About






I’m Ann and let me welcome you to The Apple Street Cottage.

The Cottage is all about DIY, including: refinishing, recycling/upcycling, decorating, gardening, cooking, baking, and power tools.  I find all of these activities relaxing and therapeutic after wrapping-up a 28 year career as a Teacher/Literacy Specialist.  Not having to worry about lesson plans, report cards, trainings, and data reports are a welcome change.   

So, you’re probably wondering how I got started in all of this?  Well…
…I’ve loved antiques since I was a little girl and when I got old enough, my Dad taught me how to refinish furniture.  Our neighbor allowed me to poke around in his old barns to search for treasures. It was there that I found an old oak ice box (in pieces) and my life as a DIYer began.

Fast-forward a few (ahem) years…retired, time to work on projects – this blog was created as a way to share all of my adventures.  When I’m not involved in all this DIY, I read, play with paper, and do a little scrapbooking.

I hope you will continue to visit my blog, become a follower, and leave a comment from time to time.  I’d love to hear what inspires you, makes you smile, and maybe makes you say, “Hey, that’s a good idea!"
Thanks for stopping by the Cottage!

You can contact me at:
november-rose@hotmail.com






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Break Out Those Wine Corks!

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You've been self-isolating, drinking some wine, and saving the corks for a project.  But, before you think I'm accusing you of drinking too much, we both know that every wine-drinker has a stash of corks somewhere in their house.  It's time to dig them out and finally DO something with them.   Welcome back to 10 on the 10th , a group of bloggers sharing ideas and inspiration for less than $10.  This month we're sharing Tips While Social Distancing and we've got some great ideas for you.  Let's get started..... First, find those corks.  They're probably hiding in drawers or a cabinet...maybe in a box or bag.  You can find them. I have faith in you!  My first project is an easy one.  All you need is a hot glue gun, a can, and your corks.  This jade plant has been living in an aluminum can ever since I cut it away from the original plant.  It's doing quite well, but, let's face it, this container is not very pretty. ...
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Wine Cork Wreath

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Just a note...I promised to share the wreath and picture in a previous post.  Here they are: Now, if you're anything like me, you've been saving wine corks for forever because there is a fabulous project that you will just HAVE to make with them.  The problem is, you haven't found it yet! Have no fear, your project is here! To get started, you will need lots of these: How many, you ask?  I estimate that I used between 200 and 250 corks.  You will also need a straw wreath, like this: Don't forget to remove the plastic! This next step is extremely important! Wrap some wire around the wreath and make a loop for hanging.  There is nothing worse than getting your wreath all done and then say to yourself, "Hmmm, how the heck do I hang this thing!?! Now you're ready to get started.  Be sure to cover your work surface to protect it.  I used a lovely old vinyl tablecloth that I had laying around....
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How To Decoupage Dresser Drawers - With Napkins!

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Welcome back!  Last week you saw a garage sale dresser transformed with paint and decoupaged napkins.  If you missed it, click here .  Today I have a little tutorial showing how it was done.  Let's get started, shall we? The drawers were sanded down to bare wood and the edges were painted black to match the rest of the dresser.  The napkins were found at the Dollar Store. Notice they are 2-ply napkins?  You only need one, so separate those layers! Iron the one-layer.  It helps when you are ready to lay it down on the wet decoupage medium.   Since the napkins were not wide enough to cover the entire drawer, I was going to have to piece them together.  These napkins also had a very definite pattern that was going to need matching, so it was time for some measuring.  I found the middle of the drawer and matched it to the middle of the napkin.  Then I marked the edges of the napkin on the edge of the drawer with ch...
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No More Polycrylic for My Tables!

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Behold, my newly refinished table - once again!  Yes, this is the second time this little beauty has been refinished. The table was originally refinished in 2013.  I carefully sanded, stained, and sealed it with polycrylic.  Everyone in blogland was singing the praises of polycrylic, so I thought I'd give it a try.  It went on great, clean-up was easy, and it dried quickly.   Win-Win, right?  WRONG!! After about a year and a half, I started noticing some wear on the edges of the table.  You know, the spot where people rest their arms?  As time went on, these spots actually started to feel a bit sticky and you could see them: It was really difficult to get a picture of them, but, if you look carefully where the arrows are pointing, you'll see dull spots in the finish.  We lived with it for a while, then I told my husband, "As soon as the weather gets nice, this table has a date with my sander!" Time for my full disclosure. ...
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