Refurbishing Antique Glass Bottles

I've always wanted to incorporate antique glass bottles into my home decor. Their various styles, shapes, and sizes just can't be found in the glassware section at your typical department store. I wanted that authentic wear-and-tear to add character to the mantel I was designing, not to mention antique shopping is basically Heaven on Earth!! So I ventured out to my local flea market to make that happen ;)

Find old,weathered glass bottles of various heights, sizes, and shapes. Remember - slight cracks, dents, rust spots, and scuffs are a good thing!! This will ensure texture & dimension to the setup. I found all of mine at an epic antique store in town. Each bottle was a steal at $1-$2 dollars.

 I used 2 methods to refurbish these antique bottles:

#1 Accentuating Its Flaws

Some of the bottles had a natural weathered-look that I didn't want to paint over. Remember those slight cracks, dents rust spots, & scuffs we mentioned earlier? I found that I could emphasize them by painting just the inside of the bottle! Simply squeeze dollop of acrylic paint inside the bottle and swirl it around, making sure to coat it completely. Because these are antique items having gone through wear & tear over many years, this method allows that uniqueness & character to come to the forefront without covering it up with paint.

#2 Painting Layers of Colors + Distressing

This method is exactly like the 3rd option in my blog post Distressing: How-to Make Anything Look Antique (link here), but instead of layering 3 similar colors on the outside of the glass, here I applied the first color to the inside of the bottle, then added the second and/or third colors to the outside of the bottle. I finished with sanding.

3 layers of colors (one inside, two outside) + sanding

Inside

1st outside layer

Sporadic 2nd layer

 

2 layers of colors (one inside, one outside) + sanding

Inside Coat

Sporadic Outside Coat

If I had chosen just one re-purposing style - either method #1, method #2, or leaving them be - it would've fallen flat to the eye because they would've been too uniform. Since they are antique and each unique in character, I wanted each bottle to stand out, yet compliment each other. Using different methods accomplished this- the different finishes & textures allowed each bottle to juxtapose one another.

Tutorial on the Rustic Glass Window shown above using Dollar Store Picture Frames HERE!

DIY Wood Flower Trough UNDER $2!

If you feel like there is an area in your home that is missing that little something and you're on a budget, then this is project for you! My kitchen bar has been bare for quiet some time. Since it's such a small, narrow space I have been indecisive as to what to place there. And because it is the divider between the living room and kitchen, I wanted it to compliment the decor & themes of both rooms and to be able to switch it up when the seasons change. I present to you my design solution, which only cost me $2!!!!! I love the warmth & comfort it brings to both my living room and kitchen. The toned-down nature of this piece goes to show you that less truly is more :)

You will need the following materials:

1 - 5/8 in. x 3-1/2 in. x 6 ft Cedar Dog Ear Fence Picket - $1.28 at Lowe's - (Link Here)
hand or power saw
gloves
eye protection
Finishing nails
wood glue
sand paper
floral dry foam

Prop up your wood plank and place whatever you plan on placing in your flower trough up against it, like shown. This will give you an idea of what the dimensions of your box should be. I also measured the width of my bar to determine an ideal width for the box. Once you have determined your dimensions, cut your pieces and nail them together.  I made sure knots were visible to add the the weathered look we are going for.

For this portion of the tutorial, I will guide you through my weathered/distressing painting process. For a more in-depth explanation with pictures, I will link my **Distressing: How-to Make Anything Look Antique** blog here. I highly suggest using a sponge brush for this portion. I find that it helps to soak up any excess paint to ensure a light application.

Feel free to skip this part if you have a paint of your own in mind :)

I used the following paints - all purchased from Michael's:

First, apply 2 coats of the white paint letting it dry in-between each coat.

 On top of the white paint, lightly dab your brush into Oyster Beige. Swipe random strokes of this color onto each side. Take a paper towel and wipe off the excess. Let that dry. Then lightly dab your brush into Parchment and again swipe random strokes of this color onto each side of the box. Again, wipe off the excess & let that dry as well.

As you can see, the subtle layering of different color paints has now given the wood dimension (as oppose to just using one color, which makes it look flat). And, as you sand, there will be even more dimension added - The wood will peak through the white paint, which will peak through Oyster Beige, which will peak through Parchment. This painting and sanding technique is the best way to truly make something look weathered.

Without sanding

With sanding

Insert your floral dry foam, place your flowers atop, and you are DONE! Easy-peasy!

Front

Back

Left Side

I love the warmth & comfort it brings to both my living room and kitchen. The toned-down nature of this piece goes to show you that less truly is more :) Crazy to think that in a few weeks I will probably be switching out these hydrangeas for Autumnal decor...WHAT?! But that's another aspect of this piece that I love - it is so customizable!! I don't have to just stick with flowers - I could put jars, candles, fillers, add knobs...the possibilities are endless :)

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!!