Magpie Ethel

Vintage Runner Does The Trick

We finished up our family room redo awhile ago. I did a post on it here with the peach sorbet carpet.  There was one spot in the family room that still needed attention and that was the stairs leading down to the basement room.

Stairs prior to project. Tom had already started sanding them so they didn't look this shabby and worn before his efforts.  These stairs had never been anything attractive...functional but never eye pleasing. The laundry room and a workshop are in the basement too, so they get a ton of use.

One night I read an article in This Old House magazine on how to install a carpet runner.  I had a bunch of new/old stock vintage runners that I had found at an estate sale and was waiting for a project for them.  I talked Tom into tackling this project.

This project was a bit more involved that just adding the carpet runner. We bought new stair treads which Tom cut to fit and then stained and Varathaned. He repainted all the risers and then added the new treads.  He was then ready to add the carpet runner.

We ended up using three of the carpet runners (I had five that I had found at the estate sale). One of the patterns did not match exactly, but it was close enough and I liked using the vintage runner. Matchy doesn't always matter to me.  The colors brighten up the dark stairwell too.

Tom did a terrific job on this whole project.  Usually I help with the painting, but I have been so busy with holiday crafting that I think he really, truly did this whole project by himself.

Another project crossed off the "honey do" list.  The family room is now officially done. I am a happy camper.

Collection Challenge #111 - Vintage Coffee Cans (and a project)

My post today was inspired by a project that my husband did for me over the weekend. 

I collect vintage coffee cans.  I like the graphics and they are easy to find.  I usually find the coffee tins in the garages at estate sales full of nails or bolts and such...a good re-purposed container for the family handyman.

I have put this collection to use as planters in my backyard.

I love the graphics and don't mind the weathered with time look.

I used to have them displayed on this tiered plant stand.  But then I got too many. They needed a new home and I wanted them displayed as a group outdoors.

Here in Portland, Oregon we have a recycling and yard debris program.  We have a big green bin (yard debris), a big blue bin (paper), plus a trash can and a bin for glass recycles. The blue and green bins are huge.  If I ever need a good spot for hide and go seek I could fit inside.  For lack of a better spot they live on our driveway and are an eyesore.

We don't park in our garage so I have a mixture of galvanized containers with plants in front of them to hide them a bit. This weekend I found an old screen door and Tom whipped up a project to hide them a bit more.  I decided this was a good spot to display my coffee can collection.

Tom cut the screen door in half as it was too tall.  We took out the tattered screen and replaced it with a bit of wire fencing that we attached to the back.  Tom drilled a hole in the rear of each coffee container towards the top and we hung the cans with S hooks.

The whole project only took a couple of hours and the screen door set me back $5. I love that my coffee cans have a new home and I have room to add a couple of more if I want.  They are planted with hens and chicks.  The coffee cans have drainage holes in the bottom. He also added feet to the screen door frame.

This is a good place to show off my collection and is perfect to hide my ugly garbage cans.

If you have and idea for a future collection challenge, leave me a comment and finish the sentence "Show me your collection of ___."  Always happy to share.

p.s. Thank you honey for doing this project!

 

 

 

Vintage Tin Pedestal

I do quite a bit of blog hopping and often bookmark projects or ideas. Georgia Peachez had a tutorial for a project that I loved. Suzy made a display stand using vintage tins and such.  It was awesome.  I was completely inspired by it and knew I needed to try one myself. This is the one that Suzy made.

This was my version.

I loved the DRIPS can that I got at an estate sale a few weeks ago and decided to use it in this project.  I added a finial of a tiny metal cup.

The tin on the bottom had a great basket weave pattern to it.  The lid was domed and it worked to put it on the bottom to give it an elevated look.

With the domed lid, it gave room for a nut and bolt to be screwed underneath.

I thought about leaving the threaded metal rod exposed through the center, but I remembered I had some cool old polka dot cardboard thread spools.

I could just thread the spools over the metal rod.  The spools are marked "American Paper Tube Co".  I got a few of them in red and green at a sale.

If you are inspired by this project, like I was with Suzy's, she has directions on her post here.  I loved how different our takes were on the same project and according to what materials we had on hand.  I may just have to make another one....

happy day!