Cupcake Stands

I saw the cutest cupcake stand tutorial here. So, of course I had to make some for myself.

I followed her tutorial, but as usual I put my own twist to it. I used a different wood for the top of the cupcake stand (thicker and more substantial looking). I also used different shapes: round, heart and square. I also used 2 different heights (a taller one - like in the tutorial and I made some shorter ones also). I painted all of them with several coats of paint and allowed them to dry between coats.




I painted 3 of them black...



and 3 of them white...



With the white ones, I wanted to try a couple of distressing techniques.

On one of them (after painting it white) I sanded the top and around the edges (to give it a worn - well used look). Note: I didn't think to sand it down until after I painted several coats on it. To make it easier to sand, next time I won't paint as many coats on it to start with, just the one I decide to sand.



On another white one I put a stain on it and immediately wiped it off. The stain stayed in the cracks and imperfections and also gave it a slightly aged look.





Here they are...



Aren't they cute?



I think they would make great party favors (wedding receptions, anniversary party, birthday party, girl's night out, or any special occasion). You can make them any color to match your decor. I've just been on a black and white kick lately. It's just classic looking and goes with everything. Check it out here and here.

UDATE: 5/25/11 I forgot to mention that I printed the cupcake wrappers from here for FREE!

Updated Chair

This chair belonged to my Uncle's mother. After she passed away, they offered it to me. The seat was vinyl and a corner was torn exposing the wood seat, the cushion was flat, it was outdated and it really needed some TLC.



So I decided to give it that TLC and then give it a new home.

If you decide to do this, you will need...
spray primer
spray paint
flat-head screwdriver
possibly phillips-head screw driver
new fabric
maybe new foam cushion (if the foam on the chair you are re-doing needs replacing)
staple gun
staples to fit your staple gun

First look the chair over and remove the screws using a flat-head or phillips-head screwdriver (depending on the type of screws in your chair) that are holding the seat on. (Mine had four screws under the seat.) Do NOT lose these screws, you will need them again later to reassemble your chair.

Next remove all the staples holding the vinyl covering on. This can be done with a flat head screwdriver. After removing the damaged or outdated seat cover and the foam cushion you can disposed of them if you are not able to reuse them for another project.



Lightly sand the chair and prime it (I used a black spray primer because I was using a black paint, if you will be using a lighter colored paint, use a white primer). Then completely cover the chair with several light coats of spray paint, allowing it to dry between coats.

While the coats are drying take a piece of fabric that will coordinate with the color that you are painting the chair. (In my case I found the fabric first and then purchased paint to go with the fabric. Either way you do it is fine.) When you are recovering a chair seat, measure the wooden seat part and add about 6 inches to the width and another 6 inches to the height. (This should be sufficient unless you have a super thick piece of foam - more than 1/2 inch thick, if so, add more fabric.)

Lay the fabric right side down, center the new piece of foam on the wrong side of the fabric. Now place your wooden seat over the foam. Take the top piece of fabric and wrap it up over the side of the foam to the bottom side of the wooden seat (which will be facing up at this point). You should have about 2 or 3 inches of fabric to staple down. To make it easier, put pressure with one hand mashing the foam while pulling the fabric to the bottom of the chair seat with the other hand.

Using a staple gun, staple in the center of the fabric. Do this to the bottom, then the left and right sides. Now you can continue to pull the fabric taught and staple around the top, bottom and sides, carefully folding at the corners.

Once the fabric is completely secured with staples, screw the seat back on to the chair frame.



Here is my finished chair. I love it!

Before


After


Note: I used the same fabric for the chair seat that I used for the place mats and table runner here.

In the background is the old wardrobe that I remade over (check it out here) and since it has chalk board paint on the doors, my boys can't resist becoming artists - you can see some of their artwork next to the chair.

Decorative Table Tray

For Christmas, my kids got a Melissa and Doug toy and it came in this wooden box.





It was just too good to throw away, but I wasn't sure what to do with it. It hung around here since Christmas. I would move it from one place to the next, not sure what to do with it.



Finally I thought that it would make a nice tray.



I spray painted it black (several coats), then I added drawer pulls (got from Hobby Lobby when they were 40% off - YEAH!) to the sides for handles.



I cut black and white hounds-tooth print scrapbook paper to fit the inside bottom of the tray, glued it with spray adhesive - made it wrinkle slightly but most of the wrinkles came out as it dried, and covered it with Mod Podge.



Now I've got this really cute decorative tray.



What do you think?

Hey look, my place mats and table runner match this project here.

End of the Year Teacher Gift

Our school year is finally over. This is what I did for 1 set of teachers (Lee had 4 teachers, Champ had 4 teachers and Anthony had 1 teacher). [Anthony's teacher we did a gift as a class - all the Kindergarten kids in her class and their parents got together and got her something together. Champ had extenuating circumstances and several of his teachers were out the last week and he had subs - so we didn't do anything for his teachers.]

Since Lee wanted to do something and I have 3 boys in school (makes quite a few teachers) I couldn't do too much for them (there isn't enough money in the budget for what they deserve), but we wanted to do something anyway.

A mom in our MOPS group researched the web and came up with several teacher gift ideas and made samples and set up a table to show us - fantastic idead. I really liked this idea (among others), thought it was really cute and quick and easy enough to do several at the last minute. She found the idea here. The printable is free too.

There was something strange when I printed mine out. It said it would print out in a 5 X 7 size, but printed out in an 8 X 10 size instead. Oh, well, the teachers just got a JUMBO thank you.



I took a picture before Lee signed his name to all of them.

Lots to Post

Wow! It has been a long time since I've posted and my apologies to you. I haven't been able to even read the blogs that I follow and keep up with them. We are nearing the end of the school year and the kids have so many different things going on with school and their activities. Plus in less than 10 days Anthony will be six, so I am working on what to do for him. [Anthony and Champ's birthdays are 10 days apart so I usually combine their birthdays into one get-together, but Champ wanted something separate this year.]

There are awards at the middle school, there is the end of the year bash, Anthony was in the talent show at the elementary school and he has Kindergarten graduation coming up, there have been school trips to the park (for both schools) and to the zoo for the elementary, Lee is in Boy Scouts and Champ is in Cub Scouts, Frank has been in hay (yes, it's hay season here), plus we just had our last MOPS meeting of the year and it is usually our biggest and we want to make it our best, we still have our MOPS annual picnic coming up and our Summer Steering Team Retreat that I have to get ready for and there is just one of me. (I feel a little stretched.)

Some things I just wasn't able to do because they happened at the same time. I feel really bad that I had to let someone down. I usually did the activity that I knew about first and that way I didn't feel as if I was showing one favoritism over the other. (I hope they didn't feel like I did either.)

I have been extremely tired. So tired that I feel I am having trouble functioning and have considered going to the doctor. Frank said that if I would just quit volunteering at the schools so much, it would probably fix my problem. He may be right, but to me - that's one of the joys of and reasons for being a SAHM. So I am able to do all these things for and with my children.

Lee & Champ are both in middle school and ask me to come participate with them, I'm so afraid that will be coming to an end very soon. They grow up too fast and are usually all too ready to get away from their parents. I don't know when it will come to an end, but I sure would have hated to have missed out on this year and then next year they didn't want me around. So I will cherish every moment that I have with them for as long as they will let me. I can rest when they get married.

I have been crafting in my spare time and trying to take a few pictures, then there are pictures that I still need to take (of completed projects) and then I forgot to take some pictures of things that I made for gifts and I've already given them away. Oh, well - that's life I guess (or at least that's me - I am so forgetful).

Here is one of the projects that I did like a month ago (maybe longer) for a friend's son's third birthday.



I purchased the pattern here at YouCanMakeThis (I love this site).

My kids loved the chair so much that I had to make Anthony and Rance one (those are completed projects without pix - hopefully coming soon). Lee & Champ wanted one too, but it is designed for up to 50 lbs. and they are quite a bit more than that. They keep asking me just to make it bigger (but that would make it weaker I think). I have caught Lee & Champ sitting in Anthony's and Rance's chairs and they haven't fallen apart or broken yet. (It's a pretty tight squeeze though.) ;o)

This is the last week of school (Friday is the last day). I hope that means that I will have time to post more, but having all four of them home may mean that there is less time to post. Just don't give up on me. I'll post when I can and think about you daily.

Furniture Facelift

I had this old (probably antique) chifferobe (wardrobe) that I wanted to make over. My DH said that I would probably regret it later (he's probably right - he usually is), but I did it anyway.



I painted the doors with black chalkboard paint and the chifferobe itself a gold color (using paint left over from this project).



I changed out the hardware (the doorknobs) with new hardware. The new ones look old though (like the antique glass knobs).


I've got something really special in mind for this baby.

Great Family Activity

I was looking through April's issue of Family Fun Magazine (I love, love, love that magazine) and on page 53 it talked briefly about Letterboxing. I have never heard of this. Since it was under 5 Ways to Get your family Outside, I was intrigued. The weather here is getting nice and warm and we are actually experiencing some sunny days. I had to try this.

The article in Family Fun Magazine said to find out more you can check it out at FamilyFun.com/magazine (and search for Letterboxing) or you can find the direct link here. The article also said to check out Letterboxing.org.

I did my research (the Letterboxing.org link above) and went and bought a pink pearl eraser (2 for $1 at Dollar General) to make my own rubber stamp, I already had an ink pad, and I also purchased a book (archival safe - but it doesn't have to be) for the letterboxes that I find. Then I made my stamp (there are directions on how to do this - very simple) and I was ready to go.

Yesterday, Rance and I found our first Letterbox. It was like finding a treasure. We were so excited (you should have seen the expression on his face, you would have thought that we found real pirate's treasure). We went while the other boys were in school because I didn't know how difficult it would be and I was near one of the clues, so Rance and I looked. Today after school, I am taking all of the boys to look for another Letterbox. They can't wait.

I think that I want to plant a letterbox or two also. I will let you know if we decide to do that or not.

This would be a great on-going summer activity. We will get to see all sorts of places that we might not think to go to, it's great for all ages, it gets us outside to see the area around us, it is like a treasure hunt and it is something that we can all do together. I also love the book that we collect the stamped images on. It is like passport of all the places we've been/letterboxes that we've found.

We have gone geocaching with Cub Scouts before (Letterboxing is very similar), but you have to have a hand-held GPS, there isn't anything that you keep with you (unless you just keep a log for yourself) to see how many you've found. It's fun, but I actually like Letterboxing better (I think it is neat to see all the different rubber stamps - especially the hand made ones). When we found our first Letterbox yesterday, I looked through the book and saw all the stamps that people left (alot of them also told where they were from and when they found it).

If you've letterboxed before, let me know what you think. If you haven't, do you think you and your family would enjoy this?