Showing posts with label vintage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vintage. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Almost Done with Trailer Exterior!

Just a quick post to show the finished exterior paint job on the trailer.  It took a long time to get this done and an enormous amount of tape and drop cloth. 
We kept the original color theme and used automotive paint for durability and shine..  A little more trim work and she will finally be ready to hit the road ( and maybe a car show or two for fun).
Diana

Friday, March 18, 2016

Flea Market Flip

Do any of you watch HGTV's Flea Market Flip?  I love that show!  So many clever ideas.........
It was while watching one of the episodes that my husband and I saw one set of contestants turn an old window into a wall cabinet.
 I told my husband that I liked that idea and that I had an old window (hidden under a guest bed of all places) that would be perfect for the project.  Well, the next day he got to work and surprised me with the cabinet almost completed!
 He used pine tongue and groove to build the cabinet box and dividers that section off the interior.  A fresh coat of bright white makes the inside really pop.  (I did have to stop him from painting over the original paint on the window though!)  
Today he attached the hinges on the top and a magnetic closure and brought the finished cabinet in from his workshop in the barn.  It is securely hung on the wall so I can load it with some of my favorite items.  It hangs in the corner of our bedroom and looks so cool.  My husband is really talented and now that he is retired he finally has the time to get creative!  And I am getting so many of my wished for projects done!
Diana

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Bamboo Floors in the Cabin

One more project done......the bamboo floors are in and looking great!
We did it ourselves and it took two days but I can't tell you what a difference it makes.
Everything just feels so much cleaner.  That's because it is-so much cleaner-cuz we had plywood floors before.  Yuck.

Here is a shot of the kitchen area.  We still have all the molding to do but that should go pretty quickly.
Just in case you forgot what we started with.......   We did all the work ourselves, once the shell was built.  We didn't want it to look too fancy.  More like it was completed and furnished by a family over a long time with things that made them happy and had a lot of sentimental value.  Which is kind of true because it has taken quite a while to finish and we got a lot of the stuff at auctions, antique stores and our own homes (and the clearance section of Lowes).
 We added a kitchen and a bath.  That meant putting in electrical and plumbing.
 We put in a stove and covered all the walls and ceilings in pine tongue and groove.  This cabin is solid!  The rocking chair was a gift from my family years ago for Mother's Day.  The log table was built by an Amish guy.  The crock in the corner used to hold sauerkraut.  I love that everything has a story and was bought over time..  The picture on the ledge were painted by some of our grandchildren.
 The chest was made from barn wood, again by the Amish, and the couch is a hide a bed for extra sleeping.  Plus it is a great place to cuddle up with a book (or Kindle) for some quiet time.  The blanket was crocheted by my grandmother who passed away this year.  She made it for the cabin.  I made the picture over the couch from a poster that I modge podged onto canvas.
 I so love the kitchen!  Behind the little curtain is a fridge and microwave.  I don't have a stove but the toaster oven and a hot plate have worked great for small meals.  And small meals are about all I want to do here anyway.  I do have a crock pot, electric skillet and rice cooker too, just in case.  Oh, and a Kitchenaid......  I always have to have a Kitchenaid.
 Here is a peek into the bath.  It is small but the shower is huge so that makes it nice.  We have an on-demand water heater for the cabin so it is hot showers for us!
 We refinished this cute medicine cabinet for some extra storage above the itty bitty sink.
 Jenn and Chuck bought this cool light that is great cuz you can direct the lights where ever you need them.  
 Another look at the kitchen.  We made the shelf from some antique shelf supports I got on ebay and pine boards.  You can see the water heater on the wall in the corner.  The crock that holds my wooden spoons and such was a gift from my brother's family and has a picture of Kirtland on the front.  We all went there the last time his family came out here to Ohio.  The vintage red plastic canisters were an auction find.  We keep little treats in them.
 A close up of the bamboo floors.  The rag rug was picked up at an Amish auction and is handmade.
 Upstairs is a sleeping loft.  We put a queen sized mattress up there and it is so comfortable.  We even have a view of the pasture out our tiny little window.  In the winter the heat from the stove keeps the loft so warm we often don't even use blankets.  We are talking Ohio winters!
 This ladder is suspended from the ceiling with a rope and can be lowered when we need to go upstairs.  It can slide along a metal pipe to the center of the room (that's where the headroom is the highest in the loft) and then can be tucked out of the way when we don't need it.
 I love that we have a small entry area to take off shoes and stow away some of our stuff.  We put in a tile floor in that area to protect the bamboo floors from dirt.  That little bench has a lot of storage and was built by some students at our local developmental center.
 Where you see the trees outside is the creek bed.
 The shelf on the left holds some plates and cookbooks.  Behind the door is a pegboard made out of a log that is real handy for hanging stuff.
 One of the last things we got was a cuckoo clock.  I bought it on ebay and it wasn't working so I got it cheap.  My husband replaced a few parts and now it is one of my favorite things about the cabin.  I love to hear the tick tock and the squeaky little bird.
 The colors were so garish when I first saw it but up against the pine walls it really pops.
So Kitschy!
Hope you enjoyed the tour.
Diana

Saturday, May 30, 2015

The Witch is Dead Bookmark

Have you seen this on Pinterest yet?  It seemed like a do-able polymer clay project and let's be serious ---it cracks me up just looking at it!
 I tracked it down to Oops, I Craft my Pants (another crack me up moment please).  I loooved the vintage witches she puts on her bookmarks.  I added just a pit of lacy petticoat too.  She painted on her stripes but I made mine out of clay, hence the wonky stripes.
 But if you just had a house fall on you, your stockings might be crooked too!
Now my only worry is.....does anyone read paper books anymore?
Diana

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Old Fashion Crocheted Potholders

In between bigger projects I have been turning out these vintage looking potholders!
 It has been fun searching for patterns that I could whip up fast but would teach me new stitches. 
 I love the granny square potholder and the little red and white one that I made up as I went along.
 Who wouldn't love these color combos.
The simple pale green potholder was just as fun to make as the more elaborate one on the right.
I haven't yet decided what to do with these cuties......maybe they would look good in our vintage camper.......on tucked into baskets with home made goodies for friends?
Diana

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Kitchenaid Vinyl Decals-Make Your Own!

I have been eyeing some cute Kitchenaid vinyls for quite a while now.  I needed to wait until my dear husband changed the grease (icky job, let me tell you) before I put some on.  Because I have a silhouette there was no question that I would make mine own.....After seeing this cute one (which you can buy if you don't have a cutting machine, or just don't want to go to the trouble of making a file yourself) I got to work.
 Easy peasy.
 Looks so cute.
Turns my plan Jane mixer into a sweet little thing.  And I can change it out for something else later on!  Love a simple project to brighten a cloudy day!
Diana

Saturday, November 22, 2014

20 Minute BurlapTree Skirt!

I am all about quick and easy projects.  Maybe it is because my skill levels can be sketchy or maybe it is because I don't have the attention span of a toddler.....whatever my issues are I love to do crafts don't take a whole lot of time or knowledge.  If you can relate,  here is a project you will love!

20 minutes to cut out, sew and display......how is that possible?  Burlap.  And did I mention this skirt is also inexpensive!  I picked up some Christmas style burlap from Walmart (checking out took more time than it did to sew.....or trying to find someone in the fabric section to cut for me).  I needed one and a third yards of fabric (1 1/3) for the skirt.  I bought more fabric for a few other projects I hope to get to later. 
  Next I cut out a 44 inch circle using a string and some chalk for marking.  Cut out a smaller 5 inch circle at the center.  Cut a split down the back from outer edge to inner circle.  You can see that step better in a later photo.
 Now here is the easy part.  Sew a zigzag stitch all around every cut edge.  I did a 1 inch seam allowance but you don't have to be too picky.  If you use thread that is the same color as your burlap you will hardly even see your stitches.
 Attach some ribbon to the back.  (You can see that I got real fancy and hemmed the back slit but you don't have to.  Just zigzag those edges too)  Now pull at the edges, unraveling the burlap up to your zigzag stitch.  Trim any long threads and you are done!

 Here is a picture of the skirt under the tree.  You can see that the skirt has enough body to lay nicely over the tree stand.  Love that it matches the burlap ribbon I am using this year.  And yes the tree looks a little bare......I am still in the process of decorating it and am waiting til the snow melts so I can get to the barn for the ornaments.  

I am going to use vintage ornaments with the burlap for a different look this year.  It is also my first time to use an artificial tree.  Got this lovely at my local craft store.  I miss the smell of pine but it was so much easier to set up and I am not afraid of it falling over in the middle of the night.
Don't ask.....
Diana

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Creepy Banner


I didn't add too many new things to our Halloween decor this year......but one thing I threw together at the last minute was this creepy banner for the mantle.
I printed some images from The Graphics Fairy and just added a little ink to aged the cards.
 Tiny clothes pins from the craft section at Walmart hold the cards on a long piece of twine.  Couldn't be easier but still adds a huge element to the Gothic look I was going for.
Diana

Thursday, October 9, 2014

One Last Plate

Have you seen the cute little doily plates from IKEA?  Well, I added a handle to it and now I have yet another dish to serve treats in or hold bedside junk.  I have also run out of the handle hardware I bought on Ebay so you won't be seeing anymore of these projects for a while.....

Diana

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Make It Do!

I don't do much hand embroidery anymore.  Once I found out that an embroidery machine could do it better and quicker, I put away my floss and hoops and bought a machine.  I never looked back until I saw this adorable pattern . Even though it wasn't available for machine embroidery and needed to be done the old fashion way, I knew I had to try it!
 It took a few evenings to make and my skills were definitely rusty.  My stitches could have been evener and I did stress a bit about that.....then I decided that my efforts were good enough and to just relax and enjoy the process!
 Isn't it the sweetest thing you ever saw?  If you want the pattern you can get it at Sarahjanestudios and make your own.  I promise you will love it!
Diana

Friday, May 2, 2014

Ode to the Glue Gun

I actually should have two titles for this post.  Ode to the Glue Gun and Pinterest is So Addictive......
First, here is the before picture of a bench I got for next to nothing ($2) at a church rummage sale.  It was rickety and ugly.  I spent a few minutes gluing and tightening screws.  Then I got out my glue gun, painters cloth, some old lace (another rummage sale) and satiny rope. 
  Where did I get my inspiration?  This Pin from Shabby Chic Tiny Retreat.  I LOVE her blog!  The idea of living in such a tiny house is so fascinating!  But back to the bench.  Took off the old fabric and, don't gasp, I hot glued everything on.  Yep!  I admit it.  I didn't sew, staple or attach any part of this project the correct way.  Went through two sticks of glue.  Burnt my fingers a couple of times too.  Still don't feel bad about using the glue gun (well, except for the burns.....).  The lace skirt hides the less than perfect wood finish.  Total cost for this project.  About $5.00!
Shabby Chic?  Check.
Diana

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

My Birthday Present to Myself Finally Got Here

Am I the only one who buys themselves birthday and Christmas presents? How else will I get all those pretty things I see on Etsy and Ebay?   Don't judge.
The toy sewing machine was just too cute to pass up.  And then I NEEDED a pretty shelf to put it on.... 
 I love how I now have something sweet to look at when I sit at my machine.  It always makes me smile.  Now I just need to find something to hang from the hooks.....any suggestions?
I mean, really, who wouldn't love this cutie!
Diana