Lindsay's Tips for DIY-ing...

"Do-it-yourself"

...a phrase that makes some excited, some scared, some intimidated, and others thrive on it..

(just take a look at all of the DIY blogs!!)

How do I successfully Do-it-myself?

I'll give you my best tips for making those projects work!

1) MUSIC! Have a great playlist handy. Turn on the tunes, pump them up and get crazy! Don't be afraid to use a "microphone" (paintbrushes work great). I find that having music playing makes me work better and faster.

2) Only work when you want to. Well, this isn't always the case for me, but I definitely find that I do my best work when i'm inpsired and really driven to finish projects. Some days you just want to hang on the sofa and catch up on your soaps...Indulge...Your work will be better for it.

Oh, John McBain....

3) Don't be afraid. Not every project you try will turn out looking like a Martha masterpiece. Don't be afraid to fail. Rest assured, more projects will turn out great than will not. And besides, if you don't like it, just redo it!

4) Make sure you have all of your supplies before starting a project. I can't tell you how many times i've gotten this great idea in my head, started it, then realized I didn't have what I needed. Then the unfinished project sits and sits and sits till I remember to get the supplies.

5) Relating to #4...make sure to have a list when shopping for supplies, especially if there are several  random detailed items (i.e...medium googly eyes, thin blue ribbon, yellow thread, wood glue, pink spray paint, foam brush, one crystal knob, L-brackets...you get the idea) You will invariably forget something...save yourself!!

6) Go ahead and make a mess. Anyone who's ever seen me work knows that I make a BIG mess. I have ribbon falling all over the floor, piles of fabric....complete chaos, I mean a real mess. Go ahead and make that mess but put things back where they belong when your project is done, or you will forget you have them, trust me. On a similiar note, have some good ole' painting clothes. Mine aren't pretty, I mean...they are well-loved. In fact, in this business I have quite a few "well-loved" outfits! Wear something that you aren't afraid to mess up, especially when painting.

7) Paint where you can spread out, ideally outdoors. Thank goodness for nice weather because it makes my painting life so much easier! I take up to four pieces of furniture outside at a time. This allows me to spread all of the pieces out, then go from piece to piece painting coats.  

8) Ask other people's advice...."What do you think this will look like in this color?"...."Do you think stripes would look good on this?"...But also look to the internet for inspiration. Blogs especially provide great inspiration ideas.

What are YOUR tips for successful DIY-ing??

Wine anyone?

Wendy and I are always on the lookout for great round dining tables. Everyone seems to want them! They are much easier to put in smaller spaces than the traditional large oval or rectangle table.

Anyways...we picked up this table at a thrift shop. Nice simple round table but definitely needed some lovin'.

I first sanded the heck out of the top to remove the old finish. I knew I wanted to add a special touch to this table for the Lucketts Fair.

Wendy had done this awesome cocktail table a ways back...to see it look here.

I used the same concept for the dining table. I added the graphic using a printed template and transfer paper, then painted it in using black paint. Once the graphic was painted, I distressed it. Finally, I used walnut stain which really brought out the character of the wood and then protected it with a coat of walnut wax. If you've never used colored wax, I highly recommend you get yourself some. Best stuff ever created! It adds the color and protection all in one step. I found mine at a local antique shop.

We got the chairs from a fellow vendor at Chartreuse and Co. Wendy painted them black then hand-upholstered each seat with a striped tan linen. The chairs turned out so great! They had such a sophisticated look....

What do you think??