Tag: sander

Furniture

Part 2: Dresser refab

Jessica Smith

My dresser is almost done. Almost. It’s been sanded, stained and polyurethaned. Now all it needs to do is dry! Then I can add my spiffy teal knobs!

The project was rather simple, but I certainly learned a lot along the way. First and foremost, don’t stain outside if there is any hint of a breeze — especially in the spring. I had to bring the dresser inside after the first coat of poly because so much crap had blown onto it and was sticking in the finish.

Second, make sure you sand all surfaces you want to stain. New stain + old stain doesn’t always equal a good combination.

Third, make sure you aren’t doing things the hard way. According to my family friend, John, it would have been a lot quicker to use a varnish stripping agent instead of sanding all of the nooks and crannies of the old dresser. A tip for next time, I suppose!

Here’s the progress so far:

OK, this was the first coat of stain. Honestly, I was super disappointed with how it looked — it wasn’t all that different from what I started with.

And here’s the stain after a much thicker coat. Much better!

Before the poly (and before I moved inside).

Remmy watching from inside because he kept grabbing rocks and/or sandpaper, and then running away.

All polyed up and sitting out to dry.


Looking good!

Maybe tomorrow I can put it all back together, knobs and all. I might play it extra safe and wait an extra day for it all to dry.

In other news, if you follow my Facebook page you know that I spent part of the weekend unpacking my craft room. While that sounds super exciting, it was actually rather overwhelming. As of right now, I’ve got a whole lot of nothing to do crafts on except the floor. I also have a whole lot of nothing to use for storage. I’ve been hitting up thrift stores and Craigslist to see if I can find something the meet my needs, but if I can’t I think I’ll have to custom build something into my craft nook. I’m rather desperate to have a functioning craft room, but all in good time.

While I didn’t find a craft table (or a coffee table or a desk), I did find some other fun things at the thrift store this weekend. 

An old dictionary, an old atlas and a nasty silver bowl. Can’t wait to get to work on some projects I have planned, especially with the atlas and the dictionary. Oh! I bought a second atlas, but the hubby loved it so much he claimed it as his own and refuses to let me use it for crafting. Also, I paid $3.50 for it and it is selling for $135 on eBay! Holy cow! Great find, huh, Carrie H. (my thrift store buddy)?

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Five tools for your crafting arsenal

Jessica Smith

Yesterday was my 24th birthday and I was spoiled with crafting goodies. I received a set of clamps, a dremel and a jigsaw.

HOLYCOWIAMSOEXCITEDTOUSEMYNEWTOOLS!

As I collect more and more items for my tool arsenal, I figured I would share which tools I find most useful. So, here are five tools that all do-it-yourselfers should have at their work benches.

No. 1: Hot Glue Gun

This might seem like a silly item, but let’s face it, most crafts call for hot glue — especially the more simple of crafts. If you don’t have a hot glue gun, you are pretty much in the stone age. You can buy a glue gun pretty at any craft store, hardware store or any big box retailer like Target, Walmart, etc. I bet some grocery stores also sell them — and they aren’t expensive at all. You can buy a glue gun and refill sticks for under $15.

No. 2: Staple Gun

While I am dying to get my hands on a nail gun, my staple gun has done the trick for me so far. Staple guns cost about $20 and can be purchased at hardware stores or other stores with hardware sections. They are really versatile tools because you can load them with staples of varying length depending on the project. And, they are super lightweight and easy to use. I use mine all the time for upholstery projects (although the husband put it away and now I can’t find it!). you’ve gotta get your hands on one of these if you don’t already have one.

No. 3: Sander

If you ever plan on refinishing an old piece of furniture, you are going to need a sander. I just got my sander as a Christmas gift and I’ve already used it several times. Make sure you buy different grits of sandpaper — the rougher the paper, the more and quicker you’ll be able to sand down your project. Start with a rough paper, then work your way to a softer paper for a smooth finish before you paint or stain.

No. 4: Dremel

So obviously I just got my dremel yesterday and have yet to experience its wonders for myself, but I can already tell this is a tool I am going to love. The dremel has 25 accessories, including pieces to grind, sand, cut, carve, engrave, and polish — I cannot wait to try it out! I’ll be honest and admit I’m not quite sure where to start, but I will keep you updated!

No. 5: Pliers of all shapes, functions and sizes

Pliers are so freaking useful! They grab onto things our fingers can’t grasp, the cut wire, the fit into tiny places… they are awesomely useful. I’ve probably got about 10 different kinds of pliers in my tool kit — some flat, some pointed, some with a cutting edge, some with grips. They are incredibly useful for jewelry making and come in handy for a lot of other crafts. And, best of all, they are super cheap. You can buy pliers at the dollar store, craft stores, hardware stores, etc. If you don’t have pliers (and that is just crazy), what are you waiting for!?

What tools do you use most often? I’m always down for suggestions of tools to try out!

Craft Projects, Mirrors

Project 2: Foyer Mirror

Jessica Smith

I spent my Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday doing some serious crafting. I added a bunch of new items to my jewelry store, which always takes forever, and I did a little bit of thrift store shopping. I got these two gems:

 

I spent $15 total on both pieces — a total steal if you ask me. The stool is particularly neat and has all sorts of  storage for sewing notion. It will go perfectly in my craft room once I get around to it.

Today, I tackled the mirror. I sanded it down first, with some help from the hubby.

Next, I painted. I went with black since it will match with everything. Three coats later….

I decided it needed something else, so I added an ‘S’ to the crest of the mirror. I actually bought it for another project, but I really liked the idea of it on this piece because in theory it will go in the foyer of our new home whenever we move! The knob was something my mother-in-law gave me that she found around her house. I think it looks great! Can’t wait to hang it up in our house.

So, what do you think?