Outdoor Plant Chandelier

The back porch makeover is coming along. I'd love to say it's done but it's more like somewhat done with some not-even-close-to-done parts thrown in. It's all good. I'm still confident we'll be celebrating the 4th in style back there. If you saw the plans for the porch, a sneak peak of my plant chandelier was included in all its teal awesomeness. I'll admit, this has been done for a while since I couldn't wait to make it when I first saw the idea. It's just so pretty and a great upcycle. Yes. It will be very happy on my porch. I can tell.

I got the idea from The DIY Showoff. I was searching outdoor ideas on Pinterest and found her image of the chandelier she made. I immediately loved it and began obsessively hunting Craig's List and thrift stores for the perfect old/cheap/broken chandelier. I feel like I've seen a bazillion of them in the past, of course, when I was actually looking, nada. Most Craig's List ones would say "perfect condition, works great!" and then ask $50. Um no. I made a mental deal with myself to not go higher than $20 and free is more like it. But alas, as I searched and searched I found nothing until I hit up an estate sale one day.

That's a pic at the actual estate sale above. (No worries, I left the plastic fruit wreaths for others to enjoy) They wouldn't go lower than $20 for the chandelier so I bit the bullet and shelled out the 20 beans. More than I would have liked to spend, but still not bad. I bet you can do better though. Let's begin!

To make your own outdoor plant chandelier, you will need:

• old chandelier with arms that face up (it doesn't have to work)
• small pots and saucers (you will need as many as there are arms on your chandelier)
• wire cutters
• epoxy
• primer
• paint

Step 1:

Remove any glass globes or vases or shades. You won't be needing them. Also, remove all of the wiring. I pulled and cut with wire cutters and unscrewed some parts to get it all out. You really don't have to be careful since you don't need any of the electrical to work anyway. And if you can't get it all out, that's okay too. Just as long as it's not showing or in the way.

Step 2:

Clean the crud out of and off of it. This sucker was probably hung over a deep fryer at some point in its life and then dipped in an old vacuum bag.

You need to get the crud off so the primer will stick. Feel free to use the hose! Remember, the electrical parts won't be used anymore.

After it was dry, I sanded the whole thing really quickly and lightly with a fine grit foam sanding block. This step probably isn't critical, but I always think the paint and primer stick better when the surface you're spraying isn't real shiny.

My assistant was helping every step of the way too. ;)

And, quick tip. This is how I hung up my chandelier in the yard while I was painting. Worked great!

Step 3:

Prime. I used Rust-Oleum Clean Metal Primer. Just one coat worked fabulously.

While I waited for the primer to dry, I realized I would have to reattach these flat metal things to each arm so the pots would have something to sit on. However, they were held on before by the electrical parts I cut off so I knew I needed some hardware. 

I found these in the lighting section at Home Depot. I don't know much about how lamps are assembled but I'm assuming the sizes of the fittings are pretty standard since this was the only size offered and they fit my chandelier perfectly. :) You're welcome.

Prime the pots and saucers while you're at it. I used clay pots but I think plastic would work well too and be lighter.

Step 4
Epoxy the saucers to the chandelier and the pots to the saucers. I used Gorilla Epoxy.

Just mix the two liquids together and work fast. The package isn't lying. In five minutes it will be a rock. Make sure to use a disposable container and a disposable something to mix with. I used a plastic knife.

Once all of my saucers were on I clamped a few to keep them down. The epoxy really dries fast so you might not need to clamp. Just hold them in place for a minute.

Then, I put the epoxy on the pots like this. Don't do a solid ring all the way around. You want there to be gaps for the water to drain.

Stick those on and wait for it to set up. The neighbors will give you crazy looks while this is happening. I can't tell if they're confused or just annoyed that my backyard constantly smells like spray paint. :)

Step 5
Paint! I love this teal color from Rust-Oleum. You're going to be seeing it a lot on the porch. :)

And that's it. Add your plants and you're done.

I really love how it turned out and it was fairly simple and inexpensive. Ever since this one has been done I've been on the hunt for another chandelier. I think I need two, don't you? :) Stay tuned. More porch projects coming your way.

Let's be friends!

Porch Plans

So holy moly. Hello summer.  When did you get here?  I swear I just put the Easter decorations away. (That's because I did just put the Easter decorations away. Don't judge) But really, school is almost out and the days of drippy sticky popsicle arms and wet beach towels and bathing suits on the carpet are quickly approaching. I can smell the chlorine hair now. Since summer is so close I started to think it might be nice to have an outdoor spot to enjoy such activities. One that we are not embarrassed to call ours. That's spot at our abode is our back porch. Ready for the before? It's bad ya'll. Really. Bad.

I wasn't kidding. *hangs head in shame.

Some of you might know we are renting right now while our real-deal forever home gets built. So, honestly, I haven't invested much in this house (obviously). We've always seen it as temporary. However, "temporary" is approaching 2 years now. My DIY artsy self is starting to twitch every time I walk out there and see the dellapodated grill, frog poop (lots of it), broken yard toys, and mismatched used-to-be-inside-but-now-it's-outside furniture. I'm longing for a comfortable place to sit and have a meal outside without being totally grossed out while the kids jump in the blow-up pool.

Our grill is approaching 9 years old and begs daily to be put out of its misery. It's rusted, and missing a handle, and fire only comes out of a few select spots so you have to place food strategically to actually get it to cook. A new grill has been on our list for a long time.

Our "patio set" is actually my husband's bachelor pad kitchen table from his wild and crazy single days. Needless to say, it was banished to the back porch when my stuff moved in. :) It too is rusted and dirty and blah. You can even see where the kids have tried their hardest to make it look better via sidewalk chalk.

And last but not least is our screen. I got this at a garage sale like 10 years ago. And honestly its main purpose is to hide our plunger. Yep, the toilet-unclogging device we all have but no one talks about. It's there. I don't want to keep that thing in the house so it's our dirty little secret on the back porch... hidden by an even dirtier screen.

So here's the general plan. #1. A place to grill and eat that's not disgusting. #2. A place to hide all of our yard crap. #3. A revamp of a few existing things to make them pretty again without spending mucho dinero. #4. It all, for the most part, has to be temporary/movable to our next house (in other words, no painting walls or tiling floors). #5. Some pretty stuff.  Here's what I've put together.

You like? Since I'm always on a budget and looking to save a buck, there's going to be a heap of DIY with help from RYOBI and Rust-Oleum mixed with a few sensible purchases from some of my favorite places like OnlineFabricStore.net and WorldMarket.com.  We got a new STOK grill that we are loving already and a misting system from Arctic Cove that's going to make our 100-degree + Florida-humidity porch a lot more usable in the next few sweltering months.

So stay tuned in June! The porch is cleared off and the kids have been put to work! (well, one is working... the other looks more like a supervisor)

I'm so ready for a DIY outdoor makeover that will hopefully make our porch go from neglected to marvelous in time for fireworks this July.

Let's be friends!

Summer Kick Off

This is a sponsored post for my friends at World Market; a place I personally shop often.

Is it hot where you are yet? It's pretty much always hot here but just in the past few weeks it's reached walk-to-your-car-insta-sweat hot which means, summer has arrived. The kids have just a couple days left of school and vacation mode is setting in. Grills are firing up, the smell of bug spray and sunscreen is in the air, and I hope you got a pedicure cause the flip flops are in full force. It's outdoor party/vacation season people.

This summer I'm sure we'll be hosting and attending our share of family barbecues (back porch makeover is almost done!). For me, that usually means the family comes over, we grill, the kids run a muck, and the adults eat too much. And that's absolutely fine but it's getting a little routine. There's only so many times my parents want to come sit on my couch and eat hot dogs. I'm aware. So, what if I changed things up a bit this summer and proposed "Operation Destination"? Think destination barbecue meats vacation meets outdoor living room. Still with me?

I've always wanted to take the party somewhere new. Maybe the beach, maybe a park, maybe just some field somewhere. But instead of the same old paper streamers and plastic forks... I'd love to make it feel special like a real outdoor living room. Bring a rug, some furniture with fluffy cushions to sit on, real glasses and table wear, hang lanterns from the trees, and take the BBQ somewhere new. Am I crazy? Slightly, but I found some examples... which means other people are doing this so I'm not the only nut. :)

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Ah-ma-zing right? I would love to be invited to such a soirée. So, should I ever host such a dreamy destination shindig (could happen... don't worry, you're invited), I got a plan together. Check 'er out.

1 COOL-TONED SWIRL ALL-PURPOSE GLASSES  |  2 BLUE GALVANIZED STEEL GRILL  |  3 COOL ATHENA PLATTER  |  4 BLUE GLASS YORKSHIRE DISPENSER  |  5 MEDIUM HAND-PAINTED FOOD DOMES  |  6 GREEN PAISLEY VENICE TABLECLOTH  |  7 ORANGE LILI PUNCHED DRUM STOOL  |  8 BALTIC BLUE LILI PUNCHED DRUM STOOL  |  9 YELLOW INDOOR-OUTDOOR POUF  |  10 ORANGE CHEVRON GUEST NAPKINS  |  11 THAILAND STRIPE BATTERY-OPERATED PAPER LANTERNS  |  12 9' BALTIC BLUE UMBRELLA CANOPY  |  13 ELEPHANT OUTDOOR THROW PILLOW  |  14 6'X9' BLUE OMAR RIO INDOOR-OUTDOOR FLOOR MAT  |  15 CHERRY RED RETRO COOLER

Everything above is from World Market and the best part? Everything is under $60. Yes, even that giant 6x9 rug witch shall be making an appearance in my porch makeover this month. :)  I just love the all the color and the bright bohemian vibe. Yummy.

So, no matter how you do it... grillin' on the porch, hitting the beach, taking a relaxing vaca... summer has arrived. If you're still in need of some inspiration, it's your lucky day! World Market has partnered up with Southwest Airlines to offer Great Summer Getaways. They are giving away 4 Grand Prize Packages which include Airfare for 4 on Southwest Airlines, Hotel Accommodations, and a $500 World Market gift card. Amazingsauce! Just click on the pic below to enter. You can also earn extra entries by getting friendly with them on social media.

How will you unwind? 

So stay tuned. My summer is just beginning and this month is going to be full of outdoor projects to keep your summer cooler while firing up the grill. Back porch plans coming soon.

This was a sponsored post for World Market.

Let's be friends!

File Cabinet Update

Have you ever looked around your house and realized something you have is incredibly ugly? And it's not a new thing, it's something you've just had forever and since you've had it so long, you kind of get immune to its appearance. It's just always been that way and you walk past it every day and never give it a second thought. Like that chair the kids destroyed with milk and Play Dough or that awful CD storage shelf thing you had in your college dorm that you just haven't parted with yet. That was the case with our file cabinet(s).

We've had one file cabinet in our office since before we were married. I think we each brought one to this relationship from our college days (when you actually kept paper bank statements and pay stubs) and since we functionally really did need one as serious adults with serious adult papers, one made it into the office.  And for years it held our taxes and gave us a place to set a drink while we were on the computer (hence the rust... the better looking one was in the garage). But it was ugly.

That's nice, eh?

So one day last week I finally did something about it. I emptied out 2010's taxes and lugged the rusted metal box to the garage. I then proceeded in the same way I do for almost every other project... What can I use that I already have? Here's what I had:

• old wood bed slats
• laminate shelf from garage cabinet
• cheap picture frames

First, I removed the handles and locks from the file cabinets. Handles came off with just a couple screws. The locks took a little more finesse, but came out pretty easy.

Then, I cut some leftover chipboard (I think that's what it's called) from the toy box makeover to fit inside 4, 8" x 10" picture frames. I took the mattes and glass out and just framed the chipboard. These are the cheapest plastic frames you can buy from Walmart. I got them for my college apartment and never got rid of them. They worked great!

I used Gorilla Glue Epoxy to glue the chipboard to the frames and the frames to the file cabinets.

Once the epoxy was dry (dried quick) I gave both cabinets with frames attached a coat of spray primer. I used Rust-Oleum Clean Metal Primer. You can buy it right by the other spray paints at Home Depot.

Once that was dry, I gave it a really quick light sanding to knock off any of the grit from the primer. Then I spray painted everything white and drilled holes for the hardware. Maybe I'm not using the right kind of bit, but I find to get through metal, it's much easier to use a much smaller bit than you need to drill a pilot hole, then switch to a larger bit. Just a little tip. :)

Now, it's time to brag. I got my handles on Target clearance for $3.08 a set! Woo hoo! Love Target clearance.

Also, while all of this was going on, my assistant was hard at work building his "invention". Note to self: invent something that will start screws for kids. :) We still have it proudly displayed by the front door. I'm sure the UPS man thinks we are nuts.

After the hardware was attached I wasn't liking how it still looked like frames glued to file cabinets. So, I caulked all of the seams from the picture frames to the file cabinets. It looks amazing now! So clean and really like moulding. Plus, caulk is cheap. ha.

After that, I painted this shelf we had in our garage Rust-Oleum Hammered Copper. Honestly, after I painted it I thought, "this looks like brown paper bag, I'm going to have to redo it." But it's really grown on me, and looks much better paired with the finished cabinets than it did laying in my yard. :)

Then, I cut a small frame for the cabinets to sit on out of old bed slats. I did this for a few reasons. One, I wanted the finished product to be the same height as our desk. Two, since I didn't want to cut the laminate shelf I was using for the top (there would have been a raw particle board end if I did), there was going to be a gap in between the cabinets and I wanted that to look more purposeful. And three, I wanted to test out my mitering skills. ;)

I was pretty proud of myself. Not perfect, but pretty close!

 I assembled the whole frame using wood glue and a couple nails.

Last thing I did was cut a small shelf to fit in the space between the cabinets.

So that's it. For this project I purchased 2 cans of spray paint, caulk, and hardware. I literally had everything else in my garage. So get creative! What do you have laying around that you can revamp into something more than garage clutter? My old taxes have never looked so stylish.

Let's be friends!

Thank You Gifts for Teachers

Wait, what? Another school year has gone by already?! I remember being in school and the years took F O R E V E R.... Like, I think I was a 5th grader for 3 years, I swear. (I wasn't; #honorroll4life) Now with kids in school, it's as if I run on a really fast treadmill in heals while signing permission slips, passing out book fair money, baking buying birthday cupcakes, spiking hair for picture day (when I remember that it's picture day), making flash cards for spelling tests, dressing kids like a cowboy or in pajamas for that one weird week of school, driving to and from soccer practice, packing the lunches, and buying last minute name-that-crappy-holiday-where-they-pump-my-kid-full-of-candy cards. And then, all of a sudden, I'm scrambling for summer camps and it's over, like that.

Seriously time.  Slow.  Down.  It is obvious my age-defying makeup can't keep this pace.

So since the blur that was this year is hurling its way toward summer, it's time to say thanks to that teacher that's been along for the ride all the while. These "Thirst for Knowledge" cups are so easy, so quick, and so useful! We whipped up 6 of them (multiple pre-k teachers) in 5 minutes. 

All you need are some plastic tumblers with lids and straws and goodies to fill them with. You could do all drink mixes to really stick with the theme but I like to trow in some snacks, gum, nail polish, and chap sticks too. If you really wanted to go big, you could slip a gift card in there too.

Then just print out or draw and write some little flags for the straws. I cut the slits for the straw with an X-acto knife.

And that's it. Like I said, really easy and really fast and sure to impress. Now stop browsing the internet and go pack a lunch or two, check homework, and throw a load of laundry in while you're at it.

Let's be friends!