Greeting Cards = Great Artwork!

Do you have an expanse of wall or a smaller space that's just crying out for artwork? If so, here are two inexpensive options to consider using greeting cards.

Idea #1:

This is a young girl's bathroom but it also occasionally serves as a guest bathroom. The homeowner wanted artwork that was appropriate to her young daughter's age, but not too "cartooney", "cutesy" or "theme-y." I took that to mean, No Disney and No Dora the Explorer, but still something child-friendly yet adult-appropriate.

We had two identical towel bars on either side of a vanity with double sinks so the artwork needed to be small in scale to fit on the narrow walls and over the towel bars.

We decided that the best option would be four coordinating images in 5x7 frames. When we found these greeting cards, we knew we'd hit the jackpot.


The bathroom was painted a soft blue and the accent colors were yellow and green. These cards contained all of those colors and the brown-haired fairies even looked remarkably similar to the homeowner's little girl. The images were sweet without being too "cartoonish."

To frame the cards, we bought inexpensive 5x7 frames from Wal-Mart.


We painted them white and then lightly sanded down the edges to give the frames an "antiqued" appearance.

We had to have the mattes custom-cut for the cards so they would fit into the frames. We chose a soft yellow to match the guest towels in the bathroom.

We had two of the guest towels monogrammed with the homeowner's daughter's initial and VOILA! We have sweet and girly, yet not too cutesy or cartooney artwork without spending a lot of money. It was just what the homeowner requested!

Cost for this Project: I spent $1.5o per card for each of the greeting cards. The frames were $3.00 a piece and I used leftover white paint from a previous project. The mattes were custom-cut for $3.00 a piece. In total, this project cost $28.00...but the best part is that it's original and one-of-a-kind!

Estimated Completion Time: A little over two hours, counting the trip to Hobby Lobby to have the mattes cut.

Degree of Difficulty: On a scale from 1 to 10, I would give this a 1. The hardest part was finding greeting cards with an appropriate subject for our project and that only took an afternoon.

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Idea #2:
Usually, I go shopping with my project already in mind, but in this case, I did it backward. I found this birthday card one day and bought it without any idea of how I would use it, I just knew I would so I put it away. Little did I know then, that I would end up using it in my own daughter's bedroom.

After we moved my daughter into her big-girl room, we had some empty space on either side of the dresser and it made the wall look kind of bare.


Remembering the paper doll birthday card I had bought months before, I decided to use it to create one-of-a-kind artwork for my daughter's room.

Here's the breakdown:

I bought four shadow boxes at Hobby Lobby. They were $3.99 a piece, but on sale that day for 40% off...


The frames were made with unfinished wood, so I had to paint them.

TIP: With unfinished wood, it's a good idea to sand it down with 220-grit sandpaper before you paint. Otherwise, the wood will rise with the paint and make it appear scratchy and rough.


And don't forget..."Take the time to prime!" Memorize it...Know it...Live it. If there is any tip I can give you that will help you give your painting projects a more professional outcome, it is primer. I never paint anything without priming the wood first.

To save money, I used the leftover paint we used to paint my daughter's furniture. The color is Cream Delight by Valspar.

I thought it would be cute to use a coordinating paper behind each of the dolls to give each box an individual look and make it just a little more interesting to look at. It's scrapbook paper and I bought it at Hobby Lobby too. (Just a note to the CEO of Hobby Lobby..."You're welcome.")

Now with any shadow box, the key is the shadow. I used a foam board. I went with a 10mm depth which is the thickest size. I did it because this particular shadow box was kind of deep and I wanted the doll to really stand out. I cut the board lengthwise, long enough where it would give a strong foundation to the paper doll and widthwise, I cut it thin enough where you wouldn't be able to see it from the side.

I attached it to the back of the doll with double-sided mounting tape. I used mounting tape because I wanted the bond to be stronger than probably regular Scotch tape could provide.

After that, I put the lids on each box and called it a day! This was a fun project and I love the idea that my daughter now has totally original artwork for her room that's cute and girly, but says nothing about her being a "diva," "princess," or "drama queen." Because she's none of those things...at least not every day. ;o)









I'd never done this project before, and although it seems pretty straight-forward, I'd like to share a couple of lessons I learned...

I'm almost too embarrassed to tell you this, but I suppose if I didn't think to do it, someone else might not either. The shadow boxes come with the hanging hardware already attached. When you go to glue the doll inside the box, make sure you check the back first so you don't accidentally glue the doll upside down. I did it on, not one box, but two before I realized what I'd done.

Take the time to tape off the frame with painter's tape to protect the glass. I didn't and it was a real chore to get all the paint to come off when the project was done.

To do this project, you will need:
4 Shadow Boxes - $9.40
4 Pieces of Scrapbook Paper - $1.16
Spray Adhesive
Paint and Primer
Double-sided Mounting Tape - $4.99
10mm foamboard - 4.99
Birthday Card - 4.99

Total Cost: Approximately $26.00
Timeframe to Complete: Approximately 4 hours
Degree of Difficulty: On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 3.

Client Story: DeCluttered Bookcases

BEFORE:

This client is putting her house on the market and wanted me to de-clutter and stage her home for sale. This is the bookcase in the upstairs den. The family has lived in this house for more than ten years and in that time, these bookcases have become the catch-all for clutter and collectables.

GETTING STARTED:

Actually, the bookcases didn't look that bad, they just needed to be streamlined and de-cluttered. I started out by taking everything off the shelves so I could work with a clean slate.

Then, starting in the lower, right hand corner, I began to replace the books and accessories in a manner that was easier for the eye to follow. This is a rather large room and the bookcases stretch the entire length of one wall. Because of this, we decided that fewer, larger accessories would be on a more appropriate scale than lots of smaller accessories.

The biggest thing to keep in mind when organizing bookcases is that the binding of the books creates a lot of color, so by organizing them in a the way that is pleasing to the eye, you eliminate that chaotic feeling. To help with symmetry and flow, break up the books by adding accessories, plants and photos.

AFTER:





Tip: Not all of your books need to be stored side-by-side. It helps to break up the monotony by stacking some of them on their side.

This room looks a lot like a library in an English country home. The homeowner has it furnished with comfortable leather sofas and it's wood-paneled...so cozy! Oftentimes, in libraries, artwork is hung from the bookcase because of the lack of actual wall-space. In keeping with the spirit of the English country home, we opted to hang this clock from the client's bookcase.

Here, it serves two purposes...one decorative and one practical. Decorative, because it helps break up the expanse of books on the wall and practical because the homeowner wanted a clock on this wall that could be seen easily from across the room.

As you can see, we eliminated the cluttered look of these bookcases while still finding plenty of room to store the client's collection of books.

Cost for this project: $0. We used only accessories that the homeowner already had.
Estimated time to complete this project: Approximately 3 hours
Degree of Difficulty: On a scale from 1 to 10, this project was a 3.

Upholstered Headboards

BEFORE:

These were matching twin headboards and footboards that were part of a French Provencial bedroom set that was being painted white.

We thought perhaps the plain white headboards might look a little boring, so we decided to upholster them. Here is how we did it...

Step 1:

Prime and paint the parts of the headboard that are going to show, including the entire footboard.

Step 2:

Using newspaper, trace an outline of the headboard design and cut your pattern. (NOTE: Take special care to get the pattern as accurate as you can so it will fit snugly into the opening.)

Step 3:

Use your pattern to cut out a 1-1/2" piece of foam. Use spray adhesive to adhere the foam to the headboard.

Step 4:

Re-use your pattern to cut cotton batting and your choice of fabric.

Step 5:

Using a staple gun, attach the batting and fabric to your headboard taking care to staple as close to the edge as you can because you will need to use cording to hide the staples.

Start stapling at the top center and bottom center of the headboard and work your way out toward the edges, taking care to pull fabric taut as you go.

When you are finished, you might need to use a sharp razor blade to trim any excess foam and batting that can't be covered by cording.

Step 6:

Using a hot glue gun, start in the right bottom corner and glue cording around the edge taking care to make sure all staples are hidden.

DURING:
AFTER:


NOTE: In this case, to cover the staples, we had a double cording made to match the fabric. It's difficult to do and usually needs to be done by a sewing professional. To save money, you can use a pre-made cording in a color that coordinates with your fabric. It looks just as nice, but with significant savings.

THE BREAKDOWN:

The paint is by Valspar Signature at Lowe's in a color called "Creamy Delight." It's a latex satin-finish.

The material for the headboards is named "Polka" and is manufactured by Waverly. I found it for $7.98 per yard at a fabric store here in town. It took approximately one yard per headboard. I recommend buying a little extra than what you need in case you mess up (which I did on the first one). You can always find a use for the leftover fabric. We decided to use the leftover fabric to make throw pillows for each bed and have each monogrammed. So sweet for a little girl's room!

Cost for this project: $32 for fabric, $40 for 1-1/2" foam , $5 for batting and $10 for paint and primer.
Estimated time to complete project: Approximately 6 hours.
Degree of Difficulty: On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say it was a 7.

Second Life

The Challenge:

The armoire used to be THE BEST solution for storing televisions in a neat and tidy way. It was great for hiding wires and even offered much-needed storage for DVDs, blankets, photo albums, etc. That was when televisions were big, bulky boxes. Nowadays, however, everyone is switching to the sleeker, thinner, but much larger flat-screen televisions.

Places like Pottery Barn and Ballard Designs sell console tables and cabinets designed especially for the larger flat-screen televisions, but they are very expensive and don't really offer that much hidden storage. I've seen them range in price from around $800 to nearly $3,000.

But here is a less expensive option that offers a stylish way to display your new flat-screen TV, but still provide the storage that every family needs.




I wish I had taken a "Before" picture of this piece when we bought it, but alas, I didn't have a website when I did this project. This is an old buffet that I found at the Salvation Army for $80. It was made from real wood, sturdy and had nice lines. It was a little scratched up and the finish was very dated, but it offered a whole lot of storage and a nice large surface to place a flat-screen television.

I painted it with an olive green paint and then went over the entire surface with an umber glaze. We kept the original hardware.

To Do This Project:

Keep an eye out at your local thrift stores and flea markets for an old dining room buffet with closed storage. I think the best ones have both cabinets and drawers. The cabinets are great for storing DVDs and CDs and the drawers are great for storing blankets, photo albums, games, etc. If you plan to paint it, don't worry so much about it's finish (because most thrift store furniture is in sad shape), just look for a piece that is made from real wood, sturdy and has the style you like.
It might take awhile before you find it, but don't be discouraged. The flea-market gods tend to smile on the shoppers who know what they're looking for.

To achieve a "factory finish" on painted furniture, take a few minutes to remove all of the hardware and sand out any scratches, nicks or dings with 180-grit sandpaper. Wipe it clean with a damp (but not wet) rag. Then go over the entire piece with 220-grit (very fine) sandpaper. This will give you a smooth surface to paint.

Clean off all remaining dust. You may need to use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner to remove dust from corners and crevices.

Prime the entire piece with a water-based primer and then paint. I have painted a lot of furniture in my day and I think you get the best outcome with a satin-finish paint. It gives you a smooth, wipeable surface but hides brush lines better than a gloss or semi-gloss.

You will also get a better outcome if you apply multiple, thin layers of paint rather than one or two thick layers. It takes patience, but it's worth it!

Between layers, use a 220-grit or even finer sandpaper to gently sand out each layer of paint. This will remove any inconsistencies or blemishes from the paint but also help the paint adhere more strongly to the surface of the furniture and make the finish more durable to everyday wear and tear.

Give the paint about 48-72 hours to dry thoroughly and then enjoy!

Estimated Completion Time: Approximately 2 days
Approximate Cost for Project: $80 for the cabinet and about $30 for paint, sandpaper and glaze
Degree of Difficulty: On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 4.

Client Story: Cozy Library

These clients live in a two-story, center-hall colonial. When you walk through the front door, you step into a small foyer. The formal living room is on the right and the dining room is on the left. For this project, we were working in the formal living room.

This bookcase was our jumping off point. The client bought it about a year ago because she wanted more places for books and pictures.

In this case, she had already picked out a paint color and had the room painted a neutral beige. She liked the color and didn't want to change it. She also had her window treatments picked out and hung, so for this particular project, the objective was simply to shop!

As with any room, we had some challenges to overcome and decisions to make. You can tell from the picture that the room isn't very large so that was something to consider. Also, the client and her husband describe themselves as very casual people...so a formal living room wasn't really something that suited their lifestyle.

Still, it is the first room you see when you walk in the house so it needed to look nice. The couple have a large den right off their kitchen where they watch television and their home office was upstairs, so we didn't need to worry about accommodating the need for a television, desk or computer.

The clients are avid readers and had recently bought this painting that they really liked...


Given the bookcases she'd already purchased and this painting, it was pretty to easy to see that this room needed to become a library!








What this room needed to do:

The clients have a 19-year-old son who is still living at home and two grown daughters who live on their own. Their oldest daughter is married and just had her second baby so, of course, the baby pictures are rolling in and they needed more places to put framed pictures and books. That was one of the biggest reasons they bought the bookcases and why we bought three tables for this room.




I think nothing looks better than a smattering of family photos placed around a home. It says, "A happy family lives here."

AND not forgetting that their teenage son is still living at home and the house is always full of teenagers (and I mean ALWAYS), the clients really needed a room that was all their own where they could go and read in relative peace and quiet.

The Breakdown:

We bought the chairs, the round table and the library table at Value City Furniture in St. Louis. Our original plan was to buy two matching leather club chairs, but when we saw these, the client changed her mind. She liked how the chairs didn't exactly match, but coordinated. We also thought we got extra style points for the masculine and feminine look of each chair. The bigger chair was $180, the smaller chair was $150. The library table was $250 and the round table was $150.

We bought the lamps and the clock on the library table at HomeGoods and most of the picture frames, accessories and the smaller three-legged table at Hobby Lobby.

The gold sconces on either side of the bookcases were actually mine, but when we saw how good they looked, I had to give them up for the cause because I'm sweet like that.

The Client's Homework:

To help the client stay within her budget, I recommended that at a later date she purchase an area rug that would help draw the seating arrangement together. I also recommended that she find a footstool or small ottoman to place in front of the chairs for some added comfort when reading.

Tips:

When we bought the furniture, they originally told us it would be six-to-eight weeks for delivery. The client was eager to finish the room within a shorter timeframe, so we asked if they would sell us the floor models and were told yes...and not only that, because they were the floor models and one of the chairs had a little ding on the leg, we got it for a discount!

It never hurts to ask for what you want. In this economy, people will do almost anything to make a sale and the worst they can say to you is "no." We've all been told "no" before and went on living, so don't be afraid to ask.

If you wanted to do a similar room, you could always go with leather club chairs or matching wing-back chairs.

TV Stand

The Challenge:

We needed a television stand to put in a child's room that would safely hold a television/DVD combo and perhaps offer some additional storage. We also wanted the stand to be pink and be on wheels so that it could be taken out of the room easily, if needed. The budget was less than $50.

So, we went shopping...and this is what we found.

Well, it had wheels and it was a TV stand...two out of three ain't bad.

The Solution:

BEHOLD THE POWER OF PAINT!!!



The Breakdown:

The TV stand was purchased at a local thrift store for $15.

The pink paint is an interior sating by Valspar called "Watermelon."

Total Cost for this project: Less than $30.

Estimated Completion Time: About four hours.

Degree of Difficulty: On a scale from 1 to 5, about a 3.

A Bright Idea!

The Challenge:

Two things were wrong here. First, the scale of this lamp was all wrong for the space...it was too small. And secondly, the budget for this room was really, really tight by the time I got to the lighting.

The Solution:

I went in search of an inexpensive solution and I found it at Goodwill for $5.


The color wasn't at all right for the room, but there were things I liked about this lamp (1) It has a low center of gravity and that's ALWAYS a good idea in a kid's room. It won't get knocked over easily...and (2) it kind of reminded me of the polka dot upholstery that we'd used on the headboard and seriously? What's cuter than a HUGE polka dot? Not much, I'm thinking...So I bought it.

Next...one precious lamp coming right up! It just needed to be pink. First step, tape off any parts like the electronics and the cord that you don't want painted.

Remember, when you are painting glass, it's especially important to prime before you paint. They sell primer in a spray-paint can. That's the best product for glass.

Then, I painted the lamp using wide, flowing motions with the spray paint so as to avoid paint globs and create an smooth, even finish.


But what REALLY makes a lamp cute is it's shade and I found this one at Target and it was perfect...as is! It's white at the top, light pink at the bottom and the two colors are divided by white rick-rack. I didn't have to make any changes to make it work and that's a rare thing for me.





The Breakdown:

I found the lamp at Goodwill for $5. You see these round-based lamps a lot in second-hand stores. They were really popular in the eighties. You can find them in different sizes too. Just look for one that's in good shape with no cracks and a cord that's not frayed or exposed in any way.

The spray paint is by Krylon and it's an interior satin called Ballet Slipper (How perfect is that?). I bought it at Hobby Lobby...which, by the way, I am single-handedly putting someone at Hobby Lobby's kid through college, so to that guy I'll just say, "You're welcome."

I bought the pink and white lampshade at Target for $19.99. It may seem expensive compared to the actual lamp, but it was so perfect, it was worth it.

Total cost for the perfect lamp: $29.00
Estimated time for this project: About two hours.
Degree of Difficulty: On a scale of 1 to 5, it's a solid two.