░▒▓ Outdoor Metal Chairs Get a New Look ▓▒░

I love a good transformation!  Here's all the steps in between:

These chairs, I believe they're called motel chairs, belonged to my grandparents originally.  Everything I've read says you can buy these kind of chairs now, but they don't make them as sturdy as they used to - so look for them at antique stores and garage sales! 

I think they were a faded pink when my parents received them.  My parents painted them hunter green, to match the trim of their house in the 90s.  My mom and I decided, it's time for the chairs to get a makeover! 

The first item (for us) was to choose the new paint color.  We considered red, navy, yellow and turquoise.  We ended up buying Maui Blue:

Then after a bunch of emails, deliberating and sleepless nights, we returned Maui Blue and settled on Satin Aqua and decided we wanted white arms.

For this project you'll need:

Deglosser (wayyyy easier than sanding)
gloves
cloths
2 cans of Rust-oleum spray primer
2 cans of Rust-oleum spray paint (color)
1 can of Rust-oleum spray paint in white
spray nozzle (they are only $3-4 and 100% worth it)
mask (probably a good idea -  I didn't wear one, but I'm thinking I should have)
tarp to protect the ground
trash bags, scissors and tape - if you're doing the arms a different color than the seat [see below]

We discovered (from reading the instructions) that everything needed to be done in one sitting.  So on Mother's Day, we went to work.

Step 1 - Clean the chairs to remove dirt and debris.
Step 2 - Use the deglosser, as instructed.  (We know we're weird, but we loved how it smelled!)

Step 3 - Spray the chairs with 2 coats of primer.

Step 4 - Cut about 3 trash bags into 4 inch strips and wrap/tape the strips around the arms.

Step 5 - Spray the chairs with 2 coats of paint.

Step 6 - Remove the strips and use new trash bags to cover all of the newly painted seat/back of the chair.

Step 7 - Paint the arms white.

Yea!!! You're finished - and the chairs look amazing!!!

Step 8 - Post photos to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and your favorite blog Lyndi's Projects, so everyone you know can see how amazing they look - then sit back and enjoy!!!

Planting Flowers→Pretty Patio

Every spring I re-discover that shopping for plants brings me so much joy!  I love being outside in nice weather and I try to choose a perfect spring day that is cool, but balmy.  Then, it brings out my creativity to "design" a container - I try to choose a variety of colors, textures and heights, when choosing plants for each container.

This year, I chose a perfect balmy evening and went plant shopping with my mom.  I was energized as I placed plants in my cart and envisioned how each container would look!  I also discovered something new - hummingbird moths.  I couldn't figure out if it was a bird or an insect, so I took this video!  Then I posted it on Facebook and got my answer!

(Disclaimer - I'm not a gardening expert - I am just telling you what I normally do.)  For container gardening, I fill the bottom with something other than soil.  I do this to promote drainage, make the pot a bit lighter and to not use so much expensive potting soil.  Things I've used are river rocks and crushed, empty soda cans. 

Then I fill with a good potting soil mix, up to about an inch from the top of the container.  Then I start planting!  There is an easy to follow design rule (which I don't love saying, but I know it helps) - for each container have a "thriller, filler and spiller".  The thriller is the tall focal point plant.  The filler plants are the medium size plants and the spiller, is obviously, one that will trail over the side of the container.

 

This is me planting - lots of dirt under my nails.

 

 

This pot has lavender geraniums and pink, purple and white petunias.  I always get a lot of petunias, they flourish well in heat and I think they smell good.

 

 

The round pot has elephant ears (thriller) in the center, petunias and begonias (filler) surrounding, bright green potato vine (spiller)(which will spread and trail like crazy) and then I picked out a "chocolate mint" plant - which smells AMAZING and I was very excited about.

 

The two long containers have purple heart in the center (thriller), vinca plants (filler) and vinca vine(spiller).

 

One other thing to remember is to leave room for them to grow!

 

Happy Spring and Happy Mother's Day!



Make Your Own Gift Bag

I'm pretty excited about this discovery - you can make your own gift bags out of scrapbook paper! 

1. I love that I can customize gift bags - they make some crazy cute scrapbook paper.
2. Buying gift bags is expensive.  I made these bags for $0.44 (small) and $1.03 (tall) (and I already had the ribbon).
3. This is a solution for last-minute gift wrapping. (As long as you keep a supply of scrapbook paper and ribbon on hand.)

 

For this project you'll need:

12x12 scrapbook paper

tape

scissors

hole punch

ribbon

I used these Gift Bag Instructions that I found online.  Even with the instructions, it takes some trial and error - especially to make the size of bag that you want.

The first step is to fold the two sides to meet in the middle.  The turquoise bag is one 12x12 paper.  All the others I taped two or more sheets of paper together before I did this step. 

 

 

Also I discovered I like to fold (any amount) at the top down before step one, because it gives the top of the bag a more polished look when finished.

 

To get a "normal sized" gift bag, I used approx. 20x12 sheet of paper.

 

Then you tape the sides you just folded in together.

 

 

Next you fold up a few inches at the bottom.

 

 

From that bottom fold, put your hands at both edges and fold in.

 

 

Then tape the top and bottom and fold them together to meet in the middle and tape it down.

 

 

Then you can make folds on both sides and open the bag.

 

 

Finally you punch holes through the top and put a length of ribbon on each side, as a handle.  Tie knots on the inside of the bag to secure the ribbon.

 

 

Then you have a beautiful, inexpensive, handmade gift bag for your gift!

 

 

 

 

Pillowcase Dress

 

During one of my regular trips to Goodwill, I saw an old, ivory pillowcase for $1.99.  I bought it with the hope that I could re-purpose and up-cycle it into a dress for my niece Hadley. 

 

I got it home, washed it and started researching tutorials.  I needed double bias tape in ivory and some brown ribbon, so I stopped by Hobby Lobby for those.

Then, after Saturday Night Live, at midnight, inspiration hit and I decided to start the project.  Right now morning-people are shocked and night-people know EXACTLY what I'm talking about.  :) 

I cut several inches off the top, to make it the right length. 

Then I used a 4T tank top that I had bought for Hadley as a guide for the arm holes.  I folded the pillow case in half vertically, so I only had to draw/cut once.  You draw a J shape that is about 4.5in. long and 2.5in. wide.

Then I pinned and sewed the double bias tape on the edges of the arm holes.  Then I went to bed. 

The next day I made a casing in the top edges.  I ironed approx. 1/4 in. down, then pinned and ironed 1in. down.

At that point I realized that even though I had washed it, it still had a musty, thrift store smell.  NOT ok for a gift for Hadley.  So I researched and tried soaking in in hot water and white vinegar, then letting it air dry outside.  Still musty.  Then I soaked it in the washing machine with hot water and Oxyclean for several hours.  Then finished washing it with Tide.  Fresh and clean!

Then I put a safety pin on the ribbon and scrunched it through both sides of the casing, because I like the look of one bow.  (You can use two lengths of ribbon and tie them together on both shoulders.)  I used a flame to seal the ends of the ribbon (you just get them near the fire, not in it.)

All finished!

I LOVE that on Saturday this was an old, musty pillowcase sitting in Goodwill and on Sunday, it was a beautiful, clean, new dress. 

And Hadley, in her pink cowboy boots and new pillowcase dress, could not be any more adorable!!

Adorable Kleenex Box Monster

My sister Jordan pinned a picture of this project on the same day I ran out of Kleenex - kismet!  Plus, her birthday is coming up and I knew my gift would fit perfectly.  And I had all the materials to make it in my craft supplies. 

 I figured, who wouldn't want to stick their hand in a monster's mouth to find a gift?!

 

 

 For this project you'll need:

empty Kleenex box

white paper cut into teeth

2 coordinating colors of paint

paint brush

empty egg crates or Styrofoam balls

hot glue gun

marker or googly eyes

 

1. Paint the empty Kleenex box, after taking the plastic stuff out of the top.  I used spray paint and it only took one coat.

2. Then use a paint brush and acrylic paint to add dots.

3.  Cut the teeth out of white paper.

4.  Hot glue the googly eyes onto the Styrofoam balls.

5.  Hot glue the Styrofoam balls onto the top of the box and hot glue the teeth into the box.

Easy to make monster!  What to do with them?  Halloween decorations.  Kids party decorations.  Favor boxes.  Craft project for kids.

What would you do with these adorable monsters?