#71 craigslist find + makeover

i turned to craigslist when i was trying to 

do my guest room makeover over the summer

[craigslist?, I know]

things learned ...

there are actually nice people out there,

there are nice neighborhood not far from mine,

and that i can actually drag my hubby into this project 

after having this very familiar conversation

he asked: do we have room for them in the house?

i said: trust me, i will find one.

i always find place to put stuff in the house (wink,wink)

and they always end up like they were meant to be there (giggle)

these two dressers were really in excellent condition

but were just too dark for my style

for the 6-drawer dresser 

i got to try the annie sloan chalk paint in paris grey

distressed with clear and dark wax

i like how it brightened up the guest room,

guests would not want to go home :)

after so much thinking and researching,

i finally got try ASCP

they are based in UK and Europe

and not very much available in the US

i got mine here

  the 4-drawer dresser ended up in the master's bedroom

and to match the rest of the furnitures,

i primed it first and gave it 2 coats of paint

using benjamin moore in linen white

i used rust-oleum metallic in antique nickel for the hardwares

happy crafting

:)

melinda

#70 christmas baubles

#itsnotevenhalloweenyet 

[it's only october and i'm thinking christmas decor]

i'm lovin' polka dot pattern a lot

that i just have to make my colorful polka dot 

christmas baubles

grab some plain ceramic christmas balls 

craft paints and a stencil dauber

at a local craft store

[all for less than a dollar each with coupon]

freehand any design you want

i used polka dot

[kids can do this part easily]

happy crafting

:)

melinda

#69 transforming a closet into a built in seating

those who've been to our house would know 

that this closet in our family room 
was where we had a shelf that held our TV.  

and since we placed the TV on the other side of the room, 

this corner of the room has been empty. 

i've been staring at this corner, as if the TV's still there, 

trying to figure out what a better way to utilize this space. 

a closet for more coats or a shelf for more stuff?

or a window built-in seating?
(except there's no window, just a closet)

don't you want to have a built-in window seat?
a place to read a book 
while having a cup of coffee and 
a view of the outside.


we can always use an extra seating
in the family room
to watch TV and to bond with the family.

here's how we did it ....

we accidentally damaged the wall 

while taking out the piece of wood across

so we had to repair it, 

that meant a trip back to Home Depot.

actually this was the most labor intensive part of this DIY,

otherwise, a weekend is enough to finish this job

we were supposed to just paint this corner

but ended up painting the whole family room.

it was a lot of work and a lot of moving 

but was worth it.

i love pillows and i love changing pillow covers 

to compliment the season and

 to compliment the house decor

happy crafting

:)

#67 i {heart} u

it's february and valentine's day is just around the corner, 

thanks to snow days, 

i was able to put together decorations for valentine's day

just loving the neutral colors at home ---

so for the season of {hearts} 

it's all but color red

and opted for the 

calming colors of white, gray & beige
{heart} shapes are all over

i {heart} u wood wall art
 i made with pine wood scraps,
you can create your own wall art 
using your own love words and passages 
visit my tutorial here.

this wreath has been transformed with every change of the season 
by just changing the ribbon,
and for valentine's day, i stamped a burlap ribbon 
using a {heart}-shaped rubber eraser dipped on white acrylic paint
(my kids usually get these erasers from classmates' party favors - 
they come in different shapes, 
i'm sure you have one somewhere ☺)

i cut musical scrapbook paper in {heart} shape and 

put together with a baker's twine 

to make the garland for the mantle

using 2 coordinating fabrics ( i love polka dots)
i made these 20x20 pillows with {heart} applique

i just have to try these little crochet {hearts}

(click here for free pattern)

they are very easy to make-

try them in different colors 

♡♥♡

#64 breast cancer awareness 2013

celebrating october

the breast cancer awareness month

at the new york city

susan g komen race for the cure 2013

it's pink and white tie dye shirt and rubber band bracelet

for 

team cottage crafter

this year

let's do it, let's do it, let's do it all again!

♡♥♡

#62 fall wreath

{autumn is back!}

oranges ♥ dark yellows ♥ olive greens ♥ browns

are here again

fabric-wrapped wreath

a piece of fabric cut into strips and 
wrapped around the wreath, 
add some embellishments 
to complete the project

simple wreath

a simple burlap orange ribbon
makes a big difference on 
this willow wreath

happy fall !

♡♥♡

# 61 back to school idea

with the use of some scrap fabric

run the sewing machine across to form the lines and margin

just like a sheet of notebook paper

embroider the cursive letter using stem stitch

easy as abc ...

enjoy the last few days of summer cause

back to school is just around the corner.

♥♡♥

#60 doctor who party idea

[doctor who party idea]

one thing that my kids get excited about

on the morning of their birthdays- 
>> aside from the presents, of course <<

-is the surprise themed decoration 

i prepare for them every year
>> party or no party <<

from thomas the tank engine, to spongebob, to nascar

to mario, yankee baseball, angry bird, to club penguin

and this year, for my teenager's favorite

DOCTOR WHO

a backdrop for the photo shoot

DOCTOR WHO is widely available on BBC in UK

it's been a challenge finding them in 

party supply stores in the US

so i made them myself

so simple...

happy crafting and enjoy the party ☺

♥♡♥

#59 ottoman makeover

[ottoman makeover]

this ottoman needs some makeover

i would usually paint over a furniture

to give it a different look

but it just will not work on this one this time

>> if you can't paint it, cover it <<

i made this slipcover for the ottoman
using 2 yards of gray gingham fabric
from IKEA

♥♡♥