Sanding Sunday

Happy Sanding Sunday! Today's project is a headboard made from a door. A couple years ago, my awesome husband bought me a Cal-King mattress for my birthday. I was pregnant with my little bean and was freaking uncomfortable in our old queen sized bed. So we splurged a bit and got our ohhhh so comfortable, can fit all 5 of us, cal-king mattress. Well, since we splurged on a mattress, we didn't really have funds left over for a nice headboard/footboard. Also, I typically don't like paying full price for ANYTHING. If I can make, then I'd rather do that. Anyway, it's taken 2 years for me to find something I like AND something that was easy for me to do.

I found an old door on Craigslist for FREE!!!!  It is a nice solid single panel door from a  house that was built in the early 1900's.  It was PERFECT.  I called the guy up and had the hubs drive over there in the middle of the night...he's awesome that way...so that I could score this free door.   Well, it took a few months, mostly because of the weather, but once I finally got to working on it, it only took a few hours.

The hubs cut the door down to size and sanded it for me.  Then I painted it with a white primer.  That was it.  I was thinking I would like to spray a nice high gloss white on it one day.  But for now, I like the "distressed" look of it.

 the freebie

  the finished product

I still need to put my artwork back up above the bed.  I'm switching some things out, so I need to think about it for a bit first.  

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you...we hung the door on the wall using french cleats.  They are an awesome little invention.

here's a pic I found online

This is the brand we used, OOK French Cleats.  They hold up to 200 lbs each.  We bought 2 of them.  I don't think the door is going anywhere!

Busy Week

It was very busy last week.  My oldest son turned 7 and his party was this past Saturday.  So, I spent the entire week getting ready for it...mostly mentally, cause the physical stuff wasn't so bad.  I don't know why I stress over things like this.  There's no need for it.  Whatever happens, happens.  And, it's usually not the end of the world if it does.  I think all moms have this anxiety button built into them.  We want everything to be perfect so we try to do everything home made or from scratch and, for me, that just isn't realistic.  I have 3 boys.  Trying to be Super Mom is very stressful and unhealthy.  I do what I can for them and they're usually happy.  My goal for the next party, which thankfully doesn't happen until December, is to plan plan plan and do it as stress free as possible.  If the hubs were reading this, he'd laugh.  But, seriously...I am going to try and make it as stress free as possible.  Part of that, is trying to get everything organized in my life.  I find that I am a much happier mama if I am uber organized.  I'll keep you posted on that :)

I also made some home made Lara Bars last week.  I did not post them, because they were horrible!  I tried it once and didn't take pictures, and they were fantastic.  I tried it again, took pictures and they were horrible.  I tried a different recipe and eye-balled all the ingredients.  That was a mistake.  So...back to the drawing board, or should I say food processor.  Once I get my recipe perfected, I'll post it for you :)

Sanding Sunday has come to another road block (I just watched the Amazing Race, so all the lingo is stuck in my head).  I have things started but have yet to finish anything.  We've been a busy family on the weekends and this coming one is no different.  So, once again, I will post pics when I've actually done something.

Sanding Sunday

Welcome to Sanding Sunday!  It's been a long time in the making, but has final arrived!  I know you were probably thinking...WTH!  How long does it take her to sand something down?  Well, I'm here to tell you, NOT VERY LONG!  For my first SS project, I decided to do something simple and quick.  I took an old picture frame with an oil painting in it, sanded down the frame, then painted on top of the picture with chalkboard paint.  It was super easy and super quick.  I made my own chalkboard paint.  I got the recipe here.  It's really easy...promise.  All you do is take paint, I used some acrylic craft paint that I've had forever, in black, and mixed it with some unsanded tile grout.  I think my box that I purchased from Home Depot says Non-Sanded, instead of unsanded...same thing.  Plus, the smallest box I could find was a 5 pounder and all I needed was about a tablespoon...so I have enough non-sanded grout to make chalkboard paint for the rest of eternity.  Anywho, then I mixed the paint and non-sanded grout together and painted on top of my painting.  The only thing is that you have to work really really fast. The paint mixture dries almost instantly and your chalkboard paint turns into a really pastey hard consistency.

Here's a picture of my frame and painting before, beautiful isn't it (can you sense the sarcasm?):

Here it is after I painted it green.  Again, I used some acrylic craft paint that I've had forever.  I initially painted the top groove of the frame a pretty yellow, except it wasn't so pretty when I got it in there. So I covered it up with some green and that's why it looks a little lighter in the pic.  It could probably uses another sanding, painting, and a coat of poly, but I was feeling kinda lazy.  I think it's OK, don't you?

Here it is finished.  It now sits proudly in our dining room by the window so the boys can produce one of a kind pieces of art.  By the way, once I had the painting back inside the frame, I seasoned my chalkboard by rubbing chalk all over it then wiping it off.  I read that it makes it easier to write on it with...I didn't find that to be true, but did it anyway.

I do have to say, that the painting was painted on some sort of hardboard...masonite, pegboard kind of material.  It was not on a regular canvas.

I hope you enjoyed my first installment of Sanding Sunday!  I have many more projects to come!

QUESTION:
What projects are you working on?

New Series

I am starting a new series on my blog called 'Sanding Sundays'.  This is a day where I will spend my free time out in the garage sanding something.  I haven't really been  motivated to continue with any of my projects because of the winter, plus having Bean slowed me down.  BUT, now that Bean is going to be 1 YEAR OLD in another month or so, I figured it's probably time to start my beloved hobby.  I have ideas.   Lots of ideas.  Sometimes, the hubs just looks at me and rolls his eyes, cause I have so many ideas.  Well, it's spring time and spring is the time of rebirth and rejuvenation.  And I think it's time to rejuvenate some furniture.  So, here I am.  I'm gonna sand something and make it purdy!  Last year (I'm almost embarrassed to admit that) I started on my dining table.  I actually finished that...but the chairs, well, the chairs are another story.  I mostly completed one.  I sanded it down, painted, distressed, and poly'd the crap out of that chair and then recovered the seat with some awesome fabric.  Well, the seat has yet to be screwed back down.  So, if you're ever at my house, please be careful when you are sitting in the pretty chair...you just might fall through!  Anywho, I need to complete those plus a few other furniture/home decor items I've picked up along the way.  So stay tuned!  I am going to start my first Sanding Sunday project tomorrow!  Wish me luck!