DIY Reclaimed Wood Nightstands

I am a huge fan of texture, so when deciding on a look for my nightstands I really liked the idea of incorporating some weathered wood into the design. I found an old pallet and fence boards in a back alley that were beautifully aged by the elements, and then bought these simple (but pretty ugly) nightstands on kijiji, and got to work creating my Reclaimed Wood Nightstands.

Materials:
• 1 or 2 Nightstands (mine cost $15 each)
• Old pallet or fence boards (free!)
• 100 grit sand paper
• primer
• 1 Quart of White Semi-gloss Acrylic Paint
• 4 inch foam roller and handle
• 1 1/2 or 2 inch paint brush
• Wood glue (I used PL 400 glue)
• Brad Nailer and nails (length of nails depends on thickness of your wood)
• Updated hardware if desired

Cost:
I already had all of the paint and supplies so this project only cost me a total of $40 to complete both!

(it says "FREE-with lunch" I never took them up on the lunch though... haha)

Instructions:

Before beginning be sure to remove all hardware from drawers, and remove drawers from the runners to work on alongside.






























1. Scuff sand the entire nightstand to remove the sheen from the varnish

2. Apply 1 coat of primer to the entire surface. Allow to dry fully.

I find it helps to work with a small brush to cut into the corners and get any detailed edges, and then use a foam roller to quickly fill in the large surfaces. These are the ones I use for most of my projects.

3. Apply 2 coats of paint allowing the paint to dry fully between coats (typically 6-8 hrs till recoat)

4. Cut wood to appropriate length.
I can't give you any exact measurements here, as each piece will be different, but we left about a half inch of extra length to overhang on the front and sides of the nightstand.

I don't own any sort of saw so I showed up at my brother-in-law's job site to borrow his Miter Saw to get this done. You may have to be creative about completing this part.

5. Arrange wood on top of your nightstand until you are satisfied with the appearance of the panels. I put the uncut edges facing out because I like the texture it added and turned the cut parts towards the back. Look out for any gaps between your panels and shuffle pieces accordingly.

6. Keeping your wood panels in order set them aside and apply a layer of wood glue to the surface (Since I was at the job site we used PL 400 glue, but you can use something a little less heavy duty)  then carefully place your panels back along the top. Be sure to push the seams together and create a straight line with your edges.

7. Using a Brad Nailer secure the wood in place by shooting a couple nails through each end of each piece.

8. Replace hardware on drawers if desired. I got these ones from Pier 1imports for $5 each!

This project is a whole lot of fun as it is easily translatable to many other pieces of furniture! You could do this to a coffee table, side table, bookshelf, etc. and you can also experiment with using many different types of wood or stain.

There you have it!
Let me know if you have any other ideas or variations you'd like to try, and give this project a go!

DIY Watercolor Wall Art

I got a pack of watercolors last year for Christmas and have been slowly been learning the language of this sort of art. Having just completed a couple of furniture projects over the past couple weeks (posts coming soon!), I figured it was time to start adding some personal pieces of decor towards the completion of my space. 

 For this project you will need:

• Watercolors paints, pallet, and brushes (I used Windsor and Newton paints and a #2 and #4 brush)

• 90lb+ Watercolor paper 

• Illustration Pen

• Frames to put your completed art in

1. The first thing you want to do is cut your paper to size. I do this by simply taking the back out of the frame and laying it over the paper to see where I need to cut it. One of my frames has a matte in it, so I needed to be sure to consider this when deciding where to start my picture on the page.

2. Depending on the length of the quote you are adding you can start one of two ways. For the Live Simply piece I blocked out the large flowers first and added in the text after the painting was finished. For the Adventurers piece I sketched out the text first to ensure that I had room and proper spacing and then built the foliage in around it.

3. Begin painting the foliage with the largest flowers and leaves. Experiment with mixing colors that are next to each other on the colour wheel, like pinks and reds, oranges and yellows, or blues and purples. White space is also your friend as it can add interest and dimension to your shapes.

4. As the layers of paint dry continue to fill in with additional foliage. Deepen colors to shade or add accent colors to leaves and flowers as you see fit. 

5. When blocking out text I always begin by writing with pencil (especially since my penmanship is terrible! haha). Make sure that you keep it light so that it can easily be erased after the ink is added.

6. After your paint has had time to dry begin to fill in your text using an illustration pen.

I start by outlining the letters once, and then go back and add additional lines on the curves and edges. 

7. Fill in the lines of your text until you reach the desired thickness

8. Review your piece and make sure that you are happy with the fullness of the foliage and how it frames the text. I found that I had too much white space in some areas and went back to add additional flowers and leaves.

9. Once your text is dry go over it with an eraser to remove any pencil lines that are visible.

There you have it! Beautiful personal wall art that you created yourself! 

Give it a try and let me know how it goes :) 

If you like it please share it ;)

The Rowsell Family • Portraits

Faced a blustery wind to take in the last of the beautiful fall colors with the Rowsell family. This was their first time having professional photos taken and as you can see they were naturals! 

Enjoy!

The Rempel Family • Portraits

Had a wonderful time taking in the last light of the day with the beautiful Rempel Family!

Check out the photos with the children's book for a special little announcement! ;)

Nathan & Hannah Zieber • Wedding

Over the next week or so I will be catching the blog up to date on a couple of the more recent big things I've been working on. First on the list is the Zieber Wedding! I have known Nathan and Hannah for quite a few years and was so honoured when they asked me to capture their big day for them. Their wedding was so unique and reflected them wonderfully, and it was such a privilege to be a part of their memories! All the best to you Mr & Mrs. Zieber! 

 

Feel free to pin or share anything that you like!

Enjoy!