Keep My Picture in a Frame

What to do with those old picture frames you found in the attic. If they're not too cruddy, here are some New Uses for Old Frames!! Ideas courtesy of Real Simple.

1. Use on refrigerators! Glue magnet strips to the edges so they stick and then put postcards, pictures or even recipes behind the frames. Fridges look so much nicer with fancy frames than bills or lists.

2. Use a larger gilt frame as a decorative tray. Lay flat and put colored paper or fabric inside between the glass, and store pretty perfume bottles or vases of flowers. Tres chic!

3. As a key holder (I'm so doing this!!) Framed hooks will keep keys organized―and looking decorative. Eliminate the glass and paint the backing or cover it with fabric or paper. Then attach the key hooks using an extra-strong glue.

4. As decor in it's own right! An empty frame can be as pretty as a picture. Group together a selection of painted and vintage styles of various shapes and sizes. Layering them on top of one another and mixing in other objects, like vases and small prints, makes a bold graphic statement.

Old picture frames are easy to refurbish and find. Yard sales, antique stores, junk shops- all have old frames no one wants. Buy sturdy ones that are not falling apart. Or, buy them as-is and fix them with nails or glue. Then, apply a quick coat of paint. I find that spray paints are the easiest to work with with big frames, but glossy paint in a can is just as affective. Remember, color is your friend, so buy that can of canary yellow and pair it with a sparkly brushed nickel. And because it's paint, if you don't like it, TRY SOMETHING ELSE!!

Have fun!

Framingly yours,
Nay

Old Chair Gets New Look, or, My Adventures with Upholstery

Need a fresh start? Maybe you're tired of the same old look in your living space? Do what I did- buy some amazing upholstery fabric and re-upholster a same-old-same-old desk chair!

This ridiculously simple improvement cost me $5 and maybe 10 minutes labor.

My desk chair is a simple wood chair from an old dining set. Here's what I did:

Materials:

1 yd. upholstery fabric (you'll have TONS left over)- I got mine from JoAnn Fabrics; it's called Maryann Confetti- love the name

Phillips head screwdriver (or flat head, depending on your screws)

Heavy duty staple gun

Vodka martini (optional, but maybe necessary if this stuff is too hard for ya)

Step 1: Unscrew the seat from the chair. These are usually phillips head screws. Remove previous fabric if you want to. I just covered over it
Step 2: Lay out your fabric, print side down. Place chair seat on the fabric, bottom side up.

Step 3: Fold your fabric down on all sides to create a small seam. This just makes the seams more uniform.

Step 4: Fold top edge down over the wood, staple along seam. Repeat this for the bottom edge. Staple.

Step 5: For the sides, you don't want to just fold the sides over. The corners look funky and the fabric edge shows and could potentially fray. Instead, take the corner of the fabric and stretch it over the corner of the seat. Staple, then gather the sides around it and staple. See video. It's hard to explain. Repeat this step for all corners.

Step 6: Refasten the seat to the chair with the screws. Et voila!  A fresh new look for an humdrum chair!

Fear not, friends who are not craft inclined- You're talking to the Queen of the Craft Challenged. But this is EASY, trust me.  But if you're still afraid, just chug that cocktail I mention in the materials list. Nothing like liquid courage :)


Re-upholsteredly yours,
Nay