Thursday, August 30, 2012

A Steamy Post

It's official! I have fallen in complete and total love! How did I not know how wonderful... how did I not realize when it was right there sitting on my laundry room shelf all these years?

My iron! I am swooning for this "hot" thing. I used to think of it as a steamy chore thing-a-ma-bob that I never used. Why use an iron when a hair dryer or clothes dryer works just fine... duh! Okay so for my wrinkly clothes they still will never be introduced to my new love, but for sewing and crafting HELLO! Love, I tell you! L-O-V-E, love! You know the iron never leaves its perch when your four year old daughter says, "Mom! What's THAT???" when you pull it out. I am happy to report she now knows what an iron is and made the quick connection to a small toy version she saw at Target, "Ohhhhh! That is what I have seen at Target. I always wondered what that was. Can I get one too?"
I am thinking this is a Christmas list must have! After all how can I deny her such love?


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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Lampshade Makeover

What do an iron and a lampshade have in common? One very wonderful makeover project!
I bought this lampshade on clearance at Target with the purpose of giving it a makeover. Though it is cute, it is just not quite cute with the decor of my home so it needed a change. Using my iron, I set it on full steam and steamed around the shade. The steam and heat loosen and lift the glue making it possible to separate the fabric from the pieces needing to be reused.
 Here is the first part of the metal frame. In this particular shade there is a bottom frame as well rather than being all in one piece.

 Now that the shade is separated from the frame, it is time to separate the fabric from the shade.
 Using the steam once again iron over your fabric. Begin to lift the fabric from the shade.
Once you have separated the two, you now have a shade ready to be recovered. Lay out your shade face down on top of your fabric to use as a pattern. Cut around your shade leaving enough (but not too much) fabric to be wrapped around the edges of the frame. 
Then with spray adhesive or fabric glue brush on the glue on the wrong side or your fabric. Once your fabric is in place, use your hot glue gun to glue the top part of your frame in place. Once that is done it is now time to glue your bottom frame. After your frame is in place you will need to glue the edges of your frame. Go around the frame with your hot glue gun and wrap the fabric around the frame. 
Now time to "fun" it up with fringe! Don't let that glue gun cool because you will need it yet again to give your new lamp shade some sassy style. Remember the adorable play kitchen remodel? This stylish lamp coordinates with the bottom part of the ruffle. Oh the ear piercing squeals my girls let out, yes they love their new set up as much as I do.
 P.S. The lamp base was a garage sale find that used to be green. It got a fresh coat of black paint along with a new "hat" and I have to say this very inexpensive makeover turned out swell.


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Monday, August 27, 2012

Play Kitchen Remodel

When my oldest daughter was two she received a wooden play kitchen for Christmas from her grandparents. She was so little she could barely see over the top of the kitchen. Eight years and four more kids later this wooden play kitchen is sill played with and well loved. So well loved that the paint on the burners was chipped and needed refreshing. Why stop there I thought? Why not do a kitchen remodel? That is exactly what I did and boy am I glad I took the time. The adorable factor was kicked way up! It is amazing what a little paint and fabric can do. Now many more fantastic "meals" can be created by my five darling little chefs!



For the knobs I added scrapbook stickers and then sprayed them with Mod Podge sealer.

 I simply hot glued the ruffle onto the kitchen door. I also used my nifty hot glue gun to add the embellishments.  I just love an upgraded kitchen don't you? Simply adorable and perfectly simple to do.



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