A few months ago I found an old metal box with just enough rust and age to make it awesome.

I love this box.

It has compartments inside that make it perfect for holding all of my coffee supplies. (Ok – when I have coffee on hand.  I have a Tassimo, which I love.  What I don’t love is how few stores carry the discs.  I have been out of discs for about a month. ugh. Fortunately there is a coffee shop within a mile of my house.  Why is it so easy to run there every morning instead of making just one trip to a store that I know carries Tassimo coffee?? Sometimes I wonder about myself.)

Anyways…

This box is old, but I know I’ve seen similar (new) boxes in craft stores.  I wanted to try to re-create the look, adding a stencil to the front.  I could not find a box.  Anywhere.

But I did have a vintage metal bread drawer!

Rusting it was super easy.  I mentioned in my last post that I got the directions on instructables.com.

Here is my quick version…

Take your item outside.  Lay plastic under the item if you need to protect the surface underneath.

The first thing you’re supposed to do is thoroughly clean the item with degreaser.  I thought the bread drawer was clean enough.  I skipped this step.  (It had nothing to do with the warnings on the degreaser bottle to use rubber gloves and a mask!)

I did, however, add a stencil at this point.  I wanted the rust to form around the stencil, so I used a vinyl rub-on that I got at Micheal’s.  The entire stencil said ‘SOAK your cares away’, but I only used the SOAK part of it.  Appropriate for a bathroom, I thought!

Next you fill a spray bottle with white vinegar (any brand) and spray the entire item.  Let it dry.  Spray again.  Let it dry.  Spray again.  You get the idea – do this several times.  This step took a while because I chose a cool, cloudy, damp day to do it.  On a sunny, warm day this will take no time at all.  (This is called the pickling step -if the vinegar hasn’t covered the entire surface, it will not rust uniformly.  Honestly, I wasn’t worried about it being uniform.  But I did repeat the step several times.)

Once you are satisfied that the entire surface has been treated with vinegar and dried, it’s time to rust!  Fill a spray bottle (I dumped the remaining vinegar and used the same bottle.) with the following:

• 16 ounces of Hydrogen Peroxide (use a fresh bottle)
• 2 ounces of White Vinegar
• 1/2 Tablespoon of Salt

(Don’t worry if your amounts are a little off, it will be fine. Make sure to shake the bottle a few times to dissolve the salt.)

Now you can spray your item.  The rust should start to form immediately.  Mine wasn’t dramatic, but as it dried, more rust appeared.  I think in my case the temperature and dampness made a difference.  (I noticed that the rust formed in drops – just how the solution was sprayed on.  Next time I will soak it more so that it’s not as spotty.  This effect is less noticeable now, as it has continued to rust even after it dried.)

 You can let it dry and spray it as many times as you want.  Be careful handling it until it is completely dry.  The rust is powdery and can rub off.

After it dried, I removed the stencil, and then rubbed the entire thing with steel wool to get any loose powder off.  Then the cabinet was ready to hang!

I’m thrilled with how it turned out.  And I am still on the look-out for metal boxes.  If anyone sees them, please let me know where!

Much Love…

Brenda

Decorating a small house for Christmas can be a challenge. You walk a fine line between just enough and waaayy too much.  I always start the season thinking that I will keep things simple and not go overboard – again. The best of intentions…

Really though, the line I mention is completely personal.  It’s dependent on how much stuff you can feel comfortable being surrounded by.   I’ve noticed over the years that when I do go a little heavy on the decorations, I don’t leave them up nearly as long as I do in years that I mange to keep things simple.  I’ve also noticed that when the decorations are abundant, I am way less tolerant of any amount of extra clutter.  Shoes and backpacks on the floor, mail on the counter, snacks on the table – these types of  things will make me twitch for a couple of weeks (more than they already do!).

So there you have it – the secret to decorating a small home for the holidays.  If you must display everydecoration you’ve collected over the past 20 years, take it all down the day after Christmas.  And banish additional clutter caused by kids, pets, or husbands.   I’m  completely joking, of course.

But speaking of simple…

This is my ironing board tree.

I got the ironing board at a garage sale this summer.   It has legs, of course, but they were really wobbly so I took them off.  (They’re perfect for holding magazines!)

I thought about using it on the mantel, but couldn’t get a look that I was happy with, so I wrapped it with some lights and burlap garland.

Simple.

Much love,

Brenda

A couple of years ago, a friend did something kind for me and I thought that I would return the kindness by making her a similar file holder to help organize her boys. (We’d had discussions about how hard it is to keep track of everything.) Before I started I thought – “Gee. This may turn out pretty cute, maybe I’ll make some to sell on Etsy.” Hahahaha! Then I endured days of fabric strewn across my dining room table, pins and scraps on the floor, and kids who kept begging me to please let them sew something too! Yep – scratch that Etsy idea.

So here I am, years later, and I decided to put myself through the same torture once more. Kinda like childbirth – you forget how painful it was once you are focused on your beautiful finished product!

I am not a seamstress. So so so not a seamstress. I can sew simple curtain panels and pillows that never have sharp corners – and that is about the extent of my talents(?). The really sad part about this is that my mom is an excellent seamstress. My parents had a furniture reupholstering business, and my mom sewed almost every cushion for the hundreds of couches and chairs that they upholstered. She also made every formal dress I ever needed, and countless Halloween costumes for me (and some for my kids too.)

I also have a sister that is an awesome seamstress. She makes beautiful quilts, wall-hangings, dolls – really just about anything that can be sewn. It’s amazing.

Kevin always teases me for not paying attention when my mom and dad were working. It would be so nice to have learned some of their secrets. Pretty much the only thing I learned how to do was pull staples and tacks out of the piece so that they could remove the old upholstery and get to work. Hmmm….maybe they recognized my lack of talent??

So… back to my project. Truthfully, the hardest part about this project was not the sewing. The hardest part was figuring out how to put it all together. I used my old file holder as a guide, and that definitely helped with dimensions, but determining how to fit the pieces together hurt my head.

Ahem… Update to this story.

A very, very sweet friend (Rheanel) saw my initial post about the organizer and thought that she could use one to manage her mountains of paperwork.  And she told her very, very sweet friend (Lori!) about it.  That friend also thought that she could use one.  Do you see where this is going??  How do you say no to 2 very, very sweet ladies?  You don’t.  

I did procrastinate for a long time though.  Then I decided to take them up on their offer to help.  We had one marathon sewing session, and another morning get-together to add the finishing touches.  So much fun.  They told me many times what a blessing this was to them, but they have no idea how much they blessed me!  It was wonderful to share stories and laughs with 2 amazing women while we worked.  Unfortunately I have no pictures of the lovely ladies at work.  I am terrible about stopping to take pictures.  ugh.

Soooo… Here’s what you’ll need for this project:

3 1/2 yards of fabric (this is based on an organizer that is nearly 4-feet long, with 9 pockets)

fusible interfacing (the size of the organizer base)

heavy-duty sewing machine needles (make sure to have several extras!)

grommets (optional)

metal book plates (optional)

thread and other notions

DISCLAIMER:  As I mentioned earlier, I am not a seamstress.  My methods and instruction may not be the best possible way of doing things.  If you need clarification on a step, feel free to email me.  If you need further instruction on proper methods of doing things, please search any of the very competent sewing sites out there!! 

STEP 1. Determine the size.

This will dictate the number of pockets you can fit, and how much fabric you’ll need.  I was happy with the size of my original holder, so I kept the same length (47″), but made it a little bit wider (15″ – the original is 13″). I intended to make the same number of pockets, but (ahem) didn’t space them quite right, so I ended up with one less. I have 9 pockets. Plenty.

STEP 2. Buy your fabric – fun!

I used one fabric for the base, and a different fabric for the pockets. I recommend a medium-weight fabric.  You will eventually be sewing over multiple layers of fabric, and you don’t want it too bulky.

Unless you are buying home decor fabric (which is 54″ wide and rolled onto a long tube in the store), your fabric will likely be 45″ wide off the bolt. My holder is 15″ wide, and it is double-sided. So I only needed one width of the fabric. One width covers front and back of the holder, plus seam allowance.

I bought enough fabric for the length of the holder PLUS enough to make each of the pockets 2-ply.  (To make them more substantial.)

STEP 3. Make the base.

(I never take the time to take pictures of the process.  In order to show you how I did things, I went back through my steps, making a very small organizer with some scrap fabric.)

Cut your fabric to the size you want the organizer – Add at least an inch to the length measurement, and double + 1 inch for the width.

Lay the fabric face down and center a piece of fusible interfacing (cut to the size of your base) in the middle.  Follow the interfacing instructions (usually included when you buy it) to adhere it to your fabric.

This picture shows the edges already pressed in.  I suggest that you wait until the next step until you press the edges. 

Fold the ends of the fabric in.  You want the ends to meet in the middle, but not overlap (to avoid additional bulk).  Fold excess fabric under, so that the folded edges meet neatly in the middle.  Press the edges.  You need to sew the edges into place.

Sew each folded edge.  (It might seem weird that you’ll have 2 seams running down the middle, but the pockets will cover most of this.  Just make sure you pick a good thread color so that it isn’t as noticeable.  Or be sure to sew as straight as possible! :)).

This picture shows how it looks from the front of the base.  I used yellow thread (it was in my machine already), and you can see that it really isn’t that noticeable, even though it’s right in the middle of the base.

Leave the top and bottom edges unfinished for now.

STEP 4. Make the pockets.

I recommend making them 2-ply. I cut 9 pockets (18 squares total).  I made my pockets 16″ wide and 9″ high.  (Regardless of the size your choose, just make sure the pockets are at least as wide as your base!)

For each pocket: Put the right sides of the fabric together. (You are going to stitch the top edge, so pay attention to how you lay the fabric, in case there is a pattern that runs up or down. ) Sew a 1/4″ seam along the top edge, sewing the piece together. Press the seam open.

Fold the wrong sides together, and then press the seam flat. (The bottom edges will be sewn together when you attach it to the base.)  You have your first pocket!

Repeat for all of your pockets.

STEP 5.  Sew the pockets to the base.

***Before you begin to arrange your pockets, fold the top edge of your organizer back about 1/2-inch, and sew into place.*** 

a.  Sewing the bottoms of the pockets:

Obviously, only the bottom and sides of the pockets are sewn to the base.  (The top of the pocket stays open – sounds so obvious, but these are the reminders that I need when I’m in the midst of a sewing project!)

Decide how much of the base you want to show at the top.  Keep in mind that the folders will stick out of the top pocket a bit, and you will need space to attach grommets.

On my ‘real’ organizer (not this tiny one) I placed the top of my first pocket 5 inches from the top of the base.  Try to keep the space between pockets even.  Measure from the top of one pocket to the top of the next pocket the whole way down.  (I spaced mine approx. 4 inches apart.)  When you’re happy with the spacing, pin the top edge of each pocket in place.

The pockets will be wider than the base.  They get finished later – just try to have about the same amount of excess on either side of the base.  It doesn’t matter if your bottom pocket is at the very bottom of the base.  If you have the spacing the way that you want it, and there is excess at the bottom, you can trim the excess later.

Start at the bottom pocket, and sew the bottom edge of the pocket to the base.  Remove the pins from that pocket, and fold it over so that it’s out of the way and you can sew the bottom edge of the next pocket.

(In this picture, I have already sewn the 3 bottom pockets, and am moving them out of the way to sew across the bottom of the top pocket.  Notice how even this tiny organizer is too long, and starts to roll up the side of the machine.)

Add each remaining pocket, sewing only along the bottom of each pocket.  (You’ll have to roll up the organizer so that it fits in the machine as you work your way to the bottom.)

b.  Sewing the sides of the pockets to the base:

I had a little problem with this when I made mine. My fabric was too thick, and I didn’t have a heavy-duty needle.  My mom finished it with her upholstery machine.  (And my quilting sister was there to help finish the edges!  Lucky me! :))

Rheanel and Lori chose less bulky fabric, and I changed the process a bit, so I really didn’t have trouble sewing theirs with my machine.  I did break several needles though, so hopefully you bought extra!

On the wrong side, (so that you are sure not to veer off of the base as you sew) sew along each side of the organizer, about 1/4 -inch in from the edge of the base.  Sew along the pockets only – there’s no need to sew to the very top of the organizer, but you can if you like the look of the seam going to the top.

STEP 6. Finish the edges.

First, you’ll need to trim any excess pocket fabric from along the edges.

I didn’t finish the sides of the small organizer because I actually remembered to take pictures when I was working on the Lori’s and Rheanel’s.

Cut a 4-inch strip of fabric that is long enough to run along both edges and across the bottom of your pockets.  (You could also use twill tape for this – but it needs to be 3-4 inches wide.)

You will probably need to piece sections together to make it long enough.  You can just sew the pieces together straight across, but if you want it to look a little more seamless, this is a nice way to add them together  (go to the joining the strips section).  The joint is not as obvious if you use this method, especially when using a printed fabric.  This is how it looked when I did it…

And this is my finished piece…

Once you have a strip long enough to go around, press in one of the short edges about 1/4-inch.  Lay the pressed edge, wrong side up, along one edge of your organizer (at the top of the first pocket).  Position the strip at least 1/2-inch in from the edge of the base.  (Sorry – the following picture shows the strip lined up along the edge of the base.  I moved it in about 1/2-inch before I sewed it.  Forgot to take another pic!)

The next step gets confusing when you get to the bottom corners of the organizer.  I have tried to show pictures to help, but please check out videos on sewing websites if you need further help.  I’m really not very good at corners (at all), so I recommend that you look to an expert for more explanation.  The process is called mitering corners (of quilts or blankets).

Sew the strip along the edge, stopping (and then reversing as you would at the end of any seam) about 1/4-inch from the bottom.  Remove the organizer from the machine, pinch the strip (like in the following picture), and then starting about 1/4-inch from the edge, resume sewing the strip across the bottom.  Stop about 1/4-inch from the other edge of the organizer.  Remove the organizer from the machine, pinch the strip (like in the following picture), and then starting about 1/4-inch from the bottom, resume sewing until you are about 2-inches from the top of the first pocket.

Trim the strip so that you can fold it in about 1/4-inch and it will reach the top of the first pocket.  Hold the fold in place (you can press it if you want) and sew to the end.

Unfold the strip so that it wraps around the edges of the organizer.  You might have to fuss with the corners a bit to make them as sharp as possible.  Press the strip into place, making your edge nice and sharp.  Now you have to sew the back edge of the strip.  Fold the unsewn edge of the strip under so that your seam can be close to the edges.  Press into place.  Sew along the pressed edge of the strip.

This is the only picture that I took of the finished edge!  Notice that my corners are not perfect!

STEP 7.  Finishing Touches!

Now you need to add a way to hang it. I used grommets. I found them in the drapery aisle at JoAnn Fabrics. Buy the package that includes the tool that you’ll need to attach them to the fabric (if you don’t have one already!). It’s really simple! I used three – I wanted to make sure it would hang straight, and I also knew that it would get pretty heavy as the school year moved along.

Metal bookplates on the front of each pocket make it easy to add labels to the pockets.  I found these in the scrapbooking section at JoAnn’s.  You can sew them in place, but it is much easier to buy a pack of brads (like these) to attach the plates to the pockets.

This link describes what went on.

How’s that for a descriptive title?  I’m feeling especially creative today, it seems!

It has been months since I found, and posted about these beautiful green doors that I bought (for only $10 a piece) to use as a sliding door to our yet-to-be-remodeled bathroom.

When I brought them home, I seriously thought that I would have them up and sliding by the end of the weekend.

You all realize that when I say “I” when describing projects that involve more than a paint brush and screw driver, I really mean “he”.  As in my husband.  Kevin.  Do-er of any sort of DIY involving more than a paint brush, etc.  You get the idea…

Seriously, that man can do it all.  Just about anything that has needed to be done in our house he has figured out how to do.  Correctly, even – that’s a bonus.  I know – you don’t have to tell me (but feel free to anyway :)), I am one lucky lady!

But just because you can do something does not guarantee that you always want to do it.  Especially when your wife brings home a heavy, old, too-small-for-the-opening door and expects you to have it up and sliding before the end of the weekend.

I swear, it seemed like a very simple project.

I stand by that.

After much deliberation, and trips the hardware store, Lowe’s, Home Depot and 84 Lumber, we (he) purchased the following items to hang the door.

1/2″ black pipe (cut to length and re-threaded)

2 3-inch flanges

2 90-degree elbows

This picture shows how the pipe, elbow, and flange fit together and attach to the wall.  This makes the rail that the door slides on.  Notice the wood behind the flange.  This was a little tricky.  Obviously, you want the door to slide as close to the wall as possible (especially for a bathroom door).  But it can’t be so close that it scrapes the wall as it travels.  We found the right balance of close but not too close, but unfortunately that balance had the elbow only partially screwed into the flange, and it wasn’t securely attached.  If we screwed the elbow in further to make it more secure, it pulled the door too close to the wall.  Sooooo…. Kevin cut a piece of plywood to fit behind the flange which gave enough space to screw the elbow in further without pulling the door up against the wall.  (phew…. that sounds complicated.  My head hurts.)

So – back to supplies…

2 J-hooks

Kevin used the J-hooks to hang the door from the rail.  He attached the hooks to the door with 3/8″ nuts and washers on both sides of the door.  Notice, however, that the hooks are no longer in the shape of a J.  He had to bend the bottom of the hooks (which are normally straight) so that he could attach them to the door.  He had to use MAPP gas to heat it so that he could bend it – he tells me propane wouldn’t work because it doesn’t get hot enough.  Ok, so this might not be the best option for anyone (me) afraid of gas and high heat.  There are definitely other options at this point.  These doors are hung using an eye hook…

country living

(btw – this is the picture I gave Kevin when I bought the doors and assured him how simple it would be!  haha.)

The advantage of a J-hook is that you can easily lift the door off of the rail should the need arise.  If you use the eye hook, you have to remove the rail from the wall to slide the door off.   Sometimes it’s nice to have semi-permanent options.  So if you have a rock-star DIY husband like I do, go for the J-hook!  lol

At this point, all that is needed is 2 casters at the bottom, and you’re ready to roll!  (boo!  didn’t see that one coming, did you??)

WHOA!  Not gonna be that easy, girlfriend!  (What is with me today??  Maybe I didn’t get enough sleep last night!)

So…. the door I bought wasn’t quite long enough to cover the door opening.  Kevin had to add a few inches to the bottom of the door.  To disguise the addition, he cut a panel that matches the other 2 panels that run across the front of the door.  Then it was my job to match the finish.  Oh yeah – hand over the paint brush and move out of my way, Mr. DIY.

I took a chip of the paint to Sherwin Williams and they helped me match it.  I didn’t have a big enough chip to do a color match, but we found a pretty close match.  I bought a sample quart of it which is a perfect way to save money.  The sample quarts aren’t their highest quality paint and they don’t recommend it for applications that will get a lot of wear.  Worked perfectly for the door though – and only $6!

I painted, sanded, and used a black glaze on top.  I think it turned out pretty well, but I think I’ll do a bit more sanding.  Once it was hanging I noticed that I used a little too much glaze and I’d like to tone it down some.

There is just no way to get a better picture.  Too many walls.

I love the finished product!  And it was so simple! 

Much love,

Brenda

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