Percolating Projects

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Two cute DIY projects from Tanya at Percolating Projects. I love the chair makeover. She did a fantastic rescue job and I really want to make some topiaries for spring so – thanks for sharing your creativity, Tanya!

Tanya’s project really, really makes me want to grab this craig’s list find. Do you think I can do it? http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/fuo/1651122048.html


Here are her posts:

Cheap Chair, Cheap Chair, Cheap Chair

Ever have one of those projects that you’ve got sitting in your basement (or neighbor’s garage) that you’ve been meaning to get to, but never do? That’s what this chair was for me. I’ve seen so many chair makeovers lately that I’ve known for a while I wanted to try and tackle one of them myself. So when I stumbled across the ugliest chair ever…it called out to me and asked me to take it home. So I did (because its not everyday that furniture talks to me!) It only took me 3 months to get around to it! Lets hear it for procrastination!!!
So here’s what it looked like when I brought it home and tried to convince my husband that this was a good idea… (not sure I was convinced yet at this point)

Jenna and I spent about 3,978 hours one day pulling out every little nail and tack that they had used to hold down the uglies. 47 Bandaids, a tetanus shot, a karate chop to a loose board, and a can of spray paint, and piece of sandpaper, later we were here…

Since I have absolutely no idea what I was doing, this is how I cushioned the bottom seat. I had gotten a piece of foam from Garden Ridge for 6 bucks. Too bad it was too small. So I put a 3 dollar pillow over it. (Isn’t this how all the “professionals” do it!?)

Lots of batting and staples later…

Then to fabric it (this stuff was precut into 3 yds for 6 bucks at Garden Ridge, how amazing is that?!) Here is where my lack of knowledge really shines. I didn’t make a template from the old fabric like I’ve seen done elsewhere in blogville. Because that was disintegrating as we pulled it off. Eww. So I just stretched, tucked, and stapled….alot.

Lucky for me, my cousin was visiting while I’m on my spring break, so I had an extra set of hands. If you want to tackle a project like this, I’d highly suggest a friend, mailman, or strong toddler to help you stretch and hold while someone else staples!

Now its the pretty chair, and my husband children know they are not allowed to be eating anything if they sit on the pretty chair.

Spring Topiary

So motivated by my own attention deficit project disorder, I have decided to make myself the cutest little topiary in the midwest. Not that I wouldn’t love to shell out $49 for a Ballard topiary like this one here…(no…actually…I wouldn’t!)

So I’ve made mine for a whopping total of $9 dollars!
Granted: I did luck out by already owning the styrofoam ball, oh…and stick
But this is still a pretty cheapo project.
So here’s how we do…
First I started with this

I actually purchased two of the boxwood plants and only used 2 strands from the second one. I think you could get away with just one plant if you stuck them in a little less densely. That was $6.99 (plan ahead and you could use a coupon and do even better!) The pot was $1.99 at Garden Ridge and I’m tempted to go back for another. The styrofoam ball was in my random weird stash.

I also used this. River rocks from the stash and a stick. That I whittled. From the yard. (And the whole time I kept saying “may I please whittle wood with you now”…I’m probably the only person on earth that quotes Pauley Shore movies)

So I found it easier to cut a bunch of the sprigs off before you begin. You just move faster that way.
Then start sticking them all over the styrofoam ball! (Leave a small hole for your stick too!)
This process took a while but it did have some calming therapeutic effect on me. Kind of like bubble wrap.
Keep going….
Even when you stop half way through to make dinner, it still looks cute!
Then I placed the rocks around my stick to hold it upright. I guess if I cared enough to, I could hot glue it in as well. I did put a bit of hot glue on the tip before I pushed it into the styrofoam ball.
Then jam it in (ha…I’m so not the fancy craft tutorial girl!)
And admire her beauty.
Coming soon – in order to fix the feed, the DIY Show Off will soon have a new look. Unsuccessful attempts have pushed me to switch to my own domain. Thanks for your patience and sticking with it while I work out the bugs. 🙂
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