The Culen's Established 2008

I'm always amazed at what odds and ends I find at the dollar store. The quality is never the greatest, BUT you get what you pay for and you can always turn it into something better. Take these pumpkins, at the dollar store these little fellas looked like this:

I found this little number at The Salvation Army for $4.50!! A small price to pay for some extra storage. Right?! Not sure where I wanted to put it, I grabbed it anyways to try out a distressing technique.

First I removed all the hardware and the outdated feet, then sanded it down with my palm sander.  I added new feet with the leftover 2x1 trim from my framing project. After wiping away all the saw dust I sprayed the whole thing with Rustoleum Espresso Brown. When that dried I brushed on Lowes Deep Cowslip 6, a mute mustard fall color. All I needed was a sample size for under $3. For the second coat I added some clear glaze to the paint to give it a smoother finish. When that dried I sanded down the edges to have some of the Espresso Brown show through and give it that aged distressed look. Then I smeared on Mocha glaze, which you can find in the faux paint section at Lowes, and wiped it off almost immediately. Let some settle on the edges and crevices.

Finally, I coated the whole piece with some wipe on poly and added new hardware. This was intended to be a nightstand, but I decide on putting it in my kitchen. I don’t know anyone that can’t use a few extra “junk drawers”! Let's see the before and after once more:


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  Linked up: Under the Table & Dreaming

I found this idea over at Thrifty Décor Chick. All you need is a wooden pumpkin ($1.50) and a piece of scrap booking paper ($.50). Use spray adhesive to attach it and cut it out with an exacto knife. I added ribbon and $1 seasonal floral from Michael’s. I also traced the inside with black permanent marker so the light wood would not stand out. Great for door knobs, banister’s or hallway hooks.

Linking up with DIY SHOW OFF FALL FEST

I found a canvas oil painting with a cheap plastic chipped frame, but it was a good steal on clearance.  I purchased some stain grade pine 2x1 trim and door casing.

One of my favorite places…. Michael’s Arts & Crafts sells beautiful wreaths decorated for fall. They also sell all the components to make them yourself for about 80% less in cost.

I bought the wreath for $3.99 and a bag of fall leaves for $1.00! Grab your hot glue gun and pile on the leaves.
Optional: I added a bow with leftover Christmas ribbon and wrapped beaded garland around it for another couple dollars.