Side table upcycle

 

I found this vintage plant stand in an op shop a while ago, I loved the mid-century design so I went on a mission to find the perfect pot to sit on top for my fiddle leaf fig. Unfortunately finding that perfect size/shape pot was almost impossible so I ended up buying a basket for the fig. In the garage the plant stand stayed.

 

I had seen a few table upcycles on instagram using the large round cheese board from Kmart, that got me thinking......it just so happens it was a perfect size table top! I didn't want the writing on the top so I used the blank underside.

The timber was lovely but way too dark for my liking so I painted it white. Painting made such a difference! It also looked much better upside down as a table base.

All was left to do was flip it over, add some brackets and screw it all together!

These are the brackets I used

A perfect little functional and fashionable side table.

 

 

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Jodie xx





Metallic temporary tattoos are not just for skin!

I love all things metallic and I really love the metallic temporary tattoos I am seeing everywhere. They look amazing on Beyoncé and on the beautiful people at Coachella but on me they would look ridiculous!!! The designs are often gorgeous boho chic, love, love....LOVE! I got to thinking.....how could I use them? So I came up with these two easy DIY ideas that can be made in no time at all.

DIY metallic marble coasters

You will need:
10cm tiles
Metallic temporary tattoos
Clear coat/varnish
plastic or rubber bump stops

Natural stone is just so beautiful and blends perfectly with metallics. I went searching for some polished marble but I couldn't find any that was readily available without having to pay a fortune or buy online. I remembered we had some 10cm x 10cm tumbled marble tiles in the garage from a few houses ago, perfect size for coasters! Any tiles will do for this project and you can pick up faux marble, get the look without the price tag! I do however think the tattoos will stick to a slightly rough surface better than a high gloss surface.

I made sure the tile was dust free and then went about applying the tattoo the same way as applying to your skin.

Once completely dry you will need to apply a few coats of clear varnish. I would recommend several light coats of a spray varnish used for decoupage, you really only need to protect the motif from scratching off so I just used the varnish I had on hand. For all the coffee/tea drinkers, heat resistant varnish is also available, you can buy high heat clear coatings at places such as Super Cheap Auto and Bunnings.

All that is left to do is stick the clear bump dots to each corner on the back to protect your table and you're done!!! So easy, even my 5yo helped me!

DIY Vintage Leather metallic arrow motif key fob

You will need:
Leather strip (I used a vintage leather belt)
Leather hole punch
Split key ring
Leather studs
Clear coat/varnish
Metallic Tattoos

For this little project I needed a heavier leather so the key fob would hold its shape. I found using an old leather belt was perfect for this, I hit the op shops and I found a great vintage tan leather belt. I cut the belt into a 2cm wide strip by 30cm long. Because I wanted to use the arrow tattoos I cut the length accordingly, you could make it as long or as short as you like!

If you are using a lighter tan leather like I did, apply a layer of your clear coat first. If using black or dark brown leather you can skip this step. I do this because the tattoos have a clear edge around them and it can show on lighter leather if you don't do this first.

Fold one end of the leather through the keyring  and then bring the other end on top creating three layers with about a 1cm overlay. Now punch a hole in all three layers, its probably easier to mark the holes then punch them individually. Now place your stud in the hole and hammer in place, key fob made!

Place the tattoo/motif on the key fob and wait to dry. I made the fob first as I wanted to get placement of the arrow just right. You can apply the tattoos first and then make the fob, personal choice really. Once dry, coat the leather a few times with your clear coating to protect the motif and stop it from scratching off. For this I used Jo Sonja's gloss varnish because its flexible, durable and doesn't seem to crack. You could also use any clear coating but I would recommend using one that is flexible so it wont craze or crack.

There you have it, these gorgeous tattoos can be used on anything really, not just skin! I would love to use them on a beautiful piece of timber or concrete, hmmmmm!

I hope you enjoyed my tutorials. If you try one be sure to send me a pic or tag me on Facebook or Instagram, I would love to see your creations!

Jodie xx

Side table ottoman upcycle

Last week I picked up this ugly old coffee table from an op shop. On the ugliness scale it was hideous! However, the little table had three things going for it:

1. It was solid as a rock, looks like it was made by a home handy man and completely over engineered!
2. It had great legs, mid century legs like this alone are around $40 on ebay. If all else fails I could just sell the legs.
3. It was only $3.00.....THREE DOLLARS!

So I bought it home and got to work. I unscrewed the legs stripped all the white enamel paint using Citristrip.

After all the layers of paint were removed, beautiful timber was revealed. The legs were sanded, coated with Scandinavian oil, waxed and polished with carnauba wax to a silky smooth finish.

I had a piece of 75mm foam cut to size for the top. I upholstered a layer of wadding by cutting to size and stapling underneath to make the ottoman top. Now its ready for fabric! Tip: Spray the foam with spray glue, that helps it stay put while working on it.

There are a few ways to upholster the top of an ottoman. The first way is to create a strip or gusset around the edge, if you are new to sewing or upholstery this way can be a little more tricky as you have to match fabric patterns and direction. You can also neatly fold your corners and staple them in place (the easiest quickest way) or you can stitch the corners. As my fabric print is directional I went with stitching the corners, it only take a little bit more time than folding and the end result is much neater. I measured the ottoman top and worked out my corners and stitched them accordingly. You can also lay your fabric over the top inside out, pin and tailor it to fit. Once the fabric is perfectly fitted, staple and trim off the excess. I have this gorgeous teal blue feather home décor fabric by Premier Prints I bought to have one of my mid century chairs upholstered. Luckily I bought extra!

The legs were a little long so hubby cut them off at the bottom and we were finished! A perfect little foot stool, table or extra seating for little people.

If you try any of my projects yourself, don't forget to tag me on facebook, instagram or send me a message. I would love to see your work!

Jodie xx