Thanksgiving Chalk Cloth Chalkboard!

 

I'm a firm believer in using what you have on hand to create what you really want. It's not always the easiest way to go but it's always the cheapest.

About a million years ago, we had some project that left us with a piece of particle board (seen here) and I wanted to have a chalk board for my family. I had chalk board paint but that would look really bad on this type of wood, you couldn't write on it. But I did have was a piece of chalk cloth and a staple gun.

Here is the chalk cloth chalkboard tutorial!!

Feel free to steal my new saying!! They are words to live by, don't you think?

Porch Party: DIY Oilcloth Buffet/Bar

Oilcloth Addict

On Friday I needed an extra table to serve as a bar for my Junie porch party. I have a lot of pretty tables but none of them were the right size and shape. So I pulled out one of our small show tables, you know those folding 2' x 4' tables that most of us have on hand.

I got this idea last week when a customer ask if I could make a tablecloth to cover one of these tables, that she uses one as an outdoor buffet. She wanted the tablecloth to hang to the ground so you couldn't see the legs. The cost for a tablecloth of this size would be very high so I suggested that she do this instead...

Folding Table Bar Tutorial  

 Time: 5-10 minutes

Oilcloth: 4 yards 

Cost $32.00 

Supplies needed: 2'x 4' folding table, scissors, staple gun.

I grabbed up some not-so-gently used green gingham oilcloth that I had laying around in the storage room, it was perfect for my quick and dirty project. As you can I see, I didn't even use proper scissors! Did I mention that I made this 30 minutes before the guests arrived?

 I used 3 panels of oilcloth that measured 22" by 47". I started on the sides and stapled them so they just touched the floor. I made little pleats to make the corners nice and pretty.

 Two ends complete. I left the back open since no one would see it.

I took the last panel and stapled it across the front of the table.

What I like about this is that you can lift up the front panel and stash extra bottles under the table. It's great to have extra's close by but out of sight.

I used a Scalloped Splat Mat from the stock to use a table topper. I picked the yellow hibiscus to match the settee that's also on the porch.

It' worked out nicely!! I'll be able to take out the staples, roll up the fabric and have it for my next porch party or craft show! Easy-peasy!!

Happy Summer,
Kelly

Round Up: Oilcloth Covered Tables

I spend a lot of time searching my own blog for information so I know you must get really frustrated. So in an attempt to fix this I am creating Project Round Ups for the top projects I've featured on my blog. There are Show and Tell, Great Idea,  Q and A, I spy Oilcloth features along with my own projects all corralled by subject.

I'll start with the oilcloth covered table's that I've featured.

Here's the lovely oilcloth cover table project from Farm Chicks book, Farm Chicks in the Kitchen. You can find the How To here.  Serena used a heavy duty hand held stapler to attach the oilcloth to the table, much like I covered this bench.

Elyse's oilcloth covered kitchen tablecloth is applied to the table with painters tape. She's a mom with two active boys and this technique lasted two years, when she switched from red polka dotted to white dots on red. Elyse also has a very lovely Etsy shop called Tinkered Treasures  

Elyse's oilcloth covered kitchen tablecloth and her lovely home are  were featured in Fresh Cottage magazine.  

 Elyse's done it again, this time she's got a bit bolder with the dots on red print.

 This one comes from a fellow homeschooling mom, Jessica has saved an abused table by covering it with black and white gingham oilcloth.  How great is her at home school?

 I spied this oilcloth covered table on an episode of Top Chef!!!

Sandy, from 521 Lake Street, has done a great job making over a old thrift table into a wonderful craft table. And she used my favorite oilcloth print, I just love those perky cherries.

Tricky Bench Tutorial

A few months ago I whipped up a little something to help brighten up a corner of our dining room.

As you can clearly see our yard sale bench as seen better days. The upholstery weight remnant just didn't hold up to the chalk dust that our Chalkcloth (TM) board generates, so it was oilcloth to the rescue.

 I armed myself with a 1/2 yard of red apple oilcloth, a pair of scissors and a staple gun to quickly give the bench a facelift.

 As you can see my bench has a series of convex and concave curves so it was a little tricky getting oilcloth to behave.

 I needed to make slits at the concave curves so the oilcloth would give in and spread apart.

Then I created little pinch pleats on the convex curves.

 A series for pleats and folds keep the corners clean. Once you have one side of the corner fold it up and staple it into place.

 

Fold up the second half of the corner and keep it in place with a few more staples, I had to give them a whack with hammer to get them all the way in. 

 I was screwing the seat back onto the bench in less than 10 minutes! That's my kind of do-over, quick and easy!

Now when there's a ton of chalk dust on the bench after a long day of homeschooling, I just grab a wet dishcloth and whip it down and it's as good as new! Check out how to make a chalk cloth board out of a reclaimed piece of plywood we had laying around.

Happy Stapling,
Kelly!