I have been getting a lot of questions about our reclaimed wood mantel, so I’m here to tell you all about it! If you are curious as to how I made our fireplace look like brick (yes, its FAUX!, go check out my post on my DIY Faux Brick Fireplace Surround)!
You can always wax your mantel before installing it, of course. But when we hung ours, I wasn't sure if I wanted it bare or waxed, so we left it up for a few weeks before I made the final call!
Step 1: Sand the HECK out of it!
Our mantel was very rough, so I really went at it with the sandpaper. I don't have any good photos of that, mostly because its exactly what it sounds like. Think you are done sanding? Nope, sand some more!
Step 2: Roll it over and over again (like a log down a hill - yes, seriously; but not seriously DOWN an actual hill); then dustbust!
This helps get the sawdust you made from sanding out of all the little crevices in the wood. Also don't fear if chunks of wood come off during this step or step 1, you want to get the rotting/dead pieces out anyway, and I promise it will just give the piece more character!
Step 3:
Install on your wall (we used 3 large bolts inserted into the mantel and wall). Or, if you know you want it waxed, go ahead and tackle those steps first and install at the end! Here is the photo of the before when the mental was installed and styled, but unwaxed!
Step 4:
Tape off the whole thing - make sure you get the tape up and behind the mantel itself (it most likely wont sit totally flush against your wall if it's a reclaimed wood piece, as they generally are not completely straight). Below is a photo of the taped off mantel, AFTER it was waxed, but you get the idea!
Step 5: Open up your wax and stir it so it is all one consistency - also be sure to follow the instructions on your particular wax container. Then use your flour sack towel and/or old tshirt, dip it in the wax and slather on! There is no exact science to it, just be sure you aren't going to cray that you get wax on your wall/other surface beyond the tape - it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to get off! Also be sure you are rubbing the wax fully into the wood and don't have any globs of it in certain places.
Step 6: Once you have used your cloth and covered the entire thing, there will inevitably be little crevices you can't get to - this is where your brush comes in! Once you get all the crevices done, let your mantel dry for a full 24 hours.
Just a little old paintbrush will do - but remember it wont be usable after you're done for more than tossing in the trash!
Now take a look at the before and after photos below to see how big a different the brush makes! Before....
And after!
Step 7: After 24 hours of drying time, take another flour sack towel and/or old tshirt and buff out the wax. Put a bit of elbow grease into it. Buffing gives it a nice sheen and really smoothes out the surface to the touch.
And that's it! We love how it looks! I love the bare look too, but the darker wood tone matches the look and feel of our home better, and we're so happy with it! It's been installed for 3 years and counting this way!
I hope you'll head to the blog for more DIY and home decor inspiration!
The darker tone looks great!
Love this look!
Solid beams are expensive and difficult to secure so I made a DIY faux beam to fit this underwhelming fireplace.
My mother in law recently decided to update her living room and trusted Nate and I to give her fireplace a little face lift. In order to achieve the look she wanted, we built her a new wood mantel!
The small seating area on our main floor is a bit of an odd layout. After moving the L-shape couch from our family room into this area recently, it was too large for the space and also covered the air intake vent. I kept pulled it away from the vent, but every time someone sat on it (even our chubby dog) it would slide back up against the vent.
Hi, I'm Liz from the decorating and DIY blog SimpleDecoratingTips.com
Discover how to make a rose sugar scrub recipe with essential oils. This rose body scrub is made without coconut oil, and is naturally scented with essential oils to create a homemade body scrub for glowing skin.
To complement the stone fireplace in our keeping room, I decorated our mantel in shades of aqua, brown and cream, an unexpected color choice for fall. I created a backdrop using salvaged wainscoting with a chippy painted patina and decorated the fireplace and mantel with a burlap wreath, blue Ball jars, candles, a picnic basket, pumpkins and a vintage yardstick ruler. I think the finished look is warm and cozy, simple and rustic with a touch of sophistication. You can read more about this project on my blog, AttaGirlSays.com
I got tired of going outside in the morning to wet and/or dirty cushions. I didn't want to store them in the garden shed, and I didn't want to spend the money on a storage container (or have to look at it), so I decided to come up with my own solution.
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When we first moved into our builder-grade home, I remember being so excited to have a fireplace. Every year around Christmas I would think to myself “Ugh, I need a mantel!” Well, other projects always seemed to take priority, and here we are 14 years later – still no mantle and some ugly outdated tiles to go along with it. Well, this is the year – my DIY Fireplace makeover is finally happening!I landed on a farmhouse style fireplace. We had recently added a shiplap wall so I knew I wanted to go with a dark wood mantel that was much wider than the fireplace itself and obviously that tile needed to go! I have been really into the white brick look, so I opted for a “faux brick fireplace” using tile and wide white trim.Like I said, my design was based on a white brick look so I researched options for the fireplace. When we finished our basement, I was able to create a fake brick wall using wall panels, but that wasn’t going to work here. So after searching high and low I was able to find a “faux” brick fireplace tile at Home Depot online. It’s called Capella White Brick tiles that were 2 ⅓ x 10 inches.
Some of my favorite crafting projects have been done with ribbon! I work with ribbon all the time and the worst part about it is the fraying that might happen. There are several methods that you can use to stop ribbon from fraying or unraveling, but what if you actually want it to unravel! That's right! This is all about unraveling ribbon to make beautiful plumes - a great way to "knock-off" a pampas grass design I saw on Crate and Barrel! Don't you just love figuring out how to re-create something you saw in a high-end shop?
Uncategorized Budget-Friendly Coastal Wall Decor Are you looking for budget-friendly coastal wall decor for your home? I’ve got a really simple and totally budget-friendly project for you! Last year, my girls came home from a trip to Hilton Head and decided they wanted to replicate the coastal/beachy feel in their bedroom. I agreed, but with lots of reservations and my own stipulations. Often the decor in beach houses and condos borderlines on cheesy. I mean, it’s possible to overdo seashells, sea creatures, anchors, and other nautical accessories. Every home decor store has a section dedicated to this motif. Since I was the person paying for this transformation, I wanted it all to be done with touches of coastal, yet still be classy and not too juvenile. In all of my Pinterest searches, I came across some really neat decor ideas that I decided I could DIY!
Give your curtains the trim with this easy project. We are all about how to make big faux leather curtain tassels!This project is sew simple (see what I did there?). I needed a little more “wow” for the curtain panels in my most recent One Room Challenge. You can see the final reveal here. I loved the plaid panels and the added faux leather curtain tassels made all the difference.
This post is sponsored by ClosetMaid. All opinions are my own.We love a lot of elements of our little, old house, but the tiny closets are not one of them. We wouldn’t call ourselves fashion people by any means (most of our day-to-day pandemic wear is paint-stained project clothes, if we’re honest) but after a quick weekend closet makeover with ClosetMaid’s SuiteSymphony system, we feel like we’re shopping in a cute little boutique every time we get dressed.You can also get more DIY tips and hints at our blog Shoe Makes New.
This house painting project, like so many of our others, went from not a priority to an immediate need fast. I was sick of looking at the peeling exterior paint on the plain plywood siding. Not to mention the sad curb appeal. It took some convincing but eventually, I made my case to my husband and he agreed to at least get some quotes.The first step for anyone about to undertake this type of home improvement is to figure out if this is a project you want to DIY or hire a painting contractor. I knew this answer immediately, I would be hiring this project out. After refreshing our kid’s bathroom over the summer, I swore I would never paint anything ever again. And I meant it.Finding a Painting ContractorI’ve learned over the years that the best way to find a good contractor is through referrals. When we did our kitchen remodel, I asked our good friends who they recommended since they have remodeled two homes and the husband works in construction. Their recommendation was fantastic and once again, they came through with their paint guy.All painting contractors will come and give you a free estimate. I recommend getting 3 different estimates so you can get the going rate for your area. This also gives you some leverage should you need to negotiate. Luckily for us, our friend’s recommendation was friendly, professional and his quote couldn’t be beaten.When we met, I asked about:What was the process like? How much prep was there and what did we need to do to make the exterior house painting project a success.Was capable of doing some of the additional carpentry I was looking to have done?What his timeline would be?What was included in his quote?Exterior House Paint: Before and After PhotosIt was obvious that our house hadn’t been painted in a VERY long time, plus it just didn’t reflect our style. I wanted to update not just the exterior paint color but also add some character and detail to the house without blowing our budget. The plywood siding and stucco, while boring and dated, was still in good condition so there was no sense in taking on a full siding project. Our painting contractor added some planking to give the plywood areas a board and baton look, saving us THOUSANDS of dollars.
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Re-purpose any glass jar into beautiful home decor by learning how to remove jar labels with this simple hack!
Took this well loved Jacobean style antique cabinet and transformed it for our clients new home with an updated look that better works for her space.
Readers have been asking Chemistry Cachet to create an easy DIY Lysol spray, and we are finally sharing that post with you today!Please, visit our blog post linksfor answers to questions! We are sharing WHY we use hydrogen peroxide, how it compares to rubbing alcohol, and we also break down this spray vs the store-bought version. We have all the answers for you there.
This simple tutorial shows you how easy it is to dye egg shells using materials found in the kitchen cupboard.Easter is approaching, and I see lots of images of gorgeous dyed pastel eggs both online and in magazines. The good news is there is no need to buy an expensive chemical dye kit to make coloured eggs for Easter. Most homes will have everything you need in the kitchen, and if you don’t, they are readily available at your local food store.
I'm currently doing a makeover of our playroom. Let me introduce to you this IKEA toy storage hack, aka TROFAST the fabulous! 😀
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There’s something so nostalgic and romantic about southern porches. I’ve always adored the look of them and secretly longed for a house with an unending porch that I can see every nook and cranny of my yard and gardens from.
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I have 2 cats. Both are not picky at all with what I feed them but one throws up pretty often after eating. I've tried smaller portions more often and different food but nothing seems to really help. One day I was scrolling Facebook and saw an ad for a raised, tilted cat food dish and decided I would make one myself.
Please take a minute to subscribe to the Mother Daughter Projects weekly newsletter. This is where you'll find the most up-to-date information on our projects.During the pandemic lockdown, we "traveled" by watching theme park YouTube videos. One video featured the Hard Rock Hotel Universal Orlando. In it we spotted an amazing art piece made from drumsticks.This is our interpretation of that wall art.
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Worn out and stained planters can easily bring your curb appeal down and make your yard look run down. Give your planters a quick refresh!
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As a crafter I use a wide variety of supplies and tools and because I seldom throw anything out I require lots of storage options. For this project I'll be sharing an updated solution to my original problem that I experienced using those wheeled, plastic, drawer units.
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