Thrift Store Table from Drab to Fab with Parisian Flair

Isn't it great when you're walking along, minding your own business, when you hear someone something call out your name?  That's exactly what happened to me last summer.

This little "beauty" stood right outside a tiny thrift shop, waiting to be rescued!  It was in good condition, just a little dreary-looking.  All it needed was a new home and some TLC...

and my
BIG GIRL TOOLS!

First, I sanded the table.

Then painted it with "oops" paint

I found at my local Home Depot for fifty cents. 

It needed three coats.

While the paint dried, I looked for a French transfer printable

to add some flair to the table top.

I knew exactly where to find a great selection:

The Graphics Fairy.

I chose this beautiful graphic

from a pastry shop advertisement

dating back to the 1880's!

The transfer method was easy:

Print the graphic onto freezer paper in a reverse image.

Transfer the image onto the table

by rubbing the freezer paper

with the back of a spoon.

I also decided to add a smaller graphic to the bottom of the table,

then finished the table stand with two coats of paste finishing wax.

The table looks right at home in our guest bath,

which is decorated with a vintage Parisian theme.

 

This was such a fun and inexpensive project.

One of my aspirations this year is to transform several pieces of furniture.

I've got a magazine rack just waiting in the wings.

[Well, it's actually waiting in the garage!]

You might also like my

transformation of this pugly step stool.

I'm partying here and

Miss Mustard Seed


The CSI Project Furniture Transformation Challenge

[Note:  This post first appeared in January as part of my Crafty Contributor Series on The Ivy Cottage Blog, which is no longer available.]

Spring is for the Birds!

Spring has sprung.  The flowers are a bloomin', the days are getting longer (YEA!), the outdoor cafes are busy with coffee klatches and tea totallers, and allergies have set in. You could say that spring is for the birds! So let's welcome our tweety friends with an altered birdhouse. 

Several years ago, I saw large wooden birdhouses on clearance and snapped up as many as I could hold.  I pulled one out of my stash with a paper pack, paint and a few embellishments, and went to work.

I had two shades of red that would complement the paper,

ultimately deciding on "Barn Red." [Duh]

Using a foam brush, I painted all the edges and the eaves of the birdhouse.

Next, came the tricky part:  making a template to fit the pointed front and back of the house.  I couldn't trace it because the eaves jut out.  So digging deep into the left side of my brain, I tapped into my algebra skills; and after a few tries, came up with the perfect template with just the correct angles. [Insert happy face.]

The sides and roof were easy to measure with a ruler, as they are all right angles--just measure twice and cut once. Actually, I cut twice, as there are two sides of each!   I also used Chestnut Roan liquid chalk to edge the paper.

On the template, I again carefully measured exactly where the circles should be to fit over the 1" hole and tiny perch.  Folding the paper in half lengthwise, I punched out both circles and then replicated that on the printed paper.

And now the fun begins:  Mod-podging the paper to the bird house.

To add some interest to the roof, I cut out a border from one paper, and adhered it to corrugated cardboard before podging it to both sides of the roof lines.  Then more podge all over the birdhouse.  If it sits outdoors, it is a good idea to use Outdoor Mod Podge.  

More fun:  The Embellishments! 

A wooden bird, a rhinestone crown, flowers, brads, an embossed sticker

with a 1" opening [fitting perfectly around the hole], and raffia.

I printed out a sign reading "Early Bird Special" and hung it on twine with two altered mini clothespins. [I hot glued the twine and brads in place.]

Added more twine and a little wooden tag that reads "open."

Lastly, I glued the bird house to a distressed candle holder
(found for $2 at the thrift store).

And we are open for business!

Later in the week, two friends came over to alter birdhouses, choosing their own fun paper and embellishments.  Here are their results:

Aren't they great?

Happy Spring!

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The Turquoise Leopard

If you just hopped over from Paisley Passions' Thrilling Thursday, welcome to my blog!  I would love to know you visited, so I welcome your comments and your own blog link.

What do you get when you cross a leopard with turquoise paint?

After a quick sanding, add bright turquoise paint, adhere (i.e., Mod Podge)  funky paper, embellish with ric-rac, rub-on design, tags, mini clothespins, buttons, metal label holder, and one large pear die-cut. and you get this:

a fun and colorful new mail and note holder!

Yes, Sandy -- another fun makeover for a PML Thrift Shop bargain!
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the36thavenue.com/party-time-uprint-giveaway
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