Flip That Chair!

Got an old, drab, or just down right ugly chair? Well, don't put it to the curb! A simple fabric change and fresh coat of paint can take any chair from passed due, to brand new. It's as simple as going to your local fabric store, and if you're like me, the more money-friendly, the better. I alway shop in the discounted upholstery fabric section. Grab one that matches the feel your going for and get started.

The Video Below Will Show You How!

Recycled Headboards: A Beds Best Friend:

From old wooden barn doors to recycled shutters and from picket fences to picture frames, headboards can be made out of just about anything. So why go to a fancy furniture store and buy a high priced headboard, when you can make or design your own! The pictures above are examples of some of the creative and interesting materials used to make headboards. These items can easily be found on Craigslist or your local reclaimed wood dealer. Let your imagination run wild! Go modern, go vintage, go shabby chic, go whatever your heart desires. There are no limits when it comes to giving character to the wall behind your bed, make a statment. I've seen designers use old wrought iron fencing with a fresh coat of paint and reclaimed wood doors attached to two decorative side posts. The pictures above are just for inspiration. I hope that recycling decor and headboards catches on, we can all do our part to turn trash to treasure!

Now Your Purrrfect Kitties Can Become The Purrrfect Piece Of Art:

Time for those beautiful kitties of yours to be given the credit they deserve! Building cat shelves is an easy way to not only provide your cats with lots entertainment, but to free up space on your floor if you live in a smaller house, or apartment. The trick to building cat shelves is to make sure that you have the proper brackets. Strong and sturdy brackets will be the best choice for this project, these Ikea brackets (shown in picture above) are purrrfect. Before you install your shelves, glue carpeting to the top (a regular non-toxic adhesive should do just fine.) This will ensure your feline friends will be able to gain the proper footing when jumping from one shelf to another. Not to mention, your cats will have a blast clawing at the carpeting. Spacing is an important part of this cat-tastic project. Make sure your cats are able to easily jump from one shelf to another without too much effort. Having a bunch of smaller shelves going in a zig-zag pattern up the wall and ending at a larger shelf is the most efficent way to add as many shelves as possible in a small amount of space. A great idea is to leave the largest shelf free of carpeting and instead place a cat bed on it. Be sure however, before placing the cat bed, the you velcroe the underside of the bed and the topside of the shelf so that they adhere together, this way your cat's cozy bed stays put even when it's jumped into. If you want to add an extra 'pop' to this project, paint the shelves with fun and vibraint colors. Your cats aren't only going to love their new place to play, but love their purrrfect owner who put in the time and effort to make them so very happy!

Snap Shot Upcycled Window:

Now those old, useless windows can be given new life with a simple and easy modification! This shabby chic project will create a cottage feel, while saving mother Earth. Normally you would see a window like this next to a garbage can on someones curb, but sometimes things that seem useless or out of date, can actually make a great statement piece in your home. Old windows like this can be found on Craigslist for a low price or no price at all, free! By taking an old faded window and filling it with memorable photographs, this once considered, piece of trash, has become a family treasure. This project starts with measurements. Measure each glass section and print out you favorite pictures to those exact measurements. You can do this at home, with photo printer paper or can have your pictures printed at your local photo developer. After your photos are ready, place them in position, than, if the window's width is thin enough, you can use a pre-cut piece of plywood to screw to the back to keep your photos in place. If your window is has a thinker width, when it comes to the frame itself, cut out squares of cardboard and place them between the back of the photos and the plywood. This will ensure that you photos don't slide or become tilted. A simple photo hanging kit (purchased at a local hardware store) will hold you beautiful, shabby, chic family statement piece in place. Have fun!

Grandma's Suitcase Becomes Stylish Dog Bed:

This is a simple, unique, and stylish way to upcycle an old and out of date suitcase. Simply find a great old suitcase, Goodwill or Craigslist is a great place to start. Go to your local hardware store and purchase 4 table legs that fit the style you're looking for, the table legs above keep with the vintage feel of the suitcase and compliment the shape. Chunky, sharp angled table legs will give this suitcase a more modern look.You can buy attachments for the table legs at the hardware store, you simply screw these into the bottom four corners of the suitcase. The table legs should attach easily and securely to the bottom. You can use either an old pillow, foam, or cotton stuffing for the support of the bed. Then get your favorite fabric in you're favorite color, to knock down the price of this kind of project, I often use discounted table cloths as my choice fabric. Begin to tuck it in around the sides of the suitcase and over your stuffing. Since some dogs like to "dig" when making themselves comfortable, I would hot glue the fabric to the sides of the suitcase, to avoid stuffing flying everywhere. Last, but not least, add accessories, the back of old suitcases often have a pocket, fill it with you dog's favorite toys. Now you have a unique and fantastic dog bed! Your dog will thank you! :)

Cupcakes Wall Decor:

This is a simple and cheap way to dress up any empty wall. Simply go to your local hardware store and purchase some plexiglass or acrylic sheets. Have them cut to desired size or shape, grab some cupcake liners (in your favorite color.) And begin gluing, craft glue, works best. Make any pattern you want or randomize it for a more modern look. Mirror corner hangers will work when it comes to hanging this simple and cash friendly artwork.

Furniture Makeover!

Abstract Art, Made Easy:

I always wanted an artwork that looked professional, but was easy to do. Well, I found the solution! Splatter Painting! It's easy, fast, and cheap. I used to go to professional art stores to buy canvas and paint, but I found that Walmart also sells canvas and paint, and it's super cheap. I bought a large canvas and some black and white acrylic paint. In the beginning, I thought of doing something completely different, but when I finished my first attempt, I hated it. So I took the canvas outside and leaned it up against a bush. And just went crazy. I would pour the paint onto a paper plate and get a large glob of paint on my large painting brush. (I used one of the larger brushes used for painting wall crowning, rather that an artist's brush.) I just flung the paint at the canvas, in every direction and then I would lightly mist it with a water squirt bottle, so that the paint would run down. I would flip the canvas upside-down so that the runny paint would drip in different directions. I did this in several layers. And the finished product was cool, modern, and definently a conversation starter!

Dead Plant Made Into Faux Ocean Coral Center Peice:

Well, I was walking my dog, Odie, around my apartment complex and was going to drop off the trash when we passed the dumpster. I noticed that, just behind the dumpster, there was an old dead shrub lying on the ground. It looked as if it had been pulled from a flower pot and just thrown away at random.Well, to me, this dead plant was an art project waiting to happen. I grabbed the dirt covered shrub and my dog and headed back to my apartment. I was so excited, this was going to make an awesome center piece on my table! I rinsed the dirt off the plant's roots and then turned my oven on and to the the lowest temperature possible. When the oven was hot enough I placed the shrub inside and let in bake, this made sure any bugs inside were dead. I then took it out of the oven after about 10-15 minutes and then proceeded to pull off any loose branches. I took a can of white spray paint, that I had used for a recent sculpture project, and headed to the porch, plant in hand. (I can only imagine how strange I looked to my neighbors.) I began spray painting the dead bush white, but I ran out of spray paint, half way through...so I grabbed my acrylic white and began hand painting, making sure to get in all the small cracks and ridges. After I finished I hung it from my chandelier, upside-down, and let it dry. The next morning I pulled out a glass jar and some teal glass beads and finished my perfect coral center piece! What do ya think?

Junk Yard Finds into Apartment Jewels:

 Concrete Polishers Made Into Modern Wall Art:

Okay so a few weeks ago I was having an urge to craft, but my supplies were running low. I was driving past a junk yard and decided to stop by and take a look. I had always heard the trash can be made into treasure so I decided to give it a shot, and see if I could come up with anything. Well, I found 2 old and rusted concrete polishers, I bought one cheap and got the other free. They had an unique look to them and I figured that they would look great hanging on my wall, but they definitely needed some help. I took them home and with some old metallic silver spray paint I had lying around, I gave them new life. And now I'm proud to say that I get comments all the time, on just how great they look!

Sewing Hoops Made Modern:

Well, when I first moved into my apartment, it was plain and boring. It's my first place, so I really just had hand-me-down furniture...lame. So I decided the first place to start was the walls, I couldn't paint the walls, due to apartment rules, and even if I could. The plaster on the walls is textured, making it difficult to paint. So why not add some color through cool wall art? Maybe something modern? So I did some looking around, and found a cool idea to make sewing hoops into modern wall art! Cheap, easy, fast! Perfect! So I rushed to my local fabric store and grabbed the necessary items.

Here We Go!

Hello, My name is Rachel and I've been experementing with diffrent decor ideas for the past year and this blog is my way to share some of my ideas with you. I hope you enjoy and remember, Have Fun!