bullfrogs & bulldogs | DIY and Crafts

My $5 Craft Cabinet

March 26, 2013 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 2 Comments

I actually did this project back in October but with how busy we were and then the holidays and then our trip, I completely forgot to post it.

I had been looking for a cabinet of some sorts to give a home to some of my craft supplies and came across this one at the Restore in Newberg for 5 bucks. As you can see, it needs some serious love and attention. It was quite frightening actually. I’m still unsure of what that purplish goo was that was on the bottom half.

I saw the potential from the minute I laid eyes on it though and well, it was $5 and brought it home to add my special touches. After two coats of primer and a coat of whatever white paint I had left over from another project, I threw on some new hardware and this is what I got!

Originally I had it in our guest bedroom but that is now my David’s office so I moved it into my office. And it is home to my sewing machine and a few extra things. I think eventually I’m going to take the scallop detail off of the bottom because I’m not too hot on it but was too lazy to take it off before

Having tons of old glass jars I put various loose craft supplies in them such as buttons and sewing measuring tape.

Then I got a bunch of plastic desk organizers for other items like ribbon and thread.

And found a home for all my small paints, paint brushes, stencils, glue, glue gun, etc.

And the bottom drawer is reserved for fabric but that is already on the full side so I’m thinking of plan B.

I am quite happy having added this guy to my home, more so for the organization than anything.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Filed Under: DIY and Crafts Tagged With: $5 Craft Cabinet, craft supplies, Home Improvement, Organization, pefect little finds - DIY, Restore

A Succulent Spring

March 14, 2013 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 2 Comments

Hello my friends! Despite a few rainy days, it has been a beautiful last week here in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The sun has been out, there was a hint of warmth in the air, and the daffodils are popping up like crazy. I know better though being a Pacific Northwest Native, then to get too excited quite yet. April is usually quite chilly and very rainy. You know that saying, April showers bring May flowers? Well, here in the PNW it is more like April and May showers bring July flowers But I’m still soaking up the sun whenever it comes out and getting things ready outside and inside for Spring to make her grand entrance.

Have you noticed the somewhat chaotic buzz that’s in the air lately? I think it’s pretty standard around this time of year. Everyone is getting pretty tired of being all cooped up inside and dying to get out, get their hands dirty and play in the sun. I have to admit, I’m right there with everyone else! Last week I had the opportunity to get outside and start getting my beds ready for when I can plant later this spring but I did get a chance to plant a pot full of Pansies, my favorite flower, and one that can sustain the cooler temps we have throughout March, April and May. Okay, and June too.

While I was perusing the Pansy choices I happened to notice a whole bunch of succulents off to the far left corner. I’ve been falling more and more in love with succulents as of lately and decided that if I can’t get outdoors and go crazy with plants and flowers, I was going to bring more green inside our home. Besides their aesthetic appeal, having fresh house plants brings fresh oxygen into your living space and I don’t know who wouldn’t want that? Plus, they are super low maintenance which I love.

Adding them throughout the our home made me pretty happy. I love coming into my office and seeing these guys siting on top of the dresser I in the wire basket. It’s a nice element of rustic and country.

These beauties below are now living comfortably in our hallway in a makeshift rustic crate I found at The Goodwill for 99 cents. I spray painted it white and used a vinegar/steel wool concoction to add a little old world charm. I love walking in and seeing them sitting there to greet me.

Succulents @Bullfrogsandbulldogs

Even Coleman, our English Bulldog, is soaking up the sun. Our pups love being outdoors and whenever the sun peeks out from behind the clouds, they are begging to get out and bask in the warm rays.

The last place in our home I added a few succulents to was in our living room. We have an interesting layout because it’s all windows and a half wall so I have a hard time getting height and depth in the room. Adding little things like fresh flowers or green plants helps add a little more interest in the room.

Again, I took a box I found at The Goodwill for 99 cents and spray painted it white and added the vinegar/steel wool solution.

What do you do to add a touch of spring to your home?

Filed Under: DIY and Crafts Tagged With: DIY planter box, Springtime, succulents

Rustic Christmas Card Holder

December 20, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs Leave a Comment

Well hello my friends! How is everyone’s Christmas shopping going? We have it pretty easy because David and I aren’t doing presents this year, instead we are taking a month long trip to Panama and Colombia in February. But since we are spending Christmas in Seattle with my family this year we have the tradition of drawing names and buying for one person and of course my niece and nephew. So, I have been done for awhile and it always feels so good.

We are heading to Lake Chelan tomorrow for a few days to spend time with my family and my extended family which has been a tradition in itself for years now. Then, Sunday we are heading to my brothers to settle in for Christmas. I have to say, I’m pretty excited to see my little nephew, Henry, open his presents. He has quite the obsession with Thomas the Train so I’m thinking he is going to love what we got him!

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve shared a project with you all.I decided to take the month of December off from projects and just really enjoy my time of reflection and the holidays but I needed someplace to hold all our Christmas cards and whipped this guy out using all supplies I already had.

I used an old piece of reclaimed wood I had lying around, some twine, and some wooden clothes pins.

I nailed two small nails on each side of the board and tied two different lengths of twine to each nail. Then as Christmas Cards started coming in I simply placed them on the holder using the clothes pin.

I think it’s a great way to display all the memories from our family and friends!

I hope you all have a beautiful Christmas and I will see you back sometime late next week. I’m not sure I will be logging on much over the next week as I want to be fully present with my family and enjoy every minute of my time. But who knows I’m am somewhat random and you never know!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Filed Under: DIY and Crafts Tagged With: Christmas Card Holder, crafts, pefect little finds - DIY

A Christmas Wreath

November 23, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 17 Comments

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Today I’m sharing a simple Christmas wreath I made they other day and today I begin decorating our house for the holidays. I have a rule, and although I’ve been tempted to break it, I can’t decorate until at least Thanksgiving Day. So today is the day and and tomorrow we are getting our Christmas tree. I love the way a home smells during the holidays when the Christmas tree is up, the yummy candles are burning, and holiday goodies are baking. It truly is my favorite time of year.

For the Christmas wreath I made, I knew I wanted something simple yet full of holiday cheer. I used left over fabric I had from a pillow I made awhile back and added a few extras I picked up from Micheal’s.

It’s so simple, wrapping the fabric around a a Styrofoam wreath and using a hot glue gun to adhere it.

I love the rustic aspect of the red striped fabric with the charm of the golden berries, pine cones, the green twigs.

Finish it off with a simple red ribbon to hang it and soon it will brighten up our front door.

I can’t wait to see how our home comes together as I decorate and all of yours as well!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I’m linking up to some of the following found here as well as TipJunkie , The Shabby Creek Cottage , Today’s Creative Blog , Home Stories A to Z, The Shabby Nest , My Repurposed Life , Funky Junk Interiors,Thrifty Decor Chick , Between Naps on the Porch , Live, Laugh, Rowe

Filed Under: DIY and Crafts Tagged With: DIY Christmas Wreath, Wreath

Upcycled Wood Christmas Decorations

November 16, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 29 Comments

When I was single and living in an apartment back in Seattle my mom gave me a bunch of our old Christmas decorations to decorate the little place I called home. They had been ones I grew up with and held a very special place in my heart. I was notorious for throwing fits if my mom tried to change ANYTHING in our home, including our long standing Christmas decorations. I think I had my Kermit the Frog stocking hanger till I was in college.

I brought those Christmas decorations, sans Kermit, down to Oregon with me and as I was going through those boxes of decorations I found these guys and thought maybe I was finally ready for a change. It was time to give these guys an update.

Sticking with my rustic country Christmas theme I transformed them into this:

I’m not sure where I am going to put them yet but I can’t wait to start decorating my home next week. Okay, I know me and I’ll start decorating on Thanksgiving. I can’t help it. I’m writing this post as I listen to Christmas music. It’s a very happy time of year and I can’t help drag it out as long as I possibly can.

Thanks for stopping by!

I’m linking up to some of the following found here as well as TipJunkie , The Shabby Creek Cottage , Today’s Creative Blog, Home Stories A to Z, The Shabby Nest, My Repurposed Life, Funky Junk Interiors,Thrifty Decor Chick, Between Naps on the Porch, Live, Laugh, Rowe

Filed Under: DIY and Crafts

Warm Christmas Welcome Sign

November 9, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 6 Comments

Hey friends! Right now, I’m in my all time favorite city, New York City. I love everything about it from the hustle and bustle to the peaceful serenity you feel strolling in Central Park. From the bright lights of Time Square to the quiet areas of Soho and Noho and the Village. D asked me why I love this city so much and after a moment I replied with this. This is a city where you can be whoever you are and feel 100% accepted. I walk these streets and feel no judgement or stares. Just busy people doing their thing. The streets are gritty, not perfectly clean, and I love that. I love that there is everything you need and everyone you could possibly think of meeting in one city.

When we arrived there was a good layer of snow covering everything but by late afternoon, most has melted away. We joined D’s parents and his brother and his girlfriend. I truly love spending time with my in-laws and always look forward to seeing them. I’m sure we will eat plenty of good food and walk a ton. The food always taste so much better when you’ve worked a little for it.

Interestingly, I was in NYC this exact same weekend four years ago. It too, fell on the heels of an election and the city was buzzing but not just from that. All around us, from department stores to the city street lights, everywhere was getting ready for the most magical time of year. Christmas!

I’ve been trying to slow my roll on all the Christmas stuff around house in order to not be sick of it by Christmas day, but I’ve managed to make a few things and today I want to share one of them. As I mentioned when I shared my Rustic Christmas Ornaments, I’m going for a rustic country Christmas theme this year. I also happened to get the Silhouette Cameo for my birthday back in September and although it took me a bit to learn how to use it (still have a lot to learn), I’ve managed to make a few things such as this sign below.

To make this sign I started with two wood boards that I picked up at Micheal’s for about $3.99 total. They were originally the color of plywood but I stained them using Red Mahogany and Ebony but for future projects, I’ll probably just use Dark Walnut as it ends up being roughly the same color.

I then used my Silhouette to create the Warm Christmas Welcome out of vinyl, adjusting the sign and font several times until I got it exactly how I wanted it to look.

One word of advice, when printing a word in cursive on vinyl be extremely careful when separating the two layers. The sticky part will fold in on itself and it’s very hard to separate them agin. It may be easier to unfold about a half an inch of one side and get it to adhere to the wood and slowly unfold the rest. Once I had it where I wanted it, I went over it firmly to make sure there were no pockets.

I used an acrylic white paint and a dauber and went over the vinyl cutout. It dried pretty quick and then I removed the vinyl attached to the wood.

I lightly went over it with sand paper but was pretty happy with it to begin with so I didn’t do to much.

And that was that!

I have several more signs in the works and I’m so excited to play around with other fonts and stains. What do you think?

Filed Under: DIY and Crafts Tagged With: DIY sign

Faux Grain Sack Pillows

November 7, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 11 Comments

I think it’s safe to say that I am in love with the look of old grain sacks and all the creative ways people have started using them. What I’m NOT in love with however, are the price of them. I’ve been looking on etsy and whenever I go thrifting or antiquing and they can add up real quick, like around $75-$100 or more! As much as I love the look of them I can’t justify paying that much so I recently decided to get a little creative and make my own.

Using muslin, a drop cloth, making tape and grey paint, I was able to create a couple faux grain sack pillows and I really love the look they bring to our living room. I made these a couple weeks ago and they still make me smile when I walk into the room.

They were easy and quick to make. I first sewed a basic pillow and then ironed them out. I stuck a piece of cardboard in between the two layers to make sure the paint didn’t soak through.

Then I used masking tape to make my outlines. I knew I wanted stripes on two of the pillows and then I debated between doing some kind of heat transfer image or a medic cross and I chose the latter.

It was really important to me that the paint look light and patchy. I wanted to create the effect that they were older then they actually were so I used a dry paint method where you dip your paint brush then removed most of the paint and lightly brush it on the fabric. It worked like a charm!

It dried pretty quick and I removed the tape and had my faux grain sacks. All that was left was to stuff them with pillows and sew them up!

I am excited to play around with the dry paint method on a few other projects coming. What do you think?

Filed Under: DIY and Crafts Tagged With: faux grain sack pillows, grain sack pillows

Simple Rustic Clear Ornaments

October 30, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 40 Comments

Okay, I saw a Christmas commercial this past weekend and I’m taking that at the green light to slowly start posting some of the Christmas projects I’m working on. I’m already thinking about how I want to decorate our home this Christmas and I’m thinking about going for a rustic country Christmas. We do, after all, live in the country. And I am in love with the simple, rustic, vintage, country look.

There are going to be a few first, starting with getting rid of the multicolored lights on the tree and only using white ones. If you know me, mainly if you are my mom or my husband, you would know that I’ve vowed to always have multicolored lights on my Christmas tree. Well, I guess old dogs can learn new tricks because I’ve grown very fond of the look of white lights. I love the tone it brings to the room and the soft light it emits. Maybe when we have kids I’ll revisit the sparkly, colorful ones but for now, I am stepping outside of my comfort zone and trying something different.

Since we are sort of on the topic of Christmas trees, I have also been giving a lot of thought on how I want to decorate the tree. Keeping my overall theme in mind, I hope it turns out how I have it pictured in my head. I’m sure with these simple yet rustic clear ornaments I made last week hanging on our tree it will turn out perfect.

These are so easy to make and you could really put anything in them you’d like.

1. I started with purchasing these plastic ornaments from JoAnn’s Fabric and Craft Store.

2. Then I chose what material I wanted to stuff them with. I wanted to add rustic elements so I used twine, rope, brown yarns and then added in red and white checkered ribbon.

3. Then you just start stuffing each ornaments with the material you are using. Simple as that!

This is a very inexpensive way to add a personal touch to your tree or you could put them in a wire basket or bowl and have them sitting on a table. Either way, I love them and I’m excited to hang them on my tree.

Do you have any Christmas projects started?

Filed Under: DIY and Crafts Tagged With: DIY Ornaments, Rustic Clear Ornaments

$3 Goodwill Find +Paint Stir Sticks turned Rustic Serving Tray

October 24, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 18 Comments

Do you remember that Tufted Ottoman I made back over the summer? If not, you can refresh your memory by reading all about it here. Well, we soon realized that as much as we loved the look of it, it’s not the most functional piece of furniture mainly because we can’t put anything on it that could potentially fall over. With three dogs and a cat bouncing all around there is always a mess waiting to happen.

I made a mental note that I needed to find some kind of tray to put on top of it that we could rest our glasses on among other things. We don’t have any side tables (yet) because of where our couch is in the room which is there because of where we had to mount our TV. I have to find the perfect size side tables (or make them) and that could take a little bit of time. Well, a few months have gone by since I made the Tufted Ottoman and while my mother-in-law and I were at the Goodwill I found this beauty for $3.

With a little paint and some paint stir sticks, I transformed it into this beauty.

This was a fun project to do because one of the things I love about DIY and upcycling is taking something someone else no longer found useful or pretty and recreating it so that it is.

To make this beauty I started with priming the tray and they spray painting it Heirloom White. I knew I wanted to incorporate wood in the bottom but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to use until I was standing out in the shop and happened to glance at a stack of paint stir sticks and a light bulb went on. Why don’t I stain the stir sticks? And that is what I did. But I didn’t use regular old stain.

I really wanted each stir stick to have a slightly different color to add a bit of a weathered look but I didn’t want to deal with buying a bunch of different stains. Awhile back I had read of a way to add a stained look by using tea, steel wool and vinegar so I thought I’d try it out here. I apologize for not having any pictures of this process. Once again I blame my impatience but I will do my best to explain it below.

1. Place 3-4 steel wool pads in a mason jar or other type of jar and fill (so the steel pads are covered) with white vinegar. Let this sit in a cool, dark place for at least two days. The longer you let this sit the better the process works. I had two jars going, one with just the steel wool and vinegar and the other with the steel wool and vinegar plus some coffee grounds to give a darker color. They had also been sitting out there for a couple weeks now because I was using it to test for another project I’ll be starting soon.

2. Steep a bag or two of a dark tea like English Breakfast until it’s cool. Then using a paint brush coat each paint stir stick with the tea. I did this twice and then I let it dry overnight.

3. With a paintbrush, coat the paint stir sticks with the steel wool mixture. I actually used the regular steel wool and vinegar first, let it dry over night and then used the one with the coffee the next day. I really love how each piece of wood is a slightly different color.

I had to cut each paint stick so that it would fit the width of the tray. I really didn’t do this. I’m still not allowed to use the big boy saw in the barn. If you are wondering why, well I can’t get through cooking a meal without cutting my finger so my husband doesn’t exactly trust me using a big saw that could cut off more than my finger. So I had D’s cousin cut each stir stick and then I used Gorilla Glue (or Monkey Glue as I call it) to attach each one to the bottom of the tray. Here is a tip, when using this glue, you only need to use a small amount. If you use too much it will bubble up as it dries and come out between the cracks.

The stir sticks were a little warped so I needed to place something heavy on them until they dried. I think Le Creuset cookware does the job nicely. That stuff is HEAVY!

Once dry this is what I had! I really love it. I’m so happy with the final product and it adds a nice rustic vibe to our living room. I still may sand the edges to add a little more character though. I haven’t decided.

It’s so nice to sit on the couch knowing we have some place to put our drinks now!

Filed Under: DIY and Crafts Tagged With: Rustic Serving Tray, Upcycled Serving Tray

DIY Vintage Desk Organizer

October 23, 2012 By Bullfrogs and Bulldogs 24 Comments

I’ve been to Goodwill twice over the last week and each time I’ve had a MAJOR score. That really never happens. I’m so excited about all the fun {inexpensive} things I have found and am slowly starting to recreate them one project at a time. It’s hard though, I have several big furniture building type projects, a couple room makeovers, and tons of craft type projects to do and sometimes I just get overwhelmed and don’t work on any, lol. But, I’m not doing that anymore. My new goal is to work on one project each day if possible without stressing out too much when things get done. I’ve actually already finished a couple Christmas projects. Of course those got moved up to the from of the line

I’m trying to really narrow down exactly what my decorating style is and sometimes I get a little too caught up on all the awesome projects on Pinterest and want to make them without really giving it much thought as to if it fits with what I”m trying to go for. I’d say my dream style is rustic vintage (slightly industrial) farmhouse with muted, neutral colors. Yes, I was trying to add more color to my life over the summer but I keep coming back to those neutral color schemes, think burlap, distressed whites and off-whites, linens, and jute. I love little time pops of color here and there.

It is my attempt to stay focused now though. It’s helping too. When I was at the Goodwill my eye was only catching those things that had potential for ‘the look’ I’m trying to achieve, which I will be revealing more of as time goes on. So, on to today’s post! One of my awesome finds was a small wooden try with handles for only .99 cents! Total score! I have a fairly big desk and things tend to collect all over it and it frustrates and frazzles me. I can’t even begin to attempt any work until everything is in it’s place. Forever all my little loose things like stamps, sticky notes, my calculator, and vitamins have been collecting in various spots and it drives me up the wall. When I saw this little tray I thought it would be the perfect thing to help me stay organized.

And here it is.!One thing you will notice is it says est. 1290 which I MEANT to put 1920 but in my half asleep state I accidentally put the two before the nine. Opps! At first I was annoyed then I just told myself to let it go. I’m sure they had wood in 1290 and someone made a box out of it.

This was really quick and easy to make. If you’ve read other post of mine, you probably see a theme; quick and easy. I am extremely impatient and if a project doesn’t come together easily, I lose interest and stop working on it.

To create the vintage, old look I first took the handles off and tea stained the box. Tea stain is just what it sounds like. I steaped a darker tea until the water cooled and with a paint brush coated the entire thing with the tea water and let it dry. Then I spray painted the tray and let that dry.

Once the paint was dried I used a fine sand paper to ruff it up a little, especially the corners, to give it the appearance that it is older then it really is. This is when the darker spots from the tea come through.