How to make NEW wood look OLD

Hey Ya'll! 

Hope you're having a wonderful week! 

In my last post, where I revealed my new buffet

which you can read more about HERE and HERE

 I told you I'd be back to show you how I made my shelves look like old wood. This was a very quick, easy and fun project and a good way to work out some frustration...

not that I have any of course!

First, I picked out my wood, a couple of pieces of pine...

2" x 10" x 6'

Because I wanted them to look old and beat up...no need to look for the best pieces...in fact the more knots the better...the more beat up the better. I did want to make sure mine were not warped...

but actually that would add a lot of character also!

Now the fun part...and the "work out your frustration" part...

just beat them up!

I looked around our work room for anything and everything I could find that would help me...and here is what I came up with...now mind you...I am NOT a big tool user...leaving that to my husband more often than not...so I don't even know the proper names of most of the items...but pictures are worth 100 words...and I took many to show you the tools I used, and the damage beauty I created with them!

First I took a hammer and randomly hit the wood...making sure to NOT do so in any kind of pattern!

I also used a big heavy chain...

but for some reason did not get a picture of that.

I used this pick thing to make worm holes...and to gouge deep lines in the wood.

This chisel thingy...along with a good old fashioned screw driver...did some wonderful damage!

This scraper, or plainer or whatever it's called...against the grain...also worked wonderful!

I must have actually used the scraper first...since you can see the scraping in ever other picture!

A hatchet is a great stress re-leaser!

Once I felt I had them beat up enough...I used my palm sander...and sanded it all down...so all my damage wouldn't look so fresh, and to get all of the loose wood splinters removed. I also went around the edges to give them a more softer worn look.

Then choose your stain...and make sure to get it down in all of the gaps, dings, scrapes and holes.

Once you're done...you should have something like this...

Finally, they are put in place...

I am thrilled with how they turned out!

I really love how this edge turned out!

Pine is extremely soft, and this was very very easy! The oak top of the buffet would have been more difficult. I opted to leave mine alone and not distress it...somewhat for that very reason! lol!

Well, that's all for now! I hope you enjoyed this!

God Bless

Sharon

Linked to 
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Our New Buffet...Before and After!

Hey ya'll, Hope someone might be reading this! I'm sure I have lost every reader I had! A year+ is a long time to go with out writing a single blog post! I have missed it so much...but life has been really crazy! As you may know my dad passed in May of 2014 and at that time I had no plan of stopping the blog, but was just taking some time to try and get back to doing some of the projects I wanted to possibly blog about...when more of life's stumbling blocks got in the way. 

My daughter's husband left the marriage...2 short weeks after their 3rd child was born.  This came as a complete shock for all of us...and a very rough year for my daughter. She and her 3 children moved in with us. This is a big change for my husband and I...as we have been empty nesters since 2006! While this has been a very rough year for our daughter...we are so very proud of her! She had been a stay at home mom for the last 3 years of her marriage, however she has a psychology degree, and has now gone back to school to get her masters. The plan is for her to stay here while she does that, and we can help her with the kids. She is doing VERY well after all she has been through!!
That being said... I have managed to accomplish a little here and there.  So I thought I would get back to this ole blog, and give it another go round. It is something I really do enjoy!! I miss you!

If you were following me before, you might remember this cabinet...I came upon at a yard sale while visiting my son in Arkansas a couple of years ago...yes...a couple of years ago for a mere $35.00! You can read about it HERE  I did manage to get it done this last year and thought I would show you the before and after! I am so happy with the way that it turned out!
Again here is the before pic...and yes that is a vice attached to the top...the piece was being used in a Garage!

...and here it is today...

My husband has admitted to me, that he was wrong..and that this piece was worth bringing home from Arkansas! The entire piece is solid oak...except for the 2 door panels where I have replaced the metal pieces that were in there when I found it, with wood. He did an amazing job, fixing the top piece...sanding it down to the bare wood, and doing some other repair work...filling the holes that were left from the big bolts used to secure the vice, etc.  I then stained it with this stain:

The base paint is Valspar, and the color is Stoney Point. I distressed it just a little bit...and then again used the same stain to antique it. I used contact paper on the inside shelves and drawers...and replaced the handles on the drawers...and painted the 2 original on the doors to match. The indside I left in it's original condition, I love how you can really see the age on the inside walls. The shelves I covered with contact paper in the pretty gray and white chevron pattern.

 Last but not least a picture to show you...as it stands here today in my kitchen.

If you have an interest in the shelves...I plan on doing a post in a few days about them...with close up pictures...so you can see how old they look, and how I achieved the look with brand new wood. Hope you come back and visit again. I am so happy to be back at blogging!

God Bless

Sharon


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cozy change to my Christmas kitchen!

Hey Ya'll

Just a quick post today to show you a little change I made to my kitchen.

Here is the before pic...now keep in mind I was in the middle of a project on my kitchen table...and had Christmas decor stuff laying all around...as well as other stuff...when I got the notion to make this change. So with out cleaning up...I grabbed the camera for the before shot.

when we got the new floors...and took out a weird placed cabinet...it gave us a huge area for a table...so I purchased this one...and always thought it needed to be placed as it is...just cause there was room.  But if you notice the bench in the front right side of the pic...you know the one with all of the photos sitting on it....
what?
You don't place your photos all over your bench?
whatever...

Anyway...I have always liked the look of a bench...and/or mixed seating at the table...so I changed things up a bit...and came up with this.

Now before I show you the pic...there is a disclaimer...

I know that the light fixture is all wrong...and it isn't centered...
bla bla bla...
you may or may not have banged your head on it if and when you were here...

no worries...it will get changed out...
one of these days I promise!!

so here is the after...

I would take a picture standing back further like the before pic...but Christmas decor and other debris...is still laying about...and I can't have that in the "after picture" now can I?
It's against the "reveal" rules
(light fixtures are not included in this rule!)

The bench is an old church pew...

I bought it in 1996...the year I moved to Indiana.

I was at the covered bridge festival...in Mansfield Indiana...I had them hold it...and my loving husband went back with me to pick it up. He carried it  among massive amounts of people for a mile to our truck...so you know it holds a special place in our hearts...
well my heart...
I don't think he was all that moved by the experience!

I 'm loving it for now...I think it looks so cozy!

here are a couple of other pics...just so you can see a bit better...
the wreaths...

and the little table behind the bench...

I will be changing out the center piece though...
that was the project I was working on in the before pic...and just threw it up there for the picture...I think it will end up in my dining room.

Until next time...

Sharon

linked to:
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making the world cuter
home stories a to z.
embracing change

DIY...This Back Splash Rules!

Meet my friend and co worker, Tammy...

Nurse by day....

DIY'er by night...

Tammy moved into a new old house a couple of years ago...and being the DIY'er that she is...has been making some huge changes throughout. 
Today I'm going to focus on the kitchen!!

Here are a couple of pictures of it when they moved in...

do you see all of the hurdles she was facing?

They have come a long way since move in...

Here is how it looks today...

what a difference!! 

As you can see from the pictures...they got rid of the fluorescent lighting...removed the wall paper and boarder (seen only in the first picture) painted the walls...painted the kitchen cabinets got some new handles...and counter tops...replaced the floor...replaced the sink and the faucet...removed the doors from the cabinet above the fridge so now it is a showcase for her milk glass collection...reworked the cabinet over the microwave to move it up...and create an open shelf for her cookbooks...
(she loves to cook and AND is GOOD at it!!)  
And...they removed the decorative  ugly spindles!

jeez...I'm tired just typing it all! 
But what a difference these changes have made in her kitchen!

Did I forget anything?

Yes...
I did...

The window...has not been replaced yet...and that wood sash thing in front of it is coming down...but that's in the works...and not what I'm talking about.

 I'm talking about..

The back splash!

Her back splash rules!

lots and lots of rules!

Check this out...

What a great idea! 

Tammy used this product to glue her rulers on...but there are many products out there that would work for a project like this.

Since the counters were pretty level...she started from there...and moved up. At the top there was a small gap, so she "trimmed" it out with  rulers...to cover that. She also trimed the corners and the sides along the cabinet and the fridge with vertical rulers.

Other than a couple of oops!

It was a simple, quick and inexpensive DYI project! 
Tammy finished her's off with 3 coats of poly to protect it. 

It looks great in Tammy's kitchen the way that it is...
but I can also see it finished in so many other ways! Depending on the finish you choose...it could work in just about any kitchen from modern...to rustic! Here are some other idea's.

Painted with a brush nickle paint
stained...using a few different colors
painted white (or any other color) with a high gloss paint
color washed
could incorporate a design
could purchase vintage rulers, and leave them facing forward

What might work in your kitchen??

I know Tammy ordered her rulers online...and I'm not sure where she purchased hers from...but here are a couple sources I found very quickly... here and here.

If you have any questions about this project...please just ask!

Thanks Tammy for allowing us into your kitchen!!

It looks fabulous!!


Sharon

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