I Love Fall

Everyone who know me, know that I LOVE FALL! This is my favorite time of the year. I love the fireplace, hot tea, warm desserts and snuggling. Even though I love decorating I still try to be reasonable with how much I spend out of my purse.

 

Over the fireplace I decided to put up one of the art pictures I painted. I painted it on some spare board I had left over from a previous home project. I painted the two pumpkins with gresso. The silver pedestal came from the Goodwill for $2. I found the black urn at the Good will for $3. Then I  cut out some yellow tissue paper for the flower.

I painted these pumpkins that I had for years in a box. Two of the  pumpkins were painted a copper color. I painted one black. The mirror is from the Goodwill, I got it for $2. I painted it with gresso to give it an old world look. The birdhouse church came from a local consignment shop for $10.

 

Doesn't this feel like fall...aahhh the simple things.

The foliage help set the tone for my little design.

 

I found this beautiful rub off wall letters that I put on the fireplace. It was discounted at a local store for only $5. I grabbed it so fast. It says "Home is everything that makes us feel beautiful, safe and loved"

How sweet is that!

I had to share with you the beautiful butternut squash that came from my garden. I bought the pumpkins and the green gord.

In spite of the hot summer and those pesty ground hogs, these 3 survived.

Then I added a final touch to my feeling of fall. I made a table runner out of drop cloth. I stenciled "Come Gather At Our Table" on both sides of it

This is a close up of the stencil.

 

At the end of the runner I put this W there for our last name.

Feels like fall to me.

 

 

It's A Sign

I had these left over wooden plagues and decided to get them out of the closet and do something with them. I got the idea from a DIY program to make these into hanging signs.

 

 

I found the plant hangers from a local home improvement store in the garden center. Since the season is changing, I got the hangers for $3 each. I screwed the little o hooks in at the top. Then I took picture frame wire to wrap around the hangers. From the floor looking up you can barely see the wire and mistakes that I made:)

 

 

I printed the signs from my computer and threw some paint on the edges.

 

 

They turned out really nice.

 

 

This was a quick easy fun project.

A Bright Idea

 

The microwave in my kitchen went out about three years ago. I found that what I didn't use anymore did not need to be replaced. You see, I got used to heating my food the old fashioned way...on the stove. I was only using it for the light when I cooked and that light was not very bright.

 

So, I had my husband to take the microwave out. I did not have a lot of money to spend so I needed to be creative. I painted the underneath to match everything else.

 

 

So I went out to the garden shed and found two of these baskets that had been sitting there for years. I painted it a pretty white.

 

My husband provided this light fixture and ran the wires.

 

My husband took some short screws that he had in his tool chest and put the two baskets together. This is what it looks like finished and wow! It gives me a whole lotta light!

 

I actually started singing "You LIght Up My Life" to my husband!

 

It's A Bright Idea!

 

 

 

Drop Cloth Chair Covers

 

I have had these chairs for about seven years and decided to do something with them, but did not have a lot of money to spend. So, I went to Home Depot and spent about$15.00 on drop cloth.

 

 

I measured and the back of these chairs sewed and stenciled the first letter of my last name on the backs.

 

 

I used a permanent black marker instead of paint.

 

You can even turn it around if you want. I like to letter on the back of the chair

 

 

Then I ventured to do these cafe chairs. I used this stencil in the seat.

 

 

It gave the chairs a really nice look.

 

 

I made a cover for these chairs also. I made up "Le Cafe Van Gogh" since that is the name of our street, and numbered the chairs No.1 and No.2, then I drew a vine on the back for a added touch.

 

 

This is the front of the chair.

 

 

Back View

 

 

Be Frugal and Live Like a Queen!

Lamp Re-Make Over

I found this lamp at a garage sale and the shade at the Goodwill. You may remember a previous story on this shade.

I spray painted it black.

 

Since I am an artist. I decided to experiment with some Thai Unryu paper.

I used matte gel to apply the paper.

It turned out beautifully!

I was very pleased! I love the look and feel of the texture of the paper.

The Finished Results.

Be Frugal and Live Like a Queen!

Reinventing Potential Garage Sale Items

 

I had this topiary for about 12 years and got tired of it after about 7 years. I put it in the basement recently for a garage sale. Then one day I was going over garage sale items and decided to give it another try. So I took it to my studio and started working on it.

 

I also had this sugar bowl slated for the sale also. I glued the lid to the bottom for the pedestal.

 

I took a foam ball and some ivy that I bought at a local craft store and got to the gluing!

 

This is what they looked like on the counter. Make note of the pitcher on the right.

 

I then decided to use my artist gresso to paint the pedestals a different color. I am so glad I decided to keep the topiaries.

 

I spray painted the pitcher a semi white gloss.

 

Simple and beautiful.

 

Be Frugal and Live Like a Queen! 



Revising My Old Berkey and Gay Chest



Some of you may remember this  $50.00 dresser from a 2010 post

http://1frugalqueen.blogspot.com/2010/02/im-so-berkey-gay.html

 At the time I decided to leave it the way it was because I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with it.

So I finally decided to do something with it.

I started peeling off this plastic laminate on the top and on the bottom where the dresser was damaged. I used a scraper.

More peeling

After the peeling I applied one coat of primer all over.

Then I used a semi gloss paint.
I really love the light and dark shadows.

Finished!

Be Frugal and Live Like a Queen