The Little Broken Table With a Happy Ending!

So, my grand-son-in-law found this great antique little table by a dumpster and brought it to me for a makeover.  It was an old-style end table with a flip-up top to put your stuff inside and a small slot on the side for books or magazines.  Inside the table were old newspapers.  The first thought that came to mind was to paint and distress the table and mod podge the newspapers on the inside of the flip-up top.  I sat it in my garage to await it's turn.  Then, I had a water pipe leak and it leaked all over the table and inside as well.  The newspapers were ruined but I was hoping to still salvage the table but it literally fell apart when I picked it up to move it.  Sadly, the table was too far gone for a makeover.  I did, however, salvage the wood from the flip-up top!  I wood glued the pieces back together and decided to make a plank-board "Welcome" sign.  I started by sanding it all down, then adding some grey and white dry brushed paint on top and finally a little teal mixed in for interest and to make it look old and wonderful, this is what I ended up with:

I had a stencil that said "Welcome" and stenciled it on in a deep grey color.

I added some chunky wooden knobs painted in the same deep grey color and a rusty hook I already had.  I also added eye hooks to the top and a wire hangar which I embellished with strips of flannel that I tied on to the ends.  It turned out really cute!

Cute enough that is is already SOLD!

Even though the original plan for the table didn't work out, I am glad that I was able to use part of it for this fun project!  Sometimes, you have to change direction when mishaps occur.

A Little Bit of Sunshine in the Playroom!

I wanted to make a wooden sign for over the bed in the playroom.  I wanted something that would be kind of large to make a big impact/statement in the room.  I decided on the saying "you are my sunshine".  My mom used to sing me that song when I was a little girl and most of my grandkids never got to know her because she passed away.  It was a way for me to bring her and the grandkids together somehow.  I started with some fence boards.  I like them because they have the rustic-ness of pallet wood but without the hassle of all the nails and such.  I used a circular saw to cut them to size.

Next, I needed a way to attach the boards to each other.  I found some metal bracket thingies at Ace Hardware that did the trick.  I just used my drill to screw them together.  They are not perfectly sized and it didn't matter to me - I like it that way actually.

Next, I gave it a couple of coats of primer and a couple of coats of white spray paint.  I used some chalk to lightly paint the "sun" in the corner and then filled it in with yellow craft paint.

I used a letter stencil and some teal craft paint to add the words "You Are My Sunshine".

In the bottom left corner, I used an orange paint pen to dedicate the sign to my mom by simply adding "heart Grammie".

Then I distressed it some to make it look older and added some ring hangers to the back side for hanging.

Next came actually hanging it on the wall.  I used a method I've seen all over Pinterest whereby you take a piece of painters tape and lay it on your project, mark where the holes need to go, put the tape on the wall where you can easily measure and level it and then just drill your holes right through the painter's tape.  Genius.  Here it is hanging on the wall.  It turned out perfect.

And here's a wider view of the room - it's coming along!

Have you used fence boards?  Pallet boards?  Which do you prefer?  I have a few more projects left on my list in this room before I call it done, but I am pleased with it 's progress!