Okay, YES, I’m still on the “same letter” train.  Hey, I’m likin’ it.

Lately, I’ve needed to review my stash of fun finds. Somethings had to be removed, to clear out space for the upcoming sale season.  You know … all those important sales i.e. Garage, Yard, Barn and Funky Junk sales.  Although I’ve yet to buy a garage or barn.
I find cool stuff inside them!

This week I went metal … that’s metal NOT mental
Here are three obscure pieces I grabbed.

Well, the basket is recognizable, but I have no idea
what those other things were for, originally.
I just liked em’ and knew what I wanted to do with them.
It involved cardboard, spray-paint, wood and mineral oil. (How’s that for a teaser?)

Oh and also coming in to play, cookbooks, dishes and jewelry.  Just wait, you’ll see.    Must mention also, that the projects included Hubs.  Very important factor here.  Using his cardboard collection and a few clamps, Hubs set up a spray booth for me.

He included ventilation, hang wires and all necessary protective equipment.  Ceiling fans and air exchanger were activated, and as it was a warmer day, the back screen was opened a bit too, for added ventilation.

I did a quick cleanup on the bare metal pieces before starting to paint.

My product of choice for the paint was Rustoleum in a Hammered Copper color.

I always begin with small, quick sprays to avoid drips.  But have to admit,
somewhere towards the end of the project, I’m usually just spraying away to get done.

Final step, we let the painted pieces dry over night, so as not to be sticky.

Next comes the wood … and in this case, some of those beautiful,
raw walnut pieces Hubs has stashed away. This piece would hang on the wall.

Because of the awkward shape, it wouldn’t hang level.

So I chose the pretty walnut slab as a backer and this is the final result.

The mineral oil is an economical, all natural way to finish wood.
It brings out all the beautiful details, flaws and colors.  It’s very inexpensive and you can find it easily in grocery, big box, pharmacy and dollar stores.

Use a clean, lint-free cloth and apply it generously.
Don’t worry, it will be dry-to-the-touch in just a short time.

Above and Below are two wooden mallet projects, Hubs made from scratch

Finally, we took the items in and played.
Here are the final results.

With the jewelry item piece, I knew immediately what I wanted it for.

Hubs hooked the rack to the wood on the front, with little screw straps.  Then he pre- drilled into the wood and attached the entire piece onto the wall using mollie pieces with two decorative screws.,

The basket was just a no-brainer purchase, cheap and for so many uses.  The plate rack piece … well, I REALLY HAD TO THINK about what to do with that, but just knew I wanted to bring it home.

COSTS for everything:  Walnut wood free, from friends who had storm downed trees last summer.  Paint was $6 or less, as I rarely pay more than that.  The basket was $3 and the other two metal pieces were part of a $5 basket of fun junk at a barn sale.  The little bottle of mineral oil was under $2.  Hubs keeps that on hand in his wood shop.

PLEASED with the results:  Have to tell you, I’m over the moon happy with our results. The plate and jewelry storage items were essential storage items, but turned out double-duty pieces as they are pretty for decor too!  Baskets are ALWAYS a great accessory in decorating, but I usually find them in wicker or ceramic.  I freaked out when I saw this one, and HAD TO HAVE IT.  I mean $3 … c’mon!

Have a good weekend all and as always, don’t stress too much about that project, just start it and sometimes it’ll just take off on it’s own, using all of your talents!

Later – Cheryl