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Rabu, 11 Desember 2013

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New Looks For Old Salvaged Doors: More Repurposed Door Ideas!



In my previous blog post about old doors, 
I shared a ton of great ideas for salvaging and reusing old doors by turning them 
into really neat home decor. Since that post, I have come across even more great 
salvaged door ideas, so here is part two, New Looks For Old Doors!

Here are my hints for how to use salvaged doors in your home:

~  Use salvaged doors to fill up a large wall space.

~  A door displayed vertically on a large wall breaks up a monotonous horizontal display.

~  Paint old doors a bright or contrasting color to add life and mood to a room.

~  Think usefulness: add shelves and/or hooks to old doors to give an old door a new use.

~  Add a mirror to an old door for a completely new look. Mirrors are a great way to add visual space and depth to a room.

~  A door with windows? That's an extra special find! Paint on the windows, or apply vinyl wall art decals to the windows for a unique look.

~  Missing window on a door? Why not use that open space creatively? Use it to hang a plant by attaching a simple hook to the top area of the space, or attach a curtain to the open space.

~  When mounting a door on a wall, be sure to use proper hardware that is strong enough to support the door. In doubt about what to get? Ask for advice at your local hardware store.

~  Use caution with doors that have old peeling paint. Most old paint contains lead. Avoid using these doors in areas where there are children or food. Pick up a lead test at your local hardware store to test for lead paint. Never remove lead paint, but paint over it instead. 

Check it out!








































Old door fence via pinterest (above and below)































Salvaged door with shelves from Bulbtoblossom. The attached sconce is perfect.




Old door as a stylish headboard from CottageIndustryInterior





Which is your favorite?  

Remember, Inspiration Is Everywhere!
~  Laura



Minggu, 08 September 2013

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My New Book, Boho Chic Jewelry, Now Available For Pre-Order!


I'm excited to announce that my new book,


The book consists of 25 beautiful & unique projects, many of which 
 use vintage & reclaimed materials that you can find in your own home.  
Each project is explained in detail from start to finish alongside of beautiful 
images to guide you through the projects every step of the way! 

Inside I share all of my techniques & secrets for creating unique jewelry, including
 all of my soldering techniques, so that you can become a soldering pro too! 




What do you think?




Rabu, 01 Mei 2013

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Custom Letter (or word) China Plates Tutorial



This project was actually created out of my need for signage for my new art studio
at the Banana Factory in Bethlehem, PA! Having lots of great wall space to fill, I needed
a way to display my name on my wall so that when folks visited my studio they could get
an idea of who I am and what I do. I'm never one to go the traditional route, so I didn't want to use standard printed signage. Instead, I put my brain into creative overdrive and   
created my own unique signage by working with what I'm most familiar with: plates!
I love how they turned out!

 I thought I'd share with you how I created these word plates in case you'd like
to create your own. Just imagine the word possibilities that you could create with these!
You could spell out anything that you could imagine and hang them anywhere in your home.
A few ideas: EAT or DINE (for the kitchen), RELAX or DREAM (for the bedroom), FAMILY
or HOME (for the living room or family room). You get the idea! 

This really is a great DIY home decor project that costs next to nothing (and its fun!) 
Check it out!


My finished letter plates, ready for hanging! This entire project only cost me $6.00!



Materials Needed

A collection of old plates, all similar in size
Black Sharpie marker
Large sized paper clips (you will need one for each plate)
E6000 adhesive
Toothpick or craft stick to apply adhesive
Paper plate (to rest the adhesive on while you are working)

Vinyl stick on letters (the repositionable type)


Instructions

1. The first thing you have to do is collect a bunch of different pattered plates. I used dinner-
sized plates which were all similar in size. Each was about 8" across (20.3 cm) give or take an inch or so. They do not all have to be exactly the same size, just close in size. I thought the 
large sized plates packed a punch and made a nice impact, so I went with those. You could also use smaller plates if you prefer. Just make sure the plates that you choose are all
around the same size. It just looks better that way! 

Where to get plates: thrift shops, yard sales, flea markets, friends and family. These are
the best places to find plates. You want to have a variety of different plates, so start
collecting them now and stash them away until you have a nice selection. How about sharing
this project idea with a friend? That way, you can give each other your duplicate plates (since
you will often find a few of the same pattern for sale at one time.) Once you have your plates,
wash them in warm soapy water and dry them, making sure they are very clean.
  


Repositionable vinyl peel off letters. These are the bomb!


2. The next thing you are going to do is get your paws on some repositionable vinyl letters. 
These are sold in different sizes. The size you will use will be determined by the size 
plates you are using, so you will want to collect your plates first and then purchase your 
vinyl letters afterward. I used the 4" (10.2 cm) vinyl letters. These are available from
craft stores, some hardware stores, as well as online. I bought mine at Dick Blick Art 
Supply because that was closest to where I live. One pack of the vinyl letters cost me
about $6.00, and I thought that was a bargain! I was lucky that I only had to buy one
package of letters. Depending on what you are going to spell out, you may need to buy
more than one package, so plan ahead! There are only so many of each letter included in 
a package. For example, the character count of letters in the package that I bought was 
as follows: A-2, B-1, C-1, D-2, E-3, F-1, etc., so check the package!

Before you apply the letters, lay all of your plates out on a large tabletop and turn them 
until you are pleased with the positions of the patterns on the plates. Position the plates 
on your table top in the same order that you would like them hung on your wall. Next, carefully peel off your first vinyl letter and starting with the top of the letter, position it on your plate (either centered or not, your choice). Slowly apply the letter to your plate, starting with the top of the letter and working down. Go very slow to make sure you don't get any air bubbles or wrinkles in you letters when you are applying them. Yes, they are repositionable, but they also stick really well! You do not want to have to reposition them unless it is absolutely necessary! The first time that you apply them is when they have the best adhesion!  Once your letter is applied, smooth it out with your fingers and then move on to the next one. 


There you have it! Isn't that cool? 


3. Once you have all of your letters on your plates you are ready to attach hooks
to the reverse side to hang them with. You can buy those wire plate hangers if
you prefer, but my way is free! Yay! 

Before you attach a hanger on the reverse side of your plate you need to eyeball it
and make a marker mark on the reverse side to indicate exactly where you will be 
gluing the hanger. You want to do this so that your letters will not be crooked when
hung on the wall. With one hand, hold your plate in front of you, perfectly centered 
(facing you), and with your other hand make a small marker mark on the reverse 
side at the top center edge. Just estimate as best you can where the top center 
is on the reverse side of your plate. Then draw a line going down the back of 
the plate from the marker mark that you made towards the center and over the 
foot (ridge) of the plate. That is the spot where you will glue your hanger.  


This line indicates the top center of the plate from the reverse side


4. Open up a large paper clip as shown in the photo below. Use your fingers to bend the
paper clip so that it sits relatively flat against your plate. It doesn't have to be perfect,
 just try to make it flat if you can. I positioned the small end of the paper clip towards
the center of the plate so that the large end of the paper clip would serve as the hook
for hanging.  


I recommend this adhesive. I would NOT recommend using a hot glue gun! 


5. Now you are ready to glue the clip to the plate. Use your craft stick or toothpick to 
apply a thick, generous coating of adhesive to the small end of the paper clip, traveling up
 towards the hook/large end. Coat the entire small end of the clip to the plate. Do not 
be stingy with your adhesive! Spread it around the clip with your toothpick or craft 
stick. Make sure it is really well coated with a nice thick coating of adhesive.
 Allow to dry 24 hours or at least overnight. 


Clip with dried adhesive


6. All you have to do now is hang them on your wall. I used regular nails to hang mine, 
but depending on what your wall material is made of (and especially if you are hanging
 large, heavy plates) you may need to use reinforcements for your nails, such as mollys 
or anchors. If you are unsure of what type of nail to use, ask for advice at your
 local hardware store. 




That's it! 
I hope you enjoyed the tutorial!  







What do you think?

What would your plates say?




Disclaimer: Please use your best judgment when completing this or any craft project! Always remember that safety comes first! Use good sense when choosing where you will hang your plates and always use the correct length and type of nail and/or supports to hang heavy items. When completing this or any project you do so at your own risk. 

Selasa, 02 April 2013

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More Creative Ways With Chalkboard Paint


Last year I wrote about chalkboard paint and how to use it in your home. 
Now that the chalkboard paint craze has swept the nation, check out some more 
ideas for how to use chalkboard paint in your home! 





Dresser from Romance under The Stars





Kitchen sink chalkboard backsplash




Cabinet door with chalkboard paint by Shabby Chalks via Etsy





Playroom wall




Chalkboard painted dresser via Apartment Therapy



Silver serving tray with chalkboard paint from Chicks Picks


What do you think?