Christy's Thrifty Decorating Free decorating advice, tips and helpful hints.

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Before and After Thrift Store find
2008-06-30 20:55:59
Before and After PicturesMy Thrift Store Find Before......AfterExactly what I did: First I washed the pillow and laid it out in the sun for the day. The chair was sanded and spray painted glossy black. Since this chair swivels, I sprayed some lubricant on the movable parts.The chair pad was then re-covered.RecoveringI purchased a few yards of fabric (used my 50% coupon) and paid less than $15.00 for the 2 yards. I pinned the fabric around the pillow, right sides together. From there I cut away the excess fabric. When I was pretty sure that it would be a good fit, I pulled out the pillow. I sewed up around the edges, pulled it right side out and hand sewed the opening.Total cost for completed chair: About $28.00. For this money, I think I got a great chair. ...

Help with the Photo CD coasters
2008-06-26 19:30:47
Help With the CD Coasters I have received lots of email from readers who were particularily interested in making the Photo CD coasters. Please see: http://christys-thriftydecorating.blogspot.com/2008/06/photo-cd-coasters.html I mentioned that you could download free photo software from: http://www.snapfiles.com/get/photofiltre.html It's free, easy to use (with a little practice), quick to install and boot up. My daughter introduced me to this software and showed me a great little trick. Use a color photo, change it to black & white, and keep one item colored. Many of you emailed me about this so I decided to provide my own directions. Here is what it does. Above is the before photo. Here is the photo after. Notice I left "one" football jersey orange. I could have left them all orange has well. This is just one great feature that the software offers. Here are the directions.Download the free softwareGet yourself a colored photo and put it onto your desktop where you know ...

Covering Pillows For A New Look
2008-06-24 22:11:42
There is so much you can do with fabric. The selections in the fabric store are diverse in terms of design and texture. The local fabric/craft store here (Joann's) drops a coupon for 50% off on one cut of fabric almost every week. This allows me to save so much money and give one area of my house a completely different look.I have four chairs on my porch. The pillows that are needed for this set are round. It's almost as though round seat pillows don't exist and I haven't been able to find them in years. There was only one solution-make my own. It's a challenge in some repects, but with patience and some sewing skills it can be done.First I drew out a circle onto a piece of paper. The circle had to fit correctly onto the chair and it had to be 1/2 an inch larger for a seam. I decided that the pillows should be open on the bottom so I could slip out the foam and wash the covers easily. This required cutting the bottom template even larger. I purchased four, 3" thick foam squares, applie ...

Creating A Kitchen Nook
2008-06-20 20:21:55
You don't realize all the quirks that are in your new home until you've lived there for a few years. When my home was built, they placed the stove top in the open. In other words, when you make red sauce it splatters onto the chair in the den. It never made any sense to me but I wasn't the one who designed this place. I finally decided to address the issue by building a breakfast nook. It serves two purposes-it catches the splatters and provides a great little area to have breakfast or lunch. The photo above shows the bar with two chairs. I purchased a four foot long piece of solid Oak in Home Depot. The board cost me $50.00. A lot of money, but a beautiful piece of wood that was very visable in the room. I cut a curve at the end of the board so there would be no sharp edges. I sanded the oak, stained it and applied several coats of clear polyurethane. This little bar was going to see plenty of action so the more coats of poly, the better. I actually had these decorative wood brackets ...

Being Creative
2008-06-17 22:09:17
A few years ago I decided it was time to buy a new headboard for my bed. I wanted something very special and was fortunate enough to find the perfect piece. The day it was delivered I was not at home so I had my brother in law handle the delivery. When I arrived home later I discovered that two of the four wood "posters" where dented. I called the company and they delivered two new ones the next day. Fortunately for me they left me with the two original ones. So what could I do with these pieces? They were too nice to throw away so I took some time to think about it and this is what I came up with.Each post unscrewed into three pieces. A finial on the top, the long fluted section in the middle and a decorative carved piece on the bottom. I decided that I would make a two tables with the long pieces and two lamps with the bottomHere is the table completed. I purchased two pine rounds at Home Depot (under $10.00) and the bottom piece I found at the craft store. I used a painting techniqu ...

Today's Thrift Store Finds
2008-06-13 20:15:49
$6.00Another hot day in Atlanta! Too hot to go out and too hot to stay in. All the more reason to visit the local thrift store for some bargains and new projects. The beautiful vase above, which certainly fits into my decor, was only six bucks! Not a chip, scratch or flaw on it.$12.00This custom framed print with three layers of matte board was only $12.00. The frame has a few nicks and scratches so I'll have to do some work on it. It's just a matter of sanding it a little and then giving it a coat of paint. This sweet little print has three bears with hats that say "Harrods". If you have ever been fortunate enough to take a trip to London, you know that Harrods is a huge department store which happens to be one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city. It has 7 floors, 300 departments, 20 restaurants and bars and averages 35,000 shoppers per day. A very busy place! I love this print and really appreciate the fact that I got it so cheaply. It's signed by the artist, Elspeth McCre ...

What Can You Do With An Old Window.
2008-06-09 22:13:24
Here's an old window that I took from my home in New Jersey. We replaced it many years ago and I kept the old window in hopes that some day I would find something to do with it. I finally pulled it out of the basement a few weeks ago.I have a long, narrow screened in porch with the perfect place to hang it. The idea is that if you have a mirror hanging on one side of a wall across from another window, it will reflect the light and give the illusion that the room is bigger. This really works! I had a friend many years ago that had a very long, narrow kitchen with one large window and a wall right across from it. She hung 6 small farm windows on the opposite wall and her room actually looked larger.I took out the glass and replaced it with mirror. I actually found a cheap mirror in Lowe's for $9.95 (the kind you hang on a door) and cut it into squares. The window was then sanded and painted. I used small squares of some great decorative tissue and Mod Podged them onto the perimeter frame ...

Photo CD Coasters
2008-06-05 18:09:25
There are so many great ideas out there in cyberspace. I love looking around and finding ideas that I can use myself. I have mentioned http://blog.craftzine.com/ before. They look around at other blogs and pick the best ideas to bring to all of us. I found this a few weeks ago and couldn't wait to try it. Thanks to Anitra's coffee-pot-people blog http://coffee-pot-people.blogspot.com/ for this great craft idea. I've tried it out and am real happy with the results. My directions may differ a little, but the end product is the same. Here is what you will need. Old CD's or DVD's and some great family/friend photographs. You can scan some old photo's as well.A computer and good printing paperPrinterAdhesive sprayClear, stick on vinyl (I purchased mine in Joann's Craft store in the fabric/notions departmentGood, sharp scissors Thanks to my youngest child (age 15) I just downloaded a great FREE photo program. It's very user friendly and gives you the ability to turn your digital photos into ...

Giving Wicker a Custom Look
2008-05-22 20:06:27
These two chairs and table were given to me by my mom a few years ago. When she gave them to me they were white with blue& pink accents. In order to make them fit into my decor I had to make some changes. I spray painted them a taupe color and hand painted selected areas with rust, gold and green. Here you can see a close up of the hand painting.The colors add a little personal touch to the furniture. I picked out certain areas of the chair and table that I thought would look good with some color.The chairs came with pads with the same pink/blue combination so I recently covered them with different fabric and added the small round pillows for the back. I basically placed the pillows on a large piece of paper and drew out my pattern. I transfered the the template onto the pillow and sewed them together. What I added was a slit on the bottom of the pillow so I could easily remove these covers for washing. That idea turned out to be good because these chairs do get dirty enough ou ...

Latest Thrift Store Find and More....
2008-05-20 05:03:26
Here is my latest find from the thrift store. Who could resist this one, not to mention a price of $2.50. A cabinet with arms and feet? One arm was broken off completely so I used it as a template to cut out another one from plywood. This is exactly how I found this cabinet (minus the broken arm). It reminds me the movie Beauty and The Beast!It was too cute to pass up. It's on my list of projects to do this summer. When I've figured out exactly what to do with it, I'll post it for you to see. The "critics" (that would be my family) want me to paint a face on it. If anyone has any suggestions, please comment below. I'd appreciate some input.I spend plenty of time looking around at other blogs and websites. Occasionally I find one that I think my readers may like. A few weeks ago I mentioned http://www.diylife.com/ where they highlight the best DIY projects. It's a great site and I visit it daily. They have some great ideas and information.I found a site a few weeks ago that I recommend ...

Conserving Water In Your Garden
2008-05-19 17:51:00
Conserving WaterWe hear lots of this in the southeast where water is at a premium. For years the rainfall in Atlanta has been “skimpy” at best. It has had a cumulative effect on the area. Last year we received so little rainfall that the state practically shut down for lack of water. One of our lakes is under 12 feet, leaving our city in potential crisis. Thankfully it has rained more frequently during the past few months and things are looking up. With summer approaching, we are faced with another season of having to conserve our most precious natural resource. People around here are looking for ways to save water and still keep their gardens and lawns looking good. I do spend most of my time decorating and creating on the inside of my home, but in the warmer weather you will find me outside doing exactly the same thing. I now spend my time looking for ways to save water.I’m toying with the idea of creating some rain collection buckets so I have the water available in case thing ...

Free Magazine Subscription
2008-05-18 03:55:11
Thanks to Freebies4Mom.com we can all get a free two year subscription to Country Homes Magazine with no strings attached. Go over and visit Heather's site and find an enormous amount of great information that will save you a ton of money. Coupons, discounts, tips, advice and freebies are just a click away. You would be jealous if you knew all the freebies I got this week!!! ...

Painting A Wicker Rug
2008-05-14 22:04:44
Finding things to match your decor can sometimes be difficult. I love the look of wicker in my home and it goes so nicely in every room. It blends well with different styles of furniture and adds a warm, rustic feeling. What if it doesn't match or is damaged? That's no problem because it can easily be repaired and painted. I have always found that spray painting wicker is the easiest way to freshen it up or change the look completely.I found these two small wicker rugs in a store for $3.00 each. In order to make them into what I wanted, I hand painted them with acrylic paints. I've done this before and it works very well. By the way: neatness here does not count because you are painting over a very bumpy surface.I set the rug up on a table and painted plain stripes with colors that would coordinate with my porch.Here is the second rug. This is going on my tabletop. I drew out a random flower using a Sharpie marker and painted it with the acrylics.It's all finished now, put together and ...

Faux Stained Glass Votives
2008-05-10 04:02:21
DIY VOTIVESI found this idea for these faux stained glass votives in a craft magazine. They are inexpensive and easy to make.I have a screened-porch with 8 windows and thought these might look nice lit up at night.Supply List:*glass votives*Mod Podge-glossy*1/2 inch paint brush*decorative tissue of your choice*Clear spray to coat *tea candlesThe glass votives I found at Walmart for .47 cents each. All the other supplies I already had at home. The total cost of the project was under $4.00.How To Do: Cut small squares of tissue. Load your brush with some Mod Podge and apply the squares, one at a time. It's fine to overlap the squares. All your squares should be applied to the "outside" of the candle votive, slightly overlapping the top rim. When you are all finished, spray with clear coat to protect your candles. Here I have them all lined up ready for spraying.Here is one of them lit up at night. I wish I could have gotten a better photograph of all eight of them at the same time, but t ...

Building a Garden Bridge
2008-05-04 03:56:22
I'm so happy spring is here. That means it's time to work outside in the yard. Already it's starting to shape up. When we first moved into our home we realized pretty quickly that we had some water issues in the back yard. Our property has a pretty dramatic slope, so when it rains we get all the neighbor's run-off. With some help from my hubby we dug out a natural creek and added river rock. It looked really nice and functioned well by collecting run-off and diverting it into the woods, rather than our house. I thought that the little creek needed a wooden bridge. I looked at several landscape places and the cheapest one was $800.00. NO WAY, too expensive!!! I looked on Ebay and they had a few that you could have shipped and then put together yourself. They were not cheap and were made out of pine wood. Pine does not hold out in the elements. My solution: I would build my own.How hard could it be? I just wanted a little bridge that would look nice, not necessarily something that I woul ...

Free Do-It-Herself Workshop
2008-04-30 02:57:33
Once again our friends at Home Depot are offering a free workshop on May 19th, 2008 on landscaping and outdoor water conservation. Here in Atlanta we pray for rain. Thank God we have had some much needed rain, but things could dry out quickly once the heat of the summer arrives. I'm thinking this may be a great free class to take. Looks like they go over important water conservation tips such as:mulchdrought resistant plantsusing ground covers to reduce your grass area They also offer you a $10.00 off coupon on a $100.00 purchase. Take advantage and sign up today.http://www.homedepotclinics.com/dih/?utm_source=DIH_DedicatedNetworks-OLA ...

Creative Ideas For Storage/Display Above Your Doorways
2008-04-28 02:45:27
Storage/Display in neat placesMost of us don't think much about the space that exists above the doorways in our home but it is space isn't it? Valuable space that you can use to display and also to store things. Here is an example of the space that you can create above a doorway.This is a space that I created in a hallway. Using two wood brackets and a shelf I now have a place to display some floral arrangements and a copper tray.The two brackets I used were purchased at Home Depot, primed and painted in an off white color.I use a lot of this wood rope trim. I love the way it looks and it adds a smooth, finished look to the shelf. Ok, so my daughter is 15 years old and still won't give up the stuffed animals! She piles them onto her bed which makes it impossible to make in the morning. I added a shelf to the top of her door to store "some" of the animals. I really shoved them in there using two pine boards to accommodate a large number of characters that seem to reproduce over night. I ...

Free Caulk Sample from GE
2008-04-25 03:57:22
Get a free sample of caulk just by filling out a short information form.Click on: https://gecaulksingles.offerprocessingcenter.com/Caulk is a great thing to have in the house for a variety of reasons.DIY projectsbathroomskitchensaround the windowsaround the doors ...

Building A Library
2008-04-22 03:09:17
Years ago I always used to watch the Christopher Lowell show on cable. It's not on by me anymore but I got some great ideas from that guy. He loved constructing "built- ins" and always used MDF wood (available in Lowes and Home Depot). He used this wood because it was inexpensive, strong, durable, resisted warping and was smooth enough not to require very much sanding. Since then, that's pretty much what I use when constructing built ins or cabinets. It's great (but messy) to work with, easy to cut and hardly needs sanding.My mom is a retired librarian and reads books by the dozens. All those books land up at my house. After a while they really started to collect and I needed a place to put them. I have always liked the idea of having a built in library in my home. Inspired from a magazine I came up with this plan: a library that surrounds a set of double doors and one single door in our office.It was a big undertaking but very easy to build. Half the battle was getting all the wood an ...

Thrifty Use of Kids Old Playhouse
2008-04-19 02:08:10
When we moved into our Atlanta home 12 years ago there was a wood playhouse in the backyard. The kids used it for a few years until they just grew out of it. It's been sitting in my yard now for years, unused. It was time for it to go. I enlisted some help from my brother in law and went to work. It took us all day to remove it and were left with a rather large pile of wood when we were all finished. Here is a photo of my backyard. The playhouse use to be located behind the little wooden bridge.Now we were faced with getting rid of all the pressure treated wood. That's when I got an idea. There is a walkway that goes around the back of my house that the previous owner started, but never finished. That's where I decided to use all the old lumber. It was still in good shape and could really be useful.Here is a photograph of the walkway being worked on. This use to be railroad ties with pebbles in the foot area. With the help of the "old" wood we were able to complete these stairs. I land ...

A Home For Your Plants
2008-04-16 02:17:49
I have a bunch of small plants hanging around the house and I'm getting tired of trying to find just the right place for them. This is the solution a came up with-a terrarium. I've never had one before but felt that I was up to the challenge. After a little reading and preparing, I ordered this from Amazon. Apparently there is a particular way to set these contained gardens up.First layer should be pebbles or sand combined with charcoal (got mine in the pet department of Walmart-it's used in fish tanks)Second layer is soil. You can get creative here and add hills, valleys and some rocks.Add your plants. I put in miniature African violets, cactus and another plant (have no idea what it is).cover with some live mossTerrariums are low maintenance only needing a spritz of water ever so often. They make great focal points in a room, especially if you love plants. ...

A Home For The Birds
2008-04-10 02:41:49
Spring has arrived in Atlanta and it's time to help my feathered friends decorate their house. I had the design in my head so I decided to draw it out on paper and buy what I needed.Supplies:scrap plywoodsmall nailsgood adhesive gluespray paintacrylic paints for detailsTools:jig sawdrill with 1.5 inch wide drill bithammerHere it is in the making. I got some help from my brother-in-law. After I cut out the pieces, I glued them and installed some small nails to keep it together. The holes for the birds were made using a drill with a 1 1/2" bit. Plenty of room for the birds to slip in.By the way, this birdhouse is a "triplex". I'm hoping that I get a few families!Three hard wood floors. I think the birds should like this.Here we have the finished product already for some new clients. I added the hand painting just to give it a creative look. I am certain the birds will appreciate it.Now..................I wait. ...

Creative Ways to Display Family Photos
2008-04-05 02:45:53
I am a big fan of black and white photography. Black and white allows you to focus on the subject, rather than the colors. With that in mind I needed a space where I could hang all my photos together. I wanted something more random than organized but confined to an area where it could be the centerpiece of the wall. Here is what I came up with.Keep in mind that this is a "work in progress" and I have not completed hanging all of my photos . I started this project by mapping out an area with a ruler and then taping it out with blue painters tape. I decided to use a double border of coordinating paint that matched my room decor. When it was all dry I added the painted molding. I chose high gloss black paint for the trim to highlight the photographs. This photo gallery is located in the kid's entertainment room where they have a chance to enjoy them.This is just one way to create a space that keeps all eyes focused on numerous photos simultaneously. ...

Reader's Projects
2008-04-02 01:02:02
A few posts ago I asked people who look at this site to send me some photos of their projects. Sharon was gracious enough to send me some before and after photographs of a window treatment that she has just finished and some additional photos of a room that she has been working on. She has done some great work with faux finishing the walls, adding some very unique furniture and incorporating very creative and unusual accessories. Here is a photo of her bedroom window before:and after:A stunning difference and all made by Sharon. She did a fabulous job with this window treatment.Here is a photograph of the faux finish she has been working on for the walls.Take a look at this furniture that Sharon won on Ebay. How unique is this??? What an interesting collection and definitely nice enough for any castle. I just love this.Sharon is using these wood appliques to complete the look of her room. I hope that when she is finished that she can provide us with a photograph of the room all complet ...

Decorating With Stencils
2008-03-31 04:07:12
I've put wallpaper and wallpaper borders up on my walls for years. I love the way it looks but the hate the way it looks years later. I stopped putting wallpaper up years ago (for the most part) and just stuck with wallpaper borders. Even these didn't really do well over the years, especially in the bathrooms where there is so much moisture. That's probably why I started faux finishing my walls and not bothering with wallpaper at all. It's too much work to put up and too much to take down.If I really want the look of a border I can just stencil instead. It's more time consuming but very satisfying when it's all finished. You have complete control over the style, design and colors which really appeals to me. Some of my rooms are painted plain and have stenciled borders and other rooms have faux painted walls with no stenciling. Buying stencils templates could not be any easier. They are available on the Internet and in craft stores. Extensive varieties are there for you to pick from. I ...

Storage Ideas
2008-03-29 01:52:45
Two teenage girls............too little space. Their bathroom has become a dumping ground for so many "beauty" products, hair dryers, flat irons, makeup, brushes, shampoo and never ending bath products. My solution (and I'm sure I must have seen this somewhere) was to hang a shoe rack behind the bathroom door. Almost everything goes in here. These shoe racks come in cloth and clear plastic. The clear one seemed like the best option so they could see everything in there. I liked the idea so much that I now have one behind my bathroom door as well. Costs about $10.00 at Walmart. If you have a bathroom full of things that you have need to find a home for, try this solution and see if it works for you. ...

Send Me Your Photos!!!!
2008-03-27 02:49:17
So many people email me with ideas, thoughts and projects that they are working on. They send great descriptions, creative ideas but no photographs! I really would love to post some of your projects on this site, so please consider sending me photographs of anything you may be working on. Crafts, decorations, interior decorating, furniture, window treatments, DIY projects, outdoor projects or anything else you may have. Send a photo and a short (or long) description. I dare you.......... Christysend your photos to: clturner3@aol.comcurrently my comments link is not working. I am trying to figure it out, but it may take me a while. ugh............... ...

More Mod Podge
2008-03-25 00:08:12
The craft stores are full of interesting unfinished wood items just waiting to be purchased and decorated. The one pictured about cost about $5.00 on sale. It's a good size measuring 10" X 10", plenty of room for a supply of nail polish. I found it especially interesting since it came with little legs.I felt lucky to find this African print tissue paper to apply for a really different look. Using Mod Podge I cut small squares and applied them to the entire box. The tissue had two patterns-checkered and a random print, so I decided to use both of them.On the very top of the box I glued a small wood embellishment and Mod Podged right over it. I put four very small screws under the top in all four corners and added tassles. Check out all the unfinished wood items in your local craft store and come up with some creative ideas to decorate them. Lately I've seen:birdhousestrayspicture framesall sorts of boxesshelves ...

Creative Pet Door
2008-03-21 22:34:46
Here was my dilemma-the dog eats the cat's food, so I needed a way that she could eat in peace. I thought that setting up the litter box and her food in the laundry room would be a great idea, but how would she get into the room? The only solution would be to install a pet door. I went to Home Depot to take a look at the selection of these doors. They are plastic, cheesy looking flip doors and not something I wanted to have in my hallway.My solution was to build my own pet door. I first located a space between two studs and cut a hole big enough for the cat to get through and small enough so the dog couldn't. I used a key-hole saw and cut the square out. That part was very easy. I used a stud-finder to locate the studs (an asset to any homeowner/decorator). The door itself I built using all scrap wood I already had. You'll notice I added some wood embellishments like the one directly above the door, decorative trim around the opening, a wood flower with a glass bead at the peak and woo ...

Get Organized With Your Decorating
2008-03-19 02:41:24
Like all the rest of you, I'm pretty busy with my life these days. I really wish I could be more organized, especially when it come to decorating. I'd really love to know what year I painted the den or the master bedroom. Wouldn't it be great to know exactly what paint you used on that particular room or wall so you could touch up things years later?After all these years of painting and re-decorating rooms I now can be organized. So organized that I have everything I ever did in that room recorded into one book.I purchased this great organizer a while ago at Home Depot. It has divided sections with pockets for paint chips, pieces of fabric, lined paper for notes and helpful tips for painting. I separated mine into eight sections: kitchen, den, bedrooms, dining room, bathrooms, basement, office and misc.The book came with several color wheels, two CD's on faux finishes and loads of tips including: choosing a color scheme, priming, getting ready to paint, how to figure out how much pain ...