French Window Topped Table!

Hello everyone! Its Karen here from Pink-Punk-Design with another how-to project for everyone! 

Recently Laurie and I participated in the ReStore ReStyle challenge. For those of you who may not be familiar with this event it is an exciting fundraiser that highlights the 3 R's of the ReStore: Reuse, Recycle and Repurpose. The competition challenges 8 DIY designers to create a 10x10 room using only donated ReStore items while competing for 3 awards.

This year we created a mud room and received a lot a great feedback on our custom pieces. We utilized a lot of odd things to create new and unique items. Doors, windows, cabinets, fire place mantels and a toilet paper holder just to name a few. 

We however want to share with you how we built some of these items so that you yourself can build them to! One of the first things we want to show you is how we made our:

French Window Topped Table!

What you need:

1. 1 - square table (with a table top that is able to be removed from the frame of the table)
2. 1 - old French window (one that is as big as the table top you will be taking off the table from)
3. Paint
4. Glass
5. Paintable wallpaper *optional* 

 How To: 

1) Take the table and remove the table top leaving only the base.

NOTE: Normally this can be done by unscrewing the top and using some force to pry the top off. The reason for this is because manufactures not only screw the table top onto the base but also glue it. So some force will be necessary. 

2) Once the Top is removed paint the base

NOTE: Priming the table is strongly recommended before applying your final color

3) Prime and Paint your French window 

4) *Optional*: Apply paintable wallpaper to the inside and outside of the top rim of your table top. This is a personal preference and is not necessary but is cute if you want some visual effect when looking through the window. 

5) Once the base and window are fully painted place the window on top of the table base.  

NOTE: if you did not add the paintable wallpaper you may want to add some sort of nonslip tape to the top rim of the table before adding the window. 

6) Have a piece of glass pre-cut to fit the top of the window and add it to the top of the now new table. 

7) Make sure that the table is sturdy and that your window is not going to fall of the first time you bump into it.

And that is how you make a French window table….. Or Desk if you prefer! If you have any questions please leave them below and I will answer them as quickly as possible. Also if you would like to see more of the items we made for the event; visit us on facebook at Pink-Punk-Design!

Record Player turned Bathroom Vanity

I found this beauty at Restore in Mooresville for $35.

I instantly saw that this should have a farmhouse sink setting in it. Figuring that the rest of the design details would be revealed along the repurposing road, I loaded it up and took home. I then realized I needed to find a Farmhouse style sink. Which wasn't nearly as a difficult as I thought it was going to be because I found a beautiful cast iron sink for $20 on my return trip to Restore later that week.

After removing the guts of the record player and the light that was cleverly disguised as a drawer, removing the door hard ware, removed doors, and a few precision cuts, it was time for paint.

Adding a little water to a can of wall paint and using a brush, gave me the weathered color I was looking for (thanks to Pink Punk Design for the paint tutorial they posted earlier). I used silver leafing paint to color the hardware and knobs. I ran sheet metal ( found at Restore) through an embosser machine for the side door panels.

I delivered the vanity back to Restore in Mooresville Friday April 11 where it would be priced and sat on display to promote the blog and the upcoming Designer Challenge with a cool little "before and after" photo. But before I had the chance to bring the photo back to the store on Saturday 4/12, it had already been sold. I am just thankful that I had snapped a quick picture of it after unloading it from my car in the parking lot solely for the purpose of texting my mom. Otherwise I would not had have any after pictures at all.

DIY Pot Rack

Hi, everyone!  My name is Laurie Hamilton and I am thrilled to be a new blogger for My [Re]claimed Home.  Just to fill you in a little about me, I moved to North Carolina about 5 years ago from Chicago and haven’t looked back!  I love it here and the people here are just the nicest you could meet.  My love for repurposing, redesigning, and reusing anything goes way back. A little over a year ago my son and his family joined me here in beautiful Mooresville, NC and my daughter-in-law Karen and I wasted no time jumping into any kind of crafts and repurposing we could to decorate the house (you can see some of our work on our Facebook page, Pink Punk Design). I participated with Karen in the 2013 ReStore ReStyle Design Challenge and had a blast. One of the patrons of the contest saw our work and hired us to decorate her entire house. It turned out beautifully and gave us even more ideas.  I really enjoy the happiness it brings people to see that even on a budget they can still has a beautiful and comfortable home. The smiles on their faces make all the work totally worthwhile.

I thought for my first blog I would show you a little something I made for the kitchen to give it just a little “European” flair. I was on my weekly roam through ReStore and noticed some burglar bars for windows leaning against the wall. Perfect for – what else – a pot rack! 

To start this project you will first need some kind of rack that you can hang things from. If you can’t locate the type I have shown, try thinking a little out of the box. Maybe outside you may have an old wrought iron or metal garden trellis? Those are easy to find at yard sales and thrift stores.

Next, find the studs in your ceiling. This is of utmost importance. It can be done quite easily with a stud finder. There is nothing worse than having your gorgeous project come crashing down in the middle of a dinner party. Here is what else you will need:

- 4 big screw-in hooks that you will space into the studs to coincide with the corners of the rack
- mid-weight chain
- 4 u-shaped bolts
- some hooks to hang the pots.

Now that you have your materials you are ready to get started. Simply screw the four hooks into the ceiling, attach four lengths of chain to the corners of the rack using the U-bolts, hang the other end of the chain from the ceiling hooks, hang your pots and pans from the s-hooks and VIOLA! Pot rack!

If for whatever reason it is not feasible for you to hang the rack from the ceiling, you can also hang it vertically on the wall of the kitchen. 

I hope this gave you some inspiration to jazz up your home using items found at the ReStore. Check back often for more ideas to make our lives beautiful, starting right at home!  

Rubik's Photo Collage

I am actually poaching this next project from my mother-in-law. She made one of these for all of us at Christmas and they are just so amazing that I had to share.

The best part is that I almost always see a Rubik's Cube on the toy aisle of Restore for no more than $ 2. Not to mention that you can also pick up a cooling rack or drying tray that you will need for this project while you are there for as little as $. 50 each. And I have been able to snag a good deal on photo paper on occasion.  I really wouldn't be shocked if I found the resin needed on the craft aisle either. So stop by your local Restore and see how very inexpensive this project can be.

What you will need :

2 part clear resin

Rubik's Cube

Photo paper

A cookie cooling rack (or doaming tray found at craft store )

Disposable plastic cup

Plastic spoons

Super glue

1. Remove the existing stickers from cube. There are many different ways to accomplish this from using goo-gone to mayonnaise.

2. Choose your photos. Since this was a surprise, my mother-in-law pilfered pictures from our Facebook Albums. The quantity and size of pictures you will need depends on the amount of cubes. This one had 4 on each side and a total of 24 pictures were needed. A standard rubik's cube will have 9 cubes per side and a total of 54 pictures will be needed. I found this website that offers a free template download for the 4 block cube and a they also offer a download for the 9 cube as well.

3. Cut your pictures and lay out on doaming tray about an inch apart. (This site actually provides a very detailed 2 part instructional video for this project as well)

3. Mix your resin according to directions on label. Take time and read about avoiding bubbles and how to get the bubbles out of your mix.

4. Spoon out about half a spoon full of resin and place the tip of the spoon over the center of the picture and let the resin run off. Once you have covered all the photos, get down to eye level and see if you need to add a few drops to any photos that are not perfectly covered.

5. Place dust cover over your tray and wait 10 mins. After the 10 minutes have passed, remove the cover and check for bubbles that may have rose to the surface. Either use the spoon tip or a toothpick to carefully remove the bubbles without scooping away the resin.

6. Replace dust cover and let dry for the amount of time listed on the resin instructions.

7. Glue your photos to the blocks. 

8. Proudly display your crafty work of genius or wow and amaze someone with a very special gift.

This Guest Bloggers Knows Paint!

Hello Reclaimers! I am Karen Adams and a new blogger for My [Re]claimed Home! I thought I would share a little about myself and then go onto giving you some tips and tricks that you can use on your own projects.

First things first, who am I. Well I started my reclaiming, dumpster diving, garage sale picking, Restore shopping fetish about 10 years ago. I have always been blessed with a great artistic ability -being able to paint, draw, sculpt and much more, however after high school and a semester of college I wanted to do even more than the average artist. I wanted to use my talent in a unique way but I wasn’t sure how. Unbeknownst to me the answer was about to present itself in a very innocent way.

My mother-in-law was having a garage sale and had a tired old baker’s rack that she thought would sell if it just had a little coat of paint. So I took on the challenge! I painted the rack and added some design flair to it and before I knew it a light bulb went off. I wanted to do this! I wanted to redo furniture, make it one of a kind and wow people. And of course it didn’t stop there. I not only redo furniture but I also create new furniture and items out of … for a lack of a better word… “Junk”

I LOVE what I do with a passion! I take great pride in my work and love to share my talents with the world. I teach people how to get past their project dilemmas and how to look at items in a new light (I also started Pink Punk Design on Facebook with my Mother in-law, Laurie Hamilton, for anyone who is interested in getting tips and tricks on a whole wide range of topics)

OK so enough about me! Let’s talk PAINT!

Not just any paint but the up and rising popular chalk paint!

This diverse eco-friendly paint is so easy to use! Add a little water to it to make it smooth, thicken it up by leaving the lid off, and make it into a wash by adding even more water. Use flat brushes for a smooth look or bristle brushes for a more textured aged look. It is so simple and diverse! It covers most surfaces with little to no priming at all. I encourage everyone who paints to have this in their arsenal! 

Now you may be asking yourself, this is great but where do I get it? Well the more popular brands such as Annie Sloan, CeCe Caldwell, American Paint co, FAT paint, Maison Blanche, Van Gough, and Shabby Paint (just to name a few) are great but they can cost anywhere from $29.99 - $38.95 per Quart!

This is just out ragout in my opinion especially since you can make your own for about $5.00!

 

This is what you will need:

(I normally go to Lowes or Home Depot)

      Color sample pots in your color choice – Must be Latex based (Valspar is my go to brand $2.98 each)

      White Plaster of Paris (this will last you a LONG time so it’s a great investment) $6.48 @ Lowes

      Furniture wax $9.97 @ Lowes ** (optional, but recommended)

Now Mix:

1/2 cup of Plaster of Paris with a 1/2 cup of warm water until it dissolves. Once its dissolved, add 1 1/2 cups of latex paint (the whole container if your sample color is Valspar)

How to use:

Paint like you normally would! If you want it thicker, let it sit out a while. If you want it as a wash, add more water, or just use it as it is after you mix it. Also you may or may not need two coats. See how the first coat goes and use your best judgment depending on what look you are going for. 

Tips:

·         You will want to wax your project to protect the surface from chips and wear and tear. This step is not required but is highly recommended.

·         For a more textured look switch out the plaster of Paris with white non-sanded grout.

·         Don’t forget to sand for a smooth finish look

 

 

 

Puzzling Sideboard

My mother called me the other day after attending a meeting with the art guild she is a member of with a cute puzzle to see if you have an "artistic mind." The equation is:

2+2= fish

3+3= eight

7+7= triangle

I got it. If the answer isn't as clear for you, I will share at the end of this next Restyle story.

The answer to the test above reminded me about the sideboard buffet table I had made for the 2013 Restore Restyle Event. This one did require the obsessive compulsive disorder or perfectionism that only my husband can add to any project. So where I may have been the brain power behind the concept and design behind the materials to be used, and after 3 days of thoroughly explaining to him exactly how a bed canopy, a wood door, 2 cabinet doors, 8 hardwood floor strips, and some granite tiles were going to come together, his craftsmanship is what made it come to life.

I wasn't exactly sure what they were until I got home later that day, all I knew was that I loved the detail of it and there was plenty of it to use in a project. It turned out to be the rails to turn a poster bed into a canopy bed.

My next challenge was to find a wood door that would match the rails and looked exactly like what I had pictured in my mind. (turns out it wasn't that big of a challenge, it was on the first aisle among the vast selection of varieties of doors and was $40)

I picked up the cabinet doors for $4 each. And the granite tile was $2 a piece.

First we figured out exactly where we would have to cut the door so that the hole of the door knob could be concealed. Then we laid out the rails and started work on rearranging them like a puzzle so that we could utilize their hardware and cut to keep the beautiful lines and pattern in tact.

After that, it pretty much came together in a snap. We built the frame and attached the cut door with screws to the back. We placed the cabinet doors on the top and the bottom. We used a bit of scrap plywood to build up the top to make it level with the frame. Then cut the granite tiles for the top. The bottom was finished with hardwood floor planks.

Once the grout dried for the granite. We glued a bit of trim from the hardware store ($3) that we stained, to add detail around the tile and make it flow into the wood around it. (By the way, Restore did have that trim in stock as well, but unfortunately it was Sunday, they were closed and I was on a deadline)

TAHDAH! A beautiful handcrafted sideboard buffet table that my husband REALLY hated to send away to be sold, he loved it so much.

I did tell him that he finished it too well and I don't think people could tell that we made it until they looked very closely. And in case you are wondering, That is an iron gate hung on the wall behind it I picked up at Restore for the challenge as well. It now has a wonderful home in my herb garden.

Now the answer to the puzzle:

2+2= fish 

Think about the Christian fish symbol you see on car bumpers, now think about flipping the 2's on their side and flipping one to mirror the other and bring them together... it makes a fish!

3+3=eight

Now that you get where this is going I don't think 8 needs much more explaining.

7+7= triangle

Flip your 7's upside down and flip one to mirror the other, bring them together and you get a triangle shape.

Picture Perfect Table

Picture Frame Table

During a visit the other day with a neighbor, I sat down at her kitchen table and realized that it had been the table that I had made for the Restore Restyle Designer Challenge that she had bought the night of the event. Seeing it again and talking about how it came to be, I thought I should share that process.

I had came across this giant framed picture at the Restore in Mooresville. Though I wasn't in love with the picture inside, I was in love with the frame and all of it's details and it's perfect square size. 

I started by taping off the inside of the frame and spray painting with my favorite color of primer, silver metallic. I highly recommend using this as a primer for everything. It seems to coat evenly, concealing everything and adheres well to finished surfaces virtually eliminating the need for sanding. I also find that it makes your top coat a more truer color that is brighter and with a more multi-tone effect as a result of how the light reflects off the metallics. After allowing the primer to dry, I then painted my top coat and allowed to dry. Then sealed the frame to the picture with clear silicone caulking. I covered the picture part and painted the outside of the frame.

Next step was cutting up the this cardboard of old Christmas gift boxes into my flower petals. I laid the petals out in a three circles, decreasing the size of the center with each ring. I sprayed each ring with spray adhesive,  ensuring that each petal was fully coated and then used colored tissue paper that I had wrinkled up and placed it on the cardboard. I used red, yellow and orange tissue paper, placing the red and orange on first and then sprayed more adhesive and placed the yellow at the inner part of the ring to give the flower more dimension. With the tissue paper in placed, I stacked the layers on top of each other and I used yellow and orange and coral/red spray paint to lightly mist the flower to blend all the colors together of the paint and tissue.

I used the metal grate of a commercial drop ceiling HVAC vent and cut it into 4 even squares and spray painted them green.

For the legs, I used 4 stair spindles nailed together I got from Restore ($2 each) for each leg and painted them black. I screwed the legs to the bottom of a small pallet I  then  nailed/glued the the picture down to it. For extra detail and to make the table appear more complete, I used 4 copper plumbing caps ($.50 each) and used a hole saw on the bottom of one of the 4 spindles for each leg and hammered the cap into the hole.

With the base of of the table now complete, I glued/screwed the picture to the top of the pallet. I sealed any holes that were made with the silicone caulk. I arranged the metal square in the corner and glued them down. Then I placed my flower into the center with glue and nailed a decorative paperclip with a upholstery brad in the center of the flower.

I decided to use an epoxy countertop mix to create a hard cleanable surface. Following the directions on the bow for the mix, I poured it inside of the frame and waited for it to dry.

I used base moulding from Restore to cover the visible part of the pallet under the frame and painted it.

The mystery challenge item that we had to incorporate into our room design was an electrical light switch plate. I painted 8 with copper leafing paint and attached them to each far corner onto the base moulding around the table. I then took metal necklace charms and snapped off the ring on top where the charm would hang from a chain and glued them to the center of each switch plate.

Once the epoxy had thoroughly dried, I placed a piece of plexiglass from Restore cut to size on top and sealed it to the frame with the silicone caulk.

This was one of my favorite pieces of the room. The final cost to create this one of a kind table was $75 and 2 days of work. I couldn't be happier with the final result and my neighbor loves having what she refers to it as "functional art" and conversation piece.