Stencil Success!

You may remember my rug drama from last week. Hey, they can’t all be winners right? I think I’ve managed to save this one though. This round of involved Rit Dye, a dollar store spray bottle, and the same painter’s tape stencil from attempt #1.

I followed Rit’s instructions for mixing; 2 cups hot water to 1 pkg of dye (I used 3 pkg’s for this project). Allowed it to cool, and then poured into a clean spray bottle.

My original thought for this rug was actually to try out Rit Dye, but I got scared off by Rit’s instructions. Do not use on rugs. Hmm. Do not use on rubber backed items. Hmm. Do not use on synthetic fibers. Hmmm. Check, check, check. I had it all. So, I started out with my fabric spray paint. As you recall, that didn’t work out so well.

With nothing to lose, and with a great reminder from blogger, Borrowed Abode, about the whole Rit Dye thing… I decided to give it a shot. I would add that I don’t recommend experimenting with that expensive rug you’ve dragged home with you, at great expense, from some exotic land overseas. The rug I am using was a shocking $49 purchase from a hardware store, and I was never really pleased with the colour, but I wanted something softer and warmer under foot while having dinner (on the cheap!).

So back to the rug at hand… Here is coat number one:

Yeah. Kinda scary right? At this point I was having visions of rolling it up and kicking it to the curb come garbage day. But, no, I decided to be patient, let it dry and try coat #2:

Okay, looking a little better. I let it dry overnight and then started taking off the tape…

Hey now! I’m pretty impressed with how the painter’s tape held up to all that liquid and managed to keep a nice crisp edge. I think the fact my rug was a very low pile rug, (ie: Short enough that I cannot pinch any fibres in between my fingers) helped keep the dye under control.

I think this could work!

Now that it’s in place, I think it’s a lot more jazzy than the previous incarnation. It’s got a little kick, a punch, a pop! Maybe this rug and I can be friends after all.

What do you think? Have you experimented with rug dyeing? Any tips for the rest of the class? Share in the comments or our facebook page! Best of luck for YOUR next DIY adventure!

**UPDATE**: After living with my rug for a couple weeks, I started to get paranoid about ink transfer. Though, I have to admit I only ever noticed a slight transfer on the bottom of my white sock. Anyhoo… I thought, what can it hurt to take it outside and give it a rinse? Well, it hurt. It rinsed away a big portion of my pattern. Again, my own fault — I think where I had the fabric paint, kept the dye from setting in properly in that area. Where there was no fabric spray paint, the dye seemed to hold just fine. So there you have it. Mistake one: fabric paint. Mistake two: the big rinse (which would of been fine without mistake one). Oooooh weeeeell. What’s a world without a little bit of creative experimenting right?

Stencil Fail: Rug Before and Not Quite After

Okay folks, so not all projects can end in cheering and confetti. Now that I think of it, I’ve never had a project end in cheering and confetti. What I’m trying to say, is, I’ve got a fail on my hands kids. Not an epic fail, but a fail.

I had the idea after finding this handy dandy stencil paint at a craft store.

Here is how my little rug started out:

I masked the rug out in a freehand herringbone pattern, with painter’s tape. I wanted it to look irregular, and freehand, and I achieved this by using different lengths of painter’s tape for each stripe (each stripe is 3 tape thicknesses deep) and only using measured segments as a loose guide — no attempt at perfection here!

Next step was applying the stencil spray paint…

Hmmm… A few things made me consider this first attempt a fail.

1. The spray paint itself did not cover a great deal of square footage. After two cans, I had maybe covered a third of my rug.
2. The spray paint, for the price, and after my own expectations, didn’t seem to be the most ideal product for this project. The spray pattern was watery at the beginning and end of the spray, making it messy and wasteful.
3. I think I chose a colour much too subtle, and it’s a colour that ended up a bit “muddy” in the painted areas. Not the best choice on my part.

This weekend I will attempt a fix. I may end up sticking with the same product, in a different colour and a lot more of it… or we’ll see if I can spy an alternative paint at the craft store. I do LOVE that this product is a spray, and from what I see of the dried portion of paint, it’s bang-on with the texture I wanted to achieve (ie: it still feels like a rug, and not stiff goopy paint).

So check back Monday to see if I’ve been successful in my stenciled rug fix!

Got any fails and fixes on your hands? Do tell!

Fresh Find: Labelling Options

I love organization. Containers, drawers, file folders… it’s all good stuff. But do you ever find yourself forgetting what you’ve got inside it all? Labelling takes it to the next level. Label makers are a great affordable option for all that stuff hidden away in your pantry… but what about the canisters, jars, and drawers that are out in the open? I’ve collected a few of my favourite options here…

How about a fantastic drawer pull with a spot for the label built right in? Fantastic for a large bank of drawers… give your dresser or buffet that vintage library catalogue look.

Hardware Hut – $9.90 each.

Organize your office space with this super affordable label system from Ikea…

Ikea (RÖJA Label Holder) – $2.99 for a 10 pack.

Keep all your tin and glass canisters out in the open, on your countertop, for a great shabby chic look. Best of all, “Just Something I Made” Blog has rounded these options up for FREE! Easy-peasy with your ink-jet printer and some decal paper.

“Just Something I Made” Blog – Free label PDF’s.

And, let’s not forget chalkboard paint. It can be applied to just about anything, and it looks fantastic! So many colour options are available now, and “Wisdom of the Moon” Blog has got some great examples here.

“Wisdom of the Moon” Blog – Chalkboard Paint and Chalk Markers.

I love all of these options… and it reminds me, I’ve got some organizing to do!!

A little getaway…

The time has come to have a little mini vacation…. we’ll see you around here next Monday! Hope you all enjoy your week and weekend!!

Fresh Finds: Drawer Pulls

We all know cabinet hardware can add a lot of personality to a piece. And, there are an increasing amount of options to choose from. I’ve been on the hunt, recently, for a project I’ve got on the go, and decided to share some of the options I’ve come across out there…

First, for the whimsical, Anthropologie.

For the classic, Restoration Hardware.

For the price conscious, Rona.

I ended up taking home a piece from Anthropologie. The “Urchin Test Knob“. Can’t wait to finish up my project so I can add this finishing touch! So pretty.

Thoughts? Do you have your favourite place to pick up your finishing touch?

Shed some light

Sometimes, It’s all about the little things. I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for sometime now, waiting to find the perfect light fixture for the nursery. And then, it appeared… we found this fantastic light for around $40, at Rona. It is brand new stock, so unfortunately, it is currently not listed on their website, but they certainly have some other great options, and if you have a Rona near you, you should pop in and check it out. Good selection at great prices!

Definitely nothing wrong with the previous light, but a big improvement, without a doubt! (Steve and I referred to it as, the “boob light”). Notice, There is no “before” pic of it on the actual ceiling. I think we were too excited for it’s replacement — kinda feel bad for the little guy. Aww.

The new light has an incredible resemblance to the nursery change table material I used in it’s makeover!

The semi-flush mount is perfect for the ceiling height, and the light given from the light is gentle and easy on the eyes. It’s all coming together folks!

Have any great lighting finds you care to share? What do you think… an improvement right??

Fresh Crush Joins Twitter

Yes, we’ve joined the tweeting nation. How very techy of us. Hope you’ll help out and get these tweets on a roll! Check out “freshcrush” on twitter for all the latest updates to the site and more!

Check out our facebook page too!

Cheerful, pop-up, tub o’ wipes

I like clean. Clean is good. I also like organization. Organization keeps all my cleaning supplies in one place. Makes sense. But, it also makes quick clean-ups kind of inconvenient. Okay, let’s be honest, I avoid it all together until full-on “cleaning time” comes around.

This poses a problem in our master bathroom. Between the hubby’s daily contact solution sessions, and me continually dusting the sink and counter with make-up… it can get icky. Well no more folks!

I start with a great biodegradable wipe product. Not so much guilt come garbage day, and affordable.

Fantastic. But if it’s going to be seen and with-in reach, the packaging has gotta do better than this. Enter the Mod-Podge!

You can get away with scissors, but this little paper slicer will make your life a whole lot easier. Grab a pack of sponge applicators at your local dollar store, and you’re ready to go.

Dig around in your recycle bin and find some flyers and newspapers with some bright colours. Don’t get hung up on the content, you won’t be able to see it when we’re all done. Use your scissors or trusty paper slicer to turn this:

into this:

Next, it’s time to mod-podge! Apply some mod-podge to the container, and apply strips of paper, one at a time, working in sections.

Keep going until it’s aaaaaaall covered.

Mod-podge is it’s own sealer. (Love all-in-one products!). So throw on a few extra coats to finish it off and…

Ta-Da!!

Worthy of sitting out on the counter, ready for use. The entire lid pops right off, so it will be easy to find replacement wipes and re-use the container over and over again.

Happy ‘podgin’ y’all!

Before and After: Patio chairs come inside…

Every once in a while, a steal of a deal disappoints. Such is the case with a $99, 3 piece patio set, we purchased a couple summers ago. The table is still standing, but as you can see, the chairs have not quite held up. They had an imitation wicker effect, but in reality, it was cheap and plastic. But, the frames are welded metal, and I knew they could have a second life…

First, I used a exact-o knife to remove the remaining seat covering…

… and was left with the frame.

Next after much research, I decided to do a woven seat cover (which will later be covered with a cushion). There are many options out there. I decided after coming across the directions for using shaker tape, that I would go that route. But it turns out, in my neck of the woods, it’s next to impossible to find. So I used the next best thing. I found a polyester canvas strapping at my local fabric store. (It reminds me of the canvas-like material used in tie-downs — to help give you an idea).

Using the shaker tape instructions as a guide… I started weaving the material over my chair frame. I made the first loop and secured it with a few staples so I could continue weaving without worrying about it shifting around.

I started with the width of my chair as both sides were straight and easy to work with (The back edge of my chair frame has a curve, which made it tricky to begin with). I kept going under, over, until the seat was fully covered.

Then without making any cuts to the strapping, I went under and wrapped it around to the front so I could begin weaving the depth of the chair. Remember those days in grade school when you’d make construction paper baskets? Well, time to put those skills to good use. Under and over until you reach the end of the chair kids!

Almost there…

Once done, I snipped the strapping, and stapled it from underneath, onto itself.

The back of the seat needs a little less support, so I decided to do 2 widths of strapping in each direction as seen below.

I pre-made a seat-back cushion out of simple oatmeal coloured linen, and added some velcro to it, and to the strapping on the back of the chair to hold the cushion in place.

I found seat cushions and throw pillows on sale at Pier 1. Good sales, people! Check it out if you get a chance!

And, voilà! I’m so happy this worked out, and I was able to keep these chair frames out of the landfill! I’ve got the perfect spot for these two new beauties… (remember that whole basement / home gym re-do?) but it will have to wait until the paint goes up!

What do you think? Share your own craftiness by emailing some low-res images here!

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