lampshade makeover

i'm back as promised to show you a little project i got done in about an hour- from start to finish. and don't we all love projects that can be done in one sitting! well i do ;)

so here's what i started with. a 50 cent lampshade found at the markets.

 i then cut strips of fabric (an old sheet) about 2.5 times the height of the shade.

and then simply ties them in knots around the shade, keeping them close together.

i made sure the knots were tied at different heights too.

here it is finished! i love that the inside is also completely covered.

if you wanted a neater finish, you could always tie the knots on the inside.

and if i change my mind, the original shade can go back on.

here's what it looked like before.

Kate x

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finally got the paint brush out & a project!

well Friday is here and i'm so happy it is!

another working week done and dusted. the end of the school year is almost upon us- still so much to get done though!

i did manage to get a few small things painted up. felt so good to splash around some white and aqua paint. it's been too long!

1st up were the top 2 suitcases. painting them has really lifted this little corner.

the blackboard got a freshen up, and the Italian plaster scrolly thingy hanging above it gives it a new look.

a couple of bali style frames got a like of paint too. (the other one is on top of the suitcases)

this old wardrobe door with bevelled edge mirror was an ebay find. love it so much more white!

it has the prettiest timber beading around the mirror's edge.

you can see the mirror a bit better here.

found this cool boho skirt that matches perfectly with my aqua lace top from Thailand.

and this cute stool got the white treatment also. it now sits by the bath.

i usually show "before" pics, but you just need to picture ugly dark timber and you get the picture anyway :)

i want to show you a project i have put aside until the holidays arrive. the husband is not convinced and thinks it belongs at the tip. and when i told him i even paid money for it i really got the look.

so as you can see it's an old mantle of some sort and is missing a few pieces- including the mirror which is sad.

so the thought so far is to cut those top bits off, give it a good scrub and sand, maybe a lick of white paint too, and then stick a blackboard in the centre. i'd so love some ideas!

Kate x
visiting over at Scandi Coast Home 

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cute as can be EGG cupboard

i've always wanted one of these cute little egg cupboards,
so was super happy when i found this one last Sunday at the markets.
i knew straight away it was going to get made over in a pretty greeny blue.
all stocked up with the freshest eggs from a friend's farm.

because i think all pieces can have multiple uses, i played around and
came up with these! how sweet does it look holding perfumes, brooches
and beads.

or a fun cubby house for the kids soft toys!

i could also see it in the bathroom holding piles of soaps.
what would you use it for?

for sale here

before....

Kate x
homemaker on a dime
a stroll thru life
house of grace
very merry vintage style

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cupboard revamp- inside & out!

good morning! it's a Public Holiday here in Australia, so we are all at home taking it easy. so nice to have a breather mid week! i have started off the day with a quick sewing project. this cupboard was a road side find many years ago. you may remember it left my laundry some time ago and came to live out here in the family room.

last year, the handy husband helped me organise the inside with a few shelves.

before the shelves were installed, here's how it looked! it was a home for whatever i felt like throwing in there.

a few pieces of MDF cut to size.....

had it looking much better!

and now it's home to all my sewing needs and my stack of tablecloths. anyway, back to the pretty outside! so it was a simple sew each side of the rectangle piece of fabric, add pockets top and bottom and attach inside the cupboard door with these hook and eye thingos.

the cutest birdy fabric. available at Spotlight if you want some!

our sweet hand reared cockatiels live to the left of this cupboard, so now they have some more birdy friends to chat to.

cupboard before....

note the time i started and finished this little project?? only took 25 mins!

Kate x
a stroll thru life

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a POP of colour!

well the start to another week is here already! thankfully Wednesday is a public holiday so this week will be just that little bit easier to get through! the sun is shining and my white lounge covers are soaking. i got thinking over the weekend that i needed to add a few pops of colour here and there to my very white/neutral colour scheme. this frame was originally antique white against and antique white wall and decided it was time for a change.

i have been very slack of late and haven't been updating our blackboards with inspiring quotes as much as i'd like to. this is one a grabbed off Pinterest this morning. even if i did write it up crooked!

i threw in some blue bottles to my usual "ALL WHITE" decorated hutch.

this cute AVON bottle is a favourite

i showed you the green 'suitcase come table' a little while ago. well i've turned it up on it's side and used it as a display table under an old window frame.

a pile of mags and books topped with pretties. my phone hides behind :)

so there you have it. i have finally found something to paint up in that awesome aqua!

frame before....

i'm off to have coffee with a friend i haven't seen in months, then it will be home to paint!

Kate x
homemaker on a dime 
twice owned Tuesdays

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french clock with shelves

this clock was one of those pieces i just couldn't walk past- purely for it's shape.
the actual clock and mechanism were completely ruined,
so my handy man pulled apart a clock we already had and
fit it in.
all it needed then was a good scrub and onto the wall it went.

$2 silver plate vase i picked up last week.

having the shelf space is so practical and useful,
and adds a bit of interest to a usual wall clock.

the roman numerals got a bit cut off, but glad i could give this piece a new lease on life.

before....

Kate x
funky junk interiors

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working some magic with my staple gun!

here are a few stools and a boudoir chair i picked up the other day.
out came the staple gun and some pretty fabrics for an afternoon
of stapling!

boudoir stool no 1.
before....

i decided pink polkadot fabric would be the way to go with this one.
but....
it just didn't look as good as i was expecting it would.

so i stapled some crochet from a cushion insert over the top.
LOVE it now!

boudoir stool no 2.
before....

i dressed her up with a vintage fabric that matched her
gold scrolly legs.

sooo pretty!

no 3. boudoir chair.
before....

this girl got the pink gingham treatment.
how cute would it look at a little girls dressing table.

and lastly, shaggy boudoir stool no 4.
before....

a bright pop of vintage blue and red.

3 of these cuties are off to a new home tomorrow.
the little crochet topped stool is on eBay here
i have some other things listed too :)
Kate x
homemaker on a dime
a stroll thru life

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