Rolladesk make-over

First major upcycle project!!!

 

So it all started at a local Goodwill just looking for furniture or small things to make-over (you know how these stories go) and my mother and I ran across this desk for $14.99. Wow, I initially thought, I could turn this desk into a cool new craft table for me... after shortly playing around with the desk, it turned into a project for a new desk for my mother :) Desk itself was in pretty good condition, but the roll down part of the desk was broken. No worries cause my plan for this desk doesn't need it!

 

 

 

No inspiration for this desk except what I had in my head, but I did have a paint technique that I had read about that I was really wanting to try and what better piece than this to try it on, but I'll get into that later.

 

First thing first... I wanted a flat top desk so OFF with the top!

 

 

Amazing what we lose behind our desk-yuck! I'm going to invest in some gloves if I keep up with used furniture make-overs :)

 

So once I got the top off... now starts the fun!!!

 

Materials used

wood graining tool (Allway brand is what I went with because there were 3 different tools which I found at Sherwin Williams for $3.56 (it was 30% off!))

Valspar Mudslide in flat with primer ($26.97 @ Lowe's)

Valspar clear glaze ($16.77 @ Lowe's)

Sherwin Williams Sand Dollar in Matte ($12.59/quart- was 40% off!)

hardware ($14.70 @ Lowe's)

Elmer's wood filler ($3.48 @ Lowe's- if need)

Minwax Polycrylic gloss ($10.49/quart @ Sherwin Williams- 30% off!)

sander

brushs (Lowe's)

 

**First time I ever shopped Sherwin Williams and I'm so glad I did! They were very helpful and they were having a wonderful sale!!!

 

** Overall, all the supplies cost me roughly $70 and 7 hrs to complete + drying time**

 

Step 1: Once I took the top of the desk off, I took off all the hardware. (Hint: Even if getting new hardware, keep the old hardware till end of project) I then sanded down the entire desk.

 

 

Step 2 (if needed): Since I was removing a top section of the desk. I was left with the holes where they were held together. So I filled the holes with Elmer's wood filler. Once dry, I sanded it down to desk level.

 

 

close-up of the filled holes

 

 
 

 

Step 3: Next I painted the desk with Valspar Mudslide in flat. (Love paint with primer- only took 1 coat)

Step 4: Remember that awesome paint technique I mentioned earlier that I couldn't wait to try... well, here goes. I followed Recaptured Charm's directions by mixing my Valspar clear liquid glaze with the Sherwin Williams Sand Dollar in Matte with a 4:1 ratio. I used a cup for my measurement so as not to waste any paint or glaze & it was plenty of mixture for the desk. I then painted the desk with the mixture and followed it by running a dry brush through the paint. Then, grab the fine tooth side of your wood graining tool and run it down the whole surface. Now go back and drag the tool rocking it back and forth as you drag it along the desk. (Tip Recaptured Charm gave & I second: The more you rock the tool, the more grooves you'll create, but don't overdo it. If you do, simply paint over and start again). Let glaze slightly dry, then drag your dry brush through the glaze pulling it to soften the look (this really completed the look!)

 

 

 

 

Step 5: Once, desk was completely dry, I sealed the desk using a brush and the Minwax Polycrylic in gloss. Couple hours later after it dried, I sanded down the desk slightly and resealed the desk again.

 

Step 6: After desk has dried, I added the new hardware. (I used 6- 3" Traditional Bow Pulls and 4- 1 1/2" Provincial Knobs from Lowe's if curious) Now the hint I gave about keeping the old hardware made it easy to take to Lowe's to make sure my sizes were correct for the new hardware without having to measure, but most importantly is the screws that came with new hardware were too small! Eek! Thankfully, I also kept the screws to the old hardware and was able to use those with the new hardware or I would have had to go back for longer screws! See honey I do listen to you... sometimes :)

 

Finished Product!

 

 



 

For my first major furniture re-do I think it came out very well.

Let me know what you think...

 

Before and After

 

 

Till my next inspiration...

 



"Prayer Changes Things" Sign

This is the first for me... Normally I see things that inspire me to try to make my own, but this time I was approached with a picture of an inspiration and asked to make. Here was my MIL's inspiration that she saw at a craft fair and wanted me to make for a relative...

 

 

Materials used:

9X16 wood board

wood cross ($3.99 @ Hobby Lobby )

small wood cross ($2.99 @ Hobby Lobby for a bag of 8- got 40% off)

Valspar spray paint in brown ($4.79 @ Lowes)

Anita's All Purpose Acrylic paint in Antique White ($1.99 @ Hobby Lobby)

Weldbond glue ($3.99 @ Hobby Lobby)

Minwax Fast Drying Polycrylic (Lowes)

Elmer's painters pen in Brown Brun Cafe (Hobby Lobby)

foam brush, art brush

Cricut with Type Candy Font cartridge

sander

 

*** Some of these items I had on hand so can't give you price, but roughly cost $20 and 2 hrs to make + drying time**

 

Step 1: I cut the wood to the 9X16 size (just a size I picked based on the size of the crosses) and sanded the edges. I then spray painted the wood with the Valspar spray paint in brown and let dry. Once dry (few minutes), I painted the front of the board with Anita's All Purpose Acrylic paint in Antique White and let dry. I did not paint a thick layer over the brown because I wanted the brown to come through.

 

 

Step 2: Next I painted the 2 crosses that I picked out with the art brush. Now don't get mad at me, but I cannot tell you the exact colors or type of paint I used. I love to use things I have lying around when I do crafts so... I had some acrylic sample paints that come in these little containers that are glued together (don't know exact term for these), but you can see in picture below. I let the crosses dry (few minutes) and then glued them together using the Weldbond glue.

 

 

Step 3: I glued the crosses onto the board using the Weldbond glue. 

 

 

Step 4: Now you can use whatever you want for your font, but I used my Cricut machine for this project. I got this new cartridge called Type Candy Font 50% off @ Michael's and was dying to use it! So I cut the letters in the Better with Chocolate font and placed them how I wanted them on the board.

 

 

Step 5: I traced the letters using the Elmer's painters pen in brown.

 

 

Step 6: Seal the wood with Minwax fast drying poly and let dry.

 

The finished product...

 

 

I like the finished product, but if I had more time, I think I would have gone back & added some detail to the crosses- don't know. Ended up adding a sawtooth hanger on the back so it could be hung on the wall. The people I made it for greatly appreciated it and actually got a smile during a hard time so that made it all worth it. Hopefully it will be a constant reminder for them and anyone else who reads it!

 

Till my next inspiration...

"I'll love you forever" baby frame

 

Sorry I have been away from my blog for a few months. We found out we were expecting baby #2 and hubby got a new job which is requiring us to move! Oh My! But never the less, let me try to catch you up on my recent projects...

 

 

I love this project! This has to be my favorite so far and I couldn't have made it for such a nicer couple. They have been married for 11 years and have been trying to have a baby with no luck... till now!!!

 

 

Inspiration:

 

 

I saw this frame on etsy and absolutely fell in love with it! However, I did not want to spend that much so went about seeing if I could make my own. I loved the turn out! Here's how I did it...

 

Materials used:

11X12 piece of wood

12X12 piece of scrapbook paper ($0.59 @ Hobby Lobby)

Fine point Sharpie marker in brown ($1.99 @ Michaels)

printer

4X6 frame ($2.97 @ Walmart)

"light" box (will explain later)

Elmer's glue-all ($2 @ Walmart)

2 foam brush ($0.25 @ Michaels)

Weldbond glue ($3.99 @ Hobby Lobby)

Mod Podge in Matte ($4.47 @ Walmart)

Folk Art acrylic paint in Bark Brown ($0.97 @ Walmart)

brush ($0.99 @ Lowes)

sander

credit card (or any tool you have to smooth out bubbles)

easel ($12.99 @ Hobby Lobby- got it 50% off so $6.50)

 

If you have some of these items, then your total will be cheaper, but if not the total is roughly $30 to make and a total time of 3 hours to complete!

 

Step 1: I chose a green scrapbook page because it was for a boy with a camo room, but any paper that fits your theme will do. Now with making a frame that's so big you're wondering how I did the font. Well I was wondering how I was going to do it too. I have a basic printer like most people and the biggest page it prints is a 9X11. So after playing on the computer I came up with printing the lettering in landscape and printed it over 2 pages that I taped together after I placed it the way I wanted it on the page. (I was contemplating going to Kinko's and seeing if they could scan it on the paper for me, but unsure if that's something they could do and if I would get the results I wanted... more research needed)

 

I created this "light box" which is a 12X12 scrapbook storage container with a strand of Christmas lights inside :) Learn to improvise! I then placed my scrapbook paper over the printed font and traced the letters with the fine point Sharpie in brown.

Here's how it looked...

 

Side view...

 



 

I used Edwardian Script ITC in size 95 and bold. Here's what the paper looked like after I added the font. I added the name of the child to the bottom for more personalization, but just a preference. (Hint: Cut the paper to the size of the board before you start. Yes, I thought my board was 12X12 till I put the paper up to it- eek! Thank goodness I had plenty of space on the side so it was easy to adjust for the 1 inch I was off)

 

 

 Step 2: I glued the paper down onto the board using Elmer's glue-all and spread it with a foam brush. I then used the side of a credit card to smooth out any bubbles that were created. If you have a smoother tool by all means use it. Again I improvise with what I have around :) 

 

After glue had dried, this was my product. Loving it so far...

 

Put my picture frame on the board to make sure everything looks good, before I continued. Learning from mistakes here :)

 

 

Step 3: I wanted to distress the frame so I sanded the edges of the frame and paper with my sander (hand sandpaper would work too). Then, grabbed a brush and used the Folk Art acrylic paint in Bark brown and painted the edge of the wood allowing my brush to come up over the paper in some parts. I love how it added age to it.

Step 4: Once paint dried (very quick), I used a foam brush and painted over the wood with the Mod Podge in Matte and let dry.

Step 5: I then glued the frame down in place (add the picture before hand) using the Weldbond glue) and placed heavy books (again improvise) down on it to help hold it together while it sealed.

 

The finished product...

 

 

I so want one of these made for me now after seeing how it came out! I added an easel to it because I wanted it to be something they could display, but you could add a sawtooth hanger if want to hang on the wall. The only thing I want to learn before I make another one of these is how to be able to change out the picture (like my etsy inspiration), but wood working skills are still in work! But I think for any baby photo frame, this is perfect, because who is going to change out their baby's picture ;)

 

Till my next inspiration...