Score Board

My family is a sucker for yard games!  We love corn-hole, croquet, volleyball… You name it!  We’re not the best at any of the above, but what we lack in athletics, we make up for by being competitive.  (I think I’m speaking for myself here, as most of my family is pretty athletic.  :o))  And while typically we’re good sports, I’ll admit there have been times when I’ve been so far behind in Croquet I’ve given the ball a good double hit to catch up.  I’m guessing my brother Bear caught me in the act, because he seemed to think what we needed was a score board.  And since he just happened to have an old shuttered closet door lying around, this is what he came up with.

He painted the frame, and then painted the slats with chalkboard paint.

On the left is what he started with, next to the finished product.
You can use the chalk to mark what your score is, and then wipe it away with the rag for the next game.
 
 
If you don't like erasing the chalk each time, he made a couple of TEAM tags (above, far left) which can hook on the shutter to keep score too.

Bear’s church was throwing out a bunch of old unused sign stands... so he took some of them and stored them in his basement, knowing they would come in handy. He screwed one of them to the back of the shutter door and it works perfectly!

He also made the Corn-Hole set.  :o)
  (And Bear)

Vanity Mirror

I found this mirror listed on Craigslist for FREE!  Can’t beat THAT price!

It was just a LARGE mirror with a tacky wood frame.  Right now you are looking at the backside, but the mirror originally matched a dresser that looked to be 1980’s.

 

Bear found some hardware for 15 cents each.  He started out painting the mirror black to contrast the copper hardware, but quickly realized that wasn’t going to be the look he wanted.

 

He spaced the hardware equally around the mirror and screwed the hardware in place.

 

Then came the ivory paint, which tied everything together.

 

And HERE is the finished project.  Reflected in the mirror is our Shutter Sofa Table project.  Bear placed the mirror above and now my Sister-in-law has a lovely vanity space.  I love the dimension and interest that the hardware adds. 

Thanks!

Petite Dining Table

 

We have a new project to show you!  I always get so excited when something we've worked hard on gets finished, and I can post pictures!  Here is the latest:

Bear got creative with this next project and put two pieces together to create a petite dining table that can seat up to four.  Perfect for a small apartment or a kitchen eating nook.  As usual, we repurposed existing pieces, to create this unique table.

Here’s what we started with.  A metal stand, and the top from this old coffee table.  (We already used the bottom of the table to create a new, improved coffee table, and we have plans for the galvanized bucket.)  Bear took what we had left to create this table.
First I (Bear) removed the top of the coffee table.  I then turned the table top upside down and centered the stand on it. I attached the two using 1/2 inch utility fasteners.
 
I turned the table right side up, and gave it a coat of primer after sanding it down. I then painted two coats of paint.
 
I used stencils to create a quote in French on the top. The quote states: “You be the sun, I’ll be the moon, just let your light come shining through, and when night comes, just like the moon, I’ll shine the night light back on you.”  (My wife’s favorite quote…) Then I distressed the table’s edges.

And the finished project, one last time.  Ta-Da!  We’re excited with how it turned out!   One note:  It’s definitely the aged affect that Bear used at the end of the stenciling project that finishes the table off.  It now has a warm, time-worn, aged look to it.  Just like a little Parisian Cafe Table should. 

Vintage Toy Lamp

A couple  months ago my brother and I decided to start a little business.  We both love finding old “stuff” and re-purposing it.  Over the years we’ve found that we have similar ways of seeing things, and when we see things differently, it only works to better our creations.  (At least we think so.)  We were doing all these things separately, but we both had issues.  With two small children, I was able to shop with my youngest while my son was in preschool.  Once a week she and I would go treasure hunting and find all sorts of great items.  But I had no time to devote to the re-purposing, as much as I love to do it.
My brother, on the other hand, loves a good project!  But finishing up his last year of grad school, he has no time to treasure hunt.  And after an a-ha moment one day, HIVE was born.  It’s our little business where we make all sorts of things for the home.
This is us:

Yes, that is a burp cloth hanging out of his back pocket.  (He’s a new dad, and a really hands-on one!)  And, yes, we are trying to look cool.
SO, Here is our first completed project!  And I must say, I love how it came out!

It was on one of our treasure hunts that my daughter and I stumbled onto this old tin toy.  It’s one of those spinning tops.  I don’t know the date for sure, but I’d guess it was a reproduction made to look old.  This is of benefit for two reasons.  1.  An original would likely have been worth more in it’s original state, and 2. Being reproduced, banged up and beaten, it had that vintage appeal while still maintaining it’s color and design.  I also found an old lamp for about $2 at a thrift store.   It was about the right scale, with all the right parts and working.  So I brought both pieces to my brother.
He called me the next day exasperated.  It had taken a ridiculous amount of time and effort to “gut” this toy of it’s workings.  Without damaging the toy, of course.  However, once that dirty work was done, he set about fitting all the pieces together.

He painted the wood disk that you see, and all the other lamp hardware a lime green.  The adorable finishing touch is the top (that was pushed up and down to make the toy spin) is now the part of the lamp that holds the shade in place.
Speaking of the shade, I’m working on that!  I found a great $2 shade in pristine shape at a yard sale, and am trimming it out with red grosgrain ribbon at the top and bottom.  I’ll post the picture once I have it finished.
Thanks!

Guest Bath Vanity

I just couldn’t pass up an old 1927 sewing machine when I saw it at a local thrift store.  It was calling my name!  I loved the scrollwork on the wood, the feel of it.  Originally, I was mesmerized by the actual sewing machine and wanted to turn it into a desk lamp.  That’s another post.  But the furniture piece was also lovely, and begging to become something.  So, I began scouring Craigslist, thrift stores and yard sales trying to find the top of a pedestal sink.  You all think Bear has all the hard work!  (That’s my brother.)  But sometimes it takes a bit of time and effort for the sourcing.  That’s right folks.  I’m patting my own back here.  Not to mention, it’s not always the best feeling when I pull up to my brother’s workshop with the two pieces you see below and tell him I want them to somehow become… something.  Luckily, Bear has talent, vision, and he’s a bit longsuffering where I”m concerned as well.

And this is where I, Bear, pick up.  So here is the base of the sewing machine.  I should have taken a picture when the Sewing Machine was still attached.  Also, here’s the random sink that Jenny found at a thrift store with hideous brass hardware.

After taking off all the hardware and removing the sewing machine, I place the sink on top to see what I'm working with, and what modifications I need to make to the top of the base (I also removed the very top of the base which was on hinges that covered the sewing machine when it was put away. The top which is not shown here will be the finished top of the sink).  Because the sink is from a pedestal, it is not level from front to back, nor is it perfectly symmetrical. I will need to notch out the back (right) end of the wood top by the same amount as the gap seen here to make the sink level.  I measure the depth needed to cut into the wood…

I set the skill saw to the depth measured, and marked the area that needed to be cut.  I cut strips into the wood so that I could chisel them out.  The wood then breaks off at the correct depth.  And here is a close up of the wood once the chiseling is complete.

Now the sink fits and the top is now level. Since the new vanity sink will need to sit flush with the wall, the lip on the back end of the base was also cut to be flush with the back of the sink.  To make a template of the sink to cut out of the top piece of wood, I used paper and tape to surround the sink for a rough stencil.


This is the stencil on the top piece of wood. The top piece was previously hinged to the piece seen earlier and acted as a cover for the sewing machine. As you can see, the pedestal sink is not exactly symmetrical. I outlined the stencil with a carpenter's pencil.  I glued and screwed the top to the base of the sink.

Since I wanted the wood top to look like one solid piece, I used wood filler to fill the cracks. I had to make sure I used "stainable" wood filler since I was going to be refinishing the top.  Since I wanted the wood top to look like one solid piece, I used wood filler to fill the cracks. I had to make sure I used "stainable" wood filler since I was going to be refinishing the top.

The sink was completely disassembled and cleaned using a wire brush. There was a lot of scum build up around the faucets and drain.  Base painted an off white semi gloss. Top taped to protect the top for staining.

The drain was going to be more of a hassle to remove than necessary. So I taped around it so I could refinish the brass.  I used a high quality spray paint to refinish the brass fixtures, and then sealed the paint with a sealing spray.  I was amazed at how great a finish the product produced!

 

This is the finished product. The top was sanded, re-stained, and sealed with polyurethane. The sink was placed into the top, and white silicone caulking was used to seal the sink to the top. All the hardware and front door were reattached.

So, now we’re debating… Should we sell it?  Or which of us gets to keep it?  I suppose it sort of defeats the purpose of our little business venture, if every time we make something, we want to keep it, right?  Oh, well.  On to the next project.  Thanks for stopping by!!