Polka Dot Table - Trash to Treasure

Before

After

                  
















This ugly, cheap decorator table sitting in Goodwill had my name all over it. A friend of mine had just painted one for her daughter and I figured I would give it a try. I LOVE this little table now. I picked it up for $3. It was, well, plain and cheap. Perfect! My youngest daughter was needing a small bedside table and I didn't want to spend too much. This fit the bill!


First thing we did was go shopping for paint. Tara picked out a beautiful purple Krylon spray paint cutely named, Bubble Gum. My friend had successfully used spray paint. I figured I would, too.

I unscrewed the legs (glorified broom handles, cheapest wood ever. They weren't in perfect shape, and long story short, the spray paint didn't do it for me. Now, I like spray paint, but I've never cared for using it on wood. I prefer a good latex paint and a Purdy brush. Now I did not feel like going back to the store, so I dug around in the garage and found this gorgeous yellow paint. But...it was 8 years old. I painted my oldest girls nursery with it. Gave it a shake and stir...it's still good! I went in to ask Tara if it would be OK yellow. She said 'YES! Yellow reminds me of sunshine...and Sissy". Her big sisters fave color is yellow. Pure sweetness. So, we moved on to this...

This table took 4 coats of paint. The top soaked it up and the legs...well...the paint needs to look nice since there's not much else going for them;) I even painted the underside of the top. Tara will see it if noone else does when she plays on the floor in her room. So a day of painting, drying and a fan on it, and we had this...

I had already decided not to put the glass back on it. It's not tempered, and it's not safe for a child's room. Now it looks B.O.R.I.N.G. Really boring. I can't do the die cut butterflies I had planned without using the glass to cover it. Then I got to thinking about my stash of acrylic paints, that looked like this...

What to paint? I'm no artist. Polka Dots. They're fun, cute and always trendy. I considered punching out some stencils, then just decided to free hand them. Glad I did, I like them being slightly imperfect. I love the way this turned out. A $3.00 table. Can't beat it!

                                        It's cheerful. It reminds me of sunshine...and Sissy;)

Naomi ~ MinusThePicketFence

Stars & Stripes...The Wreath

I, like most of us crafters, have fallen prey to an endless To-Do or To-Make list...thank you Pinterest! Recently, I pinned a cute July 4th wreath that I loved and since she said her 5 yr old could have made it, well...that means it's easy. And...I do a lot of crafting. However, I am not a wreath creator;) Alas...I may now be slightly addicted to creating my own front door decor! Here's a finished picture of my wreath.

Now, I am completely aware I need to paint my front door. I have to wait for these 100+ degree days to pass first! So, here it is. In all her Red, White, and Blue glory. I really like it. I made some changes from the one I took inspiration from...here's hers. And here's her BLOG to read about it.

There are some things about hers I like better. The wreath is fatter, for one. Mine's skinny and I bet if one side was straight...would more closely favor a candy cane. That's fine with me. But, I am on the lookout for a more full-bodied wreath for future projects. I also like how many more buttons (stars) she used. But, on mine...it didn't look good. Again, I think this is because my wreath could really stand a Big Mac. Also, I didn't make it to a big craft store for supplies, so they had NO navy yarn, so my blue section has a different texture, which again, I ended up loving. In reading her post, she mentioned wanting more stripes. That was a big deal for me, too. So, mine has 13 stripes, just like Old Glory, 7 red, 6 white. In the end, I am really, really delighted with my finished wreath. It looks nice on my door, where a large American flag waves gently in the breeze just a pillar away.

If you just wanted to see how my wreath turned out...well, this is the end of the line, unless of course you want to scroll down for the full door picture. Want to make one of these? Well then, keep on reading. I've got pictures for the steps, and a couple tips for you. For those heading on out, thanks for stopping by!

Supplies needed: Glue Gun, Glue Stick, Foam Wreath form (mine was 14"),  Red/White/Blue yarn,
White Buttons. And...a big dose of patience, along with some time. Obviously, I didn't have blue yarn. I bought 2 yds of Grosgrain ribbon instead. I LOVE it, would not change that. But...while I thought 2 yds would be overkill...I wish I'd sprung the extra .31 for another yard to wrap it more closely.

The thing about Styrofoam is that it doesn't hold up great to high heat, so plug in that glue gun and slap that sucker on the LOW heat setting. This will also make those inevitable burns more tolerable;) I knew I wanted 13 stripes, between 2-3 inches wide. So...do some math and make some marks before you start. Take your time, I had to keep reworking the numbers as you'll see. My blue was supposed to be 7" wide...I didn't have enough ribbon, so it ended up being a little smaller than that. It's ok, but map it all out first. Using the glue gun, place a dot on the center of the wreath and start wrapping the blue. Make sure you end it on the same side of the wreath you started it! This entire project, all ends on one side so the front is seamless!!! A dot of hot glue will secure the end of the ribbon in place. It will look like this.

This is just a shot showing my many markings for the stripes.

Once you've secured the blue section, pick up your red yarn. Press the end into a dot of hot glue, and start wrapping. Wrap tightly and push the yarn together as you go so your white wreath form doesn't show through. That wouldn't look so hot. When you have your red stripe as wide as you want it, glue it off on the backside of the wreath. Apply another dot of glue and start the white stripe.

***Time for a little tip. It is very, very aggravating to pull the ball of yarn in and out so many times. Go ahead and cut a VERY long length of the yarn for each stripe so you have less to hold onto. A couple times, I didn't cut enough. That's OK! Simply tie more onto the yarn you are wrapping, making sure to keep the knot on the backside of the wreath. A dot of glue under those knots is helpful as well.***

This wrapping and changing colors continues until you're back at the blue section.

Almost done with the stripes! See the markings? Only I can decipher them, but they helped!

Here's the wreath, all wrapped up. 

Once you've got all the stripes down, you're ready to hot glue your buttons to the blue! Star shaped buttons would have been PERFECT, but as I said...I had limited options. Next time...big craft store! I hot glued a loop of red yarn onto the bag as a hanger. Here it is on my front door. The front door really needing paint. Also those old fireboxes Jim and I sanded and repainted will soon hold plants, not shoes;)

I'm so glad I took this from a 'Pin' to reality. It was such a fun project, and I can't wait to make more wreaths! Also on my agenda...making the foam wreath forms out of pool noodles. I already have the noodle, from Dollar Tree. I'll post if it works! It would be fatter, too. Bonus!

Thanks for stopping by to see me!
Naomi ~ Minus The Picket Fence

Kitchen Drawer Dividers...

If there is one room in the house where the issue of storage makes me crazy, it is the kitchen! Like most homes, we have one really big drawer...seemed awesome until you realize the back 6 inches is almost inaccessible. After....say almost 10 years of living here I was fed up. I saw a pin on Pinterest (whew...love that place), and got to work. First...I emptied the drawer and found a new home (my Mom) for the nice divider that was in there. Wish I had taken pics of the whole process...I did this a few months ago. I went to Lowes and bought a few pieces of trim wood...CHEAP...in two widths...only used one size on the big drawer.

We had a few things that came out of the second drawer and needed to be in this one, so I laid the biggest things out where I wanted them and measured and cut the wood as I went...nothing is secured yet! We kept moving pieces until I liked the set up. I LOVE that both the big rolling pin and grilling tools now fit in here! Once everything was ready, we used Gorilla Wood Glue on the bottom and sides of each piece and stuck them back in. Once that set up (it was fast!), we turned it over and drilled screws into the two longest pieces for stability.

So, here it is finished. See how much more usable the back of the drawer is now? I LOVE it! I do wish I had taken the time to paint the wood white first....Lesson learned.

Well, that turned out great. But...the small drawer we stuffed with grilling tools, etc is now empty and my silverware needs a home. We used wood trim that was half the width for this one....we tried the regular size...it was hard to get your hands in and out. We did it the same way. I have to say, this works better than any divider I have ever tried!

With my husbands help, we finished both drawers one evening after putting the kiddos to bed. It's much more organized now! A few months later...I still open the big drawer to get a fork...10 years of them being there takes time to get over, I suppose. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing how I made a difference in my kitchen! I have a couple more kitchen ideas to share as well. And many more projects to get started on!

Cost of wood & glue --- $10. Not bad at all!

Till next time! ~ Naomi

Accountability...I need some!

This blog may be new...my procrastination dates way back. I have good intentions. Heck, a lot of people wouldn't believe I have a massive list of things to get to, or that a few of those things have been on the list longer than I would like to admit. I won't post my entire list...Bloggers server may not hold it;) I will however share with you a few of the things I really want to get to soon. By making these public, I am to a big degree...more accountable to make time to finally get them done. So..without further ado...and in no particular order of importance...the List.

Master Bedroom:
Frame Decorative papers I bought 2 years ago...whew...hurts to even admit that:(

Master Bathroom:
Paint --- also painting needs to be updated in many rooms...will not list that. Bathroom has never been painted and is contractor off-white...blah!
Frame or replace the HUGE mirror.
Replace recessed light with pendant lamp.

Hall:
Frame kids pictures...gallery style.

Dining Room:
Decide on window treatment.
Add some sort of kids art showcase.

Kitchen:
WAY too much to mention...
Refinish this kitchen table that I got at the Flea Market for $25. Finish chairs too!

Outside:
Do some work updating the garage door.

I have an antique mini secretary type desk I want to start on immediately.
I have an old oval framed mirror I picked up at the Flea Market last year with an ornate frame...need to transform this too!

So, there. The short version of a ton of projects to be done. Luckily in my mind, most of them are complete. Now, it's just the DOING. I'll hope you'll tag along and see how I do;)

Until next time...

Hi, everyone. I haven't been here in ages:( I know many of my crafty friends still follow me on their feed. I have started a new blog. I actually just published it today. It will still include some of my papercrafting. However...it will be more well-rounded, including many of my other interests. DIY, and home organization ideas and tutorials as well as furniture re-purposing! I will also be sharing and reviewing homemade cleaners. The recipes I already use with amazing success will be loaded this week! I hope you'll jump over there and follow me!

THE NEW BLOG

First things first...

Hello! I have many projects on my To Do List, and while I am at it, I thought a blog would be a good way to share them as I go. I may feed my old stamping blog here since I will still include papercrafting projects here. Baby steps;) I hope you'll follow along on my journeys, celebrate in the successes, and learn from the failures! I have furniture to refinish/repurpose in the coming weeks. I will be sharing homemade cleaning recipes/reviews and ideas. Kids crafts/gifts/outings will also be thrown in for good measure...especially this summer as we all look to keep them busy;) About the only thing you won't find here is much about plants....I kill them all. Never intentionally. Still...they die. I try...maybe I will get better. Right now we're growing two tomato and two watermelon plants...well, the kids are. They're alive...for now. So, I will see you around my little slice of heaven...minus the picket fence!