Who isn’t interested in picking up a quick tip on how to easily update their home?! Every week our on staff Interior Designer, Sari Pollock, will be giving everyone an design tip right here on Su Casa’s Blog!
Some times all it takes is a little idea to spark a light bulb in us to create something amazing in our homes. Check here every week to see what new and exciting idea she has posted.
Have a comment or great design ideas of your own? Post it on here! Have a design question for Sari? Ask away! She will be able to help you create your own amazing spaces!
6/7/2010 - Sari’s Design Tip of the Week:
Easy DIY Home Decor Projects
Hand Painted Multicolor Striped Glass Plates
The great thing about glass plates is that you can decorate their undersides and still eat off of them safely. You can pick them up everywhere, from the thrift store to the Dollar Store, and they make the best craft project. Think about making special plates to match your kitchen or to celebrate a special occasion (e.g. Raven’s logo for football games or Ghosts for Halloween). The possibilities are endless!
You’ll Need:
- 1″ wide blue painter’s tape
- Glass Plates
- Craft Knife
- Krylon Fushion spray pain in at least 6 different shades
- Newspaper
- Minwax Polycrylic Protective finish
- 1″ wide paintbrush
Here’s How:
1. Apply a piece of the painter’s tape all the way across the back of one edge of your plate. Make sure it’s really stuck on there - you don’t want any bubbles.
2. Next to the first piece of tape, and overlapping it a tiny bit, place another piece of tape.
3. Continue this way until you’ve covered the entire plate except for the last little stripe on the opposite edge.
4. Cut off any excess tape around the edge of the plate with the craft knife.
5. Line up your spray paints in the order in which you want the stripes to appear on the plate. Lay the plate, tape side up, on the newspaper.
6. Spray the little uncovered stripe with your first color and wait about five minutes.
7. Remove the first piece of tape, spray another color, and wait about 5 minutes.
8. Remove another piece of tape, spray a third color, and wait another 5 minutes.
9. Continue until the entire place is painted.
10. With your last color, coat the entire back of the plate.
11. When your plate is dry, paint of several coats of the Polycrylic, waiting about 20 minutes between coats, and then let dry for 24 hours.
Enjoy your custom painted plate!
Glass Chip Pendant Lamps
I was in a restaurant once and saw beautiful lamps made of glass chips all over the ceiling. Although they were obviously made in Italy by a glassblower, I was totally inspired to make my own version with the supplies that are readily accessible in the local crafts store. These lamps can be made in different colors, with different shapes of glass chips - whatever you want. Just take your time, and when you’re done, enjoy the beautful light they give!
You’ll Need:
- Tough plastic container (not flexible)
- Heavy duty scissors (optional)
- Drill with a 1/4″ drill bit
- Newspaper
- Rags
- Tons of glass chips in a color you like
- Amzing Goop Household glue
- Transparent tape
- 6′ snap-in sock-and-cord set, with a switch on the cord and a candleabra base
- 15-watt chandelier bulb
Here’s How:
1. If you need to, cut the rim off the plastic container so it has a nice clean edge.
2. Drill a hole in the center of the bottom so you have a place to wire the socket-and-cord set.
3. Lay down newspaper and pile up rags to keep the contained from rolling around while you’re gluing on the glass chips.
4. In groups of five or six, apply glue to the back of each of the glass chips and place it on the plastic.
5. To keep the chips in place until the glue sets, put tape over them for a few minutes.
6. Continue gluing on the glass chips until the entire container is covered. This may take a while since you’ll have to wait until the glue sets each time you put on more chips.
7. Wire the socket set through the hole in the container, following the instructions that come with the set.
8. Screw in the bulb and hang from a hook.
Enjoy and Admire the Beautiful Light!!