What to do when your Christmas Present Breaks - the DIY way

I just love pretty breakable things and I just love my little 4 year old but the combination of the two don’t always bode well together……

I got this beautiful set of glittery red candle holders from a friend for Christmas.  I still had them wrapped up in the box and my daughter decided to move the box off the table to, who knows where, and KABOOM!!  The bottom of the box fell to the ground.  (no, I did not take a picture of this……there is a time and a place for everything folks!)

I – Couldn’t - Believe - It! 

My new gift had all the stems broken and the only thing that kept the top together was that it was a broken mosaic in the first place! 

I was super sweet and understanding  OK, I  was VERY upset.  My daughter said she was sorry and that I could just fix it with glue. That didn’t help me much at all.

My mother in law heard about the story and went out to buy me TWO more (the last two) that were left at the store (isn’t she sweet!!)  She tried to have my daughter “buy” them from her (with a few bucks her daddy gave her) to replace the broken gift but when my Mother in Law showed my daughter the new holders she responded, Oh, mom already glued the old ones and they are good now!

That wasn’t the truth just yet…..although I did start to get creative and thought what odd and end piece do I have laying around that I could turn into candle holders.

I found an old decorative jar of pickled stuff (that was nearly impossible to get the veggies out of the jar!) and a candle holder I picked up for a buck at the thrift store)


I got out my trusty Oil Rubbed Bronze Rustoleum spray paint and painted everything to match. Next I broke off MORE of one of the stems and glued it on the top of the silver holder and the next I shoved in the bottle with glue of the old picked veggie jar.

VOILA – as good as new – right???!!! 

At least a fun and creative solution:-)

I guess the moral of the story is that if you are a true DIYer you can never throw anything away…..you just have to figure out how to fix it again.

Oh, and it’s never worth getting mad over an accident   I’m still learning…….

~ Creative Juices Decor ~

House Update– AMERICAN CLAY WALLS and Cabinets

As I’m writing this post I am dead tired and feel as if my arms might fall off.

For the last 12 days I have put in 75+ hours of applying American Clay to my home’s walls.  It…..has……been…..insane. 


The first day I worked on the house I was excited for about an hour and then I felt like bursting into tears realizing just HOW MUCH I had to get done!  A true labor of love.

Two of those days I did have these beautiful ladies show up (one on Sunday and the other Monday) and help – it definitely made the day go by faster. 

Don’t let the glamour make you think these two couldn’t work – they were awesome!  I told one of them to come in her “grubbies” and she showed up in her PJ’s telling me they couldn’t think of what she could wear that would be classified as grubbies so she thought PJ’s would be the next best thing…..

I was just glad it was the weekend and not during the week when I’m sure all my rough and tough constructions workers would have enjoyed watching a cute little brown haired girl apply clay in her PJ’s!!!!

I on the other hand knew what true grubbies were and used them to the fullest!  I was a complete MESS everyday. 

I did hire a nice drywall friend to help when he could and my husband helped me on the weekend

The walls though, (lets get  back to the story!)  look JUST how I had hoped.  I love them……I’m sure I’ll just sit on my sofa and stare at the walls and smile….at least I better after all my HOURS of LABOR!

DURING: (each section HAND troweled on the walls)

And AFTER!!!!

Great Room Fireplace (mantle is not stained yet)

Master bedroom wall

Front Entry Half Wall

Arch Off of Kitchen

And for those that can see the dark wood behind that arch – YES, the doors and knotty alder cabinets just got installed!!!!!  So exciting  If you missed how I turned my front door into a Tuscan door you'll have to check it out!

Computer Desk and Wine Area (great combo, huh)

Pantry Door

I’ll brake this post down and show all you great DIYers just how I did it so that you can achieve this look in your own home.  I ADORE American Clay and recommend it to anyone who loves beautiful, natural and textured walls! (They are completely “green” no VOC’s etc…..)

Hope you all had a GREAT Christmas! Till the next update!!! 
~ Creative Juices Décor ~

It’s just so easy! Another thrift store lamp makeover

I’ll admit it, I think I have a problem.  Every time I walk into a thrift store I see a million lamps that I want to take home and fix up.  I should open my own lamp store at the rate I am going.  I plan to give some of my fixed up lamps to my brother since he just bought a house.  (I’m using that excuse so that it doesn’t look like I’m a hoarder.)

Anyway, I just want to show you how SIMPLE it is to turn an ugly lamp into a beauty. Tip number 1:  NEVER judge a lamp by it’s color, just it’s shape.  Here are two beauties I picked up.

                             

    FOR 4.00 EACH. 

I also picked up these shades (they were pretty smudgy) for $2.00

                                                           YEP THAT IS $1.00 a piece!

All I did was take a metal primer and a fun textured paint , here is the simple process.

I even loved the lamps white! (that was the metal primer)

The lamp shades I spray painted a gold color.  It worked better than I could have hoped for.  It covered all the dirty smudges and went from a fairly stark linen white to a nice taupe.  (Love it when things go my way!)

Isn’t this finish pretty?  I spray painted them my moonlight copper and once they dried I  lightly dry brushed a gold paint over the lamp. 

Here it is in my first house :-)

And here they are in my NEW HOME!  I made that textured art above my bed from a thrift store piece too!

Now who wants to run out to the thrift store and get them some lamps!  

This is project #183 in YHL newest book! and linking to their Thrift Store Party

                                                 

~CreativeJuicesDecor~

House Update–Insulation,Drywall,Siding and Rock

I have to say…….things are getting a little exciting  around here– hee,hee.

My FAVORITE is this right here:

The ROCK! 

And another of my favorite parts went up!

The interior rough sawn beams!

These guys have been working HARD even in a snow blizzard to stay on schedule and get this house done.

I did just realize that we will not be able to paint the house OR do the black top driveway till Spring! (due to freezing temperatures)…….Oh well,  Come March/April it will be completely done, but we’ll still get to move in end of January!

Now that the drywall is in it means it’s time for me to “get my hands dirty” and do the American CLAY WALLS!  Yes, somehow I am doing the entire main level, I do have a helper but my goodness, I have no idea how I am going to get it all done in the week slot the contractor gave me.  I’ll pretty much be doing 8 hour days for a week.  Pretty interesting going from full time mom to full time clay applicator!

If you are curious what the clay looks like see my post American Clay.

Here is a picture of my friends wall I did in a neutral beige like I’ll be doing.

That’s it friends!!! Till the next house update!  Granite, wood floor, fireplace mantel, ALL the fun stuff coming up next!

Favorite Winter Holiday Posts - tradtions, crafts and gift ideas.

I just thought it would be fun to bring up some of my favorite winter holiday posts from last year……ENJOY!

Ice Candle Holder – Can use a small cup or a large bucket!  Fill it up and let it freeze half way…..empty out the water and insert candle!  Can you just imagine these all lined up your front porch steps??  Sooooo festive and  pretty!

Cinnamon Glue Christmas ornaments or gift tags. 


These are a family favorite.  We love making them!  A must for a fun family tradition. (plus it’s the perfect gift to have kids make grandparents or teachers!)

Gingerbread Playdough.  Tons of festive childhood fun!!!!

Makes a fun gift too!  Add the Cinnamon ornament gift tag on top!

Need some Christmas table decorating Ideas or a personalized gift to make?  Try this spray painted wine bottle!

That’s it!  Happy Holidays and have fun!!!!

Making your Front Door Unique! Tuscan Style

Showcased on Remodelaholic - thanks Cassity!

I thought I was pretty crazy spay painting over my brand new porch lights………

I have to say I have well surpassed that craziness with this next project.

It all started when I ordered my front door (from Home Depot). I really wanted to do an old wooden door that looked like I just brought it back from Europe but I was told that since my builders were an “Energy Star” contracted house I had to stick with an Energy Star insulated door (so no old wood door for me). 

A few days after I placed the fiberglass door order we had a construction meeting and somehow Energy Star stuff came up.  Come to find out (don’t you just love finding stuff out a day late!) that you can choose up to ONE door not to be Energy Start to still qualify.   

Well It was too late to change my special order so I decided to make the BEST with what I had ordered which was a fiberglass Energy Star door that looks like wood but really isn’t……(oh and for those who are wondering, I found out that only 75% of your lights have to be Energy Star, the rest can just be standard, at least I found that out in time…..)

So, what can you do to your front door to make it look like an worn old European door?  First off let’s add clavoses and straps! 

I know, you’re probably thinking what are clavos and straps (I was) but after some research I figured out that what you called those black knobs and iron dummy hinges.  Searching “black round thingamabobs” on eBay was not helping me any.

I picked up 30 clavoses and 3 custom made straps (hinges) for  $100.00 on eBay.  I had to buy epoxy but that was only 5 bucks.

Now for the extremely scary part in which I can’t believe my husband trusted me with power tools, no less to do this on our expensive front door!!!! 

I was so nervous and kept thinking what if I drill a huge hole through the entire door on accident or what if I pound in the clavos and it splits the fiberglass all the way down the center!  IT… WAS…. SCARRRRY!

All to say, with my fancy blue template and my mad skills :-) I was able to drill 28 HOLES into my new front door (without a disaster) and add all the extras.

To break it down a little, all I did was drill holes large enough that the pin part would fit, after all the holes were drilled I stuck epoxy around the backside of the iron and pounded it in.  That part went fast, it was the drilling that took a while.

SO MUCH BETTER (or at least so much more of the look I wanted)  But as I stood back I knew I wasn’t done yet.  An old door doesn’t look “polished” it looks aged and dusty in all the corners and crevices…..

So I took out my bike chains and hammers and went to work on it.

Gotcha!

No I didn’t do that, although the thought DID pass through this crazy little head of mine.

I did add some latex paint mixed with a glaze (1:3) and filled in the crevices.  I thought about mixing a stain with the glaze but since my glaze was water based and I couldn’t find a water based stain (they were all oil based)  I thought I shouldn’t push my luck and try to put that on the door.  I am not sure how long the paint will last on the exterior of the door but it only took me a few minutes to apply it so if in a year or two I need to add some more it’s no big deal.  I may have the trim guy on my house put a clear top coat over the door for me, this will ensure the dark brown will be there permanently.

Without glaze: (Blah without depth….and a little too orangey)

With Glaze: (Can you see the difference? The depth it now has?)

Now I really think I’m loving this door and I feel so proud that I turned a rather “standard” fiberglass door into a fairly European looking door like I really wanted.  Isn’t that “speak easy” fun!  It reminds me of the scene from Wizard of Oz where the munchkin opens the speak easy and says they can’t see the wizard, or the scene in Princess Bride where they go to the Dr. guy to get help….. (I’m not weird, I promise  )

The FINAL AFTER: (with iron and glazing)

I’m all about turning lemons into lemonade, especially if I can do it for not a lot of money!  Hope you enjoyed this tutorial! A few have asked exactly where I purchased the iron. Here are the links:

CLAVOS by Signature Hardware

DUMMY HINGES by Panther Creek Forge

*UPDATE: Here is my door installed!  Click to see some tips on making your porch pretty!

If you want to see more house pictures check out this post!

No, this isn't MY home, just some inspiration!

~ CreativeJuicesDecor ~