Shabby Chic; Volume III

Cazo1

Just painted up some large tin cans to use as plant pots...so easy & I think they look great!

Florenceem

MrsCrafty wrote: »

I bought them from my local curtain making store. However, I would imagine that you can get them cheaper from ebay. I bought the batons 1 x 2 from B&Q, also the dowelling. Used self adhesive prickly Velcro 1 inch on the batons. I will also staple gun this, belt and braces. The soft Velcro on the blinds is sew on. Then you need rings and cord.

I have to honest at this stage and say that the man in the shop said that they no longer make roman blinds like this. They use the kits with the bobbly strings now. These are cheap enough from the likes of Terry's fabrics etc. I just wanted to do it the old fashioned way, which as usual is cheaper! HTH's. if I can do it, anyone can. You do need a table for cutting plus a mat. If you are going to try this as a beginner, I would suggest a fabric with stripes or a continual pattern. I am really pleased with them. The lining is just very thin lining from my original curtains, which I bought in a sale.

They were floor length, but too good a bargain, so I bought and took them up from the top leaving the professional seam at the bottom. Those curtains have really paid for themselves! Sorry for babbling!!!

Thanks - I have seen kits for sale but they looked pricey. I think it is best the way you did it - old style and cheaper. I have a craft table for cutting out fabric.

Florenceem

So excited here - kitchen man came - I finally decided on doors and handles but not on worktops.
He is going to bring some sample bits of worktop over - may help me choose easier than little sample bits on a clip.
So I have booked my work in - May - fitter is so busy - that is the earliest date I can have.
Then I looked online and ordered a dual fuel range and hood!
Never spent £20K so quickly before. :eek:

sootypea

whitesatin wrote: »

I wonder if anyone would care to share their thoughts re my deckchairs. A few years ago I bought two lovely (expensive as I was still working then) deckchairs with darkish wood frames and white fabric with pink washed out roses. They have only had a moderate amount of use but the fabric is really faded. They are in the washing machine right now but it is doubtful that they will come up that nice. Anyway, I was given two (boring) dark green canvas replacement covers but lost them in the house move.

I now have the painting bug (ASCP) and have some leftover paint. My questions are, would this paint withstand a bit of weathering if left unvarnished/waxed and also, I have my eye on some Cath Kidston duck fabric which is 140cm wide. The finished covers are 116cm x 44cm. Would it be ok to make two covers out of the width and hang them that way? Then I would only have to buy around 1.5m, keeping the costs down. I wouldn't say they will get heavy use, given our summers but I would like them to look nice.

Any other fabrics I should be looking at that are less pricey than CK?

Here are my deck chairs. I used CK fabric and lined the back with a contrasting fabric to keep cost down.

sootypea

So many lovely makeovers.

Cazo1

sootypea wrote: »

Here are my deck chairs. I used CK fabric and lined the back with a contrasting fabric to keep cost down.

I love these!

hmo

Great make overs everyone that corner cabinet is like one I gave away when we were building, love the chair and bench too

wilsooon

Oh wow, so many brilliant projects!! You are a clever lot, makes me feel decidedly lazy!!!!

I've now decided I will paint just the inside of my bookcase - just the back behind the shelves - so now it's just finding some old emulsion to use to make up some diy chalk paint. It's just occurred to me - could I use the chalk paint as a primer, and then paint with eggshell or satin? That would avoid the sanding part which I hate, and hopefully be a bit more protected. Not sure that I fancy using varnish, somehow.

Seakay, you mentioned using exterior emulsion in chalk paint which should be water proof, do you think it would be more durable than using ordinary emulsion, or would it still need an outer protective layer of something or other?

Thanks so much everyone, I do a lot of lurking and not much posting - or painting, come to that!!! But this thread is such an inspiration to me, when the depression lets me do a bit more I shall share some photos of my achievements!

chalkysoil

I'm no expert but if you mean gloss type paint, I suspect the answer will be no. I've used clear matt varnish (wilkos) over chalk paint and am happy with the result. I usually wax anything important but varnish is hardwearing - and unless you stroke it to feel a difference, looks the same as wax on shelves etc.

otherwise, there are some products to use to avoid sandpapering, you paint them on and they stick to anything and away you go... they are in the thread somewhere earlier, zinser (sp) is one.

this little cupboard has a waxed top and varnish on the rest of it

chalkysoil

** IDEA **

can someone/ a committee make a little post to be stickied of the FAQ like names /suppliers/ recipes. I know theres always google but it's like a black hole of meandering sidetrackfulness to someone like me :beer: