Re-Purpose Project Step 8 Finished Project!!

Step 8:
Sitting area for my little visitors. I am finally finished!! This is the book nook to come and get comfy in to read or a fun place to put on a show!!

I saved this old couch cushion because I thought I might just have an opportunity to use it. (Yes, I am a saver!) First I used a piece of newspaper to make a rectangle the size of the opening in the center. Then I used that template to trace the shape on the old cushion. 

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Once I had the newspaper template traced I used my electric knife to cut the foam rubber. I saw them use an electric knife at Jo Ann Fabrics one day when I needed foam for some chairs and thought it was a great idea! Once the shape was cut I made sure it fit in the opening, made some more paper templates for the sides and back and sewed the cover with a zipper in the back. Once that was completed I made two little pillows with some other extra pieces. 

And there you have it! There is room for plenty of books and maybe a basket of puppets too!.

This was one of the most fun projects I have taken on in a long time!

 From the beginning with an entertainment cabinet no one wanted, to a fun book nook!

 Now I guess I have to do
the homework I have from the past two classes I just finished!
Until next time, happy re-purposing!!

In the Organic Garden - Get Rid of Blight & Flowers

I have returned from the northern Minnesota Boundary Waters area. It was a great learning trip but now it's back to the garden. I was greeted with my black-eyed Susan flowers much more in bloom. I just love this blooming time of year!!

My daisies however were starting to have many of them in the dying state. Since I want them to keep looking beautiful and produce more blooms, I will dead head them by removing the old flowers. I dead head through out the summer but start to taper down to let some seeds mature for the fall. I leave many of the seeds for little birds in the winter. I also leave my plants all winter with out cutting them down. Sometimes my rabbit friends eat them down in winter but otherwise they stay to make the blanket for my plants.

There they are again, looking good!!

Now on to the vegetable garden. I see that some early blight is showing up on the bottom leaves of some of the tomato plants. I will cut off those branches and dispose of them away from the garden.

 If I can keep up with the blight now, in mid to late August I won't have to worry about it. By that time I have plenty of fruit set and don't need to worry about what is taking place on the blight side. I just want to have the fruit ripening so I can get my salsa on!

My last surprise was the verbena finally blooming by the marigolds. The slugs kept eating the plant down so short for a while I thought it would never bloom. That's what is so much fun about gardening.There are always little surprises around each bend. Whether it's the chipmunk scampering by, the pretty birds eating at the feeders, a lovely humming bird enjoying bee balm, or just the observations of each flower or vegetable in various states. It really can be a serene moment of zen!

Happy gardening!!

Re-Purpose Project Step 7

Step 7:

It was finally time to make the curtains for the puppet show theater. I think they turned out pretty great! 

The final part will be to make a sitting cushion inside for little ones. That will not happen for a little while as I will be up in the northern part of Minnesota all week studying biomes for a class. I hope the weather is cooperative and doesn't rain on me!! (I probably just jinxed myself!) Should be very interesting. If we have any sort of signal I may be able to blog about what we are doing, but I am not sure. Until next time! 

Re-Purpose Project Step 6 (part 4)

Step 6 (part 4):

Last side of the cabinet painted. I think the whole project looks so cute!

I decided to include to fairly recent characters because kids love them so much. I hope they will stand the test of time like the rest. 

Now it's on to making the curtains for the puppet theater show time. 

Re-Purpose Project Step 6 (part 3)

Step 6 (part 3):

One side is complete. It really is such a good feeling to go back to those days of your children's 'favorite books, and your students' favorite books. So many happy memories!!

I also loved to have a bag (of course it was always heavy) of books to read to any classes that I would sub for last year. I will miss that, but have many new stories to share with my new classes. 

One side complete, and one more side to go!

Re-Purpose Step 6 (part 2)

 Step 6 (part 2):
I am finally finished painting the back of the cabinet. They all turned out pretty good. As you can see it is not all characters.

Show time refers to the area that will feature puppet shows or really any kind of child acting. I think it will be a really great spot for that!

Now that the back is finished I will start on the sides of the cabinet. 

Re-Purpose Project Step 6

Step 6:

Painting in the characters. By now you have figured out my plan to paint characters from books. My plan was to make them as simple as possible so that they can be painted in fairly easily and then outlined in black. 

This is pretty close to being filled in with color. I use ordinary acrylic paints from the craft store. I also use fairly small paint brushes. 

Here I have painted in the larger black areas.

I then used a black paint pen for the black outline. It turned out to be much easier than painting in the outline, and faster too. 

This is the finished character. It's not perfect as none of them will be. The characters aren't meant to be perfect, just good enough to be recognizable for little ones. The painting for step 6 will also take me several days as each one does take some time. 

Re-Purpose Project Step 5

Step 5:

I finished drawing out all the characters, then cut them all out, taped them in the places I wanted them, traced from the drawing and then added in the inner lines.

Now I will be able to start painting. 

Re-Purpose Project Step 4

Step 4: 

Now it's time to attach the stair tread. I had cut it to size before I painted it, and now it has dried with two coats on each side. These are the small brackets I will use to attach the tread into the opening. 

First I set the brackets where they will be and draw a circle through the hole. Then I use my drill to drill a pilot hole for each screw. Once all the holes are drilled, I use my drill with a screw driver bit to attach the brackets to the back (brown side) of the tread. 

Once all the brackets are connected I set the tread into the opening, draw a circle in the open holes of the brackets where they will attach to the cabinet. I again use the drill to put in the pilot holes. Now I set in the tread into the opening and with the screw driver bit I attach the tread to the cabinet.

Now that the tread is securely attached I am ready to start drawing the characters I want to paint on the outside. I'll use white paper to draw out the characters.

When I have each character drawn out the way I want, I cut them out and use painters tape to place them on the cabinet. That way I can see how they look and switch them around before I will trace them onto the cabinet. 

Re- Purpose Project Step 3

Step 3:
I gave the cabinet a second coat of paint along with the stair tread.

This is the back side of the tread. I used a brown paint I had on hand. It will make sense when I show where it will go on the cabinet.

Re-Purpose Project Step 2

 Step 2:
Paint cabinet with first coat of the light blue paint. I only need one side of the stair tread painted blue. You will see why later on. Time for the first coat of blue to dry.

Re-Purpose Project: Step 1

So now I am up to this project I had lined up for myself. This is a solid oak entertainment center that no one wanted. I am going to make something new out of it with the addition of that stair tread you see sitting on top. Let's see how fast you can guess what it will inevitably be when it's finished.

 1:

Step 1:
I first measured and cut the stair tread to fit into the back of the cabinet. You'll see why later. Then I painted the outside of the cabinet and the stair tread with primer paint. Of course this will take time to dry.

And yes, as you see I have set up my project in the middle of the living room in the front part of the house. Don't worry, my family is used to me doing this kind of thing in the middle of where they are trying to live. Also I have no idea how long this will take.

Quilting for fun

I just finished this quilt for a little one. It's not quite a twin size but close. I saw the fabric I used in the middle of the squares and just had to get it even before I knew what I was going to use it for. I enjoy quilting but make many mistakes and learn a lot as I go. I don't worry about the "mistakes" in the end product as that is what makes each quilt unique.

The fabric featured these brightly colored owls with flowers and shapes. The problem with fabrics like this is if you don't buy it when you see it, it will be gone!! That is how you become a fabric hoarder. We won't even go into that!

So, if you haven't sewn before, go ahead and try it. It is a whole lot of fun! I have given lessons to children as young as 8, so if they can do it, so can you!!

Happy sewing!!