The Big Reveal

Katie @ Bower Power & Sherry @ Young House Love

When these two silly (and uber talented) ladies posted the second Pinterest Challenge of the year, I was all in. Challenge accepted, I got to looking through my ever growing list of pins and narrowed it down to two options. (You can see more on that here.)

After grabbing a new oscillating multifunction power tool (sander, scrapers, cutter, etc.) on a deep discount and a 20% off on top of that at our local Harbor Freight Tools store, I was eager to put it to use. So, the hope chest that we use for a media console was calling my name for an update.

I love our cedar lined hope chest, it has great lines and the storage is a huge help for a small space. The only problem was that after years of wear and tear, it needed some TLC. Here are the pins from Pinterest that served as inspiration for the project:

I knew I wanted to keep the top a dark wood but needed to bring some light into the space by brightening up the rest of the piece. With some paint and stain that I had on hand, I got to work! I am really happy with the outcome and although painting wood furniture isn’t for everyone, it was the right decision for this piece and our space! (Plus, with a little paint stripper and some elbow grease, I can always take the chest right back to all wood.) 

Drum roll please…

ready for some light distressing

back in it's home

detail with the original hand pulls all polished

another view

The only thing I may change is the pulls, I am thinking of going with some glass options. I will have to check with good 'ol Hobby Lobby to see what's available. For now, the originals will have to do. I'll be sure to let you know of any changes!

Did you take the Fall Pinterest Challenge?

Round Two: Challenge Accepted!

For anyone who missed the challenge the first time around, you are in luck! Sherry and Katie have once again challenged everyone to get off their butts and go tackle some projects! The inspiration? 

The addiction that is Pinterest, of course. 

For the first challenge, I tackled this project merging coffee filters and a Chinese lantern via a hot glue gun! I loved how this moody lamp turned out so much that I can’t wait to get started on a new Pinterest inspired project this time around.

While searching through my ever growing "Must DIY" board, I was overwhelmed at all the things I would love to tackle but more than likely will stay on the board and not in my house! I finally narrowed it down to two ideas: 

A. Create a personalized engagement gift for a dear friend 

OR

B. Repair and update our cedar chest turned media consol

Which would you pick? 

To see what I chose and how the final product turns out, check back on Wednesday, November (what! Nov, already? Sick.) 2nd for the big reveal. I sure hope you take on the challenge; it is a great kick in the pants and so much fun besides.

I mean seriously, can you really resist these two?

I can't...Challenge Accepted!

*PS. If you need an invite to Pinterest, leave me a comment with your email address and I will happily be your dealer, just don’t blame me when you start loosing sleep due to the addiction. I have warned you.

Pinterest Challenge Reveal

 When Young House Love and Bower Power released the Pinterest Challenge last week and opened it up to all their readers, I was so excited to get started! As a newbie to the blogging world, (long time reader, short time writer) I didn’t want to disappoint, so I got straight to work. 

When I announced the challenge, I gave a sneak peek into the two inspirations I was going to pick from. Both lamp shade ideas, one made of coffee filters and the other made of wax paper! In all honesty, the deciding factor came down to what I had on hand.  

Note: I am not exactly the most patient person and crafting is no different, when I am ready to go, I am ready to go NOW! 

Capiz Chandelier made from wax paper (via pinterest)

coffee filter light pendant (via pinterest)

Want to know what I choose, how I did it, and how it turned out? Drum Roll please….

My finished product!

 

Having more filters than wax paper on hand made the choice easy and the coffee filter lamp had won! I cannot tell you how easy this project was to make, just a few simple items and some extra time in front of the TV and before you know it, you have a great new lamp.

Materials Needed:

Paper Lantern in your choice of size (I already had one hanging from our floor lamp that was in need of some serious TLC), coffee filters (the number of filters you need will depend on the size of your shade, I used about 400) Glue gun, and glue sticks.

Floor lamp before filters (The lamp was bought from Target about 4 yrs ago)

Coffee filters and glue gun (my new one is cordless!!!!)

Step by Step ooh baby Tutorial:

(you caught me, I was just singing New Kids on the Block while I typed that…don’t judge me!)

Step 1. Gather the filter at the bottom and squeeze.

Do a few filters a time and set them off to the side, it will make your life easier when your ready to glue!

Step 2. Apply a generous amount of glue to the paper lantern in small to medium square sections, then take the folded filters and apply the base of the filter to the lantern.

I wanted my lamp shade very full, so I really packed the filters in tightly.

Step 3 there are no more steps! It really was that easy and now you are ready to hang that beaut, step back and admire your work.

A good start, about one hour in.

It took me about 3 hours to complete, start to finish. I only know this because I was able to catch up on the first three episodes of Design Star on demand!

 Total Cost: $19.17 (an emergency back-up of filters & a desperately needed new glue gun)

I am so happy with how this turned out! Thanks to Sherry and Katie for giving me the swift kick in the pants to stop pinning and start doing! We should do this more often. 

Finished lamp with the light on- I love the glow it gives off now!

Detail of the the finished product.

Did you take part in the Pinterest Challenge? If so, I would love to see and if not, it is never too late! Pick an inspiration picture of a craft that you have been meaning to accomplish and get going. Be sure to share your creations!

Lists and Challenges...Oh My!

Lists and challenges, I have a love of both, so it was a welcoming coincidence that the same day I promised to share my Summer DIY To Do list with you, I came across a DIY challenge! Two of my very favorite design bloggers, Sherry at Young House Love and Katie at Bower Power, posted a Pinterest Challenge on Tuesday where you have one week to stop pinning and start doing! 

Although I am new to Pinterest, I had my “to do” list written and was up for the challenge! I quickly got to pinning (anyone know a good Pinterest Anonymous group? I may need it) and have two projects in the running. Although Sherry and Katie (and the amazing Emily Henderson of HGTV, who is also taking the challenge) are not disclosing their DIY craft of choice, I am…in a minute.

First, let me share my “Just do it already” list!

As the "projects" are tackled, I will share with you more details of each!

OK, back to the Pinterest Challenge (my adrenaline rushes every time I say the word CHALLENGE!) If you notice in the list above, there is a good amount of light fixtures listed. Maybe it is because I can't stand to look at the “boob” lights in our bedroom and office any more or maybe it’s because I keep coming across great tutorials. Either way, I have narrowed down my craft to one of these two beauts:

via

This might win because it reminds me of my DIY wedding decorations (pictures below!) and since our 3 month anniversary is tomorrow, seems fitting to tackle this now. 

However, the capiz chandy below is a close runner up because it's extremely intriguing to me. Will the wax paper really look like capiz shells? I would most likely follow the third pic because a.) A sewing machine is currently foreign to me (didn't you see the last thing on my to-do list?) and b.) I am impatient and this way seems quickest!

via via via

Want to know which project I choose?? Check back on Tuesday for the big reveal and my (hopefully successful) tutorial. Do you want to join in on the fun? Read and watch all about it here and be sure to share your creations with me.

I am off to the craft store! I will wait until tomorrow because a HUGE storm is here and now our power is out and the car alarm is beeping...crafting will have to wait!