How about a reason to buy new scrapbooking supplies?
Do you ever find yourself flipping through a magazine at the grocery checkout, and you come across a page and say out loud to no one in particular, "Holy Crap! Look at this!" I do. Often. I have the memory of a gnat but I'm starting to think it usually happens with this BHG quarterly publication
With most magazines I (eventually) just tear out the three of four pages that really speak to me and throw the rest away, but this particular pub is usually so chock full of great ideas I just have to keep the whole thing. This issue is no exception, but the particular page that made me blurt out loud and buy the magazine was this
I really really love this idea (becky mollenkamp) as well as the photograph. So I then drove straight to the thrift shop to find an appropriate piece to finish. Appropriate meaning not a bunch of curves and bends...mostly flat surfaces. I ended up buying a table. I'll show you a couple of in-process pics first so that when you try this at home you won't think to yourself, "WHAT have I gone and done now?!"
Pretty ugly, huh? The thing to keep in mind is variety---both in sizes and fonts. The magic happens when you spray paint it, but after two coats I realized it just wasn't getting into the edges of the letters, so I pulled out some white paint and a small brush and smushed paint into all the edges and crevices...so that the spray paint didn't have to work so hard, you know? In the following photo the letters on the right side of the pic have been touched up and the left side ones (just under the table top) haven't.
Here's the final result:
Our new reading table! You can try and read the table, or read the books in that center *pocket*. Click to enlarge and you'll see I put our three grandkids names in there. It'll be fun to see when and if they ever notice. I was so proud of myself that I thought to incorporate their names before I finished...usually I'm in such a git'rdone! mode the project is already finished before I have any more "how about this?" ideas. I even thought to 'sign' it. :-)
I have plenty of letters left and am now on the hunt for the right "reading" chair.
Weekly weight loss report. (are you starting to notice I usually mention this almost as a ps in a much larger post?) I think it's because I don't want to bore the readers who couldn't give a fig about my weight, but I told Sharon at the start of the year that I'd report weekly and by golly I'm doing it! I lost another 2.2 pounds and better yet; went down a pant size! I bought a pair of Lucky jeans at Costco 2 or 3 weeks ago. They were too tight, and instead of returning them like I normally would, I put them up on the closet shelf knowing they would fit soon. And today they did!! Steady wins the race.
Have a great week!
Sept 20, 2010 update
Here's another application for you to try!
Oh my goodness, the table and magazine rack look amazing! I have the same magazine rack, I now know what I'm going to do with it!
Posted by: Amanda | November 05, 2011 at 10:28 AM
AWESOME!!!! i love it!!! i've got to do this for my daughter, she's 6 and just learned *is learning* how to read! She reads everything and i think she would love this for her room!!! ty again for sharing!!! nice job!!!
Posted by: Cindy Dye | September 27, 2011 at 06:31 AM
This sticks in my mind as one of the coolest ideas ever, one that I won't forget. I also have a mental image of something I saw maybe 10 years ago in a magazine. Someone had painted their kitchen cabinets red and decoupaged Chinese newspaper to the fronts. So funny how things linger with you... Kris Hankins shared this link with our art group, but I've seen this in print and love it! :)
~ Autumn Clark
Posted by: Autumn Clark | September 02, 2010 at 06:09 AM
L-O-V-E what you did with the table. Great work!
Posted by: erin jones | May 11, 2009 at 12:18 PM
That is just FABULOUS!
Posted by: Kathy Bohannon | April 26, 2009 at 09:17 PM
Simply amazing!
Posted by: Cristina Wright | April 08, 2009 at 05:41 PM
those letters look amazing! i need to do that!
Posted by: tina | April 07, 2009 at 11:27 AM
I love it! Sooo cool.
Posted by: Liz Scott Adams | April 07, 2009 at 10:37 AM
That makes me want to run out IMMEDIATELY and try that! I'm loving it. Thanks so much. It would be fun to also put some "inspirational" words in there like ~ love, care, admire, encourage.... how fun!
Posted by: Barb | April 07, 2009 at 06:38 AM
So I keep passing up that magazine because "I don't need another"... Umm- Yeah-I do!!!!! On my way to the store, lol. Thanks for the tip- your table is amazing!!!
~Rachel
Posted by: Yard Sale Mama | April 06, 2009 at 02:25 PM
I'm visiting here after I saw your birthday sign on the Moda Bake Shop...which is darling BTW, but this DIY table project is really something .. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Lucy | April 06, 2009 at 11:19 AM
What an AWESOME idea! My daughter and I are going to try this on her night stand! Blessings, Heather
Posted by: Heather | April 06, 2009 at 04:57 AM
Jen this is astounding!!! What amazes me about you is not just your great eye for objects to refinish or repurpose, but the fact that you actually GET IT DONE! I'm more the accumulator surrounded by UFOs, you are such an inspiration! Love this project.
Posted by: Sue McGettigan | April 04, 2009 at 01:11 PM
Love it totally and completely. It's just brilliant. But after all you are a Jen, so we should expect no less.
P.S. Thanks for the honorable mention on your blog. So sweet!
Posted by: Jen@thecottagenest | April 03, 2009 at 10:45 AM
What a totally clever idea:)
Posted by: Donna Layton | April 03, 2009 at 06:36 AM
I too would like to know what adhesive you used. I know someone who has a Cricket and will cut the letters for me, but what kind of paper did you use. I can finally do something with that chair that I have had for at least 10 years! Thanks so much.
Posted by: patty | April 03, 2009 at 06:26 AM
hey sweets,
everything is darling!
hope all is well.
oxoxo,
jessi
Posted by: jessi nagy | April 02, 2009 at 06:11 PM
Love, love, LOVE that table!! Thank you so much for sharing that!! I am on the prowl for a piece to do of my own!!
You are such an inspiration!!
Posted by: Roseanna J. | April 02, 2009 at 02:59 PM
What a fabulous project.....I might have to get that magazine to see what else is in there!
Posted by: natalie Hansen | April 02, 2009 at 11:21 AM
I LOVE that! Thanks for sharing the in-progres pics. I wanna make something now too!
Posted by: jo james | April 02, 2009 at 10:03 AM
I love the table Jen! I'm gonna have to give it a try.
Congratulations on the weight loss. New jeans...yippee!!
Posted by: Tracy Nuskey-Dodson | April 01, 2009 at 05:34 PM
That came out so neat! Love it!
Posted by: Sarah | April 01, 2009 at 10:57 AM
Your project ideas are the best! The table is just amazing! Thanks so much for sharing!
Posted by: sherri | April 01, 2009 at 10:31 AM
You are so amazing! It's so nice to see projects that are taken from ideas in a magazine and done by real everyday folks. I think I will try this with the shelf in my girls room. Thanks for the inspiration.
Posted by: artfulife | April 01, 2009 at 01:07 AM
wow what a very neat idea and you did an awesome job, what glue did you use and did you do a coat of anything different at the end to seal it?
Posted by: Janet | March 31, 2009 at 02:06 PM