Garage Sale China Cabinet Makeover

July 10, 2015 Carley Kelley

I have been trying to convince my husband since we got married that our wedding china needed a pretty place to call home instead of sitting in boxes. After deciding to move back to East Texas and into a bigger space I immediately starting searching for a piece to display our fun Pip Studio china we received for our wedding.

We both learned real quick how expensive furniture is as we looked at pieces for our new home. I liked the idea of redoing a piece for a fraction of the price and my husband really loved the idea. We decided to go to a few garage sales one Saturday morning to look for a china cabinet or hutch piece. The first one we went to we found this mid century china cabinet for $150. It was not what I had in mind at first because I was thinking of something a little more cottage feeling, but my husband loved it, loved the price, and loved that it was right in front of us and we could stop our search for one.

After texting my mom a few pictures of the piece and getting her approval I decided I could make it work so we purchased the piece and ended up getting it for $115. I started loving it more and more and really liked that it had a lot of display space.

I have always wanted to use this Anthropologie wallpaper somewhere and figured my husband would go for it on the back of my china cabinet better than our bedroom walls. The wallpaper was definitely a splurge, but I did have a coupon :)

As usual, I used Annie Sloan paint on this piece. I went with pure white to match our kitchen cabinets that I painted. I am really happy with how this piece turned out and that I can see my pretty china collection every time I walk through the kitchen. Here are a few pictures of my finished piece. I still need to touch up a few places and seal it, but who knows when that will happen :)

Annie Sloan Kitchen Makeover

May 15, 2015 Carley Kelley

My husband and I recently purchased our first home. We're excited to be out of the city and closer to our family. There are several things on our new homeowners to-do list, and painting the kitchen was at the top.

We both wanted white cabinets to brighten up the kitchen but we didn't have the budget to hire someone. Luckily I like a good DIY project, so I enlisted by brother's help and tackled the kitchen paint job.

The thought of taking cabinets apart, sanding, painting, and replacing them seemed like a nightmare. I've used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on smaller projects but never something this big. I researched things and decided it would work. Annie Sloan is more expensive than traditional paint but you make up the cost by avoiding sanding and priming.

I went with Pure White Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I painted the whole kitchen with only four quarts of paint. The only prep work I did was wipe down the cabinets! I learned that painting kitchen cabinets isn't easy but the final product was worth the effort.

Here is the kitchen before:

My brother, Carson, helping me paint the kitchen. He made the job a lot easier on me!

I put three coats on the cabinets. The chalk paint gives the textured and imperfect finish that I like. I worried about waxing the cabinets because I thought it would wear off in a high-use area like the kitchen. I didn't want to have to re-wax them every few years so I decided to finish the cabinets with Annie Sloan Floor Lacquer instead of wax. I'm very pleased with the results and believe it will prove to be a more durable finish that can be wiped off time and again. If you choose to lacquer your cabinets, make sure you use a water-based sealer so you don't experience any yellowing.

The project took three days from start to finish and cost less than $300.00. I also highly recommend using the Annie Sloan Paint Brush. Annie is proud of her brushes but they're worth the price.

and after:

DIY He Is Risen Easter Wreath

March 19, 2014 Carley Kelley

Well since it is March I figured it was time to finally take down my Christmas wreath and replace it with something new. So I decided I would make an Easter wreath to celebrate this special time of the year.

Here is what you will need:

glue gun/glue Sticks
styrofoam wreath base
vintage broaches/flowers/embellishments
burlap ribbon (2-3 inches wide)
moss ribbon
baker's twine
mini clothespins
alphabet stamps/ink pad
two sewing pins
ribbon/tulle

To start your wreath the first thing you need to do is wrap the styrofoam base with the burlap ribbon. I added a little bit of hot glue to the base and attatched my ribbon. After that I just wrapped the entire base until it was covered and hot glued the end so that it would stay in place. Then I did the same with my moss ribbon at the bottom of the wreath.

So now is the fun part. I glued various embellishments onto my wreath. You can really do anything and put things wherever you think looks best. I found some really great packages of fabric flowers with vintage looking broaches at Michaels. Then I added a tulle bow to the top of the wreath to hang it from.

Now for the letters. I got two sewing pins and placed them across from each other and tied a piece of pink baker's twine to them. I used a scalloped circle punch and punched out circles out of scrapbook paper scraps and stamped He Is Risen on them. Then I hung the stamped circles on the twine with mini clothespins. I tried other methods and this turned out the best and the cutest.

And then you have a beautiful wreath to celebrate the Easter season!

He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.

-Matthew 28:6

DIY - Moss Covered Letters

March 5, 2014 Carley Kelley

I recently got married in October so my mind was on DIY wedding craft mode for 8 months. I saw several places where I could order moss covered letters but I was not satisfied with paying over $30 per letter. Instead I paid under $30 to create my whole new last name.

Here is what you will need:

flat wooden letters (I got mine at Hobby Lobby 1/2 off for around $2 each)
1 large bag of loose moss
glue gun and glue sticks
a cup of ice cold water - for when you come in close contact with hot glue :(

Then all you have to do is cover a small areas at a time with the hot glue. Then get a clump of the moss and press over it. Make sure you get a thick layer that way you do not burn yourself while pressing it down. I also worked over a large bag because the moss can be pretty messy.

Then you have beautiful moss letters for a fraction of the price. I just placed them in a window seal at my wedding. To add something extra you could hang them with ribbon - which would look great for a wedding, party, or even a nursery.