Console Table Makeover

I love KSL Classifieds. Before there was Pinterest, I spent a lot of time pouring through pages and pages of chairs, tables, and sundry other items. In the fall I spotted this table for $10 and I sent my DS1 to pick it up after his college classes.  

It is a pretty small table but it is perfect for my iHome and a few little decorations.  You can never have enough drawers, so even though this one is small, it is handy.

Last June my kids all changed rooms and we ended up having my youngest son's room left empty.  The hubby wanted to bash through the wass and turn it into a closet extension, but I claimed it for an office/studio.  I teach music lessons at home, so it is really nice to have a dedicated space.  More on the makeover of the room later. . . today, just the table.

I wanted the table to have a little pop, so I chose orange.  I have a great store nearby called The Painted Daisy Floral Shop and they carry Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.  This is a video of the owner.  She is a doll!  She was actually painting a table when I arrived at the store and she gave me a lesson right then and there.  I was sold and had a little splurge. . .

Just so you know, this table went from drab to fab in about 2 hours.  Here's what I did:

1. I washed the table with a lightly soapy solution to be sure that there was no Pledge or other product clinging to the table and allowed it to dry.  This is Utah, so the drying time was minimal!
2. I used a nice paint brush to apply a thin layer of the orange chalk paint over the entire table.  You do not have to sand or prime the table. 
3. After about 30 minutes the table was dry, so I gave the table a second coat of paint.
4. When the table was dry, I used a piece of a t-shirt to apply the Annie Sloan Clear Soft Wax to the entire table.
5. The I used a sanding block to distress a few edges.  I did not want a seriously shabby look- just a happily worn look.
6. I then used a tiny piece of a T-shirt to apply a bit of the Annie Sloan Dark Soft Wax to add some aging on the edges and aroud the knob hole.  If the dark is too dark, you can use some more clear wax as an eraser.  But. . . you do need to work fairly quickly.
7. Let the table sit for 15-20 minutes.  Then buff with a clean piece of t-shirt.
8. Add a cute new knob (I love Hobby Lobby for knobs, and voila!  A whole new look! 

Sorry.  I didn't take process photos.  It had been a VERY bad day and this project was very cathartic.  Taking photos would have ruined the flow of the experience.

Spiffy Irish Dog Collars

I am the proud owner of two Irish Water Spaniels.  They are medium-sized dogs who resemble a Standard Poodle but they have long whip tails and webbed feet for swimming.  My boys are 4 1/2 years old and they are somewhat ill-behaved in public, but angels at home with us.  Since this is "their" week, I thought they needed new collars for St. Patrick's Day.

Lewis and Clark sporting their new collars.  Lewis is on the left in the lime collar and Clark has the kelly green collar.  Lewie had to have his ears trimmed after a bad run in with burdocks, but I think he's cute anyway!  The intense looks are the result of me holding a few treats!

I used:

• 3/4" nylon webbing- about 24 inches (some loss and some doubling) for a 16" collar
• 3/4" ribbon- about 24"
• 3/4" clicking buckle
• 1 3/4" D ring

Make sure that when you cut the nylon webbing you fise the ends by swiping it through a flame.  I just turn on my gas burner and pass it through the flame for a couple of seconds.  Fold the end of the ribbon over and prepare to sew.



Sew along the edge of the ribbon to connect the ribbon to the webbing.  When you get to the end, turn it around and sew back down the other side.

This is how it will look.  I used black thread so that it would show up.  Plus. . . that's what was in my machine and I was feeling lazy.

Thread the ribbon up through one opening. . .

And down through the other opening.

You will want to have an overlap of 3-4 inches.

Sew a straight line across the collar.  You may need to hold the buckle down.  Use the reverse button and go over the seam 4-5 times.

Slide the D ring in between the main collar and the little tab and then sew another straight seam.  I like to put an X at the end of the tab to make sure that the D ring will be secure.  Lewis and Clark can pull pretty hard.

This shows the X.  I apologize for the crappy sewing.  No excuses, just going too fast!

On the other end of the collar, slip on the otherpart of the buckle.  Make sure that you measure the collar on your pup's neck before you start sewing.  It should be loose enough to slip your fingers under it, but not so loose that it could slide off the head.  A panic-stricken dog can easily get out of a collar.

Here's the fruits of 20 minute of work!  Big Lew's collar is a little longer than Clark's.  Aren't they festive?  My teenage boys thought they were a little "gay."  I threatened rainbow collars for April and then they thought these were lovely!