Valentine Mantel {and thrifty treasure DIY}

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Roeshel

Yes! I’m decorating the mantel for Valentine’s Day after all but it’s still not too late…

“Owl You Need is Love & Chocolate”

Valentine mantel

Back when I glanced at the thrift store junk stash, I saw two of these calendar displays. I can’t pass them up – wood, great DIY material. Ya know?

Bri had scored these fun wood cut out shapes. I snagged the ‘badge/crest’ looking one thinking it was a great owl-shape. {pardon the lighting in the dining room turned work station for the tutorial}

And a Valentine DIY craft and decorating idea was born.

Materials:

FrogTape
wooden calendar frame
badge-shaped wooden cut out
wooden heart shape
craft paints
wood glue

I started with tracing my camera lens cap for the owl’s eyes.

I drew a pencil line vertically down the center. Using 2 ” pieces of FrogTape, I created a chevron pattern on the owl’s body working from the center out…

Once the tape was burnished (rub the edges of the tape with a credit card to activate the FrogTape’s paintblock), I painted my pattern. Then immediate removed the FrogTape…

Once that was dry, I continued painting my badge to look like an owl.

I used FrogTape to protect the frame and painted the background white and let it dry…

My wooden heart was painted brown {FolkArt’s burnt umber}. Once everything was dry, I laid out the placement of the owl, heart and used adhesive stencils for my lettering…

The owl and heart were attached using Gorilla wood glue. I let the glue dry for about an hour.

Then gathered some decorative accents…

…and styled my mantel using thrift store candle sticks, an ampersand and a fun faux chocolate bar DIY from last Easter. Of course I was still in my pajamas and I asked Mr. DIY to pick me up a bouquet of pink flowers for my photo shoot and boy, did he ever…they.are.VERY.pink…. They’re perfect. My vase is embellished with clay tags and ribbon.

Did I mention that just regular days are like Valentine’s Day around here? Not only did he pick out pretty flowers for my Valentine’s Day mantel decorating, but he came home with these…

decadent chocolate cupcakes

He hadn’t even seen my “Owl You Need is Love & Chocolate” theme yet but he reads my mind. most of the time.

I’m not so into lots of Valentine’s Day decorating but hey, I am a fan of “Owl you need is love & chocolate”! Affiliate links for similar materials:

*This is a sponsored post brought to you by FrogTape. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience. Results may vary.

Thrift Store Find: Just add paint.

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Roeshel

Out of nowhere in January, we were blessed with a day of spring temperatures (60s after single digit temps) here in Pittsburgh but unfortunately, April showers came along with it. It’s the kind of day perfect for sifting through the thrift-store junk stash and finally working on a project.

I grabbed the dirty serving tray from the bottom of the pile…{luckily that dark area was only dirt…not mold or a stain}

and gave it a good scrubbing with soap and water…

then headed to the basement to give it a coat of spray paint (Rustoleum Heirloom White)…

Then I browsed some favorite blogs and caught up on emails while the paint dried.

Next I used my FrogTape in the .94 in. width to tape off the inside border…

and to create a fun bold imperfect {herrinbone} pattern…

making sure to use my thumbnail along the edges of the tape to ensure the Paintblock barrier had a good seal…

I filled in the design using an acrylic craft (Folk Art Burnt Umber) paint and a sponge brush…

and immediately removed the FrogTape…

Once the acrylic craft paint was dry, I gave the entire tray a light even spray of clear coat and let it dry.

Now time to enjoy watching the rainstorm from inside. The sitting room is all ready for a spot of tea,

planning,

and daydreaming…

Do you have a thrift store/yardsale stash full of treasures just waiting for a little DIY attention?

See this herringbone pattern using FrogTape on an accent wall.

Sharing: Thrifty Decor Chick – Before & After party

Home Stories A to Z: Tutorials & Tips

*This is a sponsored post brought to you by FrogTape. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience. Results may vary.

How to Flatten an Area Rug

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Roeshel

Every time I make the trip to Ikea, I have to resist the temptation to fill my cart with all of their luscious textiles. But on my most recent trip, I couldn’t resist the $19.99 Gislev rug…

…great price, pretty rug in a generous 4 x 6 size? Yes, please. I knew right away it’d help anchor the seating area in our little sitting room.

sitting room at Christmas

New rugs come packaged in a roll, which leaves both ends curled. Ugh! Don’t you hate that? Huge tripping hazard for sure. Normally, I add weight with boxes, furniture, books, even paint cans. But this small room is a high traffic area to our basement and that would create an obstacle course for sure. {and with a woodburner helping to heat this old house, trips to the basement are frequent in the winter months.}

Solution: I grabbed a roll of FrogTape and taped down those edges.

I let it sit for a day or two until we were expecting guests then removed it.It worked! FrogTape was gentle enough on our slate floor. There was no sticky residue when I removed the tape. Hallelujah! And the ends of the rug are now flattened…

Lalka is happy with her new comfy area rug in a room that gets flooded with sunshine…{I use FrogTape to pick up cat hair that won’t sweep up on this low pile area rug too.}

I’m trying this technique in the family room where the area rug curls up. FrogTape won’t hurt the finish on our bamboo floors either. I’ll keep you posted on the progress.

Does this happened to you? What do you use?

I’ll share the sitting room re-decorated later this week!

Sharing here: Home Stories A to Z: Tutorials & Tips

*This is a sponsored post brought to you by FrogTape. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience. Results may vary.

DIY Show Off ™ – DIY Decorating and Home Improvement Blog

DIYShowOff – Budget Friendly Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement and Decorating blog

Tag Archives: FrogTape

Valentine Mantel {and thrifty treasure DIY}

Thrift Store Find: Just add paint.

How to Flatten an Area Rug