It's my classic move...I see the ugliest piece of furniture at the thrift store and I have to grab it. Partly because I know no one else will and partly because I love the challenge. This table was sooooo sad that I just couldn't let it sleep in that little thrift store one more night. Also, this makeover proves that a little paint and some beautiful images can go a very long way in covering up some serious flaws like scratches and chipping! Always look at the possibilities, my sweet friends, and always
I got this mirror for a song at my local thrift store and decided that because it was so cheap, I should just got crazy with it! I used my favorite harlequin pattern (printed from my home computer) and hot glue in my favorite re-design with Prima molds. I put all my ideas in my brain blender and this is what happened. BTW, I love it! Put all of your ideas in a box, shake it up and see what happens. You might be surprised at the results. Now get out there and Make Your Mark!
Most Mondays after the gym I head to the local Goodwill to see what I can find to makeover. It's a ritual that I love! So many people have a "thing" about second hand stores, but I don't have a problem with them. I look at it a couple of ways...Every purchase goes to a great cause and I get to encourage my friends to rethink tossing something when they're tired of it. It's just another way to keep the earth more green. This little dresser looked so sad, I had to bring it home and give it a new life. Currently it's residing in my nieces bedroom and she loves it. Make something over when you're so tired of it you want to donate it, and don't forget to Make Your Mark!
Hot pink and proud!
Love this color combo!
Watch how to make it here using
E6000 Spray Adhesive and
Unicorn SPiT
Love the black and white vintage flowers on the hot pink
As you all know, I'm obsessed with many things but nothing turns me on more than malachite. Green is my favorite color and this stone, with it's 100 shades of green, has a special place in my heart. A couple of years ago I started painting faux malachite objects and decided it was time to tackle something on a larger scale for my home. Something that Tony Duquette would have loved. I literally ran into this huge round coffee table at a thrift store and decided it was just the THING! For $25 dollars, how could I go wrong? If I messed up, a little decoupage and no one would be the wiser. I'm so proud of this piece and I hope you love it as much as I do. Remember to take risks, paint thrift store finds and always Make Your Mark!
1. & 2. After you remove the table top from the base, use Sweet Mint, Sea Breeze & Sea Aqua to paint large cloud shapes in the 3 different colors on the table top
*There is no right or wrong way to do this, you just want color variation for the base
3. Cut notches on 4" x 4" pieces of cardboard
4.& 5. Mix equal parts Americana Glazing Medium and Americana Forest Green Acrylic
on a paper plate
6. & 7. Paint over part of the cloud shape with the mixture and then drag the notched cardboard over the wet mixture to create the lines
8. Continue with this process until the entire table is covered with the faux malachite technique
*Cut smaller pieces of notched cardboard to get into the smaller spaces
9. Use the Antique Teal and Evergreen to fill in some lines to create more variation in color
10. & 11. Paint the rim and base of the table in Americana Decor Metallics in Vintage Brass
12. Mix the E-6000 Glaze Coat according to directions and pour on top of the table
*Make sure the table is elevated, level and that there is plenty of newspaper underneath to catch the dripping glaze coat
13. Spread evenly with a sponge brush making sure to take care of all the drips
14. Pop the bubbles in the Glaze Coat with a small torch or long arm lighter, cover and cure overnight
15. Replace the base on the table and you're ready to entertain!
There is nothing I love more than making over a thrift store find. Well, nothing except stuffing my face with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but I digress. I was itching to try something that could travel down a Paris runway. After fabric shopping for a few days and not finding much I decided to create my own fabric with Allure from E-6000 (It's washable and dry-cleanable so it's perfect for creating fabric) Here are the results. There are some step-by-step photos included in this blog, but it's much easier to see how I made this in the video. If you have any questions, just write.
Danielle's boyfriend Scott got mustard on one of her favorite shirts so we decided to save it and turn it into a terrific summer dress. Here's how we did it!
Happy Summer! xoxo, Mark
From stained shirt to simple summer dress!
Make the skirt as long as you want!
Snip off the buttons and add a separating zipper!
Watch the short video tutorial here!
YOU'LL NEED
Shirt
1 1/2 yards of fabric
Sewing machine
Matching thread
30" long separating zipper
Scissors
Cut across the shirt 1" below the waist
If your shirt has pleats or details, run a stitch along the cut
Attach two pieces of 30" long fabric together side by side
*Our fabric was 54" wide so we now have a piece that is 30" x 108"
Lengthen the stitch and loosen the tension on the machine
Run a stitch along the fabric about 1/2" from the edge
Pull the bobbin thread to gather the fabric
Measure the circumference of the shirt
Gather the fabric to this length and add 2"
Stitch the gathered fabric and the shirt together (right sides together)
Fold the extra one inch over the end of the shirt and stitch
*This will give you a finished edge
Press and then pin the zipper to the front of the dress face down starting at the collar
Stitch on the zipper
*I purposely did not use a zipper foot because I wanted some of the zipper to show
