Refashioned Sweater Dress

Jessica from Utah County Mom wanted her little girl to have a couple sweater dresses for winter. When shopping attempts only turned up dresses out of Jessica’s price range, she looked to one of her old sweaters for the solution. The neck was stretched out, so Jessica never wore it anymore.

With nothing to lose, Jessica refashioned the sweater to fit her little girl and couldn’t be more pleased with the results. The dress was free, and her daughter loves wearing it! Paired with some tights and boots, this little cutie pie will be styling all winter!

Find Jessica’s detailed tutorial at Utah County Mom.

By Kimm | Filed under Outfits | Tags: children, DIY, girls clothing, how to, make your own, refabbed, refashion, refashioned, repurpose, reuse, revamp, sweater turned sweater dress, upcycle, what to do with an old sweater, winter clothes

October 31, 2011

Blue Painted Vase

With colder days ahead, Kristen from My Covered Bridge has been on a spray painting bonanza. We all know that winter’s freezing temperatures are sadly not conducive to spray painting. One item on Kristen’s to spray list was this clear glass vase.

Kristen set this vase apart from all her others with blue spray paint she had left over from another project. A few light coats on the inside and outside and the vase has a totally new, updated look. Wouldn’t your boring old clear vases get a lot more time out of the cabinet with a bright splash of color?

Family Picture Books

Pictures are a great way to familiarize your children with relatives that live far away. When my son was young, we used to keep pictures of family on the fridge so he could frequently see their pictures and remember their names. Jessica from Utah County Mom shares a great idea for turning old board books into family picture books.

Jessica designed her cover, spine, and pages in Microsoft Publisher and then glued the printed pages into her board books. She sprayed the pages with a glossy finishing spray to seal them and added contact paper to the covers for extra durability. Jessica’s daughter loves looking at her little picture books and seeing all her family’s smiling faces!

Go to Utah County Mom for the full tutorial.

By Kimm | Filed under Uncategorized | Tags: albums, board books, children, family pictures, how to reuse board books, kids, make your own, upcycle

October 30, 2011October 29, 2011

Paint and Stain Buffet

Kathleen from Kathy’s Cottage found a beautiful old buffet on the side of the road needing a little love and rehab. Despite looking a bit outdated, Kathleen absolutely loved the piece’s intricate carvings. It was in pretty good shape except for a piece of molding that was missing from the bottom drawer.

Kathleen and her husband replaced the molding and then completely transformed the piece with some paint and elbow grease to refinish the top. The hours Kathleen’s husband put into the top definitely paid off! It looks absolutely gorgeous with its rich color and shine. I am simply in love with how this piece came out!

Read more about the transformation at Kathy’s Cottage.

By Kimm | Filed under Buffets | Tags: buffet, curbside find, dining room, ornate carvings, paint, painted, refabbed, refinish, stained top, trash to treasure, two tone

October 29, 2011

Vintage Painted Bicycle

Michele from The Scrap Shoppe was excited to receive her mom’s old 1978 bicycle. It had been passed down from her Nana to her mother and then on to Michele. The bike was looking its age and needed a little makeover to repair it to its original glory.

Michelle got to do the fun part of picking out the new paint color and the seat and handlebars. Then her husband took over disassembling the bike, removing the rust, and repainting. Now, isn’t that a good man? Michele loves the color and the vintage feel. Now all she needs is a basket for the front!

Find the tutorial at The Scrap Shoppe.

By Kimm | Filed under Uncategorized | Tags: 1978 Western Flyer Galaxy Flyer bicycle, bicycle makover, bike, hand me down, how to paint a bicycle, refabbed, revamp, vintage bicycle

October 29, 2011

Jute Wrapped Candlesticks

Kristen from My Covered Bridge has been on a mission to transform junk from the backs of her closets and drawers into usable pieces. This time around Kristen started with a pair of old candlesticks.

Kristen grabbed some jute she already had on hand and wrapped it around the candlesticks using hot glue. The jute adds tons of texture and gives the candlesticks a whole new look. Plus, it didn’t cost Kristen a dime! Why pay a bundle for new accessories when the ones you have could flourish with just a little creativity and resourcefulness?

Painted Wood Chair

If you have large item trash day in your neck of the woods, you know it is one of the most exciting days of the year (well, at least for DIY junkies). For Vicky from Vicky Loves to Decorate it only comes but once a year, so you know she was pretty pumped to see what freebies she could score. She pulled up to the curb at the same time as the trash man to check out a large chair with some nasty orange cushions.

The trash man helped Vicky load up the chair, and she lugged it home for its makeover. After applying three coats of spray paint, Vicky made some new cushions with wood, foam, and fabric. The chair is now the newest addition to her daughter’s play area. It’s nice big size is great for a little girl to cozy up in!

Tissue Box Tattle Monster

If you have kids or are a teacher, you know kids seem to love tattling. Mariah from Giggles Galore was dealing with some tattling issues with her kids and came up with a solution to put the problem to rest. It only took some household supplies, starting with a tissue box that Mariah painted red.

With some polka dots, eyes, and teeth, you’ve got the newest addition to your family! Say hello to Murry the Tattle Monster! Instead of sharing their tattles with Mommy, Mariah’s now have to feed them to Murry. This is such a cute idea for both the home or classroom!

Get the full tutorial at Giggles Galore.

By Kimm | Filed under Recycled | Tags: educational, how to reuse a tissue box, how to stop kids from tattling, kleenex box, monster, monsters, recycle, repurpose, school, spray paint, tattling, upcycled