Have you ever been scrolling through Pinterest looking for party ideas and notice those cute short wood picnic tables? Well I have done this plenty of times and always loved the look of them! After checking online, I found those tables sell for upwards of $200 each on Etsy. With an upcoming birthday party and baby shower, I decided to try building my own DIY short wood picnic tables.
Buying Supplies
After building a game plan in my head, I ordered 12” metal table legs from Amazon. I ordered two sets of 4 legs at $17 each because I intended to build 2 tables.
Next, I headed to Home Depot to purchase supplies. Here is what I purchased:
(1) 8FT X 4FT Wood Plywood Sheet
(6) 8FT Common Wood Boards
Wood Glue
Finishing Nails
Wood Stain
Sand Paper
After I bought all the supplies, I headed home to start building!
Building The Short Wood Picnic Table
First, you have to cut the 8FT X 4FT Plywood Sheet down the middle (making two 8FT X 2FT pieces) to make the two tables. While in the store, I asked if a Home Depot employee could do it and he tried but couldn’t get the cut right. Luckily, I own a Kreg Rip Cut Tool which allows you to cut large pieces of wood down easily with a circular saw.
Kreg Jig Rip Cut Saw Attachment
Once the plywood was cut down, I glued and nailed the two 8FT common boards to each side of the plywood. Then, I measured and cut down another piece of 8 FT Common Board into two pieces for the ends of the table. Those two pieces of common board were glued and nailed to each end of the plywood. I repeated the same steps for the second table.
After everything was dry, I gave it a solid day, I sanded each table down lightly. Then, I stained each table with Walnut Wood Stain.
Table Shell
Once again I allowed the tables to dry overnight. After everything was set, I attached the table legs to the 4 corners of the table using the screws provided.
One Completed Short Leg Picnic Table
Putting the Short Leg Picnic Tables To Use
Originally, I made these for a spa baby shower I was hosting; however, I decided to give the tables a test run at my son’s birthday party.
The tables were sturdy, adorable, and affordable! Total cost for each table was $50. We will be using the tables for years to come! Can’t wait for the warm weather to get here so we can enjoy them outside!
Kids Gaming Party!Spa Baby ShowerSpa Baby ShowerShort Leg Picnic TablesShort Leg Picnic TablesBaby Shower in Progress!
Our Master Bathroom was built with a generic plain builder grade large mirror. While I love that the mirror is large, I hate how boring and unfinished the mirror is. If I were to replace the current mirror with new mirrors it would cost hundreds of dollars. Before I spent too much money, I decided to try to see if I could frame the mirror out myself. Follow me as I construct and design a DIY Bathroom Mirror Frame!
Lights above Bathroom Mirror!
The bathroom is the entryway to our amazing closet. If you missed my closet makeover, check it out here, Custom IKEA Closet. The current bathroom is boring and lacks character. For the first phase of the bathroom makeover we decided to start with the vanity area.
Bathroom Mirror Before
I found some amazing modern lights for above the mirror from Amazon! Lights are generally easy to install, however I ran into a little bit of a problem installing these lights. In true new build fashion, my builders left a huge hole behind the former lights which meant I had to patch a giant hole in the drywall.
Giant Hole in Drywall
The best part of patching this drywall was I got to try a new technique. After I patched the drywall with spackling and allowed it to dry, instead of sanding it smooth I used a technique called wet sanding. Take a damp cloth and rub the dried wall spackling until you get your desired look. Not only does this wet sanding technique save you time it also eliminates the mess! Definitely a win win and I would highly recommend it for your next project.
New Lights with Patched Drywall!
The Frame
Trying to find inspiration photographs for the mirror frame idea I had in my head was nearly impossible. When people think framed mirrors, the frames are usually big and bulky. However, I wanted something sleek modern and sexy for my mirror!
First, I went to the hardware store and picked out a thin light weight Polystyrene Baseboard Molding. The molding was 1/2-in x 0.75-in x 8-ft and I purchased two to complete my mirror, total cost for both was $9.96!
While at the store, I grabbed some black paint (I used Tricorn Black) and some clear construction adhesive. In total I spent $50.90.
Once home, I measured and cut the molding. Next, I painted all sides of the molding pieces and allowed them to dry for a day. After the molding was completely dry, I used the clear construction adhesive to glue the molding to the edge of my mirror.
After a little touch up paint the project was complete. This was a super simple inexpensive project and it turned out fabulous!!!!
Built in closets look amazing and create so much storage but that generally comes with a hefty price tag. I was looking for a way to make our master closet fabulous without hiring a company that would charge me upwards of $8,000. IKEA happened to be the best bang for our buck. Here is the guide to our custom IKEA closet using both the PAX System and the Boaxel System.
Our Space
We moved into a builder grade house with a typical generic Master Bedroom Closet. The closet was large but not functional, it didn’t even have shelves. I attempted a mini closet revamp without modifying the shelving already in place. Check out our original mini renovation when we first moved in, DIY Built-In Closet Organizer. It’s amazing to see how my renovation skills have grown over the years!
First attempt at Adding Storage
The amount of wasted storage space in my closet was driving me nuts. Despite my fear of the unknown outcome, I began planning my Custom IKEA Closet.
Getting Started/Ordering
First, I measured the space and determined the size of the closet. Next, I designed the PAX section of the closet revamp on the IKEA website. IKEA is constantly out of stock for the PAX closet systems. If you plan to order check back frequently because everything eventually comes back into stock.
Pax Closet System
Finally, I placed my PAX Closet Organizer order. Unfortunately I did have to compromise on some things due to items being out of stock. For instance, I had to upgrade to the glass shelving which was more expensive because the regular PAX shelving was sold out.
Demo
BeforeBeforeBefore
Once the order was placed, I got to work on demoing the existing closet. Everything in the closet was removed, including the baseboards.
Assembly
The PAX Closet System is essentially a set of mini closets with backs. Therefore, I did not have to patch any of the holes on the walls where the PAX system was being installed.
The most laborious part of the entire closet was assembling all of the PAX Wardrobe boxes. Once the assembly of the shells were complete, I placed them in the closet and secured them to the back wall.
Assembly and installation of the PAX Wardrobe boxes took an entire day. When it was all said and done, I assembled and installed 6 total boxes.
Once the boxes were in, I added primed wood trim to the top and bottom of all of the boxes. Because the wardrobe boxes were so long all stacked together, I had to connect multiple pieces of primed wood for the trim. In order to ensure a seamless appearance I connected all of the trim with a 22.5 degree angle cut.
All of the Pax Systems in Place with top Trim
To eliminate the seam between the boxes, I added 1×2 primed boards.
Before with the Visible SeamAfter with 1×2 Covering the Seam
Making this closet look custom built was a big thing for me. In order for the closet to look complete, I cut and attached wood to the drawer fronts. The added wood fits seamlessly with all of the trim I installed. After the drawer fronts were installed, I installed black hardware.
Adding Wood Drawer FrontsWood FrontsWood Fronts Complete with Black Hardware
There are no windows in the closet, therefore I wanted to keep everything light and bright. I painted all of the trim and cabinet fronts white.
Adding Boaxel Storage
On the opposite wall of the PAX Wardrobes, I desperately needed storage for shoes and purses. I went back and forth over whether I should build the shelving myself or purchase it. One day, I stumbled upon the Boaxel organization on IKEA and decided to give it a try.
Boaxel Closet System
I ordered two complete Boaxel systems for the closet. Once the Boaxel system arrived, I got down to business installing. The Boaxel system was by far the easiest to install! Less than an hour of work to install each system.
Finishing Touches
After the Boaxel system was in, I began immediately organizing my shoes and purses. Just like that the closet was complete! Not to be dramatic but this closet literally changed my life for the better. I am already planning on adding the Boaxel system to the older boys closets in the near future.
With our third baby’s arrival fast approaching, I have been working hard to complete house projects! Recently, I finished the baby’s room by creating a Board and Batten Bedroom Accent Wall. Now that the baby’s room is complete I can move on to a long awaited project, the Office Renovation with Wallpaper!
Board and Batten Bedroom Accent Wall
The Office Before
Before starting this project, I realized the office had become a catch all junk room. I wanted to make the office space more visually appealing as well as a more usable space for our families needs.
The Office During Corona At Home Learning!
The office furniture was a variety of free or cheap items we had collected over the years all packed into one space. It had always been my intention to redesign the office at some point to make it a more cohesive space.
During the height of Corona, we invested in a Peloton. While I love using the Peloton on a daily basis, I don’t love looking at it while its not in use. This workout bike eyesore needed to be addressed during the office renovation!
Getting Started on the Wallpapered Office Renovation
The first thing I did was get rid of all of the furniture in the existing office. Next, I went through all of my craft supplies and materials and got rid of items I no longer needed.
After the purge, I focused on creating an accent wall. The office has a double door entry and is right off of our front entrance space. I wanted the entry wall in the office to be the focal point of the space.
I decided to add a board and batten wall with peel and stick wallpaper. Wall paper adds a nice texture and pop of color to any space. Peel and Stick wallpaper is something I have tackled before in my Pantry Renovation and Reorganization on a Budget , so I felt comfortable working with it.
The hardest part about wall paper is picking out a pattern that works for your space! Target offers a wide variety of peel and stick wallpaper options. I purchased 2 rolls of NuWallpaper Cayman Peel & Stick Wallpaper Gray.
NuWallpaper Cayman Peel & Stick Wallpaper Gray
Next, I ordered all of the mdf primed boards I needed to create a 3/4 board and batten wall, similar to the wall I installed in the nursery. For a guide to building the board and batten wall follow the guide in my Board and Batten Bedroom Accent Wall Blog Post.
Board and Batten Bedroom Accent Wall
Creating the Wall Papered Board and Batten Wall
The first thing I did was install the wood for the board and batten wall with the exception of the top edger. I left the top edger off until the wallpaper was installed to maintain clean wallpaper edges. Next, I painted the board and batten wall. Since I wanted to keep the office bright, I went with a white paint I had from a previous project.
After the paint was dry, I hung the peel and stick wallpaper. The most important part of hanging wallpaper is making sure you have enough to match up the pattern and to make it look seamless. Hanging wall paper takes patience and practice but the best thing about peel and stick wallpaper is you can pull it off and manipulate it if there are air bubbles or it isn’t lining up correctly.
Hanging Peel and Stick Wallpaper
To begin hanging the wallpaper, I started on the left side of the wall and worked my way to the right. Make sure to leave overhang to the top and bottom of the wallpaper. Having more wallpaper is better than having less! You don’t want to run into a situation were you are too short and have to recut the wallpaper section. Using a box cutter, cut the excess wallpaper off to maintain clean edges.
Excess Wallpaper Prior to Cutting
I continued the wallpaper all the way to the right edge of the wall.
Once the wallpaper was installed, I added the top ledge to the board and batten wall. The top ledge was a design choice I added to allow me to place plants and decor on it.
Finishing Touches
To create a desk large enough for the space, I purchased three white file cabinets from Home Depot. For the desk top, I purchased a wood butcher block counter top from Home Depot and placed it on top of the evenly spaced out file cabinets.
For desk chairs, I used the same faux leather chairs I have in my dining room. Using my dining room chairs in the office allows me to store the excess dining chairs for holidays while maintaining a cohesive look.
Office Desk and Chairs
To create the light fixture, I found a basket I loved at Home Goods and transformed it into a basket light. For a step by step guide to creating a basket light, check out my DIY Basket Lights on a Budget blog post.
DIY Basket Light
In order to hide the Peloton, I purchased a screen from Amazon. When we use the Peloton, we simply move the screen to the side and when we are finished, we put it back.
Peloton Screen
I created a small seating area with chairs I had in my bedroom. The chairs needed to be moved for the baby’s bassinet, so this was the perfect spot for them!
Office Seating Area
For all of the accent pictures and decor, I took things I already had around the house as well as purchased items from my favorite store Goodwill!
I could not be any happier with the way this room turned out. It went from a catch all room to a fully functioning office/work out space!
If you have been following the blog, then you know we are expecting our 3rd child! After an exhausting back and forth we ultimately decided to create a Board and Batten accent wall in the nursery.
Recently, we decided to make over all of the kids bedrooms. For my oldest son’s room we created an amazing Wooden Slat Wall.
Wooden Slat Wall
For my other son, we created a Shiplap Wall while keeping his Americana themed room decor.
Americana Shiplap Room
For the babies room, I wanted to do an accent wall as well. I decided on Board and Batten after exhausting several other options. Originally, I thought I would do a wall of symmetrical squares but soon realized it would be lost with the daybed I was planning on putting in the room. Board and Batten was the perfect fit to add a nice accent wall without compromising on style and design.
Materials:
(5) Primed 1x4x12 MDF boards
(1) Primed 1x2x8 MDF Board (Window Trim)
1.5″ brad finishing nails
Nail Gun
Caulk
Wood Filler
Paint
Miter Saw
This entire project cost less than $100 which is amazingly awesome for my budget! I used primed MDF as opposed to real wood because it is cheaper and since we are painting and not staining it, nobody will know the difference!
Creating the Board and Batten Wall
I measured the wall to determined where I would place all of the vertical boards to ensure there was even spacing between them. Once determining the vertical board placement, I cut down 3 of the 12 foot MDF boards to create the edger. I did 45 degree angle cuts on all 3 of the boards so they would line up seamlessly. I attached the boards to the wall using my nail gun and 1.5″ brad nails.
Once, the edger was in place, I cut down 2 of the 12 foot MDF boards and attached them to the wall vertically.
Around the window, I created a small trim piece so it would connect with the board and batten seamlessly. To create the trim, I cut down the 1x2x8 MDF board using a 45 degree angle cut and attached them around the window with the nail gun.
Window Trim with Vertical Boards in Place
Using scrap pieces from the project, I added my last vertical board pieces that bisected the window.
Once all of the vertical board pieces were in place, I determined where I wanted to run my horizontal board. Using scrap pieces from my previous cuts, I added a horizontal board towards the top of the wall in line with the top of the window.
Horizontal and Vertical Boards in Place
After all of the boards were in place, I caulked all of the board edges. I wood filled all of the holes and seams where the vertical and horizontal boards met. Once everything was dry, I lightly sanded down the wood filler.
To make my life easier, I decided to paint the board and batten wall the same color as the existing wall. This not only saved me on cost it also saved me a lot of time!
While we are still awaiting the arrival of the crib for the nursery, we have been decorating the remainder of the room in preparation!
Room Decor
I purchased the Taylor and Olive Contemporary Fabric Daybed with Trundle in Beige from Overstock on sale for $285.77. A daybed was placed in the nursery for functionality. The master bedroom is downstairs in our house, so if I need to be near the baby’s room for an extended period of time I wanted a place to rest! It doubles as a bed for the baby as he gets older, so its a win win!
The mattress was purchased from Home Depot! I found a great deal on the Zinus Green Tea 8 inch Memory Foam Mattress through Home Depot for $146.24 with free delivery. I only purchased one mattress, we will be using the trundle section of the bed as extra storage for now.
The bedding was a set from Target and it included the blanket and accent pillows.
The accent/storage table is a Hearth and Hand Bookcase I purchased on sale from Target for $109.99. Oddly enough, the art work we used was already in the bedroom from when it was our guest bedroom. We received the art work for free from one of our neighbors!
Always keep your eyes open for great deals through Target. Target often has discounts on some of my favorite brands such as Hearth and Hand, Studio McGee and Opal House.
Finally, I located an adorable wicker accent table with removable top at Goodwill! I will find a lamp that fits in with the room to place on top of it. Always check Goodwill for cute, cheap, vintage finds!
I hope you love the baby’s room as much as we do. We will continue to fill his room as we anxiously await his arrival!
With the new baby just around the corner it was time to update our oldest son’s bedroom. I wanted to do a single wall treatment behind his bed since we did an accent wall in his brother’s Shiplap Bedroom Makeover. Wood prices have sky rocketed lately, so I needed to find a project that fit our style without breaking the budget. I fell in love with the Wooden Slat Wall look. I wanted to create a wooden slat wall that looked great but did not cost an arm and a leg. Follow me on my oldest son’s bedroom makeover journey!
Wooden Slat Wall Supplies
We updated the bed in the room from a double to a queen. Since the wood was running behind the bed frame, I measured the width of the bed to calculate how many wood pieces I would need to complete the project.
The walls in our house are very tall! They are approximately twelve feet tall but since we have a baseboard in place the wall distance we needed to cover was just over 11 feet. 12 foot pine wood 1×2 boards are super expensive. There is no way I could afford to complete this project with 12 foot boards. I decided to purchase 6 foot 1×2 Select Pine boards to complete the wood slat wall. In order to make the boards work in the space, I ran 6 foot boards vertically. I cut down the remainder of the 6 foot boards I purchased and ran them horizontally until I reached the baseboard. Not only did this save me money, it added a lovely design element to the space.
I ended up purchasing 50, 1″x2″x6′ Select Pine Boards from Home Depot for a total price of $250. The other items I needed to complete the project was 1.5 inch brad nails, pine wood filler, a brad nail gun, a level, sand paper, and a spacer; all of which I had on hand at home.
Constructing the Slat Wall
Using a level, I placed the first 6 foot wood board vertically on the wall by nailing it into the wall studs with a brad nailer. After the first board was up, I used a piece of scrap wood as a spacer and hung the remaining vertical wood boards.
Wooden Slat Wall being hung with wood spacer
The space between the boards is a personal preference. I chose to make the space smaller because that is the look I was trying to achieve. A larger space would cut down on the amount of wood used in the project. Ultimately the decision on spacing comes down to budget and design.
Vertical Wooden Slats Installed
Once all of the vertical wood slats were installed, I cut down the remaining boards to the correct size. The remaining boards were attached to the wall horizontally using the same spacing and technique.
Horizontal and Vertical Boards in Place
After the boards were in place, I filled all of the nail holes with pine wood filler. Once the wood filler was dried, I lightly sanded it down.
The best part of this project is there is no painting or staining! I chose to leave the pine natural because I loved the way it looked as is. This was a super simple one day wall transformation!
Finishing Touches and Accessories
Along with the new queen bed, I purchased natural wood nightstands for the room. I purchased the nightstands from Hobby Lobby for $89.59 each.
Since the nightstands were small, I wanted to add lighting without having to take up space on the bed tables. Wireless sconces seemed like the best choice to dress up the space. I purchased a two pack of sconces from Amazon for $39.99.
Sconces
I added a wireless sconce above each nightstand. Check back later for my next blog post where I will cover creating and installing wireless sconces!
Sconce
Completed Look
I found the perfect picture from Target to add to this space. The black and white photo of a Highland Cow was not only adorable but the frame matched the wood tones in our room.
New Picture for this New Room!
This room turned out better than any of us could have imagined. The Wooden Slat Wall project was super simple to create and made a huge impact on our space. Check back later for our next bedroom makeover, the new babies room!
Vertical Shiplap is an easy way to update your space and make it comfortable and homey. I decided to shiplap our entire upstairs living room and hallway areas.
The upstairs area in our house is the kids area, which means the walls take a beating. We had two options: shiplap or repaint. DIY vertical shiplap tied in the farmhouse feel we have throughout our house and was less expensive than hiring a painter to come in and repaint our space. The decision was made and I set out on my journey to DIY vertical shiplap the entire upstairs by myself during a quarantine with kids. Here is my journey!
GETTING STARTED DIY VERTICAL SHIPLAP
While I did not want to make extra work for myself, I quickly decided I needed to frame out all of the windows in the upstairs living room. The upstairs windows needed a frame to tie the vertical shiplap together and make it look cohesive. I decided to purchase the same boards I would be using as a top edger for the shiplap to frame out the windows.
First, I measured the space I was working in and got a rough idea on how much shiplap I would need to complete the project. Let me tell you, my original measuring was incorrect due to varying baseboard heights. Just be prepared because nothing is ever level and the walls are never even!
Next, I determined how much edging I would need for the top of the shiplap. I did not need to purchase edging for the bottom of the shiplap because there is an existing thick baseboard that would act as an edger.
I did not buy finishing cap pieces for corners until the end of my project.
The first thing you need to do is decide on the height of your vertical shiplap. Since I was working with 8 Foot boards, I decided the easiest and most economical approach would be to cut the boards directly in half. Due to the fact that the boards would be resting on top of my existing baseboards, the 4 foot boards would be perfect.
My biggest mistake during this project was precutting the shiplap boards for the first wall. Turns out my baseboards are not level! I know, I know; measure twice cut once. Honestly, It just wasn’t something I thought about prior to cutting those boards. You live and you learn!
Another mistake I quickly figured out was, the top edger must be installed prior to adding the shiplap because it will save you a lot of time further into the project! Since I was doing vertical shiplap on all of the upstairs walls, the top edger needed to connect at the same height throughout the entire space. Placing the top edger up first throughout the space just makes your life easier when it is time to add the shiplap to avoid boards not lining up (been there done that and got the badge!).
I attached all of the top edger to the wall using 1 1/4 Brad Nails and my Nail Gun and level. After the top edger us up, I framed out my windows with the same wood I used for the top edger.
Top Edger is on before Shiplap Installation
INSTALLATION OF VERTICAL SHIPLAP:
After the windows were framed out, I attached the shiplap pieces to the wall using the same brad nails and nail gun. While it is ideal to shoot the nails into a stud, if you cannot find a stud in the area you are hanging you can alternate shooting brad nails at an angle into the board.
All of the walls I installed vertical shiplap on had power outlets and/or light switches. When you encounter an outlet or light switch you must first mark the location of the outlet/switch onto your shiplap board piece. I marked the outlet locations by flipping the outlet cover and reattaching it to the outlet backwards. I applied paint to the edge of the backwards outlet cover and then placed my shiplap boards against the wall to get the exact location of the outlet.
Using a jigsaw, I cut the outlet locations out of the shiplap boards. Because the cut you need to make to the shiplap may be in the middle of your board, you may need to use a power drill to pre drill holes in the corners before cutting with the jigsaw.
Top Edger, Framed Window, and Shiplap with cutout for Outlet!
INSTALLING REMAINING TRIM PIECES:
Depending on your space, you may need trim pieces to finish off the walls. I added outside corner molding to all of the outside edges and quarter round molding to the interior edges.
Quarter Round Pictured on this Wall
INSTALLING OUTLET EXTENDERS:
Once the shiplap is up, the outlets and light switches will need to be extended. The outlets and switches should sit flush to the shiplap.
First, turn the power off to the area you are working. I used a lamp to ensure the power was indeed turned off. Next, I detached the outlets from the wall. Finally, I added the plastic outlet extenders and reattached the outlets to the wall.
FINISHING TOUCHES:
First, I used wood filler to fill all of the nail holes. Next, I added paintable caulk to all of the vertical shiplap and trim edges. Finally, I sanded down all of the wood filler and painted the shiplap and edger with white paint I had on hand.
Finished Space for Relaxation and Play!
The windows are perfection and really really change the space!
I was able to add a work space for the kids and I
This project transformed my upstairs area into a beautiful living room/office/kids area. I could not be any happier with our new functional space!
The modern Farmhouse look is all around us but often those looks can be expensive! I refuse to spends hundreds of dollars on children’s furniture that the kids will quickly outgrow. I also don’t want to buy those clunky and ugly made for kids furniture items because they are such an eye sore! Since we are spending a lot of time at home and will even be attending school from home, I needed to create a kids workspace before the school year started. I decided to make the kids a DIY Farmhouse Table and Chairs so the kids had a fun and cute space to learn and play. Follow my step by step guide below to achieve an adorable DIY Kids Farmhouse Table and Chairs!
Finding The Perfect Table
Finding the perfect table for your DIY kids farmhouse table and chairs at a good price is the first step. I found my table and chairs for FREE on Facebook. Facebook is usually the first place I head to find items but you can also try Criagslist, Letgo, or Goodwill. You can also purchase a brand new cheap table and chairs if you can find a good deal online. I found this white Delta Table and Chairs from a Facebook group in my area that offers up items for free.
Free White Table and Chairs
The table and chairs I received for free was hardly in perfect condition. The top of the table had several paint blemishes and dents. But for a free table and chairs this set was in pretty good condition!
Designing the Perfect DIY Kids Farmhouse Table
Originally when I picked up the table, I thought I would just paint the table and chairs. However, when I got the table home I was inspired by my living room coffee table. I received a free coffee table and remodeled the table to better fit our farmhouse vibe and I love how it turned out! I painted the bottom half white and stained the top with a grey wood stain.
Refinished Coffee Table-Inspiration for DIY Kids Farmhouse Table
Prepping
I sanded the top of the kids table to get rid of the paint blemishes that had bubbled up. After the top of the table was sanded, I discovered the table was made of particle board. While I was not surprised the kids table was not made out of real wood, it made me take a step back and re-evaluate my plan.
Painting
I knew I wanted the table to be navy blue, so I decided to go forward and paint the table completely. I used two cans of navy blue spray paint I already had in the garage from a previous project. Using paints and materials I already have on hand saves me time and money. I sprayed the table once and let it dry completely. After the table was dry, I applied a second coat of paint to ensure it was completely covered. I left the table outside to dry.
Shiplap
For many of my home renovation projects in the past, I have used a thin shiplap material I purchased from Home Depot. I used the same shiplap material to complete my project Faux Built in Fireplace with Shiplap.
Faux Built in Fireplace with Shiplap
I had several pieces of the thin shiplap material in my garage. I thought Shiplap would make the perfect top for the DIY Kids Farmhouse Table.
Constructing the Shiplap Table Top
I took the thin shiplap pieces and cut each piece down to size to make the tabletop. After each piece was cut, I applied a gray wood stain I already had in my garage to each piece of shiplap. I used the Varathane Weathered Gray stain. When applied, the stain has an almost paint like appearance. As the stain dries, the wood grain pops through and gives it a great antique look.
After the stain dried, I arranged the wood on top of the table to ensure the proper placement. I applied wood glue to the bottom of the wood pieces and attached them to the top of the table. Using my nail gun, I attached each piece of wood directly to the table top with 4 nails in each slat. Wood Glue ensures each portion of the wood securely adheres to the tabletop.
The sides of the table were slightly uneven, so I decided to sand down the edges of the table.
Table Top with Unfinished Sides
Using my handheld electric sander, I gently sanded the tabletop edges down until they were even. I reapplied stain to the areas that had been sanded and left the table outside to dry.
Chairs!
The table I received for free included two chairs. The chairs were white and I decided to leave them white. Some paint touch up was needed, so I applied some generic white paint I had around the house to the chairs.
If the table you get doesn’t have chairs, there are several great farmhouse kids chairs online for a reasonable price. Here are a few of my favorites:
Once the table and chairs were dry, I placed them in the house for the kids to enjoy. This was a much needed addition to assist with our at home learning!
Decorating is something I enjoy doing, and I love the challenge of decorating on a budget. I wanted to add two chairs to our living room to make the area more functional but I did not want to break the bank. There were several chairs I fell in love with online but they fell within the 300-500 dollar range. Ideally for this project I wanted to spend no more than $100 a chair. Join me on my journey for Updating Discounted Chairs on a Budget!
Living Room Space
The above picture is my living room space after completing my DIY Barn Door Shutters project. While the space is functional, we needed more seating for entertaining. I recently purchased blue velvet curtains for my home office and wanted to continue with the same material in the living room. My online hunt for the perfect blue velvet chair began.
Purchasingthe Perfect Chair
While I found several chairs that would fit the space perfectly, they were all sadly outside my budget. I found a blue velvet chair on Wayfair that fit within my budget called the Alivia Armchair.
Alivia Armchair-Wayfair
The chair was listed on sale for $150 a chair. While this seems outside of my budget it wasn’t because I had a credit at Wayfair for $128. I obtained the Wayfair credit because I ordered an electric fireplace for my Faux Built-in Fireplace with Shiplap home renovation project from Wayfair and it came with some marks on it. Wayfair will offer to completely replace your item or provide a credit for the damage. Generally, I take the credit if it is something I can easily fix.
Initially I thought I was paying $172 for both chairs however, when the chairs arrived they both had paint damage to the black portion of the chair. Wayfair gave me $60 off my purchase price because of the paint damage. This discount brought the price of both chairs down to $112, that is $56 per chair! For this project, the paint damage was not an issue because I already had plans to repaint the chairs. The moral of this story is don’t be afraid to ask for a discount if a product arrives in a less than perfect condition.
Updating the Chairs
Rust-Oleum Metalic Gold Spray Paint
The chair base color needed to be redone in order for the chair to have more character and fit into my design style. I picked out a Metallic Gold spray paint made by Rust-Oleum.
I removed the chair base from the chair seat. The chair seat was easily removable and was only connected by a few screws.
Painted Chair Bases
Each chair base was coated with two coats of Metallic Gold Rust-Oleum paint. It took 3 cans of Metallic Gold paint for both chairs.
After the final Metallic Gold paint coat dried, I sprayed each chair base with Rust-Oleum Matte Finish Clear Protective Finish. The Clear Protective Finish helps prevent the gold paint from being scratched off.
Once everything was completely dry, I reattached the chair seats to the chair bases.
Completed Chair
New Chair Set Up!
Extra Seating added to the Living Room!
Completed Chair
Velvet Chair with Gold Accents for less than $70 a Chair!
I played with the placement of my new fabulous chairs and finally came up with the perfect layout.
These chairs are comfortable, stylish, and best of all they did not break the bank. The total cost of BOTH chairs and all of the spray paint was $135. Think outside of the box and have fun revamping inexpensive furniture to fit your design style and needs. I can’t wait to see what you create!
Halloween time is here in full affect! We have been decorating our house like crazy trying to get ready for our favorite holiday. I decided to decorate my farmhouse porch with pumpkins and mums because it will be transitional staple for Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving! Originally, I put a mix of white, green, and orange pumpkins out on the porch of various shapes and sizes. My porch was cute but it missing something. I decided to paint the orange pumpkins and my project turned out better than I could have expected. Check out my step by step guide for these fabulous farmhouse Buffalo Plaid Painted Pumpkins!
Materials:
Pumpkin
White Paint
Black Paint
Paint Brush
Ribbon (optional)
*There is no down time when applying paint for this project, no need to wait for anything to dry just follow each step!
Directions:
Prepping Buffalo Plaid Painted Pumpkins
Place the pumpkin of your choosing on a surface you don’t mind getting paint on, I put down some old Trader Joe’s bags to paint on.
Paint the entire pumpkin white. I had leftover paint from various projects around the house so I utilized it to make these pumpkins! If you are worried about getting paint on the stem simply cover the bottom of the stem with tape and remove after painting. I didn’t tape the stems of my pumpkins because I knew I was adding ribbons at the end of the project.
Pumpkin Painted All White
Place a good amount of white paint into a disposable plate or bowl and add a drop or two of black paint. Mix the black and white paint together until you have a beautiful gray color.
Place 8 vertical lines on the pumpkin with gray paint.
Vertical Gray Lines on Pumpkin
Vertical Gray Lines on Pumpkin
With the same gray paint, paint two horizontal lines onto the pumpkin. Place one horizontal line towards the top half of the pumpkin and one towards the bottom half. If your pumpkin is on the taller side you might need to add an extra horizontal gray line to make the pumpkin look more uniform.
Using black paint only, paint a square at each point that the horizontal and vertical gray lines meet. There should be 16 black squares on each pumpkin. Don’t worry if your lines are not perfectly straight, everything will look great in the end, I promise!
Buffalo Plaid Painted Pumpkin
Buffalo Plaid Painted Pumpkin
I had extra farmhouse fabric from a set of no sew curtains I recently completed (stay tuned for that tutorial). Once the pumpkins were dry, I cut the fabric into long strips and tied them into bows around the stems of each pumpkin. I placed the pumpkins onto the porch and they could not be any more perfect!
