Tag: martha stewart

Craft Projects

Painted Chevron Lampshade

Jessica Smith

Chevron Lampshade

I’ve been holding onto this oddly shaped lampshade for a few years now and I finally got around to sprucing it up. I wanted to bring some color to the shade, so I got out two different types of paint and set to work.

Chevron Lampshade 3

First, I painted the entire shade cloud blue, from Martha Stewart Craft paints. I let the shade dry before adding two, thick chevron stripes in Martha Stewart’s gold metallic paint. I hand-painted the stripes because the painters’ tape wouldn’t stick to the shade — they turned out great, though!

I finished the shade by trimming the edges in gold paint as well.

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In about an hour, my shade went from boring white, to minty and gold. I put it onto a stainless steel lamp base and put it in our family room.

Chevron Lampshade 1

I need to get a side table for this room because the itty bitty ottoman looks silly, but the lamp looks darn cute.

Chevron Lampshade 2

Craft Projects, Furniture

Metal Chair Redo

Jessica Smith

metal chair redo

Years ago my momma had a metal chair in her bathroom sitting at her vanity that she decided to trade in for something a little more modern. Even back then I scooped up this treasure with the quickness to refinish and use in my bedroom. The chair was olive green with a camel-colored leather seat. I painted it white and recovered the seat with a thin, blue fabric… and that’s how it has stayed for years and years and years.

chair before

I finally decided I had had enough of this look, mainly the worn-in seat that I covered with quilting fabric versus home decor fabric. Rookie move.

So to start on my redo of a redo, I took the seat off of the chair and started to rip of all of the layers of fabric. First the blue.

chair cushion… then the tan…

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Then Remmy needed to investigate my work.

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To make my chair a little more comfy, I added a layer of batting to the top.

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Then I ironed the fabric for the chair and began to staple it to the cushion.

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Since the seat is round I stapled ever few inches, folding the fabric along the way.

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Then I put it on top of the chair to see how it looked.

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Too similar to before! Time to go big or go home (where I already was… so not sure that works here… but whatevs!) I painted the chair vintage gold.

IMG_2546Time to add the cushion!

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Before and After? Yes, please!

Chair before and after

Christmas, Craft Projects, Holiday, Life

Hope Ornament: #BloggersforSandyHook

Jessica Smith

A week ago today, 26 lives were cut short by a senseless act of violence at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Today we blog for Sandy Hook.

As part of the #BloggersforSandyHook tribute I wanted to share an ornament I made for our tree this week.

In honor of the grieving community and the 26 people who died at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday in Newtown, CT., I made a “hope”ornament for our tree.

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I really like the idea of having this on my tree each year to remind me to hug my loved ones extra tight, especially at Christmas.

If you want to make one too, here is what you’ll need:

  • Gold paint
  • Thin paint brush
  • Crystal beads or gems (26)
  • White ribbon
  • Christmas ball ornament (it can be any color)

Using Martha Stewart gold metallic paint and a thin paint brush, I painted the word “Hope” onto an ordinary glass Christmas ball. I chose to write the word in basic handwriting versus anything fancier — I like that it looks like something a kid could have written, plus I don’t trust my ability to paint in cursive. I then added 26 small dots all around the word “hope” to symbolize those who passed away at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Lastly, I painted one gold star as a tribute the bravery exhibited that day.

After the paint was dry, I carefully went over it all a second time so it really popped on the ornament and on our tree.

Next, I removed the silver top of the ornament and placed 26 crystal beads inside, again, one for each life lost. They are super sparkly and look really pretty inside the ornament. The beads I picked are plastic and sort of chunky, and I’d imagine that little girls would have loved to make necklaces out of them.

As a last step, I put the silver cap back on and tied a white ribbon to the top of the ornament. I added a bow where the ribbon meets the ornament as the final touch.

hope

I was having a heck of a time taking a decent picture of the ornament and didn’t do the best job. It is beautiful and because of all of the gold paint, crystals and white ribbon it looks rather ethereal — which seems very fitting.

 

To all those grieving in Connecticut: May your lives be filled with hope for a better future and your hearts be filled with the happiest of memories of the loved ones lost. You are in our thoughts this holiday season and inspire us each day to hug our loved ones a little bit tighter. 

I am truly sorry for your loss.

Jess