How to make bead garlands.....
I was making bead garlands about a year or two ago and it was so much fun, I was selling them at one point and they were very popular. You can make so many colours, I used yellow, orange, green, grey, pink and Jute string.

I had stopped making them for a while and thought maybe I'll share them on my blog so you can enjoy making them yourself. It's actually a therapeutic project to do, fun and relaxing and time to create.

When I thought of making the garlands, I realized I needed something to add to my furniture staging items and the garlands were perfect for that. They are great for home staging, furniture staging and just have to on shelves and home decor items that look pretty. You can create one for every season and mood and to match your home decor theme.

Where to get these items to make a garland you ask.... well the string/yarn I got at dollarama and same with the jute. Make sure you have good string/yarn that won't shred on you. The beads i got 200 in a bag on Amazon. You can even get any size you want or mix and match.

lets get started

yarn or Jute
tape
scissors
beads

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First you need to cut the yarn as long as you want your garland to be and take into account you need at least and inch or 2 at the ends to go through the tassles, add on a little length at the ends.

Then you need a card like a postcard, i used a panel off a tylenol box as thats what I had at the time but a postcard width way is better. It all depends on how long you want your tassles at the end to be.

What you're going to do is wrap the yarn around you card about 40 times making sure that the end is sticking out ready to be tied. You can wrap it around less times or more, all depends on how thick you want them. You are going to make two tassels.

​See pictures below

Once you have made two tassels tie the two ends in a small knot, take them off the card holding them in place so you don't lose the loop. Take some yarn about short ruler size, 15cm and tie it in a knot and start to wrap it around the top of the tassel creating a loop at the top. Again make sure the start of the yarn is sticking out the bottom ready to tie together.

Make sure you have the loop at the top like the picture above. You are then going to take your yarn you cut to desired size earlier. Take your tape and cut two small strips. Wrap the tape around both ends od the yarn. This is to make the ends more durable and secure to thread easily through the beads.

Once you have got tape on both ends you are then going to thread one end through one tassle loop and tie in a small knot at the top twice. You don't thread the whole string through just a small amount to knot. See picture below

Once this is done you can start threading the other end through the wooden beads. When you add the first 4 or 5 beads make sure when thry get to the tassel that you thread thr taped end through those beads so that its hidden.

When all the beads are on, make sure to leave some room at the open end to thread through your second tassle. Do the same with thr open end, thread through the other tassle and knot. Tie the string at the that tassle as close to the last bead as possible and thread the taped end through those beads.

You can see in the picture above that I threaded the taped end through the beads. I also made sure the extra yarn was tied close to the end bead so that it wasn't loose.

You are probably wondering why I am sharing a food recipe on a furniture refinishing page, well last night, which was Sunday evening I made roast chicken dinner. I make a roast every Sunday and the reason why is because I grew up England and every Sunday my Mum would make a roast dinner.

We would go to church in the morning then have an awesome brunch filled with sausages, bacon, eggs, toast, the works. It was always a lazy relax day and come dinner time we had a roast. Sometimes it was roast chicken and sometimes roast beef.

Now scalloped potatoes was not a British side dish to add with a roast chicken dinner and in fact I didn't have scalloped potatoes until I came to Canada at 17yrs old. We had a family gathering and my Aunt made scalloped potatoes, oh my goodness I loved them so much. I asked her how she made them and she told me the ingredients.

My Aunt had said cream so I assumed she meant whipping cream, next family gathering I made the scalloped potatoes and when I went to go get some food the entire dish was gone. Everyone loved them. My Aunt asked what I put in it because it wasn't the same as hers and I told her I used whipping cream, she laughed and said thats why they are so good. Since then I like to make scalloped potatoes sometimes with my roast chicken dinner with gravy, believe when I say wow they are amazing and my family loves them too.

lets get started on this recipe which is really quite easy and quick to make
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Oven temperature: 400F
Cooking time: 1 hour, until potatoes are soft

Ingredients:
6 large potatoes, peeled
1 onion
1/4 cup of parmasean cheese grated
3/4 cup of whipping cream, picture below 473ml
1 cup maybe 1 and half cups of grated cheddar cheese
1 large long dish, 9x13
1 mandolin

​Preheat oven to 400f degrees. I have a mandolin slicer which is amazing and I really recommend getting. It has so many different blades for fries, or crinkle potatoes. I have a setting that is a blue dot and thats the thin one for thin potatoes that I use for scallop. If you don't have one thats okay you can slice the potaotes once peeled into thin slices.

Layer the dish with the first layer of sliced potatoes, then do a second layer. Peel and slice the onion into string slicesand sprinkle over the potatoes. Then do two more layers of sliced potatoes.

Pour the cream over the potatoes, making sure that its completely covered in cream. If you feel there isnt enough cream you can add some more. Sometimes I use the whole carton.

Grate the cheeses and sprinkle over the potatoes until the whole top layer is covered in cheese.

Place in the heated oven and cook for about an hour or less depending on whether the potatoes are soft. I always like to check once they start browning on top, i stick a knife in to see if they are soft enough. You don't want hard potatoes. If the top is cooking faster than the potatoes then put a layer of foil over them, that way they will cook and not burn. The best part are the crispy edges. Let sit for 5 min and serve. Make sure to let your guests or family know its hot when serving.

Serve as a side dish or eat as is because they are that good!
Enjoy

This is a mandolin slicer, I got this at Costco years ago but Im sure Walmart has them too. In the picture below you can see I have it locked but the blue dot is the setting I use for scalloped potatoes.

Stockings at Christmas are the most fun part of the day in my opinion. Coming down the stairs to see a large sock full of goodies, from candy, chocolates to items we love that are personal to our personalities.
I love that my Husband does my stocking, I feel like its such a surprise to see what he got me and some of the joke things he adds in it.
I find that Christmas stockings can sometimes be the hardest to fill and I end up putting items in each stocking that I am not really sure warrant as a gift ha ha, none the less whoever opens the their stocking in my house enjoy everything recieved. I think stockings take a little more thought and it brings back memories of my Mum who always seemed to find the most unique stocking stuffers and to this day I wish I could do the same. Great finds every year!
Well lets discuss a painter/furniture refinishers stocking.... I know as a furniture painter that Id rather gifts at times to be for my work because I am painting Monday-Friday so why not have the things I need at Christmas than things I probably wont use. These items below are my top ten

Number one item I would say is paint, paint containers fit into stockings especially 4oz and 8oz pots. Most paint companies like Country Chic Paint carry small jars and you could get a paint colour your refinisher has never used before.

Number 2. This one is a must have, all painters/refinishers has to have wood filler and you can purchase mini containers of woodfiller at Lowes or Home Depot and they fit right into stockings. You could always buy wood filler in tubes as well, maybe in a tone or brand your person has never used before

Number 3. Sanding pads are amazing to have i have so many hanging around my workshop. They are are great to use and clean easily and they create such a great finish. Definitely a stocking stuffer.

Brushes brushes and angle brushes are a must have even if you use a paint sprayer like myself. Brushes fit into stockings perfectly and I love these Country Chic Paint angle brushes, they are my favourite, so good for trim on drawers or brushing on clear coat. Must have

 I use this painters plastic tape allllllll the time, everytime I have to cover up certain areas on a piece of furniture like raw wood tops, I wrap it up with this roll of tape. You can find these in different sizes on Amazon and they are awesome to have a great for a stocking stuffer.

These paint filters are the best ones I have found and always order them from Amazon. If you have a painter that spray paints then these are the filters to get. They are strong and hold a lot of paint and product and the mesh strains out any lumps needed to.

If your person is a YouTuber like myself or loves to record videos and reels and needs better voice overs, then this is the mic to use. I got this one from Amazon and I love it. It's affordable and easy to use and works great.

Country Chic sponges are the best for applying topcoats and glazes, even paint and provide a smooth clean streak free finish. I really recommend them and they fit perfectly in stockings.

NUMBER 9. The best brush soap ever!!!! Perfect for the brushes that are covered in product and need a good wash. This soap smells amazing and softens and cleans brushes. It contains natural ingredients with essential oils, perfect stocking gift for a painter

NUMBER 10. LAST BUT NOT LEAST! Country Chic Paint artist brushes. I use these brushes all the time, not only on canvases but also my furniture for the little details and drawer trims or even touch ups. Perfect pack to fit into a stocking.

So that is my complete 10 stocking ideas for a furniture painter refinisher. I hope these items gives you some ideas on what to do for Christmas for whoever you are buying for. Stockings can be difficult to fill and that is why I am here to help and provide some ideas and of course don't forget to add chocolates and all the fun goodies that do go in a stocking. Have a wonderful Christmas everyone and enjoy your Holidays!!!!!

​love Meg

Who doesn't need a toy bin or storage box? I think we all do. I found this wooden box with a lid from the thrift store, as soon as I saw it I knew it would be the perfect piece for the transfer I needed to use. Now you don't have to use the construction transfer I used you can use so many of the other designs available at Redesign With Prima.
let's get started!!

Like I said I found this bin at the thrift store and I wasnt planning on looking for a toy bin at all, I was looking for other pieces for other projects.
First I sanded the piece, I scuff sanded the panels and sanded down to raw wood the trims. I then cleaned the entire piece inside and outside with Krud Kutter.
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Once that was done I got my paint out and started painting the panels on all sides with Country Chic Paint in Soiree and using my Country Chic Paint angle brush. I did about two coats.

 Once I did two coats and they were completely dry I added the transfers, figuring out where I wanted to place them. I also added some tissue paper in the inside of the box. I brushed Clear Coat on the inside panels and placed the paper on top and then brushed the clear coat again to seal. I sealed the entire piece with Clear Coat. To keep the wood trim the natural wood colour brush a soiree paint wash over the wood and wipe excess with a cloth. That way when you seal the bin the wood won't turn orange. 
​Paint wash is spraying water onto the wood and brushing paint over it and wiping, or you can add a little water to your paint in a separate bowl.
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With the transfers you place it on the surface, rub with the tool or popsicle stick it came with and peel off the clear plastic and rub the transfer lightly with your fingers.
​Below are the final pictures, its really that easy and quick if this is the look you want, you can get very creative.

I hope you enjoyed this Blog post and project and next weej ill be posting a brand new project, something for home decor that I love.
Dont forget to check out my new Youtube video


Take care
​Meg

Hey Everyone, welcome back to my blog. I hope you enjoyed last weeks DIY post on how to add texture to a jug or vase. Definitely a fun project to do and budget friendly.

In this blog post I am sharing on how to paint a metal filing cabinet. I have a YouTube video on the entire process if you are more of a visiual person and find videos a better way to learn, ill add the link below so you can take a look at that.

The before of the filing cabinet is above and thats what i started with, a boring metal cabinet that needed some love and life.
Let's get started.......

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First things first, take off the hardware and place in a bag so screws and handles don't get misplaced. We don't want panick mode.
If your filing cabinet has the letter slots take those off as well and store in a bag.
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Scuff sanding metal you need either your orbitol sander with 220 grit sanding discs or 220 sanding paper to scuff sand by hand if you choose to do it that way. I used my orbitol and went over the entire cabinet. After I was done that I used a cloth and Krud Kutter to clean it. Making sure it was completely dry afterwards.

Next up is prime time, always prime your pieces including metal. I used Zinzer Bin 123 in white with my Wagner Flexio 5000 sprayer. You can use a brush as well. I did about two coats of primer.

I sanded in between primer coats with 400 grit sanding paper, then got to the fun painting part. I sprayed Country Chic Paint in Elegance in 2-3 coats and sanded in between with 600 grit sand paper for a smooth finish.

Once the paint was dry I wanted a design so I created stripes at different lengths with green tape on the top and bottom on both sides. You can do a different design or not have stripes at all.

What i did was sprayed the stripes with rustoleum spray in champagne mist using a cardboard sheet to contain the spray where I wanted it to go. I realized after that there was a line from the cardboard and needed to remove that. I got my sprayer with the paint in it and sprayed along the edges to hide the sharp gold lines and created a mist and faded look which I really liked.

Once the stripes were completely dry to the touch I added a Redesign With Prima transfer called Goldenrod Florals to both sides. It was really starting to look so pretty.

Last thing to do was to seal the entire cabinet with Country Chic Paint tough coat. Tough coat repels water and chemicals and is very durable. Here is what the filing cabinet looks like in the end. It turned out so beautiful, this is something anyone can do and you can turn something boring into something fun and pretty to liven any space up. Don't forget the Youtube video is below at the end.
Thanks for reading and watching and I hope to see you back here on my blog next week.
Take care
​Meg

I Created this jug that I found at the thrift store because I needed some staging items for my Furniture and this was the perfect thing to do and I get to keep it on my fireplace mantle. It looks store bought as though I got it from a fancy place and in fact I made it myself.
I now want to create more jugs and vases in different colours and textures, its so much fun.
​Lets get started...

This is not the greatest BEFORE picture but you can see what I started with. To cover up any graphics or designs on a vase or jug it needs a primer and that is where the rustoleum primer spray or white spray comes in to play.
Spray the jug or vase with the Rustoleum spray, you may need several coats. Let each coat dry for a few hours so that it doesnt appear tacky to the touch.
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Mix up your paint colour that you are using for the top half of your jug/vase in a container with the textured powder/ baking powder 1:1 ratio. You want it to be thick.
Mix in another container the second paint colour you want on the bottom of your jug/vase. You may need several brushes.

Brush and dab the bottom colour on to the jug/vase making sure the entire bottom half is covered in that paint colour, creating a dabbing effect, creates the texture with the thickness of the paint. Make sure that you can see the texture coming out. Once the bottom half is done, start on the top half, dab the paint almost over the lip of the jug/vase so it appears more natural. Again creating texture. Use a seperate clean brush to blend in the middle, in between the two colours. You'll want to move your brush around and see how you can blend the two so that they are combining into each other naturally.

Once you have completed that make sure if there is a handle that you have painted that also and you don't have to seal it, I didn't seal mine, but it is up to you. If you choose to seal it then you can use Country Chic Paint Clear Coat or a water based topcoat.
Use your jug or vase for staging anywhere in your home and you can use any colours you'd like. I hope you enjoyed this DIY project and will return here for more projects in the future.

Have a wonderful day and weekend!
sincerely
Meg

I am happy to announce that I am now a Redesign With Prima Content Creator. This is so exciting!!! Lots of creative pieces coming your way. I do have a page now that I am working on which is in the menu all about Redesign With Prima.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving Canada!!!!! Even though we won't be having family over this year I am definitely making a turkey dinner and being thankful for everything I have.

On a fun note I wanted to share with you all some great colours to use to decorate for Halloween and Thanksgiving using Country Chic Paint. Sparklers, With A Twist and Liqourice are great colour's to use for Halloween and Fall home decor items, even furniture.
www.countrychicpaint.ca head on over to their website and you can use my code in the paint picture to get 10% off your online order. The colour of the month is With A Twist so check out all the beautiful pieces on their Instagram page in this colour.
www.instagram.com/countrychicpaint/
​Head over to Instagram to share your piece painted in With A Twist and use the hashtag below.....
With a Twist is a warm, cognac brown colour reminiscent of suede jackets and brown leather boots. I think you'll love how it pairs with other warm autumn tones like Sparklers and Fresh Mustard, or try a contrasting colour like Whoop-de-do.
We can't wait to see what you can create with this colour! At the end of the month we will be picking our favorite piece painted in With a Twist and the winner will get a $150 gift certificate to Country Chic Paint!
So be sure to share your pieces in the comments below to enter, or post them to Instagram using the hashtag, #ccpwithatwist
Happy Painting!

Hey everyone!
Hope everyone is safe and well during this time.  I wanted to share a blog post with you on how I refinished this pair of nightstands.

First I cleaned both tables with a vinegar solution, scuff sanded them, then wiped them down again. I then removed the trim that was in between the drawers as I felt it made them look outdated.

I filled all the holes where the previous hardware was because I knew I wanted to change up the handles. I applied two coats of white primer to both tables and then let dry for 4 hours.

I then applied 2-3 coats of Country Chic Paint in the color, Fancy Frock.
 

Once the paint was completely dry I sealed them with Country Chic Paint’s Tough Coat because I knew they would be used a lot and I wanted to give them extra durability.

I put the tables on their backs so I could work on the bottoms to attach the legs. I created a block platform in each corner so that the legs were able to attach to something flat. Each leg comes with a metal plate that you can attach to the wood blocks.

Thank you everyone for reading!To see more examples of painted nightstands
Megan

Hey everyone hope you are all well. I haven't blended a piece in so long and really felt the need to blend some colours together. This piece has a subtle blend of jitterbug, vanilla frosting and liquorice.

First i scuff sanded the dresser and fixed anything that needed fixing or filling on the drawers using wood filler and 220 grit sand paper.

I then cleaned the whole piece and the mirror with vinegar and lemon solution, making sure all the dust and small particles were pixked up with the paper towel.

I used my Country Chic Paint oval 2" and 1.5" paint brushes to apply the different colours to blend. I also used a spray bottle of water.

I like to have a base coat of paint when i blend sometimes depending on the piece and how old it is. This dresser i painted two coat of liquorice first then lightly sanded when it was dry so i had a really smooth finish. Country chic paint when lightly sanded becomes so smooth its amazing.

I then painted two coats of jitterbug and while it was drying i sprayed water on the middle of each drawer and used my small paint brush to swipe a small amount of vanilla frosting. I then sprayed water of the vanilla frosting and used my paint brush to blend it in leaving a highlighted area in the middle of each drawer and sides.

I added a bit of liquorice on the edges and legs to create a dark shadow.

Once the whole piece was dry i used my sprayer which i use mostly to spray on my topcoats. I applied the clear coat to seal. I did two coats allowing dry time in between. The hardware was last and i made sure my mirror was shiny and clean .

Then you have your finished piece. Thank you for reading

Megan