DIY Gold-leaf Agate Bookends

I think I get bogged down trying to do blog posts that cover the grand scale renovation projects and thats why it takes ages for me to publish them.  I'm always editing them down trying to be sleeker, less-wordy, more sophisticated, to generate some idealized version of myself to put out there.  Well news flash: thats not how I am, in real life I'm verbose, project oriented, and tenacious about the little details.  ANYWAY here I made you this thing. 

DIY Gold-leaf Agate Bookends.

Its exactly what it sounds like.  I've always been a collector of pebbles, shells, and curios, so when I saw Agate slice bookends showing up a few years ago I knew I wanted a pair.  I prowled my favorite thrift stores back in Maryland until this lovely natural pair popped up for only a few dollars!

They needed a little more glam to lift them from ordinary to extraordinary so gold it was.

I forgot to take a photo before I started the project..blogger fail, but basically the outside edges were just plain stone.  First I taped off the cut sides with quality blue painters tape, you don't want to risk edge bleeds here.

I went for quality metallic gold spray paint from Rust-oleum, I've had mixed results attempting to give a metallic finish to smooth items in the past, (plastic or stainless steel) but on a rough surface like rock it works quite well.

Let the paint dry, I recommend two thin coats, then peal the tape off of the cut edges and you're all set!

My assistant..

-Nikki

DIY Padded Headboard. -Very simple!

I know I haven't posted in a while, life has been very busy with job changes and traveling, so here is a short one to get back in the groove.  
A room decor project, for the beach condo, completed this summer with some help from my sister, who I might add has been even more busy than I, starting her Ph.d program.  I'd always wanted to try diy padded headboards and used the mismatched existing headboards as an excuse.  The goal was to update them and make them match along with the other decor. 

Finished product first! Bananas for scale!
~
These are the headboards I started with.

I attacked this project just like I was recovering a set of chairs, using some egg-crate mattress pads and left over fabric from the sofa makeover.

We measured and cut the materials to size then stapled on.  This is where my sister Cat was a huge help, taking turns to hold the layers of padding or fabric in place and stapling (and taking photos!). We wanted a smooth front so all the material was cut large enough to reach around to the back of the headboards and was secured there out of sight.  To secure the fabric and padding we used a staple gun (pictured) and a hammer to drive them in properly.

The corners were the only tricky part, but we tried a few folding combos until we achieved a neat look.  

A few hours, and a pizza, later we were finished!

Thats it, now the headboards match and are very comfy to sit up and read against. Next time I would try tufting them by pre-drilling holes in the headboards to string covered buttons to for a more upscale look. 

- Nikki

Building a Terrarium - DIY

I love plants, I think every room can be improved by some living color, but I killed the first few plants I ever had.  Basically I over-loved them with too much water, bad planting, and not looking into the basic requirements for their survival.   

One of my worst plant murders was the planting of succulents in a "cutesy" terrarium, this is a popular look right now, but it goes against the natural environment these plants thrive in.  Succulents and cacti prefer low-humidity, more arid conditions, to be deeply watered in the growing season, but left alone when dormant, the opposite of a terrarium.

So after finding a large glass jar with cork lid I started looking for moisture loving, medium light plants.

I used white stones on the bottom and then a clean dust sheet to keep the soil from falling through.

I added a layer of perlite, and a little soil, then pulled out all the tiny plants I'd picked out.  This is the moment I realized that the mini orchid was still way to big, I returned it.  I added soil and figured out the plant arrangement. 

Pretty! 

Once the plants are arranged give it a good watering, this will also help clean the dirt from the sides and leaves.  I let mine sit for a day then popped the cork in.  Ideally these plants will thrive and the only time I'll need to open the jar would be to prune if things get too big.

Finished!

I love terrariums for the rare occasions when I can cheat and open the lid,  the smell inside takes me strait to a lush rain-forest.  Since this was a thrifted jar and tiny plants the whole project cost less than $15.

- Nicole

Friday Findings - Fun Stuff!

I picked up this weeks Friday Finds at two local thrift stores and I'm struggling to decide which is my favorite.  There is a little copper tray (with copper-craft guild seal: a mid-century find to add to my collection), a little plant pot, and a very large glass jar.  All for less than $12, and yes I have big plans for that jar, terrarium post coming soon!

- Nicole

Dresser Makeover - Experimenting with bleach.

Remember this little chest of drawers from the Friday findings?  Well, it got a make over, the goal was to update the look for a fresh clean natural finish.  Read on to find out how!

Friday Findings - Chest of Drawers.

This little dresser was a free find!  Technically a gift from friends of my parents, and ohh baby do I have big plans for it!  This is basically the before picture and a post is coming soon about the process of bleaching out the yellowy pine.  Sort of a practice for lightening the pine floors in the cottage. 

I also dug these glass pull knobs out of the junk drawer in dads garage.  

Before and after..

They cleaned up so well!

Check back next week to read about how I definitely didn't almost mix dangerous chemicals together...

-Nikki

Furniture rehab! - Vintage Accent Table

My mom has had this table for years, it is not in the best shape, and since my parents recently got a beach place they are gathering up things to furnish it with.  So in keeping with the bright and airy feel of the condo (condo before and afters coming soon) I wanted to clean this up and lighten the color.  

Before Picture...

Friday Findings - The Art Deco Bar Cart and Coppercraft tumblers.

This weeks Friday findings is classic of our situation here at LongDistanceDIY, bringing pieces together from different continents.

First the Bar cart.  Even though I'm currently away in Maryland I was browsing through Gumtree ads and there it was.  When I spotted this vintage trolly, I immediately sent the link to Matt, knowing that he would appreciate an Art Deco piece.  He must have approved because now it's ours.  The trolley is in solid condition with a pretty Walnut veneer, a nearly identical refinished piece from the 1920's is listed for several hundred on Ebay.  Neat!

Around the same time I was browsing the thrift stores on this side of the pond and came across this set of Mid-Century glass and copper tumblers.  They are an original Coppercraft Guild set, from the early 1960's, and in great condition.  Plus they were under $10!  I'm looking forward to bringing them over and seeing how they look on the bar cart with my copper mugs!

-Nikki

Frugal Decorating DIY: Recovering chair seats.

When looking for secondhand furniture try to keep an open mind, don't be distracted by the color or finish of a piece, those things are easy to change.
In this case we found these MCM chairs for free on Gumtree, they were kinda gross and wobbly but now they are clean and waxed with fresh seat covers.  Here is my little tutorial on how to give a fresh new look to some beat up old chairs for under £5. 

How to make a DIY Poster Hanger

Making a lightweight poster hanging frame.  DIY tutorial.