My Recent Fav Projects!

Oh I am loving the warmer weather! I am finally able to start and finish my pile of projects. Makes me a happy lady :)

Love this little kiddie table and 2 chairs I found on a yard sale site - BEFORE 

Little kiddie table & chairs - AFTER

Cutest little rocking dog, also found on a yard sale site (I love anything wood, it can always be refinished!) - BEFORE

Rocking Dog....AFTER

During the process :) (My poor hubby never has a parking spot in the spring, summer or fall! Thankfully he's a really good sport about it! :))

I might be the messiest painter/refinisher EVER! But I love it so I don't care!!!!! 

I have had this chair for like 4 years! I originally got it at the goodwill (DI). It had nasty plaid fabric and was a natural wood color. The first time I started to refinish it, I went with gray for the chair and was going to do a white seat cushion. I got the chair painted gray and then had a child and realized I was  insane to do white fabric for the seat. So the seat has just sat......forever! I finally finished it this week along with the rest of my current projects and I love it! :) For now it's going to go in my office/Monica closet (on a bad day) because that's my pretty room ;). 

I love, love, love my front porch right and I don't care who knows it! :) It was definitely a labor of love and so worth it. I loved all the mini projects. It's been a good distraction for me and I really thrive off it :). I have had a couple of people ask how I decorate on the cheap. So I thought I would document it a little below. 

*I already had the chairs (from Costco, last year) but the white table is actually made from two ikea Lack tables (I already had one table lying around and picked another one up for $10. I would suggest checking yard sales, I swear people are always selling the Lack table for cheap. They are easily sanded, painted and sealed if they are a little nasty).  The legs were shortened on one of the tables (I convinced a dude at Lowe's to cut the legs for me) and glued to the other after they are fully assembled (I used gorilla glue and it was great). 

*The two wooden crates are from Michaels (I used 40% off coupon on both, total: $8 for both). They were stained with Miniwax stain from Lowes and sealed with a polyurethane.  

*The Bird cage was made from two parts, both from Hobby Lobby. A bird cage (which was bright yellow, $9, but 50% off) and a wood candle stick (which was natural wood, unpainted, $3 but 40% off). They were glued together (using gorilla glue again) and spray painted gray (Krylon with primer, already had it on hand). 

*The bird in the bird cage was from the dollar store. Taped and spray painted green (bird) and spray white (rock) (both spray paints on hand, bird was $1). 

*The lantern, purple flowers and metal square pot were all from the DI (totaling: $4.50) 

*The pots were terra cotta from Hobby Lobby (I can't remember the exact cost but I think it was around $3.50 for all. Walmart also carries them. They were just out of stock that day). They were either taped with painters tape and painted (either acrylic or spray paint, both on hand) or wrapped with jute (had jute on hand). 

*The pillow fabric is from Hobby Lobby (I can't remember the exact cost for the fabric to be honest. But Hobby Lobby usually has their fabric 30% off). The stripes on the burlap pillow were completed with paint after the fabric was purchased. 

*The wooden "Conley" sign is just white wood from Lowe's ($5). It was stained with a Miniwax stain and the white letters/numbers were  created on the computer, traced on, painted white and the whole thing sealed with polyurethane. It is actually double sided with our house number on the other side in case I changed my mind ;). 

*The wreath was made from three parts, all from Hobby Lobby. The wreath is a grapevine wreath. It did take quite of bit of effort to remove the grapevine  leaves but so worth it with a price tag of $3.99 (& 40% of that. Always use their coupon!). The greenery was from the bulk greenery section ($11.99 but 50% off and it could make 2 to 3 wreaths depending on full you want to make you greenery on the wreath). And the white flowers are from their normal flower section ($4.99 50% off and could also make 2+ wreaths, again depending on how full you want to make it). 

I always buy my supplies over time, using coupons or sales and checking to see what I have on hand. I also like to check out my local DI and yard sales. I truly believe that sometimes one person's trash is another's person's treasure and there is beauty to be found (& pulled out) of most things! :) Hope that helps to see how I decorate on the cheap ;)