Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Free Graphic Wednesday #23


Hello friends I’m almost overwhelmed these days as I have so many things going on right now.  My kitchen renovation is moving along but I’m at that point when all the little things need to be done to bring it all together.

I’m so behind on my furniture restoring and looking at that stack of furniture on my carport is driving me nuts! Oh well, one thing at a time.
I have some lovely graphics to share with you this week. Enjoy and please read the Disclosure Page.

floralshoe

I just love this shoe full of flowers don’t you?

frenchpostcard

A French postcard

girlpeony

A lovely girl with a peony

chickenchicks

A mother hen with her chicks

sassygirl

I just love this sassy little flower girl! Look out world here she comes!

easterchicks

Finally a pair of chicks in an egg basket.

Now my dear friends take this pictures and go forth—make pretties.  I hope you’ll share your creations with me.

Sharing with the following lovely ladies parties:

Monday, March 26, 2012

Kitchen Remodel: Butcher Block Counter Tops @ 1/10th The Cost

Hello everyone my kitchen renovation is finally winding down. I still have a lot to do but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Whoopee!

Today I am finally sharing the way I achieved butcher block counter tops at a fraction of the cost.  If you remember I priced the custom counter tops at anywhere from $4500 to $7000! Wow, I was really shocked that they cost as much or more than granite. You can buy butcher block counter tops already pre-cut at a cheaper rate, but if you are like me, you need a custom size.

Anyhoo, here’s what they look like now.


Pictures just don't do them justice at least my pictures don't lol.





And here is what my bar looked like before with green laminate.


They look like they have a glass finish! I could not find a way with my little camera to take a picture that did not show a glare.  It’s that shiny!

Now if you want plain butcher block counter tops you may still follow my directions. You just need to leave off making a lip around the edges and pouring on the poly finish.

I would rate this project as medium in difficulty.  If you have some carpentry skills and have laid hard wood flooring you will have no problems.

Here is what you need to complete this project:

3/4 plywood (enough to cover all of your counter tops)

unfinished red oak flooring (In my area the only place to find this is at Home Depot and it is cheap!) You need enough to cover your counter-tops.

1”x 4” red oak trim (enough to trim out your counter tops)

flooring adhesive

long finishing nails

circular saw

router

hand sander

sand paper 60, 100, 150, & 220 grit

wood stain in color of your choice

Envirotex Lite polymer coating
(or polymer coating of your choice)

butane torch

trowels

sponge brush

plastic drop cloths

cheese cloth

mineral oil

paint mixing bucket

old pitcher with spout


Step 1


After you have removed your old counter tops re-enforce the corners of your cabinets as you see in the picture below to hold the weight of the plywood and wood flooring.


Notice the block of wood nailed to the corner stud. You need to do this anywhere along your cabinets that you feel need the extra support.


Step 2

Measure and cut your plywood to fit exactly the way you want your counter tops to fit.  Including the over hang on sides and at the ends. Apply plywood to top of cabinets.


Make sure your plywood is level and as you add flooring be sure to keep everything level

Step 3

Next cut your red oak flooring to fit on top of the plywood laying it out in an irregular pattern just as if you were laying it on a floor.  Once you have an area all cut and ready to lay out apply the flooring adhesive to the plywood in small sections.



Step 4

Now, after applying the adhesive lay each cut piece of oak to the plywood use an extra block of wood and a hammer to tap the planks together tightly.  Taking the block of wood put it against the plank and hammer it instead of the plank to tighten the planks against each other.  Then using an nail gun and the long 1 1/4" brad nails nail the planks together to get as tight a fit as possible. Nailing into the sides of the plank not the top so that there are no nail heads on the top.

Continue doing the above until you have completely covered your countertops.


Step 5

Now this is where you have a choice.  If you want true butcher block counter tops cut your 1”x 4” red oak trim to fit evenly along edges of top.  If you don’t want the upkeep like me cut your 1” x 4” to leave a small lip around the top so that you have something to encase the polyurethane when you pour it on. You can make this around1/4" deep.


Notice lip at top and right side of picture.

Step 6

Apply red oak trim to edges of counter top leaving lip around top or not according to your choice. Counter sink nails and fill with stainable wood glue. Also fill any spaces in the counter top with the stainable wood glue. 

Tip: wipe off all excess wood filler thoroughly with a wet towel as it really does not stain well.  You just want to get it in the cracks. 

I would also, if you have not already, remove your faucet so as not to get poly and stain on it. We cut out very tight fitting styrofoam circles to put in the holes. Also applying Vaseline around the top of your sink should keep any wood stain or polyurethane from sticking to it.


Step 7

First, using the router go along edges of trim rounding edges and corners.  Next using a hand sander and 60 grit sand paper start sanding. Sand the entire counter top thoroughly. Then sand with 100 grit, 150 grit, and lastly 220 grit. Top should feel smooth to the touch with no splinters or fuzzy areas. 

Dust off the counter and then wipe clean with a damp cloth being sure to remove all dirt and dust.



My butcher block counter piece next to my stove before mineral oil

Step 8

If you want plain butcher block counter tops all you have to do now is treat the top with mineral oil or a butcher block treatment oil you can find at most hardware stores. Apply according to instructions or, if using mineral oil for a first time treatment, apply four coats waiting a couple of hours in between coats.  I chose to leave one small counter beside my stove butcher block for food prep as you can see in the picture above. If you have chosen to apply the polyurethane proceed to step nine.


Step 9

Next you need to apply your stain of choice. Apply according to instructions on package.  I prefer to apply my stain by wiping it on with cheese cloth.  I just feel like I have more control. Early American is the stain color I chose as it wasn’t too dark and looked good with my new flooring.



Allow your stain to dry for one to two days keeping everything off the counters as it will scratch easily. Now you are ready for the top coat.

Step 10

Before pouring on polyurethane tape plastic drop cloths around and underneath all the counter tops. 
You will need at least two people to pour the polyurethane on more would be even better.  We ended up with five people.  Luckily my step son and his wife stopped by about the time we started and they jumped in and helped out. Thanks guys.

Mix your polyurethane according to instructions.  The product we chose was very simple as you mixed equal parts.




Tip: Do not stir your mixture like you are whipping it use smooth back and forth strokes.  Whipping adds bubbles to the mix that are hard to get out.  
We used a paint mixing bucket to mix the poly and an old plastic pitcher to pour the mix onto the counter tops.

Once someone pours the polyurethane onto the top have someone else start spreading the mix with a trowel. The longer the trowel the better. Keep adding and spreading until you reach the top of the lip all around the counter tops and there are no dips anywhere and the top looks even and smooth.  When it runs over the sides (which it will big time) spread it along the edges with the trowel or a sponge brush.


Here you see one person spreading as another uses the butane torch

Step 11

Let the poly set up for about five minutes then light the butane torch and slowly sweep the flame back and forth over any bubbles and watch them pop! Too cool! lol
We were not able to get all the bubbles out but the ones that were left were not too noticeable.



Note:  Using the butane torch in your home is very dangerous and should be done carefully.  I did not come up with this as it was part of the instructions on the polyurethane and I will not be held liable if you use this technique and are injured or damage is caused to your home in the use of the butane torch. 


Your counter tops will be dry to the touch in about five hours but you may not sit anything on them for three days until they are completely hardened.

That’s it! Your done! Finally! lol. I love how they turned out and so does everyone who stops by to visit. By the way the poly top coat we poured on is equal to 30 or 40 coats of regular polyurethane.

Let’s talk about cost before I close out.  The plain butcher block counter tops cost will be about $150 if you purchase your supplies in the Ark-La-Tex area where I live.  If you add the thick polyurethane top it cost about $400. Compared to $4500 it was well worth all the work.



Soon I’ll be sharing how I gave my cabinets an Old World finish  and then I’ll be sharing my completed kitchen. I hope you will continue to follow along until the big reveal.

Thanks for stopping by until next time

signature

P. S. Be sure to link up your latest project at Transformed Tuesday! We can't wait to see what you've been up to.




I'm sharing with the following parties:


Monday
Show Off Your Cottage Monday  Just Something I Whipped Up  Do It Yourself
More the Merrier  Show It Off Mondays  Creative Me @ The Southern Institute

Tuesday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday  Tuesday's Treasures  Trash 2 Treasure Tuesdays   One Project At A Time

Wednesday
Wow Us Wednesday  Success U  Restore It Wednesday  Be Inspired

Thursday
Transformation Thursday  Thriving on Thursdays  Thrifty Thursdays

Friday
Inspiration Friday  Furniture Feature Friday  Frugal Friday  Show &Tell Friday
Vintage Inspiration  Friday's Unfolded  Friday Feature Party  4 Real Friday

Saturday
Saturday Night Special  Get Schooled Saturday  Spotlight Saturday
Whatcha Got Weekend  Free For All

Sunday
Nifty Thrifty Sunday  Sunday Blog Love  Best DIY Project of March
DIY Showoff  Sister Sunday Link Party  Creative Bloggers Party & Hop

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Free Graphic Wednesday #22

Here are your free graphics for this week.  Please read Disclosure Page if you are new and enjoy.


easterchics

Chicks in egg Easter card

easterchics1



babybunny

Baby with bunny

twiga

Twig with flowers & butterflies letter A

twiga1



crossdorgwood

Cross with dogwood

dogwoodbirds

Birds & pink dogwood


dogwoodbirds2

girlwithflower

Lovely young lady with yellow flower.

I hope you can use these images in your altered art, scrapbooking, etc… Have a great week.

signature


Sharing with the following parties:


Saturday
Get Schooled Saturday





Kitchen Remodel: Glass Tile Backsplash on a Budget

Hello ladies! Thanks for stopping by today.  I’d like to welcome all my new followers and I hope I offer you good tips, ideas, and plenty of inspiration.  I appreciate each and everyone of you and love to hear from you so please leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Today I’m going to share with you how to have a glass tile backsplash on a budget.  Here is my after picture of the backsplash.


finished

What you’ll need for this project.
12” x 12”  mosaic tile
(mine contained glass, granite, & marble in white & gray tones)
subway tile
bull-nosed subway tile
glass mortar
glass grout
tape measure
square
level
mortar trowel
grout float
box cutter
tile cutter
cement backboard

First let’s talk about picking out your tile.  This is where you can save a lot of money and still get the glass tile you want. 

You need to pick out a glass mosaic tile in 12” x 12” sheets on a mesh backing like you see in the following picture.


tile

You will cut this in three equal strips of nine squares that you will use to make a solid horizontal border around your backsplash. Doing this will cut your cost for glass tile to one-third of what it would cost to use the whole piece.

Here are some pictures to show you what I mean.


cuttile

cuttile2

Then to go with your center glass tile strip you buy the low cost subway tile. I was able to cover my kitchen backsplash for less than $150!

Now let’s get started.  First put up your cement backer board.  This is necessary for a kitchen to protect against water and heat.  You will also need to move your light switch and plug boxes out so that they are even with the backer board or your covers will not work.


cementboard

I was so glad to finally get all matching plugs and switches! I had black, off white, white and they weren’t even straight! Drove me nuts.

Next step is to take the first section to be tiled and measure, measure, measure to find the center point horizontally and vertically.  This is where you will set the center of your first tile strip. 
Making sure that this first tile and the first row are exactly centered this is VERY important because if it is not the entire project will be off and make your work much harder.

Next mix your glass mortar according to instructions on the bag.  We used the following product.


mortargrout

We chose a bright white to go with our mostly white and clear glass tile. The grout was the same brand for glass in gray.  Using the glass type is important as the regular kind has sand in it and  would scratch your tiles.


mortar

We mixed the mortar according to package instructions to about the consistency of (you guessed it) peanut butter.  After spreading it onto the backer board a little wider than the first strip of mosaic tile you go back through it with the portion of the trowel that will make the appropriate size lines in the mortar. 

Apply your first tile using a square and anything else you might need to make sure the first tile is perfectly level and straight. (Have a said that enough?)

firsttile


Once you have that first tile and row done it is fairly easy to finish the project.

If you want larger grout lines you will need to buy the appropriate spacers. These look like little x’s that you stick in between each tile and you would only use them between the subway tile and between the mosaic and subway tile.
We butted the subway tiles against each other as they have a natural small grout space that is made in the same width as the mosaic tile spaces.


tileback

By the way if you have never used these mosaic tiles the mesh backing comes with a light weight plastic on the back that needs to be removed.  Your tile will not stay up if you put it up with this backing left on.

Now when applying your subway tiles be sure to start the first one with the center point being the center of the tile and on the next row the end of the tile being the center.

tileup

Here is the finished backsplash before grout.  You can see the how the subway tile is placed with the end of a tile in the center of the previous row tile. 

On the ends of the back splash where the backer board sticks out further on the wall we used a bull nosed tile placed vertically to cover the edges.


bullnose1

After all your tile is up you wait at least 24 hours to allow the mortar to set before applying your grout.

I chose a gray grout because I thought it would look good with my color choices and because it would be easier to clean than white.


grout

Before I give you the details on applying the grout here’s a tip I learned the hard way.  If you are using a mosaic tile with marble in it you need to seal the tile first with a marble sealer.  If you don’t the grout will alter the color. You will notice how I had more white my tiles at first and after grouting they were more gray.

Mix your grout according to package instructions and using the grout float apply it to tiles pushing the grout firmly into the spaces between tiles and scraping off as much excess as possible.  Let dry about 15 to 30 minutes.  Using a wet sponge or rag scrub off excess grout from tiles.  This is the worst part of the whole job to me it takes a lot of elbow grease to get all that grout off those tiles!

After seventy two hours when the grout is completely dry and set, apply a sealer to the grout.  They have a sealer now that you just spray on and what is sprayed on the tile will just evaporate so you do not have to worry about cleaning it off of the tiles.

And now you are finished! Yeah! A glass tile backsplash for much less.  I hope this inspires you to take this on as a weekend project it is really not all that difficult and so worth the results.

finished

By the way in this picture you are getting a sneak peek of the upper cabinet trim before paint and a little tease of the butcher block counter top before stain & sealing.

I’ll be sharing the how to make those money saving butcher block counter tops soon.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Kitchen Remodel: Upgrade Your Stock Cabinets to Designer









Hello ladies! Hope you are having a wonderful week.  I’m still remodeling my kitchen on a budget of three to four thousand dollars and today I wanted to share with you a very inexpensive way to have those designer cabinets that are so expensive on a relatively small budget.

If you have been following along on my kitchen renovation you will remember this inspiration picture.

kitchen3
habershamhome.com

If you look closely you’ll notice the cabinets are closed in on the bottom with a decorative trim and the end of the bar has lovely details. I’m going to show you how to achieve almost the same look with your stock cabinets.

First, and this will take time, look through all the trim at your building supply store until you find a larger trim with a groove in it that a small decorative trim will fit into. I found these two.

trimgroove

Notice the groove on the large piece at left. That groove is where the smaller decorative piece you see on right is glued then nailed.

Okay let’s get started.  The first step is to nail a small board (we used a 1”x 2”) to the floor making sure it is even with the bottom of the cabinets as shown below. 


kickboard


This board is necessary as a brace to keep someone from accidentally kicking the trim and caving it in and so you will have something to nail the trim onto.


nailup



Once you have the small brace board in you nail the larger trim piece to the cabinets as shown.  Nailing up into the cabinets and another nail into the bracer board. Then you apply the smaller trim into the grooved area on the larger trim. We glued and nailed them together.


trimcorrner


Finally, I updated the end of my bar with a wood bracket, a piece of what I believe is a fancy door frame, and on the bottom a bulls eye.


endbar


There will also be trim on the bottom of the upper cabinets but I do not yet have pictures.  I will share them when I show you the completed cabinets.

Now I’m going to be somewhat of a tease and not show you the finished cabinets for two reasons; I’m not yet finished, and I want them to be a surprise. 

The finish I am putting on the bottom cabinets is a four step process and on the upper ones it is a three step so it is taking quite a bit of time to complete them.  

To help you not feel so disappointed I will leave you with another of my inspiration pictures. These cabinets have an Old World finish that I just love.


oldworldfinish
kitchenremodeldesigns.blogspot.com

See that decorative trim on top of the cabinet on right? You could soooo totally do that!





I’m sharing with the following lovely ladies:

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