I like to find simple and easy ways to decorate for the seasons that require little to no storage. If I can reuse the same decor by tweaking it for each holiday, then I'm a happy gal. Today I'm sharing How To Make Easy and Affordable DIY Glass Cloches that can be used to create beautiful vignettes for every season, holiday, or special occasion.

Mine are decorated for Easter using items found around the house or purchased from the dollar store. The possibilities are endless for decorating under glass and add that special panache to a seasonal tablescape, fireplace mantel or bookcase. The best part is that they are easy and inexpensive to create and require little to no storage.

How To Make Easy And Affordable DIY Glass Cloches

Like us, you may already have the perfect vessels for making these collecting dust in the bottom of the china cabinet. Mr. Frugalista had these glass domes before I met him in the early 80's. They have moved with us from city-to-city, province-to-province, and everywhere in between. Not once have they seen the light of day because I found, without a base or knob to hang onto, they were awkward to use.

When emptying the contents of the dining room china cabinet to prep for painting, I finally decided either they were being donated or put to good use. It only took me 30 years!

Materials List

• Glass Domes, Large Jars, or Vases
• Furniture Knobs
• Wire Stripper Pliers
• E6000 Glue

Remove the stem from the knob

Carefully cut the stems off each knob using a pair of sharp wire stripper pliers. Most brands have holes specifically for cutting bolts.

Gluing the knob onto the glass vessel

After you wash the domes and dry them thoroughly, apply a dab of E6000 Glue onto the back of each knob and to the top center of each vessel.

Apply a little pressure to ensure there is a good bond. If some of the glue seeps out, dip a cotton swab into mineral spirits and gently rub it off.

The glue takes approximately two minutes to get tacky and sets in around ten minutes. It takes between 24 and 72 hours to completely cure. I erred on the side of caution and waited for the full 72-hours before lifting the cloches by the handles.

This mercury glass knob is my favorite.

Can't get much easier than that!

Decorating DIY Glass Cloches for Easter

I filled the tallest one with twine and moss covered Easter eggs along with feather covered balls. The base is a glass candle plate covered with a sheet of faux grass. I'll be sharing how I made them in an upcoming post.

The middle cloche has a gorgeous Art Glass Easter Egg on a small silver tray filled with moss.

I made a miniature vignette from dollar store finds and placed it inside a grapevine wreath under the shortest cloche. I'll be sharing more about how I made the vignette in an upcoming post.

Decorating DIY Glass Cloches for Spring

This is how I decorated each one for Spring but I'll change them up every year because the possibilities are endless.

Here is a close up of the tallest one with faux succulents.

Cute red bird in a grapevine nest filled with moss.

I put the green bird under this one because I had nothing else on hand. I think next year I'll replace it with a little wooden birdhouse.

Can you picture the glass cloches during the holidays with faux snow and adorable miniature Christmas vignettes? Or filled with lights and/or assorted ornaments?

I made Holiday Diorama Jars using glass candlesticks and jars from the dollar store. You could easily create something similar with these glass cloches by placing wooden candlesticks underneath.

Here is another project I made using E6000 Glue, (did I mention it's my go to glue?) using mismatched china and glass candlesticks, I made Tiered Cake Stands.

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post because the glass cloches can be displayed for every season, there is no need for extra room to store them. Not only are they affordable to make but they can be filled with items you already have around the house.

You'll find this project linked to these fabulous PARTIES.

Read More

Mid-Century Modern Armchairs Get A Flower Power Makeover

It's the fourth Thursday of March and that means it's Furniture Fixer Uppers day. I always look forward to this series each month and I had planned on sharing today's makeover with you last month. You may remember a cold knocked me flat off my feet so I put this labor intensive makeover on the back burner.

Well it's a new month and I still have that cold but I wasn't going to let that stop me from finally giving this pair of Mid-Century Modern Danish Armchairs a flower power makeover.

There's a funny story about these chairs. We purchased them through a local online auction site and when picking them up discovered the seller was a cousin's ex-husband. That cousin was raised in our house, which we purchased from my Aunt and Uncle. Judging by the labels found under the chairs, they may have originated from this house (that hasn't been confirmed yet but is very likely). Talk about coming full circle.

Mid-Century Modern Danish Armchair Makeover

This is what the chairs used to look like...

*This post contains affiliate links so you can find the products I used or recommend. See my disclosure policy.

Restoring the wood

After removing the hundreds of staples (the worse part of reupholstery) on each chair along with the filthy dirty upholstery, the next order of business was to restore the worn teak. With 150-grit sandpaper, I was able to remove the surface scratches and even out the wood tones.

Upholstery Tip #1

Before you remove one staple, ALWAYS take close up photos of every angle, every fold, every joint in the old upholstery. Trust me, you will refer to these photos often when adding each new piece of fabric.

Using a damp cloth I removed the dust and followed up with a tack cloth. Next, using a lint free rag I applied Scandinavian Tung Oil (*affiliate link).

I was a little concerned about the oil because judging by the amount of dust on the top of the can, this stuff had been in the workshop for probably over a decade.

I was amazed how after just one coat it renewed the luster of the wood. I applied a second coat just in the places where the wood was worn.

When I saw the bolt of fabric at Fabricland (Canadian retailer), I instantly knew it was THE fabric for these chairs. I just love the bold colors and floral print that just screams retro. For your convenience, should you want to purchase it, pictured below is the fabric label.

Upholstery Tip #2

When purchasing fabric with a print, remember to allow for pattern repeats. Because we were doing two chairs and wanted the pattern repeats to be echoed on each chair, I purchased 4-meters (4.37 yards). I was hoping to have fabric left over to sew two matching pillows but unfortunately had just enough for both chairs. Keep this in mind should you want to sew cushions.

Cutting the new fabric

As I mentioned earlier, the original fabric was filthy dirty. Instead of using it for the pattern pieces to cut the new fabric, I traced each piece onto craft paper. I added an extra 4-inches all around each piece so there was room for error and labeled them accordingly.

With the fabric spread out on the floor, lay out the pattern pieces so you get the exact same pattern repeat for each piece per chair.

Upholstery Tip #3

When removing the original upholstery, label each piece on the back with a marker. They will become your pattern for cutting the new fabric.

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you may remember this sneak peek photo I shared earlier this week...

Once the pattern pieces were laid out and we were 100% certain the pattern repeats were identical for each chair, we placed weights onto each pattern to hold the fabric in place while cutting. You could draw the pattern using tailor's chalk or a pencil but this method is much quicker.

Replacing the old muslin cover 

Thankfully the original stuffing and cotton batting were in good condition. All we had to do was replace the dirty muslin with new batting.

Upholstery Tip #4

If you don't do a lot of upholstery projects, a heavy duty stapler (*affiliate link) does the task just fine. Electric staplers (*affiliate link) make the task much easier and are a great option if you tackle a few upholstery projects. If you're like us and do a fair bit of upholstery, a Pneumatic stapler (*affiliate link) is a game changer! While the compressor may be loud and annoying running in the background, the time you save makes the noise well worth it.

Upholstering the chairs 

Both chairs were upholstered at the same time to ensure the patterns on each piece lined up exactly the same, starting with the backs.

Next, the seats were upholstered, lining up the pattern repeat to the backs (see the first photo in this post).

Upholstery Tip #5

Start by putting a staple in the center of top or bottom. Pull the fabric taut (not too taut that it distorts the pattern) and staple the opposite center. Repeat on each side. Work your way around the entire piece.

Note: This is the step where you will be referring to those photos of the original upholstery so you can see how the original folds were on the corners.

I highly recommend this book by Cherry Dobson if you are just learning how to upholster. Rarely do we tackle an upholstery project without it being by our side.

Here is a close up of one of the chair backs completed...

Adding upholstery tacks

On each fold, three Antique Brass Upholstery Tacks (*affiliate link) were added for a total of 18 per chair (as per the original upholstery).

I'm thrilled with how the chairs turned out - they are just like I had envisioned when picking out the fabric.

Before I share more beauty shots, let's talk a little bit about the Furniture Fixer Uppers series.

If you haven't heard about this series, six blogging friends who have a passion for rescuing furniture that has seen it's better days, come together to bring you six furniture makeovers that include tutorials and helpful tips. The goal is to inspire others to breath new life into dated furniture at a fraction of the cost of replacing it with something new.

If you missed the challenge in February, I transformed a set of Turned Leg Nesting Tables with Jacobean Floral stenciled tops.

Back to the chairs...

Starting with the left...

...and now the right.

I'm happy to report these Mid-Century Modern Armchairs sold quickly at a recent Spring Market and I could have sold them ten times over because people were just digging that flower power fabric.

Surprisingly, the Funky Mid-Century Modern Bar makeover for January's challenge did not sell at the market.

Are you as excited as I am to see how the talented gals in this group transformed these Fixer Uppers? 

PRESS THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE THE AFTER PHOTOS

Confessions Of A Serial DIYer

Girl In The Garage

Petticoat Junktion

Just The Woods

Prodigal Pieces

You will find the MCM chairs shared at these fabulous LINK PARTIES.

Read More

A Greek Key Stenciled Pine Beside Table Makeover

You know those times when life tilts to crazy and you just want to crawl into a hole and escape? Into my hole, in the form of the basement workshop, I did. Nothing tunes out the chaos better than cranking up the music, pulling out a can of paint and escaping into the creative zone for a few hours.

While out browsing the thrift stores on his lunch hour, Mr. Frugalista texted me one afternoon asking if I could do anything with a very plain pine two-drawer night table. Heck ya and how soon can you get it home? So when the need to escape arose I grabbed my Martha Stewart Arabesque stencil pack and got busy with this greek key stenciled beside table makeover.

A Greek Key Stenciled Pine Bedside Table Makeover

This is what the night table looked like before the makeover...

After a good scrub with soap and water, I roughed up the pine with an 80-grit sanding sponge to give the paint some bite.

The table was painted with two coats of chalk paint from the Country Chic Paint line in the colors Vanilla Frosting (a creamy white) and Elegance (a beautiful soft blue-green). Elegance is one of my favorite colors in their chalk paint line.

To add some personality I used the Greek Key stencil from the Martha Stewart Arabesque Stencil pack along the top edge and center of each drawer front using the same Vanilla Frosting chalk paint color.

The pretty green glass knobs I had in my stash and were perfect to add some bling to this piece.

The night table was protected with clear wax and to give it a timeworn appearance, dark wax was applied around the bottom skirt and where hands would normally grab the drawers to open and close.

Disclosure: I've included affiliate links in this post so you can find some of the products I used or recommend to complete this project. What that means is that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, I may receive a small portion of the sale at no additional cost to you which helps support the costs of running this site. See my disclosure policy.

Read More

Mom's Wooden Stool Got A Befitting Makeover

I spent the better part of the afternoon trying to find a picture of my Mom sitting on HER stool. Being a Mother of seven children, many a potato was peeled and many a dish washed while sitting on this wooden stool. When she moved from an apartment to a assisted living suite where meals were provided, the stool became a plant stand with one of her crocheted doilies on the top.

Sadly, a few years later she was moved into a secured dementia unit and there was no room for her stool. I didn't have the heart to put it in the donation pile because of the memories attached to this little stool, so it came home with me.

The stool left little to be desired and in need of a makeover but I wanted to transform it in such a way that it honored the woman who rested her weary knees on it each day and so Mom's Wooden Stool Got A Befitting Makeover.

Mom's Wooden Stool Makeover

This is what the stool looked like, nothing fancy and probably picked up at a discount store.

The first thing I did was paint the entire stool with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint™ in the color Old White. Using a script liner art brush, I carefully painted a circle in the center of the top using the color Liquorice by Country Chic Paint. With a small paint brush, I filled in the outer edge.

Next, I went over to The Graphics Fairy website to find an image that would be suitable to honor my Mom. That's when I found the most perfect French Apothecary Label. I then went to the Block Posters website and resized the graphic to fit the center of the stool.

How to transfer graphics onto furniture

Using one of my favorite image transfer techniques, I printed the graphic on my laser printer. I cut out the circle and lined it up to the center of the stool and held it in place with painter's tape. Next, I slipped a piece of carbon paper (graphite paper also works) underneath and simply traced over the details with a pen.

Labeling the stool wasn't enough, it needed a Pharmacist's handwritten prescription. In Word, I found a script font that I liked and typed "Remedy for Achy Bones" and resized it to fit the label. Repeating the same steps as above, I traced the handwritten prescription onto the label.

Now that the graphic was transferred onto the painted wood, I used a script liner art brush and black acrylic paint to go over the image. If this image transfer technique seems overwhelming, there are many other ways to transfer graphics. I suggest visiting 12-Easy Image Transfer Methods on The Graphics Fairy's site.

I personally find this image transfer technique very relaxing and go into a zone - it's like meditation for me.

Normally I wax my pieces but considering this stool may get a lot of use, I decided to protect it with a satin polyurethane.

I had to chuckle at that last sentence...

Because I didn't inherit my Mother's domestic willingness to put a square home-cooked meal on the table each night.

Nor did I inherit her willingness to hand wash dishes.

So not a potato will be peeled nor a dish hand washed ever again on this stool. Sorry, Mom 😏

The stool has taken permanent residence against a gallery wall in our hallway - far from the kitchen.

I didn't notice until writing the post that if you take a close look at the reflection in the mirror, on the bottom right is a partially visible framed photo of my Dad who passed in 2005. Isn't it ironic, don't you think?

Ahem, back to the makeover...

After finishing the makeover I didn't like how clean the stool was looking and so I decided to try something new. I rubbed dark wax over the poly and it worked to give it an aged appearance. I rubbed the joints and the bottoms of each leg with more dark wax to "dirty it up". I did the same over the apothecary label and I was much happier with the finish.

I'm so happy I decided to take Mom's stool home with me that day and I will cherish it always. Hopefully, I'll come across that photo of Mom sitting on her stool peeling potatoes and I will mod podge it onto the bottom of the seat for future generations.

As Mom's Alzheimer's disease progressed, her hands would become more and more restless. In order to help calm those fidgeting hands and keep them busy during the many hours of idle time per day, I made her a Busy Blanket. It is a lap blanket that attaches to the sides of her wheelchair. If you know anyone who has a loved one suffering from this disease, here is the link to see how I made Mom's Alzheimer's Busy|Fidget Blanket.

You will find this project linked to these fabulous LINK PARTIES.

Read More

The Small Mid-Century Modern Cabinet that had no legs

Hello friends, yes you read that title correctly. Mr. Frugalista, a.k.a. furniture buyer has a keen eye for finding great furniture pieces for me to makeover. But last year when he came home with just the top of a small Mid-Century Modern Cabinet I gave him the "what in the heck were you thinking?" look and "where the heck are the legs?"

Into the Don't Know What I'm Going To Do With This pile it went and life moved on.

Fast forward a few months and he came home with a package of four cabriole legs that he picked up for a song. Into the Leg Pile, they went.

Last week while working on another makeover I noticed the legs resting upside down on the top of my paint cabinet. A few minutes later while walking to the laundry sink to clean paint brushes my eyes glanced over at the now very dusty legless cabinet. DING DING DING

...and a Metallic Night Stand with curvy cabriole legs was born. Once the legs were attached to the base, it gave the cabinet a completely different look.

Small Mid Century Modern Cabinet Now Curvy Metallic Night Stand

The cabinet had some wear and tear so I filled the damaged spots with Dynamic Dyna Patch. Wanting the knobs on this piece to be like the jewelry on the little black dress, I removed the original hardware and filled the holes with wooden dowels and filler.

To ensure a good bond with the paint and to avoid tannin bleed from the red stain on the legs, I primed everything with a coat of Zinsser Bulls Eye 123 Primer.

In 2015 the good folks at Modern Masters sent me their Matte Metallic Platinum Silver Semi-Opaque paint to try on my Vintage Art Deco Waterfall Vanity makeover. Having some leftovers I decided it would be the perfect paint to add glam to this curvy night stand.

I applied the first two coats with a small foam roller and wasn't happy with the results. It was looking like a hammered metal patina and I wanted a smooth as a baby's bottom finish. Using 220 grit sandpaper, I sanded the paint smooth and removed the dust with a tack cloth.

Tips for painting with metallics

• For semi-opaque metallic paint, like I used, it will take three coats minimum.
• Stir the paint well before painting and often during. The paint has real metal particles, pearlescent pigments along with traditional color pigments and they need to be blended well.
• Prime with acrylic primer or low sheen acrylic paint close to the metallic paint color. In my case, I could have primed with a light or medium gray paint color but because I used a white primer, it took four coats to get complete coverage.
• Use a good quality synthetic bristle paint brush.
• Or roll with a 1/2-inch synthetic nap roller (hence the reason I wasn't getting good results using a foam roller). Be sure to rinse and dry brush first to remove loose lint.
• Apply paint in long even brush strokes (I painted from end to end).
• Work with a wet edge to eliminate roller edge or brush marks.
• Don't go over the same spot twice while the paint is drying.
• I found by dipping the tips of my brush in water (damp not soaking wet) and then into the paint on my final coat, eliminated any visible brush strokes.
• Allow paint to dry a minimum of 24-hours before applying a protective top coat.
• Be mindful that top coats can dull the metallic shimmer. It's best to use one specifically for metallic finishes. I used Modern Masters Top Coat in a satin finish.

I always like to line the drawers on my pieces and had this pretty silver metallic contact paper leftover from the Antique Scalloped Tilt Top Table. I should note that the drawers on this little cabinet have dovetail joints - they don't make them like that anymore.

I found the center of each drawer front and using a 1/16-inch bit I drilled a pilot hole for each knob. Next, I used a drill bit the same size as the screws that came with the new knobs and finished drilling the holes. I don't remember when or where I purchased these pretty turquoise ceramic flower bloom knobs but I had just two in my stash. It's like they were waiting for this particular makeover.

I found the gold stem on the knobs too stark against the metallic silver, making the piece feel unbalanced. I rubbed Metallic Gold Gilding Wax along the top and bottom edges and that was the perfect finishing touch.

I love pairing silver and gold with a pop of color like turquoise. I have to say these colors would look fabulous in our master bedroom. To sell or not to sell, that is the question?

You'd never know that under this sexy curvaceous metallic night stand is a discarded legless mid-century cabinet.

You'll find this project shared at these fabulous LINK PARTIES.

Read More