DIY Window Note Board
While I was home today while the cable company came, I decided to do a little DIY project. I have seen this idea in various flea markets and saw one at Hobby Lobby the other day. I've had this window on my porch as a decoration on a bench. I snagged it from a pile of junk at a site where they were going to bulldoze an old house. It's kind of sentimental for me because this house was next to our old tobacco barn where I spent so much of my childhood playing in the fields and working. These windows are pretty easy to find. Finding one with broken panes will cost less so just be on the lookout.
You start with a window frame, no glass. This didn't have any glass but if you have a window with glass you can either break the glass or pull the window putty back and remove it.
You will need chicken wire. Mine came from my brother-in-law already rusted and aged. If you don't have any chicken wire, they sell it at all the local farm stores.
The first thing I did was turn the window over and cut the chicken wire to fit the window frame. I used wire cutters to cut it. You'll have to be careful when working with it because the cut pieces are sharp. I then staple gunned, (using 9/16 staples) the chicken wire to the back of the window frame putting it tight as I went along.
I then measured my fabric, (from Hobby Lobby on sale for 30% off) to size of the frame not quite to the edges, leaving about 6" on each side. I didn't want any to hang over the edges. I staple gunned the fabric right over the chicken wire starting at the top and pulling fabric down tight as I stapled along the edges.
I hung picture hangers on the back and put two screws in the wall to hang it. Here is the finished product. It turned out so cute, I love it!
I'm going to use it to hang my daughter's art work, notes, and sports schedules on it. I bought these cute little painted mini clothes pin clips at Hobby Lobby in the scrapbooking/embellishments section. They came in lots of colors and patterns. You can also use regular clothes pins and put Washi tape on them to jazz them up.
DIY Island Makeover
This is just the beginning of our kitchen makeover. Between three kids who are all in sports and other activities, it's been a slow process. This winter I decided to tackle the island and I finished it. I wanted to start the kitchen cabinets but baseball/softball season started. It's now July and I still haven't started them. It really turned out great! As I write this, it does motivate me to start the kitchen cabinets.
Here is my orange oak island with brass and porcelain handles.
I've started to remove the doors. It will make them so much easier to sand.
Here is what it looked like sanded. It doesn't take much just enough to take the sheen off so the paint will absorb easier.
This is the last stage of sanding and it's really quite smooth now.
I applied black chalk paint with a non-piling rag. You don't want to use anything fuzzy such as a towel or it will leave fuzz in your paint and you don't want that.
Here's the first coat of paint on the doors, underneath of the island, and the front.
I chose to spread butcher paper on the island to do the doors again painting them with black chalk paint applying with a rag.
I applied about three coats of black chalk paint. I didn't like how it looked solid black so I got my sander out and roughed up some of the edges to give it a more custom look. I also don't like how the chalk paint finish looks. On the door I tried clear furniture wax and liked how that looked better.
You can see the clear wax on the doors above and below. It gives it a little sheen but not super shiny.
I put a piece of thin wood under island so the paint wouldn't get on the floor.
Once I got all the doors and the island waxed I decided I didn't like the dullness of the wax and wanted a little more shine.
I chose a Min-Wax Polyurethane in a satin finish from Home Depot. I liked how it gave it just a little more shine. You can see it above on the corners.
Here are the drawers and doors put back on.
You can now see the detailing on the doors. I think it just adds much more character to the island.
Here's the finished product or at least until the countertops go in.
I found these handles in nickel at Home Depot.
I really love the detail on the door pulls.
For this project I used Americana Decor chalk paint in black. It was $8.48 at Home Depot. You can make your own. I have done that before but chose to try this brand on the island project. I used about four containers of the black paint and two of the clear wax. I used one quart size, (32 oz) of Min-Wax Polyurethane in a satin finish. I applied the wax on with a rag and used a foam brush for the polyurethane. I applied five coats of polyurethane since I wanted it to hold up to all the kitchen traffic. Now onto the remainder of the kitchen cabinets.
Materials used
Palm Sander
Sandpaper- heavy and light weight
Screwdriver or drill to remove doors
Non piling rags, I bought mine at Home Depot
American Decor Chalk Paint from Home Depot
Clear Furniture Wax from Home Depot
Min-Wax Polyurethane in satin finish
Cheap foam brushes for applying polyurethane
