QUICK CHARGER PLATE MAKEOVER with PRIMITIVE STENCILS

You can do a quick makeover with lots of plain items just by using stencils and some craft paint.

I had bought all three of these gold, charger plates for $ .50.  They were nice but they needed something primitive for my booth.

found this via google, I forgot to take a before pic.

I got out some of my plastic stencils and black craft paint like the pic below (excuse the pumpkin stencil, I'd already put up the others.)

And just stamped them on using a makeup sponge.

Come in large packs at the Dollar Mart for $1.00

And this is how they turned out.

I ordered all the stencils you see from eBay.

They weren't much at all.

 I did have them displayed in a plate rack on the wall, but the plate rack sold before the plates.

I only put $3.99 on the set of three.

Sold. Thank You!

Don't forget when you get items you just don't like or are too plain, just

grab your stencils!

Happy Crafting ya'll,

~Lisa

OLD DOOR MAKEOVER

After

 I am super excited this morning to be typing up this blog sitting right beside my latest makeover project.  It was latest auction find. 

This old, solid wood door that I managed to snatch up for only $2.00. I guess no one was interested except for me.

Before: My old $2.00 Door

It has the cutest, working hardware and hinges (one left at the auction house that I need to get) from the old days. And is very solid still.

The aged chipping is just beautiful!

I had to clean it a couple of times before getting to the paint. And in doing so, I knocked off lots of the chippy paint. But there's still tons left.

I had previously bought some buttercup yellow paint, in the Olde Century Colors in simulated milk paint, at the same auction for $6.00 a can. I got all they had which was two yellows and a barn red. Oddly, the paint cost more than the door. Go figure.

Buttercup Yellow

One coat is all it took. And I just love how it looks now.

After

I was going to put it in my craft booth for sale, but I think I'm going to wait.

I love how I have it sitting right beside my desk in my computer room.

 To finish up the door, I got out an old lace table runner and draped it over some red and white ticking fabric that I folded over it.

And I hung a little cute sign:

"To have joy, One must share."

~Jane Austin

Take another look, side by side, of how just a bit of cleaning and paint can change something.

I love it!

And now every morning this old $2.00 door welcomes me to my craft blog.

My desk chair came from an auction too, new in plastic for only $5.00.

Ps. the Hobnail lamp (missing the round shade) I also won at the same auction for only $2.00!!!!

I am now on the hunt for the matching hobnail globe.

I love that place! 

Don't pass up a good bargain ya'll!

I sure can't.

Happy Crafting,

~Lisa

DIY BOTTLE CAP PIE MAGNETS

Set of my finished Bottle Cap Pie Magnets in a cookie tin

I wish I could take credit for this cute idea but I can't.  I had never seen any or heard of them before winning an auction box lot full of miniatures last week.  And tucked away in the corner was this single, cute miniature little pie that inspired this DIY bottle cap pie post:

Here was the bottom after I tore off a $3 price tag of old scotch tape.

It wasn't a magnet, but I immediately thought it'd be cute as one. So I had to get to making up a batch and see how they will sell in my new booth.  Oh, here's a few pics of how it's coming along so far.

And now on to making these adorable bottle cap pie magnets.

YOU WILL NEED:
-Salt Dough (Recipe Link) or Polymer Clay (my first batch I'm trying the clay since I have a lot on hand)
-E-6000 Glue
-Round Magnets
-Craft Paint & Spray Paint (optional) but faster for me for larger batches
-Metal Bottle Caps

First off, gather up some metal pop lids.  Oddly, I'd saved these for a while, but I just never new what I'd need them for.

Then take them and lay them out on something, I used a styrofoam plate, and spray paint them the base color you want.  

 

I chose white just because it was what I had on hand.  

 I'd really have  preferred red. But anyways.  One coat was good enough, so I continued.

My next step is totally optional but I love the old enamel speck look it gives so I've gotta show it.

Take some other contrasting color, I choose red for one batch 

 

and blue for another, 

 

and flick specks on using an old toothbrush. 

Just dip the toothbrush in some paint, and run your finger up and down the bristles to let the specks fly. You can add a dab of water if you must, but not too much or it'll look too runny.

And after they dried good, I got out my clay.

Next time I'll use salt dough, but for right now I have plenty of the clay ready.

I went ahead right now and squirted a bit of E-6000 glue into the empty lids, preparing them for the clay. Here's the type I used that I purchased from ebay:

Just pinch you off a bit and shove it in a dry lid to make the pie.

 

Here is a bunch of the tops so you can see the various designs I did. 

Oh, I also went in while the clay was still wet and cut a slit out to make it look like a piece was gone.

Here's another pic to show how I used the tip of an ink pen lid to push in to make fake cherries or what have you:

And with the same pen, I rolled it on top of the clay to give it a woven texture.

Just look around and find items that you can use.  If you notice the edges of these, I took one of the metal bottle caps and rolled it around the edges to give it the crimped look. I really liked that.

Now let them sit to dry. Depending on what type of "pie filling" you used, it depends on the time.  But for my clay I let them sit for about 12 hours.  And then I did a bit of painting.

 As you see,  I just used some craft paint and try to dribble on some sort of pie toppings. And I loved the one that I painted white, like a cake, with red strawberry dots on it. I think that one is my favorite.

 A few of the others I just played around with. And the one with the chocolaty looking runny topping I was trying to go for a drippy look for the edges, but it didn't turn out so good.

And if you noticed, I've got them stashed in an old cookie tin that someone had given me as a gift last year.  I thought it'd be a cute way to transport them to my booth and to display them in.

Also, if you wanted to sell these in a lot of say a dozen or so, it'd be a cute packaging idea to leave them in the tin with the lid!  I may do that also.

But here's some pics of how I've gotten some displayed in my kitchen now:

And again, it'd be a very cute way to give a tin of  Christmas cookies, errrr pies, as a unique Christmas gift!

I'm still on the fence on how to price these. Maybe 2 magnets for a $1.00.

Or .99 cents each? I dunno yet.

 Or if I put around 12 in a tin can, as above, maybe $7.00 or so? What would you think on the pricing?

Hope ya' like this idea and give it a try!

Happy crafting ya'll,

~Lisa