First of all, one quick note about the glaze formula I shared yesterday. Apparently, some of the Home Depot paint counters out there won't make my special glaze blend for you. My HD mixed it without question. If yours won't, here is what I would suggest. Buy a quart of glaze and a test pot of Espresso Beans. mix the paint and glaze at a ratio of about one part paint to three or four parts glaze. Mix it in small batches as you use it, so you can make it weaker or stronger depending on the project. Hope that helps!
You may read through my blog and think that all of my DIY attempts come out exactly as I want them to. That I just whip out my sewing machine, paint brush, staple gun and hot glue and everything looks perfect. Well, I hate to disappoint...or perhaps...you may be relieved to know, that is definitely not the case.
I made a lot of crappy slipcovers and I painted a lot of ugly pieces of furniture and I have failed many times in many ways. Sometimes spectacularly. But that is how I got here today. In all of my missteps and ugly creations, I learned a lot. And I'm still learning. And I'm sure I'll always be learning.
Case in point.
My very first attempt at upholstering a chair. Oh, I was so proud.
I pulled off this orange upholstery. I got out my electric staple gun (totally the wrong tool for the job) and started working on it. I really didn't have a clue what I was doing, so I read some upholstery books and just went to it. How am I going to learn to upholster a chair if I don't upholster a chair?
It looked OK, but it was a mediocre job at best.
I didn't leave myself enough fabric at the bottom and I couldn't figure where to staple it. I just tucked it in, knowing it would be covered by a cushion.
Yeah...quality workmanship there.
The back? All tucked in.
I stuck the cotton cording in the groove to hold my tucked fabric in a little tighter...and it kept falling out. Now that I have done more upholstery, I learned from my mistakes and went back to this chair to do a better job.
This time, I had the guts to take everything down to the frame, which is the right thing to do.
I painted the speckled, orange-ish wood frame a very soft gray...
...and I started over again. I did a much better job this time. It's not perfect. It's not a professional upholstery job, but it's much, much better.
Are you an all or nothing person? Are you scared to try something like sewing a slipcover, upholstering a chair or painting a piece of furniture? Do you think you'll mess it up and you'll end up having to redo it?
I'll save you the suspense. If it's your first time trying something, it probably won't be perfect. It probably won't be really good. It might even stink out loud. But you know what? The second time will be better and the third time will be even better. Soon you'll be a pro.
I have been trying to teach this to my four year old when he gets frustrated while playing Sonic on the Kinect. He pouts, "I can't do it, mom! You do it." I encourage him to try again. It sometimes takes several tries to succeed in something that is hard.
I was playing Sonic with him a few days ago and I failed to grind three rails in my allotted time. Bummer. A big "You Failed" flashed on the screen. "It's OK mom. Remember...keep trying." He said it so earnestly. Yes, keep trying. He's getting the message.
Are you?
My numbers are climbing fast, so make sure you're getting your projects ready for the Copy Me Challenge with Funky Junk Interiors and yours truly. It starts soon after my follower widget hits 4000. Prizes will be involved...