Saturday, November 22, 2008

Clock Cases Re-Styled





I love clocks as you all know. But sometimes I run across a clock case
that just is so pretty , That I must bring it home. Well re-think those
empty not working clocks and use them. The large round floral clock had
wind up parts that long ago stopped working. a clock re-pair man is
hard to come by, and they are not cheap. The other problem with this
clock was it was wet from being left out in the rain and painted very
gold. I re-painted it using the colors that match my library, antiqued
it out in gold leaf, removed the clock parts and added a $10 battery
operated clock part from Walmart. I glued a beautiful button in the hole where it would have been wound. On wall, LOVE IT!!!

The second mantel clock, I bought this empty for a $1. I polished it added a battery opeoated clock part from Walmart and now it sits on top of my husbands big screen.

The third case a large cabinet
style was missing it's face and some of it's insides, a screw driver
later, some oil polish and a cup hook, now it has become a display unit
for a ladies satchel from the 1800's also an antique perfume bottle that now graces the fire place mantle in my bedroom.

So for a few $$$'s re-think those clocks, just because they do not work, does not mean they are junk. Far from it.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Looking Glasses





I go to a lot of sales, and every estate sale,tag sale,yard sale and
thrift shop always have at least one big old plastic mirror from the
1960s and 1970s. So I started looking at them a little closer. Yes they
are mostly faux wood grain brown, and of painted white rubbed with gold. Yes, very
ugly...But... Try looking a little closer the next time you see one.
Some times the detailing is pretty neat, and if you can picture it
hanging in your space in another color. Well, BUY IT!!Craft paint
can change the look, and you can pick the colors. The other great thing
about these mirrors, you can usually pick them up for a $1 and the size
of them, they are quite large. Painting them is just like paint by
number so give it a try. It is alot of fun.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Trash Pickin Chair




This chair was a wonderful find. Luckily the only thing the wood needed was a good cleaning with some furniture soap. I perfer
to use a wood soap for these projects. Once clean then I oiled and
polished it. Amazing what a little bit of elbow grease will do.

The
seat was a different story, once I was able to get all the horse hair (
that smelled and was so full of dirt) out, the springs just fell out.
Their strings were totally rotted away.

I was able to save the embroidered part. First I sprayed it with a foam upholstery cleaner then blotted till most of the stains had been removed. I was afraid to apply to much.

Next, after it dried, I lined the embroidered seat with a new fabric, to give it strengh. Then I added new foam, and cut three wooden dowels to hold the foam in. Then I finished by staple
gunning fabric to hide all the insides. Now seat back on chair frame
and fanny on chair. Most have done some thing right because my bottom
did not fall thru the seat. LOL!!