DIY Lamp Shades

 I recently was tasked with trying to make some lamp shades with a limited budget.  I'm used to a limited budget.  I check out some shades I like at different stores in the area known for decor and then I went to work.
I grabbed some shades for a buck at the local thrift store....the less 'curve' the easier it is to attach your fabric.
You can use adhesive spray, or a good ol' glue gun.  I measured the shade using a newspaper (wrapped it around, creased the edges, and then I knew how much fabric to cut.   I bought some fabric I liked and got to work...

 I found some ribbon for half price to make the edges (glue gun) and a flower in the hair bow section of the craft store.

I used a base to a lamp I sprayed with water/mirror spray.  That tutorial lives here.
I also made the burlap one (at the top) and instead of a trim I just glued some 'ruffle's from scraps of fabric.

A Bright Smile=Faux Silver Polish

 Last week was my spring break.  Good times were had.  My house is a mess, but....I found quite a load at antique shops and thrift stores all over Texas to keep me busy for the next few weeks.  Here is a small sampling of one day's loot.  I spent very little money on lots of cool doodads.

 BUT....here's a little tip I learned years ago...and perhaps you already know, but...just in case:  I found this great coffee warmer for 7 bucks!  That's nuts!  One of my friends was hosting a shower over the weekend and we were chatting about ways to keep coffee warm without having to plug in a big ugly pot.  She was going to look at a local home goods store for a coffee pot...but low and behold...I found this.  It was tarnished...which I kind of like, but...assuming all her guest didn't...I figured I could let it tarnish again once it lived at my house, but in the meantime, I pulled out an old favorite trick I've applied in the past to some silver jewelry that lost it's shine....toothpaste and an old toothbrush!

 Literally, just take your paste covered brush and scrub all over your silver.  Rinse....

 ...and here's a before and after.  The after is at night-I had to ship her off before good light, but...you get the point (ignore the moisture inside....I was cleaning out the antique store grime.  You can repeat as many times as you want, but it's kind of an amazing deal.

In this little coffee pots case-add a tea light to the bottom and....just as soon as I learn how to MAKE coffee....I'll give her a go...in the meantime-she made her first debut this weekend...hopefully the first of many fun appearances.  Now....to put those other fun items to use...

Fire Starters...or....We Didn't Start the Fire....

 I'm working on a little somethin' somethin' that includes fire. And so....here are a few ideas for fire starters adapted from 7,456 things I've seen over the years.
#1-little fire starters.  You know when you light wood or charcoal and you run in a circle sparking little areas in hop that one will catch? Enter...these doo hickeys.  You can add them to the bottom of your pile o' stuff and light them to burn and help catch the other 'stuff' easier.
Just take toilet paper or towel tubes and fill them with dryer lint and shredded newspaper if you are low on the lint...

 Stuff....

 Roll some recycled store bags around and twist or them shut, then toss them on the bonfire while it's just a bon and you are hoping for the 'fire' part to happen....

 Next up....a place to store my matches.  I always run out of striking area before I run out of matches, so I'm actually storing these in my house for my candles, but it would also be great to take out to the bbq or on a campout.  There is just something that makes me a little nervous about those little paper boxes filled with matches....a little glass jar makes me feel less nervous.
Grab a mason jar and some sandpaper (found 12 sheets for a buck at the 99 cent store...you do the math)...

 I cut out a circle the shape of the lid and put it on top and then filled 'er up with matches (make sure they are the strike anywhere matches-they still will light on sandpaper, but most matches are made to just strike on the box, you can still light them on sandpaper with enough heat, but the avg person may take a few tries).
Do you "noes'tice anything in the picture I was trying to take below?  Welcome to my life....I have the greatest inspection team this side of the Mississippi.

Frames Quote Board Center

I've always wanted to make a message center out of misc frames.  I've seen these out and about.  The problem is....I've run out of room in my house to keep clothes, my purse, or dust bunnies, I certainly don't have enough wall space for a framed message center.....enter classroom ideas.  As I started thinking 'next school year' and wrapping up the year, I covered one board in black fabric.  I bought misc frames at the thrift store (usually sold cheaper without the glass)....and I sprayed them all gold.  I guess I needed a little dazzle in my life.

I covered up some clips with pieces of scrapbook paper to be able to quickly change out student work/quotes, or whatever makes it way on the message board. 

 Ideally, I could hang these up by a nail, but the cork is just a thin layer of concrete, so I used the sticky hooks, and I just stapled the excess 'sticking part.  I'll cover these up with something creative....or not, but....I'm liking it.

Vintage Pattern Clipboard

I saw this idea at our3cs, and I decided I absolutely needed to incorporate this into my classroom.  I'm slowly but surely, six years after being in the same room changing things around.  I've had roommates up until this point, so I haven't wanted to completely take over the space and add too much 'me.'  I miss my roommates, but....I'm finally going to take advantage of being alone and putting more of me into my 'office space.'  Lot's more project to go, but....a big portion of what my job entails, or what my room 'does' is house items for other teachers to check out.  We keep boards for people to write down what they have taken, just so we can track them down when necessary.  Now.....a cuter way to track those check outs....vintage pattern clipboards. 

So easy....I had bought some old patterns on Ebay awhile back, I've used them in 2,345 different projects, now this.  I used the inside pattern instructions to make the back of the clipboards.  I used the outside on the buttons I posted about yesterday.

I added ribbon to the top of the board. 

To 'frame' these, I found an old print at a thrift store, popped ou the picture, and sprayed it black. 

Shutter Photo Display

 Add old shutters to the list of things I'm obsessed with.  My house looks like a junk yard with a coat of paint with all sorts of weird pieces of wreckage from homes. 
I acquired this shutter via my friend, Terry, whose sister has something to do with house remodeling and gives her these treasures all the time.  Terry takes them and paints winter scenes on them and sells them, and maybe I'll do that someday, but first, I needed a little bit of heighth on one of my end tables, and it makes a great place to pin up pictures. 
I grabbed a glossy can of black spray from the store, and gave it a coat. 

 I pinned up some of my favorite vacation photos with some clothes pins I made here.  I like this approach b/c I can replace these photos easily as I continue traveling.  I can also pin phone messages etc and little reminders to myself. 

Now I'm off to figure out what to do with an old sheet of ceiling tile! 

Frosted Floating Candle Unity Vases

 I made this last spring for Jessica's weddingg.  She decided she want to have floating candles for her unity candle.  She grabbed the two smaller vases at the dollar store and the larger one at a craft store and asked me if I could think of a way to 'etch' their names onto the vases.  I used a similar technique to my Fresh Cupcakes sign. 

 I was working on a curve though, so I used some left over vinyl and my cricket to cut out the letters.  I positioned these onto the glass, and then I sprayed with my frosted glass spray (so much better than the kind you paint on). 

Numbered Jewelry Box....and Jewelry to Fill It

I've seen all these dressers on the net this past year with numbered drawers.  My first experience was on Lori's blog, and I just love the idea....I just don't have room for a dresser in my house!  So...I bought this little wooden box at Michael's Craft Store for about 5 bucks. 

 I painted one half of the draw white, and then I put stickers over the white, some numbers, some words spelling out 1-5. 

 I painted the whole thing black (you can see the stickers when you look, closely). 

 I peeled off the stickers, and the white numbers were left.  You can also write the numbers with paint after the fact, but this was my lazy attempt.  I sanded down the sides of the drawers and the box.  I've also been jewelry obsessed lately.  I'll be posting some after they are gifted that are a little more elaborate than the below necklaces, but these are just a few I threw together on regular jewelry string.  Nothing fancy, but evidence of my latest addiction.  Black and silver. 

 This is what happens with 99% of my projects.  I went outside to take a picture before it was too dark, but all photos involve a ball game with Max. 

Necklace number two is pearl and gold with a little locket I bought at Michael's as well.  I'm experimenting with color combos these days. 

I need three more and my drawers will be full. 

Burlap Pillow...or...If Everyone is Jumping Off a Cliff...

I know, I know....I'm late to the party.  Not only has 'keep calm and carry on' morphed into every other keep calm and eat a cupcake, be merry, or use a lint roller...whatever, BUT I needed to get this out of my system because...  #1  I love burlap.  #2 my bff, Regan saw this little saying for the first time when she was visiting me last fall, and she loved it because she said 'carry on' was sort of the motto in boot camp approximately.  So, I made her a little pillow just because that's the kind of gal I am, oh, and I was going to visit her for her graduation, and I couldn't wait to give her graduation gift (8 months ahead of time), but I didn't want to go empty handed.... 

I got a 'filler' for the midde, and then cut a piece of burlap about 1 inch wider on all sides.  I printed out my message with the cricut onto freezer paper, including the crown that is the top of 'everyone's 'keep calm' subway signs, pillows, tattoos.  I ironed down the shiney side of the freezer paper (best invention ever). 

I've foun (through doing it wrong many times) dabbing a foam brush filled with paint (I also add some textile paint that can be ironed when dried, and then 'permanantly set) over the outlines. 

I peeled away the freezer paper (it sticks down firmly while paiting, but peels right off when you are ready).  I sewed, stuffed, and tried it out on one of my chairs. 

I considered forgetting to bring this to her, but I decided to anyway, it just gives me an excuse to make more for myself. 

Lori's Cake Plate Tier

I saw this idea last fall on Lori's blog here, and I knew I 'had' to try it out.  So clever!  I love dishes when they are a set of hodge podge. 

I originally bought these dishes too try this out. 

I was really excited to find the funky leopard print at a Goodwill Store.  I snagged the candle holders at the Dollar Tree (before discovering they are even cheaper at thrift shops), and then I added some Gorilla Glue to hold then all together.  Unfortunately, I lifted up the bottom plate to move the whole stand as soon as I was finished glueing, and the top place slide off and broke.  Apparently leopard print dishes aren't easy to come by...oops.  I, literally, went at least 15 places looking for one, from thrift shops, to every shop in between.  I finally went 'vintage' and found the blue and green plate in my completed piece at thrift stores, and I caved and bought the red plate for more than I usually spend on hodge podge at an antique store.  I can't wait to fill this gal up with tea snacks.