Mod Podge

IKEA Office Drawer Makeover {Mod Podge}

Posted by Nat on Mar 7, 2012 | 16 comments

It’s time to get craftin’ around here a bit more.  I have been spending the last few weeks really cleaning out my craft room and getting it organized.  It’s getting to be pretty awesome.  Now all that remains is plowing through some projects so that I can clear off the bed, since the room is also technically a guest room.

I’ve had this little drawer organizer for over 10 years.  It’s one of the first things I ever bought from IKEA, and it’s one of the only things I’ve bought from there that did not require assembly.  I LOVE assembling IKEA furniture.  I’m weird like that.

I decided that since we are going to be in this house until our kids are grown and in college, it’s time to commit to spiffing this thing up.  I also organized all of my office stuff, and purged a lot, so it’s much more feasible to use this in a logical way.  The little orange tabs you see above are what I used to temporarily label the drawers while I pondered what to do with this thing.

You may or may not have seen my sewing & crafting organizers, but this is the same fabric.  Here’s my before and after; below you’ll see a bit about my process.  Doesn’t it look soooo much cooler?!

To prepare the fabric, I measured the width of the drawers. I know that fabric tends to stretch a bit when you use it with Mod Podge, but I also wanted a wrap around on the drawers, so I added about 1/2 inch to the measurement.  I pressed my fabric in the middle of the pattern- you can see the crease below.  Then I measured the height of the drawers and cut very precisely.  I actually had to do this twice because I messed up and Mod Podged a piece on upside down.  Whoops.  Note:  once you put the fabric on, it’s never going to be the same, so if you mess up, you mess up.  It’s best to have extra fabric for this project, unless you are perfect in every way.  Ha.

I knew that I’d be working on this in spurts, so I labeled the pieces of fabric with the corresponding drawer and also an arrow to remind me which was way up.  To do this, I used tailor’s chalk so it just brushed off before I Mod Podged. I didn’t want to leave anything to chance- that’s dangerous for me.

To attach the pieces, I applied a layer of MP to half of the drawer face, pressed the fabric down, and gave it a good rub down.  Then I did the other side.  Before the MP dried, I also poked a hole where the drawer pulls would go back in later.  I just used a sharp pair of scissors.  On the right, below, you can see the little bit of fabric that wrapped around the edge.  These were stubborn- I had to hold them down for about 30 seconds while the MP did it’s work.  I coated the top of the fabric with two coats of MP.

For the top, I measure the fabric and cut to size.  There’s a metal trim, and the fabric stretched over it, so after it dried completely I used an exacto knife and trimmed it off.  I coated the top with Hard Coat Mod Podge, and then sprayed acrylic sealer on it (just one coat) so that it wouldn’t be tacky on the top where I am putting some often-used supplies.

The drawers I labeled with vellum so that the pattern of the fabric wouldn’t be interrupted.  I just love it.

Click here to see all of my Mod Podge projects!

Here’s the before and after again:

Also, you may have noticed my sewing machine cords back there on the left.  I stuck two 3M Command Strips to the wall and I hang my sewing machine cords on them.  That way, when I’m not using my machine and it’s covered up, the cords aren’t under the table getting in the way.  Genius, right?!  🙂

Church Family Rules and Mod Podge Lessons

Posted by Nat on Feb 6, 2012 | Comments Off on Church Family Rules and Mod Podge Lessons

My church had an event with an auction.  I decided to make a set of Family Rules for them to auction off.  Here’s a little peek.

I didn’t have much time to take pictures because I wanted to cross this off my list in a very bad way.  These are also not my most favorite rules.  I LOVE the hearts at the bottom- definitely going to do that again.  But I learned a lesson or two about paper and Mod Podge with these rules.  They were more like reminders for me, but because I rushed this project, I need to write them down so I don’t forget.  Hopefully they’ll help you, too.

Lesson One:

Quality counts for something if you’re using Mod Podge and paper.  Do not use cheap-y, flimsy scrapbooking paper if you are adhering it to a canvas.  It will bubble on you and it will possibly stay bubbled.  Sometimes, with other projects, the paper will bubble and then flatten out as it dries, but with this project, or with canvas & paper projects, you have to be uber careful.  In my case, I don’t mind the bubbling- I think it adds some visual appeal.  But if you want/need an uber-flat surface, be careful with cheap/thin paper.

Lesson Two:

Less is More.  I LOVE the Mod Podge part of this project- it’s my favorite part because everything starts coming together.  However, with this set of rules I learned that as much as I like to dump the Mod Podge all over the canvas and spread it around, that’s really a bit cocky of me. Mod Podge does not like to be abused.  So spread it nicely and not too thick.  It dries really fast- you’ll get that second coat on before you know it.

Do you have any Mod Podge questions?  Tips?  I love Mod Podge.  It’s my crafting hero.

If you’d like to see other Family Rules I’ve made, click here and here.

I’m linking up to

Jane’s Family Rules

Posted by Nat on Jan 26, 2012 | 2 comments

Yesterday I introduced you to my wonderful friend, Jane.  Jane’s birthday is in May.  It is now January.  Why does that matter?  Well, it was in May that I told Jane that I’d make her a set of family rules for her home.  And just this past weekend I finally actually gave them to her!  Granted, I did have a baby in July, and Jane did have to come up with the rules (a fun, but daunting task).  Here they are in all of their Mod Podged glory (and please note:  I REALLY need/want a new camera- ours is getting tired):

What I loved about this project, aside from the fact that I got to make this for someone I care about so much, was that I knew Jane would want something slightly different than my family rules.  I welcomed the challenge.  The one I made for our family is definitely my style- loud, colorful…a bit busy.  They fit me and my family to a ‘T.’  And with the color scheme in our kitchen, they work.  I love how they *pop* off the wall and people notice them when they come over for the first time.  Jane has different decor than we do (she has a smokin’ 80s kitchen while ours is still smack-dab in the swanky 70s) and has always liked certain colors.  I wanted to make her Family Rules “look like her,” and to go with her family and her home.  I think I did a good job.  She seems to like them, anyway.  I need to get over to her house and take a picture because all of these photos are in my home.

I’ve actually made another set to send to a church auction (post forthcoming) and have realized:  I LOVE making these things.  A lot.  So get ready for some giveaways and some fun because I think I may have found at least one path to my creative life- we’ll see!

Glitter Shoe Fix with Mod Podge

Posted by Nat on Jan 17, 2012 | 4 comments

Anna had been asking me for these shoes every time we passed them in Target.  I kept saying “no” because her feet grow like weeds and I knew they’d fit for maybe a month or two before we’d have to tearfully bid them farewell.  And they were so season-specific.  Then, to Anna’s luck, they went on clearance just before Christmas- $5!  Everyone was happy.  Until…

I let her wear them to school.  Dumb, I know.  But she loved them so much and wanted to show her friends- I remember that feeling.  So I said “yes.”  And then she skipped out to me when I picked her up, and this is what her shoes looked like:

 Whoops.

One of her teachers tried to make me feel better.  “They don’t look that bad….”  Uh, yeah.  I’m what they call “type A” when it comes to how my kids look.  I don’t need them to be dressed in expensive clothes, per se, but there are some things that I can’t take, and one is messed up shoes.

So, of course, I got out the Mod Podge, the red glitter, and went to town on those puppies.  Silly, I know.  But they turned out great.  Better than the alternative.

I finished them off with a spray of clear acrylic sealer.  They have held up great.  She also has not worn them to school since then…  at least I learned that lesson…  And now Emily can wear them in 4 years- that’ll save me $5.  🙂

Halloween Decor

Posted by Nat on Oct 17, 2011 | 2 comments

I am so excited for Halloween this year!  I really hate that it’s on a Monday.  I think that we should petition the powers-that-be and just make Halloween the last Saturday of October every year. So much easier.  Just sayin’.

Anyhoo, I thought I’d share our Halloween decorations that we have up.  I am not a “theme” person, nor do I have the time or money to invest in new decorations every year, but I do love to add a few things each year.  I’m an “orange & black with hints of green and purple” person for colors.  Someday I’ll get fancy, but for now, with three little ones, simple is best.

Here’s our mantel/mantle (I can never decide how to spell it).

(Oh, how I long for a new fireplace….)

I love the little pumpkins in our vase- they are the only thing I bought (at Vons!) aside from our squashes and one other thing below.  This is not my favorite part of our decor, but it’s fun to have in this room- we spend lots of time in here playing and (gasp!) watching TV.

This is our entryway.  I used the Martha Stewart transfers, purchased at Michael’s, for the pumpkins (they are fake). Unfortunately they are not holding up too well because the sun sets on this side of the house, so they are getting tired already- but maybe they’ll wash off and I can do something else next year.  I love all the pumpkins I’m seeing on Pinterest this year- just haven’t had time to do my own.

I also made this sign.  I got the idea from this post, which I found on Pinterest (oh, how I love me some Pinterest!).  I thought it would make a cute entry/welcome sign, so I got out the Mod Podge and got to work.  Turned out pretty cute, eh?

Also, here’s a quick tip:  whenever you need to paint a canvas on the edges, if it’s a wrap around canvas, it can be tricky.  I have started doing this, and I’m sure I’m not the first to think of it, but just in case… I put the canvas up on some books that are smaller than the canvas so that you have easy access to the edges, and they don’t stick to anything.  Make sense?

I find it a bit hilarious that I have “The Cake Bible” and “You- On a Diet” together on my bookshelf.

I found this garland and printed it out.  It was super easy to assemble and put together.  Definitely a keeper.  Here is where I found it (also via Pinterest).

In our hallway we have these things hanging.  I just love preschool decorations- they are too cute.  The bats are actually a Papyrus Halloween card.  I bought it a few years ago on clearance- I think it’s much cuter as a decoration.

My favorite part of our Halloween decor is in our kitchen.  I downloaded all of these prints FREE from different blogs (see below for links).  I printed them out on matte photo paper.  Usually these frames just have generic flower photos from IKEA in them, and it’s so nice to see something seasonal in them- I’m going to switch them out with Thanksgiving ones, too, I think.

(This is a tricky part of our house to photograph- it’s broken up by the kitchen cabinets and it’s a very narrow pass-through.  Sorry for the weird angle.)    Here they are straight on:

Download them for yourself:  Left, Middle, Right

Happy Halloween!  I’ll be doing another post about something else I made for these prints soon, so I’m not done yet. 🙂

If you’d like to see my Halloween board on Pinterest, click here.  If you follow me, I’ll follow you!

Shelf Makeover or… {flat surface angst}

Posted by Nat on Sep 21, 2011 | 1 comment

I have a love/hate relationship with flat surfaces.  What would we do without them?  Surely everything would end up on the floor.  But because of them, there is clutter in my house and there are times when I seriously want to just open the trash can and sweep my arm across the length of our counters and swoosh it all away, even if there is a gift card lurking in there somewhere.

I’m sure you also have a love/hate relationship with something in your house, whether it’s a room, a light fixture, a door, something.  Enter our shelf in the kitchen/eating area:

On the one hand, this thing is awesome because it stores much of Anna’s everyday art supplies (soon all the kids will use them, but for now, Anna rules the art roost here), and is a great place to throw our keys, a box of tissue, and because it’s where little hands can’t reach, I can put things up there and know that they are safe for the moment.  On the other hand….. it’s seriously fugly.  And tired.  And old.  Did I mention it was ugly?  Here’s a closeup of the bottom shelf.

I spoke to my husband about it several times, and he mentioned that he was worried it wouldn’t stay up if we took it down and put it back up.  For a while we were distracted with larger tasks with our house, so I just pondered what I would do, and finally the day arrived when I had to do something- I couldn’t take it anymore.  So I took it down and disassembled it.  I told my husband that if it didn’t go back up we could just hang some art in its place, and he agreed after seeing the look of desperation on my face.  Here’s the finished product:

The metal frame I spray painted with this stuff:

It worked really well- it really does look hammered, and now that the iron (?I think?) has a sheen to it it seems so much nicer.

The shelves I spray painted white.  I was going to use go ol’ 12×12 scrapbooking paper to cover it and give it some life, but the paper was too small, and I wanted a continuous pattern.  Then my little genius self remembered that I have a large format printer, so I scanned the paper I liked (I think from a stack of paper from Michael’s) and printed it on an 11×17 piece of paper.  I trimmed it up and used, of course, Mod Podge, to seal it on.

I ended up not really needing to do the top shelves because not very many people will be able to see them since they are so high, but oh well- they look nice even if only my 6’7″ brother-in-law can see them.  🙂

It looks so much better.  I don’t love it, but I like it a lot more.  It will definitely go when we remodel our kitchen someday (oh, how I dream of demo-ing the wood paneling), but for now it’s serving it’s purpose and it’s a lot cuter to look at.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison:

My parents are in town and we’re having lots of fun.  I’m going to post more when I can- I just added lots to our laundry room- but we have to soak up the grandparent fun while we can!