DIY Archives - Page 11 of 52 - Pretty Handy Girl

Aged, arts and craft, Before and After, decor, DIY, Furniture, Goodwill, painting, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, spray paint, Spray paint metal, thrifting, Upcycling

How to Create a Faux Zinc Texture (with Spray Paint)

Want to give something the look of zinc metal without spending money on zinc metal? You can create the look with spray paint and this technique.

How to Create a Faux Zinc Texture (with Spray Paint)

A while ago I was thrifting with a few friends and stumbled across an ugly cabinet at our local Goodwill. The metal chest had extra wide and deep storage, but the worst colors imaginable! The hot pink and mint green were disguising the true potential of the chest. Like a color-blind dog, I was able to see beyond its garish appearance. In my mind, I pictured a vintage metal cabinet with a faux zinc side and chalkboard drawer fronts.

I scooped it up and brought it home. Then the poor chest sat in our garage for months and months until I had a chance to work a little spray paint magic and turned it into….this thing of beauty:

Yes, that is the same chest of drawers! You could do the same transformation. Let’s learn How to Create a Faux Zinc Texture!

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Gray Automotive primer
Rust-oleum metallic hammered metal spray paint (silver)
Craft paper
Painter’s Tape
Rubber gloves
White chalk

Instructions:

Clean off your furniture piece really well. Remove any dirt or debris (I actually had to use a little Goo Gone to get rid of some sticky residue. But, lemon essential oil will also work for this task.)

Spray paint your object with automotive primer. (I prefer the automotive primer because it sticks to metal and can withstand a lot of abuse.)

Let the primer dry.

Adding a Faux Zinc Texture:

This is the most exciting part of the tutorial. I created this technique by trial and error and I’m excited by how well this method works for creating a faux zinc texture.

Getting a faux zinc texture is really easy. Just have some gloves on and use a crumpled up piece of craft paper. (A loose crumple works best.)

Spray paint your object with a thick coat of the hammered silver spray paint, (but not so thick that it runs). Let the paint get tacky by waiting a few seconds.

Then use the crumpled piece of craft paper to blot into the wet paint.

Work in small 1 foot sections and pounce the paper a few times. (Too much pouncing and you’ll lose the large textured pattern.)

Let the paint dry thoroughly. Then enjoy your beautiful faux zinc paint job!

Chalkboard Painted Metal Drawers:

For my cabinet, I chose to paint the drawer fronts with chalkboard paint for a nice contrast.

Remove the drawers from the chest. Tape over the drawer glides and slides. Mask off the drawer sides and insides by covering the drawers with tape and craft paper, leaving only the drawer fronts exposed.

Spray paint the drawers with chalkboard paint. (Use three fine coats of paint instead of one or two heavy coats.) Set them aside to dry.

Insert the chalkboard drawers back into the cabinet frame.

Add chalkboard art to your drawer fronts.

The thrifted cabinet has a wonderful texture now and the black and zinc colors work with any color scheme.

The chalkboard drawer fronts allow the flexibility for me to store and label other items inside.

I’m so thrilled with the results! I hope you try to transform your own object, now that you know how to Create a Faux Zinc Texture.

If you use this tutorial, I’d love to hear about it. Better yet, will you send me a picture?

Share this with a friend! Pin this image:

October 14, 2019/8 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

accessories, arts and craft, autumn fall decor, Crafts, decor, DIY, glass paint, Holiday decorating, Home Decor, painting, spray paint, tablescape, Tutorial

DIY Frosted Votive Candle Holders

Hi, Pretty Handy Girl Readers! I’m back today with a super simple and inexpensive project that you can use for the upcoming holiday season. Or anytime, really! These DIY frosted votive candle holders are made from old yogurt jars (Yoplait by Oui jars).

This brand of yogurt comes in the cutest little glass jars and I’ve found so many uses for them, like my fairy jar macrame hangers and cinnamon stick candle holders.

Here’s how to make these DIY frosted votive candle holders:

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Yogurt Jars
Goo Gone (to remove sticker labels)
Rust-Oleum Frosted Spray Paint
Tea candles or fairy lights

Instructions:

Follow these simple instructions to make these pretty votive candle holders!

Step 1: Clean your Jars

Here’s the easiest way to clean the jars. Place the jars in a bowl filled with hot, soapy water. Let them soak for a bit.

After soaking, use a tea towel to dry them and help remove most (if not all of the) sticker residue. Use Goo Gone to remove any remaining sticker residue.

You will find at this point that most of it will just rub right off. If not, put the jars in the dishwasher to get them nice and clean.

Step 2: Spray Paint your Jars

As with all spray painting and painting projects, it’s best to spray outside in a well-ventilated area (and use protective eyewear and a mask).

Spray your jars using light and even coats to avoid drips and runs in your paint. It’s best to go easy and commit to building up the paint over time. This spray paint dries in just 5-10 minutes! You will be able to tell where you might need more spray paint after giving it time to dry. Spray your jars with 2 coats for the best coverage.

I spray painted both the inside and outside of my jars, but that might not be necessary depending on the look you want.

As this paint dries, it becomes more opaque and frosted looking. It’s really cool to watch the paint magic happening before your eyes!

Step 3: Enjoy your Jars!

Once your jars are fully dry, you can decorate with them! I love these frosted jars with tea light candles. But you could also use fairy lights for a unique look.

Buy tea candles in bulk from stores like Amazon or IKEA. You can also pick up seasonal candles from places like Target if you wanted a nice Fall or Holiday scent.

Another idea?

I’m a huge fan of the flameless candles, as long as they are realistic and cast a warm glow (not a fake orangey one!) You can buy flameless tea light candles just about anywhere these days. If you want my personal opinion, Pottery Barn and Luminara make pretty realistic ones and the light is very warm and pretty. Amazon is chock full of options for flameless tea lights.

If you are planning a holiday get together or a party (even a wedding), these candles will be the perfect finishing touch for your tables and decor. Bonus: they are so inexpensive and easy to make.

I hope you guys have fun with this one! And I hope Yoplait never stops making this yogurt because I love these little jars!

For even more ideas, check out these festive votive candle holders right here on Pretty Handy Girl!

See you all next month! Thanks for reading!

~ See More of Karen’s Tutorials ~

Hello! I’m Karen, the creator of the Home Decor and DIY Blog: Decor Hint. I’m a Native of the East Coast, but I currently live in beautiful Seattle with my hubby, our two wonderful children, and our spunky wheaten terrier.

You can usually find me with some sort of craft in one hand and a coffee in the other. And I’m always rearranging furniture or moving lamps from room to room. I have a passion (read: obsession) for decorating, DIY, and gardening. In short, I love making my house into a home.

Like many, I’m inspired by what I see in home decor magazines, but I’m not so inspired by the price tags. Consequently, I love finding and creating beautiful budget-friendly home decor items. In a head to head competition, I bet you’d never know the difference between the designer items and my DIY creations! Many of my DIY projects focus on sewing, crafting, upcycling and organizing. Some of my favorite projects have been making pretty wreaths, sewing my own tassel hand towels, and crafting these trendy wood bead garlands. I can’t wait to inspire you and spark your creativity through my DIY projects.

You can always connect with me on Pinterest, Twitter or Instagram.

September 25, 2019/0 Comments/by Karen Decor Hint

DIY, Do It Yourself, Gardening, Uncategorized

15 Ways to Make a DIY Vertical Garden

A vertical garden can be a perfect solution for a small porch, apartment, or any other space-limited space that needs a little sprucing up. You can build one to plant herbs, succulents, flowers or whatever else you want to use to bring a little greenery to your space. And if you create one indoors you can enjoy your garden year round! Here are 15 Easy Ways to Make a Vertical Garden to inspire you and give you ideas on how to can customize the perfect vertical garden for your home.

Build a large vertical garden for herbs and plants that includes a drip watering system.

Repurpose an old ladder an some galvanized buckets to create this rustic vertical garden.

Give your garden some modern style by creating this unique DIY Tower Garden.

Repurpose an old shutter then add hooks and small buckets to create this whimsical vertical garden for succulents.

Build this amazing DIY Vertical Garden Wall Planter using cedar boards and french cleats.

Old wire shelving is the perfect material to repurpose to make this modern DIY Living Wall Planter.

Use some boards and metal brackets to create this amazing rustic Vertical Herb Garden Planter.

With lumber, lattice and corner braces you can make this beautiful DIY Tiered Garden Bed.

Make a chic DIY Vertical Plant Hanger with a board and some terra cotta plants.

Make a Custom Potted Hanging Herb Garden for any room of your house.

Create this unique colorful vertical garden using PVC pipes.

Build this rustic DIY Wooden Hanging Planter to hold any number of plants or succulents.

Make this simple and pretty DIY Wall Planter Ladder and add gorgeous flowers to any fence.

Build this tall and skinny DIY Vertical Planter with a strong base and fun, colorful pots.

Use a rustic old ladder and make this lovely DIY Vertical Ladder Flower Garden.

I hope you loved these ideas and found inspiration on how you can create something similar for your home. Comment and let me know what you think! Which is your favorite?

Hi, I’m Sheri from Hazel + Gold Designs. Here are a few fun stats about me: I ~~like~~ love chocolate and peanut butter (together of course.) If you like stats, I have been crocheting for about 16 years, crafting for 20, and woodworking for about 4 years. I found a passion in making and being creative and began documenting my projects online at Hazel + Gold Designs.

When not working on projects, I enjoy spending time with my husband, four children, perfect dog, and ornery cat. You can find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.

Read all of Sheri’s tutorials.

~Find more of Sheri’s projects here ~

August 30, 2019/1 Comment/by Sheri

arts and craft, DIY, Gift Ideas

26 Brilliant DIY Coaster Ideas

Add some personality to your home and prevent those awful rings on your tabletops by making some coasters to place under every drink! Here are 26 brilliant DIY coaster ideas to inspire you and show how you can use a variety of materials to create some really cool coasters in any decor style.

26 DIY Coaster Ideas

Learn how to make these DIY Oilcloth Drink Coasters that you can use both indoors and outdoors.

Use cork and stencils to create these awesome Woodburned Coasters for your table.

If you love beach or mermaid themed decor, make these magical DIY Mermaid Tile Coasters.

Learn how to make these DIY Watercolor Wooden coasters to add some beautiful color to your room.

Add some patterns to your room with these fun DIY Fabric Coasters.

Use some cotton rope to make these amazing Turks Head Knot Coasters.

Do you love words? Create these Scrabble Tile DIY Coasters for your next gathering.

Use small glass tile mosaics to create these modern easy-to-make Mosaic Tile Coasters.

Personalized Rustic Wood Slice Coasters would be so fun for your next dinner party.

Make note of places that you’ve lived or loved with these Geographic Map Tile and Resin Coasters.

gold and marble coasters by pretty handy girl Gold and Marble Coasters would make a gorgeous addition to your modern space.

A fun rustic option would be these DIY Arrow Wood Slice Coasters.

Make these natural looking Faux Agate Tile Coasters with alcohol inks.

Use some old paper or napkins to make these beautiful Decoupage Coasters.

Make some clever DIY Scented Coasters using essential oils.

If you love coastal style, these Copper Patina Tile Coasters would be perfect for your space.

If you have extra tiles lying around, make something like these DIY Marble Coasters.

These Easy to Make Fabric Heart Coasters are a perfect way to use up some small fabric panels.

Create these elegant glass Dollar Store Flower Coasters.

Create something unique by making these Metal Washer Coasters.

Use some gloss glaze to adhere these awesome pieces and create a Beach Themed Mason Jar Lid Coaster.

Make these quick and easy DIY Drink Coasters for your next cocktail party.

Tiles and black paint make the perfect canvas to make these DIY Farmhouse Style Coasters.

Make these DIY Marbled Clay Coasters with any color combination you want.

You will not believe how simple it is to make these chic Concrete Coasters.

Use some rope to make these fun DIY Painted Rope Coasters for your summer parties.

I hope you found some helpful ideas in this roundup of DIY Coaster Ideas to help add some functional beauty to your room or next party. Remember to click over to each site for the full tutorial. Please pin this image on Pinterest to share with your friends!

Hi, I’m Sheri from Hazel + Gold Designs. Here are a few fun stats about me: I ~~like~~ love chocolate and peanut butter (together of course.) If you like stats, I have been crocheting for about 16 years, crafting for 20, and woodworking for about 4 years. I found a passion in making and being creative and began documenting my projects online at Hazel + Gold Designs.

When not working on projects, I enjoy spending time with my husband, four children, perfect dog, and ornery cat. You can find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.

Read all of Sheri’s tutorials.

~Find more of Sheri’s projects here ~

August 23, 2019/2 Comments/by Sheri

arts and craft, Chalkboard paint, DIY, Do It Yourself, Home Decor

30+ Creative Projects using Chalkboard Paint

Chalkboard paint is such a fun addition to many different types of projects. You can turn anything into an ever-changeable work of art, or use it to label different items throughout your home. Here is a collection of 32 Creative Projects using Chalkboard Paint that you could create for your home or as a fun and personalized gift! Check them out and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Check out this Message Board for the Mudroom! It’s a great place to drop things on your way in or leave letters to go out to the mailbox.

Chalkboard Paint Projects - Spice Jar Rack Paint a Dated Thrift Store Spice Rack to make your spices easy to find.

chalkboard painted projects - candy jar lids Label your cookie or candy jars with chalkboard paint to keep them cute and modern.

Create these amazing Gift Wrap chalkboard paint tags to customize your gift-giving.

chalkboard paint projects - customizable bin tags Make Customizable chalkboard paint tags for whatever you need to organize.

How fun if you painted your coffee table with chalkboard paint. Then you can write personalized messages on your coffee table.

Planning a chair makeover? Add some chalkboard paint to the back for personalization.

Paint a simple bucket and change the message to match any seasonal decor.

chalkboard paint with doodle curl white paint pen Christmas ornaments coated in chalkboard paint can be decorated with chalk pens.

Create amazing hostess gifts by adding chalkboard paint to metal buckets.

chalkboard paint projects create a smooth wall Learn how to make a Smooth Chalkboard Wall anywhere in your house with this tutorial.

chalkboard paint vertical wall mounted desk Cover a desk with chalkboard paint for a great note-taking surface.

chalkboard paint projects - create a fireplace draft stopper Make a fireplace draft stopper with insulation and chalkboard paint.

Make a Marble Toss Game with a Chalkboard Paint Scoreboard.

chalkboard paint projects - chalkboard mugs Create Chalkboard Painted Mugs for a favor at your next party.

chalkboard projects - diy rustic chalkboard Add a huge DIY Chalkboard for your home and decorate it for all seasons.

This DIY Clock Sign is a fun way to use some chalkboard paint.

chalkboard paint projects for christmas sign Use green chalkboard paint to make a count down sign.

chalkboard paint projects - upcycle frame into magnetic chalkboard art Make a magnetic chalkboard frame from an upcycled wooden frame.

chalkboard paint project - upcycled cabinet door to chalkboard art Upcycle a cabinet door into quote art by following this tutorial.

chalkboard paint projects - decorated chalkboard washi clipboard Create Decorated Chalkboard Clipboards using chalkboard paint and washi tape.

Makeover a bookshelf so kids can leave each other book reviews.

chalkboard paint projects - pantry drawer labels Build pull out drawers for your pantry and use chalkboard paint to label them.

Create this amazing Wooden Party Banner with wood and chalkboard paint for your next party.

chalkboard paint project - chalkboard seasonal art Add some seasonal Chalkboard Art to decorate your home this fall.

Learn how to make Colored Chalkboard Paint.

chalkboard paint projects - chalkboard calendar for refrigerator Create a Chalkboard Calendar for your refrigerator and stay super organized all year.

Turn a metal chest into a Faux Zinc Chalkboard File Cabinet and customize with chalk art.

Make a quick Cutting Board Makeover with blue chalkboard paint.

Build an awesome Rustic Chalkboard Wall Organizer.

Build a Wall Chalkboard with a chalk ledge for the whole family to use.

Create a DIY Wall Calendar with chalkboard paint and stay on task daily.

Thanks for reading! If you like this collection of ideas, please Pin this image on Pinterest to share with your friends and save for later!

Hi, I’m Sheri from Hazel + Gold Designs. Here are a few fun stats about me: I ~~like~~ love chocolate and peanut butter (together of course.) If you like stats, I have been crocheting for about 16 years, crafting for 20, and woodworking for about 4 years. I found a passion in making and being creative and began documenting my projects online at Hazel + Gold Designs.

When not working on projects, I enjoy spending time with my husband, four children, perfect dog, and ornery cat. You can find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.

Read all of Sheri’s tutorials.

~Find more of Sheri’s projects here ~

August 5, 2019/1 Comment/by Sheri