Hotel Transylvania Sign

Light up sign

Plan is a Themed Halloween party with characters from the hotel Transylvania movie.

This Hotel Transylvania light-up sign was a successful DIY project. The challenge will be the costume. I’ll try to share some photos on Halloween.

One of the Butlers

Recovering a chair

Recovering a chair is lot of work but worth the change. Here is one I did.

Prying off the old covering was not easy. There were tons of staples and I scratched the frame trying to take the fabric off the back so I had to go over it with stain. I did darken it.

Once the fabric was removed I used it as a guide to cut the new fabric.

I was fortunate the seat came off and I didn’t have to work around the chair frame.

I stapled the fabric back on the back portion of the chair and recovered the seat then secured it with staples and put it back on the chair frame.

Bunk bed Improvement

This is what the bunk bed looked like before the change.

The grandkids are over and playing on it. Look how plain it looks.

If you want to learn how to make it, watch the video.

I do like the bunk bed better now that it is wrapped with a skirt on the top and bottom. I also changed the curtains.

Canvas Photo Hanging

Gorgeous 3-photo 8×8 canvas hanging with rope glue gunned on.

Watch this tutorial on using rope as a decorative piece around a canvas photo hanging for an idea.

Reusing canvas

Don’t throw out your old canvas paintings because you can paint over them. Especially that busy paint job you outgrew.

Sometimes simplicity is all you need and that’s what I did for my daughter.

I painted a solid gray over the painting. I then used a paint pen to do the feathers. I didn’t have to worry about smoothing it because it wasn’t textured. If you have that issue then sand it down first. You may also have to prime over old paint work in case it is oil based.

DIY: TV Stand

What I used

1. wood glue

2. hinge and two knobs

3. compressor, nail and nail gun

4. 5 =8′ lengths of 1 x 4″ board (top and bottom frame)

5. pine shop shelving (4′ for bottom)

6. hand jigsaw, mitre and table saw

7. three 8′ 1 x 2 (doors) I used 1 x 4 cut in half

8. 1/4″ plywood for doors and back to close behind the doors and drawer space

This was the first time I did this project without help except when I put the doors on. I used a drawer and attachments I had saved from a previous project so that was easy. I made the centre work with the drawer.

Motor Home Makeover

Give the old Motor Home a facelift by refurbishing the old. Here is a cheap way to bring the old up to date.

Get new fabric, your choice of colours, and recover the cushions. Change the curtains and roll-down blind. For a complete step on redoing a roll-down blind go to roll-down blind. I chose to go with grey, blue and teal colours. The flooring was changed to grey linoleum.

Outside Table: Refurbishment

Don’t want a glass top, then change it up. Here is a project for you. Take the glass off and get a 1/4″ plywood cut to the same size. Take the plywood with you when shopping for tile. It will help to get a layout idea.

Pick up metal spray paint or leave it depending on  the colour of your tile choice. Should you decide to spray paint, clean the table of any dust or web that may be on it.

After getting the table sprayed begin the process of Laying out the tile. Try to make it tight so that you don’t really need to grout. I couldn’t with mine because of the size so I had to use different tile shapes to get it as snug as possible. Luckily I had tile left from our kitchen. Once satisfied with the layout, mark any tile that needs to be cut. Take those and use a wet tile cutter and cut. They cut easily. Once that is done, spread the wall adhesive and lay the tile. Leave sit over night.

The next day spread the grout. Follow the instructions on the Polyblend or whatever brand you choose. It should be a non-sanded grout if the spaces are thin. Clean off the excess grout with a damp sponge. Once set as indicated on box, use a cheese cloth to clean off any film.

The chairs I did a year ago now have a little table to go with them. I hope this gives you an idea and decision before you decide to throw out your outside table. Remember if you still don’t want it put it in a garage sale. You never know who’s garbage maybe someone else’s treasure. Click the Outdoor chairs if you want to check the chair refurbishment.

Things you need:

1)Spray paint (optional)

2)Tile

3)1/4″ plywood sheet

4)Vertifix wall adhesive

5)Polyblend grout, sponge, trowel, grout float and cheese cloth if grouting (0ptional)

Total cost if purchasing everything is about 108 dollars or less depending on what you need. This is less than half of what a tiled coffee table would cost you or equal to another glass table. However, if you don’t need to grout the cost comes down even more. I was able to cut my cost to 50 dollars because I used products I already had and plywood that was a leftover from another project.

 

Making Designer Baby Pants

Creating your own designer pants for baby.

Cut two of a baby’s pants pattern. The folded cuts will be for the right and left leg. Unfold the two cut sides and pin together, inside out. Sew and serge or zigzag, if you don’t have a serger, at the top down to the crotch on both sides.

Now that the two sides are joined, serge or zigzag, then stitch the legs. Make cuffs for the bottom legs (see first photo). Sew in elastic for the waistband and you’re done!

Cut a slight “U-SHAPE” at the front to shape lower than the back.

Fancy pants with cool patterns.

 

DIY Idea for a Nursery

Designing a boys or girls nursery starts with figuring out what colours you’re going to work with. Once that is done then you can start putting your idea into action. Fabrics, patterns and paint that complement each other can then be chosen.

This stretch and non-stretch fabric was sewn together by me. Stretch on non-stretch has to be sewn with a walking foot that can guide the top material at the same time as the bottom. However, I didn’t have one so I free guided it and lucked out. I used no pins because of the stretch.

Since this nursery is for a boy this picture, created with Photoshop, was designed using the pattern photographed from the lamp to create this picture. It is to tie in to the décor. It is an inexpensive idea. The trick to the poster is, when creating it, to make sure that the pixels are set high so that when you get it in a poster size it comes out clear. The other thing is to have the measurement set and you can find out by asking at a photo print shop the print sizes of your desired poster so that you get it right when working in Photoshop or any other print shop program. That will prevent you from ruining the poster you created. Pick up an inexpensive frame and you are set.

The lamp shade was ordered from Etsy along with the matching night-light, both handcrafted. The chair cushion and change pad cover were also made by someone from Etsy. The chair was purchased from a garage sale and repainted with chalk paint (a safer paint for a kids room).