Before and Afters

Fixing a Sloppy Paint Job

Here’s a little tip to save you some time and effort. I bought a dresser from Marketplace and the drawers had some messy painting going on. Drips, over painting, scratches, bristles embedded, etc. The worst part were the drawer sides. My options for fixing them were: painting them, stenciling over the mess, or sanding it off. I didn’t like any of those options. I thought on it a while and came up with a better option. It was easier than any of the three choices I originally thought I had and it worked. Here is the finished project – you can click the pic to go right to the post about this project: This is an example of the super short videos I create for my Blueprint members. I’ll be sharing some of them with those who wish to see the nicky picky details that most experienced furniture flippers have … Read more

[VIDEO] Creating Appliques Using Paper Clay

SAVE $$ It can be pretty pricey to buy ready made appliques, so this is a good solution for anyone wishing to add a little pizazz to decor or furniture. It’s easy and actually a fun thing to do once you get a handle on the particulars. This video shows you how to use paper clay to make appliques fairly inexpensively.   PAPER CLAY It certainly doesn’t hurt that this product and process is pretty easy too. I like easy. At the time I made this video I only used (afflink) paper clay, but since then I’ve learned about and also use hot glue and another medium similar to paper clay, Form Flex. These two are flexible after they dry unlike Paper Clay which is not. I share the other methods in the Blueprint – be sure to subscribe to the DROPCLOTH so you’ll be notified when it opens to … Read more

New Pop-Up ESCAPE ROOM on Facebook – DIY DECOR

COME LEARN SOME STUFF Since I mentor furniture flippers, accumulating staging props to use in photos for listings can be a big issue. So I like to help with every area of the flipping process to help members save money and increase profits. We can make our own decor and save $ – our bottom line isn’t only affected by the profit we make on a piece of furniture, but also on our expenses. So, the more staging decor we acquire easily and cheaply, the better.   NEW POP-UP GROUP ON FACEBOOK THE ESCAPE ROOM – DIY Staging Decor is open and ready for you. You can click the  name and it will take you there so you can sign up and reserve your spot. It’s going to be fun! I’m busily working on projects to share with you. It starts September 28, but you can join in on the … Read more

My Double Flipped Dresser

Occasionally I will buy a piece that another furniture artist has listed that they couldn’t sell. They will put it up for sale super cheap. 90% of the time there is something wrong with it like water damage or messed up drawers that they didn’t address in their redesign. Those things will discourage buyers and then they get  stuck with a piece that they put effort into that doesn’t sell. Most hate keeping pieces around and will give up and get rid of it to cut their losses. I watch for that scenario and if the piece is solid, just not up to par, I’ll grab it. This happened with this piece. I bought it for $40 on Marketplace. There were some details that hurt its saleability, but it had good hardware and was a brand that said, “quality”.   The BEFORE: Looks good, right? So why was it for … Read more

Outdoor Paint Projects Can Be Tricky

Have you ever painted an outdoor project? Did it last? I’ve done it a few times and have discovered a great product that has held up well. Every couple of years I reapply the poly to my hand-painted picnic table and have been happy to see that my painted design has held fast and still looks great. You can find Polytique It Exterior TopCoat @ Furniture Flipping Market. On Instagram you can find lots of my tips – I post them occasionally to help you with the little things that make a big difference. I would have never occurred to me that I would have to seal every inch if I’d not been told to do so by the manufacturer. It was kind of like a “duh” moment when I heard the tip. Of course I should seal it all…I just hadn’t thought of it. Get art from Mystik River … Read more

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

“Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder.” We say it, but do we act like we believe it? We should. We are all different. We all have opinions as to what we think is beautiful and we ought to apply that in every respect, whether it’s about nature, people or things. Showing grace – It matters in our relationships online and off. In our group, Furniture Flipping Forum, Jacquelyn Marie, of Refreshed Home Designs, posted a bright green dresser. Her story was interesting, so I’m sharing it with you today. It’s important to see other’s perspectives when it comes to art. Some on the forum liked it and applauded her, some said it wasn’t their taste but agreed it was her choice to paint it however she wanted. One member was very rude and I had to delete her comment. She is no longer a member of FFF. There … Read more

Master Bedroom Headboard is Finally Done!

It’s only been about 3 years… This one gave us a run for our money. It was either sell it or disassemble it to get it up to our room. I couldn’t bear to sell it. I’d waited over 3 years to redesign it for our master, so I wasn’t going to give up so easily. It took me a long time to set aside time to do it because when I redo something of my own, I want to enjoy it. I didn’t want to rush through it because I had pressing matters calling for my attention, but I wanted to have a big bed so I can enjoy it with my partner. Plus, I even got a vibrator wand for when the bed is ready. And hey, if you’re considering upgrading, you may also want to consider these upholstered queen bed frames. So I decided to let DH … Read more

A Headboard Redesign w/ Brushes Overview

Do you ever get a chance to paint for yourself? I try to, but it’s kinda like the “Cobbler’s children have no shoes,” for most furniture flippers. This headboard has sat around waiting for me for about 3 or 4 years. It’s massive. And now, it’s almost ready for my master suite. Here’s the “before”. Here are steps 1-3:   STEP #1  Repair & Clean We couldn’t get it up the two flights of stairs because it was too tall and ceilings got in the way. So DH had to cut off the end pieces and reassemble them. He used L brackets so they can easily be taken apart in the future. Hats off to him for repairing it so well and figuring out the best way to take it apart and put it back together. STEP #2  Prime with STIX. STIX isn’t a regular primer that covers stains or … Read more

Create an Inviting Office Space

Since I spend 99% of my time in my home, I LIVE in my home. It’s what I see when I wake up, work, play, relax, cook, eat – you get the idea. It’s my sanctuary. It’s my castle. It’s where I AM all the time. It was especially true this past year. Don’t get me started… We have transformed nearly every room in our 4-level home, implementing significant upgrades with the assistance of a reliable service such as gresham heating and cooling. Beyond interior renovations, we’ve also dedicated efforts to enhance the exterior. This property and its surroundings were initially a chaotic mess, presenting us with the challenge of truly making it our own. Our top level has two master bedroom suites, and an office (have a peek at this web-site to find the best office spaces around your locality). It was originally 4 bedrooms, but you know, I … Read more

Typesetter’s Drawer Upcycle – Essential Oils Decorative Rack

We found this typesetter’s drawer for just a few dollars about 6 years ago and just never did anything with it…until last week. I have a challenge in my Blueprint member’s group that consists of 3 things: Clean up/organize your workshop. Make your workshop pretty. Do something special for yourself. I’m joining my members in the challenge and I’m: Cleaning up my office (workshop already done) Making my office pretty Cleaned up the typesetter’s drawer, stained and mounted it on the wall  of my master bedroom hallway.   Here is the “BEFORE” of the typesetter drawer: We decided to take it to the car wash and spray it down – normally you have to be very careful when getting water on old wood because it could warp. But I decided it was worth the risk since it looked like the back had already been exposed to moisture (rippled). Besides, I … Read more

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