Ladies (And Gents) Start Your Imaginations....
10 Materials
$8
2 Hours
Easy
Hardware stores are not just for tools and home improvement anymore. They can be hidden craft stores, too. All it takes is a little imagination. For example: Did you know that in the lumber section, there are the coolest pieces of wood that shaped and cut out like old Victorian Gingerbread houses? It's true. Just paint them the color of the trim boards in your house, create a design, center them over your door thresholds and you immediately have more interest in your rooms than you had before. People want to know what fun things are happening in there. For example:
These are over my doorways in my rooms. They came as plain wood pieces. I painted them and nailed them above my doors. Some required a level and measuring tape to get them centered and leveled, but they could have been configured in many different ways with each piece. I then painted over the small nails that held them in place and the wood pieces were up to stay. They are so light that no real anchoring was necessary, but if you were worried, some glue could have been added to the backs before the nails went in. I tried to disguise where the nails would go so that they would be undetectable. Now, for the other project from the hardware store.
I had a vase that needed elevating. It was just sitting on the round cardboard remains of a role of painters tape. I suppose I could have painted the cardboard stand and made it look pretty, but I wanted something more substantial. So, I picked up two of these finial post caps for a 4 X 4 post and glued their bottoms together. Next I covered all the holes and cracks with Wood putty and let it dry by sitting it atop a glass.
This wood putty is better for painting than staining.
I knew I would be emphasizing the fun lines that were built into the finial with paint a little later.
This is all sanded, and wiped clean, ready to paint.
The small indentation, where the screw would go to hold it onto the fence post, would be toward the table that the finial would be sitting on. I wasn't worried that the wood putty didn't fill it all the way in on this side. It did fill it in on the top side.
This is a picture of the two finials glued together with wood putty in the cracks and crevices. Then I painted it with white, glossy acrylic paint. It took two coats on both the top and bottom.
I then took a marker and outlined the distinct lines in the wood with the blue colored permanent pen. I did it on both ends so that I could turn it over if necessary and it makes a fun look with the blue accent on both the top and bottom.
This is the final look. It actually ended up taller than what I previously had it sitting on. I like how the blue picked up the colors in the vase of the butterflies. It is steady enough to sit a glass vase on and adds an interesting touch to the table for the vase to sit on because of its elevating affect. There are SO many other fun things that you can do with pieces of wood from the hardware store: Candle holders, Lamp stands, plaques to mount pictures on, besides what I have mentioned here. Even stair rail balusters can be turned into cute, little, skinny snowmen, complete with scarves wrapped around their necks. I look forward to showing you more of these fun things in the future.
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