Best of 2011

Ready for another "Best of 2011" post?

Yeah, I thought so.  Let's get to it.

10. Handpainted "Bienvenue" sign

I loved this sign!  I'm always on the hunt for another old cabinet door like it so I can make another.

9. Dumpster Rescue Chest of Drawers

Poor thing had names of hair bands scratched on its drawers, but it's been cleaned, painted and given a new life in my craft studio.

8. Got Egress Window?

I added visual length to tiny basement egress windows.  It took two tries, but it's finally how I wanted it...at least for now.

7.  Adding Patina to a Concrete Birdbath

I used outdoor craft paint and lots of ebow grease to add years to a new concrete bowl.

6. Lantern Love

Lanterns were everywhere this year and I had to have one.  A big one please, but not a big price.  ReStore to the rescue!

5.  Cheesy Dog-Print Be Gone

What dog doesn't love a good makeover?  I pulled the stuffing from the old smooshed bed and made a classic basket sans canine-themed print. 

4. Refresh a Built-in

Stay tuned because I'm not finished with this built-in yet!

3.  Sweet Cabinet Makeover

Poor little thrift store cabinet was covered in gobs of glossy brown paint.  Amazing what a little love and A LOT of paint stripper can do.

2.  Potting Bench

What to do with an old garage workbench left behind by previous homeowners?  Turn it into a potting bench, of course.

1.  Disappearing Nine-Patch Quilt

This project gets top honors because it took me 10 months to complete it.  Then I gave it away.  And that felt so good.

Thank you for joining me for another year.  2011 wasn't a big year for projects at Casa de Tallgrass, but I have high hopes and big dreams for 2012.  I hope you join me!

A Long Weekend Treat

After an insanely busy week and looking ahead to Christmas next weekend (yikes!), I'm taking a few days off, so my Etsy shops will be on vacation until December 20.

The cherub again.  A pumpkin for autumn.  Christmas ornament for winter.  Easy choices.  (See his before here.)

Now what should he hold in January???

Under the Mistletoe

Mistletoe hanging in the foyer.  There's no getting past it!  :)

Comfort and Joy

During garage sale season, I'll scour Craigslist for the free leftovers people put at the curb after the sale has ended.  One summer I found a darling vintage sleigh.  The homeowner said his wife was debating whether or not to part with it, but it was clear he wanted it GONE.

I wasn't going question his judgment.

A few weeks ago at the holiday open house held at a local antique store I found a sweet teddy bear.  He's not really an antique, but he's jointed and his fur shows that he's been well loved.  And he was only seven dollars.

(I only felt slightly foolish carrying him around the store while I continued to shop.)

I could see him dressed in a fancy vest with holiday trimmings and sitting on the sleigh under the tree.  So I fashioned a vest from some scrap fabric.

His jointed arms made it easier to tailor the vest for a close fit.  I used some spare buttons I had on hand.  I purposely designed his vest to be open at the bottom so his tummy would show.  The bead-and-berry pick came from a box of chocolate from a past Christmas.

Isn't he darling?

Re-Purposed Drawer

I usually pass by old drawers at ReStore, but this one caught my eye.

Ewww!

But I liked its size and price tag (one dollar).  I considered making a big tray out of it, but I really didn't have a solid plan.  So rode around in the truck of my car all summer.

Tell me I'm not the only one with this problem.

Finally, inspiration struck.  Actually, I had outgrown my previous storage for craft paint, the thrift store spice rack.

The old drawer was the perfect depth to be made into shelves.  First I removed the tracks and peeled away the nasty contact paper, which was brittle and came off easily.  Next, I cut shelf supports from a 1/2 inch square dowel rod and glued them to the sides.

The shelves are 1/4" x 3" pieces of craft wood.  And yes, that's a chip clip holding the first shelf in place while the glue dries because I didn't want to search in the garage for proper clamps.

And here's the end result:

Since the wood for the shelves is about a quarter of an inch deeper than the drawer, I dog-eared the ends so they would transition better into the frame.

It will be so nice to have all most of my craft paint visble and within reach!

I'm linking up...

Funky Junk Interiors

Dittle Dattle

Between Naps on the Porch

Handy Man, Crafty Woman