Christmas Projects and Makeovers!

Hello friends! With just a few days left until Christmas I only have time for a short post, so I thought I'd show you some makeovers and upcycles that I somehow managed to work in this month.

First I'll start with my favorite, a Frenchy chair makeover:

I needed a small chair for extra seating in my dining room so I purchased this from a vendor friend at the antiques mall where I have a booth. Its not hideous here, but it needed a makeover!

I have not yet mastered the art of reupholstery and I wanted it finished immediately, so I simply chalk painted the whole thing with a homemade recipe using plaster of paris and a creamy white paint leftover in the basement.

Voila!


Okay so maybe no one will sit in it, but it's fun to decorate and looks great!

I kept adding accents and changing it up the first few days...

Until I settled on using it to display my roses, fresh holly, ironstone, and lace. Love.


And then I moved the arrangement elsewhere and I added more bling...


Okay I digress. Back to the projects...

This is an upcycle of  a vintage "Frosty" Dixie cup that I picked up at an estate sale two weeks ago. It was stained and cruddy on the inside but it was still in great shape and had wonderful vintage winter images on it.

My husband was really wondering what in the world I planned to do with it since the inside looked like "antique mold" for lack of a better description. I didn't know exactly what I would do with it either, but I bought it because I liked it, and that's how I roll! I knew I'd do something with it eventually. I didn't get a picture of mine before I fixed it up, it so I will show you some of the different ones I found on the internet.


When I got home I realized I had some misc. vintage ornaments left lying around so I got the idea to just stuff the cup full of Christmas goodness. I had an empty glass candle holder so I filled it with a little glittery snow and put the cup down in it. The glass not only looks nice, but will provide some protection from the cup getting smashed. I love it!

Moving on...

DIY chalkboards have been all the rage this year and its no wonder, they are so beautiful and add charm to any area. They are easy and just about any frame will work!

I had this frame in my antiques booth for a while, sort of priced not to sell...and boy am I glad it didn't. I decided to bring it home and use it to make a chalkboard, and I think it is one of my favorite DIY chalkboards ever. My husband and I did the lettering free-hand. Pretty cool!





We also made a sign for our porch with our house number by painting a cheap resin plaque from the flea market. Everyone has loved it!

Next I have a couple of faux grain sack projects to show you.

We have had this bench at the foot of our bed since summer. It was a $5 yard sale purchase that I had planned to recover with a shabby-vintage white chenille blanket, but since summer the blanket has just been draped over it. It looked okay, but lately I have been on a French grain sack kick, and once I realized the price of vintage grains sacks wasn't going to work with my "pay next-to-nothing" decorating philosophy, I decided to try painting it to get the same look. I did it for literally nothing, since I had all the materials already.

Here is the before:

Well sort of before. I had already started painting it with the chalk paint. The legs were previously a dark wood.

And after...


Turned out fab! I simply taped off the pattern with painters tape and used a red sharpie. After the ink was dry I lightly painted over the pattern (while still taped) with a rusty acrylic paint color. Now I am wanting to paint red stripes all over the house!
*hint... the key to painting fabric with chalk paint is a good sanding afterward. It will smooth down the paint to feel almost like a soft fabric!

I did do one more grain-sack paint job. I repainted my blah-cheapy bar stools that didn't match the island in the kitchen and have been driving me crazy for 4 years. Simple and cheap update! Well not that simple. Painting bar stools is a pain! But they turned out nicely and the kitchen looks so ready for Christmas now.  Since I have a lot of Coca-Cola items, the red will carry over for all seasons.


Lastly, here is a sweet little antique composition doll that some people would find creepy and dirty, but I think she is just gorgeous. She has been in my booth since summer and no one has decided to adopt her so I figured it was time for her to have her forever home. When I brought home the frame for the chalkboard, I decided to bring her along and dress her up for Christmas. I have realized that part of the fun of having my own booth is "shopping" it from time to time!

 

I dressed her up as an angel with feathers and bling, and named her"Joy." Now she is an absolute doll!

Hope you have enjoyed your visit here and that your Christmas is full of  JOY!

Christmas Parties:
http://fadedcharmcottage.blogspot.com/2012/12/holiday-home-tour-2012-linky-party.html
http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/
http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
http://knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/
http://maleviksrosentradgard.blogspot.com/
http://romantichome.blogspot.com/
http://www.thevintagefarmhouse.com/