Rocking Chair Hack

Welcome back to another version of the Crazy Hacker! Yes, I have been known to hack apart communion tables for parts and now I have used my hacking skills to turn parts of an old rocking chair into two useful home decor projects. I started to take the chair apart to reupholster but when I got it down to its bones, it was really not worth repairing. 

So I did what any good repurposer does and looked for what could be saved!  I saw potential in the back and a brace as seen below:

I primed with grey primer since the wood is red and I wasn't sure what color I would be using so in case I decided to go light, I did not want red bleed through to the final product.  I found an awesome fabric remnant and decided to go blue!

I covered a piece of Luan with the fabric to create a pin board and then added a leftover wood piece from a mantel to make a shelf. Because the back angled out from the wall we added pegs to the back to make the shelf sit level. This got snapped up pretty quickly!

The brace got turned into a cute little towel rack just by adding a dowel. 

So before throwing out a broken chair, check under its hood for parts! You just might be surprised at how you can save something that might have sentimental value to you and you'll do us all a favor and keep it out of the dump.

He has a purpose for our brokenness as well. It is for His glory to be shown when we come through trials and suffering and even better….it is for our renewal and to create our dependence on Him. You can stand up to anything if you bow your will to Him.

Isaiah 14:24

"The LORD Almighty has sworn, Surely as I have planned so it will be and as I have purposed, so it will stand" 

Always being renewed,

Using Covered Buttons and Stripes in Upholstery

Here is another quick fix for you when you try your hand at upholstery. The Throne Chair, as I am now calling, it had a tricky back that someone had used screws to keep the front and the back of the back together. Are you getting confused? Maybe a picture will help. This is how it looked when Cheryl dropped it off at my house. 

Front

Back

see the screws? 

And here you can see that once those two pieces are removed, the back is open.....and you catch a glimpse of the crazy, messy workroom. sorry to hurt your eyes but you just can't photoshop that much crap out of the picture! 

There really is no other way to attach those two wooden pieces. I could have done a picture frame back but then I would have had to use double welting and the chair wood is so ornate that I felt it would be too much visual "stuff" on the back of the chair. So we kept with the original plan that someone else had made up.

I am going to apologize now for the crappy pictures but I was working in my dining room which has exactly one light.....

 So how to cover those screws? 

Just because something is probably going to have it's back to the wall doesn't mean it shouldn't look finished. That is also why all of your stripes need to line up on the back as well. You never know what angle the item is going to be viewed from so make it sparkle all around.

Covered Buttons! 

You get the kind that have a flat back and hot glue it in place over the screw. 

Here is a tutorial on how to cover button covers as well as how to make welting.

When working with stripes, you are going to want to have your button covered using the exact part of the fabric that the screw is in. I cut out my circle from the black stripe, made sure it was centered on the button cover form and then pressed the back in place and gave it a good whack with the hammer. Then make sure you glue it perfectly lined up with the stripes because you only get one shot with hot glue and fabric. You want the screw covered but don't want the button stripe sideways or it will look really visually unpleasant.

If using a floral or more patterned piece, you can probably use any part of the fabric to cover your button. Simpler, more linear or patterned (stripes, chevron, zigzag for example)  fabrics need to be matched to make it more pleasing to the eye.

See how nice and finished it looks? 

Covered buttons versus store bought buttons are the difference between a professional custom finish and a novice finish. So get all professional people and cover your buttons.

Now a word about striped fabric:

 You have to keep them perfectly straight when pulling your fabric taut to staple. Otherwise you have zigzags instead of stripes. I stapled the front and back first very taut to keep it from shifting too badly and then moved to the sides. When I was stapling the sides, I would staple a few times on one side, starting in the middle. Then I did the other side in the same manner to make sure I wasn't pulling on one side to much and making that center black stripe, well, off center. Then I just worked the stapling out to the ends, alternating my sides as I went. 

Just go slow and check often and stripes can be your friend. 

But always go vertical.....horizontal will only make your chair look fat.

Now off to tackle the seat.....Gah!

Can't wait to show you the final product! It looks completely transformed! 

Always being renewed,

Please see the link party page to see where I link arms with those blissfully beautiful bloggers that host every week. So gracious they are along with these other sweet ladies!

Read more at http://diyshowoff.com/2013/04/01/that-diy-party-10/#xgMAcRCgRocl5vmh.99       

 

 

SteamPunk Door How-to

So if your new love language is steampunk, which I think is now my first love language, then I'm so glad you are here. I'm still glad even if you like new things since that means you are here to break out of your shell!

I promised you yesterday that I would show you how I made my steampunk door and I'ma gonna do that today!

I couldn't even call this a tutorial because this is so stinkin' easy. So it is a short how-to and the longest thing that this might take is finding your stud in the ceiling.

Supplies you will need:

 an old pulley

an old door with the hinges if possible

2 cable clamps

cable (I used about 12 feet but bought 18)

spray paint

large heavy duty hook

2 L brackets
plastic anchors

Tools:

level

stud finder

hammer

drill with drill bit

 My stud finder said there was a stud there. 

I think it was on crack.

Once you find your stud, screw your hook into the ceiling.

Make sure that your pulley fits over the hook before you attach it to the ceiling

The cable and cable clamps come in silver so spray paint your cable before threading it through your hinges. I used Carbon Mist by Rustoleum to make this match the pulley color. I colored the hook with a Sharpie! Your clamps are really easy to use and although I forgot to take a picture, it is pretty self explanatory. Put the U shaped part over both pieces of cable, insert the flat part, add the nuts and tighten it all down. One will hold it, I just thought two looked good and finished it off better than one. 

At this point, your door is swinging in the wind pretty much. So you will need to add the L brackets either on the bottom or top or both if you are a super safety person to keep it level. I just did 2 on the bottom, cuz' I like to live on the edge.  Use your level to make sure that the door is hanging, well, level. Then mark where the L bracket should be.

I have brick walls so I had to use my hammer drill to attach the L brackets to the wall. In order to do that you will also need some plastic anchors. These need to fit the size of your screws that come with the L brackets.  Mark where the L bracket will be and then mark the circles where the screws will go.

Drill into the wall at the circle marks. Use a drill bit that is the same size as the anchor. 

Place your anchor in the hole and tap it in using a hammer

It should be flush with the wall.

This is what the L bracket looks like from underneath. 

And this is how it looks from the front. Barely noticeable. If you want it even less noticeable, the top would be better. I wanted it on top but for some reason the hammer drill didn't want to go deep enough to hang from the top. Be flexible!

Another plus about this door is it hides the holes in my wall from trying to attach the L bracket. If you have drywall walls, this will be soooooo much easier.

Now you can leave it plain or add something to it!

This is a bit three dimensional once you are finished. 

Now go find a big wall, some junk, and get crackin'! 

Find a stud while you're at it! 

Marry him even!

Would you ever try this look for your house?

What would you add to your door???

Always being renewed,

Please see the link party page to see where I link arms with those blissfully beautiful bloggers that host every week. So gracious they are along with these other sweet ladies!

Read more at http://diyshowoff.com/2013/04/01/that-diy-party-10/#xgMAcRCgRocl5vmh.99