Wednesday, June 5, 2013

The Cheapest Way to Paint Your House


My grandmother was a big do-it-yourself girl. She recovered chairs, built shelving, sewed curtains and pillows - you name it. Helen was a very capable woman who knew how to make a home cozy - on a budget.


My mother Lana and my aunt June continued the DIY adventures. Lana loves yellow, black, white and red. She painted wood furniture when everyone else was stripping it. She loves a bright and cheerful home full of dramatic color. She shared her love of vintage things with me.


June's style is different than mom's - she loves soft colors, pretty florals, feminine touches. She is a peace maker, good at compromising, since her husband likes earthy colors and has a decidedly masculine style. She changes things often - paints, wallpapers, paints furniture, gardens, sews pillows, etc. She loves to garden, too.

I suppose you could say home decorating is in our genes. 
We are frugal, too. Thrift stores and garage sales are favorites of ours. We also use coupons at Hobby Lobby. 


When I bought my home ten years ago, it was a fixer-upper. I couldn't wait to paint and furnish and make it my own! 

The whole house had been wallpapered in 1945 - various shades of green. Even the ceilings were papered. It had been well-kept, but it was dark and not at all my style.

Back then, I purchased paint from Walmart. I heard from more than one source that it was made by a "name" brand.   I had already chosen the colors I wanted to use. I'd been pouring over decorating magazines for years. 

The Walmart house brand of paint was really good.  I painted my whole house in it, and I still recommend it. I used Rustoleum Oil for my trim and cabinetry. It's got a few dings, but otherwise still looks brand new after 10 years!


But I digress. The Walmart and Rustoleum paints are not what this post is about. As good a deal as those paints are, there's an even cheaper way to get a quality paint for your home.

Buy mis-tint paints and mix your own colors.

I buy them in colors that are anywhere near a color I think I might want to use. I find them for pennies on the dollar. Lowe's is a great source for really cheap mis-tint paints. 
I've purchased a gallon with a small amount spilled out for a dollar before! 

When I get a pretty good supply of paints in colors near my goal colors, I mix them in a 5 gallon paint bucket. I buy a gallon of white paint to mix with them if needed. 

I mixed a khaki color for my kitchen.

I mixed a greige color for my living room and dining room.

I've had requests for the name of the color of my living room and dining room before, and I had to say, "I mixed it from mis-tint paints." But recently, I brought home a stack of swatches (from Lowe's) and found one that's a match.

I even love the name of it: FADED BURLAP. 


Don't be afraid to mix paint - especially cheap paint! Just make sure they're all water based. Or if you're mixing trim, make sure they're all oil based, if that's what you use. 


I mixed my interior oil in a warm gray color for my front door and window. It was Rustoleum gray and brown mixed with white. I just mixed until I got a color I liked. Then, I went to Walmart and found a swatch that matched perfectly. I painted the outside door in the same color of exterior latex. 


I think I may have spent less than $20 to paint my living room and dining room, and I still have enough to paint a hallway. I'll keep a jar of it for touch ups. 

Someone asked me if I wouldn't regret it down the road, when I couldn't get the same paint in case I needed to match it. 

Though it is something to consider, I won't. I'll either match it, to an existing paint color or spend another $20 to 
paint it all over again! 

I like to feel like a good steward of my blessings.

And I do love the smell of a freshly painted room...

Word for the Day:
1 Corinthians 4:1

This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Linking With

Sunday

Thrifty Treasures
Sunday Show-off Link Party
Monday

Masterpiece Monday
Make it Pretty Monday
Mod Mix Monday
Thrifty & Vintage Finds Link Party
Tutorials & Tips Link Party
Tuesday

Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Scoop
The Scoop
Inspire Me Tuesday
Inspiration Exchange Linky Party
Wednesday

Wow Us Wednesday
Blissfully White Wednesday
What’s it Wednesday
Primp Your Stuff Wed
Cottage Style Party
What We Accomplished Wednesday
Thursday

Thursday Open House Party
Time Travel Thursday
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Share Your Cup Thursday
Friday

Feathered Nest Friday
Frugal Friday
Fabulously Creative Friday
Rustic Restorations Weekend
Weekend
Saturday

Saturday Nite Special
Get Schooled Saturday


Sunday, June 2, 2013

My Resurrected Thing - Jewelry!


You have not seen jewelry from me before, though I've had a blank place-holder for it in my page tabs since I began.


I planned on making jewelry to sell on Etsy, but never got around to it. It's a different kind of mess, you see. I've grown more comfortable with the paint kind of mess.


Once upon a time, I actually earned a living making jewelry. That was when my kiddos were quite young. It was great - I could stay home with them, and make jewelry while they slept. I appreciate that opportunity so very much!


I did the jewelry thing before I became a Christ-follower. It was a very solitary thing to do - working at home, taking care of kiddos. 


Twice a week Mother's Day Out became a highlight - getting to chat with other young moms was a treat. I suspect some of you are in that place right now...not a bad place to be.


I learned way back then to only make things I personally would want wear. 


Every time I tried to do something just because it was "in style" or a buyer wanted it, or my husband thought it would sell, they never sold as well as the designs that came from my heart. 


The pieces I always enjoyed the most were the ones that incorporated junk - some of it found on the street - rusty washers, clock faces, subway tokens, etc. 


I scavenged metal from 1950's air conditioners and ice trays, screen doors, coffee pot filters (seen above) and loved trips to the hardware store to look for new materials. 


My kids were so sweet; They'd find rusty washers and bits of street-worn metal while we were out walking. (It helped that they were short.) Friends saved things for me as well.


I suppose it all started in second grade - when my parents bought me a "filler" gift of some plastic beads. I ended up playing with them more than any other toy I got that year. 

So my mom took me downtown to a store where I could buy glass beads, and I still have some of them today. Of course, my collection of beads has grown considerably.

I love glass, stone, ceramic and metal beads best. I don't use plastic - I suppose I'm a bead snob in the same way I'm an art snob. I'll buy "real" materials in the thrift stores, deconstruct them and use them in new ways. The cost is not so much a factor as the material.

I also like to make my own metal pieces and findings as much as possible. They help make a handmade piece complete - like having the right pair of shoes with a great outfit!

Resurrecting my jewelry is pretty exciting - I want to do some faith-oriented pieces, expand my skills and include new materials. I hope to do some found object brooches soon, which are my VERY FAVORITE things to make! 

I am actually in the process of listing these pieces on Etsy today, so stop by if you have a few extra minutes!

Word for the Day:
Numbers 31:50
And we have brought the Lord's offering, what each man found, articles of gold, armlets and bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and beads, to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.”

Linking With

Sunday

Thrifty Treasures
Sunday Show-off Link Party
Monday

Masterpiece Monday
Make it Pretty Monday
Mod Mix Monday
Thrifty & Vintage Finds Link Party
Tuesday

Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Scoop
The Scoop
Inspire Me Tuesday
Inspiration Exchange Linky Party
Wednesday

Wow Us Wednesday
Blissfully White Wednesday
What’s it Wednesday
Primp Your Stuff Wed
Cottage Style Party
What We Accomplished Wednesday
Thursday

Thursday Open House Party
Time Travel Thursday
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Share Your Cup Thursday
Friday

Feathered Nest Friday
Frugal Friday
Fabulously Creative Friday
Rustic Restorations Weekend
Weekend
Saturday

Saturday Nite Special
Get Schooled Saturday