The Apple Street Cottage

Believe it or not, I'm still working through some of my yard sale finds from last year.  If you're a follower, you won't forget My Latest Finds , A Few More Found Treasures , and who could forget The Estate Sale I went to 4 times???  Yes, we all know I need help! That being said, this little oak table was found at a different sale (that didn't get a post).  It was a bargain so I took it home. Over the Winter, I sanded the top and revealed the beautiful oak.  Since I forgot to take a 'before' pic - which I so often do, here's a shot from the side where you can see the dark stain in all it's glory: In order to give it an update, the top received one coat of Red Mahogany stain and the rest of it was painted with 2 coats of black chalk paint - both of which were in my stash of goodies.   After 3 coats of polycrylic, I declared this little table done! Since I'm running out of room in my house, it now has a new home on a friend's por...

If your area is anything like mine, yard sale season has ground to a halt.  Due to Covid-19, area city-wide sales have been cancelled and there just aren't any individual ones - not that I'd feel comfortable going to them anyway.   That being said, I was 'gifted' some treasures by friends who bought a house to rehab.  To be perfectly honest, this was better than a yard sale because all of them were free!  It all started when these two pieces were lifted out of the bed of the truck and they asked, "Do you want them?" Like they had to ask?!   The stool had about a million tacks in it along with two layers of fabric.  The case has some pretty rotted leather and my friend gave me some leather she had so I could replace it.  How did I not know she had leather in her stash??  The inside is lined with fabric and there's a perfectly round hole in the middle. I have no idea what it was used for, so if you have any ideas, let me k...

Spring is here, or so they tell me, and I can't wait to get out in the garden.  As most gardeners do, I love seeing ladybugs and decided a sign was needed.    The first thing I did was find a piece of wood in my box of wood chunks - yes, I actually have a box of of wood - and give it a quick coat of stain. Then I went on Design Space and designed my lettering for a stencil.  Since stencil vinyl can be expensive, I use contact paper from the dollar store.  It's very 'budget friendly'.  When the stencil was in place, I used an old gift card to burnish the edges to prevent the paint from bleeding through.  Using black acrylic craft paint, I began stenciling with very little paint - actually, almost a dry brush.  This is another way I keep the paint from bleeding. This was the first coat. I continued stenciling with light coats of paint until everything was filled-in.  The stencil was removed, and I had the lettering done. With a...

  To fully appreciate this post, you should go back to the original one where I shared the silverware box I found for $5.  Did I mention it was full of silverware??  The post is HERE .  Let me give you a peek at the finished product and then I'll explain how I got there. This silverware box was solid wood, but the finish was very orange and not to my liking. I sanded off all of the old finish: And used a red mahogany stain to bring out the beautiful grain. A big improvement! The inside looked like a typical silverware box: Everything was torn out and the wood was sanded smooth. The fabric was on sale for $2.  The first thing I did was measure the perimeter of the bottom portion of the box and it's depth.  I cut a strip of fabric to fit (plus a little extra) and folded over the edge.  I used Alene's Tacky Glue to keep it in place. Starting in the back, right corner, I began gluing the fabric in place.  You can se...