Striking Red Sewing Desk

This sewing stand is such a dainty little piece with beautiful hardware. She's so girly and pretty that I knew red would look good on her! Let's take a look at her before she got some new clothes.

A Few Junky Office Accessories

Earlier this week, I showed you this old crate we made into a desktop organizer.

You can see that project here.

Today I'm going to share the accessories I made to go along with it. 

This little tiered organizer is made from a piece I sawed off an old chair leg (the aqua piece on the very top), part of a table leg (the orange part) and some metal kitchen molds (maybe?) that I picked up at our local thrift store. 

I always like the look of the tiered stands people make out of bundt pans and such. So when I saw these molds, I thought they would work great for a mini version! 

I painted the outside of the molds with Santa Fe Turquoise and used E6000 to adhere the bottom piece to the old table leg Eric had cut to size for me. The top was a little trickier. The spindle was not wide enough in diameter to glue the metal to it. So I made a trip to the hardware and found a rubber washer with the right inside diameter. Then I glued that to the spindle and the metal mold to the rubber washer. 

I then added some lettering...

You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. (Maya Angelou)

It's just printed off the laser jet onto regular paper, cut it and Mod Podged onto the metal. 

I figured a desk needs a pencil holder, right?

So I painted this tin can with Destin Gulf Green, added a pretty brown ribbon with aqua sequins and one of my leftover wire flowers from a previous project. 

This pencil holder looks so cute sitting there in our new pretty desktop organizer!

We also made an easel clipboard out of some leftover barn wood.

I'l be sharing that with you tomorrow so be sure to visit again:)

If you haven't liked our facebook page yet, you can do that here.

And you can follow me on Pinterest with this link.

To get my new posts at bloglovin', just click this.

Getting new followers and comments absolutely makes my day! :)

Partying at Anything Blue Friday at The Dedicated House

Vintage Crate Turned Desktop Paper Organizer

Today I'm sharing a vintage crate project with you. 

I love vintage crates, don't you? 

This crate was an estate sale find. I'm not sure why I couldn't just let this old girl stay a plain-old crate. But... I just couldn't. I guess I figured she'd been a crate long enough.

Now it was her time to shine!

Here she is before (almost before anyway! lol). I realized after I'd started painting that I forgot a before picture. Again! So I quickly snapped this one to show you.

I used Virginia Chestnut on the outside of the crate.

Its such a wonderful, rich brown!

I also waxed it with dark aging wax to make it an even deeper shade.

For the inside, Barcelona Orange with a coat of Johnston Daffodil over that, brushed every which way so you can see the strokes. And only lightly coated in some spots, so the Orange would show through.

I painted the edges with (are you ready for it...?) Santa Fe Turquoise.

Sorry, can't help it. I just love these colors together.

I guess lots of other people must like them too, judging by the response to our

2 Repurposed Shutters.

I then applied clear wax over all of that.

Eric then made some cleats and shelves so this little gal could hold papers on the desktop.

We gave her three shelves, all of which got the same paint treatment as the rest of the original crate.

This old gal is just the perfect size to hold regular size paper and a few pretty accessories too!

I'll be talking about the little goodies in these pics this week too, so be sure to stop back by. :) 

I'm so glad I decided to give this crate a new life as a pretty office organizer.

She fits the bill just perfectly!

See that little box there on the right of the crate in the pic above? That's my cool new ruler box. It's got sentimental value for me. If you missed the post, you can check it out here.

If you haven't liked our facebook page yet, you can do that here.

And you can follow me on Pinterest with this link.

To get my new posts at bloglovin', just click this.

Getting new followers and comments absolutely makes my day! :)

Everyone loves a good party!
Check my project out along with other great inspiration, at these great blogs...

Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage, Mop It Up Monday at I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Make the Scene Monday at Alderberry Hill, Pink Hippo Party at Pinkapotamus, Monday No Rules Blog Hop at A Sorta Fairytale,Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative, Metamorphasis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch, Making the World Cuter Monday, Before and After at Thrifty Decor Chick (first Monday of the month), What's in the Gunny Sack at the Gunny Sack, Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House, Mod Mix Monday at Mod Vintage Life, Budget Decorating Party at Creative Cain Cabin, That DIY Party at DIY Showoff, The DIY'ers Link Party at Home Coming, Pin It Hop at Minette's Maze, Thrift Store Maynia Link Up at The Humber home Project

One Project at a Time at A Bowl Full of Lemons, Transformation Tuesday at The Ironstone Nest, Monday Funday at Creatively Living, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm, The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch, Project Inspired{d}at Cupcakes and Crinoline, You're Gonna Love It at Kathe with an E, Transformed Tuesdays at PJH Designs, Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House, Take a Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts, Primp Your Stuff Wednesday at Primp Junktion, Be Inspired at Elizabeth and Co, Pretty Things Link Party at twelveOeight, Time to Shine at A Diamond in the Stuff, Too Cute Tuesday at Funky Polkadot Giraffe, The Power of Paint Party at Domestically Speaking, Creatively Tuesday at The Rustic Pig, Show Me What You Got at Not Just a Housewife, Share It Link Party at The Winthrop Chronicles, Tasteful Tuesday at Naptime Creations, Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios, Trash 2 Treasure at Kammy's Korner, Fluster's Creative Muster Party at Fluster Buster, The Creative Spark at Clean and Scentsible, Tuesdays at Our Home at Our Home Away from Home, Homemade by You at Made to be a Momma, Trendy Tuesdays at Sweet Little Gals

Wildly Original Link Party at I Gotta Create, Wow Us Wednesday at Family Home and Life, Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts, Whimsy Wednesday at Smart School House, What's It Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants, Wednesday Whatsits at White Lights on Wednesday, What We Accomplished Wednesday at Green Willow Pond, Under $100 Linky Party at Beyond the Picket Fence, Show and Share at Southern Lovely, Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style, Wow Me Wednesday at Gingersnap Crafts, From Dream to Reality at The DIY Dreamer, Its' a Party! at A Creative Princess, Show Off Your Stuff Party at Fireflies and Jellybeans, Look What I Made Wednesday at Creations by Kara, Create and Share at The Trendy Treehouse, A Little Bird Told Me Link Party at The Life of Jennifer Dawn, Oh What a Happy Day Link Party at Not Done Growing

Party Time at The 36th Avenue, Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home, Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage, Share Your Cup Party at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson, Hookin' Up with HOH at House of Hepworths, Talkin' about Thursday at Designed Decor, Live Laugh Linky at Live Laugh Rowe, Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life, The Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush, Made U Look Linky at Made in a Day, Creative Things Thursday at The Vintage Farmhouse, Catch as Catch Can at My Repurposed Life, Time Travel Thursday at The Brambleberry Cottage, Catch a Glimpse Party at A Glimpse Inside, 52 Mantels, Creative Inspirations Linky Party at Embracing Change, Simply Create Link Party at Redfly Creations

Simply Creations Link Party at My Simple Homelife, Furniture Feature Friday at Miss Mustard Seed, Inspire Me Please Link Party at Liz Marie Blog, Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest, Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage, What Have You Redone at Redoux Interiors, Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home, Thrifty Things Friday at The Thrifty Groove, Simple and Sweet Fridays at Rooted inThyme, Be Inspired at Common Ground, Faunt It Friday at Chic on a Shoestring Decorating, Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous, Fabulously Creative Friday at Jennifer Rizzo, Show and Tell Friday at Romantic Home, Junkin' Joe Vintage and Thrifty Finds at The Cottage Market, Weekend Wrap-Up Party at Tatertots and Jello, Shabbilicious Friday Link Party at Shabby Art Boutique, Tickled Pink at 504 Main, Anything Blue Friday at The Dedicated House, Rustic Restorations Weekend Link Party at Homespun Happenings,  Great Idea Thursdays at A Handful of Everything

Saturday Show and Tell at Cheerios and Lattes, Saturday Nite Special at Funky Junk Interiors, A Bouquet of Talent Party at Life on Lakeshore Drive, Strut Your Stuff Party at Six Sisters' Stuff, Show and Tell Saturday at Sassy little Lady, Get Schooled Satuday at Too Much Time on My Hands, Power of Pinterest Party at Fox Hollow Cottage, Your Great Idea Party at Or So She Says, Overflowing with Creativity party at It's Overflowing, Craft Country Cottage Party at Old Red Barn, Saturday SHOW-licious Craft Showcase at Sew-licious

The Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming, Sunny Simple Sundays Party at Sunny Simple Life, Sundae Scoop at I Heart Naptime, Think Pink Sundays at Flamingo Toes, Nifty Thrifty Sunday at Nifty Thrifty Things, It's Party Time at Three Mango Seeds, Restyled Sundays at Stylish Once Again, Silver Pennies Sundays at Silver Pennies, Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop at A Blossoming Life

Beauty in Blue... Vintage Desk Makeover

I am so excited to share this furniture makeover with you! Between a full-time job and 2 kids (not to mention a really tiny home in which to work), I don't get as many large projects done as I'd like. It's a shame, too, because they really don't take very long when you're using chalk paint. It dries so quickly and is so easily distressed. But, with limited time, it is what it is. Anyway, on to the show! 

This old gal was one of our very first furniture purchases. We bought it from a craigslist ad and I've had it in my home for quite some time now, actually using it to store my odds and ends of the business (sandpaper, hardware, you name it!). But I've been dying to paint it for awhile and I finally got everything cleared out of it and moved it to my work space. My work space, at least in the winter, consists of a (maybe) 8' x 4' area in front of my washer and dryer! lol. It's the best I've got so we make do. And the kids are very aware that they must leave whatever is in the work space alone! That being said, they did slip this weekend and attempt to spin a top on my new desk surface! Yes... a spinning top! Thought I might have to put them outside in the snow after that one! :)

After all, I had sanded the top of this beauty down, stained it 3 times with my favorite dark stain and put 3 coats of poly on it. After all that hard work, I didn't want to redo it! Again! Which is precisely what I told them. And they proceeded to keep their paws off! 

When it came to choosing a color scheme for this desk, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I had pinned a Miss Mustard Seed project long ago, when we first started this little venture we call On A Whim. She had painted a very similar desk with these colors and I simply fell in love when I saw it. I just love the Annie Sloan™ Old White and the dark wood top together. And the Duck Egg Blue on the drawer fronts and the sides is simply a perfect match with those. When I happened to get some Duck Egg for another project, I just knew I needed to work on this old desk! 

The previous owners had taken good care of her. I did fill in a few dings on the sides and top. But not all of them. I kept a few smaller marks on the top because I knew they would end up adding to this girl's character when she was all brand new. 

After painting/waxing/distressing/staining I just love how this Beauty in Blue turned out.

How about you?

If you like this post, try liking us on facebook. We'd love you for it! 

On A Whim on facebook

We're sharing this makeover at...

Serendipity and Spice

Tweak It Tuesday at The Cozy Little House

Monday Funday Link Party at Creatively Living

The Rustic Pig

Savvy Southern Style

Whimsy Wednesday

It's Party Time at Three Mango Seeds

The Shabby Creek Cottage

Live Laugh Rowe

A Delightsome Life

Made U Look Linky at Made In A Day

French Country Cottage

The Charm of Home

Pretty Things Link Party at Twelve O Eight

Between Naps on the Front Porch Paint It Linky Party at Liz Marie Blog