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8 In decor

Altered Books for Valentine’s Day

If you recall, I had a grand old time making altered books for Halloween last year.  I loved them so much, I wanted to make a few for Christmas, but I never got around to it.  You know how that goes. So when Silhouette sent me some of their new double-sided adhesive to play with, I knew exactly what I wanted to do: altered books for Valentine’s Day!

Step one: procure some old thrift store books.  (Sorry Danielle Steel!  I’m sure Message From Nam is a very interesting read!)  Step two: Mod-podge a damp paper towel over the covers for an aged leather look.  Step three: let it dry, then paint them whatever colors your heart desires. I didn’t want these books to be super creepy like the Halloween books, (or even somewhat creepy), obviously, so I went easy on the distressing this time around.

thrift store books to makeover

Then, the fun part.  The double-sided adhesive paper is exactly what it sounds like, sticky on the front and the back, so you simply cut your designs like usual with your Silhouette machine, stick them to your desired surface, peel off the backing  (or fronting?)  then get crazy with glitter or flocking powder.  EASY!

altered books for valentine's day

I love this stuff!  I was worried about using it on the bumpy texture of the books, but it is super sticky, and held up perfectly.  I even used it on my burlap pennant, as you can see, with no problems whatsoever.

altered books for valentine's day
 Right now you can get your hands on the the double-sided adhesive starter kit for just $12.99, which comes with 6 sheets of double-sided adhesive paper, 3 colors of glitter, 3 colors of flocking powder, 10 exclusive designs, a Silhouette spatula, brush, plus an instruction/idea booklet.
Don’t have a Silhouette yet?  Well hey now, that’s on sale too!  Get the starter kit plus a Silhouette Portrait for just $179.99.  GREAT DEAL!  Find it here, and simply use the code AFTER at checkout to receive your discount. 

Questions about the double-sided adhesive?  Watch the video!

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10 In tables/dressers

The end is(n’t) nigh!

Pssst!  Did you know that being outdated doesn’t have to be the end of your end tables?  Of course you did.  Better After reader Katrina had grown terribly tired of her tables, but she couldn’t justify tossing them out and buying new ones just because they were kinda boring. So she painted, distressed, waxed, saved herself a bundle, and rekindled the spark of love they once had into fiery flames of furniture fidelity.

 For a limited time, get a 10% off anything from Feather Hen plus free shipping with the code BETTERAFTER!

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151 In Uncategorized

Feather Hen Pillow Cover Giveaway!

Are you looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift that is both sentimental and affordable and most importantly, comfortable?  Then stop looking, my friend, because I have found it for you!

Let me introduce you to Heather from Feather Hen, who creates “pillow covers for friends and lovers.”  (That is not actually her tagline, I made that up just now.  She can use it if she wants to.  She probably doesn’t want to).

Anyway, let’s take a look at some of her fabulous custom work now:

Wouldn’t these be great for Valentine’s day?  Or pretty much any day of the year?
I smell the perfect wedding present!
I’m a huge fan of customization.  One, it adds such a special little touch to your home, and two, less likelihood of visitors stealing your stuff.

Heather was kind enough to offer me two custom pillow cases of my own, and here is what I chose:

 Ack!  Isn’t it cute?  I love the slightly distressed look of the lettering, and it’s supremely well-made.  I will be displaying this for Valentine’s Day and beyond.

And I couldn’t pass up an “Allen & Co.” pillow, because it goes so nicely with the Allen & Co. sign I already have.  (I made that out of an $8 board from The Home Depot, in case you wanted to know). 

I’m totally thrilled with her products, and also thrilled to offer you the chance to win two pillow covers of your choice from Feather Hen!

Entering is easy!  Simply leave comment here!
For extra entries, visit her shop, and/or “like” Feather Hen on Facebook, where you can get info on giveaways, coupon codes and new products.

(Accidentally ended the rafflecopter too soon whoops, but you can still leave a comment to be entered!)
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

More good news!  She is currently offering 10 % off plus FREE SHIPPING on every item in her shop! That’s a sweeeet discount. Use the code BETTERAFTER.
(US addresses only). 
Please check it out, and have a good weekend friends!

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19 In desks/hutches/buffets/ tables/dressers

Totally Oz-some.

At first, when I heard that emerald was the “Color of the Year” for 2013, I was all, “meh.”  Big whoop. But then my eyeballs got a hold of the following resplendently emerald makeovers, and now I’m like “Emerald, heck yeah!”  Maybe you will feel the same.  Let’s find out:

 Case in point: this boring old hutch.  And it was not in great shape either.  How
could regular wear and tear inflict so much damage on a hutch?  Were
these people getting out their fine china with shovels or something?  No
matter, because now it’s a genuine gem.  And those handles! Swoonville.

 From Jennifer at Dimples and Tangles.

Kelly at A Swell Place To Dwell went green to get green with this dresser she planned to sell.  But she didn’t stop at green, she went for the gold too. She gilded the edges of the frame with liquid gold leaf, along with the handles, though she didn’t get to enjoy this beauty for long. It sold in a snap!

I’m already in love with this emerald and gold relationship, but what if we spiced things up with a little peacock blue?  And/or actual peacocks?  Dionne at The Turquoise Iris did exactly that with this old credenza, and it turned out stunning.  I could squeal like a peacock, I love it so much.  Not really, have you ever heard the sound a peacock makes?  TERRIFYING.

And last but not least,  Pam at Simple Details took this outdated dumpster-dive dresser and turned it on it’s side, literally and figuratively. She also she turned some basic IKEA handles on their side, which gives it an entirely new look. So genius! So modern! So chic! 

And we have a RYOBI tools giveaway winner, Amberlou!  Sorry Amberlou, I forgot to ask for your email address, please contact me at betterafter@live.com and we’ll get you your tools ASAP!


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9 In desks/hutches/buffets/ wood

Cerusing for love.

When Kelly got to work restoring this Craigslist desk, she ran into a bit of a snag.  Old paint from its many previous makeovers had become embedded down into the surface, and the surface was only a thin veneer. Thus, sanding the snot out of it was out of the question.

So she decided to try cerusing, which is a technique that sometimes involves opening up the existing grain with a wire brush, painting it, then quickly wiping off the excess, for a ‘paint in the grain on purpose’ look, and not a engaging in drunken revelry, like I had first thought. Oh wait, that’s carousing.

Anyway, she got beautiful results!  Get a close-up look on her blog The Ridiculous Redhead.

VERY LAST CHANCE to enter the Ryobi tools giveaway!  
Winner announced tomorrow!  
Enter HERE.


 

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12 In chairs/ottomans/seating/ kiddie

What rot hath wraught.

When it comes to popular trends in furniture, there’s lightly distressed, heavily distressed, and possibly rotting. I wouldn’t aim for number three.  High probability of splinters.  But that didn’t stop Charlie from nabbing and rehabbing this sweet little rocking chair that her daughter discovered on the side of the road.  PS: her daughter is three!  Way to start ’em young Charlie!

Check it out on her blog Attempting Aloha.

And here’s another in the dangerously distressed category.  Could this little thing be saved?  Nope.  Sorry.  It was thrown in a fire.  The end.  

Just kidding!  I wouldn’t do that to you.  That wasn’t the end at all.  Angela at Humble Beginnings came along and snatched it out of the firewood pile just in time. She turned what she could save into this adorable pink bench.  Redemption.
 

See, don’t ever give up!  Maybe sometimes you feel like a rotting old
pile of firewood too, but you are actually full of incredible potential
underneath.  All you need is a heavy-duty sanding and some paint, and
possibly some new handles on your drawers!  Er … that’s not what I
meant … my motivational analogy kind of went off the rails there. You
know what I mean.

PS: LAST day to enter my Ryobi giveaway!  Win $99 worth of Ryobi Lithanium +One tools!  
Enter here.


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