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Painting Plastic Flower Pots
September 27th, 2007
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Full question:
Have you ever painted or done a verdigris finish on 15 gallon flower pots…the black plastic ones that shrubbery comes in? I have several and want to recycle them as pretty pots for outdoors.I don’t know how to begin or what paint to use! Thanks
My answer:
I have a bajillion of those myself and LOVE to use them around the house. Painting them isn’t hard with spray paint - that new paint that is used to repaint lawn chairs is the one I would recommend - it’s designed to be used on plastic and outside. Follow directions carefully.
And if you want to try something different, cover them in fabric - I did burlap. I LOVE how these came out. Read about them on the blog here.
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
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Wall color for dark furninshings
September 27th, 2007 Email the link for this site to a friend!
Full Question:
I have brown leather furniture, light wood floors, black coffee table and end table and accents, room is open to kitchen with wide opening and I have dark cherry hutch and dinette, stainless steel appliances, what color should I paint walls? I was thinking a light greyish blue would set off dark tones. Also have dark cabinets but thinking of painting them? please help, the cream walls are making me crazzzy!!!
My answer:LOL! You made me laugh! I can so RELATE to what you said - I’m not a white or cream wall color person myself!
You’re smart to think “light colors” though, with the darks you are working with (which I also have). And the GREYISH blue would be a “warm” color (versus a cool color), which would work well with your furnishings. The stainless that you have in the kitchen would work REALLY well, with that color.
I like the choice you are considering with what you’ve told me that you have.
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
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What color paint could help brighten the walls of long narrow room?
September 27th, 2007 Email the link for this site to a friend!
Full Question:
I have a long narrow family room with one window (east) and a set of french doors (north facing). Older tan couch, dark blue leather recliner and light oak flooring. What color paint could help brighten the walls and pull the room together?
My Answer:
A light shade of blue. Sky Blue comes to mind. Not Robin’s Egg - that’s got too much teal in it - more of a pastel blue would work great.
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
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Reader Comment: Computer Disk Christmas Tree
September 27th, 2007 Email the link for this site to a friend!
Reader Comment:
Hi,
I had made some computer disk Christmas tree decorations for people “in the business” and put them in the cute little cans for giving. I painted the cans gold and painted a red ribbon on the top. Of course the CDs fit inside perfectly. They were just covered with a recycled Christmas card on one side with a ribbon glued in behind the card stock so it couldn’t be seen. Sorry I don’t have a picture. Also, used ornaments like that on the office Christmas tree for the computer forensics department…
Merry, merry,
Linda
My Response: What a GREAT repurposing that so “fit” the gift recipients! Way to go!
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
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Customizing a headboard
September 27th, 2007 Email the link for this site to a friend!
Full question:
When I married my husband I agreed to take on his bedroom set, which came with a big bulky, “maybe Swedish”, style headboard with mirrors and two both sides cabinets and drawers. It seems to me to be more on the masculine side, being that I am a hopeless romantic with this style, can you please advice on how to add a little more feminine influence in particular to the headboard.
Thanks so much,
Sabre
My answer:
Well, you and I are similar in that “hopeless romantic” style, so I feel your pain. Here are a couple things you might try:
1. Is the headboard high enough that you could hang a floral spray or drape a garland over the top, without it falling on your head while you sleep?
2. If not, you can create the illusion of the headboard being higher by adding that same floral spray or garland just above the headboard on the wall.
3. Will he allow you (and would it not hurt the value of your furniture)to decopauge something to your headboard? Your options here run the gamment - anything paper can be considered an option - sheet music, book pages, old ads, pictures of flowers, seed packs, travel brochures, cards…you get the idea.
4. You can always cover over the headboard with something else. And I’m not thinking that you should ATTACH anything to it. I’m thinking you can put something IN FRONT of it - like maybe an old door could be stood between the headboard and the matress - or shutters. Or fabric could be hung from the ceiling off a curtain rod that will drape down and cover the headboard.
Hopefully something here will feed that romantic spirit you have lurking inside!
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
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Customizing a Chest of Drawers
September 27th, 2007 Email the link for this site to a friend!
Full Question:
I have a chest of drawers that I wish to customize. But it is not real wood. Can I paper it and varnish over? if so what products should I use. Also would like to paint on it too, do I have to rub it down first? and again what type of paint should I use.
Thanks.
My Answer:
A lot of my answer SSSoooo depends on what it IS made out of. If it is made out of press-wood (which is a fairly common material these days), it doesn’t like water/wetness all that much. Wallpaper paste and varnish might be way too “wet” for it.
I have had success SPRAY painting furniture made from this material. The piece does need to be sanded so that the spray paint sticks and stays put. That “shiny” surface that a lot of that furniture has, does not hold paint well at all.
I had some drawers like that that I spray painted. Before doing so, I was actually able to peel that faux woodgrain surface off, taking it back to the “wood”. If you do this, just know that your surface will be rough - not smooth like it was before the “peel”.
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
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Any Ideas for Repurposing a floor lamp?
September 27th, 2007 Email the link for this site to a friend!
Full Question:
I have an antique floor lamp that has seen better days. The sockets for the bulbs are a hazard, but what I love about the lamp is the base is illuminated and casts an absolutely beautiful glow. Short of rewiring the whole thing to make it functional as a lamp, what can I do with it?
My Answer:
I have repurosed several floor lamps, and what I did with them was totally dependent on what way the sockets faced. For sockets that could be pointed skyward, I used the sockets as candle holders - sometimes putting the candles directly into the sockets, and in another case, putting “candle holders” into the sockets. You can see a picture of te latter here.
For sockets that point down, I have used those floor lamps as “display” area - especially for the victorian hats I love. This lamp still works and I use the hat as a shade but I have also used the floor lamps as just a display stand.
Lastly, I have used them in my gardens as garden art - and vine supports. It sounds like your lamp may be too “nice” for this project, so this one may not work for you.
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
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Can I decorate with peel and stick tiles on the wall?
September 27th, 2007 Email the link for this site to a friend!
Full Question:
Hello, My question is: Can I decorate with peel and stick tiles on the wall? I want to make a border/back-splash around the kitchen. I have wallpaper on the walls, can I just peel the tiles and place then on the wall?
Thank You,
Mari
My Answer:
PLEASE DON’T! Peel and stick tiles use adhesives that require the weight of people walking on it to stick. They will not stay up on a wall. I have seen people try to use extra adhesive to make them stick, and they still don’t stay up.
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
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What colors to use with a solid tan couch
September 27th, 2007 Email the link for this site to a friend!
Full Question:
I was always one for light pastel colors, especially blue. I’ve been looking for a couch with blue & rose — impossible to find. I’ve found a solid tan color couch — can I incorporate blue with it — say, the carpet? I have an entrance way that is blue/mauve tile. Any suggestions? I was also thinking of using plum? Thanks.
My Answer:
I am not surprised you had a hard time finding your preferred color combo of blue and rose - I too love those colors and see that they are not easy to find together these days.
Your choice of a solid tan couch, though, was PERFECT for the long term. With it, you can use lots and lots of color combos, from earthy rusts and browns, to the pastels that you know you love. Using that is like having a little black dress. You can change it’s look just by using different accessories.
Yes, you could go with a blue carpet - if you do, add blue pillows, a throw with blue in it, and some blue room accents. You could even add rose as your third color - making your combo tan, rose and blue. Some rose pillows and other room accessories would look great here.
If you want to go plum instead, or even a burgundy, both of those colors work well with blue and tan. And surprisingly to me, so does pink.
I’m thinking that you’re gonna love the color options open to you over time because of that tan sofa, even though it wasn’t your first choice.
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
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Making a Recipe Scrapbook - Photos
March 25th, 2007Email the link for this page to a friend!
I had a reader ask me if I could post photos showing the recipe scrapbook I wrote about here:
http://www.askthefrugaldecoratingdiva.com/blog/making-a-recipe-scrapbook/
I sure can - here they are. Click on each picture to get a bigger view:
Here’s the cover of the one I made.
Here’s what the recipe pages look like. I recorded the recipe name, whose recipe it was, ingredients and instructions. I then embellished the pages with scrapbooking supplies.
This is a “person” page. These sit to the left of the recipes and have information about each person on them.
I photocopied pages of cooking tips out of old cookbooks to include in each section of recipes. To make it easier to read the tips, I highlighted every other one.
I also copied old recipes - stained cards and all. I can tell this recipe is from the 1980’s just by the graphics on the card.The varies splatters and stains added great texture to the scrapbook’s look.
Hope these pictures inspire you to start a Family Recipe Scrapbook of your family favorites.
Your Frugal Decorating Diva,
Nancy
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