Kitchen Mini Makeover ~Topiary

Here is one of the projects I made as part of my kitchen window makeover.  I really wanted a topiary to sit on one of the shelves.  I was hoping to find a styrofoam ball at the dollar store, but all they had were square ones or the wrong size.

I was determined to keep this project really cheap, so I bought a bag of balloons, blew one up to size and wrapped it is yarn-covered glue.  I let it sit for a day until it was dry and solid, and then I popped the balloon.  You can see it pictured below.

 For this fund little topiary, I used my yarn ball, an unsharpened pencil, a flower pot that I painted gray, and lots of red felt. I spent a dollar on the pack of balloons, so this project was basically free, because I had the other supplies (my mom gave me the pot).

I was skeptical about using the yarn ball.  I was really worried that it would collapse.  But, I used lots of glue, and about a month later, it is still sitting strong. :)  To cover the ball, I cut up a bunch of red felt strips and hot glued them on.  I stuck the end of a pencil inside one of the holes in the ball and hot glued.  Then, I secured it by gluing felt to the pencil and anchoring it down.  Surprisingly, it was a pretty tight hold.

I was going to cut a bunch of circles and make little pom-poms to cover the whole thing, but I changed my mind really fast, knowing that it would take way too long!  I decided to use squares instead.  I just eye-balled them, so they are about 1" squares.

I ended up using all of the red felt that I had leftover, and had barely enough.  I just love when this happens.  Anyways,  fold the square in half two times and place a dab of hot glue in the center.

I started hot gluing the pieces to the ball side opposite the pencil.  I turned them random directions so it didn't look uniform.

I secured the pencil a little bit better with more felt as I got closer to getting the ball completely covered with felt squares.

I wrapped some burlap around the pencil several times to add some fun texture and color.  I wrapped it a couple of times to make the base look thicker.

I filled the base with rocks that I bought at the dollar store...oops, I guess I spent $2 for this project.  Still awesome though, right?

Here it is all covered and almost finished.  There is just one more finished touch...

Kitchen Mini Makeover ~ Paint

One weekend I decided I needed something fun to do.  Actually, back up...a couple of years ago, we bought our first house.  The window in the kitchen looks like this, with the original red paint.  I like red paint, but these shelves needed some love.  The top shelves usually sit empty except for major holidays (mostly Christmas), or they have something weird sitting on them.  I have had a really hard time coming up with a way I wanted to decorate them. Well, I was so sick of how boring it looked and decided this was the something fun I needed to do.

I have been planning on doing my kitchen red and teal for about a year now, and just haven't really done anything to add some teal.  So, let's meet the teal...

Well, the first coat at least...

I was a tad bit worried after the first coat I must say.  I was really hoping I didn't just make a big ugly mistake.

Once all the red was covered up though, I knew I loved it!  It is so bright and fresh.  I used to sort of hate...not entirely hate...the "fancy" woodwork bordering the whole shelf/window.  After the paint, I love it.  And I like it even more now that things are completed!

Come back tomorrow for the Stache Party, and then on Wednesday, I will be sharing a topiary I made!

My New Obsession...SILVERWARE

:)

I am putting up forks, spoons, and knife up all over my kitchen!  I am loving it.

I went to my local Family Dollar and found this cute little frame to hang on my wall.  Not only is it cute but it only cost $1.80!  Something I like at a fantastic price...WONDERFUL!

The details on the silverware are great.  They are in a shadow box.  Giving it a little more personality.

 This is a view from when you walk in my back door.


I wish I had better pictures. :(
HINT:  MAYBE I NEED A BETTER CAMERA

Thrifty Thursday

So many of you out there love great finds just like I do.  How great of a rush is it when you find something that you have been looking for at DIRT CHEAP prices?  I have this great little shop here in my hometown that has stuff dirt cheap.  I can get 10 books for $1.00 all the time.  So if I ever need a few hardback books, I go there.  From time to time they have a back room with all kinds of stuff that is 5 items for $1.00. 

I stopped by this store this week and look what I found...for next to nothing I might add.

I found this cheese dome for $1.00 and this huge fork for only $0.50!!

Grand Total $1.50




Isn't she lovely?  A nice small size and in good condition.  Just needs a little cleaning and sprucing up.

 



Since I just add a fork & spoon canvas,  I thought this fit nicely into the new "theme" in my kitchen.

 

Spoon & Fork Canvas

 Over the summer I started a small kitchen redo project.  I painted my kitchen RED and stopped there.  I wanted to hang stuff on the walls but I have been slow to do so.  I don't want to just throw something on the walls.  I want to put something up that I really love.  I had spotted some spoon and fork canvas that I really loved.  I thought maybe I could paint one but never really got around to it. 

So....last night as I go to my local Family Dollar store to grab some laundry detergent as I push my cart through the store my eye spies a very pretty spoon and fork canvas!!!  Not only is it beautiful and a good size but it is only $10!!  Did you read that?  TEN DOLLARS I SAID.

The details of the spoon and fork are wonderful.  Behind them is one of my favorite bible verses

Joshua 24:15

"As for me and my house we will serve the Lord".

The canvas is actually two canvas but they were stapled together and I left them that way.

They measure 20 x 25.  I think that is a good size.

 Here is a picture of my kitchen.  I have hung up drop cloths for curtains, painted the walls red, and hung a few items on the wall.  The things I want to change here are the chair cushions and I'm looking for a vintage black phone.  I will change and add things to this breakfast nook as I find things I love.  For now, I am really happy with my new canvas.

Apple Re-Do

A couple of weeks ago if you will recall, I hit the JACKPOT!  I passed by an old flea market that had a

FREE FOR ALL

sign out front.  What is a girl like me to do other that stop and go in?

I want to show you the first item I have done something with.  (Let's face it, it was free for a reason. You just have to be a person that can see beauty in those things...and I am.)

These are 5 wooden apples I picke up from the free store.

Here is their before picture. Really faded and with some cracks.

I painted these apples bright green an they are now sitting on my kitchen island.  It is a nice touch of color as you walk in our back door (because no one uses our front door).

 Even with the cracks I love how they look in my kitchen.

One Drawer at at Time

 

I know this is another non-crafting/decorating post but what is decorating without organization right? 

I have a few more drawers like these in my kitchen.  They are catch all drawers as I like to call them.

Organization in baby steps.

Cool Vintage Looking Letters

I was in the store Earth Trader a couple of weeks ago and they had these letters that I just loved. Below is a picture of what they sorta looked like. Except in the store, they were just single letters and they sold for $5 each. Now I could have paid $20 but I am trying to stick to my budget and I thought I could make them on my own. So here is what I did....

I got my supplies together:

Mod Podge

Paint Brush

Cut Magazine Strips

Stain

Scrap Panel Boards

I cut HEEB out of my scrap panel board using my jig saw. Then, using my mod podge,I applied my magazine strips to all of my letters and let it dry.

After about 24 hours, it was good and dry. So I used my a sharp razor blade and cut off the excess magazine strips. I applied a thin coat of stain onto of the letters. The white didn't look so white and the letters had more of vintage look. I then applied 3 coats of mod podge on top waiting for each coat to dry.


Here is my finished project. I like it and that is all that matters.

A friend of mine had the idea of using newspapers. I like that idea too.

Old New Canisters

I found these great canisters for FREE. I love free things.

With a little paint, love, and time...I will have something new in my kitchen.

I keep forgetting to take "before" photos. By the time I remembered I already spray painted the wooden lids black. You might not be able to tell by the picture but these are really orange. Straight from early 1970's.

Here is my finished project. With some off white & black spray paint, card stock, and mod podge...I have new canisters.

Once I have it all done in my kitchen I will take pictures of how I displayed it all. It is coming together nicely.

Remaking of our Knife Holder

I recieved this butcher block type knife holder 13 years ago as a wedding present. I thought it could use a little color in our new RED kitchen.

So the kids and I started by roughing it up a bit.

She was my little helper and did a great job.


This is our finished project. We painted it black and then added a clear coat.
I used some Mod Podge and added the word knife to the front.
I added some stain over the letters so they looked like wood and blended in.
I love how it all turned out.

Kitchen Decor Ideas

As I was looking on the net for inexpensive decorating idea I saved a few of the projects I like.

Here are some of them.

Enjoy!

A Ruler Coat Rack. I like the vintage look.

These are too cute and I might do them in my kitchen

You can try making these hooks yourself too.

I have been "collecting" jars lately. I have spray painted some of the lids but I like this idea too.

I think this is cute idea for old cupcake pans.

You could paint it any color and then even change out the

papers for the season.

Once I have found a cool wooden frame, I will have one of these in my kitchen. I like how it is not just a plain old frame. It has some character. Besides, who doesn't like having a chalk board in their kitchen?

The DORMEYER SILVER CHEF 4300

It is composed of chromed & stainless steel, polished aluminum, and black & red Bakelite. The mixer is rust & dent-free, works great, and sounds like a Machine Age mixer should! It could use some polishing though.

It even comes with a meat grinder and all the needed accessories. However, I'm not sure I will ever need the meat grinder but it is still pretty cool.

I found all this in my grandma's basement. What a great find! My grandma told me that it had belonged to my great-grandmother and that when she passed away, my grandma kept it because she like it so much. My grandma never used it though. She never switched out her kitchen mixer for my great-grandmother's. So, not only is this a cool functioning machine but it once belonged to my great-grandmother. A little family history is now sitting right in my kitchen.