Something old (and broken) is new again!

I picked up this old broken window from the garbage a couple years ago. It has been wrapped in a blanket in my attic all this time. Recently, I came up with this idea to fill space on my bare family room wall. Here's what I did. You can't tell from the photo, but the glass is missing in three of the openings. In order to create symmetry, I moved one of the panes so I had them where I wanted them. Next, I took some extra fabric from my family room curtains and cut it to fit inside the window squares. To get the fabric to stick, I used spray fabric starch. I layed the window face-down, placed the fabric on the window and soaked it with the starch. Once the fabric dried, it stuck to the glass. Originally, I thought the fabric would be enough but it wasn't. So, after completing my previous project with the initials in my master bedroom, I decided to use the wooden letters to add additional interest. Finally, I added the felt flower I made to round out the arrangement.

Initial Decor

This project was pretty simple. The wooden letters pictured were used as decorations for my wedding. Recently, I hung them on the wall in my master bedroom but they looked too plain. So, I took two old picture frames, removed the glass and added bright-colored paper in the opening. Then I planned to glue the letters to the paper. However, I ran into a little issue.

If you look back at the before and after pictures, you will notice the letters are different.  I ended up having to use new letters because the ones I originally had were a little too large for the frame opening.  In the end it worked out nicely. I really like how the framed initials turned out and I found another use for the original letters! So, now I'm off to write the blog post that shows what I did with them.

An Old Table Gets a Modern Update

This end table was a curbside find that my parents picked up. I really love the lines but it was in pretty bad shape when I got it. As you can see the leather top was a mess and the edges were pretty rough. So, I decided to give it some love by cleaning it up and painting it. Here are two "before" pictures:

First, I decided to remove the leather top. I wasn't sure how difficult this was going to be but, to my surprise, it was pretty easy. After my online research I decided that using my steamer was going to be my best bet. So, I pulled out the steamer and with only a bit of patience and a putty knife the leather top came off without much effort...and in one piece!

After a bunch of sanding, some patching with wood putty and spackle, primer and spray paint I have a nice modern table. I chose to use the same hardware because I like the design and actually love the patina on it from years of use.

There may be another project in line for this table in the future. Since I didn't replace the leather top I am still contemplating what to do with the top. I do think I could just leave it as is. There is a small dip between the area on the top where the leather was and the rest of the top but I don't see it as being an issue. I have considered buying a piece of glass to put on top and maybe putting some pretty paper under it. We will see. I'm sure at some point I will be looking for a small project to do and this will satisfy my urge. :) If and when this happens I will share the result at that time.

Finally, here is a side-by-side before and after picture:

Thrift Store Find Turns Chic

I found these candle wall sconces at my local Salvation Army. I wasn't keen on the gold/cream paint but knew they would look really cool painted glossy black or a bright color.

Because of the intricate detail, I didn't want to sand them. So, I used a "liquid sandpaper" product (ie: Klean-Strip Easy Liquid Sander Deglosser) I purchased at a home improvement store. I simply applied the deglosser using a rag and circular motions. Next, I primed and painted the sconces. As usual, I used spray paint because I think it's the easiest way to paint objects...and you never get brush strokes.