How To: *Rustic Window* Using Dollar Store Picture Frames!

I was shopping at my local antique flea markets last week and I kept stumbling across old windows. I loved how they looked. Thoughts of serenity in my dream cottage away from it all kept coming to mind. I felt a timeless comfort whenever I looked at one. I knew I had to have one, but they were so pricey!  I couldn't justify spending that much. Not to mention they were so incredibly heavy - talk about a fear of a "you break it, you buy it!" situation. In today's tutorial I present to you my cost-effective solution to the aforementioned home decor dilemma...And did I mention I found all my materials at the Dollar Store??! $60-200 dollars for the original OR $4 for something that looks just as good? I'll let you be the judge ;)

You will need the following materials:

4 - 5x7 picture frames from the Dollar Store

duck tape

super glue

white acrylic paint
sponge brush
light grit sandpaper

 

Take your frames & discard the backings. You can also place the glass frames off to the side.

Connect your frames together on the back with duck tape. Make sure the tape is not visible from the front. (**I did three across here because initially I thought I was going to do a 3x2 window. I later changed my mind and did a 2x2 window instead.)

Flip over and apply super glue to the places you applied duck tape, as shown.

Now time to paint it. When the superglue has completely dried, apply 1-2 coats of white acrylic paint. Distress with sandpaper for more of a tattered, worn look.

Return the glass pieces back to each frame and Voilà! - you now have your makeshift rustic window!

I placed mine behind these refinished, antique glass bottles I found at a flea market. As you can see, the window adds depth & dimension to the glass bottles.

vs.

What I love about this tutorial is that you can customize it to whatever your vision is - bigger, smaller, taller, different paint finishes/colors - and it won't break the bank! :)

DIY Weathered Picket Fence

I love weathered-looking fences. To me, weathered wood exudes that comforting "cottage meets rustic" vibe I can't seem to stop obsessing over. This being the theme of my living room,  I designed and created this piece specifically to be the focal point on my new mantel I just built (Mantel Tutorial Link Here). I absolutely love how it turned out! It is so gratifying to create something & have your vision breathe life into your home. I hope this inspires you to do the same :)

You will need the following materials:

Five - 5/8 in. x 3-1/2 in. x 6 ft Cedar Dog Ear Fence Picket (Link Here)

One - 5/8 in. x 5-1/2 in. x 6 ft Cedar Dog Ear Fence Picket (Link Here)
One - 2"x3"x96" Whitewood Board (Link Here)

Hand or Power Saw
Eyewear Protection
Gloves

Hammer

Wood Stain

Cheese Cloth

White Acrylic Paint

Paint Brush

Sand Paper
Wood Glue

1 1/2 inch Finishing Nails

 I want to mention that this project cost me zero dollars - I used scrap-wood/leftover materials I had accumulated from various DIY projects :) I provided the links below so that you could see specifically what I used.

What you want to do first is cut the tops of your fence pickets to various lengths. These desired-lengths will vary from person to person depending on where you are placing it. I had these 4 leftover fence pieces from the flower box I made at the beginning of Spring (Tutorial Link Here). Since the space between my ceiling and mantel isn't very tall, these were the perfect height.

I wanted to make it wider so I added 3 more sections. I added one - 5/8 in. x 3-1/2 in. x 6 ft piece. 

Then, I took my 5/8 in. x 5-1/2 in. x 6 ft plank and cut it in half.

**Helpful hint: determine the height for your tallest piece and from there, stagger the heights for the remaining pieces.

I loved how the half-pieces just tied the whole look together. It made it look "less neat" and more rustic.

 
 From here, stain with a wood stain of your choice. I used Miniwax Wood Finish Oil-Based Interior Stain in 'Jacobean' (Link Here). Since cedar wood is porous, I used a light hand when staining each piece to avoid over-saturation. Sanding each piece beforehand will also help to avoid this. The wood pieces below the fence pickets will act as the cross bars (top) and the stand (bottom).

 When that has dried, lightly paint these pieces with white paint. I did this by lightly tapping my paint brush into the paint. You don't want to cover up the stain you just applied - you want to compliment it and have the stain peak through in a subtle way that's pleasing to the eye.

You could leave it like this, but to me it was missing dimension, character, and the authentic-nature of a real fence. So I decided to add 2 cross bars.  I placed them at angles to exude more of that "old & weathered" look.

Place the glue as shown, then secure with your finishing nails.

Place atop your mantel and you are done!!

Easy DIY Floating Mantel UNDER $20!!

When my husband and I moved into our home, we loved everything about it...except for the very awkwardly situated/peculiar looking "crawl space". For 2 years I've looked at it everyday and have struggled to design a way to decorate it. I didn't want to block it with entryway storage shelving because we live in a tornado-prone area, and we found that a fireplace console would run a tad short. Then one day I was thinking about our old apartment and how much I missed having a mantel - decorating it and the liveliness it brought into the living room. Inspiration hit and here we are :)

Before

You will need the following materials:

Power Saw or Hand Saw
Power Drill
Hammer
Protective eyewear
Stud Finder
Level
2 Clamps
Paint or Wood Finish of your choice
Sandpaper
Measuring tape

As far as nails & drill bits - those are personal preference, but I will show an image of the ones I used in the tutorial :)

Boring but necessary technical stuff:

Interior Support Bracket - 3 - 1"x6"x6ft Common Board @ $5.42 each - (Link Here) 
Top, Bottom, Side, & Front Shelving - 1 - 2"x3"x96" Whitewood Board @ $2.17 - (Link Here)
GRAND TOTAL: $18.43!!

Mantel Dimensions (approximate-after sanding down & smoothing edges):
57.5 inches long
4 1/16 inches tall
6 5/16 inches wide

Using your power saw, cut all 4 wood boards to your desired length. I cut mine to 56 inches.

Using the wood leftover from the Whitewood, cut four - 3 3/4 inch pieces. These will serve as the interior frame.

Now to connect the 4 interior frame pieces to the support bracket >> Use a 3/32" drill bit to drill pilot holes into your support bracket.

Then use a 7/16" wood bore in the same spots. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! Doing this will ensure that the bracket will lay flush up against the wall when mounted.

You should have 4 sections that look something like this (shadows emphasized):

Secure a frame over each section with a 3" 7.62 cm screw in combination with wood glue & a clamp.

Your finished support bracket should then look like this.

Now for the front the shelf >> Trim your Whitewood boards  to be 6 inches wide. We trimmed just a teensy bit more than 6 inches in order to account for what we would lose when sanding.

Sand till smooth to the touch. Then choose a paint or wood finish. I choose this paint since it was used for all the baseboards in my home  Plus, leftover paint = no need to spend any $$$ ;)

Remember - you only need to paint what will be exposed.

Mount your support bracket to the wall with the following nails. Don't forget to use your level!

Connect your front, top, and bottom shelf piece to the bracket with FINISHING NAILS - this is necessary so that the nail heads aren't visible.

I highly suggest using wood glue not only for added strength but also to fill in any gaps. Clamp as shown & let dry overnight.

Add the front & side pieces. Sand where necessary so that all edges are smooth and become flush with one another.

If you still find that, despite sanding, there are uneven places where the different pieces of wood meet each other, use wood filler glue. As you can see in the images below, using wood filler glue in combination with sanding makes a drastic difference!

Without sanding or wood filler glue

With sanding & wood filler glue - Left End

With sanding & wood filler glue - Right End

Add a 2nd and/or 3rd coat of paint, decorate as you wish, and you are done!

Before

After

 I designed & created the rustic-weathered picket fence & window accent pieces --> tutorial on these and how I (inexpensively) styled my mantel coming very soon!!