21 things you can do with a Pallet!

I have been oooohoooing and aaawwwing over all of these Pinterest pictures of pallets made into things.  I am just waiting for the time and space to work on some of these.  When I will actually get a house with a backyard...who knows.  But there are a few little projects that would fit just perfectly into some of my spaces. 

1. Recycled Vertical Garden - Design Sponge
2. Painted Pallet on Coasters - Tres Chere
3. Pallet Day Bed - Under the Sycamore
4. Outdoor Pallet Couch - Apartment Therapy
5. Daybed - Casa Sugar
6. Coat Hanger -El Costerero (in spanish, but the picture is self explanatory)
7. Pallet Chair - Dornob
8. Several Pallet Furniture ideas (No tutorials) - Home Deco2u
9. Pallet Coffee Table w/glass top - Stylizimo
10. Headboard - Crafty Nester
11. Shoe Rack- Crafty Nester
12. Misc Ideas - The Richmond Thrifter 
13. Picture Display Pallet - Amanda Carver Designs
14. Coffee Table with Drawers - Esprit Cabane
15. Pallet Planter - Esprit Cabane
16. Pallet Sign - WhipperBerry
17. Pallet Painting - Young and Crafty
18. Farm Bench - Craftberry Bush
19. Table with Planter - Today's Nest
20. Porch Swing - Sheryl Salisbury Photography
21. Outdoor Pallet Table - Joy Ever After

#16

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#19

#13

Music Chair?

So I live in Portland, Oregon.  This is pretty much what our winters look like around here...

Friday

Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers. Highs 55 to 60.

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers. Lows 45 to 50...except 40 to 45 in outlying areas.

Saturday

Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers. Highs 55 to 60.

Since I do my painting and refinishing furniture in the garage/ally.  It is a little difficult to continue with the projects during winter.  I finished this chair a few months ago and thought I would share since the furniture posts will be a bit sparse for the next few nine months.

Some of you may know what this chair is suppose to be called, because I know there is a proper name for it. So comment and share!  I found it at good will and it screamed potential cuteness. 
It was quite a project, even though I thought it would be relatively simple.

I really don't get whoever made over this chair the first time. Teal canvas with chartreuse-ish green/yellow paint? 

Has good form though...

Here comes the regret...I used Citri-strip the tall green and orange can of paint stripper.  It is suppose to be less toxic.  It actually worked well.  But not for a chair with little itty bitty grooves.  I think if I could start over I would have just sanded a little primed and painted.  Even though having layers of paint is not a best practice.

I primed with 1-2-3 Zinsser water based primer and then I painted two coats of off white oops paint.

I lightly distressed it with my sander and upholstered the seat in a light aqua. It was a gift for my mother-in-law to go in a little corner by the river view window.  It is the perfect home for this __________ chair.

Fall Fabric Pumpkins

The leaves are starting to change and the rain has hit the ground running. It is officially Fall in Portland. Remember that little giveaway last week!  Our fabric pumpkins...well I couldn't very well give some cute little pumpkins away without telling how to make them yourselves now could I? 

Here is what you will need:

Fall Fabric

Yarn

Steel yarn needles

Embroidery thread needles

Embroidery thread

Stuffing

Felt for stem
Needle nose plyers (optional)

Sewing machine (optional)

These pumpkins were adapted from some pumpkins I saw on Pinterest.  Mine are a little different (specifically the stem). There is a very long and detailed, picture by picture tutorial here if you need more instruction then what I have below. 

Start by cutting your fabric.  I tried to be creative and make tall ones and shorter wide ones.  But the tall ones are very hard to work with. I recommend square ones.  The size of fabric you'll need could be 12"x24" and 9"x18" and 7"x14". Just take what size you want and double the length.  Take the cut fabric and fold in half, so it makes a square.  Sew up the opposite side to the folded side.  I used a sewing machine but you could hand stitch it as well. 

It should look like this...

top

bottom

Then thread your embroidery needle with the embroidery thread. Start at the top and do a loose stitch. 

Pull thread and gather together. 

Then take your needle and thread it back and it forth a few times (this is where the plyers come in handy), tie off with a sewing knot. (make a  stitch, but leave a loop, and stick the needle back through the loop, pull needle all the way through and pull tight)

Turn right side out, and stuff with filling. 

Make sure its full, but not too full that you could not pinch together and sew it shut.  Now do the same thing that you did to the other side.  Pull together, then take your needle and thread it back and it forth a few times, tie off with a sewing knot. (make a stitch, but leave a loop, and stick the needle back through the loop, pull needle all the way through)

The pretty side will be your bottom. All the knots and yucky stuff will be covered by your stem later.  Cut about 3 feet of yarn. Thread your yarn needle.  Tie a big knot at the end of your yarn.  Start at the top/center and pull your needle all the way through to the bottom.  You might have to push the top and the bottom together to get the needle through.  Repeat a few times, then pull tight.  It should be starting to look more pumpkin like. 

 Then start to do your outer loops. Just keep going up and down through the center, but this time wrap your yarn on the outside.  Pull and do the next one.  Up and down, up and down.  I think I had about 8 lines on each pumpkin. 

Like this...

Next cut your felt.  In a triangle shape.

Then roll it up and glue or stitch onto the top of the pumpkin.

Great job!  Aren't they cute!

Happy Crafting,
Christie

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Isn't she pretty!

So I have decided to be a real blogger I have to have a real camera.  I have scrimped and saved every penny from selling my refinished furniture and now it is time to re-invest.  I am starting modestly since I am new to the land of DSLR cameras.  I bought it used from the nicest guy...ever!  And it was not a bad thing that he kind of looked like Mathew Fox.  He spent about 30 minutes with me and my brother at Starbucks passing on his o' so informative knowledge about photography and this camera.  The Canon Rebel XT.  Isn't she pretty!  I have not named her yet...I am thinking Sophie.  It just came to me.  Let's hope her and I make some beautiful pictures together.

Button, Button who stole the Button...

We've got a button...free for stealing!

"Boo Boo" Book Wreath

On Friday night I let my hubby go to the movies with my nephew for some family bonding time.  This left me at home, baby asleep, girly movie on the tube, and hands free.  Free to do some crafting!  This project took me about an hour and a half.  Not bad for a Friday night!  All you need is a foam wreath form or straw would do just fine.  I think I actually might have preferred a straw wreath.  An old book, and some straight pins.

Here comes the boo boo part.  You have to rip the book.  I know its hard...but just do it.  Rip it!  I used about 229 pages worth.  And I tried to use the pages that have a lot of words. 

So roughly scrunch, not fold.  Well you can, but I like a little less structured.  Then fold in half and put a pin in the middle.  Stick the pin into the wreath.  Then repeat quite a few times....

I put a few paper bats up there and some ribbon for hanging.  Pretty right! And so easy!

Happy Crafting,
Christie

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Our winner! The old fashion way...

We could have picked our winner electronically.  But, we did it the old fashion way.  We wrote all of our entry names down on a piece of teeny tiny paper and drew out of a hat.  My brother officially drew the name.  Drum roll please....our winner is Tricia Lee McNabb.  This happens to make me very happy!  Not that I don't love all of our other new followers and FB friends/fans, because I certainly DO!  Thank you all for joining up here on Portobello Road.  We are happy to have you!!  And don't worry that was not that last of the free giveaways, that was only the first.

Tricia was our first follower here at the blog, she also happens to be a very old friend of mine.  Waaaaaay back to my sorority days.  Yes, I know its true, I was a sorority girl.  Alpha Phi and proud of it!  Tricia was my big sister and president before I was...good times.  She has been a true friend throughout the past 15 years I have known her.  She lives in Chicago now with her hubby Tony, little boy Auggie and two bull dogs.  Love her!  Congratulations Tricia!  Your little fabric pumpkins will be on the way to the windy city very soon.