burlap table runner

A few weeks ago, Cottage and Vine, wrote a fabulous tutorial for how to sew a burlap table runner...

It was love at first sight,

and I immediately knew the perfect spot for mine! When Lauren came in town, we each sewed one,  mine for our credenza, and hers for their dining room table.

We had so much fun making them together and thanks to clear, easy instructions, they turned out great!

Love the runner's knotted ends, and the adorable boxwood wreaths.

l.o.v.e. it down her table,

especially with the beautiful magnolia leaves & cloche dome centerpiece.

I topped ours off with a long piece of Pottery Barn's burlap ribbon to add a festive Christmas flair.

Then, I used the remaining burlap to wrap up my topiary!

I love knowing that I can use it throughout each season with different decor!

linking up with Whatever Goes Wednesday, Blue Cricket, 

:: how to :: decorate a williamsburg cone

Thanks for all of the great feedback you gave yesterday 

on my apple and boxwood Williamsburg cone!

They're a fabulous centerpiece for any time of year, but especially at Christmas!

The cone that I used was made by my Poppy for my mom and then she passed it down to me.

So, I didn't actually make my own cone form... 

but I searched the internet and found the Williamsburg Marketplace 

where you can purchase similar ones but it seems they're currently out of stock.

Since, I wasn't able to find a Wiliamsburg Cone base that was actually available online, 

Hubby and I are going to try to come up with some to sell in my Etsy store.

Let me know if you'd be interested!

Now let's get started...

{1}

The cone base is usually an iron or wood cone with the point cut off & painted green

with rows of nails inserted and each nail is approximately 2in apart.

{2}

Choose your fruit, which you'll later position onto the nails.

I chose granny smith apples, but you can use oranges, lemons, red apples, etc.

I don't usually purchase bags of apples for us to eat because I am super picky about spots,

but for this project (a) much more cost effective (b) you can turn the apples to hide the brown spots!

{3}

Begin pegging the apples onto the nails... 

 {4}

I trimmed our boxwood bushes in the front yard for the sprigs, 

but you can use holly, pine, spruce, to add beautiful color and texture!

{5}

stuff the boxwood between the apples, filling in the empty spaces

{6}

ta-da! 

A fabulous traditional centerpiece for your home. 

Perfect on a credenza, in a small nook, on your dining room table, or anywhere!.

There are many variations to this traditional centerpiece, 

which you can read about here.  The article also provides more detailed instructions.

I wasn't able to find a Wiliamsburg Cone base that I really liked online, 

Hubby and I are going to try to come up with one and I'll put them in my Etsy store!

Let me know if you'd be interested.

More images of Wiliamsburg cones.

Todd Richesin Interiors

Merry, Merry Christmas!

I'm linking up with Blue Cricket Designs.

::how to:: painting curtains

one of the first posts that i read at cottage and vine was about how she painted her curtains!

they looked fabulous, but i thought i'd never have the patience for that project.

turns out i got an extra dose a few weeks ago because that's just what i did!

i seem to get the most done around the house when hubby and little one are sleeping...

i had been thinking about painting curtains, so that night i just decided to go for it!

curtains down from the window

i totally lucked out that the curtains i wanted to paint already had vertical lines stitched into the fabric.

made it so, so much easier to tape.

no measuring needed.

these drapes are from IKEA...not sure of the name but I'm sure you can still find them.

{1}

then i taped, taped some more, and kept taping...

until all the sides of the stripes-to-be-painted were bordered by nice even lines of painters' tape

{2}

next up, deciding on the painting surface.

the painting actually took place the next day, not that night.

options

::1:: plywood

too many tiny pieces

::2:: cardboard

too many ridges

::3:: smooth wood

just right

::hint:: always choose the smoothest surface

{3}

tester stripe.

the last thing i wanted to do was paint the 5 stripes (x2) and then not like my results.

so, i painted a stripe and then hung the curtain over the window.

i'm so glad that i did because i realized:

::1:: the curtains need two coats of paint

::2:: i need to sew a curtain lining to block some of the light shining through

{4}

finish painting the stripes.

i used a sponge brush and loaded up the paint. 

the thicker the 1st coat, the easier the 2nd.

{5}

let the paint dry completely.

i set mine out to dry in the TX sun for an entire afternoon.

the last thing you want is a masterpiece ruined due to impatience!

{6}

re-hang the curtains.

{7} 

fall. madly. in. love.

from this,

see how my hutch turned white

to this!

and that's ::how to:: paint curtains! 

i hope you've been inspired to go out and paint your own.

if so, please link back here with your post so i can sneak a peek at your masterpiece!

sharing this ::how to:: with

Debbie Doo's newbie party

 domestically speaking's POPP ,someday craft, blue cricket design,
shabby chic cottage, knick knacks, shabby nest, fingerprints on the fridge, tidy mom, 
finding fabulous, cottage instincts **

project::office inspiration board

Here is the inspiration board that I created for Hubby's office:

hubby's office by peaceofhome 

some of these pieces are toooo expensive for my budget,
but now i have ideas for what will work together in the space

i can't wait to make more!

my lovely corner hutch

a few months ago i asked for suggestions on how to paint my corner hutch 

when i bought her from c-list she was a distressed navy & her colors didn't work well in our home

but her shape and size were just right!

i finally decided to paint her white and stain her blonde wood the same stain as the dining table,

now she's absolutely divine.

here is the story of how she was transformed...

{1}

we took apart the top and bottom pieces for easier access

{2}

we removed the glass pieces from the doors

and removed the doors before sanding

{3}

after I had sanded all of the areas using this handy dandy little guy from a previous project 

it was time to start painting!

{4}

i began with the brown spray paint. i wanted to distress the piece after i had finished painting,

so I sprayed the spots that i'd want to distress with the brown spray paint, knowing the brown 

would pop through once i finished.

{5}

next up spraying the hutch white! i didn't use a primer because i was hurrying,

but i wish i had because it ended up taking 2 coats and some touch ups.

but i learned from my mistakes - so next time will be easier!

{6}

when i began staining the blonde wood, i noticed that it wasn't being absorbed very well.

i waited the 15-20 minutes that you're supposed to, but still the stain was sitting on the wood.

i wiped away the excess and was left with this...

I re-sanded and even used some liquid varnish remover, which gave me this result...

and now i was definitely ready to stain!

I distressed some of the edges with medium grit sand paper, bought some precious knobs
1/2 off at hob lob, and hubby helped me put it all back together!

i just love it.

she fills the space and fits the decor of the breakfast room perfectly!

we filled her with wine glasses up top and serving ware down bottom.

now she's purposeful, too!

thanks for sticking me with me through this lengthy ::how to:: post!

**I am linking up at Domestically Speaking's POPP, Shabby Chic Cottage, 

Fingerprints, Savvy Southern Style **

rusty red revamp

our lovely coffee table joined our family as an outdoor piece of furniture, 

but we really didn't buy the furniture because of the table.

we just liked everything else.
 i looked at it everyday for weeks, trying to envision its place in our living room...

::pros::
great overall size
space to place baskets that can hold my random stuff magazines
character in its legs and wooden slats

::cons::
too tall
needs to be refinished 

so, after a few lonely months in the backyard, it was ready for a new home.

it receives much more daily love and attention in its new spot.

 let me show you how we got to this point...

{1}

the height of the table was a little too tall for the family room, so we sawed off its legs.

poor guy.

{2}

time to sand!

make sure to sand off all the previous stain, and to create a smooth surface

{3}

brush off the excess dust.

wipe it clean with a damp rag.

maybe twice, depending on how much dust you made.

{4}

stain it.

we chose minwax english chestnut,

which we also used to stain our kitchen table here.

i was planning on painting the bottom half rather than staining it.

to prevent wiping up drips that might fall through the cracks I spread out newspaper

on the bottom level.

i actually took the picture of newspaper after staining one coat.

{5}

paint it 

no, i didn't prime it which i was very glad about after just painting one coat of red.

geez, those slats were a pain to paint

can't find my painting pic, but here is a good shot of the legs

 

{7}

decorate it. 

 love it.

go here for some great pointers on how to decorate your coffee table. 

this was my first piece of furniture to redo, and it really boosted my confidence.

start on something rather simple, with a few easy steps.

then you'll feel like conquering the world, or something like this guy