PB: Inspiration for DIY

Mauve/decopauged thrift store table, $15. Stripped, refinished, and added new hardware

to resemble a PB table for use as a nightstand in my son's room.  

Whether its repurposing furniture,

Beaded fringe added to Asian lamp shade for a Victorain flair. 

spiffing up existing items with clever accents,

Son's junk art guitar, made from a Gateway box, wood trim remnants, and acrylic paints.

PB Teens for inspiration.  It really is acoustic. 

Wood composite trim;   Primed, painted, distressed,

added (10) drawer pulls, and hung the trim 5 feet from the floor

in the laundry room to hold totes, raincoats, backpacks...

Odd sized frame, garage sale find,  $.50.

Barbed wire from the 1800's.

Wood shelving from great, grandfathers barn.

This assembly nearly came together on its own

at which time my husband claimed for his office wall.

or creating distinctive displays, using color, texture, and imagination,

PB is a source for ideas and inspirations, when I'm 'drawing' blanks.

My son wanted Euro pillows similar to some we had seen in PB Teen.

I borrowed a friends PB Euro Pillow Case and took measurements.

They look complicated but in fact are very easy to make.

The finished pillow measures 30x30 with a 2” flange
 for a 26x26 Euro Pillow.

Before cutting, launder/iron your fabric.

Use a ruler or straight edge and draw the panels right on the fabric.

Make the length (for the back pieces) with the grain and

be sure to mark the grain direction for the front panel.

Cut 1 panel 31” x31” for the front (ex.a)

For the back you need  2 pieces that create an over flap
to insert your pillow form.

Cut (1) 17”x31” (ex. b) and (1) 21” x 31” (ex. c.)

For the 2 back panels, fold and press the middle seams ½”,

then fold over 1”, press, stitch close to the inner edge.

Hint: for visible stitching, increase stitch length to 3.5mm for a professional look.

Assemble pillow in this order.

Front panel (ex. a) print side up

17x31 (ex. b) print side down and lined up to one side

21 x 31 (ex. c) print side dorn and lined up to other side

Make sure the fabric grain is in the same direction as back pieces.

Pin sides and stitch all the way around the pillow using a 1/2" or 5/8 seam allowance".

Trim seams to 1/4". Press open seams.
Turn pillow right side out pushing out corners, press.

Stitch around the pillow 2” from edge to create the flange.

Hint: Put a piece of masking tape on your sewing machine,

measure 2” to the right of needle, draw a straight line with ruler.

Use as a guide, lining up the outer edge of the fabric as you sew.

Insert pillow form

My son  loves them….

so I made some for my other son.

He loves them too!

Angel Wing Begonia

I have been busy spring cleaning, listing things on ebay,

organizing, and sewing.

And, working on this project.

I know it doesn't look like much right now, but it will, I promise.

Just a glimpse for now.

I managed to repot

any houseplants that needed it.

My favorite; the Angel Wing Begonia.

This particular species, Begonia Corallina de Lucerna,

has a cane stem, large, vibrant, dark green leaves with silvery white spots,

in the shape of an angels wing.

Some of the leaves are 8 inches long and 5 inches wide.

It produces a bountiful cluster of pink blossoms when fed regularly

and will grow up to 6 feet +.

This low maintenance plant needs light, (but not direct sun)

and a good watering once a week.

It is a show stopping house plant and makes an excellent gift.


I've probably made twenty or more plants for family, friends and teachers

by rooting stem clippings in water.

My Angel Wing, however, was looking a little puny of late.

Perhaps I have demanded too much out of this resilient plant

by taking too many clippings.

I decided to replace the soil and move it to a different location.



That was just the jump start it needed.

I swear it has grown 6 inches in just a week.

STEAL OF THE MONTH
Picked up this beautiful buffet at the thrift store for $45.

FORTY FIVE DOLLARS
I think it is cherry wood and very well made.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this piece.

No major dents or dings and it sits on rollers.

The top drawer pulls out to become a serving tray.

I am in the process of stripping the varnish,

then a light sanding, restain and polyurethane.

Suprised that someone would get rid of this treasure.

Lucky me!

Large Carved Wood Frame....$1.00

I found the mirror that sits on my fireplace mantel hidden away in the attic at an estate sale. The sign to the entrance of attic said whatever you can carry down is yours for $1.00. I suspect that I was the first one to brave the attic area. There were scattered boxes, newspapers, and documents everywhere, and very little light. The frame was lying on the other side and somewhat buried. An attached brass plate said Austria. I spotted a large, chewed up picture of a mountain scene on my way down. Ah, Beautiful Austria.

I had been on the lookout for a while for something large scale to sit on the mantel. I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted up there. At 26” x 53” this frame was perfect for that space!




I cleaned it up, gave it a light sanding using steel wool and sand paper and removed the brass metal plate. I primed then painted the flat part of the frame a fire engine red. I used a brown paint and a slightly stiff brush to force paint down into the crevices of the carved areas creating an aged look. Using a dry paint method and foam applicator sponge I went over the raised area with Ralph Lauren Paint in antique gold and again over the red with a dry cloth lightly rubbing gold into the red. I wanted it to look old but not neglected.

A trip to a glass cutter, affixed a mirror to the frame for about $60.00. I am very pleased with the outcome of this DIY project.

Hot Tub Room Make Over

One of my favorite rooms in our house is the hot tub room.

When we first moved in, the space was an eyesore.

The walls were boring, white, and damaged.

The Process:

Large cracks above the entryways were spackled,

sanded, and rubber cemented for a permanent fix.

The color on the wall is Fossil Butte (Behr) and is the perfect color for a spa
and a great backdrop for my kids' artwork.
Most of the stuff in this room is from garage sales or flea markets.

The fish planter was an impulse buy when my husband and I were in an art gallery in San Antonio.

The cabinet was my father in laws. He wanted us to have it and I was not happy about it at the time. It sat in a corner of our bedroom for a year and then my husband decided he wanted to throw it out. I almost let him.

The cabinet was honey stained with glass shelves and glass inserts, a mirrored back panel, and a hidden display light attached to the ceiling. The door wouldn’t stay shut. I thought the piece was veneered but when I did a strip test, discovered it was solid wood.

I kicked out the mirrored panel and also removed the glass inserts. I cut a piece of birch to size and attached it to the back, then stripped, stained and weathered the entire piece. I wanted it to look as though it sat on a back porch, exposed to the elements. I decided to leave the glass inserts out.

It is now a home for my sons’ collection of shells.

The candle holder on the left is actually a spindlefrom the stairs of my great granfathers home. When the house was torn down after his death, each of his kids got a spindle from the staircase. The jar of old marbles are from an estate sale. A friend of mine told me one is worth $90. Really? Which one?

This table with its marble top was a $3.00 garage sale find and perfect for holding our towels.

Check this out. A glass threaded insulator found in my Grandparents basement. And this one found at a thrift store. I knew they came in other colors but I had never seen a red one before.

The oh so appropriate sign for my kids, their friends and maybe a few adults.