Love My DIY Home

Fall Tablescape – Seven Days of Tips 3

Bring in a touch of the outdoors for your fall tablescape this year. Pine boughs, pine cones, pumpkins, berries, leaves, even rocks are a good choice. And of course, it doesn’t hurt that it’s free. Time to get creative. Think outside the box. I like free. Free is good. Plus, candles work well with the outdoors because they are made of natural products. Who doesn’t like candles? Look through your serving pieces and pair them with your candles and lanterns filling in with the natural things you scarfed from your yard. I found this “pumpkin” at Goodwill for $3.00. The berries were clearanced at Jo-Anns for under a dollar. Pine boughs – front yard. You can even spice up nature with a little silver spray paint. Click here to read about it. Think of how things are laid out in nature – layered naturally. … Read more

Fall Tablescape – Seven Days of Tips 2

Happy fall, y’all! It’s been snowy and cold here in Wisconsin. So cold. But it’s also B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. This is what I see on my way home every day. Of course, when this is our inspiration – we want to bring this beauty into our homes. But first, let’s talk texture. What do glass, wax and vegetables have in common? Well, nothing until you bring them all together into a sweet little tablescape. Pop Quiz: What do you put on top of a candlestick? A Pumpkin, of course! One key to keeping your tablescape interesting is to mix your textures. Put soft with hard, bumpy with smooth, round with square…OK, that’s not a texture, but you get my drift. Get creative. Use what you already have on hand. Go outside and see what free stuff you can use to beautify your home. Then put it all together … Read more

Fall Tablescape – Seven Days of Tips

Creating a fall tablescape is easy and inexpensive if you use what you already have on hand. Join me for 7 days of tips on how to bring it all together. NOTE: These 7 tips were published a couple of years ago, but if you’re looking for ideas, you’ll see these again here on LMDH, three a day and one on Thanksgiving morning to help you decorate this year too. Drag out all your decor you have stored around the house – stick it all in a pile on your kitchen table and play around with it! You’d be surprised at what you an come up with. Grab a candle stick here, a basket there, see what you can put together and then And there ya go… You have a super fancy tablescape unlike any other! Serving Bowl, Coffee Beans & a Candle Here I put together a plain … Read more

Apply [Retique It] Polyacrylic Without Drag

When I first started redesigning furniture, applying the topcoat was very frustrating for me. It dried too quickly, giving me drag. Drag happens when you swipe another strip of poly overtop poly that has already started to dry. It’s tricky to get a good application when the poly dries too fast. This could happen if the room you are working in is very dry or too warm. So make sure there’s enough humidity in the room and/or the proper temperature to give you time to work. No matter what I did back then, I couldn’t get a smooth, consistent finish. After lots of sleepless nights, then plenty of practice and research, I discovered a method that works AND a product that makes it so very easy. In this video, I demonstrate applying Retique It Polyacrylic with a detailer sponge. Easy peasy! The Polyacrylic (interior water-based polyurethane) and Polytique It (exterior … Read more

[VIDEO] Painting Without Tape – Tip Wiggle Push!

Years ago a friend told me while we were painting walls in our new house to “Get a good brush and stop using tape.” I took her advice and have translated that into using the same method on my furniture to save time and frustration. As you probably know, it’s always a concern that paint will seep under the tape when painting. Sure there are ways to prevent that, but it adds steps and I’m all about “quick and easy.” In this super short video, I show you several simple methods on how to use a brush to paint without tape. Yes, it does matter what brush and paint you use. Always use good quality products. One of my favorite detail brushes that delivers a nice finish is the Wonder Brush from Retique It. Go visit my store, Furniture Flipping Market – it’s full of great products for furniture flippers. … Read more

Antique Accent Table Redesign – Start to Finish in 7 Minutes

I’ve found video to be the best tool in sharing projects. We see everywhere pretty pictures, both before and afters, but seldom see HOW it was done. Today I’m a project that I video’d all the way through to the staging. We found this accent table at a local estate sale and it was labeled “antique.” I paid a little more for it since it is so unique. A “unique antique”. 🙂 I used all products from my online store, featuring Retique It products at FurnitureFlippingMarket.com. Go have a look at all the great products – quality products you can trust. I will list all the materials and link them below the video. Materials List: Oil-based Primer Ultratique all-in-One Paint – Robin’s Egg Ultratique all-in-One Paint – Alabaster Stain & Glaze (old oak or dark oak will work to give an antique look) Wonder Brush (there are three sizes!) Polyacrylic … Read more

Polyacrylic Isn’t Hard to Apply ANY MORE!

POLY APPLICATION FRUSTRATION! When I first started redesigning furniture, the hardest part was working out what methods worked the best – especially when applying glaze and poly. Fortunately after about 2 weeks of stressing and waking up and going to sleep with it on my mind, I finally figured it out. For glaze, I apply poly first and the glaze goes on so much better. For poly, I started using a damp car detailer sponge, soaked it in the poly first and then applied in strips, overlapping just a bit and never going back over it because you’d then get drag. Drag is when you go over a part that has already dried and the poly looks cloudy when dry. I added Extender to increase open time so I didn’t have to work so fast. I also discovered that humidity and temp in your room made a difference. It worked … Read more

[VIDEO] Too Busy to Accomplish Goals? It’s a Lie We Tell Ourselves.

Today while scrolling down through a news site that I just discovered, ThePatriotLight.com, I found this interesting video of a man accomplishing a seriously amazing task. I felt convicted as I watched him work. The excuses we give, the excuses THAT I GIVE, are not valid. I do have the time to do the things that are important to me. I just need to manage my time and life in general so much better. Time is too short. We are only here for a moment in time, so I am determined to make every bit of that time count. James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” Watch this video – it will inspire you to do great things and lose the excuses that limit what we do and what … Read more

Adding a Bit of Glitz to a Motif – The Royal Collection Metallics

Add Some Glitz! The Retique It Royal Collection Metallics Are you wanting your pieces to stand out so people take notice? One way to create the WOW factor is to add a little glitz. Whether you are stenciling a piece of decor, redesigning furniture, or even stenciling on a wall, metallics are a great choice. I recently redesigned a coffee table for my living room and of course I wanted a piece of art rather than just a plain ‘ol table! Today I’m sharing a video showing you how I giltzed it up. Sometimes the best things are the simplest! I used the Royal Collection Metallics by Retique It by stenciling just a bit of trim on all of the leaves. You don’t see it at first when coming into my living room, when casually glancing at it from the front, but as you walk around to sit on the … Read more

[SLIDESHOW] Beautiful Furniture Art by FFB PRO Members

This week I’ve opened up Furniture Flipping Blueprint enrollment and thought you might like to see some of the furniture art that my PRO members, both past and present, have created. I often marvel at the skills they have perfected. Talent isn’t everything, but hard work, experience, practice, experimentation, watching and learning is. I like this quote by Albert Einstein: “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” I can tell you until I’m blue in the face that it would behoove you to join Furniture Flipping Blueprint for so many reasons. But for you to SEE why you need to join is so much better. This time around I have special pricing, which is another reason why you should not to hesitate to join before time runs out. Come SEE what beautiful furniture artists my FFB members have become in the slideshow below. Here is the … Read more