DIY Monday: Krylon Looking Glass Mirror Paint

It's been a while since I first learned about this paint, and it took a little time to find. I wasn't successful finding it at my local craft stores, so I had to order it online. Since it's a little pricey, I have been waiting for the perfect project to try it out.

I changed the quilt on our bed about two months ago and since then I've been looking for the right art to put over our bed - as anyone will tell you I'm of the belief that "white space" is great in an ad, but not something I like in my home. So having a stash of old frames I found one that I think will work with the other things I'm pulling together and tried it out.

First I cleaned the glass thoroughly on both sides. Then, following the instructions I used a well-shaken can to put on the first, thin layer of paint. I shook a little more while I was waiting the directed minute between layers (to let the solvents evaporate) and then sprayed another thin layer. I repeated this 5 times and sure enough on the 5th layer I could see that the paint had pretty much turned opaque by that last layer.

Emerging a little light headed (the smell is very strong), I put the glass in a place where it could safely dry. About 12 hours later, the result is an antique mirror-like finish. I wouldn't say it looks like a new mirror, but there's definitely a reflection that looks a lot like some of the older mirrors I have that have been dulled by time.

I think in the future I may use this paint to spruce up some of the old metal frames I find at estate sales. It's not chrome shiny, but it'll add just the right finish to frames that others may be tempted to just toss. Overall, I think this was worth the time to track down and try!

DIY Monday: Dreaming up a design

One of the hardest things to do in creating a design can be visualizing how the finished design will look. Some are gifted with a clear vision while others can only see the full picture when the design is finished. Some people buy architectural or design magazines and tear out pictures that they like. Others may search the book aisle at their local home improvement or the design section at Barnes and Noble to find inspiration. Still others may go straight to the source - the cabinet maker, the tile store, the appliance section, or even a craft fair - to get that spark that fires design.

I recently found a site that's helped me with a design. It's called Houzz. My husband and I have been arguing over a project. I see clearly how it should be done, but no matter how much I've drawn it out and explained the steps, he can't see enough to be comfortable to move forward with the design. So I've spent some time perusing the pictures on Houzz, adding to my photo ideabook to somehow convey that this design idea will WORK in our space. It's a wonderful tool to get design ideas and get comfortable with your design ideas. Now on to trying to convince the husband that this dream can become a reality on our DIY budget! You'll know soon!

DIY Monday: Budget event decorations

A couple years ago a friend of mine had a fund raising banquet she was trying to dress up, but her budget was pretty minuscule. She had something like 30 tables to decorate for around $100, which meant we had a little over $3.00 to decorate an 8 foot table.

If you've been to my house, you know the most difficult thing I have to store - and the thing I have in profusion - is vases. As I've said before, I use the term "vases" loosely because I view anything that can hold flowers as a vase. That would include old pitchers, little silver and glass toothpick holders, tiny teacups as well as your standard glass, silver or porcelain vase. If it can hold water and I can stick flowers in it, it's a vase.

Reading the blog, you'll also know of my love for estate sales, flea markets and yard sales. I may love vases, but I really love inexpensive vases. I'll spend an hour polishing up a silver container to get it to vase status. Likewise, I'll spend 20 minutes soaking and scrubbing glass to bring it back to former luster if it'll hold flowers. I'm always looking for new containers to use in decorating.

So the day my friend called me and asked for help with decorating, I had an answer in my back room "stored" in an old suitcase. You see, several years ago I happened by a yard sale in Spring Valley (DC). It was a brother-sister duo that I think were probably ~this close~ to being hoarders given the stuff they'd hauled out to their front yard. And to me, this was the BEST kind of yard sale - one with little treasures that have been stored for years that have finally been brought to light. Digging through several boxes, I found a stash of old bottles. Hundreds of old bottles. Bottles in all shapes and sizes.

When I asked why they would have a stash of old bottles, the pair replied that they had been digging in the side yard and found what had been an old trash pile full of these bottles. An interesting result of these bottles being buried is that they all had an iridescent sheen on them. They were lovely! And I was able to pick up a box of them for something like $10 knowing I'd found a wonderful new way to arrange flowers.

You see, some of these bottles are so small that only one stem will fit in the top. Others are big enough to do actual arrangements. When you group several of them together, you can make a statement on, say, an 8 foot table. Because our budget was so tight, I used one stem of Alstroemeria (also called Peruvian Lilies) in each of the bottles and then arranged them in lines or little groups depending on the shape of the table. Alstroemeria has several flowers on each stem and you can usually get a stem for under $1 if you shop around places like Overstock, Costco, Sam's Club or even 1800Flowers.com.

So the next time you're entertaining and need an inexpensive decoration, take a look around you and find the inner beauty of things you might otherwise throw away. Look at your bottles, tea tins or cans from canned veggies or soups. Even simple things can make a statement with a little creativity!