Repurposed: Console Table - From Southwestern 1980's to Timeless

Our mission is complete. We turned a whitewashed pine, Southwestern style console table into a timeless piece of furniture that's got a walnut finish and has an All-style style. Is that a style?

You may remember my call for help from my readers as to what I should do with this console table. It's a sturdy piece of furniture that I wanted to repurpose rather than get rid of. One of my friends who happens to be an interior designer, came to the rescue with the suggestion on how to achieve the style. And a few of my readers helped me choose the darker finish.

This project took a weekend and a couple of extra days for a second coat of stain and drying time. We started out sanding down the original finish. This took my son and husband and lots of sweat. We probably could have got it done faster if we had a belt sander but it was fun to do this as a family, so I didn't complain.

Then my husband measured out and cut the 5x8 board to fit all four sides of the table as a skirt over the prior design.

He then hammered the skirts directly onto the Southwest design cut outs.
I bet at this point you're wondering at what point did I do anything. Wellllll, I directed up until this point and then I got the task of staining. No heavy lifting for me. Not when I have 2 guys willing and able to help out.

I used Minwax Dark Walnut and did about 2 coats, with drying time in between.

I'm really happy about it. I have another furniture project lined up. This next project will only require staining and a little accessorizing. Stay tuned.

Console Table: Keep It or Ditch It?

Calling all of my design-y type friends and readers. I need your help. I've had this console table that lives behind the couch in the great room for about 20 years. It's pine, natural, and heavy, which I love. But it has got a Southwest style to it, which I can't stand. I've disguised it with table cloths of all types and currently have a table runner and some interesting objects on it so maybe people won't notice. Oh and don't look at the brown thing underneath. That's going as soon as I decide on 2 small stools to go underneath if I keep it. I want to keep it because of the material of it and I believe I can do something to it so it doesn't look Southwest. But what? Or should I just get rid of it and start over? Any ideas?

Neon Painted Vintage Rhinestone Necklace - Tutorial

Statement necklaces are what's in right now. I've seen them all over and want one badly. Color always attracts me. You must know that by now. So I was attracted to the following necklaces like a moth to light. I have dreamed about these very colorful and vibrant neon rhinestone necklaces in the Pure Essentia shop on Etsy. I wish I had $300 to drop for a necklace, but I don't. I searched the internet for tutorials on how to make them. There was this one from A Pair and a Spare that spray paints the whole necklace one color. And there was this one from Ashley Treece, that gave me my jumping off point. First I had to find a vintage rhinestone necklace. I prefer to repurpose something old. A new one would be fine too, but the vintage ones have great shapes to them. Just be careful that if it's a choker, that it's not too small. There's no way to size them larger. I scoured Ebay and found 2 that I purchased and that same day was running errands and found an Estate Sale store by my home. I'm waiting for the Ebay ones to arrive.

And there it was. Not super cheap, but $20 was fine. Be prepared to spend $20-$50 for a necklace. Ok. I had my necklace.

Next was a stop at the drug store to buy brightly colored nail polishes. Look for the $1-$2 bottles. That's all you need.

Make sure the necklace is clean and place it on a piece of white computer paper. Figure out your design with your colors and it's time to begin. The paper allows you to turn your work as you paint. Don't turn the necklace. Leave it in place and just move the paper. Paint each rhinestone carefully but plentifully. You can drop a drop of nail polish onto the stone. It's ok to cover the prongs.

You can always go back and do another coat. Get a toothpick for any miss steps with the nail polish. You can use it to wipe mistakes. Do one color at a time. I started with a yellow on the large teardrop rhinestones and then I figured out my colors from there. You don't need to have them dry between colors, but let it completely dry at the end.

I'd love to have a group get together to do painted necklaces. If people could get their necklaces, and come over, I would supply paint and work surfaces.  Maybe even some food and drinks. Let me know.

Color Makes Life Brighter

Here's a few photos that I took that are all about the colors. If you're like me, I live for color. Enjoy.

Garden Decor

They've been called Garden Totems, but I'm not about that. A totem has great meaning. This to me is just fun decor and it decorates my outdoors, so I call it garden decor. Do you have a better name? I'd love to hear it. I first saw a garden totem by October Farm blog on Pinterest and that was my inspiration. I liked the shape of that totem, so I wanted to make one similar for my backyard.

I found all of my glass either at the antique flea market or in thrift stores. No piece was more than $2.00. But the dollar range was optimal. I used the directions from the October Farm blog but found that it was more cost effective to use clear silicone sealer from the hardware store rather than aquarium glue. (same thing essentially but more expensive). It was easy but took a couple of days to make due to drying time.

I glued pieces together in segments and when they dried, added them to other segments rather than building it from bottom up, or top down. I chose pieces that would work well together from bells, to candleholders, to bowls and plates of different sizes and shapes and a vase. The plates work well upside down. I took into consideration that if they are outdoors, I didn't want them to collect water. Also, I made sure that the glued surfaces were flat for the most part so that they would adhere to each other.

I chose my base as a wide plate so it would stand easily. I've also seen them as a narrow tubular base, like a vase with a piece of rebar stuck partway in the ground and sticking out of the ground, into the vase base to stand upright. I love this. It really sparkles in my garden.

Kitchen Succulent Gardens

I was trying to think of some fun containers for more succulents. So I went to the thrift store and came across some vintage baking tins. They cost from $.50-$1.50. I purchased succulents from my local garden shop. They ranged from $2- $4 per container. The contrast of the greens of the plants with the aged metal of the baking tins really work well together. 

I drilled holes in the tins for drainage. 

These succulents were a great idea for the muffin tins. I could pull them apart and I've got 4 plants from each pot. So in essence, $1/plant.

 I put each plant in each opening and added some soil. I only used the soil from the pot that the plant came in, no extra needed.

I added some little pebbles over the soil. Looks great, doesn't it?

For the jelly roll tin, I bought an assortment of succulents and just planted them throughout. I allowed a bit of space for growth.

Again, add some decorative pebbles and it looks quite charming. For the jelly roll pan, you could put a candle in the middle and that would make a fun centerpiece. Or even a bigger planted pot in the middle.  It's fun to think what containers can be reused and repurposed for creative purposes. What can you come up with?