Cheap Easy Light Fixture Updates And Bathroom redo 2.0

Cheap Easy

Light Fixture Update

So The bathroom makeover I did wasn't quite finished when I posted the reveal....since then I painted the cabinet and the trim dark brown using Behr French Roast and it looked great.  I also used that Satin Acrylic Latex Enamel from the Fireplace Update and painted it on the gold hinges with my daughters small watercolor brush...so I wouldn't have to take the hinges off and repaint them!  and I FINALLY updated to gold light fixture...we were planning on buying a new light fixture we liked....only all the ones we liked were more than we wanted to pay so we hadn't done anything....until now...of course that we are selling the house...getting everything finished and polished for someone else to enjoy :(

bought oil rubbed bronze spray paint and just took the ugly gold fixture outside and gave it a spray and had the hubby put it back up.  We also spray painted the ugly gold fixture in the basement bathroom too and it's such a small, cheap thing to do but yet is a major improvement. The spray paint was $7 and I updated two light fixtures with it with more to spare...basic bathroom light fixtures start around $50 so this is definitely the best way to go unless you just feel like splurging on a light fixture...

Here is the basement light


And Here is the the final picture of the bathroom makeover that I never showed you with the cabinet and baseboards painted French Roast and the hinges painted black.

Chalkboard Bakery Sign on Canvas

Faux Chalkboard Bakery Sign on Canvas

 

I originally saw this cool bakery sign wall decor on a blog header over at Junkin Junky about a year ago, and she has since changed the image on her blog header so I can't really show you.  A couple months later I was looking for it (this was before pinterest) and found the bakery sign over at the Curious Sofa, although it's not there anymore either, but luckily I saved it because I FINALLY did it!  

Here is the original from curious sofa 

                                                            

I started with a 12x24 inch gallery wrapped canvas that I got on sale really cheap years ago...before I even became a mom, which was at least 5 years ago as JJ's bday comes up next week!  I didn't have any black acrylic paint, so I used J's Black Tempura/Poster Paint but due to my painting classes from college, I still have a difficult time using any paint straight from the tube...even black, so I mixed the black with some of my burnt umber...don't know if it made any difference, but oh well...I painted the entire canvas black.

Then I put a piece of chalk in a bag and smashed it with a hammer.  I used a wide dry paint brush and brushed the chalk powder onto the black canvas to make it look like a chalkboard.  Who needs chalkboard paint when  you can use black poster paint and basic crayola chalk to make a faux chalkboard finish?

 

I inverted the original image from curious sofa and enlarged it to the size I wanted in word and had it print onto several pages.  Then did the ol scribble chalk on the back and trace the letters onto the canvas.  I did try practicing my freehand at first which wasn't terrible, but I just wanted it to be uniform and even and so I traced the lettering on. 

 When I started, I planned to paint the letters with white paint, but right before starting thought...um since I'm making it look like a chalkboard...why don't I just use chalk? duh...

 To keep the chalk for smudging and wiping off, I took it out to the garage and sprayed it with fixative. You can find that in the drawing section a store that carries art supplies.

 I made this chalkboard bakery sign to go next to the door to the deck because there are two empty areas of wall, on the opposite wall, I just threw up this pizza paddle we already had.

 There...better than having nothing up there on those walls....slowly getting the house less bare.

 I just had to take a pic from this angle because I love the light fixture and brick fireplace in the kitchen...

Best part of the new kitchen decor?  It was free!  I just used things that I've had on hand.

To see how to enlarge images to print on multiple pages click HERE

To see how to transfer images as I did with the type on this project, click HERE

 

FYI- an update from last nights post...NO POOPY DOOPY DISASTERS this morning!!! THANKS FB friends for your help!!!

How to Make a Hearth Guard

DIY Hearth Guard

keep baby safe 

and kids safe

When we moved into our new house earlier this year, one of the first things we had to do to keep the kids safe was to put some kind of padding or bumper around the brick fireplace.  We have a double sided fireplace that the kids are always running and playing around.  I searched online for how to babyproof the fireplace and found the hearth gaurd and other various hearth kushion products but with having two brick fireplace edges to protect, it was going to cost me close to $100 for everything I needed.  So I headed down to Home Depot (or Lowes) can't remember which one it was...and bought a roll of garage door weather stripping for around $20 and some sticky velcro at the dollar store and was able to babyproof and make my own hearth guard, protecting 2 fireplaces for under $25.

 Get your hook and loop fasteners

 and your rubber garage weather stripping

 open up the velcro fastener and lay out flat

 Then fasten the two velcro strips together

 Cut the long velcro strip into smaller 3-4 inch strips

 Remove paper to reveal sticky adhesive and apply velcro to bottom of weather stripping

Peel off the remaining paper to reveal the sticky adhesive and then carefully line up your weather stripping along your fireplace edge and firmly press down to secure the hearth protector.  It's not the most beautiful thing to look at but I figure it we are going to have to put some ugly rubber on the fireplace to keep the kids safe, we didn't want to spend $100 on it when it's equally safe yet equally unattractive to do it for less that $25.  After doing to fronts and sides of both fireplaces, we still had some left over that's come in handy for other projects around the house.

Mommy Daughter Aprons

 I had so much fun making that half apron for my friend a few weeks back that I had to pick up some more fabric and make a couple more. (see original post with link to apron tutorial HERE) This time I made 3 aprons, one for my sister and the same for myself and with some of the left over fabric, made a matching one for my 3 year.  We love baking in the kitchen together and so having matching mommy daughter aprons was just what we had been missing.  When she doesn't want to take a nap, I have her put on her apron and help do chores like dusting and vacumming (with her play vacccuum) and put laundry away because I always tell her that kids need to take naps and mom has to work, so if she is going to be up, she has to help me.  :)  (although I don't ALWAYS work during naptime...I've been known to catch up on Parenthood episodes, craft or just be on the computer...shhh, don't tell! ;)