Anthro Inspired Horseshoe Plate Holder

Emily from Elizabeth Joan Designs fell in love with a horseshoe plate holder while window-shopping at Anthropologie. Once she was home, she got to work recreating one of her own!

Emily sanded and stained a wood block, used a piece of scrap wood to support the plates in the back, then nailed on her horseshoe. Finally her pretty plates made the finishing touch. Emily said, “Since I had everything already on hand, the cost to me was $0. I call that a win!” Yeah, we’d call that a win too!

See the complete instructions for this piece of awesomeness over at Elizabeth Joan Designs!

By Kimm | Filed under Decor | Tags: anthro inspired, Anthropologie hardware, anthropologie inspired, diy plate stand, horseshoe, minwax special walnut, plate holder, plate stand, plates, recycled

November 29, 2014November 12, 2014

Sunburst Mirror from Window Blinds

Ashley at Bigger Than the Three of Us just might be a genius. When a window makeover left her with a bunch of used blinds, she turned them into a sunburst mirror. This may be the first time in the history of ever that mini blinds have looked so cool!

Ashley separated and cleaned the blinds, then arranged them into small fan shapes and duct-taped them together. She put the smaller fans together into bigger fans and hot-glued them to the mirror’s base. The finished result looks great in her master bedroom! As Ashley says, “At just over $6 it’s a steal for how much of an impact it makes.”

Check out Ashley’s step-by-step tutorial at Bigger Than the Three of Us.

By Kimm | Filed under Recycled, Wall Decor | Tags: blinds, diy sunburst mirror, mini blinds, mini blinds upcycled, mirror, recycled, sunburst, sunburst mirror, sunburst mirror from mini blinds, sunburst mirror from window blinds, window blinds, window blinds upcycled

November 28, 2014November 4, 2014

Paper-topped End Table

Candice from ReFab Diaries spotted this table during a morning run. (See? Running IS good for you!) She brought it home and turned it into a gorgeous end table for her living room.

First Candice removed the cherry red paint and prepped the table for its new cover. She splurged on a beautiful sheet of handmade Nepalese paper for the tabletop and says, “I loved the obvious natural fibers and pops of red and orange.” Using Mod Podge, Candice adhered the paper to the table and created a protective top coat.

So cool! For more pictures and instructions (and to see where she ordered her paper) go check out the tutorial at ReFab Diaries!

By Kimm | Filed under Furniture, Tables | Tags: acetone, curbside end table, curbside find, curbside rescue, end table, end table upcycle, lokta paper, mod podge, recycled, round end table, table top makeover, table top upcycle, table upcycle, upcycled

November 26, 2014November 4, 2014

Give New Color to Tired Bed Linens

Tempted to throw out your sheets when they start getting dingy? Heather from Woods of Bell Trees gave hers a dye job, with gorgeous shabby chic results!

Heather used a pair of sheets that could no longer handle being bleached and treated them with Rit in the washing machine. She says the “rustic and romantic” look comes from the way the fabric has aged-“the dye will absorb differently throughout the fabric.” Her graying sheets are now a beautiful soft lavender!

To read up on Heather’s dying technique and to see what color she used to get the lavender (hint: it wasn’t purple) head on over to Woods of Bell Trees!

By Kimm | Filed under Decor | Tags: bed linen, bed sheets, dyed, dyed bed linen, dyed bed sheets, lavender, linens, Pearl Grey, purple, refab, refabbed, Rit dye, shabby chic, shabby chic sheets, upcycle, upcycled

November 25, 2014November 4, 2014

Milk Painted Midcentury Mod Side Tables

After receiving these retro side tables as a gift from her mom, Bonnie at Revolutionaries got to work! She used some elbow grease and milk paint to transform the tables into a drool-worthy duo.

Bonnie says, “They were in good condition, but they had a badddd gold paint job with lots of drips and inconsistencies. It also looked like they were once covered in paper (there were bits of paper still stuck to some areas).” First she sanded them down, then added two coats of milk paint and a top coat. She loves the results, and so do we!

Learn more about this project at Revolutionaries.

By Kimm | Filed under Furniture, Tables | Tags: General Finishes milk paint Driftwood, gray, gray table, grey, grey table, midcentury mod, midcentury mod furniture, midcentury mod side table, midcentury modern, milk paint, retro, retro side table, side table, side tables

November 24, 2014November 4, 2014

Curbside Corkboard Upcycle

Don’t you love a good curbside find? Emily from Elizabeth Joan Designs spotted a discarded corkboard and says, “As soon as I saw this baby, I knew with the right makeover she would be perfect for my oldest son’s bedroom.” The final result is a “soaring” success!

Emily sanded and stained the frame, then added a protective finish. Burlap and metal pushpins create a clean slate and give it an antique look that perfectly matches her son’s “vintage airplane bedroom.” I love the way it looks next to this chalkboard-they are such a fun pair!

To read more and see Emily’s technique for attaching the burlap, visit Elizabeth Joan Designs.

By Kimm | Filed under Wall Decor | Tags: bulletin board, bulletin board makeover, burlap, cork, cork board, cork board makeover, corkboard, corkboard makeover, curbside, curbside find, minwax polycrylic, minwax special walnut, pushpins, upcycled corkboard

November 23, 2014November 4, 2014

No-Sew Boot Socks

Autumn means boot weather! I love the look of boot socks, but they can get expensive. Want a free version? Becky at Scissortail SILK promises the “World’s Easiest DIY Boot Socks,” and she delivers!

With an old sweater and a pair of scissors, Becky made this jazzy pair of boot socks (or, technically, leg warmers). As Becky points out, “they have the chunky sweater look at the top, without all the bulk around your toes at the bottom.” If you’re kicking yourself right now for donating your old sweaters (I am), you could always pick some up for cheap at the thrift store!

Go check out Scissortail SILK to find out how to make yours!

By Kimm | Filed under Accessories, Clothing | Tags: boot socks, boot toppers, DIY boot socks, leg warmers, no-sew, recycled sweater, repurposed sweater, repurposed sweater sleeves, sweater, sweater to boot socks, upcycled sweater

November 22, 2014November 11, 2014

Refinished Farmhouse Table

This counter height farmhouse table was one of the first furniture purchases Kristy from The Diary of Dave’s Wife ever made. Over the years it’s been used and slightly abused. Since she still loved the table, Kristy decided to give it a new lease on life with a makeover.

For starters, she took a sander to the tabletop and roughed it up a bit to give it a more weathered look and finished it with a clear sealer. Next, Kristy painted over the black apron and legs with white chalk paint. She finished up with a coat of wax over the painted legs. Easy peasy process for a table that now looks completely new!

Learn about the products Kristy used for this makeover at The Diary of Dave’s Wife.

By Kimm | Filed under Furniture, Tables | Tags: chalk paint, counter height table, Deco Art chalky paint, dining table makeover, makoever, painted, redo, refinished, restyled, sanded, two toned, weather, white