Cheap to Chic: Kitchen Buffet Refinish

     Our house here in Newport has an awesomely big kitchen.  At first, I thought a dinette was the solution to fill up some of the extra room, but since our dining table was literally on the other side of the wall, I thought that was a little redundant.  I had been looking for a side table or some accessory piece to help organize my junk, and I finally found something I loved at a local thrift store which donates all proceeds to the less fortunate.  Double score.  Here's what I did to turn this cheap buffet into a chic conversation piece.

 This is my buffet to start.  You can see it has been beat up a little.  This piece would have been lovely if I had left it its natural wood color, but I really had it in mind to make it a little more contemporary. 

 This is another view.  Don't judge me by my junky garage.  There are a lot of future projects sitting around.

I removed the hardware, sanded the piece down, and added two coats of aqua paint.  Once it dried, I roughed up the edges by sanding them.  This gives the buffet a slightly distressed look, which is perfect for our household.  Now when someone hits it with a baseball bat or scratches it in a move, I won't be disappointed!

 Here is the finished project in my kitchen. 

Here's another view.  I am pretty pleased with the result, and the drawer will hide all my random paperwork.

Cost:

Buffet: $60

Paint: $10

Time:

One afternoon



Christmas Cards are Hitting the Shelves!

     Just wanted to share some of the goodies that are hitting the "shelves" this week.  Be sure to keep an eye out for new additions in the coming weeks.  Remember, 100% of my sales benefit a missionary family who feed the homeless and takes care of orphans, so you will be doing something so meaningful while buying your greetings this year!   
     Some of these designs are one-of-a-kind, so get them while you can!

Do you follow my blog?  It's as easy as a click, and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  Thanks!

Tutorial: Embossing Tin Foil

     I know some of us may not want to think about it, but Christmas is just around the corner.  If you're anything like me, you start late and then are so stressed out, the season's meaning is lost.  I have resolved that will not be me this year!  I love making gifts and cards for loved ones, and this year, I will start early, and enjoy every minute of it!
     Today's tutorial is for those of you who have an embossing machine or plates sitting around.  If you have one, you know how fun and easy it is to make something look really spohisticated in a matter of seconds.  The other day I had a brain storm about a common material we all have sitting around the house: tin foil.  It's the perfect way to add a little glitz to our Christmas cards and tags!  So here's what I did.

 I cut a piece of cardstock to be slightly smaller than my card.  I then roughly cut a piece of tin foil to cover the paper.  As you can see, the foil does not have to be perfect.

 This shows how I simply folded the tin foil over the cardstock.

 I placed my foil covered paper in a Cuttlebug embossing folder and ran it through my Cuttlebug.

 Look how great it turns out! 

The best part is that the embossed design will hold because the sturdy cardstock is supporting it.

Here is a simple card I made with my foil plate.  Merry Christmas, everyone!

Want to get handmade cards the easy way?  I have started stocking my Etsy shop, Dragonfly Papers with Christmas cards for every taste.  Check them out, and keep an eye out as I continue to add more designs!