Lamp Shade Makeover

Hello Everyone!!

Do you have a lamp shade that’s tired and worn out or maybe it’s just kind of bland and needs a little something?

Well, I’m here to help you out. I’ve used Iron Orchid Designs Decor Stamps by Prima to take this boring white lampshade from bland to grand!

You just need a lampshade and a few Prima supplies. Let’s get creative!

Supply List:

IOD Decor Stamps – Laurel  – Item: 815455

IOD Decor Stamps – Alpha II – Item:815417

IOD 10X12 Acrylic Block – Item: 815004

IOD Decor Ink, Soft Black – Item: 815011

Dry Foam Stamp Pad – Item: 815134

Fabric for the ruffle along the bottom of the shade {optional}

Let’s get started.

The first thing you want to do is add ink to your dry foam pad. I just squeeze the ink onto the pad in a zig-zag pattern and then use an old gift card or any hard plastic item that you can use as a squeegee to help spread the ink and push it into the foam. You could also just use a foam brush to apply the ink to the stamp, but I prefer the ink pad.

Now peel the stamps from their acetate backing and mount them to your acrylic block. I chose the small wreath and the crown from the “Laurel” set as well as letters and numbers from the Alpha II set. I used the “S” for our last name and the “No” and “24” All from the same set.

Lay your lampshade on a table or other firm work surface. I placed a book on either side of my lampshade to keep it from rolling around.

Use your ink pad to apply ink to the stamps.

Now, center your block and stamps over the lampshade and carefully press the inked stamps down onto the lampshade. I used my free hand to support the shade from the underside, to keep the shade from buckling or bending while pressing the stamp. Use a straight up and down motion when pressing the stamp onto the lampshade and removing it, taking care not to slide your stamp around.

That’s it! Super easy and now you can admire the beautiful grain sack inspired lampshade you’ve just created!

*For my lampshade, I also added a little ruffle to the bottom of the shade with a glue gun and a small strip of fabric up top. This is totally optional and the only reason I did it was because my shade was just a bit too short. Without the ruffle, I could still see the lamp socket, even with the shade on. You can see what I mean in the “before” photo above. You don’t have to do this. The lampshade looks great without it too!

Have a great day friends and happy creating!

The Bombe Chest

Several years ago, I found this Bombe Chest and it was in desperate need of some DIY love. Throughout the years, it has seen a few changes, most recently is what you see here. How did I do it? Let’s dive in and I’ll show you!

First of all, here is a list of supplies that you’ll need:

Iron Orchid Designs Vintage Art Decor Moulds Baroque 1 – Item: 655350814779

Iron Orchid Designs Vintage Art Decor Moulds Baroque 2 – Item: 655350814786

Iron Orchid Designs Vintage Art Decor Moulds Baroque 4 – Item: 655350814809

Iron Orchid Designs Vintage Art Decor Moulds Baroque 5 -Item: 655350814816

Iron Orchid Designs Paper Clay – Item: 655350814991

Wood Glue

Chalk Type Paint (I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint – French Linen for the chest itself and Graphite for the handles)

Gold acrylic craft paint ( I used Folk Art Metallic Finish in Pure Gold)

Clear wax (I used Annie Sloan Clear Wax)

Dark wax or antiquing medium of your choice. (I used Annie Sloan Dark Wax)

Paint brushes

Wax brush

Old rags to wipe away excess wax

This was where we started. This piece needed help. It needed something elegant and it needed dimension. I turned to Iron Orchid Designs and their beautiful line of DIY Vintage Decor Moulds. These moulds are amazing and you can customize pretty much anything with them.

The neat thing about these moulds, is that you can use them with so many different mediums. Even chocolate or fondant – yes!! They’re food safe too.

For my project, I used Iron Orchid Designs Paper Clay.

Let’s get started!

I created several castings with the paper clay.

While the clay is still wet, just glue it directly to your piece. By doing this step while the clay is still wet, you’re able to bend the casting to fit the curves of your furniture (or whatever you’re working on).

Here is the chest with all of the castings glued into place. Once everything is dry, paint the entire piece, including the moulds. I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in French Linen and then Graphite for the handles. I went over the mould detail again with gold craft paint using a smaller brush. I also painted the edge around the top with the gold paint. Let everything dry overnight. Finally, I  went over the whole thing with Annie Sloan clear wax, followed by dark wax to bring out the beautiful detail of the moulds.

I’m really happy with how this chest turned out.

I love how the moulds make this piece pop. They give it a little drama, a little elegance. They’re just what this bombe chest needed!

Thanks so much for visiting and I hope you’ll give Iron Orchid Designs Decor Moulds a try!!

xo and God Bless,

Kathleen

A Quick and Easy Industrial Chic Lamp

We decided to make some changes in our laundry room to create a bit more space. The room is very small and I really wanted to be able to move around in there and maybe even fold clothes in the room itself instead of dumping everything on the couch. We ended up stacking the washer and dryer which allowed me to squeeze a small dresser with a cubby style shelf on top as well as a little place to fold laundry.

I love this shelf because it gives us a place to store our keys and mail, as well as important papers that require some kind of action.

I created this wall art using Iron Orchid Designs Decor Transfers.

I’ll have a tutorial up on the blog for that as well as more photos of the finished room as soon as everything is complete but for now, I wanted to show you this lamp I put in the room.

This is a super inexpensive clamp light from Walmart. You can find them back in the hardware section. All I did was paint the metal shade with white chalky finish paint. I used Folk Art Home Decor Chalk paint in “White Adirondack” but you can use whatever color/brand you prefer.

I love the industrial yet chic look it gives to the space.

Have a great day and happy crafting!!

xo and God Bless,

Kathleen

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all enjoy a blessed day!

xo and God bless,

Kathleen

DIY Reindeer Grain Sack Pillow Cover

Good Morning!

Today I have some amazing grain sack pillow covers to show you! They’re perfect for Christmas and winter decorating so let’s get started and I’ll show you how to make them.

Here is what you’ll need:

drop cloth fabric

iron on transfer sheets

reindeer image from the graphics fairy (found here)

iron and ironing board

folk art milk paint

stiff paint brush

frog tape painters tape

sewing sheers or rotary cutter /self healing mat

sewing machine

twill tape for a tie closure (optional)

The first thing you want to do is measure the pillow you will be covering. Add an extra 1/2 inch to all of your measurements for seam allowance. I made my pillow cover like a pillow case with a tie closure, so you’ll want to cut out two pieces for each pillow cover that you make. One for the top and one for the bottom. Once you’ve got all of your measurements, go ahead and cut out your fabric.

Take the piece that is going to be your top and lay it down face-up on a protected surface. We’re going to make the grain sack stripes. Using your Frog Tape, place the tape down onto your top creating a stripe pattern.

Press down along the length of the tape to create a good seal, then add a very slight amount of paint to your brush. You can use a paper towel to remove some of the excess paint if you need to. You want the same amount of paint on your brush as you would if you were dry-brushing.

Start painting your stripes. I lightly pounce the brush in a circular motion as if stenciling. This seems to give the best coverage and allows for smooth, consistent coloring.

Paint two sets of stripes, one on each end on the pillow. While the paint dries, get out your iron on transfer paper and click the link above to get to The Graphics Fairy for the reindeer image. Save the image to your computer and then depending on which direction you want your reindeer to face, you may have to reverse your image in “mirror” before printing. I made two pillows to put on our sofa and wanted the deer to face each other. For this reason, I printed one of them in mirror image and one normal. This is entirely up to you though. Follow the directions on your package of iron-on paper when printing.

Once your images are printed out the way you want them, trim them as close to the image as you can without cutting into the image itself.

Now flip it over so the reindeer is face down and center it between your painted grain sack stripes (make sure your paint is dry first).

Once you have your reindeer positioned exactly where you want it, follow the directions on your package of paper to iron the image onto your fabric. Once cool, peel away the backing paper and your image will be revealed on your fabric.

Once that step is complete, it’s time to sew! You’ll want to sew the two peices of your fabric together with the right sides facing each other. Sew a 1/2 inch seam along three sides, remembering to leave an opening for your pillow. Remember, your pillow cover should still be inside out at this point. My drop cloth already had a finished edge, so I used it for the opening where my pillow would go in. If yours does not have a finished edge, go ahead and sew a hem all around your opening to create a finished edge (while the cover is still inside out). I also sewed a piece of twill tape to the top and bottom edge to make a tie closure. You can do this if you want or your can leave it as it is. I just liked the look of the tie, so I added it.

Once you’re all finished, turn your pillow cover right side out and you’re ready to slip the pillow inside.

Tie up the closure if you added one and you’re all set! Perfect for Christmas or winter decorating.

Enjoy and happy decorating!!

xo and God Bless,

Kathleen

A Peaceful Sunday

I hope everyone is having a happy, peaceful Sunday!

Enjoy the day.

Be sure to check back tomorrow morning for an amazing reindeer grain sack pillow cover. You ‘ll want to make a few to decorate with!

See you tomorrow!

xo and God Bless,

Kathleen

A Bit of Christmas

I started getting a few things out today for Christmas. Just a garland and a small flocked tree but I do hope to start decorating a bit this week. I also found the prettiest Christmas angel for the top of the tree. I can’t wait to start decorating.

The Christmas music is on and the coffee is hot!

xo and God Bless,

Kathleen