Pottery Barn Knockoff–Distressed Clock Decor

Ahhhhhh Pottery Barn.  The gorgeous pictures, the GIANT price tags.  If only we could re-create for less everything we see in that magazine.  Well today’s post will give that a try  – Pottery Barn for under $10.00.  Yep, that’s right, this next project cost me around 6 bucks. 

When I was at the thrift store I spotted this lonely round board.  It was almost 2 feet around, insanely heavy and covered in laminate but I thought hummmm……this has some CLOCK potential!

 So I bought it for a whopping $1.50.

Here is the lovely BEFORE picture:

And here is the AFTER:

Now how I got there. :-)

First I distressed the plastic and wood by sawing the edges, hammering the center, and quickly sanding the entire circle.  I didn’t spend a lot of time doing this because I had another idea to help with the distressing which you’ll see in the next few steps.

Next I spray painted the circle in a grey primer.  Yep – that is SNOW you see on the ground – can’t keep this crafty gal down!  (although it made the spray paint almost impossible to dry and I was absolutely freezing doing it!) Once it was dry I did a regular cream spray paint over it.

Next step was to figure out the best way for me to put on the Roman Numeral numbers.  I don’t own any fancy gadgets (like the silhouette or cricut) but I have a computer and free clip art so I just printed out on cardstock (thicker paper) a set of different sized numbers and placed them on the clock to see if I liked the look.  Yep, it looks just fine and NO, that is NOT a toilet seat that it is sitting on.  I am way too classy to do something like post a toilet on my blog.

So now I move on to my other idea of how to really achieve texture on this clock o’ mine. 
With Mod Podge (or a glue and water mixture) paint a thin layer on the clock surface and apply the crinkled tissue paper. Next I  “painted” the clock with the glue mixture over the tissue.

This is hard to see but it left little crinkled lines and indents throughout the piece.  Let dry completely. 

Next, spray another coat of cream spray paint over the top.  Let dry.  If this clock will be used on the wall, not just sitting on a mantle, this would be the time to screw in some nails and a wire for it to hang on.

Now for the fun part. :-)

 Create an espresso color glaze by mixing a standard brown paint with clear glaze – about a 1:4 ratio. (one part paint to four parts glaze) Spread over the entire clock and just dap off in spots.  It should just fill in the edges and make the crevices pop with brown aging color. I left a lot of the brown on around the edges.  I played around with some rusty browns and some other colors to really pull off the look I wanted.  Start with one layer and just keep adding more color and more layers till you have achieved the look you want.  When you use paint with the glaze it is easy. Spots you don’t like come off easily when you wipe them.

I had bought these rusty old screw tacks at a thrift store previously and had them laying around the house so I wanted to use them.  The only problem was I couldn’t just nail them in because whatever that board was made of (MDF?) just completely bent the nail!  I actually had to drill a hole in it first and then hammer the tacks in.  I am NOT good with power tools (see this bread box post) so this was quite an accomplishment.  You could also use furniture tacks, faux scrapbooking tacks/brads or even buttons if you are making this at home.  It’s all about the creativity – have fun with this project – nothing is “wrong!” 

Next I took a pencil and made sure I had the correct spots to put my numbers. I calculated the quarters and then took a pencil on a string to draw my perfect circle where all the bottom of the  numbers would line up. I just outlined my cardstock roman numerals with a pencil and made sure it was right before I painted them in with black paint.  (you could even just fill it in with a permanent marker too) 

Just for extra measures I did a clear top coat of polyurethane.  OK, I didn’t really do that – but you should :-)

Am I done?  Sure, why not. :-) 

 I think it looks just as good as the EXPENSIVE pottery barn clock décor, don’t you? 

Cost break down:

Circular piece of wood: 1.50

Cream paint: 3.25 (I had white on hand but wanted it creamier)

Glue: 0.34

Tacks: 0.25 (I paid about 1.00 for 30 of them)

I had all the other paints on hand from other miscellaneous projects.

So grand total I spent: $5.34

Remember, there is no wrong way to do this. :-)  

Even coping this idea on a square piece of wood (like the original Pottery Barn clock) would turn out awesome.  Just get those Creative Juices  going and have fun!

Linking to Young House Love (along w Kate Renee and Emily) Pinterest party!

UPDATE: I just finished building my new Old World Tuscan House!  Click the link to be taken on a tour but I wanted to let you see where I put this clock in my new house, PLUS give you lots of tips and tricks how to decorate the top of your cabinets or hutches..... ENJOY!

10 Easy Home Decorating Tips

Today I’m just going to give a few tips on how to change your place from drab to fab.   

I promise if you follow these simple ideas you can really make a difference in how your home feels.

1.) ADD GREENERY! 

I understand that some folks can’t keep a plant alive for the life of them but there are some really nice faux plants out there too.   Sometimes they cost a lot – but they add so much to a room – definitely worth it.  I just bought a beautiful palm tree for 35.00 at the thrift store (I was very lucky)  High end furniture stores I worked for sold these same trees for $250.00, but I’ve run across less expensive trees at home discount stores too.

  Photo from my house

2.) Create LAYERS and TEXTURE! 

An example would be a nice textured blanket (or fluffy sheep skin!) thrown across the edge of the sofa or chair.  Prop layers of mirrors or frames against a wall, overlapping them slightly.  Stacking books with a cool shaped vase on an end table or console table is great, see, now we’ve created dimension and layers!

My NEW house!! Come see the Tour!

3.) Organize your open areas!

Organize open shelving or armoires with cute storage bins or baskets.  It pulls the room together and what could have looked like a cluttered mess now looks like a trendy designer look! 

      Kissingthejoy blog

4.) Add ambient lighting!

Luminaires (lamps) add so much!  Many of the luminaires I own I have fixed up from a thrift store and cost me under 10 bucks a piece.  Even if you have to spend lots of money on a luminaire or torchiere (light the shines upward) it is worth it for the mood it sets off in your home.  Luminaire lighting is so much softer than overhead lights.  Also up light your plants for a real designer look! (plant up lights can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowes)

                                        Thrift store lamp I bought and fixed up.  I also got the mirror second hand too.


5.) The Miracle of Mirrors.

Mirror’s are amazing!!  They can really give the illusion of more space and can lighten up an area immensely.  Be sure plan a space for a big mirror – you’ll be so happy you did! 

                    My small dining area in my previous home – the mirror makes it look twice as large.

6.) Everything should have a spot.

Have an organized spot for your “daily messes”. Find a nice wicker serving tray for the remotes on your table, and a fun iron mail organizer.  Believe me, this will really help with making your space look better.


7.) Fireplace holes.

Don't let your fireplace become the black hole in “off” seasons.  Fill it with a collection of candle pillars or a woven basket or colorful pots.

         YoungHouseLove

8.)  ADD plates to your wall! 

This is also one of my favorites (along with #1).  It is just so simple and cheap!!!  It gives your space a big bang for your buck.

     Plates in my Powder Room - plus a tutorial how to hang them for free!

9.) First impressions count!!!

If you only have a small budget spend it on your entry.  Start by bringing in a small dresser, table or bench to create a focal point, then add accessories.  Place an umbrella stand or a tall vase next to the table/dresser to give it some dimension.  (see point 2)  Pretend you are a stranger and open your front door – what do you see, is there anything that grabs your attention? a focal point? something that looks pretty???  If not, pull some stuff around and make that great entry!

Again, this is my new home we built.

10) Adding art and how to place your art.

If your art seems to just float in a space move it closer to the sofa or table it’s hanging above.  The items should relate, not disconnect.  My personal rule of thumb is to hang pictures 8-10” above the top of whatever it is I am hanging it over. Need a big piece of art?  Combine a bunch of smaller frames next to each other to create a large wall collage.

My living room

Check out the post of my brother's BEFORE AND AFTER pictures where I implemented these tips all on a thrift store budget!  Or, do you need tips how to decorate the tops of your cabinets?  Just click the link and I'll show you how!

All right my friends!  Come follow along and have fun making your home look great! ~ Creative Juices Decor ~

Happy Valentines Day–Pink Cookie Meringues

This was a family favorite growing up.  My mom made these all the time (Thanks mom!) They have always been know as “Pink Cookies” to us and it seems the perfect cookie to serve up on Valentines Day!

Warning: These flirty little cookies contain lots of sugar. If you are a regular blog reader, you know I try to stay away from processed white sugar but sometimes I say, It’s OK    They are extremely easy (a must on my blog) and happen to be gluten free.

INGREDIENTS:

3 egg whites

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Few drops of red food coloring.

DIRECTIONS:

Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl.  Let stand at room temperature for 30 min.  Beat till foamy.  Add cream of tartar and salt: beat till stiff peaks form.  Gradually add sugar, one tbsp at a time, beating on high till stiff peaks form again. (about 5 min)  Add food coloring.  Gently fold in chocolate chips.

Bake on lightly greased baking sheet at 300° for 20 – 25 min or until firm to the touch.  Cool on wire racks.  Put in airtight container. Yield 2 dozen.

These taste even better (chewier) the next day~ If they last that long

ENJOY and Happy Valentines Day!!!!

Guest Posting Today

I'm over at Tater Tots and Jello today!  For those that haven't checked out Jen's blog it is FANTASTIC!  Here is a sneak peak of what I did!  I posted the shortened version on her blog and  I'll have the LONG extended unrated version (for those that are interested!) posted on my site in a week. 

Letter Décor–FIVE ways to glam up your home

Letter Décor is very popular.  It’s so fun to personalize a space or label an area.  I have had so much fun collecting the different ways you can make these fantastic letters starting with my own set that my friend Abby made for my daughter out of SCRAPBOOK paper and mod podge.  To get the edges distressed she used a brown scrapbook inker to rub along the edges.  I LOVE them! 




Mandy from Mandipity kindly gives us a tutorial on how to make these in fabric!



MATERIALS NEEDED:

Wooden letters
[we bought them at Michaels for $3.50]
Fabric
[I used turquoise and white damask that I found at JoAnn Fabrics]
Mod Podge
Scissors
Paint Brush
First, trace the shape of the letter onto the back of the material that you are going to cover it with:


Cut the shape out of the fabric:

Apply Mod Podge to the letter, and apply the fabric cut-out:
[it was my first time using Mod Podge, and now I'm a huge fan!]

Apply Mod Podge to the top of the letter:

Let it dry.
Optional:
We both are totally digging the distressed look right now, so we chose to sand the edges and make it look a wee bit tattered.

Heather from Simple Daisy made her letters out of CONCRETE!



And then she made some out of Jute Rope!



Lastly Katie from Little Things Bring Smiles shows us how to make these letters out of ROLLED book pages! 



The Creativity is everywhere!!!! Hope you have been inspired.  ~ Creative Juices Decor

10th Birthday Party- Fun and Games

My mom was the best at making up party games – not sure how she did it because we didn’t have the internet back then! Seriously,  how do you do ANYTHING without the internet?   

Maybe you just had to be an EXTRA super mom and make a trip out to the library or something.  Man, I am glad I have the internet so I can be in my PJ’s with a cup of tea looking for party games.  But thanks mom for always having fun games at my birthday even before the internet came to be.  :-)

Most of these games I found off a Fun and Games site.

First game: The CHOCOLATE game:

Ahhh…..Love.  How could you not like a game called the chocolate game?  Adults would like this one too.


What you’ll need:


One dice. Some items of clothing which can be quickly put on like a hat, gloves or oven gloves, scarf, etc.
Bar of chocolate on a plate (leave the wrapper on),
knife and fork.

[HINT: If you don't want to see your bar of chocolate finished within a few minutes of the game starting make sure you've included a pair of oven gloves or other gloves as an item to wear!!]

Leave the wrapper on the chocolate bar.

Players take turns throwing one dice and on throwing the six the player would put on the clothes and gloves before picking up the knife and fork in an attempt to get into the chocolate bar and eating it using the knife and fork only. The player next to them, continues to roll the dice (while they are attempting to eat the chocolate) until the next dice roller who rolls a 6 snatches off the hat and their turn begins while the next person starts rolling for the six.
 

Second game: The Hula Hoop game:

Ideally for groups of 5 or more people. All players join hands in a circle with one pair joining hands through the hula hoop. The object of the game is to get the hula hoop around the circle without anybody letting go of the others' hands.

 
Third game: The Telephone Pictionary game:

This is all you need to play the game.  The dollar store sells 200 index cards for $1.00, pencils, a dice and a timer.

It’s too long to write out (so click link for directions) but it’s a fantastic game and lots of laughs.  This one started out as Shooting Fish In A Barrel and ended up some sort of Mixing Dead Fish!  (this was a time when adults played it.)

Fourth game: The Cotton Ball Game:

This was my mom’s “go to” game.  Simply have 2 bowls and put the cotton balls into one bowl.  Blindfold one party member, put them in front of the bowl, give them a spoon and see how many cotton balls in three scoops they can get from one bowl to the other!  Since the cotton balls don't weigh anything it’s pretty hilarious to see them scoop nothing but air sometimes! 

Fifth game: The Wrapped Parcel Game:

I guess this is super popular in Europe but I hadn't heard of it before.  It was TONS of fun.

A small gift is wrapped up neatly in wrapping paper. This parcel is now wrapped up in another layer and then another until you have as many layers as you want (and the parcel can get quiet big!!). The group sits in a circle and passes the parcel around to each player in turn while some music is playing. When the music stops the person holding the parcel has to take off a layer of wrapping. When they have done that the music starts again and they pass the parcel onto the next person. 

If you have a number of children (20+) you may want to have several parcels rather than just one as it can get quiet boring waiting for the parcel to reach you.

Hope this has added to your own Creative Party Juices!  Thanks for stopping by!

Since we are on the Birthday Party theme, be sure and check out my post on EASY birthday cake post of good ideas!!!

Want another fun idea to do with your kids??  How about make some Rock Candy!!  They will love watching the crystals appear.