A Fun Way to Use an Old Frame

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Good morning! I have a new project for you today! Lauren and I have been participating in some local vendor fairs and virtual fairs. She has been selling Disney Trading Pins and I am making boards to display the pins on. It’s been fun selecting all the different colors and characters. Of course, this doesn’t have to be done with Disney characters, but anything you like! Let me show you how!

I started with a frame from a thrift store. It doesn’t matter what kind of picture or if the frame is scratched. I like to look for frames that are a little different or have a design in them. I liked this oval one, because the curved ones are a little harder to find. This frame is just a plastic material.

The first step is to take apart the frame. Throw away the glass (unless you have another awesome idea to use it for!). I keep the back. It is good to use for tracing on the cork board and also to give extra support to the whole thing in the end. Make sure to keep any screws too.

Be sure to wipe off and clean your frame before painting. Then decide what color you want to use. I love the Rustoleum 2X Spray Paint. Since this frame is such a smooth surface, I used a primer first to give the paint something to grip. Once the primer was dry, I sprayed 2 light coats of the green.

This is where your back piece come in handy. I bought this corkboard from Hobby Lobby. I laid the back on top of the cork board, traced around it and then cut the cork with scissors. Depending on the thickness of the cork, you might have to use a razor blade. I found that 1/4 to 1/2 inch cork is the best. I really just depends on how thick your frame is and how thick of cork will fit inside and still be able to get the back of the frame back on.

For this board, I picked Tinkerbell. I looked up Tinkerbell silhouette in Google and then picked the one I thought would be easiest to cut out, without to much detail. If the design is too detailed, it’s difficult to be able to cut it out cleanly.

Once the design is cut out, place it on your corkboard. It might help to tape it down if you are afraid the paper might move too much. I used black acrylic paint to fill in the design.

I use a small brush that is pretty flat on the end. I start by daubing around the edge of the design and then I go back and fill in the whole design. Be sure to hold down the edges of the paper as you paint, so the paint doesn’t leak under. You may have to go over some of the edges with a small brush to smooth and even them out.

Doesn’t she look cute?! I love the bright green!

I’ve been making quite a few of these lately. Here are a couple of others. You can see that I used all different size frames and colors.

Princess crown…

and small oval.

These are fun to paint and the designs are endless! What would you put on yours?

Using Vintage Fabric to Bring New Life to Chairs

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Good morning!

I know I haven’t posted for a bit, but I am so happy to show you this project today! Thank you for stopping by! I am going to show you what a difference a little paint and fabric can make!

I bought these chairs several years ago at a ‘Junk’ sale. The seats were covered with burlap, but as you can see, they were very stained and dirty. I had bought some vintage fabric at an estate sale and knew they would be perfect for these chairs.

I spray painted the chairs with Rustoleum 2X white semi-gloss paint. I didn’t even take the burlap off when I painted the chairs because I knew the seats would be covered anyways.

I debated whether or not to leave the burlap on the seats and just put the new fabric over it, but I was afraid the stains on the burlap would go through, so I started to take out all the staples on the bottom of the chair. I used a flat head screwdriver and a needle-nosed pliers to take them all out. It definitely took awhile! Thankfully the foam underneath the burlap was still in good shape.

Once the burlap was off, I used it as sort of a pattern for my new fabric.

I used 1/4 inch staples to attach the new fabric to the chairs. I pulled the fabric taut and then stapled all the way around.

As you can see in the photo below, the wood under the seat didn’t get painted. That’s because the burlap covered it before. I was going to cover the chairs the same way as before, but then decided to not cover that part of the wood. I like the chairs much better this way, but I did have to go back and paint those front pieces.

I set up this little table last fall on my back porch. It was such a lovely, sunny day. You can see the chairs with the table set for two!

The sun was a little bright over here. The fabric is much more vibrant.

I set up this little sitting spot on the other side of the yard. Can’t wait for all the grass to start coming in as spring gets closer!

I hope you all have a great week and stay safe!

Let Me Introduce You To My Town- Freddy the Fire Truck- Part 1

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Good morning! How is your new year going? Pretty much the same as last year? 🙂 We are still plugging along over here!

I thought I would try something a little different for the blog. I am still going to do crafts and decorate, but last year, I found that Walmart was selling the game Hanfordopoly. It’s like Monopoly, but for my town. Well, I had to buy it! Then Lauren and I went around town and took pictures of each of the places on the game board. It was so much fun! I can’t wait to introduce you to our sweet little town and some of its history.

Freddie the Fire Truck

 I found this history from our local newspapers website:

“For nearly two decades, Freddie the Fire Truck has offered Hanford tourists the opportunity to explore the city in a historical way.

Originally built in the 1950s and used as a fully functional Studebaker fire truck within the city, Freddie was donated to the Hanford Conference and Visitor Agency in the early 1990s.

Before it started providing rides to people from all over the world, a canopy and seats were added to the back of the truck. The original Studebaker engine and transmission were also replaced with a Chevrolet engine.

Dave Jones, former executive director with the Visitor Agency, said around 40 percent of Hanford tourists would use the antique fire truck while in town.

“I think it’s the most visual representation of how we’ve gone out of our way to save the historical things in Hanford,” Jones said. “It’s movable, it has people on it and it spreads a story… just like the carousel.” 

In 2012, financial issues and city contract problems forced the Visitor Agency to go on a hiatus. Rides on Freddie were also put on hold after increased insurance requirements were requested by the city. 

When the agency later closed its doors in 2013, Freddie was purchased by the Hanford Chamber of Commerce. Since then, Freddie has once again been able to provide visitors with a unique chance to tour Hanford.”

Freddie the Fire Truck

I’ve ridden on Freddie many times when I taught at the preschool. It was one of the field trips we would take every summer. You can also hear it unmistakable horn while Freddie toodles around town. Everyone love Freddie!

Hanford Carousel

I added the carousel with Freddie because they usually go together when people visit our town. The carousel is located in Civic Park and Freddie picks up riders at the park. I spent many times going round and round on this carousel. When my kids were small, before they were in school, you could ride the carousel for free every Friday morning. Needless to say, we were there a lot.

“HANFORD – Built in the 1930s, the Allan Herschell Carousel in Civic Center Park was originally located in Tulare County’s Mooney Grove Park for more than four decades. The wood and metal Art Deco-influenced design includes 30 jumping horses and two chariots. Although it has been used as a stationary feature, it was designed for disassembly and transport as a carnival ride.

The carousel was moved to Hanford in the mid-1980s as commercial developer Max Walden worked to restore of the Old Courthouse. At that time, the vintage attraction was already in disrepair. Several of the original horses were missing, as was the original serial number plate. Over the years the carousel has undergone numerous mechanical and cosmetic restorations to keep it looking and running in top condition.

Thanks to ongoing community support and donations, the decades-old carousel continues to serve thousands of riders every year, including school children from around the Valley.” Hanford Sentinel

I love that our little town works to preserve the past and its history! Does your town have any special history? Are you able to tour special places in your city? I would love to hear about it! Have a great week!

Valentine’s Day Round-up

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Good morning! It’s been a couple of weeks since I have been here! Life has been a little crazy since the new year started. Not just in world news, but in our little family too. We are all okay, but we have had some stressful times. And now, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! It’s the perfect time to show a little extra love to those we care about.

I thought I would share some of the past ideas from the blog. If I can get some things together, I will show you next week, what I will be sharing with my friends for Valentine’s Day.

It’s A Valentine Tablescape-Set a pretty table to celebrate with your family.

Vintage Valentine Tablescape– Here is another tablescape using some vintage pieces.

Cute Valentine Printable– This is a cute little printable card to pass out to your friends…or pets!

Recycled Hardware Heart– Looking for a craft project? Go through your stash or hit the thrift store and see what you can create!

Faux Flower Heart- Here is a craft using Dollar Tree flowers!

Ombre’ Wooden Heart– Another craft idea with Dollar Tree items.

Gum and Candy Basket- Here’s a cute way to give some special treats to your special someone!

Valentine Pixi-Stix Flower Vase– Or maybe you want a special vase to give some flowers to someone!

I Love You Wooden Blocks– Another easy craft project for you!

Stamped Heart Treat Bag– One last idea for a goodie bag! (Scroll to the end of the post for the how-to)

I hope you enjoyed this round-up and found some ideas! I would love to hear about what you do for Valentine’s Day!