15 end table

Today I set out to find a pair of chairs for the end of my bed (I have been looking for some time now) and as you can see I was still unsuccessful...but, I did find this great end table for only $15.00! It is a good solid piece and for the price I simply could not pass it up. Here's the before pic I took when I got it home (don't mind the sippy cups)! A little scratched up here and there and the top was a mess but mostly it just needed to be cleaned up. After a fresh coat of paint and a thin layer of polyurethane on top! I LOVE how it turned out with little time, effort and cost on my part! It was a good day...but I am still on the look out for those chairs :)

The sideboard...

This belonged to my husbands great grandfather who passed away a few years back. It was a bit scratched and the bottom of one drawer was slightly broken as well. Thankfully my sister in law was headed to the thrift store to donate it when she stopped by my house first to see if I wanted it. Anyway, I painted it as you can see, lined the drawers with some toile wall paper, and added a painted branch with a few blossoms. It has served our family well and we love having something old in our house that once belonged to a dear family member.

Designer pumpkin?

How are you dressing up your pumpkins for Halloween? I decided I already have enough "scary" decor for my two little boys to handle this year and opted to paint a pumpkin instead of carving one the traditional way. This is what I came up with and surprisingly it ended up taking less time than carving! I just used some left over toll paint and freehanded a little design (black and white would also look great but I didn't have any black tool paint on hand)...I think it would look great with a striped small pumpkin sitting next to it...hmmm, maybe I'll do that later this week :) Let's hear your ideas about how to jazz up some pumpkins this year!
P.S. I found the old iron candelabra at a thrift store last week for $1.00...perfect for halloween decor don't you think!

Craft fair inspiration

Just a few tools needed: shadow box (or you could make this part, I just happened to have an old one on hand), tape measurer, wood for the back of the box and front piece (I used a scrap bead board paneling piece that the previous home owner left in the shed), some kind of saw to cut with (I just have a scroll saw but a jig saw would also work great) staple gun, paint, flowers, dried or dry silk ( I saw several boxes with dried wheat in them today and it looked really great as well).

This is a shot taken waiting for the paint to dry.

Here is the ALMOST finished project...I just need to place a silver plaque over the front wooden piece with a word of choice cut out. I'm leaning towards "Cherish" right now...does anyone know where I can order on of these?

I (like many of you reading this) went to the local craft fair today. It was fun to look at all the great things and different ideas people had come up with. The only problem was (in my opinion) everything was SO EXPENSIVE! Cute or not, it was hard for me to buy anything knowing that I could make most of the items myself. So...I went home and rummaged through my basement storage and came up with this project. Thank you craft fair for lending me your inspiration today...boxes similar to this one were going for $50.00 and up! My total cost: time!

Pottery barn filing cabinet

I found this on Craigslist for $14.00. It was in great condition but was missing one of the upper drawers.

Here's the easy solution I came up with. I simply took out the drawer hardware and cut a piece of wood to fit inside. Then I painted the wood a grey blue color (left over paint from another project) and added some trim for the edge and glued it all down with wood glue. This only took a few minutes to do and I love that I have a functional cabinet now!

Updated bench...

Here are some updated pics of the bench in my sons bedroom. As you can see, I still do not have the underneath storage taken care of...I am looking for some orange canvas bins rather than baskets and have not been able to find any yet. Also I put up a few things on the wall as well. The two large frames came from a thrift store ($2.00 each) as well as the oval frame and mirror (can't remember how much I paid for them since I bought them years ago). The other two frames I picked up at Shopko on the clearance rack a couple of years ago for $3.00 each. I covered them with dinosaur scrap book paper and applied modge podge...so easy and I really like how they turned out. The inside of the large frames were made by taking a large linen (white) napkin (I got several at the local consignment store for .50 each last week) and then painted the characters on them. Then I stretched them across the back using thumbtacks to secure them in place...just something easy, affordable, and fun.

Adding something unexpected...

If you are visiting from my family blog (welcome) this is the thrift store (D.I) find I eluded to on my post. I just picked this up the other day for $25.00! This pew was taken out of an old church building that was being remodeled. You may notice that it is "kid size" which made it perfect for my four year olds room! I am in the process of sewing a foam cushion and will hopefully have more baskets to nestle underneath with books very soon. For those of you who know my son you also know that he loves his books and as a mom I am so ready to gain some sort of organization when it comes to them! I restained the bench today (two seperate coats of an ebony stain to be exact) and like the new color so much better than the light oak that it came with (sorry forgot to take a a true "before" pic again). Lucky for me, I had saved the stain from a project I did four years ago. I'll post more when the project is complete but I just wanted to share some of my excitement!

Ever painted a mural?

The beginning...

During...

After!

Well, this one was a first for me but I had a great time spending my afternoon in the mind of my 4 year old boy. As some of you already know, to say he LOVES dinosaurs would be an understatement. I took my inspiration from some of his dinosaur childrens books and went from there. I also chose to use a plant eating dinosaur to avoid any potential over imagining on his part...afterall he does have to sleep in this room :) Using a pencil I freehanded the dinosaur and then let my son take part by letting him paint in the lines (I had to guide him a little here). Next I began adding some shadows and texture...this was the tricky part but it was also the part where the dinosaur began to come alive so to speak. I ended up mixing paint from what I had in my own storage so this was a "no cost" project. Overall I am pleased with the result but will probably go in tomorrow and detail some of the trees a bit more and redefine the clouds...so what do you all think?

Details, details.

Okay, remember the hanging lantern...same room here. This room is a great example of using color in a space when painting the walls isn't an option. I picked up the candel sconces at a thrift store for $1.50 each. Wish I had a before shot to show but just imagine a hideous gold and you've got it. Now they are little princess meets glam...the only thing left is the candle sticks...I'm leaning towards hot pink or yellow. The canopy also brings in just enough color to brighten the space without overwhleming it and isn't the fabric just adorable? Love it!

From dungeon to darling...

A friend of mine needed to move her two little girls to the basement to make more room for an upcoming addition to the family upstairs. The girls were afraid of the basement (can't say I blame them) because of the dark paneling. After discussing paint options some friends and I went to work painting over the paneling to brighten things up a bit. I should mention that my friend is house sitting and recieved permission to paint the room ahead of time...still, because of the situation we had some limitations on this project. In the end I think it turned out great and most importantly the girls LOVE it! Makes me wish I had a little girl...

The lovely,or perhaps not so lovely before shot.

Wish I could take credit for this part but this was all Jess...so cute!

This photo really doesn't show it very well but the branches above the "sofa" are suspended by fishing line. It has a really cool three dimensional effect in the room with hanging butterflies and felt leaves for some whimsy. Also, the frames to the right were all picked up at a thrift store for 5o cents each and then painted lime to match the other walls. The old crib was something that had sentimental value and so instead of storing it in the garage we brought it in and positioned it in the corner as a "reading nook". Eventually the legs will be cut down slightly to accomodate little one's seating and look less like a crib.

Don't you just love these flowers on the wall (velcroed). Totally copied the idea from a pottery barn catalog but still love it. Another unique twist is the bed skirts which are made out of pieces of tulle fabric and tied to the bedframe. Attached are tulle butterflies. Underneath the bed is a "playhouse" of sorts so this worked out very well for the girls who are crawling in and out frequently.

Well, I think that's it on this one...and can I just say it was so fun thinking in pink!