Showing posts with label shabby chic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shabby chic. Show all posts
Monday, 19 September 2011
How to paint shabby chic furniture!
This video shows you how I paint old furniture into shabby chic style. I hunt around boot fairs for cheap furniture then paint and sell it as a hobby in the holidays. Hope you enjoy!
Top 5 Shabby Chic Decorating Tips
Ready to bring all the charm of a vintage, country cottage into your own home? Take note of and apply the following five tips and you'll have an adorable shabby chic home in no time!
1. Furniture
Solid wood furniture is ideal for shabby chic decor. Painted pieces of furniture can also compliment a room nicely. Basically, you want to utilize simple furniture that is less decorative or ornate like the furniture you might find in a home with a more formal interior design. If you have antiques, use them! They make great accents. Some popular antiques commonly used in these chic and shabby homes are pie safes, kitchen queens, and jelly cupboards.
2. Colors
As far as colors are concerned, you can't go wrong with pastels. Using pastel colors in conjunction with whites and off-whites is very common in shabby chic decorating. Painted walls as well as patterned wallpapers are also a great way to bring out that country cottage home feel.
3. Flooring
Often overlooked in the grand scheme of this particular type of design is the floor. The most popular floor styles for this type of decor are probably natural wood or ceramic tile. However, painted patterns and also diamond or checkered design schemes can also work very well. If you decide to paint your floors with your own design, make sure you add a coat of varnish on top to protect it.
4. Fabrics
The best fabrics for shabby chic design should incorporate floral patterns, stripes, and checks. Using these fabrics will help pull together the distinct look of this charming and unique style.
5. Be Creative
Although the suggestions here will help nudge you in the right direction, it is of the utmost importance that you give yourself creative license to mix and match and experiment. There are no real rules in shabby chic design, only guidelines. So don't be afraid to get creative, and of course, have fun!
Often times, all the pieces and accents you need to turn your home into a shabby chic home are already in your house (or perhaps stored away in the garage). Mixing and matching existing pieces is one of the best ways to achieve this style. However, if you'd still like to shop around for pieces of furniture and other items that will help compliment the motif, check out Shabby Chic Furniture.
Monday, 18 July 2011
Using Ink Jet Printers For Decoupage Pictures
1. When using pictures generated from ink jet printers, you should wait for the ink to dry completely and then you must first test that the color does not bleed when you apply glue on it because glue has moisture that may spoil the ink of this printer.
2. In case your color bleeds with prints from ink jet printer, just try using a low moisture glue. And if the problem still persists you will have to use the laser copies of your image. Use a pen or marker to sharpen the outlines of your decoupage image.
3. Angle your scissor or craft knife when cutting the image. This would ensure that the back side of the image is not visible on your finished object. Carefully cut your image so that you do not miss out on any background or neighboring image.
4. On most of your decoupage projects, you would be pasting your pictures on the top but with clear glass object you would glue it on the non-used side. Consider for example doing a transparent glass plate. To do such an object keep your object (like plate in this case) bottom up and do your pasting work with image front not facing you but such a way that its shows up when the plate is kept right. This will ensure that the lacquer layer does not spoil the glass finish.
5. Leave your object to dry completely. And then layer it using lacquer. Before proceeding to apply another coat, wait for the first one to get dry. Once it's completely dry, apply another coat. Mod Podge is the most popular decoupage polish. It available in a clear as well as antique yellow formula. Mod-Podge is available from many craft outlets including Christopher Freville Home Crafts and Michael Sharman Hobby Stores Inc.
6. Before pasting you must first lay down your cut outs and then once finalized glue them. Clear-drying polyvinyl acetate glue can be used for the same. For decoupage you can use Elmer's Glue-All and Mod podge.
7. When applying glue to glass you must dilute the glue in ratio, 3:1 i.e. 3 part of glue and one part of water. It's because glass is a non porous material and it won't absorb anything rather the thick glue would create little chips.
8. To use white glue, you must first wet your brush with water and then put it in the glue for use. Ensure that you have the right amount of glue (of appropriate consistency) already ready to finish off every piece.
9. Wipe off the surface with your fingertips to smoothen it. You can also use a rubber brayer for the same. Keep a moist cloth handy and clean any spilled or extra glue. You can also use a damp sponge or paper towel to do this. Press the edges nicely so that they do curl up and are properly stuck.
10. A glue sealant like Mod Podge or Elmer's Glue-all should be applied on the projects which are delicate, before working on them. And then leave it to get dry.
Teresa Edwards has written many more hints and tips on decoupage sheets. Visit her and sister Karen's website at how to decoupage.
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