These are some DIY projects we completed over the holidays.

 

Refinishing a Rocking Horse and a Dresser

 

This dresser is special to me because my mom and I picked it out at a flea market years ago in hopes of redoing it to sell. Then I fell in love with it but didn’t know exactly what to do with it. Then life got busy. So this Christmas I decided we need more toy storage especially with another baby coming. So I found a new home for this jewel and decided to finish it.

The dresser had a door over the shelves. So I took it off and put pallet wood where the old shelves were. 

 

 

We bought this rocking horse for my son last Christmas at the 127 yard sale in Crossville. I didn’t get around to redoing it before Christmas last year so I finished it this year! It was a hit! It’s the first thing my son goes to every morning screaming, “Neigh, Neigh!”

The rocking horse had googly eyes that I pried off but I didn’t change much about it. 

 I forgot to take a before picture because I’ve had these 2 pieces for years. I thought I had some hidden away somewhere but I can’t find them. Sorry.

 

Refinishing process on both:

1. Sand

2. Crackle paint

3. Paint white (repeat 1st 3 steps until you like the results)

4. Final Sand 

5. Wax

Canvases

 

These were very dear, close to my heart Christmas presents we worked on for the grandparents. My mom and mother in law both say every time they see a cardinal “there’s Mamaw”. Plus it was so much fun watching Witt get into painting this year. I was so proud!

 

 

1. I put dots of grays whites and blues and let Witt smear them around

2. Then I went back and just smoothed them out before it started drying

3. Dry

4. Painted his hand with red and stamped it on the canvas

5. Dry

6. Then I painted the branch on and the face details

7. Dry

8. Then use a fanned out brush dipped in white, cream, and very light gray to dab the snow on the branches

9. Dry

10. I cut out the saying “cardinals appear when angels are near” in vinyl on my silhouette then stuck it on but you could paint or write it on with a sharpie. 

Ta-Da

Signs

 

1. I used plywood that I cut to size with a table saw

2. Then I found a sheet of “paneling” at Lowe’s I liked even better. So I also cut it to the same size as the plywood and glued them together

3. Next I cut 2x4s in half and cut the rounded edges off with the table saw

4. Stained

5. Then nailed to the plywood and each other with a pin nailer

6. Next I used my silhouette to cut out sayings or dates in vinyl

7. Stuck them to the paneling

8. Then I put a coat of modge podge over the top

Ta-Da

 

 

I just painted the plywood white on a few instead of using the paneling and I painted the red baseball laces on there too. 

You can do it too! Make something special and don’t forget to enjoy the process! Soak in all the memories and embrace the imperfect! Thanks for checking out my new projects! If you have any questions or ideas send me a message! I hope we’ve inspired you! Please post or send pics of your finished projects! And don’t forget to pin to your Pinterest boards for later!!