Before and After

Not long ago, I asked on a local Facebook page if anyone was looking to sell an old end table.  We had a need in our living room after reorganizing, and I had a hankering to do something crafty.  I also love, love, love the idea of reusing old things for so many reasons, so I was especially excited when one of the sweetest, most genuine people I know (with whom I'm also fortunate enough to share a school . . . we're both teachers) offered me one that she had . . . for a simple "pay it forward".  THAT I can do.  It's the very, very best kind of generosity, the kind that keeps giving.  (I'll report back when I pay it forward specifically with this lovely table in mind, Mrs. McN!)

After taking down the Christmas tree today, I really wanted to get to work to fill the space and have a functional table where we needed one.  Here's what I started with . . .

Not a bad little table by any means, just one that has been loved over the years and one that I was anxious to transform into something that "fit" into our living room.  I hit it with some 100 grit sandpaper, next came a can of Rust-Oleum spray paint in Dark Walnut with a satin finish, and finally a little more sandpaper on the edges and . . . finished!  Oh, and because I'm a huge fan of the little things, I added a square of one of my favorite scrapbook patterns for a pop of orange inside the drawer.  (And in my excitement I couldn't even wait for the modge podge to dry completely . . . )

Finally, here's the finished project!  I'm in love!  I have my eye on a square basket that should fit perfectly in the bottom cubby.  Here's to fun new furniture that will remind me to "pay it forward" every time I look at it!  (Thanks Mrs. McN!!!)

BEFORE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AFTER

Getting crafty . . .

 Awhile back we began redoing our laundry room.  It isn't a completely finished masterpiece, but I will say that I adore it.  I'm working on getting some of my favorite quotes and things up on the walls, but first up was my "crafty corner".

After perusing Pinterest, stopping at JoAnne Fabrics, and roaming IKEA with one of my best shopping partners for inspiration, I landed on a few things that I am crazy about.

Aren't these adorable?  I can't take credit, I saw the whole thing somewhere else, but a quick trip to JoAnne Fabrics was all I needed to make it happen.  The letters are maybe 12" inches high (I'd go measure, but that would entail getting up right now.  Not happening.) and originally a "paper bag" brown.  I think I paid $4 each?  I picked up a can of silver metallic spray paint for another $4.  I had some 3M command strips, which worked perfectly to adhere these lightweight little guys.  The whole thing easily cost less than $25.  I did two lightweight coats on the letters, but wanted to give them a little bit of a "rugged" appearance anyway, so I wasn't too careful to get every tiny nook and cranny.  They are completely covered, but I wanted the look of sort of battered metal . . . viola.  Love them!  I cut the 3M command strips into two pieces each and adhered them first to the letter and then stuck the whole thing on the wall.  They are attached well and definitely one of my favorite things in the space.  I purposely put them near the doorway so that I can admire them whenever I walk by!

Another favorite thing in this space is my "crafty corner" . . . I have filled three cupboards with crafty things like scrapbook paper, tiles, felt, cork, modge podge, glues, spray paint, cards of all kinds, various hole punches, you get the idea.  I used some IKEA inspiration to hold smaller items and spray painted a letter K (same as the letters above) and two Mason jars in a fun green that compliments the blue on my walls.

The metal board on the left is from IKEA.  $12.  I also purchased the little magnetic containers that are on the board ($4 maybe?) and the rods and hanging baskets and cans at IKEA (maybe $15 total for all of the rods, baskets, and buckets you see hanging there below the K).  I store my Sharpies, paints, brushes, pens and pencils, scissors, hammer, screwdrivers, etc. there.  I have cutting boards to work on in one of the lower cupboards (also an IKEA purchase . . . 99 cents each?)

I need something to put in the space next to the K . . . I was thinking I'd craft up a clock using some of the fun materials I saw at Michael's the other day, but on second thought I'm not sure I want a clock in this space.  Live on the edge, right? ;)

Finally, my most recent completion is the wrapping paper station under the cupboards on the right.  I.love.this.  It was completely Pinterest inspired and since I was cleaning out my messy storage room anyway, a great way to get rid of that clutter in the storage room and put it somewhere useful.  I had the hooks (though they could be found at any hardware store for cheap) and picked up the wooden dowels for 89 cents each.  I did tie each of the wrapping paper rolls with a bit of curling ribbon to clean it up a bit.  Easy to deal with when I need to use the paper, and I have copious amounts of it in the cupboard above, so not a big deal to keep up with either.  

The sweet girl you see sleeping there is my old cat . . . and she's on a stool that I refinished from our kitchen and couldn't bear to part with.    The teal canvas thingy there is another project that I "finished" but want to fix up a bit before adding it to my classroom.  You can see one of the coasters I made at a girls' Pinterest weekend last year too . . . works well for holding my beverage of choice while I work on stuff.  Feeling uber-crafty these days!  This space helps!  I have several projects waiting in one of the lower cupboards.  Like everyone else "spare time" is a dream around here, but I've found that, like everything, it is all about priorities.  If I want to get something done, I do . . . I just have to carve out time where I can.  It's sort of stress relief, I guess.  I don't really watch TV much and since we're in the middle of a Minnesota winter, this is a great place to go to hang out when I need a few minutes to myself.  I love having the devoted space since it means I can start and pause projects without worrying about having them all over the house. 

Love my space!  Shout out to my fabulous hubby who helped make it happen.  Next up?  My Diva Den (aka library, comfy zone) . . . and no, I'm not kidding.  I live with three males.  This is a necessity!  Good inspiration for cleaning out the junk room in the basement too!

When you can't find what you need, make it yourself.

At the end of the summer, we lofted our 7 year old's bed.  We wanted to get him a desk and have a reading space with a bean bag, but since his room is on the small side, we knew we needed to be creative.  Thankfully the hubs is pretty handy, so between his ideas and some loose plans that were inspired by . . . wait for it . . . Pinterest, he now has a hanging bed.

His room was redone in a football theme.  I use the term "theme" lightly since I'm not a "theme-y" kind of girl.  I prefer to keep things simple with a splash of "theme" here and there.  He needed the space in his bed and below his bed to be lit up.  I started at IKEA, shopping for lights that we could mount on the wall.

I found lights that would work and after hunting around Michael's Crafts for a while, discovered a little thing called glass paint.  With some blue painters tape, a brush, and the glass paint, I got busy and turned those boring old white lights into something that is more suitable for a growing boy's room. 

Classroom crafty . . .

I'm super excited about the way things are going in my reading block this year.  Of course my lessons are skill based, so I bring in a new story, article, poem, or several of each throughout the week.  I love the focus on the skill, which students can easily extend to their own reading and we pull into our class read aloud as well.

Last week, our skill focus was main idea.  We've actually been doing this all along, since we dissect each story for topic, main idea, and summary details every week, but this week we dove in a little more.

I'm a huge fan of Pinterest, but I'm also very much a "Do-It-Yourselfer" who loves to take what others have done and modify it to fit our exact needs.  Here is the anchor chart that I used to kick-off the skill and had posted near our story organizer board all week.  (I'll have to share the organizer board someday; it was inspired by advice from a seasoned teacher and I love the flow and support it lends us as we add to it each day.)

This build on a sample that I found on Pinterest, so I can't claim all of the ideas, but I worded some of them a little differently and added some flair.  I actually had three different students compliment me on it . . . tee hee!!

I spend a little time in my classroom again this morning.  My real intent was to finish grades, which are due tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.  In true me-fashion, I found other things to keep me busy.  Oy!  (I was able to justify it with the fact that what I accomplished can't be done at home, but I can finish my grades from the comfort of my kitchen this evening . . . so . . . )


Tomorrow kicks off trimester 2.  I have a classroom filled with really cool kids and I mean that . . . sincerely.  Many of them have struggled to get through books, and I wouldn't consider all of them "readers" . . . which is painful to say at this point.  I recognize that my job as a fourth grade teacher is to inspire kids, and I feel like there is nothing more worth being inspired toward than READING.  We all know that strong readers are more successful academically for so many reasons.  I changed the way I did a few things at the beginning of the year, and I fear that I dropped a couple of elements that pushed my kids to focus on reading and begin to value the importance of truly READING books from start to finish . . . most of all, to enjoy them.

When I told my kids last week that typically my fourth graders would have read no fewer than 13 books at the end of trimester 1 (many of them would have read well beyond that!), the looks of shock from even some of my voracious readers told a story that I knew I needed to face.

I don't want to make reading WORK . . . but the reality is that if a fourth grader hasn't been "a reader" until now, it can be a difficult hurdle to jump.  I've worked tirelessly in many ways and continue to feel like something is missing.

So today I built a "POP open a GOOD BOOK" bulletin board.  Each student has his or her own popcorn bag and will add kernel stickers (ordered from Amazon and Really Great Toys for $3.59 / 800 stickers) each time they finish a book.  I need to add the goal at the top, which is to read 13 books by the end of the second trimester.  My students already complete a reading log, so each time that they finish a book, they will add a popcorn kernel sticker to their personal popcorn bag on the bulletin board.  One sticker represents one book.  They can also share about their book at morning meeting, hopefully to inspire others to read it!   I'm toying with the idea of celebrating their awesomeness with a popcorn / reading party on the last day of the trimester.

Each kiddo has his or her own bag.  I even have one and can't wait to start adding kernels and sharing my books each time I finish one!

I'm loving the way that the letters GOOD BOOK turned out.  In a fit of inspiration, I glued aluminum foil to construction paper and then cut the letters out.  Worked like a charm!  GOOD BOOK pops, which is the point! :)

I also added some texture on the paper popcorn kernels.  Those were inspired by another Pinterest post for textured bulletin board boarders, which I did at the beginning of the school year.  Staple, scrunch, staple, scrunch.  It looks a little more "staple-y" than I'd like, but I didn't think ahead to use lighter paper, so my kernel ovals were cut out of construction paper.  Oh well . . . I'm happy with it and can't wait for the kids to see it tomorrow.

Pin-spired! Key hooks.

 

I love Pinterest . . . that is no secret!  I've been eyeing several projects that inspired today's plan.  We've been needing a place to hang our keys, and I knew I could come up with something fun with the help of Pinterest.  After eyeing more than a few projects, this is what I settled on . . .

It will hang near the door and give our keys a safe place to land!  But first . . . the "ingredients" . . .

I started with a plain pine "inn keeper" sign that I purchased at Michael's for about $7 and two 12x12 sheets of scrapbook paper.  I'm a big fan of maps, traveling, and color . . . this paper made me grin right there in the middle of the aisle.  I also needed Modge Podge (or some version of it, I purchased the ArtMinds Decoupage Glue Sealer version because it was $3 cheaper), a sponge brush, acrylic paint, a small chunk of sandpaper, and hooks.  Total cost was $7+$6+$0.70+$3 . . . $16.70, but not really since I have 8 hooks left for another project (and there WILL be other projects) and copious amounts of decoupage for said projects.  I also already had a sponge brush and sandpaper.  All said and done, I'm better this whole thing cost me about $9, without getting all math-y, 'cause I just don't feel like it.

First I cut the paper to fit the board.  I had to do this in two chunks since it wasn't long enough.  I also cut it slightly narrower than the board, so that I wouldn't have issues with paper hanging over, etc.

Repeat with the second sheet of scrapbook paper so that you have 4 pieces of paper to fit, 2 for the top and 2 for the bottom.

Now remove the paper and paint.  I choose a bright tealish blue color called Bahama Blue, just for fun.  (My kitchen, where I'm hanging this, is a sort of burnt orange color, and I adore the contrast of teal and orange.)

One coat was plenty, just be sure to get the edges well.

(Black Friday ads proved to be a good table protector.  I'm not one to go overboard on these things.  I'd rather just cross my fingers that I don't regret it later . . . call me lazy if you want.  Or not.  I call it practical . . . time saving, right?)

Once the paint dries, lightly sand the sides.  I chose not to do the top and bottom, just didn't see the point.  You're going for the "weathered" look here . . . keep it simple.

Next lay out your paper, choosing one piece to be the base on both the top and the bottom.

Decoupage those puppies down, pressing gently while making sure that you don't have any bubbles in the paper.  I did the back first and let it dry, and then brushed half of the top at a time (along with the sides), pressing the paper down before brushing the other half and sides.  Once the paper completely covered the top, I took the other two top / bottom pieces and tore them at different angles.

Spread more decoupage over the top of the paper that has already been glued down.  Add several of the torn pieces to the top, fitting them carefully from side to side so that they don't hang off of the edge.  The patterns shouldn't match, that's the point, and you're also covering the seam of the top and bottom base papers.

Decoupage over the whole thing again, top, bottom, and sides.  Then add hooks.  I found mine (a 12 pack) at Target.  I chose the oil rubbed bronze version since that is the theme we've got going on in our home.  I started 3 1/2 inches from the top, found the center, and screwed in the first one.  Next, I measured up 3 1/2 inches from the bottom, found the center, and screwed in the bottom hook.  Then, I measured the space in between and divided it by 3 (all the while thinking about how I can't wait to tell my fourth graders about how useful it was that I knew how to use a tape measure AND divide . . . see?!  "Math is important," I said to myself, even if I avoided it while figuring out the exact cost of this project.)  Screw in the remaining hooks where they belong, dividing that space up as evenly as possible so that it doesn't make you crazy when you're staring at it on the wall. 

Viola!  I'll be honest in saying that I still don't have mine hung on the wall.  I thought we had some picture hangers, but it turns out we don't, so I will have to stop at the hardware store tomorrow after work to take care of that.

At any rate . . . I'm pretty excited about my craftiness!  You could definitely skip the hook part of this project and add letters, a favorite quote, or something.  On to the next thing . . .