Upholstered Bench Build From A-Z

As fluffy as my behind is, I still like a nice padded bench to sit on when I'm dining outside on my patio!  These benches are the perfect addition to my outdoor seating to make everyone feel like they're sitting on a cloud.  I picked up the outdoor fabric at JoAnn's and then picked the orange and vintage green paint to match once I could see it in the light.  Since my patio table is an odd size, it was easy to customize this bench design to fit perfectly.  Also, each bench only requires 4 pieces of 

1" x 12" pine board, so I decided to make two of them.  Remember, if you can't find it, 

figure out a way to make it.  Oh, and always MAKE YOUR MARK!

 I love mixing patterns

The ombre stencil on the sides added just the right touch

Now everyone is super comfy when we're eating outside!

Watch how to make it here!

STUFF I USED

Pine Board 

2 - 1''x12''x17''

1 - 1''x12''x44''

1 - 1''x12''x48''

Hammer & Nails

Staple Gun

Amazing Goop II Max

E-6000 Fabri-Fuse

DecoArt Vintage Effect Wash

Americana Decor Mandala Stencil

Americana Decor Outdoor Living

Fairfield Cushion Foam

Poly-fil Hi-Loft Batting

HERE'S HOW (PART 1)

1. & 2. Using Amazing Goop II Max, glue a 17" board to the side of the 44" board

3. & 4.  Measure down the center of the 17" board (for nail placement) and nail to the 44" board

5. & 6.  Repeat on the other side to create the bench base

7. & 8.  Add more Goop II Max across the top of the bench and then center the 48" board on top

9. & 10.  Mark along the center of the board (for nail placement) and then 

nail the top of the bench in place

11. Paint the base of the bench (not the seat) with Vintage Effects in Orange

*Wipe away the excess to show off the grain of the wood

12.  Dry brush Vintage Effects in White on the base of the bench to give it a weathered look

13. -15.  Tape your stencil in place and with a cosmetic sponge, paint the outside of the stencil with Americana Outdoor Living in Adirondack and the inside of the stencil in Harvest

*Blend the colors where they meet to give an ombre effect

HERE'S HOW (PART 2)

16. & 17.  Place the bench face down on the batting, trace around it with a marker and then cut it with a craft knife

18. & 19.  Squirt E-6000 Fabri-Fuse on the top of the bench and then glue the foam in place

20.  Cut a piece of batting large enough to go over the foam and extend 1" on the underside all the way around

21. & 22.  Staple the batting in place around the foam on the underside of the bench seat

23.  Cut fabric so that it fits over the foam and extends on the underside about 2" and then pin it in place on the top of the bench so it doesn't shift

24. & 25.  Fold the raw edge of the fabric under and staple all the way around the 

underside of the bench

26.  Staple down the fabric along the base of the seat all the way around the bench

27. - 29.  Add a generous line of E-6000 Fabri-Fuse all along the base of the bench seat, then glue & pin the trim in place until it dries

30.  Done!

 Pretty and comfortable!

My new favorite place to sit and paint on the patio!

No Sew Vogue Inspired Blazer

A few weeks ago on my weekly visit to JoAnn Fabrics, I picked up some beautiful floral cotton fabric (even though I had no idea what I was going to do with it at the time).  I know you know what I'm talking about!  Finally, I decided on a blazer makeover since I haven't made a fashion DIY in quite a while.  At first I was not convinced this was going to turn into something I wanted to share, but I kept at it.  Finally it turned into what I like to call "Laura Ingalls Wilder meets Elvis".   I love the mix of glitz with floral.  When I got my fall fashion magazines and saw all of the glizty floral on the runways, I knew this jacket is right on time.  Remember to UP-style your old clothes with embellishments, be fashion fearless and ALWAYS

Make Your Mark!

On the dress form in my studio

It's all in the details!

 

Watch how I made it here

STUFF I USED

Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paints

Thrift store blazer

E-6000 Fabri-Fuse

Gems

Rhinestone trim

Cotton floral fabric

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Cut out the flowers as carefully as you can

*You'll need quite a few to cover the jacket and sleeves

2.  Figure out your placement and then start gluing them on with E-6000 Fabri-Fuse

3. - 6.  Embellish them with Allure Dimensional Design Adhesive Paints 

in matching and contrasting colors

7.  Cut small 2" pieces of plastic rhinestone trim

8.  Glue colorful rhinestones and bursts of rhinestone trim from the edges of the flowers

9.  Glue rhinestone trim around the edge of the lapel and down the front of the jacket

*Let everything dry overnight

Unicorn Paper

  Seems Unicorn SPiT is quite magical....Not only is it amazing on furniture and fabric, you can dye paper with it!  How cool is that?!  I needed a funky lampshade to jazz up my living room and could NOT for the life of me find something that worked.  When I saw the brilliant colored dyed pages, my new lampshades were born!  While I was at it,  I also decoupaged a little mirror that needed some spice AND stitched up some envelopes for future birthday wishes.  SO much you can do with beautiful paper......so much!  Remember to dye everything beautiful colors, experiment with 

Unicorn SPiT and always Make Your Mark!

Giving colorful shade!

Just as beautiful with during the day!

Piles and piles of new dyed papers!

Watch how I did it here!

STUFF I USED

Unicorn SPiT

Book pages

Spray bottles

Water

Sewing machine

Lampshade and Mirror

HERE'S HOW

1. & 2.  Mix 50% water and 50% Unicorn SPiT in a spray bottle

3. & 4.  Lay out your papers and spray them different colors while they're dry

5.  Wet them with a water bottle to allow the colors to blend and soak into the paper

6. & 7.  When the paper is dry, fold it into a small square and then dip it in clean water

8.  Pour some diluted Unicorn SPiT into a shallow bowl and dip the edges of your fold into the SPiT allowing it to soak in a bit

9.  Carefully unfold the pages and set them flat to dry

10. - 12. Using Americana Decoupage, adhere your pages around a paper lampshade and trim the excess with a craft knife when it is completely dry

13.  Cut the dyed paper into squares and adhere them to the frame of a mirror with more decoupage

14. & 15. Cut a flap at one end of the paper, fold and stitch the sides to make envelopes

 To dye for!

Magical Unicorn Paper

Marbled Wood Beads 3 Ways

If you've followed me for a while you know that I save every little scrap, jar wood scrap and cardboard box that comes into my house.  I can't help it because I just KNOW that eventually I'll use it for something down the road. This week I used my wood scraps to make some beautiful, chunky wood beads!  Truth be told I went a little crazy and cut several hundred of them because I couldn't stop. We'll get into the psychology of that another time.  In their raw form they were pretty but plain, but after I marbled them, the bead party really started!  My favorite product this year is the Marabu Marbling Paints.  They ROCKED my world AND these wood beads!  Remember, save your scraps, use them with abandon and always Make Your Mark!  

Love the turquoise squares so much!

 I finally mastered the nail polish marbling technique!

    

Learn 3 ways to marble beads here!

STUFF I USED

Americana Acrylics

Americana DuraClear Gloss Varnish

Dollar store nail polish

Marabu Easy Marble Paints

Wax paper

Drill press (or drill)

1" x 1" wood trim

1" thick pine board scraps

Band saw (or jigsaw)

HERE'S HOW

1. - 3.  Cut and sand wood beads on a band saw or with a jigsaw and then sand the edges

with a Dremel sanding attachment or sandpaper

4.  Drill each bead with a drill press or carefully with a hand drill

5. & 6.  Base coat each bead with different colors of Americana Acrylics

METHOD 1

7. Spread Americana DuraClear & 5 colors of Americana Acrylics on wax paper and drag a toothpick through the colors to swirl them

8.  With a toothpick in a painted bead, press each side into the paint and let dry

METHOD 2

9. In a plastic cup of water drip several colors of nail polish on top of the water

10.  With the base coated bead on a toothpick, carefully swirl it in the floating nail polish, and poke the other end of the toothpick in cardboard to allow it to dry

METHOD 3

11.  In a cup of water float several colors of Easy Marble on top of the water

12.  With the base coated bead on a toothpick, carefully swirl it in the floating Easy Marble to pick up the colors and then poke the other end of the toothpick in cardboard to allow it to dry

13.  Coat everything with more DuraClear Gloss Varnish and let dry

Can't wait to rock these on a keychain or make my friends some funky jewelry!

Painted Love Stones

Like everyone else in the world these days, I can't stop painting rocks!  I love painting them dark colors first (like black and navy) and then adding as many colors as possible.  These were painted with a simple round brush technique that once you learn, you'll be using on everything.   Remember to have some fun this weekend and paint some rocks with your family!  

Oh, and always Make Your Mark!

I love mixing tons of different colors together!

 A simple message on the back to make someone's day

 

Watch how to paint them here!

STUFF I USED

Americana Acrylics

Smooth river stones

Americana DuraClear Gloss Varnish

Set of round brushes

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Base coat your rocks with Lamp Black or Midnight Blue

2.  Paint 3 thin lines in white for stems

3.  Create petals with a #12 round with the tip of the brush touching the stem

4. With a #9 round brush, paint over the white petals with several different colors using the same technique

5.  Add a third color over the petals with a #6 round brush

6.  Paint leaves at the base using the #9 again

7.  Using the end of the paintbrush, accent with rows of dots

8.  Pencil and paint an encouraging word on the back of your stone

9.  Protect your work with a layer if Americana DuraClear 

*Now give them to someone you love!

Easy, Intricate Wood Burning

I don't remember much about my wood burning experience as a kid except that my parents made me do it at the kitchen table and hovered over me like I was absolutely going to burn down the house. Perhaps I didn't enjoy it as much as other kids?  Not long ago Walnut Hollow sent me their amazing Creative Versa-Tool and I got to go at it again with out being hawk-eyed!  What freedom, too.  I decided to whip out my favorite adult coloring book pages for this project because they are FILLED with amazing designs and inspiration that work perfectly for wood burning.  Remember, mash up your different crafts and ALWAYS Make Your Mark!

Tray chic!

 Rainbow box, baby!

 Watch how I did it here!

STUFF I USED

Walnut Hollow Creative Versa-Tool

Unicorn SPiT

Carbon paper and red pen

Famowood Glaze Coat 

Walnut Hollow trays, serving boards and boxes

Adult coloring book pages

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Enlarge your pattern so it fits on your wood object the way you like

2. & 3.   Place the tracing paper face down on your surface and then tape the enlarged pattern over it

4.  Trace the pattern with a red or blue ball point pen so know where you've traced

5. Screw in your wood burning tip on the Versa-Tool and with the setting on high,

 start tracing your pattern just like you were drawing

6. & 7.  For the tray I filled in the burned flowers with Unicorn SPiT

8. & 9.  For the box I painted around my wood burned pattern instead

10.  Mix Famowood Glaze Coat (2 part epoxy resin) according to directions

11. Pour on your surfaces and spread out evenly with a sponge brush

12. Pop the bubbles with a long arm lighter or a small butane torch

Cover and let cure overnight and you're done!

Gorgeous and glossy

Burned and beautiful!

Oly-Fun Fabric Beads

If you haven't played with Oly-Fun yet, you're missing out.  This stuff is like fabric construction paper and it comes in tons of different colors, too.  A few weeks ago, I was cleaning out my craft house and found a stash of fabric beads and it got me to thinking about how I might use Oly-Fun for a fabric bead project.  After a little experimenting, I got hooked.  The best part is that you can mix colors to create different looks.  The greens and blues make a terrific malachite effect and the black, tan and white together look like singed wood!  Remember, experiment until you come up with something amazing and always Make Your Mark!

Rhapsody in blue!

Knotted and ready to wear!

Watch how I made them here!

STUFF I USED

Oly-Fun Craft Material

Tea lights

Satin cord

Glass plate

Bead pattern

 HERE'S HOW

1.  Pick your Oly-Fun colors.  I used 6!

2.  Stack them and cut out the bead pattern

3.  Roll the cut stacks around the end of a slim paint brush

4.  Trim the staggered ends

5. & 6.  Singe the end of the rolled bead and quickly roll it on the glass

*This will seal the rolled end to the body of the bead

7.  Continue to singe the body of the bead (which will expose each of the colors) and then quickly smooth out the bead by rolling it on the glass plate

8. & 9. String the beads on thick satin cord and knot between each one

I love how the colors blend together!