I hope all of you wonderful mothers had a fabulous day yesterday! It was beautiful here and I had a great day with my family. We spent most of the day outside in the garden…..one of my favorite places to be.
Last Tuesday I shared with you guys that I did a show/webinar for HomeTalk with three other lovely ladies about using unique items as planters. It was called “Think Outside the Pot – Creative Planter Ideas”. We had so much fun….and if you missed it, you can go here and view it anytime you wish.
Here at our cottage our philosophy is ‘if it will hold dirt…it can be a planter’! We use all kinds of things to plant flowers, herbs, etc. In fact…..for this upcoming weekend’s graduation party for No. 1 Son I planted some of his favorite plants in his very first pair of rain boots. They are so fun…and teeny! {I’ll share more about that later……}
I thought I would share some of the fun ideas that were a part of the show…..there were many more, so be sure to check out the show form even more ideas.
Kelly at Eclectically Vintage shared her wonderful Dresser Planter. I just love this…this speaks my garden language…….it’s even my favorite French blue.
and there were many more fun ideas that we shared. Be sure to head on over to these great blogs and find out the how-to’s…..they have wonderful gardening ideas! Love ‘em!
I hope your week is off to a wonderful start….we’re having fun here getting ready for a big weekend! Can’t wait!
We are going to be sharing some fun ideas on using unconventional items as planters….we’ll show you how to ‘Think Outside the Pot’! Check out Kelly’s HomeTalk board here to see some of the great ideas.
AND…..after you RSVP you can enter to win a great set of 6 blue Ball jars! Woohoo!
Be sure to click the the graphic below to RSVP and enter the giveaway…..
The show is Tuesday, May 7 at 2:00 EST…..and should be about 30 minutes!
OK…they may look a little goofy, but I think you will fall in love with these Sock Neck Warmers. We gave them for neighbor Christmas gifts one year…and we still have people asking for them. One of our neighbors is a midwife, and she came to our garden to gather all the needed lavender and made them for some of her patients and coworkers.
Ever have a tight neck? Tension? These are the bomb! You heat them in the microwave and then lay them around your neck….the heat and the weight of them feel wonderful!
Here’s what you need:
knee socks…any pattern
white rice
lavender
twine or ribbon to tie them up
big bowl
Here’s how you make them:
1. In a big bowl mix lots of lavender with the white rice
2. Fill each sock with your yummy-smelling mixture
3. Tightly tie the open end closed with twine or ribbon
Heat in the microwave to your desired heat…..I like 2-3 minutes. {And I like to use two at a time. }
These make great gifts….you can match the socks to the person’s personality. I like to use dark-colored socks because they don’t show dirt, etc.
Instead of only using conventional flower pots for our plantings each year, we like to use unique vessels as plant pots. These are two of my favorite this year….our Chicken Feeder Planters.
You can use just about anything to plant in…..just think outside the norm. If it doesn’t have holes in the bottom, be sure to either drill holes or put a layer of pebbles in the bottom of the container you’ve chosen. You don’t want your plants or flowers to get waterlogged.
These two chicken feeders came from the lovely family from this wonderful place. For many years they were in the hen house on this beautiful farm and helped to feed and water their chickens. They were perfect for a fun planter!
I love succulents….so, I decided to fill both of them up with succulents this year. Succulents like shallow soil, and can thrive in hot, dry climates. They are super easy to care for….BUT, you need to shop around, because they can be very expensive. Here in our area you can find them from 99 cents each to $7.50 each. Same size and condition. {Guess which ones we went with? Yep….the 99 cent ones.} So, if you decide to fill a planter with succulents, just be sure to shop around. Garden centers usually have the best prices….over specialty stores, etc.
Here’s a look at our fun Chicken Feeder Planters……..
You can plant succulents in soil or sand.
You’ll want to really pack them in and not have a lot of space left..they make a better impact that way.
Here’s the larger chicken feeder…..
I like to use many different kinds of succulents planted all together; but it would also be fun to fill a container with all the same kind.
Love. this. Grain sack used as a stair runner. It’s really tough material and can handle it. I love this idea. {Hey, Handsome…how hard would it be to tear up the carpet on the stairs……?}
If I could have this pantry I would do a happy dance. I would even record it and post it here just for you guys. I love the organization, ease-of-use, accessibility of everything. This is pantry fabulousness. {When you open our pantry…things fall on your head. It was definitely not built by someone that enjoyed cooking at home.}
This tablecloth is the bomb! Tailored around the table…how cool is that. I think I need to make one. This would add so much character to any table…any size. Love this idea.
Shutters. Fun colors. Perfect. This is literally just shutters nailed to the wall. I am considering doing something similar in our bedroom…in lieu of a headboard.
Such a simple paint job on this chest….but what a great impact! {This piece if the creation of one of our lovely readers! Be sure to click the source and visit her blog!}
I really want chickens. I’ve been studying up….and planning. Tell me what you know about chickens……everything. Tell me everything you know……
OK..that has nothing to do with today’s post. I just needed to share. Thanks for reading my random thoughts and ramblings.
We have been wanting to put curtains on our front porch f.o.r.e.v.e.r. We’ve had them marked in catalogs and ‘on the list’. You know, The List. The one with all the wants and needs…the one that when you mark 2 things off, you add 4 more. Yeah. That one.
Outdoor curtains for our porch was going to cost around $300. {That’s why they’ve been on the list for a while…..too many other things that needed to come first!} BUT, a few weeks ago I went to an outlet sale. We live in the town that houses the factory for Hatteras Hammocks and Pawley’s Island Hammocks….and twice a year they have a great factory outlet sale.
I spotted them. My outdoor curtains. The exact ones I had marked in the catalog. For $10! SCORE! Needless to say, they came home with me.
I knew I wanted rope tie backs to hold them back when we weren’t using them. I had used rope tie backs on these curtains…and love them. I found them at some of my favorite places…..the cheapest being $89 each. ugh. I really wasn’t in the mood to make tie backs….but, alas, I did. And I’m glad. And they look just like the $89 Restoration Hardware ones. I spent around $8 and it took me all of 15 minutes. Here’s how to do it……..
You will need:
18″-24″ of large hemp rope for each tie back or whatever length you desire for each tie back
small hemp rope – usually sold in a package
thick twine
hot glue and glue gun
scissors
Here’s how ya do it:
When the store cuts your large hemp rope they will wrap the ends in masking tape to keep it from fraying….leave that in place.
1. Cut a piece of twine about 8″…or desired length for your hanging loop
2. Glue the ends on each side of your large rope
3. Begin at the bottom of the twine and hot glue the small hemp rope.
4. Put several lines of hot glue on the masking tape
5. Begin wrapping the small hemp rope around the larger one…covering up the end that you hot glued to get started. Keep wrapping until you reach the top of the rope, and secure with hot glue.
6. Repeat 1-6 for the end of each tie back.
Tah-dah!
I love rope. I love porch curtains. I love chickens. I love porches. I love having rope on my porch curtains on my porch. I love readers that read my crazy ramblings.
I was looking through HomeTalk last week and found so many other fun ways to use and repurpose old shutters. {HomeTalk is a neat site that is just for all things home. You can ask questions, find experts, find great DIY ideas and how-to’s….if you haven’t, be sure to go check it out.}
I curated a collection of these fun shutter ideas for HomeTalk ……..you can find it here. Head on over and check it out. =)
Hope you all had a super weekend! It was gorgeous here, so we got to enjoy The Nook!
This weekend we finally finished painting the wonderful chairs that we found at this place….and we finished them up by covering the chair cushions with grain sack. {Here’s my favorite places to find grain sack…if I can’t find them in person at a flea market or antique store.}
I shared about these wonderful chairs here…..and we were so excited to finally get them painted and finished. We found them in a barn..and couldn’t believe that there were eight matching chairs! {Two with arms!} Woohoo!
Last week I painted them..if you follow me on Instagram, you found out the I do not like painting chairs! They are a bear to paint. BUT, they’re done! And, it is so worth it.
Here’s what they looked like when we found them in the barn….
And here’s how they look now……..
If you have never covered chair cushions….it is so easy. It’s a great way to completely change the look or update a chair in just a few minutes. {I shared in this post how we covered our outside dining room table with coffee sacks.}
I painted each chair with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White…and waxed them with dark wax. I then used really rough sand paper to distress each chair.
These chairs didn’t have any seats….so they had to be made.
Next, you will need to get Handsome…..no, wait. {You’ll have to get your own Handsome-type of helper….I don’t share Handsome.} I’m kinda selfish that way.
Back to the story….Handsome made a template of the chairs and cut the seat bottom out of 1/2″ plywood.
If you have to cut seats…be sure to ‘test’ them before you start cutting material and padding…to make sure you are pleased with how they fit.
I suggest using 2″ foam for the padding. You can use a thinner padding/foam, but your derrière will thank you much more if you go with the 2″.
Lay the seat cushion on top of your padding and trace with a marker.
Then cut along your traced line with really sharp scissors.
This is not the most fun part…but when you are finished, with your gnarled, cramped hand…stand back and admire your lovely stacks of cushions.
Now you’re ready to cover. {Even if you are not ready…it’s time.}
Gather together a few tools and supplies:
staple gun
3/8″ staples
your material that you will be using to cover your cushions
foam padding
wooden seat bottom
{Handsome likes to arrange the staples in fun shapes when he sets up my little work space.}
Place your foam padding on top of the material that has been cut for each cushion.
Your material should be cut 4″ larger than your foam…to allow plenty to pull around and cover your cushion.
No, those are not bugs on my padding. I like to sprinkle fresh lavender on the padding before I cover the cushions. It makes them smell wonderful…just faintly.
Lay your wooden seat bottom on top of the padding.
Begin in the middle and staple close together all along the top of your cushion.
Next begin in the middle of the opposite side and staple the other edge…pulling to make sure the material is taut, but not so tight that you will create dents or uneven spots.
Don’t worry if the staples do not go all the way down…we’ll take care of that in a moment.
To make the corners you will push the end in just like you do when you wrap a gift. Be sure to pull tightly …. you don’t want saggy corners. Saggy corners just don’t look good on anyone…even cushions.
{Be sure to tense your hand and hold so tightly that your hand becomes wrinkled and red … and looks like it’s 99 years old. Like mine.}
Once all sides are done….use a hammer to make sure all the staples are all the way in and secure.
{My Mom gave me this hammer many years ago and put red dots on it. She said it would keep people from trying to take my hammer. I haven’t quite figured that out….but I just go with it.}
Now…at this point you can finish off the back of your cushion by cutting a piece of felt or material to cover the back. You can hot glue it into place. Personally, I usually don’t do this because this side will never be seen unless someone lays under your chair. I feel that if someone is going to lay under my chair, I don’t want them to be disappointed ….they deserve to find something fun. So, I leave mine just like this. If I was going to sell these chairs I may want to finish off the back with a felt covering. Completely up to you.
The back of your finished cushion.
Here is what your finished corners will look like.
And your finished cushion! 1 down, 7 to go! {It took me about 45 minutes to cover 8 cushions.}
If you are using your cushions in the dining room…or anywhere else that will get heavy use…you may want to Scotch-Guard them. I always Scotch-Guard our cushions. It makes cleaning them a snap! {Be sure to read the directions and test your fabric first.} You can check out my tip on how to spot-clean cushions here.
I like to do this outside….with my cushions on a clean blanket or tarp.
Handsome then screwed each cushion onto the chairs.
And, voila! We have 8 of these beauties!
We are loving them!
Here’s a quick list of what you need to cover a chair cushion:
seat bottom {1/2″ plywood works great}
2″ padding
material that you wish to cover the cushions with
staple gun
3/8″ staples
hammer {red dots optional}
drill
screws to attach cushion to chair
fresh lavender {optional}
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Woohoo…we can sit in chairs for dinner tonight! We’ve been sitting on the floor for a week!
We are gearing up for our next fun project with the wonderful treasures that we were blessed with at this wonderful place.
You can check out our first project, the Paris Grey Etagere, here.
Next up are these wonderful chairs…..
I was able to score some gorgeous German grain sack material at a wonderful price from a European dealer. So excited! Handsome is going to make a wooden base/seat and then I will cover them with the grain sack. We will be painting them first…..still deciding on the color. Here’s my grain sack material…can’t wait to get them covered….
They will go in the dining room…..and I keep going back and forth between Paris Grey and Old White. So far, Old White is winning. =)
I also found these gorgeous, rare, lavender grain sacks from the same dealer. These are Handsome’s favorite…..can’t wait to use them, either.
Another project that is in the works is the vintage chandelier that we took out of the farmhouse’s dining room. It is almost finished being rewired….I’m going to do something fun with it and put it in our office. Woohoo!
I thought I would share two of my favorite places to get European grain sacks. My #1 favorite is at fairs and markets, etc. But here in Eastern NC….finding European grain sacks at these places is almost nil. So, I get most of mine directly from dealers…ordered and sent in the mail.
I posted this project a few months after starting this blog……since I’m having trouble uploading pictures while the blog is being redesigned and updated…thought it would be fun to share this project from the archives.
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We’ve had a family mission statement for quite a while; but we wanted to post it in a prominent location….a place that we would see it each day and be reminded.
For many years we’ve had this great Pottery Barn banner hanging above our front door that said: ”Pick Up Your Toys”. It was fun, colorful, and could be seen from pretty much everywhere in our home. It’s also a part of the living room—and a perfect candidate for a makeover as we have been redoing everything else. {woohoo!}
When I had to take it down to paint the walls—it hit me! With just a little bit of redo we could use it for our family mission statement. So, I painted over the yellow with the same color as the wall paint—-but with the yellow underneath it gave it a bit of a different tint. {perfect!}
Then, with some primer I painted over the old words—-SEVERAL TIMES! Whew! Those words did not want to go away. But, alas, they did.
I left the wonderful little birds and outline just as they were–they looked great with what we were doing in the living room.
Then, on to the fun part—-adding our mission statement, which is:
Be true
Be you
Put love in what you do
We have long explanations for each of those statements—-that we have talked about as a family; but just wanted the main statement on the banner….without all the explanations.
So happy with how it turned out!
Do you have a family mission statement? If so, what is it…..I’d love to hear about it!
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