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What’s New

Citri-Strip, daisy fabric, Furniture, Nail Head Trim, painting, priming, re-upholster, re-upholster seat cushion, ReNew, Seat Cushion, staple gun, Stripping Furniture, Trash to Treasure

Rebuilding Daisy the Discarded Chair

I have a serious problem. I can't bear to see a piece of furniture being thrown away. It could be the ugliest, most broken down chair and I still feel the need to save it from Mt. Trashmore. That was the case with "Daisy" this poor ugly…

drill, Fix It, hanging jars, maximize space, storage

Hanging Jar Storage

Over the weekend I finally cleaned up our garage. This is our multi-purpose space, so it had multi-multi-multi items strewn everywhere. Check out this cool Hanging Jar Storage. Because our garage is small (fits 1.5 cars) space is a premium…

chair re-upholster, daisy fabric, Furniture, Nail Head Trim, painting, priming, ReNew, upholstering bench

Upholstering Little Bench – A sweet spot to land

If you stuck through my ugly post yesterday. I have some pretty pictures for you today!Two years ago I happened upon a cute little bench being thrown out with a neighbor's trash. (I am addicted to trashed furniture. In fact, I have a NASTY chair…

Electrical, Fix It, old outlet, Rewiring outlet

Changing Out an Old Outlet

So, this is one of those not so pretty posts, but I promise it is Oh So Handy! Learn how to easily change out an old outlet. Changing Out an Old (UGLY) Outlet Our home was built in 1978 and most of our outlets are almond colored and many…

Bistro table, Brother CS 6000i sewing machine., buttons, dark wood, drop cloths, Sewing, slipcover

Slipcover for Bistro Table – Going Undercover

Our office renovation is nearing completion. We've been working on the room for two plus months now. The majority of the work is complete, but we are waiting for two desk cabinets to come in to the Office Depot warehouse so we can actually order…

arts and craft, habitat ReStore, lantern, light fixture, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, pottery barn inspiration, ReNew, Rewiring lamp

Pottery Barn Inspired Lantern from $5 ReStore Light Fixture

If you have been following my blog, you may remember this light fixture that I rescued bought at our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Read below for a Pottery Barn Inspired Lantern. Originally I thought about using it as a light in our…

Magnetic Mailbox Cover | Pretty Handy Girl

arts and craft, Crafts, kids art, magnetic mailbox, mailbox art

A Mailbox that Can Take a Beating and Still Looks Great

Several years ago I painted a mailbox for my stepmom (the wonderfully talented author, Diane Chamberlain). Her house was on a busy street and the mailboxes on this street were a prime target for mailbox baseball. I wanted to paint her mailbox…

Bed, Build It, cannonball bed, craig's list, Furniture, garden bench, ReNew, Stripping Furniture

Turning a Craig’s List Bed Frame into a Garden Bench

How to Turn a Craig's List Bed Frame into a Garden Bench While visiting one of Raleigh's local shabby chic boutiques, I fell in love with a sweet bench made from an old bed frame. But, the $350 price tag meant that our relationship was not…

art, arts and craft, blue, Crafts, floating frame, framing, kids art, sunprints

Sun Prints – Easy and Stylish Summer DIY Art (+ how to fake floating frames)

A few years ago while I was trying to entertain my toddler, we made sun prints on a hot summer day. What! You've never heard of sunprints? Well, you really need to get your crafty hands on this hot product. Visit the Sunprints.org website…

Brother CS 6000i sewing machine., corduroy and felt pillows, Crafts, Pretty Handy Girl, red and white pillows, Sewing, Star pillows

Pillow Talk – Making Red & Blue Star Pillows

If you read yesterday's post, you saw two star pillows on my son's reading nook bench. I promised you the tutorial, so here it is: These were super easy to make. I made two pillows in just over an hour on my Brother CS6000i sewing machine.…

Build It, caulking, Closet renovation, copper lamp, creating moulding, cutting foam with an electric carving knife, habitat ReStore, Home Tour, leveling, reading nook, scribing profile, tinted primer

When is a Closet not a Closet? Reading Nook Transformation!

Come see this Closet Reading Nook Transformation! Learn how I turned this closet into a Reading Nook in a weekend. This area could also become a built-in desk area at a later date. When is a Closet not a Closet? Reading Nook Transformation! Have…

Armoire, buffet, built-in window seat, cabinet, chandeliers, cloche, Decorating, desk, Destinations, lockers, night stand, ReNew, sink, Trash to Treasure

Visit to Habitat for Humanity ReStore – A Peek Inside My Head

On Wednesday, I had the morning to myself since the kids were in summer camp. I decided not to work since it was my birthday. Most people would probably take the free morning to get a massage, or a pedicure, or go shopping. I chose the later.…

carpenter's square, circular saw, clamps, DIY tools, Home & Auto Maintenance, jigsaw, leveling, pliers, power tools, sander, screwdrivers, staple gun, Toolbox

What’s In Your Toolbox? – What Every DIYer (or Homeowner) Should Own

When I was 18, and bought my first car, and thought I was the coolest girl in town with a little zippy sportscar – sorry, just a little trip down memory lane. My parents gave me my first tool kit. That tool kit is still with me today…

accomplishment, Do It Yourself, Empowerment, Fix It, repair, save money

Top 10 Reasons to Do-It-Yourself

Top 10 Reasons to Do-It-Yourself! Over the course of the last ten years writing this blog, I've met numerous people who have lamented that they wished they had skills like mine. Or have professed that they just didn't have it in their DNA…

Bookcase backer board, bookshelves facelift, Crafts, Decorating, Furniture, increasing natural light, ReNew, x-acto knife safety

Quick and Easy Bookcase Facelift – I’ve Got Your Back

Now that my re-upholstered office chair is complete, I wanted to address the dark looming bookcase that I sit next to. I am obsessed with natural light and the color of a room can really effect my mood. We recently painted our office and had…

Furniture, Nail Head Trim, ReNew, Seat Cushion, Upholster Chair

Adding Nail Head Trim – Give me some bling!

If you are coming here from a link party, this is the final post on my Extreme Rattan Chair Makeover. Click HERE if you want to see the transformation from the beginning. This chair started out as an U-G-L-Y silver painted dining chair that…

chair re-upholster, Furniture, re-upholster seat cushion, ReNew

Re-Upholstering the Chair Seat

The next step in my extreme rattan chair makeover is the upholstery. Time to give your tushie a new cushy! Re-Upholstering the Chair Seat: I removed the seat from the chair before I started any of the paint stripping and painting. Removing…

chair glides, distressing, floor protectors, Furniture, milk paint, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, Painting a Laminate Countertop, painting chair, polyurethane, priming, ReNew, Spray paint wood

Make Me Beautiful – The Painting Step

Today I'll show you the painting technique I used on the chair I stripped yesterday. Here is a list of suggested materials: Tarp or drop cloth Brush Primer Rubber gloves Sandpaper (Fine & Medium grits) Spray paint (optional…

Citri-Strip, Painting & Antiquing Techniques, Stripping Furniture, Trash to Treasure

Extreme Makeover for a Wooden Rattan Backed Chair

Extreme Makeover for a Wooden Rattan Backed Chair This week I finally got around to giving my $5 yard sale chair a face-lift. My poor chair was covered in silver paint and a horribly stained green velvet seat. I won't even mention the glass…

About Me, Introduction

Welcome to My First Blog Post!

Thank you for visiting PrettyHandyGirl.com. This blog is for anyone who wishes they were handy and could make their own repairs, upgrades or become a true DIY-er at home. I have always enjoyed beautifying things, especially my home. My idea…