My “New” Decopatch Radio

I covered my original “Decopatch radio” a couple of years ago, but sadly, it shuffled off its mortal coil a while ago ….. I have replaced it, but left it as it was…. however since my kitchen has undergone a major overhaul, the radio’s plain wood finish has come under scrutiny …… until, I finally succumbed and gave it the Decopatch treatment!

As the kitchen is predominately black and white with a splash of red … I ordered about ten assorted Decopatch papers in these colours ….

….. but when they arrived I decided that I would only use the red based ones with my very favourite being the red and black lace effect one (code 436).

It probably only took me about 30/45 minutes to cover, I even thought I would have a go at doing the knob, (if you’ll pardon the expression!). The worst part for me is waiting for it to dry, especially as it tends to go a little wrinkly before it dries perfectly flat, and that’s the danger time, when I tend to poke at it!  I finally got to varnish it using Wilkinson's clear, quick drying varnish, which really does dry quickly, perfect for me as I am sooooo impatient. Anyway, four/five coats did it ……

And now it’s sitting resplendent in my kitchen, looking like a very expensive, bespoke model, tuned to Radio 4!

My Decopatch Boudoir Chair

Remember the old chair I got for free from one of the shops in the village that was having a chuck out …..

Well, it's finally finished and I have to admit that it was the fiddleist project I have attempted so far mainly because of various nooks and crannies on the front legs.

I especially hated doing the round bits and all the bars which were narrow, there was no clear run of covering, if you know what I mean compared to the tables I have done before, everything was a fiddly faff .... but I got it all done in the end ….. only to be scuppered when I ran out of quick drying varnish … and it took me longer than I had hoped to just nip into town to get a new tin, so it’s been standing in limbo now for a couple of weeks.

However …. I was dead chuffed when I managed to find some very vibrant silky turquoise material from the market for a couple of quid (with enough leftover to cover a three piece suite!) and after borrowing a staple gun from work I think I have made a reasonably decent job of covering the seat …. but I am not showing you the underneath, because it was a case of why use just one staple when 340 will do!

But, it’s now finished and I LOVE it and it is now sharing my boudoir with the bejewelled mirror I finished a few weeks ago. I am hoping to treat myself to a new look bedroom in the New Year, I plan the main colours to be cream and turquoise and then accessorised with a whole miss match of the jewel like colours taken from the chair …. and I have my next project in sight ….

…. an old dressing table mirror that was given to me by my Grandmother and that I have used every morning to bung on my slap for years ….. but I am still a little unsure of exactly what to do with it, I don’t think it would look right Decopatched,  at the moment it is sprayed gold but it is very dull ….. I am wondering if I could inject some vibrancy into it by gold leafing it and then adding a bit of stamping ….????   Any suggestions are most welcome on a postcard addressed to "FiddleFart – Mirror"!!!!!

Therapy – My Decopatch Coffee Table

When we had to remove The Dukes marine fish tank it was heart breaking, but there was no way that Lucy and I could maintain it and if anything had happened to the fish we would never have been able to forgive ourselves.  In the end we managed to contact two lovely gentlemen from a local aquarist society who not only very kindly found new homes for our fish, but also completely dismantled the tank and all its gubbings for which I will never be able say “thank you” enough.

Anyway ….. with the tank gone, the room looked tired and empty and Lucy and I decided that it needed a completely new look ….. so guess what …. I decided to Decopatch (!!!!!)  one of our Ikea “Lack” coffee tables …… to create the colour palette for our new “girlie lounge”

….. and because I am incapable of choosing just a couple of Decopatch papers , I ended up using all the designs I had …… and you will no doubt realise that it also matches the table in my utility room that I had already done ….. no imagination me!!!!   Once covered I applied about six coats of Ronseal Quick Drying Varnish to withstand the rigours of our coffee mugs etc.

When the table was finished Lucy pointed out that as we had two Ikea “Lack” tables, rather than go for the Decopatch overkill look, we could mix and match them depending on our mood – Decopatch top with plain legs …….

……. or plain top with Decopatch legs …..

The rest of the lounge is a work in progress with much gratitude to my very talented brother Andrew, but when it’s all finished I will post some more pictures so that you can see the finished results!

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/20011413/

A Project …. Having A Go At A Decopatch Chair

I have said a couple of times already that I am struggling with my mojo, which is why you are seeing a lot of my Christmas stuff now, because I have had to bunk it down so I still have posts to post if you see what I mean ……. but at the moment I do find Decopatch very soothing …. and it takes no thinking!

So, when I saw this chair outside one of the  village shops going free to a good home, it would have looked rude not to avail myself of it and bring it home ….. The Duke use to just tut and sigh when I brought “more rubbish” into the house ….. but I have been wanting to have a go at a Decopatch chair for ages and fortuitously Tom and Laura had bought me a pile of new papers a couple of weeks ago ….. so it was fate!!

I am also having a bit of a reshuffle in the house at the moment and I need a new chair for my bedroom, and this could be it!  I have never reupholstered a seat before, but I have a staple gun …. so how hard can it be?  So watch this space!!!!

Since writing this post on Wednesday I couldn’t resist making a start …. all I can say is that it is lot fiddlier than anything I have decopatched before ….. and I am dreading the knobbly bits on the legs!!! However, a little and often I think.  It is interesting to see how Decopatch works when put straight on dark wood … I thought it might be more subdued …. but it still looks bright and fresh. I am thinking that I am going for a cerise seat cover …. and if I could find a knitted jumper that I could cut up for it, it could look pretty FAB!!!

Decopatch Radio ….

I did it!

Now what else can I do????

My Decopatch Table …..

I have finally finished my Decopatch kitchen table by covering and varnishing the two large and four small drawers.

I then got carried away and Decopatch a stool to match.

I love it so much, I smile every time I go into the room.

The budgie isn’t real …. he just makes me smile too and sort of blends in with all the other colours!!

I now have my beady eye on the radio on the side ..... but would that be overkill???

Decopatch - Papier Mache Suitcase

I’ll be honest …. in a way,  I prefer these suitcases naked and unadorned!

For this first case I’ve used Decopatch Paper No. 497 with the larger of the papier mache suitcases (measurements 4.5 x 11 x 7.5cm & 5 x 14 x 10cm) which cost between £3.00 - £4.00 depending where you buy them.  The straps were a bit of a fiddle fart … as I didn’t want to cover them only to find they would no longer fit in the fastenings!

If I can find some nice gold corners, I might experiment with them, I know it’s got a few gems but I think it could do with something else.

I’m going to put this away and use it when I need a small gift box.

This is more my style, (Plain Jane) I’ve just gone over it a couple of times with a brown Promarker.

This one is staying on my desk!

Decopatch Teapot Flowerpots

I was given this book for Christmas and some of the ideas are just too wonderful for words!

It was this idea for a fabric covered teapot/plant pot that got me thinking …. wondering if I could substitute the fabric for Decopatch paper.

….. And how fortuitous that I have a huge box of brown teapots in the shed already! I used to buy them up at 50p a go at car boots years ago because I wanted to paint them to look like Christmas puddings (but that, as of yet has not happened).

Anyway they Decopatched a treat and didn’t take that long but the  5/6 layers of clear varnish took a few days to complete.

I am putting them (and all the others I hope to make) aside until Mother’s day when I plan to plant a pansy etc. in them. 

http://everythingalicebook.blogspot.com/

Decopatched Jugs

I am really trying to keep my New Years resolution of spending a lot less and working my way through all the stuff in my craft room cupboards and drawers instead!

So ….. I’ve had these large metal jugs, which stand about 8ins tall for about two years now, I found them in a sale and think I got them for no more than £1.50 each, but never knew quite what to do with them …. however inspired by some Christmas reading I decided throw caution to the wind and Decopatch them to an inch of their lives using all my little bits …..

…….. plus one of two watering cans I also have.  At first I applied several coats of clear mat varnish, but in the end I decided I prefer a glossy finish so applied a few more coats.  I am sooooo chuffed with the results!

Pins and Things Decopatch Tin

I used an old Altoids tin to make this little box for my daughters sewing basket, covering it with Decopatch paper No. 455

I learnt from my disaster a few weeks ago not to cover the  the part where the lid rim covers the sides with the paper, I tried to do this as neatly as I could, but think I could have done it a bit better.

I printed off the label and then cut it out using a Nestabilities label die, which I stuck onto the lid, followed by several  applications of  clear glossy varnish all over covered the tin.

Inside I put some green felt on the bottom and on the inside the lid to make it look all posh and professional!

A Visit To SCARF – Decopatch Apple

You may have noticed a bit of banter in the chatbox in the sidebar about me going to SCARF, a small resource centre in Wolverhampton. One of my friends is doing a Fine Arts Degree and I took her there to show her the array of goodies they have at very reasonable prices ….. she filled a carrier bag full of material for £3. ….

….. and I got five pretend apples for 35p each and some keyrings.  The keyrings were 5p each and I thought I would be able to take out the middles and put my own in …. but alas, they were jammed in solid! But I have a few other ideas for them …… so all is not lost (yet)!

I’ve wanted some apples for ages to see how they would look Decopatch-ed. On this I’ve used Peacock Feathers Print (538). To be honest I am always disappointed with how the Decopatch looks when I first put it on, even after using the proper glue, but after several coats of clear glossy varnish it always comes up a treat.

Just for a laugh, I wondered how one of my jewelled flies would look sitting on my apple!

To give the apple an extra magical effect I rubbed a bit of StampinUp Dazzling Diamonds over it while the glue was still tacky and before the varnish.

….. but what a nightmare it was to dry between several layers of varnish being round …. in the end I attached some cord to it and hung it from one of my mobiles!