A Summer Spray Paint Upcycle with Rust-Oleum

Shake things up with a spray paint upcycle! When it comes to giving pre-loved items new life, paint is one of our go-tos and spray cans are DIY heaven. So, when Rust-Oleum sent us a goodie bag, we were super thrilled! We received lacquer, paint & primer and ultra-cover spray paint cans and immediately decided to try them all. Germarie has a lot of frames, so we decided to give them new life with a little colour. As it turns out, one coat of spray paint is plenty, which means we have enough Rust-Oleum goodness left for future projects!

Here’s what you need to upcycle practically anything

rustoleum-spray-paint-project-picture-frame-upcycle

Difficulty: easy

Time: 30 minutes (with drying time)

YOU NEED:

  • Old picture frames (or anything that needs a little colour-makeover)
  • Sandpaper
  • Cloth
  • Any Rust-Oleum spray paint *

* Rust-Oleum spray paints are awesome because they come in a variety of lovely finishes. You can choose from lacquer, gloss or matte in practically any colour you can think of. We loved the Painter’s Touch+ range because it is a paint and primer combined, so they really do stick to anything. We even painted a metal vase with the coral paint.

 

STEP 1:

rustoleum-spray-paint-project-upcycling-ideas

Remove the glass and artwork from the frames.

STEP 2:

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Dust of the picture frames and lightly sand off any flaking paint. Check out Rust-Oleums nifty spray paint tips for the best result.

STEP 3:

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Place the frames on a paintable surface and spray away! Spray from approximately 30 cm from the picture frames. Let the paint dry. It’s always best to spray outside – safety first!

STEP 4:

That’s it! Hang the colourful frames as they are or embrace summer with prints of your favourite seasonal fruit.

Rustoluem Spray paint Picture Frame Painted

With these beautiful colours, the frames can be stunning features even without pictures!

Rustoluem Spray paint Picture Frame ideas

You can really transform anything with a little paint. We’d love to hear about your DIY decor and spray paint upcycles, so please tell us in the comments below!

 

Happy Painting!

How to make your own DIY Midcentury Modern TV Stand

This TV stand upcycle has been such an awesome project, that I’ve decided to revisit it! It is now nearly three years since I’ve done this project, and this TV stand is still perfect for our living room. If you can’t get your hands on an Ikea shelf to repurpose, then any tall, narrow shelving unit will do to create this DIY Midcentury Modern TV stand.

A recent clearing out and cleaning up of my house left me with a dilemma: the teak TV stand that we had loved and used for ten years suddenly didn’t go with anything in my revamped living room! While storage in any house with kids is a dire necessity, my designer training got the better of me: I needed something slick and contemporary, and since I had fallen love with mid-century inspired furniture, I needed tapered legs as well. So off to Gumtree to scour the furniture for sale section!

Gumtree Furniture for SALE the loot

I spent a few days looking for things I needed, and finally found the perfect ingredients for my project: an old IKEA floating wall shelf (damaged on top, exactly what I wanted!), a box of left-over oak parquet blocks, and four vintage tapered legs.

The result is a stunning contemporary TV stand with character – here are the step-by-step instructions!

Search Gumtree for the following:

  • Shelving unit or something that will be suitable as a base structure for the unit
  • Tapered legs
  • Parquet blocks

You will also need:

  • wood glue
  • sander
  • 40 grit paper & 100 grit paper
  • screws
  • small wooden battens

Gumtree Furniture for SALE roughing it

STEP 1: Sand, the top of the shelving unit with the 40 grit paper, to create a rough surface. The glue will work better if it is applied to something with a bit of grip. This would also be a great time to fix up any damaged areas.

DIY midcentury modern TV stand

STEP 2: Lay out the parquet block in the pattern you desire – but don’t glue it down yet. We used a traditional herringbone pattern, but you can also use any of the patterns here. It takes a while to get the position right and to cut down all the smaller pieces, but take your time – this is the most important step. Measure twice, cut once! You can also getting little budding designers in on the action 😉

DIY midcentury modern TV stand

STEP 3: Remove the parquet blocks on one of the corners and replace them with two timber battens. Screw fix these in place – they will form the guide that you will be working from.

STEP 4: Start to carefully glue down the parquet blocks, making sure that they don’t move or slip as you carry on. When you have all of them in place, make sure that they are all perfectly positioned before the glue sets. Leave for at least 24 hours before you proceed to step 5.

STEP 5: If the parquet block that you got was new, then sand the top and edges with the 100 grit paper until everything is smooth and gorgeous – remember your safety goggles! If you bought vintage wood, then you’ll need to put in a bit of effort to remove all the grime and oil first before you can start to finish off the top. Use sugar soap and then a 40 grit paper, finishing with the 100 grit.

STEP 6: Turn the unit over and fix the legs in place.

STEP 7: Dust the top off and seal the wood with a few glugs of linseed oil. It doesn’t cause yellowing, and it brings out the natural colour variations in the wood beautifully. It smells amazing too!

I am so pleased with the result that I can hardly contain myself. If you have an idea for an upcycle, have a look through the hundreds of pieces of furniture for sale on Gumtree – you might just see something that will be perfect for your project.

Happy Upcycling!

DISCLAIMER: This post is sponsored by Gumtree South Africa

Pet project: upcycling for pets

Are you a cat or a dog person? I am siding with the hipsters and are firmly on the cat side. Although I love all animals to be honest but happen to have the loveliest cat in the world called Mouse. Have a look at these very quirky and fun upcycling projects for your pets, whether they be cats or dogs!

Scratching post

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How simple and sleek! With just two pieces of pine, thick rope and a glue gun you can create this lovely scratch patch for kitty. topinspired.com

Cat headquarters

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A great way to upcycle a box is to turn it into a cat house. I love the attention to detail with the window cut outs. My cat will love this. buzzfeed.com

Double take

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Repurpose an old suitcase by creating this retro bunk bed! Alternatively you can buy it from etsy.com

Scratch and sniff

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Create a catnip scratching post with a wooden frame, corrugated cardboard and a sprinkle of the good stuff! topinspired.com

Glamping

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We all know cats love to crawl into burrows and tiny spaces. Create your own cat tent with some cardboard, masking tape, two pieces of curved wire and an old t-shirt. Kitty will love you forever! instructables.com

Good enough to eat

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Upcycle an old tire into a soft spot for your dog. I love the pink they used to paint this one. Very cheeky! practicallyfunctional.com

Chew-able rags

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Tear old t-shirts into strips and weave them together to form this lovely toy for your dog. Pinterest.com

Dog’s live

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Monte sure is one lucky dog to have this lovely pallet bed on wheels, complete with comfy pillow. camillestyles.com

Eat up!

pets9

This is a great idea for older dogs with back problems. I’m not quite sure how I feel about the lovely chairs that are now dog bowls. Maybe it’s because I’ve always had ones exactly like these around my dining room table. Still it’s a new way of thinking so let’s celebrate that! buzzfeed.com

I’m definitely going to pimp Mouse’s pad with a few of these ideas. Hope you do the same and share them with us!

Happy styling,

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Upcycled ladder ideas for every room in your home

Ladders work really hard around the house and garden and usually end up looking beaten and bruised at the end of their life cycle.  This is exactly when you grab that old thing and give it a second chance by incorporating it as a playful but useful element in the home.

We have sourced very inspiring ideas for every room in your house – from the entrance hall to the patio and all areas in between!

First impressions

Make a bold statement by installing a ladder horizontally against a focal wall and giving it a lick of paint. The spars then can be used to hang up coats, and storage boxes up top come in handy as donation boxes or to store scarves and hats.

Using ladders vertically like in the picture on the right emphasize vertical lines and really help in areas with low ceilings to create the illusion of height. Just look at the lovely textures on them from years of hard work – that kind of look can’t be faked!

entrance_hall

vtwonen.nl whatilikeaboutthelittlecouple

Light it up

Twist a string of fairy lights around the one side of a ladder displayed in your living room. This will create just the right amount of ambient lighting when wanting to tone it down at a dinner party or when having a romantic glass of wine after a long day.

The empty spars are also the perfect place to keep throws for snuggling up on the couch during the cooler evenings.

living_room

showhome.nl hviit

Help in the kitchen

Shorter V-shaped ladders work great as occasional storage for crockery and glassware at informal dinner parties. Simply slide planks in between the spars to create surface space.

Display your inherited (or thrift shop found!) tea towels and dish cloths on a straight ladder by leaning it against the wall. Fold the linen up neatly to display the patterns.

Suspend a straight ladder horizontally from the ceiling above your kitchen island to hang pots and pans from. This really is a great cupboard space-saver and adds a country feel to a kitchen.

kitchen

fleaingfrance frenchlarkspur decoratingyoursmallspace.com

Bedroom bliss

Ladders make the perfect bedroom furniture when used as a modern alternative to the bedside table. The spars become magazine racks and if hooks are added you can even hang clothing on them. Add a clip-on bedside lamp to the ladder and you have a sleek loft style look.

If you slide planks through the spars of a tall V-shaped ladder (like we did with the short one in the kitchen) you create great shoe storage. With most of us having way to much shoes it’s great to put your collection on display!

Alternatively you can add a rail to the top so it becomes a clothing rail station. This works great in spare bedrooms when guests are staying over and cupboard space is limited.

bedroom

vtwonen.nl myscandinavianhome.com bloglovin.com apairandasparediy.com

Let’s play snakes and ladders

Installing a straight ladder horizontally against a wall creates great bookshelf space in a kid’s room. Use the top of the ladder to display toys or inherited items that you want to keep out of harm’s way for a few years.

Keep the ladder raw for a rugged feel like in the picture on the left or paint it in a fun, high gloss colour to contrast with the wall colours. This really makes a statement, because kids rooms are meant to be fun!

kidsroom

mommo-design

Wash day

Ladders come in very handy when your folded washing need to sit in the laundry a bit before finding their way to the closet. It also gives you space to hang left over hangers – how very convenient!

laundry

midwestliving.com bloglovin.com

Work it

This is the more grown-up version of the bookshelf we featured above in the kid’s room. Add clip-on study lamps to add extra effect to the quirky shelf. Alternatively you can add some industrial elements, like hanging the ladder from pipes like in the bottom right picture. Want to make your own pipe shelf? Look at the DIY Germarie did in her husband’s office.

home_office

itsy-bits-and-pieces Pinterest.com

Pretty patio

Add a ladder to your patio to display your beloved collection of plants. I love the wire baskets filled with succulents on the left. But that’s just because succulents are the only plants that I seem to be able to keep alive!

patio

onekingslane.com shelterness.com

I got so inspired after writing this post that you will soon see a DIY ladder project on the blog. Hope you feel the same way!

Happy styling,

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Inspired UPcycling

What does a bicycle, a suitcase and a meat grinder have in common? They all make fabulous upcycling projects! Be inspired by a few very clever creations we have found for you on the web.

Unchained bicycle chandelier

Carolina Fontoura Alzaga created these super inspirational upcycled chandeliers made from bike chains. They have an industrial steam punk feel to them which I love.

Have a look at her shop on etsy.com

upcycled1

facaro.com

New age cycling

Let’s reinvent the wheel so to speak by using it as lighting, a wall clock or clothing rail.

upcycled2

idlights.com columbian.com decoist.com

Lights, camera …

Re-purposing vintage cameras into lighting adds a playful retro element to the home.

upcycled3

Retro Bender on etsy.com

Conversation starters

Make a bold statement with this retro tv-unit-turned-bar! We watch tv way too much in any case.

Beautiful cut glass decanters turned into pendant lights are simply genius.

upcycled7

 hative.com retrorenovation.com

Suitcase reinvention

This is not a new concept but still so very clever. Use suitcases as shelving, tables and storage that even the cat will approve of.

Ki Nassauer, editor-in-chief of Fleamarket Style magazine and founder of JunkMarket, a monthly sale of vintage and repurposed finds, knows a diamond in the rough when she sees it. This has earned her the nickname “The Martha Stewart of Junk.”

upcycled6

Ki Nassauer Atomic Attic on Etsy.com homedit.com

Old school

Turn inherited doilies into a whimsical chair cover or festive bunting.

upcycled4

houses-plans.net etsy.com

As good as new

Stitch together vintage handkerchiefs to create a curtain that will brighten up any unsightly view. Alternatively, you can use left over fabric to cover buttons or use as cocktail napkins.

upcycled5

dishfunctional

Kitchen classics

I simply love this stately meat grinder turned into a pendant light and think it would be lovely in a kitchen. Buy this item online at Etsy.com

Use old knife handles as table weights to keep your tablecloth in place when dining outside.

Re-purpose old French linen into a handy apron that looks stylish too.

upcycled8

Etsy.com Etsy.com diyfunideas.com

Hope you had a good giggle at some of these fun upcycling products and found some inspiration to have a go at your own.

Happy styling,

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