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How to give cork board a face lift

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Thank you to my cousin Courtney for requesting this DIY tutorial! Courtney is finishing up her freshman year of college in North Carolina and her friends are moving out of the dorms in May. She wanted to know some easy and inexpensive ways to decorate her new apartment. I think a lot of college students already own a cork board, so in this video I’ll show you a few ideas on how to give it a face lift with paint, fabric and rope.

Leave a comment below or post a photo on instagram and tag @likehearted to show other ways you have re-purposed your cork board.

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DIY: String Art

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String art is popping up in a lot of different places lately. It first became popular as decorative art in the late 60′s, but I love the modern twists on it these days. This simple craft can easily be customized to make unique art for your home. If for some reason you don’t feel like tackling this project on your own, you can purchase the one I made in the video on my Etsy Store. But I would really love to see what you all create, so instagram a photo and tag @likehearted!

Also, want to send a thank you to The Gentlemen Ether for new music in the video!

Other creative ways to utilize the craft: decorative signage for a wedding, table numbers or even a name sign for a nursery.

Photo Credits: I do, 6 Table Number, Harper Sign

Materials:

  • Wood

  • Yarn/String

  • 3/4” Nails (at least 2 boxes)

  • Download free font – Pacifico

Tools:

  • Hammer

  • Scissors

Total cost:  under $20

 Steps:

  1. Make a template on your computer of the word or shape you plan on using. I downloaded Pacifico and made the template in a word doc using a font size of 375.

  2. Cut out the template and align on wood board, use scotch tape to keep it in place.

  3. Begin to outline the word/shape with nails, placing them about 1/2” apart.

  4. To start threading tie one end of the string to a nail, then outline the word/shape. Wrapping around the nail head as you go.

  5. Tear away the paper template.

  6. Start wrapping the string around the nails creating a zigzag pattern. Continue to do this until you have filled in the entire word/shape.

  7. Secure end of string by tying a knot to a nail.

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How to Graywash Furniture

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I have a ranch style house and the decor can be described as modern rustic, with the primary colors being gray and white. I love Restoration Hardware, but it is totally out of my budget, so I mostly refer to the store for just inspiration. A lot of their living and dining pieces come in a Grey Acacia Finish (pictured below) and since I enjoy refinishing furniture I tried to take a stab at recreating the RH look. I think it is a handy painting technique to know how to do if you like rustic, shabby chic, vintage styles.

Restoration Hardware Inspiration

Grey Acacia Finish
Monastery Dining Table
Weathered Oak Gallery

The best part about the graywash technique is that it can be used on any type of wood furniture. In the video I did it on a frame to create accessory displays. I’ll do another post of how to create the accessory displays with chicken wire or twine.

Materials:

Tools:

Steps:

  1. If needed sand the frame to take away any varnish.

  2. To create the graywash – mix together 1 part gray paint and 1 part glaze.

  3. Use a bristle (chip) brush apply the gray paint to the frame. Use a different dry bristle (chip) brush to remove excess paint. Keeping with the rustic look the paint doesn’t need to fully cover the frame, just depends on how much of the oak wood you want to show through. Personally, I didn’t want much of the light wood to show through. Let is dry and apply second layer if needed.

  4. To really create the weathered look add a white glaze mixture: mix 1 part white paint to 1/4 part glaze. Using your regular paint brush paint on the white glaze mixture then remove excess with a damp rag. Continue this process until you achieve your desired look.

Graywash Steps

DIY Jewelry Display

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I needed a break from the computer yesterday and did a quick DIY project in my guest room. I often forget the jewelry that I have because it is always tucked away in a drawer, so with just a hammer and some clear push pins I created a necklace display on the wall. This is going to make life easier when getting dressed.

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DIY Chalkboard Platter

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Here is the last video from the first set of DIY entertaining tutorials – check out the many uses for a chalkboard platter. Warning: this was the very first one that we shot, so clearly I had some warming up to do! It got a little easier the second time around, I just reviewed the rough cuts of the wedding tutorials and can’t wait for you all to see them.

Materials:

Tools:

  • Paint Brush

Total cost: Under $20

Time: 20 minutes (minus drying time) 

Steps:

  1. Make sure the plate is clean and dry.
  2. Paint the inner edge of the plate. Be sure to follow the directions of the chalkboard paint you are using, The Martha Stewart chalkboard paint requires you to wait at least 1 hour before doing the second coat. 
  3. Write with the chalk to describe what you are displaying.

Various uses for the chalkboard platter:

  • Cheese Serving Plate
  • Beer (or your alcohol of choice) Tasting Platter
  • Perfume Display

Tip: 

  • Turn it into a housewarming gift by including cheese knives, a monogrammed dish towel and a chalkboard pen. I also like the idea of writing the last name of the new home owner on the bottom of the platter, for example “The Brown House Est. 2013.”

Sucker for Stripes

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I’ve been in my house for almost a year and I’m at the point where I’m working on the finishing touches. I’m a sucker for stripes and never get tried of them, so after hanging my TV on the wall I thought they would be the perfect accent. After doing a bunch of research online for the best practices on painting stripes I decided to tackle the project and below is my take on it.

Materials:

  • Tape measure
  • Pencil
  • 3m painters tape
  • Level
  • Disposable roller and paint tray
  • Paint for your stripes (assuming you like the base color already on your wall)

Directions:

  1. Mark out the stripes – Measure the total height of your wall from bottom of your crown molding to the top of your baseboard. It’s best to use odd number of stripes. My total wall height was 90 inches, divide that by 7 = 12.8 inch stripes. If you want bigger stripes divide by 9, if you want smaller stripes divide by 5. Doing odd numbers gives you the ability to leave your base color as the top and bottom stripes, that way you don’t have to touch the crown molding or baseboards when painting. Cuts your time in half. Best tip I found, if you have “leftover” inches at the bottom, it is okay to make that stripe a little bigger, no one will notice! 
  2. Tape out the stripes – I have a nifty laser level but I went old school with this and used just a regular level (I think I just haven’t taken the time to learn how to use the laser level). Just guide the level along the wall as you tape. Tip: I used pieces of tape as “Do not paint” markers on the sections that were not to be painted white.
  3. Paint! Once the second coat of paint is on and the stripe is fully filled in, take the tape off. No need to wait until it is completely dry, otherwise the tape will be glued to the wall.

Use disposable rollers and painter tray, it will only cost you a few dollars and definitely better to just throw that away then taking the time to clean them. I have a bad habit of leaving wet paint on brushes, so I take all measures to prevent this. But it never fails because as I type this it makes me realize I forgot to wash the brush I used to paint the corners (picture me running to my shed to confirm this and immediately putting the brush into cleaner).

In case you are wondering, my base wall color is Benjamin Moore Abalone and for the stripes I just used leftover paint that my trim and ceilings are painted which is Dunn Edwards White (eggshell finish). I still have accessorizing to finish and to hide those cable cords but that will be done in time. I read a quote the other day that I loved and made me appreciate what I have done over the last year and not worry that everything isn’t complete yet…”A home takes time to grow and become personal.” -Sania Pell, stylist/writer

PREP:

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FINAL PRODUCT:

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Holiday Decor

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Holiday Decor Essentials
This is my first holidays owning my own home, so it is easy to say that holiday decorating has turned into an obsession.  My style is classic with a little nontraditional mixed in.
Color palette: gray, red, white with pops of black
Holiday Design trends: Rustic, Homemade, Felt, Antlers, Twine
Has anyone else noticed the huge felt trend this year in the holiday decorations? My top pick this year: the felt Garland from West Elm.

Weekend Warrior Project # 3 – Side Chairs

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The “before” photo pretty much sums up this project. I instantly saw these diamonds in the rough and knew I had to have them. At $30 a piece it would be hard to pass them up.

BEFORE: Let me repeat, I got these for $30 A PIECE!!

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AFTER:

Here is how I did it:

  • The fabric I found at Joann – the week they had 40% off of designer fabric. For about 3 yards it costed  around $90.
  • I was lucky enough to have a family friend recover the cushions (all it cost me was a good bottle of white wine!).
  • I primed and painted the chairs with Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover 2x Coverage Primer/Paint in Dark Walnut (satin finish). Each chair took a can and a half, 3 cans needed in total.
  • Total cost of the project: about $170

A new favorite…

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Whenever I see the Martha Stewart’s name on anything, I’m drawn in like a moth to the flame…so while shopping at Home Depot I spotted Martha’s new line of special finish paints and immediately had to figure out what to use the paint on. Good thing I’m knees deep in DIY projects since buying the house.  The paint comes in a variety of finishes  including metallic glaze, glitter, textured metallic, terra cotta, crackle, etc. Available at The Home Depot, $5.48-8.98 for a 10oz. I used the Metallic Paint in Vintage Gold.

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Weekend Warrior Project # 2 – Mirror

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I’m working on decorating my guest bedroom and decided to make a vanity out of my current desk (making a new desk for my office will be another weekend project). I needed a mirror and scored another great find at my favorite antique store. Purchased this mirror for only $40!

BEFORE: Sorry I didn’t take a better before shot!

 

AFTER: I wasn’t in love with the oak finish so I decided it needed a face lift.

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Here is how I did it:

  • I used painter’s tape (the blue colored kind) and kraft paper to cover the mirror edges.
  • I primed the entire mirror with Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Ultra Cover 2x Coverage Primer. Again let me stress, if you haven’t been using this paint to refinish things then I highly suggest you start using it. It’s a spray can, paint and primer in one so it cuts your project time in half!
  • The color is Martha Stewart Specialty Paint in Vintage Gold, which I painted on using a regular paint brush. This needed about 3 coats of paint.
  • Total cost of the project: $46