Chevron Chair Makeover in Minutes

Alone in a dark corner, she captured my heart! Isn’t this chair awesome? I paid around $5 for it at an Atlanta Mission thrift store, which I considered a steal!  It’s awfully utilitarian looking, so I imagine it came from either a dinette set, or it was a desk chair. 

The wood was dry as a bone, but I loved the patina and the wear. I decided that all I wanted to do with the wood was to condition it. I’ve used butcher block conditioner before on a previous project, so I knew that it would do the trick.


So I have to say that this is a very easy project that even a beginner DIY’er can do. If you gather your materials ahead of time, this should take less than an hour from start to finish. To remove the cushion from the chair you will need a screwdriver. This is pretty much standard for all chair cushions. Save the screws and set them aside.

Next you’ll need to remove the fabric from the cushion. This will most likely be attached with staples. My tool of choice for doing this is a flat-head screwdriver. Occasionally a set of pliers will be needed to pull a stubborn staple out. Discard the fabric and staples, set the cushion base (wood or mdf) aside. I was all too happy to throw out the nasty Naugahyde covering my chair. Ew.



Now that we’re out with the old, it’s time to bring in the new. I have a piece of cushion foam ready to go.

I simply laid the wood base from the seat onto the foam and traced around it.

I cut it out and was ready to put some fabric back on. A half of a yard of fabric is plenty for a project like this. Here are three different fabrics that I was considering:

All of these fabrics are from Hobby Lobby. Love them! I decided to go with the gray chevron fabric, and saved the other two for future projects.

I used the same method as the foam to cut out my fabric, except it left a wide enough border so that I could wrap it around to the back. Being careful that my fabric was straight, I put one staple in the middle of each side. (Seriously, you NEED a staple gun!) I then began working my way out from each middle to the sides, periodically checking that my fabric wasn’t moving.

Once your fabric is on, reattach the seat to the chair using the screws that you removed at the beginning. And you’re done!

A single chair project is a great first project if you’re interested in reupholstering pieces. Don’t be intimidated; just jump right in. What do you think? Do you like the wood, or would you have painted it?

XOXO,
Abby

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Mason Jar Lamp (You.Can.Do.It.)

Cliche intro:
Getting started is the hardest part.

In this case, it’s true. I’ve had these large Ball mason jars for months and months. I’ve had the lamp shade for almost as long. I’ve had the light kit for weeks. But for some reason I had a mental block on this project, which turned out to be one of the easiest I’ve ever done.

Today was, well strange. Have you ever had one of those kinds of days where you just felt, I don’t know, out of place the whole day? That was my day today. And I needed to feel good about something. That something was this lamp.

So I took my light kit (that I purchased from Lowe’s) up to my closest Home Depot (bad form?) and asked the nearest guy in an orange apron to tell me exactly what I needed. Here’s what you’ll need:

Lamp kit (Lowe’s Home Improvement), a large mason jar (antique store), a drill bit (Home Depot), hammer, screwdriver, lampshade (Cost Plus World Market).

This drill bit is for metal. I’ll go over why metal in just a sec. It’s the right size for the metal piece that connects the lamp socket to the top of the lid. And, for some reason, it’s size really intimidated me.

You may or may not know, but an authentic lid for an antique Ball jar is made of zinc and ceramic. In order to drill through the ceramic glass I would need a different bit. My thought was that if I was going to drill through it and ruin it, why not just break it? So I did. Break it. This is what you’ll need the hammer for. Just give it a light tap, break it, and dump out the glass in the trash. It will leave only the zinc (metal) lid. Which is why I only needed a bit that would drill through metal.

Warning: Chipped Manicure is likely to occur while handling power tools.


After removing the glass, I very easily drilled a hole through the lid. I attached the socket and I was almost done! If you’re wondering, the cord does not go down through the jar and out the bottom. The cord is attached to the socket at the top of the jar. More on this in a sec.

Next, time for the lamp shade. I purchased this burlap lamp shade from Cost Plus World Market. It is the “accent” size. I’ve bought this shade before (see the post on the milk glass lamp), and for some reason the opening for it to fit over the socket is too big. I have a strange and simple solution for that, and it’s called, “Nerf Gun Bullet.”

Remove the end. Cut a slit down one side. Fit  over the opening.

These Nerf gun bullets are easily found, but mostly in piles by the hundreds in my front yard thanks to my boy.

Remember that I mentioned that the cord did not go through the lamp, but is attached to the socket at the top. That comes in handy if you choose to fill your jar with anything, say, wine corks. You could even change it out seasonally. Wouldn’t it look lovely filled with seashells?

Here is the finished product:

I need more wine corks. Who wants to come over and help me with that?

It turns out that the answer to getting this done was asking the right question of my Home Depot guy. Thanks, Home Depot guy. We salute you.

XOXO,
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Basic Tools You’ll Need for Repurposing & Upcycling

I’ve always been fiercely independent. It drives my husband nuts. He is a “helper.” Which is sweet. Really, it is. But I can do it myself, thank you very much. I’m not going to wait for someone to hang the picture frame on the wall when I can do it myself. I think this also shocks the people at my grocery store. I don’t want their help. I don’t want them to unload my cart on to the belt. I don’t want them to push my cart out to my car. It’s not a control thing (NOT.A.WORD.). It’s a “If I can do it myself, why do I need you to do it for me?” thing. Don’t get me wrong; I want to be treated like a lady. And sometimes it is nice to hear the offer to help. But I’m not helpless. Give me a hammer, y’all. I’ll figure it out.

So I have my own tools. They’re pink. I know, I know! But the reason that I like them this color is because I know where my tools are. I can find my hammer very easily. And I certainly see when someone else is using my flat head screwdriver. I do not walk around the garage muttering that “I can’t find anything around here.” I know where my pink stuff is.

I haven’t done any big carpentry projects. And as of right now, I don’t really have a desire to do so. I love repurposing and upcycling things and bringing new life to them. I love taking the slightly broken or no longer wanted and doing something creative with it. There are some tools that I use over and over again in my projects. I thought it might be useful for someone that is thinking about actually making one of those great Pinterest projects, to have a few things on hand that they might need. So here is my list! Enjoy!

A good staple gun. 

We had a staple gun. But it was the cheapest, most basic model that they make. And if that works for you, use it. But as often as I use a staple gun, which is very often, I upgraded to a nicer one that wasn’t going to bruise my hand as badly.

This is the staple gun that I have. I love it. It makes me happy.

Two screwdrivers – a Flat Head and a Phillips. 

You obviously need these for removing and inserting screws. But you’ll use them for a million other things. For example, a flat head screwdriver is a must when removing staples from the bottom of a chair or the back of a picture frame.

Hammer

Oddly, I don’t use the hammer a lot for hammering nails into projects. Can you believe it? But I do end up using it as a tool. I use it a lot to remove nails, or to hang something on the wall.

Pliers

It doesn’t matter to me what kind. I end up using them a lot when taking something apart. If nails or staples get stuck, the pliers are your go-to tool.

 

Measuring tape, stick, wand, ruler

Basically, something to measure with. I have a metal 24″ ruler that I bought years ago for my drafting class in college. I love it because I can cut against it with a box cutter or Xacto knife. I also use a traditional measuring tape.
All of those things can be found in a kit just like this. If you’re a guy reading this, ignore the pink.
Now here are the random other things that I have just found myself using. A lot.
  • High Temp Hot Glue and Gun
  • Elmer’s Glue
  • Clear Strong Craft Glue
  • Wire Cutters
  • Masking Tape
  • Scrapbooking Cutter, Box Cutter, or Xacto knife
  • Basic Painting Supplies

If you have these basic things on hand, you should be prepared for a myriad of Pinterest projects, or perhaps, one that you’ve seen here on Belle & Beau Antiquarian. Hope this was helpful!

XOXO,
Abby

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Playing with the Queen of Hearts

First post of the New Year! I’ve neglected our blog, but for good reason. We’ve been busy getting ready and moving into a new booth at a local antique store, Countryside Antiques. If you’re in metro Atlanta, we hope that you will stop by and check it out. The blog hasn’t been getting any love, but our Facebook page has. If you aren’t a fan yet, pop on over and give us a “like.”

Now that we are all moved in and things have slowed down a bit, I wanted to find a project to share with you. I saw a Valentine’s banner on Pinterest by No Time for Flash Cards that I thought looked cute and SUPER easy. Also, I had been saving a vintage set of playing cards for a project just like this one.

Valentine’s Banner by No Time for Flash Cards

Aren’t these vintage playing cards the neatest thing? The set wasn’t complete, so I was okay with using them for this project. Otherwise, I would have probably saved them and left them in tact.

I gathered the materials that I needed for this project. Since I intended this to be for Valentine’s Day, I only used the hearts. I used black and white baker’s twine (Michael’s), a heart punch, a regular hole punch, some scrapbooking paper, and glue (not pictured.)

I punched two holes in each card so that I could thread the twine through. I made sure to punch the holes in the same spot on every card. In between the cards I glued two hearts, back to back. I did this because I didn’t want to cards to slide around once I hung it up. Because of the twisted nature of the twine, the hearts might flip over, but that doesn’t bother me. Also, I didn’t put the cards in numerical order. I wanted it to look more random and decorative, instead of intentional.

I love how the baker’s twine looks with this! I haven’t decided yet if I will keep this or take it up to our booth.

I’m not quite ready to go all out on the Valentine’s Day decor. I’m kind of enjoying the Christmas chaos being out of the way. I still have a few weeks, though.

Follow Me on PinterestHope you love it!
XOXO,
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Repurposed Window Frames

I’ve been having a great time repurposing some old window frames that were crowding a corner of the garage. In a previous post I showed you how I made the kiddos an advent calendar. I’ve also found some other uses for them.

First, I’ve made a Christmas card holder. How cute is this?! When Christmas is over, remove the cards and use it as an all purpose organzier for the family. Wouldn’t the kids love to see their artwork and spelling tests hung up on this? I think so.

I attached the cards with some small clothes pins. I tried the regular size and they were a little too big to be functional. I think that I will throw these clothes pins into a batch of our vinegar barn wood stain so that they don’t look so bright and brand spankin’ new.

I *love* this as a jewlery organzier. It can hold a ridiculous amount of necklaces and bracelets. For the jewelry I picked up some “S” hooks from good ol’ Home Depot. They are p-e-r-f-e-c-t for hanging your lovely baubles.

Like I said, you can get a ton on this. I just hung a few pieces to show you how it can be used. I love it when things are pretty and functional, too. Makes this girl happy!

Good news! I have been busy, and I’ve made quite a few of these. You know what that means? They are available for purchase. Lucky you. 😉

These are currently for sale in my Etsy shop. You can click on the word Etsy or click on the icon on the top right corner of the page.
XOXO,
Abby
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If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It

I’m in the holiday decorating mood today, but Ken is at work and there is no way that I’m attempting to shop for decorations with the kids in tow. Yesterday I hit up Home Depot with them, and by the time we got home, Mama needed something a whole lot stronger than hot chocolate.

So after scrounging around the house for materials that I already had on hand, I decided to get a little creative.

First I got together some different kinds of ribbon. I already had all of these at the house. On the right is a jute ribbon that I purchased from Save-On-Crafts.com several months ago. The other 5 types were all purchased at Michaels. The burlap style ones (all but the plaid) were purchased within the past 6 weeks. They have wired edges.

Next, I rounded up some containers. I use metal-type buckets for all of the kids birthday parties. I just change out a piece of ribbon on the handle to go with whatever the color/theme is. They’re great for utensils, etc. I also got some of the cuttings from our Christmas tree.

Three of the containers came from Goodwill: the wire egg basket, the fruit orchard basket, and the galvanized pail. The metal pail in the middle of the back row is a 2.5 paint bucket from Home Depot. It’s been a while since I bought it, but I think it was around $2. The oval shaped pail came from Target. It was in the “Dollar Spot” for $2.50.

Finally, I scrounged around and found some things to fill the buckets with.

I decided to start with the galvanized bucket. I layered two of the ribbons around it.

Proof in the background of yesterday’s Home Depot experience. Next I added some Epsom salts and a green tea light candle to a Ball jar. The jar, candle, and some Christmas tree cuttings were all nestled into the bucket. (I ended up not using the candles in the picture. I thought they were a little too big.)

Okay, so next I decided to play with the Home Depot paint bucket. He got two different ribbons layered onto the outside. He also got the same jar and candle routine.

Finally, I decided to use the orchard basket by the front door. I didn’t want to use a candle this time, so I opted to just fill it with tree cuttings.

The moral of the story is, try to use what you already have on hand. If you’ve got it, flaunt it! That’s all for now! I have some other ideas that I’m working on. Stay tuned.

By the way, if you hadn’t heard, our Etsy shop is opened! We are gradually getting lots of vintage, antique, and handmade items listed. Check it out! 🙂

Merry Christmas!
XOXO,
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Either Oar {Beach House, Lake House}

A few weeks ago, Ken and I headed out on a Friday to see if we could pick up some antique and vintage items. We must’ve stopped at 6 garage sales, in addition to our regular spots where we usually find stuff. It was just one of those days where there is just not anything good. It was about time for him to head to work and me to go pick up the kids from school, and we were exhausted. On our way home we stopped at one last garage sale, and I’m so glad we did. We picked up a vintage coke crate in excellent condition, filled with vintage coke bottles, a beautiful, old rustic box, and two wooden oars. The oars weren’t old, but ever since I saw this picture on Pinterest, my brain had been coming up with tons of ideas.

Oar Rack from A Beach Cottage
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Since we found two oars, I decided to show you two different ways that they could turn out, depending on your preference.
First step, sand off the finish. On one of the oars, I sanded less in certain spots.
The oar on the left has been sanded. The one on the right has not.
I just love the character from this split in the wood. We’re all a little cracked up, aren’t we? 🙂
After the oars were sanded, it was time to re-stain them. Why would I sand off the finish and them refinish them? Because I want them to look old and rustic! 
The oar that I sanded less gets the DIY vinegar stain that I showed you how to make on the crates.
One day I will think ahead and wear gloves. 

On the other oar, I made a glaze using Benjamin Moore Studio Finishes clear latex glaze mixed with Benjamin Moore Hawthorne Yellow. I used a wet paper towel to wipe some of the glaze off while it was still wet.
After the oar with the glaze on it dried, I added a stain to it. I used Varathane stain in “sunbleached.” My goal was to get a weathered look. But you could use any color you wanted, depending on the finished look that you were going for.

Finally, both oars got robe hooks and hanging hardware.
Here is the finished product! I like to call them “Beach House” and “Lake House”. 
“Beach House”

“Lake House”

 Both of the kids said that they like the “Lake House” oar better. Ken likes the “Beach House” one. I can’t decide which one that I like. What do you like? Leave me a comment and let me know. If you like either one, will you please “pin” it to Pinterest?
XOXO,
Abby

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Just call me "Dr. Love"

It always starts out strong. You like each other. You need each other. You think she’s pretty. You think he’s strong and dependable. But then things start to change. You outgrow each other. Things fall apart. You start to take each other for granted, and you start looking around for something new and exciting. In the worst cases, there is abuse and neglect. Furniture divorce. It happens.

Ever feel like you need a new piece of furniture? Are you outgrowing what you currently have? Do you have something hiding in the garage, shed, basement, or barn that you just don’t love anymore? I feel like Dr. Love. I find your problems (furniture, that is). I give them some therapy (love and elbow grease). I play matchmaker with someone that appreciates them and thinks they’re prettier than you do.

It’s okay. Really. People change. I’m here to help.

Here’s a lady that needed me:

Mid-Century Credenza by Indiana Desk Company, Jasper, Indiana

Sure, she was big. And let me tell you, this girl was heavy. She was made by Indiana Desk Company (now called Indiana Furniture) in the mid 1900’s. Made in America and built to last.

When she came to me, she didn’t need much therapy. She just needed a good cleaning up, and some touch up in spots. First I made a spray of 50/50 vinegar and water. Next, I used (very gently) a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Aren’t those things awesome? Just be careful that you don’t take any finish off, causing yourself more work.

Next, I purchased some touch up materials:

The first guy on the is a Blend-Fil Pencil and the other guy is a Wood Finish Stain Marker, both made by Minwax. For both of these I found a color that I thought would match the existing stain, which I thought was a dark walnut. The Blend-Fil pencil is kind of like a waxy substance that you can fill into nail holes and cracks. The Wood Finish Marker is filled with stain. In this case, the Wood Finish marker worked best. The Blend-Fil stuff doesn’t really dry hard.

So after an easy cleaning, I simply took the Stain Marker and touched up any scratches and scuffs that were still noticeable. Easy as pie, y’all. No sanding, painting, or refinishing required. We simply cleaned her and touched her up. Kind of like putting some heels and lipstick on for a date, right? And if you’re southern, don’t forget your pearls!

Once she was on the market, she didn’t last long. We sold her very quickly, like I thought we would. It just took some match-making to find the right person to love her. She went home to be in someone’s dining room as a fantastic buffet.

Tell me about your furniture match-making!

If you have a piece that you need to divorce (get rid of). Let me know! Dr. Love is here to help!
XOXO,
Abby

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All that and a bigger paint chip!

It’s so hard to decide on a paint color from a tiny paint chip that you get in the store. Sure, a lot of them look great in a 1 x 2″ rectangle, but how is it going to look on an entire wall? Or 4 walls? “Peanut Butter Cookie” may end up looking more like “Butternut Barf” when you get 4 walls completely painted.

One option is to buy samples of each of the colors that you are considering. But, if you are considering several colors, this is going to get expensive and you’re going to wind up with several containers of paint that you don’t need.

If you’re working with a professional painter or a designer, they should be able to order you a larger paint chip in sizes that start like that of an index card and on up. But most of us are picking paint colors on our own, and even doing the actual painting on our own.I have a cheap and easy way for you to get a larger paint sample.

First you’ll need some supplies: a separate piece of white card stock for each color you are considering, enough paint chips from the store to fill up one piece of card stock, tape, and something to cut with if your paint chip is on a strip with other colors.


Why white card stock? There are a few reasons. First, you need something sturdier than regular paper if you want to be able to prop your new, larger paint chip onto something. Second, you don’t want to have the existing color affect your opinion of the sample color when you hold it up to the wall. Most trim is painted white or off white. When you leave a white “trim” border around the edge, and then hold it up to the wall, the existing color doesn’t compete as much. Lastly, you want to be able to move your new paint chip around. It will look different on each wall because of sunlight direction. It will look different in corners and at night. Mounting your paint chips on a piece of card stock will allow you to view your color in different areas of the room.

After you get all of your materials together, start to put them together on the card stock. You can use regular gift wrap tape or double stick tape. I used both. It doesn’t really matter. This is simply a tool to make for  yourself to make your life easier. Don’t fret over the details.

These bigger paint samples are from Sherwin Williams. They already came as a single color. But if you have several colors on the strip, cut out the color you are considering and tape them by themselves onto a piece of card stock.

Here is how three different paint chips turned out:

It’s going to be much easier to decide what color you like best when you can see more of it. And you’ll find that this is much easier and cheaper than buying samples of paint. It took me about 2 minutes to do all three samples.

And because I know you’re curious, here are the colors above:
Sherwin Williams Hot 6843, Sherwin Williams Copper Pot 7709, Sherwin Williams Harmonic Tan 6136.
Sherwin williams 800488 Krylon Interior Latex Paint Eggshell Antique White 5 Gallon (Google Affiliate Ad)

XOXO,
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Working Hard All Day (in my pj’s)

I’m trying to get ready for a fair on Saturday. Today the kids had off from school, so I was in my pj’s until 5 p.m. working at the “frame factory.” Amazingly enough, I *did* get dinner on the table. AND, it even included a vegetable! Ah, small wonders.

These are turning out really cute! In the spirit of Field of Dreams, I keep repeating to myself, “If you make it, they will buy it.” Right? That’s how it works, right? 🙂 The kids have been so funny, trying to decide which one looks the best and is their “favorite.” I love the ways that they support me! Which is something that I totally needed today. It’s been a crazy long weekend. The tip of the iceberg was when I brought both kids to their soccer games wearing the wrong uniforms. And one of them didn’t bring shin guards. (They won’t let you play without them.) So, yes, I really needed a day where I could stay in my pj’s until 5 p.m. Even if I was working hard in the “frame factory” all day. XOXO, Abby

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