Rapid Fire DIY Projects Part 2.

Here's part 2 of the Rapid Fire DIY Projects that I mentioned on yesterday's post. Today I am featuring the remaining quickie projects that I had been working on while I enjoyed the rare 4 in a row days off from my awesome job at the floral shop.

Project #4

While poking around at one of the local antique shops, I found this gem out in the backyard.

 And as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I say, she's a beaut! So she came home with me.

 I couldn't resist that perfect chippy, weathered old window in all that yummy shade of robin's egg blue.

 I gave it a good scrubbing and found it a new home.

 I just propped it up against the brick at the front of the house and called it DONE!! It will have to come inside for the winter, but for now, that's where it will stay while the ivy twines itself around it.

It makes a pretty and reflective background for the things surrounding it. And it makes me smile!!

Project #5

Since shiny silver isn't my thing, I decided to change things up with a blast of spray paint.

I've had these two lanterns sitting inside my front door for a couple of years. The interiors get changed up with the seasons and not necessarily with candles in them, but with seasonal vignettes. The lantern on the left is from Ikea. The lantern on the right literally "fell" into my hands at work. It had been suspended from the tall ceiling and hovering above a dining table with a lovely tabletop display. When one of the display persons went to take it down, it came crashing down onto the table, breaking dishes and two of the glass panels in the lantern. It also tweaked the door that opens to the inside of the lantern. Very sad:(   The display person cleaned up the mess and proceeded to throw the lantern in the trash. WHAT??? "Are you going to throw that out? Can I have it?" I asked sheepishly.

"Sure, but it's a wreck"

"I'll take it"

Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

And here's what it looks like now, after I took the pliers to it, fixed the skewed door, and gave it a shot of oil rubbed bronze spray paint....

BEAUUUTIFUL!!!

I still need to take the two broken glass pieces to the glass shop and have new pieces cut, but for now I think were good. I'll set them at the outside of the front door now and be looking for a small vintage bench or table to put them on. FIY, the bigger of the two lanterns is over 24" tall. I love them!

Project #6

Okay, this next project had to be pretty darn quick cause the ol' thunder clouds were rolling in which is a pretty common occurrence from around 5 o'clock on in this part of the world. ONWARD!

Behold, the crate.

Now transformed into this...

Multi tasking as a serving tray or whatever. That's the magic of paint..a white wash of white with a smudging of pale turquoise, ah....

A very pretty way to tote everything outside to watch the thunder clouds brewing.

And a fast way to scurry back inside when those clouds let loose!

I've got a few more Rapid Fire projects waiting inside just for these balmy, but stormy evenings...

...So, let the lightning begin!!

What's on your Rapid Fire Projects list?

Do you wait for the perfect day off like I do?,

or do you make the most of every day and just dive in?

Happy Rapid Firing

  

 

Rapid Fire DIY Projects Part 1

Welcome friends to my rapid fire DIY project recap. I've had the pleasure of having the last four days off and I've been knocking off my HUGE to do list as fast as I can. The weather has been pretty cooperative here, at least during the best part of the day. So, let me show you what quick and easy stuff I've been having fun with.

Project #1

 First up is a super simple and functional clipboard chalkboard. I've seen this pinned on Pinterest
many different ways, but this version has a little bit of vintage appeal. You will need a generic clipboard (mine had a natural look to it), old ruler or yardstick, black spray paint, chalkboard paint, foam brush, and stain. Although, in my case I didn't have any stain so I just used what I had on hand with the brown shoe polish to age my clipboard top and ruler.

Cover about 4" of the top edge of the clipboard with the brown shoe polish (or stain); also apply shoe polish to the ruler. This gives the wood a bit of an aged look. When it has dried, mask off the board with masking tape and paper and spray the metal clip with the black spray paint.

After a couple of coats of the black spray paint, remove the paper and draw a horizontal pencil line about 4" down from the top of the clipboard. This is where you will start your chalkboard painting.

When the chalkboard paint dried, I cut the ruler to the width of the board and applied it to the clipboard at the division line between the paint and the brown upper portion. I used Liquid Nails to adhere the ruler. Super Easy Peasy! Done in no time at all. I think I may "age" a Scrabble tile holder and adhere it to the bottom edge of the clipboard to hold a piece of chalk.Here's the finished project.

Now all I have to do is wait 3 days to condition the board with chalk and then I'll have a cool new "To Do" clipboard. Yay!! I love chalkboard paint!

Project #2

Here's what I did while waiting for paint to dry.

I found this cute plant holder at TJMaxx the other day and figured the front yard needed another boost of color. The French looking clay pots came from the place that I work at.

BOOM!! Instant color with those adorable clay pots and irresistible Pansy faces!  

Since I still had 2 more of the Frenchy clay pots left over, I planted a couple of extra Pansies and put them on my old wooden bench to keep company with the cast metal kettle.

Pansies seem to have JOY written all over

their faces!!

Project #3
On to the next super quick instant gratification job. 

Here's one of those things that has been around for maybe the ...say....(gulp) last 12 years.

 Now, doesn't everybody have a nekked birdbath/fountain thing sitting in their front yard for over a decade?? Time to remedy that folks!! And it only took minutes to create.

  Well, that is, after I found this beauty at a local antique shop in their back shed. It had a small hole rusted through so I fixed that right up with non-toxic caulking.

 TA DA!!! Mere minutes, I'm tellin' ya. After 12 years.

Sheesh! Welcome all you thirsty birdies. Hope my project manager doesn't mind.

The Great Ferdinand

 Tomorrow, I'll show you part 2 of:

The Rapid Fire DIY Projects

Until then,
I'm linking up to:
Savvy Southern Wow Us Wednesday 

 City Farmhouse Inspiration Exchange

 

Catching Up

Here we are into another week of April already. Time can really get away from me. Not that I have such an exciting social life...just everyday living that rolls one day into the next

Of course Easter day has passed. It was a quiet day here with just one of my fledglings and the Hubs at home. We celebrated with our traditional Breakfast Souffle, church service, delicious evening meal, and a cheery, but simple tabletop.

I did a little quickie craft project of decoupaged eggs with a tutorial I found here
Heather did an amazing job of explaining this easy little project. I added the "JOY" label to each egg and gave one to my co-workers.

 On Saturday, my youngest fledgling came home for an overnight visit. She was on Spring Break. Our time together was short, but so very sweet. We had a lot of fun at the Prairie Sisters Vintage Market.We brought her boyfriend and the Hubs along to try to get a grasp of the popularity of the "Vintage/Junkin'" trend.

  

 More about that and pictures in my next post. I had the rare weekend off. The weather was great. But alas, this morning I woke up to an inch of snow!

Gotta love that Spring weather. At least I can enjoy the season indoors.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Next post I'll show you what fun I had at the Prairie Sisters Vintage Market.