Happy Monday!
This post will be my last one for February. I'm working on an "Entryway Transformation" that I want to have ready for Sarah's Before and After Party, so please look for that post sometime during the first week of March! I'm nearly done and my tiny entryway is now my most favorite part of the house.
A-mazing what a can of paint can do!
Moving on, this project was done during our winter storm and I was saving it for last. Your jaws are gonna drop when you find out how much it cost.
Curious yet?
I have been searching for a mail holder for months! Many stores have these but I wanted mine to be 1) wood, 2) less than $10, and 3) I had to love it. I hunted at thrift stores and Craigslist but never saw one that I loved. Well, looky what I found a few weeks ago:
I brought it home, sanded it down (it had some faded off-white paint), cleaned it, and gave it 3 coats with my black spray can.
I know it looks blue, but it's black. The light was pouring in that day. ;) So, even with a new color, it looked better, but not quite finished.
Following my DIY stencil steps, I painted "Letters" onto the bottom with the same sample paint I've used for other projects. Why? Because it looks white I tell ya.
I did one coat for the letters and chose not to smooth out the lines because I wanted it to look "stamped." (haha, get it?) Anyway...
I wanted it to read "Letters" as opposed to "Mail" because something about receiving a letter in the mail makes my heart skip a beat. To know you were thought of, and loved. It's comforting. Mail could be any 'ol junk or bill. Is this making sense? Ah well, "Letters" says "romance" for me. :)
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Total Project Cost: $2 (for the mail holder)
I already had all the other things.
I haven't hung it on the wall yet because I am thinking about sanding it down to give it a "worn" look. What do you think? Keep it glossy or distress it? Which, by the way, I have no idea how to do. Anyone know how to distress painted wood?
On a side note: Thank you to all my new followers! This has been the best month, with the addition of 24 more of you! Please make sure to send me your blog link, because I love to also "follow my followers." ;) Have a great week! See you in March.
Linking up with: Keeping It Simple, Thrifty Decor Chick, Christina's Adventures, At the Picket Fence, French Country Cottage, Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, A Vision to Remember, House of Grace
14 comments:
Awesome! I love these kinds of things, I have a similar magazine holder in my bathroom (you can see it by searching bathroom makeover...I think)
Good job with the lettering too... Mine would probably be all crooked!
wow this looks great!
I think distressing would look awesome with the "stamped" letter look!
I vote for distressing too!!! And I think I am also one of your new follwers...check me out at http://kelydon.blogspot.com and Follow me there!! I do a lot of crafts.
I love this and I will have to check out the DIY stencil link bc I don't have a silhouette machine.....love it!
Found you via Thrifty Decor Chick. :)
Great find! I'm now a follower.
Hey Amanda, I did something similar last summer, I'll have to re-post it for you!
As for the baskets, I don't remember if they had tall ones, but they were from the Martha Stewart line! :)
Very nice! I'm a new follower. Laura
http://imnotatrophywife.com
That looks great! I haven't seen a mail holder... sorry, letter holder like that in years!
I'm a new follower as well, I love your projects (and followed a link here from Thrifty Decor Chick).
Check out my blog at http://ritafisher.blogspot.com :D
Sand that sucker down!! :) use a low grit sand paper and just do it lightly til you get the look you want. Start on the edges and then when you got the look...lightly do the letters so they look "aged" too.
it looks so so good! sigh ~ I love paint!
Tana
You did a great job!! I agree with "Orange it Lovely"...sand it lightly...see how you like it!
And I echo the thoughts about LETTERS...LOVE it!
Thanks for linking to "20 Below Thursday"! :)
What a great find. I agree with the distressing people. Just sand it down slightly on the edges and the previous cream paint will show through a little. If you sand it down further to bare wood you could put some wood stain on those areas to make it look older. BUT, it looks great as is also!
Looks great! I never get that lucky on Craigslist, maybe I need to keep trying! I am your newest follower!
It is darling! Thanks for sharing this at Feathered Nest Friday! :)
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