When I moved into this house I found out the blind on the living room window had all three of it’s pull strings that raise and lower it were broken. I wasn’t surprised because the six foot wide blind is a beast to pull up. After finding out a new blind would cost a minimum of $100 I went to Joann and bought blind cord for $7 and re-threaded the pull cords. Easy fix. That was 8 months ago. Last … Read the full article…
I’ve been living in an area that has made me more security conscious — didn’t know when I moved here that it’s a high crime area and can’t wait to move again. Anyway — I’ve discovered some low-cost interesting ideas. I watched the video at Super Grip Lock where they mentioned bump keys. Bump keys? A quick search led me all too quickly to YouTube where an ass jerk young man explained in-depth how easy bump keys are to make and use and … Read the full article…
Since one of the complaints about the Super Grip Lock was that it was too small I will preface these instructions with the fact my deadbolt and doorknob are not far apart. It’s about 5 1/2″ center to center. If your deadbolt is much farther, just cut longer pieces of Velcro to fit your door. The last time I checked Joann sells 1 yard packets 3/4″ Velcro for $.99. Wherever you get it, a yard is more than enough. Constructing … Read the full article…
This isn’t so much about the project, but the product that I used and was very pleased with. I have a lamp base made by my grandfather. It’s oak that he had turned on a lathe and then finished with lacquer. I didn’t like the way the lacquer yellowed so I regrettably sprayed it with a textured granite paint years ago. Researching on the internet told me that type of paint is extremely difficult to remove. I haven’t used paint stripper … Read the full article…
This post isn’t so much about my lamps as it is about the paint. I love Rustoleum Oiled Bronze Spray Paint! The can said it was good on wood, metal, plastic, and masonry. So far I’ve tried it on metal lamps, plastic coasters and a switch plate and ceramic knobs I have two good quality brass lamps that were in desperate need of an update. I toyed with the idea of using brushed nickel spray paint since that turned out so … Read the full article…
I recently read a post explaining the chemistry behind this process — how the tannin of the tea would combine with the oxidation of vinegar/steel wool mixture and provide an aging stain for new wood. I was doubtful. Since the ingredients were all on hand and economical I decided to run a test to see if it would do anything. Brewing the mixtures I made a small amount of tea with 4 tea bags and let them steep for a … Read the full article…
Problem List (starting at the top and working down): popcorn ceilings – I decided to leave the popcorn for someone else to scrape cheap, cheap, cheap gold paint – I’ve complained about the paint in multiple posts. Glad it’s gone. ancient light fixture – moved a pendant light from living room. Pendant light in center of living room??? ugly brass ceiling fan – I spray paint brushed nickel with black blades popcorn on soffit – scraped, primed, and painted like … Read the full article…
I wanted something made out of wood for the shelf on my new kitchen island so I found a box I liked on Houzz in their ideabooks — simple plan and materials. I purchased a 1″ x 6″ x 8′ board and a dowel. Cutting the end corners provided nice little scraps for propping up things when I’m painting them. I had a 1″ paddle bit for the holes. I also bought 3′ of heavy sisal rope thinking that might make … Read the full article…
In all my picture taking of what I’ve done to the kitchen, I have carefully avoided one thing — the ceiling fan. You can see why. It was like an ugly albatross hanging there. I was dead set against spending money on a new one and when I’d look at it I’d mentally mumble something along the lines of “The next people who own the house can do something about that…” But it bugged me that it had absolutely nothing … Read the full article…
When I completed all the work on the kitchen I felt it looked empty and was screaming for an island. The big issue for me is that I didn’t want to invest a whole lot of money in it. I shopped around and figured out it would cost between a minimum of $200-300 to get a size that would compliment the kitchen. I checked thrift shops and flea markets and couldn’t find anything that would work, so back to the … Read the full article…