A Cute, Blue Utility Trailer Makeover

This is the kind of DIY project where you see how much of a country mouse I've become... 

Spring has sprung - the first shipping vessel came to my city recently and the captain reported that there's barely any ice on Lake Superior, which is totally unbelievable.  The shipping season has opened earlier as a result and with surprisingly balmy temperatures, that familiar smell of spring (damp leaves and dog poop) is in the air already!

I'm excited.

It means we can get the boat out on the lake earlier, which means I can actually share more photos and (finally!) some aerial videos with our drone (last year we launched too late in the season because of repairs).  An early spring also means we can start tackling yard work pretty soon too - we just need those last few heaps of snow to melt, but I'm already seeing tons of grass!  To help move our yard work along, we bought a little utility trailer from Kijiji to use with our riding lawn mower to haul stuff around the property.  Wheelbarrows are for chumps.  These mini trailers are normally hundreds of bucks (this one is the most similar to our dump cart) but we got this for $80. 

It was a little rusty and beat up, though, but functioned perfectly.  Hubby asked me to paint it, but I was super busy with other projects and work, so he dangled this carrot: "you can paint in turquoise".

Sold.

I had a case of Rust-Oleum Harbor Blue in my spray paint stash and, after prepping the wagon (thorough wash, light sand), I blasted it with multiple thin, light coats - even the wheels!  Now I'm eyeing up our ugly old riding lawnmower too...

Between this trailer, our turquoise front door, and the turquoise guesthouse trim and door, I'm easing the neighbors into the day I decided to paint our entire garage bright turquoise with a huge, Instagram-worthy mural on the garage door.  #notkidding

DIY Painted Birch Slice Coasters

I have a spray painting confession that you might not expect from an avid DIYer: I have the tendency to rush my spray painting jobs.  Too often, I'm so antsy to be done and see the finished project (yay!), that I don't wait long enough between coats or I apply some coats too thickly. 

It's a problem!  A rookie problem (I'm so ashamed). 

BUT - I have solution that's worked well for me the last couple of years:  having smaller spray painting projects on the go at the same time!  See, I just need to keep my hands busy.  So while I was recently spray painting a fire pit Hubby welded (it's so gorgeous), I distracted myself by applying the topcoat to an Ikea hack we stained grey (details soon!) and whipping up these "dipped" birch slice coasters as well.  With three projects on the go at once, I was occupied enough to allow my projects time to dry in between coats.   

And, as an added bonus, we now have this adorable set of DIY birch slice coasters!  Aren't they the sweetest?

In our allotment of firewood this year, most of our logs were split but we did have a few whole birch logs that I squirreled away for crafts.  You could easily buy all of the supplies for these birch coasters online, though.

Supplies for Making DIY Birch Slice Coasters:

• Birch log/branch and chop saw - or purchase ready-to-go birch slices
• 220 grit sandpaper
• Painter's tape
• Spray paint (this is a great project for using up leftovers!)
• Watco Spray Lacquer (Clear)

How to Make Painted Birch Slice Coasters:

Using the chop saw, Hubs and I quickly chopped one of the birch logs into even slices.  I peeled off the loosest layers of birch bark and then gave each slice a light sand with 220 grit sandpaper, just to smooth out any roughness:

Easy, peasy.

When my friend Ashley and I made her wood burned birch slice ornaments, we left all of the birch bark on, which you can do, but for coasters I just didn't want too many loose bits. 

Then I taped off half of each birch slice coaster with a good painter's tape.  I really had to press down on the tape with my fingernail to get it to adhere to the uneven wood surface.  I propped each coaster up with a rock and gave each a blast of a different spray paint, including Rust-Oleum Ocean Mist (left over from the candle holders I painted for my bottle brush tree mantlescape), Rust-Oleum Harbor Blue (which ended up not working for my painted terracotta planters), and dribs and drabs of different silvers, gold, and copper (the latter is actually Rust-Oleum High Heat Enamel Paint in Copper...hint, hint).

To seal them - probably the only step that really needs explaining - I lightly coated each handmade birch coaster with three thin coats of my newest favorite product, Watco Spray Lacquer, which is such a great alternative to laboriously brushing on a clear coat.  I'm loving how easy it is to use!

Since trying those wood burned wood slice ornaments, I'm really on the birch slice craft bandwagon.  The materials are cheap and I'm two for two finding super easy projects to make with birch wood.

Best of all, while I was fiddling with these DIY wood coasters, I was occupied enough to properly let our fire pit project dry.  I just need to do a little finessing (i.e. rake the goose poop) and I can share that project soon!

I love that guests can choose their own unique coaster colour!

I call dibs on the mint.



Although...I do love the contrast of the glittering metallic spray paints and the rustic birch slice:

I just have to chat about the napkin for a second.  It's such a gorgeous colour, isn't it?  I scooped a set of four from Value Village.  There was a bright orange set with a looser weave (bought that too) and a pretty speckled yellow set with the original 1960s tags (Mom scooped that).  They were all crisp, brand new, with such a strong mid-century modern vibe.  This colour pairs so beautifully with turquoise and the gorgeous texture of the linen totally makes me happy - I love a good linen!  I don't even mind ironing them, it's soothing to set the ironing board up facing the lake on a rainy day and iron linens.

Anyway, these days I find so few gems at the thrifts, I just wanted to share!

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How to Paint Terracotta Planters so They Don't Look Painted

Did you know that you can spray paint terracotta planters to give them a modern finish that looks like ceramic?  I've inherited quite a few plants and they can't all go in $200 planters so I purchased a few terracotta planters in various sizes and gave them a makeover!  Read on for my tips and tricks for painting terracotta, and also why my first attempt looked terrible... 

After updating a plant stand my papa made by refreshing it with paint and adding DIY walnut shelves, I also spruced up the plant stand that came with my Whoville plant (I keep forgetting his actual name, but to me he looks like he belongs in Whoville):

You'll probably think I'm bizarre, but that janky terracotta planter was all I could see when I sat at the dining room table.

I replaced it with a new terracotta pot,. but didn't love the look of them au naturel.  A lot of DIY tutorials, however, suggest just brushing on the paint and I don't love that look, either.

Instead, I gave mine a few coats of Rust-Oleum Tremclad Oil Based spray paint in Harbour Blue.

And I hated it.

The colour is gorgeous and so glossy, but in the living room it stuck out like a sore thumb, making every colour look dull by comparison (and that is no small feat in my colourful world).  I gave it a light sand and repainted the terracotta planter in Rust-Oleum Universal Enamel Paint + Primer in One - Gloss White, the same colour as the stand. 

Now it looks fresh and modern - I love the crisp white with the green.

Sometimes it's better to keep things simple.

Emboldened, I decided to paint a larger terracotta pot for the enormous Jade plant I also inherited.  Worried about leaking, I crammed him and his terracotta pot into this slightly larger pot (without drainage) for the 1600km journey:



Unable to salvage his old pot, I picked up a really large pot at Canadian Tire - did you know the terracotta pots sold there are made in Germany?

Here it is with a brand new paint job:

I was amazed at how well the terracotta planters took the paint!  Unfamiliar with most anything related to plants, I assumed the terracotta would be super porous, but the paint went on like a dream. 

Because I used spray paint, they look factory finished - my Mom was actually convinced they were ceramic (which would have cost me a lot more for this size).  Plus, because the paint finish is glossy, both planters can be washed and wiped down easily!

The little spikey plant on the wall unit is yet another inherited plant - he was living with the Whoville plant but I moved him into a sweet little vintage McCoy pot.

With almost all of my new plants re-homed, the lakehouse is feeling a lot greener.  I'm so nervous about keeping all of these plants healthy (especially the orchids and the Jade - the last plant that bid farewell to the world in my care was a Jade)...

UPDATE (May 27 2016): Readers were curious about how the paint would hold up and whether it would peel or flake off.  My planters still look brand new and there has been absolutely no flaking or peeling.  I think the secret is using a primer + paint in one! 

Huge thanks to Rust-Oleum for providing the spray paint for this and many other DIY projects!

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Walnut + White Metal Plant Stand Revamp

I recently inherited a lot of plants, which has been stressing me out because I am a notorious plant-killer and these leafy new friends of mine are deeply sentimental.  They help me feel connected to the loved one who passed, so I want to keep them thriving.  I think about her whenever I tend to them, so it will just crush me if they don't make it.  Among the ten or so new plants that now call Lake Superior home, there are five (!) orchids.  Many other orchids were re-homed, so I really only got part of what was an outstanding collection.

I wanted a nice spot to grow them, so I scooped the perfect plant stand from my grandfather, the welder.  The simple welded plant stand he made fits the spot to the right of our wall unit perfectly, but it needed a little TLC.  The glass shelves had broken long ago and the white paint job was a bit dingy and rusted.  In a pinch, I grabbed a leftover piece of old melamine shelving and placed it precariously on top.

Such a good look, right?

I didn't want to pay to have new glass shelves cut, so I used some walnut-veneered plywood left over from my DIY modern walnut storage boxes.  Despite my constant nagging to buy one, Hubs and I don't have a table saw.  Both of our Dads have one though, and this time my Dad got the pleasure of helping me (and feeding me - I timed my visit for pizza night).  He cut two pieces to fit perfectly into the plant stand and then we did a little work reflection.  I thought I might need two pieces per shelf, laminated together with wood glue and edge-banded, but one shelf does the trick and because it's inset, you don't see the edges at all.  So we agreed that less work is always better and called it a day!

I just love it when a DIY project is easier than anticipated, because that's such an anomaly.  Normally it's just a lot of hair pulling and I end up covered in paint or glue.  I hurried home with my new shelves and, after a couple of applications of Danish Oil, the walnut was a beautiful, rich hue (on the right):

The plant stand got a light sand and a few coats of Rustoleum Universal Pure White Gloss (I love a primer + paint in one).  This spray paint is good for metal and plastic (in addition to wood, glass, concrete, wicker, etc.), so I even sprayed the plastic feet.  I like them better white than black.

The plant stand just looks fresher now that it's about ten shades whiter and I loooove the walnut shelves (thanks Dad!)

The living room definitely has more life with some beautiful plants and I'm enjoying the leafy new additions - which is good, because there are many more (not pictured) that have been spoiled with fancy new pots and refurbished plant stands.

Having plants is a lot of work!

You might have noticed my funny little orchid pots?

When I brought them home, the orchids were in an assortment of plastic and terracotta pots, one of which Szuka had already knocked over and cracked.  I wanted to replace the hodgepodge with five identical plants and I did a lot of research about the kind of pots orchids like.  I learned that a pot which offers a lot of ventilation and good drainage is ideal.  This orchitop carousel pot seemed really innovative and I liked the modern look - plus the 5.25" size fit the planter shelves perfectly - so I ordered five in the pearl finish (it comes in aqua too!)  They are available on Amazon, but I ordered mine right from Repotme.  They are pricey (especially when you need five), but they seem to function really well.  Plus they're so pretty!

The bottom tray clicks off easily, so I water them in the laundry room without the trays and let them drain a bit in the laundry sink before putting on the trays again.  So far, no water on the walnut shelves and the orchids seem to be doing okay.  Plus, if Szuka decides to do her best Bull in a China Shop routine, hopefully the plastic will withstand the fall...

Although I'm still a little apprehensive about the responsibility of caring for these orchids, I'm also excited for the remaining orchids to flower - apparently one of them has an amazing scent.

Wish me luck!

Disclosure: thanks to an ongoing friendship with the folks at Rust-Oleum, I've received cases of spray paint and other Rust-Oleum products to use and review on the blog.  I continue to be completely satisfied with the quality and coverage of Rust-Oleum paint, but I was not prompted or paid to provide a positive review.  I just have a spray painting addiction, and Rust-Oleum is my enabler ;)

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How to Make Over a Vintage Metal Table with Rust-Oleum Pearl Paint

 
Do you remember that little metal table that used to reside in the townhouse guestroom? It was a wedding gift my Mummu received in the 1950s, and she gave it to me.  It was originally black but then, with her permission, I painted it mint green: 

I didn't fully love the colour - it was bordering on sage green - but it looked nice with the mint and aqua upholstered chair and so I left it as-is.

Once we moved to the lakehouse, and lost a guest bedroom, it migrated to our bedroom and it looked good until I added the teal back tab curtains.

The teal made the mint look super dull and drab - and its buddy, the Mingo chair, was displaced anyway.  The paint had also seen some wear in the move, so a fresh coat of paint was in order.  Because this little table will get the boot soon (our dresser dilemma has been solved!), I opted for a neutral colour so I can move it from room to room with ease.

I decided white would be perfect for such a transient little table but then, on impulse, I decided a pearlized white would be even better - Rustoleum Pearl Mist looked nice on the cap.  I hauled it over to the super awesome spray paint booth my in-laws have (winter spray painting!) and - ta da!

The pearlized paint is really pretty, but it seemed to take forever to achieve this coverage.




It went on really, really sheer and the green continued to peek through, coat after coat.  It still does, a little, but I don't mind that slight green tint.  If I wanted a true pearl white, a white base coat would definitely be necessary because this paint is like a clear finish with some metallic sparkles in it.  I Googled around, curious if the "mist" in the name indicates its sheerness and I'm just a total goof, but it seems other people have had issues with coverage too.  On the plus side, this could add a really pretty shimmer to furniture without masking the colour - or it could help tone down a too-bright paint job.  If you're tempted to try this paint, buy double what you would normally need for your project, or start with a white or cream base.

Even though it took a little extra spray paint huffing, I'm happy with the result.  This might end up a plant stand in the office, a side table if we turn the guesthouse into a proper bedroom...I'm not sure.  What I do know is that there are more bedroom changes happening soon.  But did I mention that I painted this table three months ago?   "Soon".  You keep using that word, but I don't think it means what you think it means. 

Product for this project was provided by the folks at Rustoleum, who have been kindly indulging many of my DIY project fantasies for awhile now.  Any comments, opinions and projects chosen are all my own! 

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