Ikea Trofast Bookcase Hack

 

 

If you remember my budget from the dresser, I had $153.01 left to spend on a bookcase.  I wanted something low, so it won't topple over, and it needed to fit in a very specific spot between the chair and the door. 

 

After searching for a used bookcase in that price range that was solid wood and coming up with nothing, I finally broke down and went to Ikea.  You can imagine how desperate I was if I ended up at Ikea.

 

 

But Star went with me and she is like my Ikea good luck charm- everything went our way.  We bought two Trofast shelf frames for $49.99 each and three packs of shelves for $12.99 each (2 shelves per pack).  I really only needed two packs, but we decided that $12.99 was a small price to pay as insurance against not having to go back if I wanted more shelves. 

 

Ikea total: $138.95

 

I painted the shelves with the yellow milk paint so that they match the dresser.  They were, for some reason, much easier to paint than the dresser and I knocked out that part in a day. 

 

Steve and I decided that we'd rather the shelves have backs than not and I thought that they would look awesome covered with some cool wallpaper.  But then I started shopping for wall paper and realized that even one small roll was going to cost at least $25.  So I swapped out the wallpaper idea for fabric (always saves the day!) and bought 1 1/2 yards of a print that I liked for $10.50. 

 

Then I went to Lowe's and bought a 4' x 4' piece of birch plywood for $14.  I had them cut the two backing pieces for me right there at the store.  Did you know that they'll do that?  Those Lowe's employees- so helpful. 

 

 

I cut the fabric to fit around the backing with about 2" of overhang.  My original plan was to staple the fabric on with a staple gun and then nail the backs to the shelves.  The plywood was too thin for this plan and the staples went all the way through, so I ended up pulling most of them out.  For the second shelf, I was wiser and just lined up the fabric with the back, pulled it tight around the sides, and set it carefully on the back of the book shelf.  Then I hammered in a bunch of tiny finishing nails to hold both the fabric and the back in place. 

 

 

I really like that the shelves are adjustable and also that there are two book cases instead of one.  I was hoping for one larger piece, but I like the fact that I could separate these two into different rooms if I needed to. 

 

My total for the dresser and bookshelves was $310.44.  I gave myself a little grace on going over by $10 since I had purchased the extra "just in case" shelves.  All in all, I am thrilled, especially since one of the first bookshelves we looked at was $276 unfinished! 

 

So that's it- I won't bore you any longer with tales of extreme nesting.  Today, I'm finishing up a few final bow ties before our trip and finalizing my packing list.  I'll stop in before we leave to say goodbye!

two week room

 

 

I'm a project person, by nature.  Steve and I both are, actually.  We have different methods and strengths, but we both love a good project. 

 

So it comes as no surprise that I would want to do a ton of projects to prepare a room for our first child.  I could have worked on that room for months, easily.  But due to the uncertain nature of adoption and my own super-cautious nature, I couldn't bring myself to start on much of anything months ago. 

 

 

So I started about two weeks ago.  You know- around the same time we were buying luggage and shopping for plane tickets, because it seemed pretty certain at that point that we'd be getting a child.  Any sane person, knowing they were leaving the country in three weeks, would have bought some furniture and curtains and things for the walls and called it a day.  I kind of toyed with the idea of doing that. 

 

 

But then I accidentally had some coffee late one afternoon and spent the entire night with my mind racing as I tried to sleep.  I thought up project after project that I really really really wanted to do.  Really.   

 

In the morning, when I was thinking more clearly, I told myself that I should pick a couple projects out of the seven or eight I'd thought up and just focus on those.  But even as I told myself that, I also knew that wasn't what I was going to do.  I was going to do every last one of them. 

 

 

Some things, like the curtains and the fabric bunting and the framed book pages, took just a few hours.  Others, like refinishing the dresser, bookshelves, and wall shelf, took days. 

 

If I had more time this week, I'd love to give you detailed instructions for each project.  But I need to pack and clean the house and do other responsible things, so I think I'll just have time to go into serious detail on the bookshelves.  

 

 

One thing that I am especially excited about though and just have to share is the re-upholstery I did on the chair.  This chair has been in my family since before I was born, I think, and has been mine since I was in high school.  My parents even let me get it re-upholstered at that point and I picked a sensible navy blue.  I have never regretted that decision. 

 

But once we put it in the room, I felt like the navy combined with the dark wood was just too dark.  I wanted to make new covers for the cushions, but needed to keep it both cheap and very child friendly.  So I bought a 6' x 9' canvas drop cloth from Lowe's and was able to cover both cushions with plenty left over!  I love the color of the canvas, it's plenty sturdy, and super washable.  Depending on how messy this kid is, I may end up doing something similar to our sofa cushions. 

 

Here is a quick list of everything I made/updated and a few sources:

 

Curtain: made with fabric scraps cut into 6" wide strips and sewn together

Bunting: same fabric scraps, cut into triangles and sewn together

Wall Art: pages cut from one of my childhood books, put in white frames we already had (Target), purchased charcoal mats at Michael's for $2.99 each

 

 

Mirror: used unframed mirror we already owned (Lowe's).  Bought two 1' square sheets of small white tiles for $2.55 each and one tube of silicone adhesive for $3.48 (Lowe's). 

 

 

Wall Shelf: used wooden shelf we already owned.  Used leftover milk paint and stain from dresser project.  Bought two pieces of scrapbook paper for $.12 each (Michael's), cut to fit, and attached with spray adhesive. 

Chair: used chair we already owned.  Covered cushions with $13 canvas drop cloth (Lowe's)

 

 

Dresser: see this post

Bookshelves: more details coming later this week

 

 

What have we learned here?  Mainly that I am a force to be reckoned with when I set my mind to something.  And possibly that I have trouble showing restraint when it comes to home décor projects. 

 

I'll be back later this week with more details on the bookshelves- they were an Ikea hack that I'm particularly proud of!

dresser redo and the skinny on milk paint

 

 

Have I ever told you that I love to refinish old furniture?  I sure don't do it that often anymore, but I used to drag home all sorts of weird pieces when I was in high school and then paint them and put them in my room.  One dreamy year, my family had a three car garage and we didn't park a single car in it, so I considered that my personal workshop.  I brought home a lot of furniture that year. 

 

 

So when the chance came and we needed another dresser but did not want to spend much money on it, I knew that I could put my old skills to use once again.  Steve and I picked up this dresser from Bargain House for $95.  We weren't crazy about the stain color.  Or the weird decorative strip of wood between drawers two and three.  Or the whole general look of it. 

 

But we were crazy about the price and in a time crunch, so we squished it in our trunk and brought it home. 

 

To be clear, only half of it fit in the trunk.  The other half hung out of the back of the car and made me very nervous the whole drive home. 

 

Next, Star and I picked up some milk paint from Great Walls Supply for $22.  I chose Miss Mustard Seed's milk paint in Mustard Seed Yellow.  Milk paint is a very old type of paint that is actually a powdered pigment that you mix with water.  The staff at Great Walls were very helpful and gave us lots of tips for mixing and applying the paint.  I also brought home a bottle of hemp oil ($12) and a half bottle of bonding agent (free- they were out, so they gave me half a bottle that they were using at the store).  The hemp oil is like a top coat that you rub on after you paint the piece.  The bonding agent gets mixed in with the first coat of paint to help it adhere to whatever you're painting on- in my case, previously finished wood. 

 

After searching Pinterest for some inspiration, I felt ready to begin.  I started by gently sanding the top of the dresser.  Then I found an almost empty can of stain in the garage and painted it on pretty thick.  I didn't worry too much about it looking gloppy because I knew I could sand the glops later. 

 

Before I started painting, I pried the strange wooden beam off the middle of the dresser and patched the holes. 

 

 I mixed up my first coat of paint with the bonding agent and started painting the rest of the dresser and drawers.  With milk paint, you don't have to pre-sand anything, which is awesome.  The easiest way I found to mix the paint is by putting the powder and warm water in a glass jar and shaking it for a few minutes.  Then you want to let it sit for a few minutes to settle.  Then stir in the bonding agent last and start painting. 

 

Milk paint, in my experience, can look pretty terrible going on.  The first coat was quite streaky and not at all pretty.  The second coat (without bonding agent) got better.  I think I also got better and mixing the correct ratio of powder and water with each coat. 

 

After I was done painting all the yellow, I decided I wanted a design in the bare spot left between drawers two and three.  Keep in mind that I was determined to: a) only use supplies I had on hand, and b) spend as little time as possible.  I marked some dots with a ruler and taped off a grid of diamonds with masking tape.  Then I took some white craft paint and gently brushed it on.  It was more like dry brushing than painting, so I didn't really have to wait for it to dry.  I took the tape off and then lightly sanded over my diamonds to make them blend into the rest of the piece better. 

 

Once I felt happy with the paint, I went back and sanded any drips or weird spots.  After I was done sanding, I rubbed two coats of hemp oil into the whole thing (top included) to give it a nice shine.  The hemp oil soaks in, so it's not very shiny, but it gives the piece a smoother look and feel that I like.  Also it helps protect the paint. 

 

The last thing to take care of were the knobs.  I found a pack of 10 rubbed bronze knobs at Target for $17.99 that were almost exactly what I was looking for.  The screws that came with them were way too short, but thankfully I'd saved the old screws, which were a little too long, but thankfully Steve had some washers that we added and then they fit just right.  Whew. 

 

My budget for this dresser, plus the bookshelves I'm working on this week, was $300 total.  The dresser ended up costing $146.99, plus I had enough paint left over for the shelves.  I'll share pictures of those next week once they're done!

 

My final thoughts on milk paint:

- it doesn't produce a very even finish, which can be good for used furniture- more forgiving

- getting the right ratio of powder to water takes a few tries and will vary based on what type of surface you are painting

- it is easy to clean up and doesn't have any fumes, which is really pleasant

 

Overall, I thought it was a great paint for this project and I would definitely use it again!

milk paint: the first attempt

Happy Friday, friends!  I hope it's as beautiful where you are as it is here!

 

I've gotten to spend the better part of the day semi-outside and have loved it.  I'm refinishing this dresser that we picked up at a thrift store last weekend, so I've been in the garage with the door open. 

I think I underestimated how long this project will take and am glad to have Steve's help over the weekend to knock out some more of it.  I'm using milk paint for the first time ever and there is a bit of a learning curve, but I can't wait to tell you all about it once I'm done. 

In addition to refinishing furniture this weekend, we're also having another bow tie photo shoot, rearranging our guest room, and (hopefully!) spending time in our lounge chairs.  I hope that your weekend feels extra long!

how to get more life out of your linens

I am the kind of person who likes to get the most out of things.  If Steve and I go out for coffee, I like to sit for a long time at a cozy table while we sip our drink and have a great conversation.  If we go on a trip, I like to use the time to do the things that we can only do in that specific place.  And when I buy something, I plan to keep it for a long time. 

 

But I also like to have nice things.  Which is why, when the edges of our pillowcases started looking ragged and kind of shredded, I almost got rid of them.  Who wants to lay down every night on a ragged pillowcase if they don't have to? 

 

After giving it some thought though, I realized that I could just make a new edge for the case.  I cut some strips of fabric and sewed them together until they were long enough.  Then I folded the long edges in towards the middle until they met and ironed them in place.  Then I folded the whole thing in half (I was basically making bias tape, for those of you who are a bit more sewing-savvy) and ironed again.  I pinned the binding onto the edge of the pillowcase and sewed it into place.  Voila!  Even fancier than before! 

 Now that my eyes have been opened to how easy it is to repurpose bedding, I feel like I can give new life to all of our sheets!  These pink polka dot sheets no longer match the room they go in, so I made a new edge for them.  I basically used the same method as for the pillow cases, but I cut the fabric wide enough to fold around the old edge. 

I didn't even cut the old edge off- just left it underneath- but you certainly could if you wanted to change the width.  I think that adding or updating the edge of your sheets or pillowcases is such an easy and inexpensive way to update your bedding.  And all you have to do is know how to sew a straight line! 

ps- Happy April!  I don't know about you, but I think this month is going to be amazing!

fancy thumb tacks

Last week I completed a super fun, super cheap, super quick project for my office.  I have been on a hunt for colorful thumb tacks since I made my bulletin board strip last fall.  I didn't know it would actually require much effort, but sadly, all the thumb tacks I found were either boring or too expensive (how could I pay $15 for 20 tacks when I knew I'd want to tack much more than 20 things?). 

 

But then I came across this tutorial on the ModCloth blog for decorating your own thumb tacks and my life was changed.  As much as one's life can be changed by pretty office supplies. 

I already had this pack of 70 white thumb tacks that I believe cost $.50.  They are not super sharp, so I can't use them on walls, (I have slight obsession with tacking things to the walls that Steve finds really worrisome) but they are fine for a bulletin board. 

 

I purchased four mini nail polishes in colors that matched my office for $.93 each at Walmart.  I would have just used my own nail polish, but I'm strictly a pink and red girl. 

I spaced the tacks out in one of the pieces of cardboard they came in and raised them up so the heads were not touching the cardboard.  Then I painted two coats of the base color on each one.

The next day, I painted the designs.  I stuck with dots, stripes, and hearts, because I'm not much of a nail polish brush artist.  On most of them, I ended up doing two coats of the top color as well so that the base color didn't show through. 

Probably my favorite part about this project was the lack of clean up!  Because you are painting with nail polish, there are no brushes to clean or paint containers or anything.  I kept everything out on my work station and would just work on it for five minutes at a time whenever I had a chance. 

 

Today I'm plowing through a long to-do list (Monday's list is always lengthy!) and roasting a chicken.  Is anyone else getting excited about Valentine's day?  Here are some ideas for treats to make if you're thinking about baking this week. 

the loot

When we arrived at the Maker's Summit last Saturday, we each got one of these cool tote bags.  They were filled with all kinds of stickers, notebooks, pens, and other fun samples. 

They were also full of monkey hats.  That's right- Steve and I now have in our possession matching knitted monkey hats.  If you live in our neighborhood, you should be very afraid.  We will  be wearing these on winter walks.  Along with our Smittens. 

 

The hats were a gift from MailChimp, one of the sponsors of the conference.  Before I realized this, I thought they might just be giving out random animal hats and was secretly bummed out that we'd both ended up with monkeys. 

Mid-afternoon, they drew names for the sponsor giveaways.  Here is a little known fact about me: I usually win these types of things.  It's weird and I don't know why it happens.  If there is a contest that takes actual skill or action to win, count me out.  But a random name drawing?  There is a 80% chance that I'll go home with a prize. 

So, needless to say, I won an awesome craft kit.  Most of the items in the kit are from Knot & Bow and now I want to buy everything in their shop.  For now though, I will be content with using up my big box of free supplies. 

I've been oogling baker's twine for the better part of a year and am now the proud owner of two big spools.  You may wonder why I didn't just go ahead and buy some earlier (it's not a high investment item) and the answer is that I couldn't decide what color to get.  So now the decision has been made for me and I'm thrilled!

Washi tape is another item that's been on my "want" list and I literally almost bought some last Thursday.  There were four lovely rolls in my gift box in various stripey and polka dot patterns.  Perfect. 

And just when you thought that gold and white striped tape couldn't be cooler- it came with this awesome wooden camera tape dispenser! 

Now, let's talk chalkboard tags.  What do you tag with them?  I know they'd be super cute on gifts and will probably use some for that purpose, but I also want to display them around the house.  I'm thinking of tagging my kitchen canisters or maybe writing secret notes to Steve on them. 




If you'd like to see a bit more of our weekend, check out this cool video of the conference and craft party.  See if you can spot Steve and I- we're actually in there several times!

Today I am finishing up a craft project for my office that I will be sharing with you next week.  I'm also making soup (this one) and waiting for my brother to arrive.  Hope your weekend is cozy!

The Best Craft Party Ever

When Steve and I were making our plans to attend the Maker's Summit in Greenville last weekend, we had to decide if we would stay Saturday night, or head back home as soon as the conference was over.  But after the conference, in the very same space, was The Best Craft Party Ever, which included dinner, craft supplies, and access to some awesome printing techniques.  So we decided to stay.  How can you turn down something called "The Best Craft Party Ever"?

Dinner was catered by a local restaurant and it was lovely.  We sat at long tables and met people who we hadn't gotten a chance to speak with during the day. 

While we waited for the food to be served, we got to check out some 3D printer demonstrations.  I had never seen a 3D printer before, but they must be the next big thing because I just read about them on Design Mom yesterday too! 

After dinner, we went to the screen printing station, where we got to print our own t-shirts!  We learned about how they prep the screens and I was amazed that you can use a special heater on the ink that makes it dry almost immediately! 

I'm super excited about my new shirt: a) because it's gray, and b) because it's inspiring.  It seems like you're setting yourself up for a successful day by putting on a "Make it Happen" shirt in the morning. 

Next, we went to check out the letterpress and print our own posters.  The letterpress was interesting because the ink goes on a disk on top of the machine and then as you pull the lever, two rollers grab the ink, roll it over the stamp part, and then the whole thing squeezes shut to make the print. 

Again, both cute and inspiring. 

And the fun didn't stop there!  We picked up our craft supply boxes and got to work on the individual projects that we'd chosen. 

While we worked, we had a chance to meet a few more people, including Stephen Fraser, one of the founders of Spoonflower.  You know that we already love Spoonflower for printing our own fabric designs, so it was amazing to get to hear more of the story behind the company. 

Steve chose to make the beeswax candles.  They were really easy and kind of addictive.  You just cut the sheet of wax to the size you want, put the wick near one edge, and roll very carefully.  I love how they look and am not sure if I want to burn them, or just enjoy them whole. 

I chose the paper wreath project and opted for hearts, in honor of the month.  I'm actually still working on it to get the look that I want, but I came home with lots of cool paper to use. 

If you can believe it- there's more!  Tomorrow I'll share pictures of some of the items we got in our gift bags, plus the giveaway that I won while we were there.