Pair Your Oysters with Pearls

I don’t know about you, but I am an oyster fanatic! My mom and I were recently out at dinner and, per usual, I ordered a dozen oysters. The wine was flowing and, oddly enough, we got to talking about oyster crafts. We decided that the shells were beautiful and had the potential to be repurposed as a jewelry dish or candle holder. And so, that is exactly what I set out to do. Now to the important stuff: learn how I recycled my shells.

Prep Them!

1. Eat some oysters (Bluepoints are my favorite!)
2. Take the shells home (the waiter may look at you a little funny when you ask for a doggy-bag, but who cares!)
3. Run your oysters under hot water and use a toothbrush and/or scouring pad with soap to scrub the oysters clean
   
4. Fill a large Ziploc container with half parts white vinegar and half parts water
5. Allow the oyster shells to soak in the vinegar water for 24 hours
   
6. Pour the vinegar water out and repeat Step 3
• My oysters still had somewhat of a fishy smell, so I decided to soak them in bleach water for a couple of hours. I wouldn’t recommend bleaching them for too long, as you don’t want the oyster shells to deteriorate.

Paint Them!

1. Spray the outside of the shell with Rust-Oleum Metallic Gold. I did two coats. 
2. To paint the top edge of the oysters, I sprayed the Ziploc lid with paint (until it made a little puddle) and used a small paintbrush to apply the paint to the areas that I wanted covered. 
3. Seal the outer shell with Rust-Oleum Clear spray paint. I did one coat. 
• Optional: I wanted to leave the inside of the shells natural, but you could also mix things up and hand paint the inside of the shell with liquid gold leaf and leave the outside natural. The possibilities are endless. 
4. Add some jewelry or a tea-light candle and voila!

Jefferson Lane Launch Party

I am so excited to share some of the photos from the Jefferson Lane blog launch party that I had a couple of weeks ago. My friend, Isia Heston, captured fabulous footage of the party and put together a video. I have the most amazing friends and family that have supported and encouraged me throughout this entire process. Cheers to them and a bright future for Jefferson Lane!

Cabin Fever

I have a tray obsession and it is kind of a problem. They are living under my bed, on top of my refrigerator and in my cabinets.  I was recently walking through Target and spotted this Tree Bark Server.  I decided that it had to be made into a tray, as if I need another one.

If you know someone that likes to host, or you want to say thank you to your neighbors that always let you drink their wine and eat their food, then this is the perfect DIY project for you. It is fairly inexpensive to make and you can do it in about one hour.

Supplies:

• Server or cutting board of your choice
• 2 Nickel Pulls
• Rust-Oleum Gold Spray Paint
• Drill
• Ruler 
• Screwdriver
• Pencil

Instructions:

1. Pick a ventilated area and spray your pulls with the Rust-Oleum gold paint (twice).
2. Measure and mark the center of the tray and draw a horizontal line through the center. 
3. Measure about 1.5" (or more if you'd like) in from the side edge and mark. Repeat this step for both sides of the tray.
4. The pulls I bought were 3" center to center. I measured and marked 1.5" on each side of the mark that I made in step 3. Repeat this step for both sides of the tray.
• Make sure to measure as accurately as possible. You don't want to drill the holes in the wrong spot. 
5. Drill. I used a 3/16" bit.
6. Install the hardware with your screwdriver.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Diamond in the Rough

It’s truly amazing how a little paint and new hardware can bring an antique back to life! This was a side table that I scored for free from a friend. Check your neighbor’s curb on trash day or visit a flea market on the weekend. You will be sure to find a diamond in the rough for next to nothing.

I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE painting with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. There is no priming, no sanding, no hassle! For more fun facts about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, visit the Stylish Patina’s website.

 

What You Need for Part 1:

• 1 Quart of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint ($38.50) - Color: Provence
• This should cover two good size dressers, with some paint left over.
• Big Fat Lye Soap ($10.00)
• Substitute: 9 oz. Dawn Dish Soap ($0.97)
• 4 oz. Annie Sloan Soft Wax ($15.00) - Color: Clear
• Jack Richeson 2” (Medium) Brush ($40.50) 
• Substitute: Wooster 1 ½” Brush from Home Depot ($17.84)
• Jack Richeson 1 ⅝” Wax Brush ($30.50) 
• Substitute: ArtMinds Wax Brush from Michaels ($14.99)
• Sanding Sheet $3.97 (400 Grit)
• Beetle Hardware ($2.99 - On sale at Anthropologie) 
• Clean White Rags ($0 - I cut up old t-shirts)

Total for Ms. “I don’t look at price tags:” $141.46
Total for Ms. Thrifty: $94.26

*All of my supplies, aside from the hardware, were purchased from Stylish Patina.

Learn How:

Step 1: Remove all hardware and clean your piece with a mild cleaner to remove dust, dirt, and/or grime.

Step 2 (optional): If you have purchased new hardware for your piece, you may have to drill new holes and/or fill old holes with wood caulk. Don’t forget to do this before painting.

Step 3: Start painting! The beauty of chalk paint is that it is easy to work with, goes a really long way, and dries super fast. I only did two coats on my piece.

Step 4: Distress. Use your sandpaper to distress the edges and trim of the piece.

Step 5: Wipe off all excess chalk dust with a dry paper towel or cloth.

Step 6: Waxing time! Make sure to work in small sections. Apply a thin layer of the clear wax with your wax brush. Remember, less is more. Let the wax dry for a couple of minutes before buffing. Buff with a clean, soft cloth and make sure to switch out cloths if one becomes too saturated with wax. Repeat this step until the entire piece has been waxed and buffed.

Step 7: Run your hand over the entire piece. It should feel like butter. If it feels tacky or sticky, buff those areas again. 

 What You Need for Part 2:

• Mod Podge Gloss
• Paper of your choice (mine is from Paper Source)
• Small Foam Brush
• Scissors or Paper Trimmer
• Ruler 
• Hot Glue Gun (optional)
• Ribbon of your choice (optional)

Step 1: Measure the length, width, and depth of your drawer so that you can accurately mark and cut your paper to fit accordingly. 

Step 2: Starting cutting! Don't worry if your measurements are slightly off. You can always cover the top edge of each side with ribbon (see Step 5). 

Step 3:  Mod Podge time. I suggest working in sections. Apply the Mod Podge directly to the wood in a thick, even coat. Then, place the paper on top and press. Make sure to smooth out any air bubbles. I also apply Mod Podge to the top edges of the paper to ensure that it is extra secured to the wood. Repeat this step for all of the drawer sides. 

Step 4: Let dry. The Mod Podge will turn clear when it has sufficiently dried. 

Step 5 (optional): My measuring wasn't perfect, so I decided to cover the top edge of each side with thin, gold ribbon. It made all my lines much cleaner. 

Bar Cart Necessity

From chandeliers to sculptural elements, antlers make for the perfect rustic, yet chic decor. You can buy various types of antlers for super cheap online and use them to make all sorts of fun crafts. My mom found my antler on the ground when she was walking around our family farm. You too may also luck out and score one for free!

Let's get DIY'n!

Materials:

• 1 Antler (small to medium)
• Rust-Oleum Metallic Gold Spray Paint
• 1 Bottle Opener Kit
• Drill
• Vice

How to:

• Pick a well-ventilated spot to spray your antler.
• Spray it! I did two coats of the Rust-Oleum gold.
• Once dry, wrap a paper towel around your antler and place it in your vice. Tighten the vice accordingly.
• Note:You want to make sure you protect the antler from scratching, but it isn't a big deal if it gets a little dinged. You can always respray at the end.
• Mark the center of the antler and select a small drill bit to get the hole started. The bottle opener diameter in the kit I used was 3/8". You will need to gradually increase your bit size so that you can make a big enough hole without cracking the antler.
• Once you have reached the correct diameter, you can then begin to screw in the bottle opener. And, that's it! Grab some beers, invite friends over, and enjoy your new bar accessory!