Wednesday, June 29

Seamless Crown Molding with Caulk

One of the great features of our new (but very old) house is the original crown molding in the living room. We love the character and charm, but settling had caused some significant gaps around the molding. Fortunately this has been one of the easiest fixes we've tackled in the house - the problem was solved with a tube of caulk and an evening on a ladder!


See how the crown is separated from the ceiling? I mean, I know it's an old home, but this was making it look really old.


And in some places, like around the fireplace, there was a gap both above and below the crown. It looked sloppy and honestly kind of dirty. Not exactly the vibe we were going for.


So we bought a tube of molding caulk. The flexible/crack-proof promises have me hoping it will hold up long-term. But most importantly, it's a paintable caulk. I've make the mistake of using regular caulk on other projects and I'll tell you now, there is no. way. to paint that stuff. Make sure your caulk is paintable. K?


Tuesday, June 21

It Is Well {DIY Hymn Art}

I love a good, old hymn. They have a knack for bringing peace and reassurance, even to the roughest days. And I'll tell you, some days around here feel pretty rough. But those days tend to bring me back to one of my favorites.


When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll,
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

As I'm unpacking the new house and staring at these blank walls, I've been thinking it would be nice to get a few of these favorite verses up there. And this seems like a good place to start.


Here's all you need to make your own:
  • Wood - I used a piece about 12" long x 7" high
  • Paint - I used acrylic for the black and leftover white house paint for the white. Whatevs.
  • Printable Template - scroll down to the bottom and I have a few verses you can choose from!
Start by printing out your template of choice. Flip it over and use a pencil to color over the back of all the words.


Monday, June 13

Craiglist Chandelier Makevoer

We just finished making over our latest craigslist find (I shared a sneak peek on instagram last week) and we're loving it! In the eight years we've been married, this is the first time we've had a dining room. And our first-ever dining room deserves our first-ever chandelier!


Ever since we moved in I've been thinking about hanging a chandelier there and even spent some time shopping around online. I finally found a few I liked at World Market. I went to see the wooden one in-store and it ended up being huge. No way it could work with our 8' ceilings. And the black one was only slightly smaller. Add that to the fact they are listed at $250 and $170 (yikes!), and we were back to square one.

http://www.worldmarket.com/product/wood-beaded-corinne-chandelier.do?&from=fn       http://www.worldmarket.com/product/rustic+wire+chandelier.do?&from=fn

After that sticker shock, I started wondering if I should just wait it out and hope I got lucky at a yard sale. But finding a chandelier at all (let alone one I like) seemed like a long shot. That's when I finally arrived at the solution I probably should have started with. Craigslist. The year-round online yard sale. And within 24 hours I had this guy sitting in my dining room.


The best tip I can give you when shopping second-hand chandeliers is find is ignore the color. It can be the ugliest old brass you've ever seen (you'll probably pay even less if it is) but if it's a good shape, you can make it beautiful. Which brings us to step one of our chandelier makeover: spray paint. We went with Rustoleum Universal because we've had such good success using it in the past, specifically for painting metal. I wanted to match the finish of the lighting I liked at World Market so I went with satin black.

Friday, June 10

Modern Wall Vanity - Friday Hack

Today we're hacking a modern vanity that will span the whole wall. It would also make a sweet modern desk in an office or homework space. This is different than things I've hacked before, it's more of a built-in than a piece of furniture, but these vanities have caught my interest a few times so I figured it was worth a hack!

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/23714335515492744/
image via pinterest

This tutorial will work a little differently than the ones I've done in the past because this vanity will be super space-specific. I can't tell you how long to to cut the boards because it will depend on your space. But I can tell you exactly how to figure out what size you need, and how to put it all together (which is easier than you might think). So let's get started!


What you need:
  • 2x4s
  • 1x6
  • plywood OR 1x8s
  • 2"screws
  • 3-4" screws
  • Kreg Jig with 1 1/4" pocket screws OR 1 1/4" screws
  • finishing nails
Before you do any building, you need to measure your space. This vanity needs to run from wall-to-wall (or have a leg at the other end to support it), so it's great to tuck in an alcove. So start by measuring the width where you want it to fit. For this example, its 5' long. So cut two 2x4s 5' long.  This will be the front and back of your frame.


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