Spray Painting Fun

Summertime is just glorious, isn't it? I am a sun worshipper, and (besides in my cozy basket) lying in the sun on the kitchen table is where you can usually find me! These hot, summer days are usually not great for crafting, since most folks want to be outside and enjoying Mother Nature. (I am an indoor cat so seasons don't much matter to me, especially now that we have a window AC unit!) But, there is one activity that really does benefit from the sunny weather - spray painting!

Now, I recently wrote about an easy DIY chalkboard spray painting project, which kicked off our summer crafting season. Last weekend, my Kitty's Keeper was back at it again, this time spray painting everything we could get our hot little paws on! We picked out our objects and the perfect colors to go with each. There is such a wide array of choices - sprays with different textures, different finishes (I love the glossy!), and you can even spray a variety of materials, including plastic!

I chose three items: an old flower box, a lamp from a garage sale, and a banged-up air vent cover. The lamp was going to go in my craft room, which has a blue theme going on, so I chose glossy royal blue. Rust-oleum makes matching paint to go with their spray paint line, and I have a separate piece to update that is also going in the craft room, so I went ahead and purchased the royal blue paint, too. The vent cover needed some serious rehab, and since it's a weird size, I thought it best to try and work with what I have instead of forking out some major dough to get a new one in 6" x 10". I chose a finish in an antique bronze color. For the outdoor planter, I wanted to go with something really fun, and this aquamarine matches my outdoor lantern perfectly!

So, here we are all ready to start the day. You definitely want to make sure you have a well-ventilated area (outdoors on a sunny day is ideal!) to do the job.

I prepped all surfaces with a light sanding and then a wipe down with a damp cloth. Make sure everything is clean and dry - just give a rub down with a clean beach towel - before you start.

For the vent cover, we had to call in the big guns (Contractor Lou AKA Dad) to help out. He used some old pieces of 2" x 4" that we had leftover from an old project to lightly tap the curlicues back into a straight position. He also used his electric sander to scrape off the rusty bits of brass coating. Luckily the lamp just needed a good wipe-down and also painter's tape around the fixture and the wire.

You should put down a nice big piece of cardboard or a drop cloth so that you can avoid having an angry husband and a blue driveway (oops).

A few thin coats of paint on the planter...

and we have a totally fun herb garden on the deck!

The vent cover went from (embarrassingly) gross to absolutely fresh and modern with just a few swipes of the spray paint can and a little tap, tap, tap from the hammer! I am totally in love with how easy it was to update this, and I can't believe we took two years to do it!

When you're spraying, keep the can about 10" from the piece, and spray in a slow, steady, sweeping motion. Do a first coat on the entire project, and then let dry about 15 minutes and spray your second coat. If you've got all afternoon, and you're a patient person, adding a third coat will pay off. When you're done with a can, hold it upside down and spray for about 10 seconds to clean the valve for your next use.

My favorite project was the lamp, which went from plain black to something really funky, and the best part is this was a $2 investment! The color goes perfectly with some existing baskets, and I think when the other painting project is complete, the whole craft room will look like it was designed and decorated (and not just a mish-mash of what I already had up in our attic).

I will have to buy a new lamp harp (to hold on a shade) and find a suitable lampshade, since the $2 did not include either piece. Perhaps I will break out my ribbon collection (yay) and add some touches to a white drum shade? Any ideas for lamp shade decorations? I could use some pinspiration!

Overall, I am so pleased with how fast and easy it was to take these old, outdated pieces and completely freshen them up! You'll be seeing more coming out of these summer weekends, so stay tuned!

Buy, Sew, or No-Sew Your Own Basket Liner!

Crafting Kitty here again to follow up on my basket liner post. You already know how much I've been enjoying my new basket liner if you follow #craftingkitty on Instagram. I could sleep the day away in there... oh wait, I totally do that.

Well I've been checking out the good ol' blogosphere for other purrfect basket liners, and boy are there some great ideas out there! Like, how about the pawsitively adorable basket liners handcrafted by Jenn K. over at Blue Sky Confections? That pennant flag detail is superb, and the best news is, you can purchase them at her Etsy shop!

source: Blue Sky Confections

You can also check out a free tutorial on how to make a cute quilted liner with grommet and decorative rope detail over at Moda Bake Shop. Honestly, the directions look a little beyond my abilities, but maybe someday I'll be quilting up a storm! Who knows what the future holds for Crafting Kitty?

source: Moda Bake Shop

Did you know there are projects out there for those of you (like me, until just recently) who don't own a sewing machine, yet have a fabric obsession? You can do up a little no-sew basket liner in literally minutes to add that special touch to your storage containers!

source: Budget Wise Home (via Martha Stewart)

So what are you waiting for?!? I know you have at least 5 baskets in your home - hopefully not all of which have been taken over by your cat. Take some quick measurements and order, sew, or hole-punch yourself up a basket liner, lickety-split! As for Crafting Kitty, I'm heading back to my own comfy green corduroy basket for some much-needed R&R. Happy Thursday everyone - can't wait to share with you what I put together this weekend!

The basket liner is done!

So as you know, I was working on picking out some new fabric for my basket liner (see my choices here). I found the perfect fabric in the sale section of On Board Fabric. There is even a scrap bin where you can get some great pieces by weight (super cheap). Here's what I picked up:

I thought I could use the polka dot fabric to make a little ruffle, but I have to admit I pooped out before I got to the ruffle step - so you won't see it used in this project. It is so sweet, though, so perhaps I can use it for something in the future... curtains?... filing cabinet cover?... oh the possibilities are endless!

So just as a warning, I took this sewing project very loosely and didn't worry about making it absolutely perfect. A comfortable place to snuggle was the name of the game, plus I was testing out my new sewing machine for the first time! My Kitty's Keeper got this awesome piece of machinery for her birthday! 60 different sewing patterns... all kinds of different pieces and parts... and best of all... this fabulous BOX.

I started the project by taking the old basket liner off and doing a little measuring.

Like I said, it was pretty rough. Next, I cut out two strips of my soft, green, corduroy fabric based on the measurements I took. For the round piece that would fit in the bottom of the basket, I used some tracing paper and outlined the existing liner. Then I cut out the tracing paper, and placed it on top of the green fabric and used my rolling cutter to make an easy round cut.

You end up with two similar rectangular strips and a round piece. Easy-peasy so far, right? Don't forget to take breaks and really enjoy what you're doing. Otherwise it just becomes work! I had a bunch of the fabric left over, and before I folded it up to store it away, I had to bask in its soft glory one last time. You probably only need about a yard of fabric for the project I did.

Now it's time to start sewing away. I matched up the "right" sides of the fabric strips and did a quick stitch to connect each of the short sides. Then I matched up the "right" side of the circle with the circular sides, and pinned them together. I sewed in a circle, being careful not to catch any of the excess fabric in the stitch. This is what you end up with:

Still with me? Now the bottom of the basket liner should fit in the basket, with the sides (that you sewed into a circle and then sewed to the bottom liner) coming up and over the edges of your basket. At this point, you are almost done! And you barely just started!

Next you need to do something a little more tricky - cut some slits so that the liner can go through the basket handles and tie together. This adds such a cute element to the basket and keeps the liner tight in place. I bought some ribbon in a pretty blue-purple color to sew along the slits and tie off. I decided this is where I wanted to test out one of the sew patterns, and I went with the leafy vine. Crafting Kitty loves flowers.

Just go ahead and cut the slit straight down. I kind of tried to curve mine (don't know why I did that) and it made it extra hard to line up the ribbon. I also realized I should have bought a wider ribbon so that I could have folded it over the edge for extra strength, but since it didn't work, I just did it straight on top of the fabric. Since you won't see the back anyway, not a problem! I love, love, love how the vine pattern came out! Last step left - test it out!

Doesn't look like Crafting Kitty's butt will fit in this basket...

...but it all gets crammed in there, somehow!

It's a purrr-fect fit! And, oh-so-snuggly! Yes, I would chalk this up as another success for the Crafting Kitty. One of my favorite things about this project was just being able to spend some time relaxing in the craft room. It's a space that's dedicated to all things me: a little pink, a little green, a lot of glue, HGTV magazines, blogs galore (I adore IHeartOrganizing for great DIY ideas, Grace & Josie for my cuteness fix, and Rhonna Designs for fonts and photo edits), cat treats... the usual fantastic stuff!

What makes your space fantastic and totally you? How do you unwind at the end of the day or on weekends? What is your favorite kind of kitty treat?

P.S. - I don't blame this cat at all. What is this "one treat" she talks of???

More chalkboard fun...

Because you just can't ever get enough chalkboard art! And, let's face it, not everyone is a fan of spray paint (some of us don't have thumbs).

Chalkboard art is so. hot. right now. For some of these (free!) chalkboard backgrounds and fonts, check out:

Chalkboard backgrounds from Foolish Fire

A song for Jennifer

Kraft Nine

Chalk Hand Lettering Shaded

source: Thank you, Lisa Moorefield!

Summer has begun!

There is nothing that says summertime like an outdoor BBQ. The smell of burgers on the grill, playing lawn games, s'mores over the campfire... geez, I sound like a dog. But cats enjoy these sorts of things, too, of course - the bugs flying in the porch light can keep me captivated for hours!

We had family over last weekend, and I wanted to whip up some decorations to make it extra special. Despite a stormy forecast, the day was hot and sunny. Perfect for a spray paint project!

I pulled together all of my supplies, which included a couple of Dollar Store "silver" trays, some chalkboard spray paint, and painter's tape (a gift from the Craft Gods). Altogether, this cost me $2, since I had the spray paint from a different project and the tape just kicking around the house (in the junk drawer).

It is so easy, this can be told in pictures. Mom had to do the spray painting, since I'm not allowed outside. She just did two coats.

Please don't be jealous that we have an air conditioner. It gets hot with all this fur!

Then, let the trays dry (in the sun, it took about 15 minutes), and peel off the tape, carefully. Grab a stick of chalk and you are ready to break these puppies in (excuse the expression)! Just rub down the tray with chalk to prime the paint, wipe it all off with a damp cloth, and you are ready to add that extra special touch to your own party or BBQ.

The party did end up getting pushed inside due to rain, but those trays were outside to welcome family members to the house while the sun was shining!

And it didn't seem like anyone really minded being inside! The spirit of the BBQ stayed strong!

One of my favorite parts of the night was just hanging out, playing with the glow sticks! What do you do to make family gatherings extra special? Do you have any party tips, fun outdoor games, or BBQ recipes to share with us? Please comment!