Pencil me this.....

End of the school year is here again! And all the children shout "YAY!!!!!". So of course that means it is time to thank our hard-working teachers for another completed school year. Here is just one of the many options for treating your educators.

Personalized Wooden Pencils

Start by taking your reclaimed (or new if you prefer) 1" x 4" (ish, doesn't have to be exact) wood. My plank was about 20" long, but you can make yours any length you choose.

Cut one side into a pointed angle for the pencil lead. I used my miter saw for this. A jig saw will work as well, just remember to draw out your lines first.

Next - SAND IT. We do not want our favorite people getting splinters, they already have enough paper cuts. So get it sanded really well. Then clean.

Favorite Part: Paint!

Primer white first because you want your colors to show up well. (Excuse the mess, but this is how I paint). Then draw out your lines for the eraser, metal banding, shavings mark, and lead.

I used pink for the eraser, a bright (but not neon) yellow for the pencil body, light grey for the metal banding, a light brown for the pencil shaving, and black for the lead. You can make your pencils any color you want! Try mixing it up and putting designs on it! The more creative you are, the more they will love it!

Once dry, add their name using a paint marker. I free handed this part but you could also use vinyl letters if you wanted.

CLEAR COAT your piece!!!!!!!

Next, drill your ribbon holes. Add ribbon!

 

HLT: wrap the end of your ribbon with clear tape (so that it looks like a shoe lace) to make it easier to thread through your board.

Then just tie your knots on each side and you are finished. Don't forget to sharpie in who it's from and the date, so that your teacher can remember later!

Happy Crafting!
Deborah

Any Ottoman Can Do It!

Think that reupholstering is hard? Think again!
Time consuming - yes, but you can do it!

Here is how I transformed this old ottoman into it's beautiful counterpart!

 

This was a 40"x 40" ottoman. The micro fiber material was still intact, so I wanted to keep it. It helps with support in the long run. But micro fiber is a pain to get clean once it is really dirty, so you have to scrub, scrub, scrub!

Now comes the fun part - DESTRUCTION!
Start by flipping your piece over. Remove the legs and set aside. They should just unscrew. Then you will need to remove the dust cover. If this is still intact and you wish to reuse it, then I recommend washing it on delicate to get all those years of pesky dust mite buildup out. Otherwise, chuck it and you will need to buy new at the end of the piece. I chose the former.

 

 Now remove the staples. There will be A BUNCH!

HLT: My tool of choice is this handy dandy paint scraper. There are so many uses for it. It is especially handy for removing staples - or at least prying them up so that you can grab them with your Needle Nosed Pliers.

Once your dust cover is off, you will likely see something like this:

 

OK, now flip back over. Fabric Time!
Since this piece was so big I had to first cut a piece for the top and then the sides and attach it to it. I used Duck Canvas because it is both strong enough to stretch without ripping, and durable enough to last.

HLT: If you have a patterned print, cut your side fabrics going the same direction or it will come out looking all wonky.

 

If you have a smaller piece, then you should be able to get fabric long enough to cover the entire piece. You will want at least a couple inches to overlap so that you will be able to staple it around the bottom.

Next, Comes the Tufted Buttons! See my tufted button tutorial on how to make the buttons @ http://loveandspraypaint.blogspot.com/2015/01/its-not-as-tuft-as-you-think-it-is.html
!
You need to mark out where you want the tufted buttons on the top of the fabric to get the right spacing. I chose to do 9 buttons. You will need a long upholstery needle and upholstery thread.

HLT: If you do not want to pay the expensive upholstery thread prices, and you have some braided fishing line lying around, that will work as well. ;)

Take your thread and cut about a 6 foot piece. This allows you to double the thread - then thread through your button and knot tight. Rethread through your needle.

The foam will be thick, so place your needle in your marked spot and push through while also compressing the foam enough to get your needle all the way through it. This can be tricky, so get another pair of hands to help hold the foam down, while you thread.

Once through, pull your thread tight. Use some tongue depressors or Popsicle sticks and wrap your thread around it. This help you pull your thread down tight enough to get the tension correct without having the thread cut through your hands. Plus once you get the tension correct (you will need to look at the top repeatedly to make sure that your button in secure in the fabric and is also even with the other buttons) then you can staple the sticks to the bottom!

 

 Repeat with all remaining buttons.

Time to start stapling!
Start first by stretching your fabric on one side and staple from middle outward. Then go to the opposite side and repeat. Next do the other sides, leaving space towards the corners, because you will do them last.

 

Next, stretch your fabric over the very corner and staple. Then fold each side down and stretch to make the corners. Staple down.

 Your stapled underside should look like this.

 Place your clean or new dust cover back on and staple in place. Then screw the legs back on (if you do not have to replace).

 And There you have it!

So you do not have to be afraid of upholstery! If you are just starting out, it helps to find a piece that is still in good condition to redo. Have fun!

Deborah

Smokin' Bench!

My husband LOVES his smoker. I LOVE his smoker too since that means that I get a bunch of Yummy Noms! But he needed somewhere (other than the ground) to put all of his tools, pans and the essentials needed. So I decided to build him one.

First I drug home some pallets (Not literally or I would have some serious splinters). I like the outdoor pallets that are rated for outdoor weather, but you do not always get your choice in what you scavenge. So to remedy this, you will need to paint or seal it.

HLT: Look for the blue or Red pallets that have been used by major stores (i.e. Walmart, Home Depot, etc). They will usually store stuff outdoors and will have them. Always ask before you take them though, or you will get screamed at, since they reuse these as much as possible.

I took two pallets that were roughly the same size and made them the sides. Then take your 2x4s or whichever you can pull off of another pallet to put across the top, screwing in with 2" outdoor screws, at the length that you desire.

 I chose to leave room at the back so that I could put a smaller pallet in the back. Then I lined the boards with smaller planks. Since I didn't want water to drip though, I placed them very close together. This serves as the top or "table". I then repeated the process in the middle but I put the back 2x4 at the very back - in order for the back pallet to rest on. Having that back pallet not only gives me a space to hang utensils later, but also gives the bench more stability. Screw the pallet in to both sides and middle shelf.

Go over the piece with a sander to get any nasty splinters out. I also run my dremmel over the deep gashes to smooth out the spots that the sander can't get to.

Then Paint! Use exterior paint so that it will last a long time.

HLT: Non-weather resistant pallet wood will soak up the paint, so be sure to get enough for your project, plus some. I used about a half gallon on this.

I wanted to store his smoking wood in there as well so I added another pallet underneath, since wood needs to be stored off the ground to allow air to vent and keep it dry.

Let me know how yours turns out! I would Love to see them!

Deborah

Paint samples on sale

Now thru the month of March, Ace Hardware is having paint samples on sale for 99¢ each! Limit 4.
Can I get a resounding "WHOO HOO!"
Go get some samples and get creative!

Lights! Outdoors! Action!

Outdoor Chandalier

Need some more light outside? Well there is an easy way to achieve this without wiring! While rummaging through your local thrift shop or Habitat for Humanity Store you have probably passed by one of these:

 Don't let these little beauties go unnoticed any longer. Especially if you can get them for $5 or less.
Get it cleaned up. Use a wet rag and soap, let it dry and then I like to go over it with  a cloth and alcohol (not the drinkable kind) just to make sure that all the dirt is gone. With upcycled things, especially lights, dust has been running rampant and can be difficult to remove.

Grab a can of your favorite color spray paint. Make sure it is outdoor use. I chose this awesome purple for a flash of color.

 Remove the wiring at the top by snipping it off with wire cutters. Super simple.
Spray your chandelier on each side using SEVERAL LIGHT COATS. Spraying heavily will result in drips, which are a pain to remove. Lightly spray, walk away and do something fun, then come back and lightly spray again. Repeat process. Waiting is worth it to void using the sandpaper and ultimately making your process longer. Let dry at least 20 minutes between coats. Once dry, Give it a good clear coat to help protect it.

 Next, I purchased these solar lights from Walmart.

Moonrays 91381 Payton-Style Solar Powered LED Path Lights, Set of 8, Black Finish

I only needed 5, but then I got 3 extra for my yard, so YAY!

The solar lights were a bit heavy, before you attach the tops you will need to adhere the clear bases to the inside of the light sockets. I used a generous amount of E6000 around the base and inside the socket. This took about an hour to fully dry. Then I attached the tops. 

 I wasn't sure if the glue would be enough even still, so I wrapped the bottom part of the base with Electrical tape to give it extra support. Then I used a hanging basket bracket to hang the chandelier on the fence.

 It really looks good hanging up at night. Have fun with your lighting project!

It's not as Tuft as you think it is!

Tufted buttons! This was my first attempt using these little guys, but they are surprisingly easy to make. Installation, on the other hand, is not as easy. But that will come into a different post. For now we will be focusing on just making the buttons.

Get your self to the fabric store (Not Michael's, they do not carry them) and look in the button section. They come in packs of 3 or 4 depending on the size you want. Packages run about 3 to 4 dollars, so budget about $1 per button. You also have the option of flat or bubble shaped.
There are two pieces to each button - the top that has little teeth on the inside (to hold the fabric in) and the flat bottom that snaps into place.

Once you have your packages (in the sizes that you want) flip them over and check out the pattern on the back. Cut out the pattern and place on the fold of your fabric and cut out your circles.

Place your fabric circle pretty side down and the top of your button on top. Working in your cardinal directions (North, South, East, then West) tuck the fabric across the teeth. The work in a circle tucking all of the fabric under the teeth.

 
Then use your fingernail or pencil eraser to push the fabric under the teeth, until you get a tight fit.

Then take the back and snap on, making sure that all fabric is under the back of the button.

 

 And you have a beautiful and UNIQUE button to use with your upholstery, sewing, or anything projects!

Happy Tufting!!!!