Union Jack Patio Table

My mom had this table for over 35 years and during that time it was yellow, black, blue, maroon and rusty! I have had it in all it's peeling glory for a few years until this summer I decided it needed to be stripped back to the metal. I don't have a before picture, but this is during and it gives you an idea of the layers of paint 

 

My husband drilled a few holes along the rim to allow the rain to run off and then I used black Rustoleum Spray paint to cover the top and base. After that I made two stencils to form the Union Jack (it is not exact I know, I did do a Union Jack Trunk which is correct and I love!) I sprayed one coat of a cream colour for the lines and three coats for the triangles using leftover paint we had so the total cost of this project was $0 which you can't beat!

Do you have any favourite outdoor projects?

If you don't want to miss future posts, go to the right sidebar and subscribe for free by email or to follow on GFC or Google+. Make my day and LIKE us on Facebook or pin us above.

Ikea Hack For FREE!!

Yes, you read that correctly, this table was FREE! It is made from two different IKEA products found in the garbage.

 

 

First you take one Klubbo side table which looked like it had been left out in the rain...

 



 

Then you add the slatted bed base from the Fjellse bed...

 

 

 

and you get this gorgeous table all for $0.00!

 

 



 

 

I found the original table in a neighbours garbage and thought I would buy some wood to make a new top.  Later that evening I noticed the bed slats in another neighbours garbage and realized it would be perfect for the top. 

 

I started by measuring my wood so I have about a 3/4" overhang and I cut the wood  (using my husbands mitre saw all by myself for the first time ever!).  I used black satin finish Rustoleum spray paint and covered the base with three coats.  While that was drying I lightly sanded and then stained the wood using Special Walnut colour stain.  When dried I laid the wood on the ground and used some offcuts of the wood to join them all together on the bottom.  I attached the top using wood screws to the frame.  To finish off the table and to protect it, I used two coats of Polyacrylic in satin finish and left it to dry. 

 

I love the combination of the smooth, modern metal and the rustic, aged wood.







If you don't want to miss future posts, go to the right sidebar and subscribe for free by email or to follow on GFC or Google+. Make my day and LIKE us on Facebook or pin us above.

Sharing With:

Funky Junk Interiors                                   French Country Cottage

Life On Lakeshore Drive                            The Thrifty Groove
Be Different Act Normal                            The Chicken Chick
Thrifty Decor Chick                                   The Dedicated House
Alderberry Hill                                           A Humble Creation
An Original Belle                                       A Pinch of Joy
Serendipity and Spice                                 The Tumbleweed Contessa
The Rustic Pig                                            Elizabeth & Co
Not Just A Housewife                                Kathe With An E
Coastal Charm                                            Fluster Buster
If It's Not Baroque                                      Savvy Southern Style
Creative Cain Cabin                                    A Diamond In The Stuff
Someday Crafts                                           I Gotta Create
The Shabby Creek Cottage                         Made In A Day
Common Ground                                        Embracing Change
52 Mantels                                                  No Minimalist Here
Live Laugh Rowe                                       House of Hepworths
The Pin Junkie                                            French Country Cottage
Miss Mustard Seed                                     Diana Rambles
Funky Junk                                                 Redoux

Power of Paint

I was so exicted to open an email this week from Maryann at Power of Paint and find out that my Union Jack trunk was selected as one of her features!  She has so many super projects from such fantastic bloggers that I'm honoured to be chosen.  If you haven't been to her blog yet, do stop by for a visit, you will be amazed at what you see.  Off to do my little happy dance now...

 

 

Read more about My Take On The Union Jack Craze 

Featured At:

If you don't want to miss future posts, go to the right sidebar and subscribe for free by email or to follow on GFC or Google+. Make my day and LIKE us on Facebook or pin us above.

Have a Drink On Us

You might have seen the stool my youngest son made and finished titled Bird On A Stool (okay so it wasn’t the most original name I came up with).  Now my eldest son who is soon to be 16 finally completed his stool that he also made about three years ago (we’re not actually very good at finishing projects in a timely fashion as you can see).

Matt was not about to spend a lot of time sanding or prepping the stool so homemade chalk paint seemed like the obvious answer.  He came up with the design and painted two coats of red paint, sanding lightly in between. 

Next, he took the logo we had photocopied and covered the back with chalk.  He secured it to the stool and traced the outline of the logo so that it left a chalk outline on the stool when he removed the paper.  Then he filled in the outline with white paint and touched up the red.  To make the stool more durable we used two coats of polyacrylic in satin finish.

I hope you agree it looks good enough to drink!! 

 

If you don't want to miss future posts, go to the right sidebar and subscribe for free by email or to follow on GFC or Google+. Make my day and LIKE us on Facebook pin us above.

 What about you, do you try to get your kids involved in your projects?

 

 

 Sharing With:

I Gotta Create Wildly Original Link Party #34                      The Pin Junkie

The Rustic Pig                                                                        Crafty Scrappy Happy

The Inspiration Link Gallery Party Week 17                         The Dedicated House

Elizabeth & Co. Party #51                                              Alderberry Hill

The Shabby Creek Cottage #186                                            A Humble Creation

Debbiedoos - Power Of Pinterest Party                                  An Original Belle

Funky Junk                                                                             A Pinch Of Joy

Savvy Southern Style WOW #101                                         Life On Lakeshore Drive

The Chicken Chick                                                                 Fluster Buster

Not Just A Housewife

Top Furniture Projects for 2012

Having only started this blog in November I don't have many projects to choose from, but I wanted to look at the best of 2012.

 

Bird On A Stool which was made and finished by my 12 year old son, Justin is a favourite.

 

And My Take On The Union Jack Craze as I was so pleased with how it turned out and it had the most views of any of my projects.

Wishing you and your family good health and great happiness in 2013.

 

 

If you don't want to miss future posts, go to the right sidebar and subscribe by email or to follow. Make my day and LIKE us on

Facebook

Sharing With:

Funky Junk Interiors
Debbiedoo's Power of Pinterest Party
Fox Hollow Cottage Power of Pinterest Party
I Gotta Create Wildly Original Link Party
Diana Rambles -Best of 2012
Feathered Nest Friday
Embracing Change

Dollar Store Christmas Word Tree

I'm always looking for little crafty things to do which don't take much time or money. I bought three packages of plain wood words and simply painted and added some glitter I had on hand. Hanging from branches from my neighbours tree (shush, don't tell them) they add a little touch of sparkle to our Christmas decor

 

 

Here's a close up of the words

 

 

 

If you don't want to miss future posts, go to the right sidebar and subscribe by email or follow. Make my day and LIKE us on Facebook

Sharing With:

The Rustic Pig
The Dedicated House Make It Pretty Monday
Homemaker On A Dime
Diana Rambles Pin Me #11



Dollar Store Gift Boxes

Inspired by Debbiedoo's Dollar Tree Christmas Link Party I headed out to Dollarama (Toronto's equivalent to The Dollar Tree).  I found these great wooden boxes for $2 each and thought they would be perfect to wrap gifts in because they could be used over and over again.

 

The first one I wanted to be able to use again any time of the year so I stained the main box with Special Walnut, including the inside.  I then topcoated it with two coats of polyacrylic.  Don't worry if you get a bit of stain on the "ribbon" you can just use sandpaper to sand it off.

Next I painted the ribbon with an antique white, but in future I would skip this step as it wasn't necessary and who wants to make extra work for themselves?  I then used my finger to spread white glue on the "ribbon" and sprinkled epsom salt onto it.  I left it to dry overnight and now I have a elegant, sparkly gift box.  (total cost $2 for the box, everything else was left over from past projects).

 

For the next red and silver box I used some leftover homemade red chalk paint which I had used on my Union Jack Trunk to paint the box.  I topcoated the box inside and out with polyacrylic in satin finish.  Inexpensive silver paint from Dollarama dressed up the ribbon and when dry I used white glue and silver glitter again from Dollarama to create some drama.  ($2 for the box, $1 for the glitter, $1 for the silver paint = $4 total with supplies left over for future projects).

 

 

 

If you don't want to miss future posts, go to the right sidebar and subscribe by email or follow.  Make my day and Like us on Facebook

Sharing With:

 

The Rustic Pig

Diana Rambles Pin Me #11