Steampunk Chic is here!

It's here! It's here! Our new book just arrived! Hot off the press. The UPS guy just dropped off 2 big cartons full of Steampunk Chic: Vintage Flair From Recycled Finds. Whooo hooo! So exciting!

Our wonderful editor Pam Mostek would want us to tell you it's loaded with fun and funky steampunk crafts and step-by-step how-tos. Kitty's favorite is the mantel clock made out of a cigar box and Jennifer's favorite is the cupcake stand. Take a sneak peek!

Make Me Over!

Kitty found a set of these chairs for $10 at the flea market! Irresistible! We featured them in this article we wrote for Decorating Spaces. It's sort of a Chair Makeover 101. 

Cheers, J&K

Before: A Chair In the Rough

It’s rusty. It’s filthy. It’s fabulous! If you know what to look for, a ratty old wrought iron chair can become a delightful addition to your little garden oasis. Just take these tips picked up from the pros and get thee to a flea market to find that diamond in the rough.

After: Sweet Little Seat

A Chair In The Rough

This chair passes all the tests with flying colors: the rust is minimal, the seat pops right off, it has no real damage, and it’s loaded with personality. All it needs now is a little TLC. Start by picking a fun fabric for the seat and use a swatch to select your spray paint. Remove the seat and smooth the rough areas and rusty parts of the frame using medium, then fine sandpaper. Clean thoroughly, then spray paint the chair with primer and your chosen color. (To avoid runs, do several light coats.)

What To Do:

1. Disassemble the seat by removing the old vinyl, foam, and rusty staples.

2. Recover the seat with two-inch thick foam and your chosen fabric, folding carefully at the corners and stapling the fabric underneath.

3. Then finish your new treasure by reattaching the seat to the chair. Now you’re sitting pretty!

Tips:

You don't have to use oilcloth to make your outdoor chair waterproof—just cover the fabric seat with a layer of clear plastic.

When selecting a fabric for your outdoor chair, you don't have to stick to florals. Consider decorator fabrics with stripes, dots, or plaids, as long as the pattern matches the mood of the chair.

If you want to spruce up a plain chair with more than just color, try a spray-on finish like metallic copper, hammered bronze, or even natural rust. Yes! You can buy rust in a can!

Crate Awakening Storage Ottoman

We did this cute crate craft for Create and Decorate. Kitty has it in her studio and she uses it to keep bird seed for her feeder!

J&K

Turn a rustic wooden crate into a lovely footstool with storage to boot!

Materials
Medium-sized wooden crate (flea market find)
Plywood, ¾" thick, cut to fit on top of crate
Printed decorator fabric, measure plywood and add 3" to each side
Grosgrain ribbon, 1½" wide, twice the length plus twice the width of the plywood
2 Pieces of high loft batting, measure plywood and add 2" to each side
4 Medium duty swivel plate casters, 2" with mounting plates
16 Wood screws, #8 size, ½" length
Beacon Adhesives Fabri-Tac
Staple gun and staples
Drill and 1/8" drill bit
Screwdriver
Iron
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil

Instructions
1. To find a suitable crate, look for a medium-sized wooden crate large enough to prop your feet up on, but not so big you can't carry it to the car. Inspect the crate for wood rot and insect damage. A little wear and tear is charming, but the crate should be sturdy.

2. To create a padded lid, layer the two pieces of batting. Lay the plywood on the batting and wrap the edges up around the lid. Staple the edges of the batting to the wood. At the corners, fold the batting around the edges until they meet in a mitered corner. Trim the excess triangle of batting then staple down the edges.

3. Iron the printed fabric, then use it to cover the padded lid. Fold the edges up and staple in place. To make tidy corners, fold the fabric in like you are wrapping a present.

4. Cover the rough edge of the fabric and the staples with the grosgrain ribbon. At each corner, fold the ribbon over itself. Use Fabri-Tac to glue the ribbon in place.

5. Before you attach the casters, mark the holes using the mounting plate as a guide, then pre-drill the holes. Screw on the mounting plates with the #8 wood screws.

Liner Notes: If the bottom of your crate is thinner than your mounting screws, you might wind up with screws poking through. Hide them by covering a piece of foam core with fabric and using it to line the bottom of the crate.

Shadowboxing

Soda crates are a flea market favorite and have dozens of uses. When we found this weathered 7-Up crate, we thought it would make a charming shadowbox. Then we took that idea a step further by turning it into a shadowbox table. The crate only cost $3, but the table looks like a million bucks!

Materials:
Flea market soda pop crate
Glass tabletop, 1/4" thick, cut to fit inside crate
4 wooden legs, 22" with mounting plates
Basswood stick, ½"x½"x24" (in the dowel aisle)
4 black self-adhesive rubber feet, ½"x½"
Foam core board, ¼" thick, enough to fit inside crate
Dark green velvet, enough to cover foam core board
Plaid Folk Art acrylic paint, Napthol Crimson, 2 oz.
Amazing Goop all-purpose contact adhesive
Foam paintbrush
Handsaw
Electric screwdriver
X-Acto craft knife
Masking tape
Metal yardstick
Straight pins
Scissors
Pencil

Instructions:
1. Mask the brass foot of each leg with the masking tape. Paint the wooden legs Napthol Crimson red and let dry.

2. Measure the inside of the crate. Using the metal yardstick and the X-Acto craft knife, cut the foam core board to fit inside the crate. Watch your fingers! Cover the foam core board with the velvet. Secure the velvet to the back by sliding straight pins through the fabric and into the foam core board at an angle. Cut off any excess fabric. Place the velvet-covered foam core board in the bottom the crate.

3. To make a support for the glass top, stick the piece of basswood inside the crate at the corner. Mark it with the pencil ¼" from the top of the crate. Cut the basswood with the handsaw, then use that piece to measure and cut 3 more identical pieces. Glue the 4 pieces of basswood into the corners of the crate using the Goop adhesive. Attach a self-adhesive rubber foot onto the top of each piece of basswood. 

4. When the glue is dry, flip the crate over onto a stack of books, so the foam core insert is resting on the books. Attach the mounting plates to each corner of the crate with the screwdriver. Screw in the red legs. Flip the crate table over onto its new legs.

5. Arrange a collection of items inside the shadowbox. Place the glass tabletop inside the top of the crate so it rests on the 4 rubber feet.

Shopping Tip: Getting a piece of glass cut is cheaper than you think, even for odd sizes. Our 9 5/8"x14 3/8" glass with polished edges cost less than $10!

The Art of Display
To create your shadowbox showcase, start with a theme such as travel, wedding, or holiday. Arrange flat items like vintage postcards and photos in the bottom of the crate to create a colorful background. Then overlap the images with a few meaningful objects. To remember a wedding, you might include the bride’s garter and dried flowers from the bouquet. For a holiday theme like autumn, choose a glass pumpkin paperweight and ears of Indian corn. Don't worry about making the perfect display—this shadowbox is easy to open, and museums change their exhibits regularly, so why can't you?!

Crystal Pie Server

Embellish a silver pie server with sparkling crystal beads and fancy monogram charm.

YOU'LL NEED
Materials & Embellishments
Sterling silver or plated pie server.
Copper wire, 20 gauge, 48" long.
2 crystal bicone beads, 10mm, pink.
3 round faceted crystal beads, 8mm, red.
4 round faceted crystal beads, 5mm, clear.
12 crystal faceted rondells, 4mm, red.
2 crystal faceted rondells, 5mm, peach.
1 crystal faceted rondells, 5mm, red.
2 faceted crystal oval beads, 4mm, orange.
Large rose-shaped glass bead, 15 mm.
Metal letter charm.
Copper jumpring, 5mm.

Tools & Supplies
Needle-nose pliers.
Wire snips.

WHAT TO DO
1. Twist a swirl into one end of the copper wire using the needle-nose pliers. Press the swirl flat onto the handle of the pie server at the triangular serving end.

2. Feed an orange oval bead onto the wire at the base of the swirl, then wrap the copper wire tightly around the handle. Feed an 8mm red crystal bead onto the wire so it rests on top of the handle and wrap the wire around the handle again.

3. Continue feeding beads onto the wire and wrapping the wire around the handle. For the smaller beads, feed two or three on the wire at a time to match the width of the larger beads. Alternate the beads so the colors are distributed evenly down the handle. Stop one inch from the end of the handle.

4. Finish the end by feeding the red rose bead onto the wire followed by an orange oval bead. Bend the wire 90° above the rose bead so the wire runs vertically to the end of the handle. Twist a swirl into the end of the wire at the base of the orange oval bead and trim the end with the wire snips.

5. To personalize it, attach the metal letter charm to the swirl using the copper jumpring.

Easy As Pie: Want to give the hostess something more personal than a bottle of wine? Give her this beaded pie server along with your family recipe for apple pie.

Light Up Your Life Candlestick Lamp

You don't need to be a professional electrician to make your own candlestick lamp. With a bottle adapter lamp kit from the hardware store, all that's left for you to do is find the perfect flea market candlestick and follow these simple instructions. In minutes, you'll have a working candlestick lamp. To embellish the lampshade for your boudoir, choose an ornate rubber stamp, a paint color that complements your candlestick, and glitzy beaded fringe. With the flick of a switch, you'll be reading by "candle light."

To make the lamp, you will need:
candlestick, 8 inches tall (made for a taper candle with a 5/8-inch to one-inch diameter)
bottle adapter "Make-a-Lamp" kit
light bulb
screwdriver
rubber bands

To embellish the lampshade, you will need:
white clip lampshade (clip attaches to the bulb), 7 inches tall, 9-inch diameter at bottom
metallic silver acrylic paint, 2 fl. oz.
squeeze bottle of iridescent glitter paint, 2 fl. oz.
rubberstamp, 4 inches across
crystal beaded fringe, 29 inches long
hot glue gun
hot glue

How To Assemble The Lamp:
Step 1
Select the rubber adapter from the bottle adapter "Make-a-Lamp" kit that fits the candlestick opening. Slide the adapter all the way onto one end of the threaded pipe.

Step 2
Screw the socket bottom onto the threaded pipe.

Step 3
Tighten the side screw with a screwdriver.

Step 4
Feed the loose-wire end of the electrical cord through the hole in the side of the socket bottom. 

Step 5
Pull the cord apart to create some slack, then tie the ends in a knot. This will keep the cord from pulling out of the socket cap.

Step 6
Connect the neutral wire to the silver screw (the rubber insulation on the neutral wire is ribbed) and tighten with a screwdriver. 

Step 7
Connect the other wire to the brass screw and tighten with a screwdriver. Make sure the brass tips of the wires are secured under the screw heads.

Step 8
Slide the brass shell with the paper liner over the lamp socket. Snap the brass shell onto the socket bottom and rock it into place until it clicks.

Tight Light: If the rubber adapter feels a little loose in the candlestick, make a tighter fit by wrapping the adapter with a rubber band or two.

How To Embellish The Lampshade:
Step 1
Using the rubber stamp and the silver acrylic paint, stamp the image four times around the bottom edge of the lampshade. (For even spacing, stamp on one side, then turn the shade 180 degrees, and stamp again opposite the first image. Then repeat between the two stamped images.) Turn the rubber stamp upside-down and stamp around the top edge of the lampshade four times between the bottom stamped images.

Step 2
When the paint is dry, trace the edges of each stamped image with the squeeze bottle of iridescent glitter paint.

Step 3
When the glitter paint is dry, hot glue the beaded fringe around the bottom edge of the lampshade. To finish off your lamp, insert the lamp fixture into the candlestick, screw in a light bulb and attach the lampshade to the bulb. Then light up the night!

Keep It Clean: For a cleaner stamped image, dab the paint directly onto the rubber stamp. Try a few test stamps on a scrap piece of paper until you get the hang of it.

Perfect Pair
For twice the fun, buy a pair of candlesticks and turn them into matching lamps for your bedside tables.

Altered Crates

Turn a wooden crate into a cool footstool complete with classic casters.

To make this stylish storage ottoman, first you'll need to find a great crate. Check out your local flea market for wooden boxes that once carried whiskey, wine, or soda bottles. They should cost between $5 and $20. More-in-demand ammo and dynamite crates can be found on eBay for $20 to $50, and their amusing text makes them worth it. For example, a Trojan Powder crate stamped "High Explosives Dangerous" would make a killer footstool.

For this project, look for a medium-sized crate, at least twelve inches tall, with no splits or stains (and it wouldn't hurt to give it the old sniff-test, too). Once you get your perfect crate home, it's a few simple steps to ottoman. Just cut a lid out of plywood and cover it with batting and fabric. Then add big industrial casters and wheel it into the living room to store your magazines (or whiskey, or ammo). Slide it next to your reading chair or let it house your current craft project and take it into any room of the house.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
wooden storage crate

4 casters
screws for casters
plywood rectangle for lid, 1" thick (cut to fit crate)
fabric (enough to wrap around top of lid)
polyfill batting (enough to wrap around top of lid)
staple gun & staples
screwdriver
iron
ruler

Step 1
To pad the lid, place the plywood on top of the batting. Measure and cut the batting so there are two extra inches all the way around the lid. Wrap the batting around the edges of the lid and staple.

Step 2
To cover the top, place the padded lid (batting-side down) on the fabric (wrong-side up). Measure and cut the fabric so there are three extra inches all the way around the lid. To "hem" the fabric, fold the rough edges over about half an inch and iron. Wrap the fabric around the edges of the lid and staple neatly.

Step 3
To attach the casters, turn the crate over and screw the plates to the bottom four corners. (Make sure the screws are short enough not to poke through the bottom.) Now flip your crate back over, set the lovely lid on top, and put your feet up!

Above & Beyond: If you're feeling inspired, don't stop now. Try lining the inside of your storage ottoman with felt or velvet. You can also hinge the lid and even add ball fringe around the top edge. For an upholstered look, make a tufted lid with decorative furniture tacks. Now that's one fancy footstool!

Wrapper's Delight: To create tidy corners while covering your lid, just pretend you're wrapping a present. Simply fold the corners in, then up and over.

Art Supplies Chest

Turn a boring chest of drawers into a celebration of arts and crafts!

YOU'LL NEED
Materials & Embellishments:
Flea market chest of drawers.
Well-worn pencils.
Shabby old paintbrushes.
Dinged-up rulers & yardsticks.

Tools & Supplies:
Wooden knobs with screws.
Screwdriver.
Drop cloth.
Sandpaper, fine-grit.
Paintbrush.
Primer.
Semi-gloss latex enamel, Brick Red.
Pencil sharpener.
Liquid Nails glue.
Dremel rotary tool with cutting wheel.
Safety glasses.

WHAT TO DO
1. Place the chest on a drop cloth and remove all the drawers and hardware. Lay out the wooden knobs. Lightly sand the surface of the chest, the drawer fronts, and the knobs. Then clean with a damp cloth.

2. Apply 2 coats of primer to all the surfaces. Let dry, then paint the chest, drawer fronts, and knobs Brick Red. When the paint is dry, attach the new red knobs to the drawers.

3. Arrange the pencils on one of the drawer fronts so the ends line up straight along the edges. If any need a little resizing, just sharpen them. Glue the pencils onto the drawer front with the Liquid Nails.

4. Position the paintbrushes on one of the drawer fronts so they overlap the edges. Mark the overlap and saw the paintbrushes to fit with the Dremel tool. (Don't forget to don your safety glasses!) Glue the paintbrushes onto the drawer front with the Liquid Nails.

5. Lay out the rulers and yardsticks on one of the drawer fronts and mark where to cut them into pieces. Use the Dremel tool to saw the rulers into segments, then glue them to the drawer front with Liquid Nails.

6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 to cover any remaining drawer fronts. For variety, consider using buttons, erasers, and squeezed out watercolor tubes.

Buy In Bulk: Don't get nickeled-and-dimed buying one old pencil at a time. Look for boxes filled with junk drawer dregs and offer a flat price for the whole thing. You might even discover a hidden treasure!

A Novel Keepsake Box

Turn a vintage book into a beautiful memory box perfect for your tiny treasures.

YOU'LL NEED
Materials & Embellishments:
Vintage book, at least 1½" thick.
Black velvet, approximately the size of the book's cover.
Gold leaf sheets.
Upholstery tacks, four.
Black craft paper.
Gold photo corners, four.
Heirloom photograph.
Satin ribbon, 1½" wide, 4 feet long.
Embellishments, such as decorative papers, old maps, postage stamps, antique watch faces, skeleton keys, foreign coins, broken jewelry, and old buttons.

Tools & Supplies:
Mod Podge decoupage medium.
Small paintbrush.
Pencil.
Ruler.
Large binder clips, three.
Craft knife.
White chalk.
Scissors.
Double-stick tape.
Gold leaf liquid adhesive.
Gold leaf seal.
Hammer.
Rubber cement.
Hot glue gun and sticks.
Decorative edge scissors.
Adhesive foam squares.

WHAT TO DO
1. To glue all the pages of the book together, open the front cover and press down on the book's pages, creating a tight stack. Paint a coat of Mod Podge on the outside edge of the stack of pages. Clamp the stack of pages to the back of the book with binder clips and let dry.

2. To create a niche inside the book, use the ruler and pencil to draw a rectangle on the first page of the book, 1" from the sides. Using the craft knife and ruler, cut through several pages of the book along the guidelines. Remove the cutouts, then cut through the next layer of pages. Repeat until you reach the back of the book.

3. Coat the insides of the niche with Mod Podge and let dry. Press the velvet into the niche face-side-down and mark where to trim it using white chalk. Cut the velvet along the chalk lines. To make the velvet fit neatly into the corners, cut a square the depth of the niche off each corner. Use double-stick tape to line the inside of the niche with the velvet.

4. Remove the binder clips and close the book's cover. To gold leaf the edges of the block of pages, coat with gold leaf adhesive (be careful not to get the adhesive on the book's back or front covers). Let the adhesive dry until it is tacky (about 60 minutes), then tear off a piece of gold leaf and lay it on the page edges. Use a dry paintbrush to push the gold leaf onto the adhesive. Continue until all the edges are covered in gold leaf. Seal with gold leaf sealer.

5. To add feet to the bottom of the box, turn the book face-down and place one upholstery tack at each corner, ½" from the edge. Hammer into place.

6. Embellish the inside by cutting decorative papers to cover the first page around the niche. Adhere with rubber cement. Use hot glue and ribbon to hide the rough edges. To add a featured photograph to the inside of the lid, attach the photo to black craft paper with gold photo corners. Trim the black paper with decorative edge scissors, leaving ½" around the photo. Glue it to the center of the lid with rubber cement.

7. To embellish the outside of the book, cut out a piece of a map ½" smaller than the book cover, and attach it to the center of the book cover with rubber cement. Cover the edge with silk ribbon using hot glue. Add a smaller piece of decorative paper, such as an old postcard or pretty wrapping paper, to the center of the map with rubber cement. Continue adding embellishments such as postage stamps, foreign coins, broken jewelry, and old buttons. Find the center of the wide satin ribbon and glue it to the back of the book with hot glue. Finally, place your precious mementoes inside and tie your Novel Keepsake Box closed with the ribbon.

CRAFTY SHOPPING TIPS
*For just a few dollars on eBay, you can buy interesting postage stamps ranging from Guinea's lovely orchids to Tanzania's colorful butterflies.
*For decorative papers and metal embellishments, check out your local scrapbooking store.
*The flea market is a great place to find old books, watch faces, and skeleton keys. And, if you don't have an old family photo for the lid, the flea market has those too, by the hundreds. Meet your new Aunt Gertrude!

A Flair For Chairs!

Chairs are super fun and super easy to makeover. You just need to start with a good makeover candidate. 

1. Check for Rust
A little rust is okay, but unless you're a big fan of sanding, skip a chair that is completely corroded. Look for a chair with only minor rust spots—no bigger than a quarter.

2. Check the Seat
Recovering a seat is a cinch, but only if it's easy to remove and reattach. Don't worry if it's decayed; the wood, the foam, and the fabric are all replaceable. Plus you can drive the price down by pointing out every flaw.

3. Check for Damage
Inspect the frame for serious damage. Watch out for broken legs, weak joints, or shoddy fixes (like duct tape!). Some repairs aren't worth the effort unless you like welding!

Uncaged Melody Lamp

Let your creativity take flight by turning a vintage birdcage into a lamp any songbird would love.

Flea Market Finds:
Medium-sized wooden birdcage* 
Vintage sheet music (have color laser copies made)
Vintage buttons, 8 large and 8 small
Lamp finial

Materials:
Craft bird
White or cream lampshade
Westinghouse Make-A-Lamp Kit, 18 gauge cord
Westinghouse All-Thread Lamp Pipe Kit, 1/8-IP pipe, 12" length
Westinghouse Brass Lamp Harp, to fit lampshade
Glitz scrapbook paper, Vintage Love Velvet, 12" square, 2 sheets
K&Company scrapbook paper, Mira Chocolate Rose, 12" square, 2 sheets
Grosgrain ribbon, Olive Drab, 5/8" wide, 18 feet
Drill and 3/8" drill bit
Phillips-head screwdriver
Hacksaw (if needed)
Mod Podge Gloss-Lustre decoupage medium
Hot glue gun and glue
Water spritzer
Ruler
Chalk
Pencil
Scissors
Foam paintbrush

*Cage Gauge: Before you buy a birdcage, make sure it is made of wood. Also check the top and bottom to make sure the surfaces are sturdy enough to drill through.

Instructions:
1. If your birdcage has a finial on top, carefully remove it. Using the drill and 3/8-inch drill bit, create a hole in the top center of the birdcage. Flip the birdcage over and find the center of the bottom and mark with chalk. Then drill a hole in the bottom of the birdcage.

2. Measure the height of your birdcage. Your lamp pipe needs to be the height of your birdcage plus ½". You may need to cut a second piece of lamp pipe using a hacksaw and connect it to the first 12" piece using the brass coupler that comes in the Make-A-Lamp Kit. The lamp pipe should stick ¼" out of the top and the bottom of your birdcage. Secure each end of the pipe with a washer and a locknut.

3. Feed the loose end of the electrical cord up through the pipe in the birdcage, then through the hole in the bottom of the lamp harp. Next slide the socket cap from the lamp kit onto the cord and screw the end onto the lamp pipe. Pull the ends of the cord apart and tie them in an underwriter's knot to keep the cord in place. (See detail photo or follow directions on the Make-A-Lamp Kit.)

4. Feel the ends of the cord to determine which one is ribbed. Connect the wire from the ribbed cord to the silver screw on the socket from the lamp kit. Connect the other wire to the brass screw on the socket. Tighten with a screwdriver. Cover the socket with the shell from the lamp kit, then snap the shell onto the cap by rocking it back and forth.

5. To cover the lampshade, have color laser copies made of the sheet music. (It'd be fun to use the actual sheet music, but if it is two-sided, the back side will show through when the lamp is on.) Cut the sheet music copies to fit onto the lampshade. Decoupage the sheet music paper to the lampshade using the Mod Podge and a foam paintbrush.

6. To cover the vertical ribs of the lampshade or hide the seams where the sheet music meets, cut strips of ribbon a few inches longer than needed. Hot glue the ribbon onto the shade and tie the ends of the ribbon in knots. Hot glue a piece of ribbon around the top and bottom of the shade over the vertical trim.

7. To make the rosettes, cut a sheet of Vintage Love scrapbook paper into fourths. Cut the corners off to make the squares into circles. Dampen a circle with the water spritzer and crumple to soften. Accordion pleat the circle to make the back of the flower. Cut a sheet of Mira Chocolate Rose scrapbook paper into fourths. Dampen a piece with the water spritzer and crumple to soften. Shape into a rose and hot glue to the pleated back of the flower. Hot glue a large button in the center of the flower, then glue a smaller button on top of the first. Repeat to make a total of 8 rosettes. Decorate the lampshade by hot gluing the rosettes around the center.

8. Screw a light bulb into the socket and plug in the lamp. Attach the lampshade to the harp. Top it off with the original finial from the birdcage if it fits or one you found at the flea market. Finish your beautiful lamp with an uncaged craft bird. Just hot glue the little guy to the top edge of the lampshade. Tweet tweet!

Tippy Tip: If the bottom of your birdcage is flat, the cord might make your lamp tip a little. Either raise the lamp up by adding cork feet or carve a notch in the base to fit the cord.

Glitzy Cake Stand

There's nothing like a glamorous cake stand to make a party perfect. Just start with a fancy china plate from the flea market. Add a few chandelier prisms and a crystal candlestick, and you'll have a glitzy plate stand that takes the cake!

Directions:

Step 1. Cut a piece of wire 1½ inches long. Use round-nose pliers to bend the wire into a "U" shape. Feed the wire through the buttonholes of a small, white shirt button. Use round-nose pliers to twist the two ends of the wire into loops. Repeat to make 12 wired buttons.

Step 2. Mark the back of a china dinner plate one-half inch from the edge with a dry erase marker, creating 12 evenly spaced dots (like the numbers on a clock). Use clear silicone adhesive to glue the flat side of each wired button to one of the marks on the back of the plate.

Step 3. Apply clear silicone adhesive to the top of a short crystal candlestick. Press the glued end of the candlestick to the center of the back of the plate.

Step 4. Hook one chandelier crystal through each of the wire loops on the back of the plate. Ta-da! A pretty plate perfect for any party.

A Chair To Remember

Turn an old wooden chair into an instant antique. The secret is to use amazing resin appliques that are exact copies of woodcarvings from the 1800s. Heirloom chic!

Materials:

Wooden flea market chair with removable seat
Posh by Chez Moi for Moda 100% cotton fabric, Posh Floral Seaweed, 30"x30"
3" thick batting, 16"x16"
Bella Cottage resin appliques: one #A1013, four #A1025
Krylon spray paint, Indoor/Outdoor White Primer #51315
Krylon spray paint, Satin Hunter Green #3502
Amazing Goop all-purpose contact adhesive
Masking tape
Screwdriver
Chalk
Yardstick
Staple gun and staples
Scissors
Toothpicks

Before: Choose a wooden flea market chair with removable seat.

Instructions:
1. Flip the chair over and remove the seat. (Ours was held on by 4 screws.) Be sure to save the screws!

2. Center the large applique on the back of the chair so the ends of the swag curve down. Mark the location on the chair with the chalk.

3. Apply a generous amount of Goop over the back of the applique. Press the applique into place on the back of the chair. To hold the applique in place while the glue dries, secure it with masking tape. Remove any excess glue with a toothpick.

4. Repeat this process to attach the four smaller appliques around the seat frame. Again secure the glued appliques with masking tape. Let the glue cure for 1 hour.

5. Sand the wooden frame of the chair, then brush off any dust. Paint the chair and appliques with the Krylon White Primer. Let dry for 10 minutes, then paint the chair with the Hunter Green spray paint. Let dry for 1 hour.

6. Remove any old fabric and foam from the seat. Lay the wooden seat on top of the batting and trim the batting to fit.

7. Iron the fabric. Lay the fabric over the chair seat and batting. Line up the pattern so the prettiest part is showing on the seat. Flip the batting, fabric, and seat over, keeping the fabric centered where you want it. Measure 4" from the seat edge and cut all the way around the fabric. (Our final fabric measurement was 25"x27".)

8. Pull the edge of the fabric up and over the batting and seat and staple it to the underside of the seat. Repeat for the opposite side, then the remaining sides. To make the corners neat and tidy, fold the fabric at the corners like you are wrapping a present.

9. Set the cushion on the chair frame and screw it into place. Then sit on another chair so you can admire your handiwork!

Apply Yourself: These shabby chic appliques work so well on any wooden furniture you can dress up a dresser, spruce up a sideboard, and even embellish an armoire!

A Room With A View Etched Window

Fashion a stylish room divider out of an old weathered window.

Junk windows are available everywhere, from salvage yards to flea markets. (You might even have one under your house!) These architectural castoffs are do-it-yourself projects just waiting to happen. And why wait when you can turn any old window into a fabulous etched room divider in no time? Armour Etch, available at craft stores, actually etches glass with just one application. So you can put away your sand blaster!

Creating a beautiful design for your etched window is simple when you use spectacular stencils. Large templates, often used for decorative wall painting, are the perfect size for panes of glass. But for artier designs with bold graphics, look for scrapbooking stencils. We found 12" by 12" doodling templates from TheCraftersWorkshop.com that feature stylish swirls and paisleys. Gorgeous!

YOU'LL NEED:
Old wooden window
Con-Tact paper
Large stencil
10 oz Armour Etch cream
Steel chain
4 Screw hooks
Drop cloth
Window cleaner
Paper towels
Sharpie marker
Craft knife
Sponge paintbrush
Protective gloves

WHAT TO DO:
Step 1

To create the design, trace the stencils onto the Con-Tact paper with the Sharpie. Cut out the Con-Tact paper with the craft knife. Wipe the window thoroughly with window cleaner, then stick the Con-Tact paper cutouts to the glass and rub the edges down carefully. (Positioning the cutouts on the glass is much easier if you tape the stencil to the other side of the window.) Clean the exposed glass one more time to ensure the best results.

Step 2

To etch the glass, apply the Armour Etch cream with the sponge brush, painting a thick layer of etch cream over the glass and the Con-Tact paper cutouts (don't forget to don your gloves first!). Let the etch cream set for 5 minutes, then rinse the window in the bathtub with lukewarm water, peel off the cut-outs, and continue rinsing until clean. As the window dries, the pattern will reveal itself. Amazing!

Step 3

To hang the etched window room divider, attach 2 hooks to the top of the window and 2 hooks to the ceiling the same distance apart. Hang with equal lengths of steel chain.

Brushstroke of Genius: With this technique, the brushstrokes tend to show, so use it to your advantage. Apply the etch cream with a swirling motion and any brush marks will look like part of the design.

Diamond Jubilee

Who knew forgotten earrings and mismatched buttons could make such a glamorous opera necklace?

YOU'LL NEED

Flea Market Finds

Pearls, 8 mm, 21.

Vintage rhinestone and crystal clip-on earrings, 18.

Gold and silver metal shank buttons, 18.

Materials

Silver-plated filigree findings, round, 15 mm, 9.

Silver-plated filigree findings, round, 22 mm, 9.

Silver-plated wire, 24 gauge, 84".

Clear crystal bicone beads, 4 mm, 42.

Crystazzi crystal floral clasp, silver, 12 mm, 1.

Tools & Supplies

Wire cutters.

Round-nosed pliers.

Chain-nosed pliers or wire straightener.

Beacon Adhesives Quick Grip glue.

WHAT TO DO

1. If your filigree findings have a curved surface, flatten them with the wire straightener or chain-nosed pliers. Using the wire cutters, snip the shanks and clips off the backs of the buttons and earrings.

2. Cut a 4" piece of silver-plated wire and feed it through one end of the clasp. Secure with a wrapped loop. Slide one crystal bicone, a pearl, and another crystal bicone onto the wire. Feed the end of the wire through a hole in a small filigree finding and secure with a wrapped loop.

3. Use the same technique to make a bicone and pearl component to connect the small filigree finding to a large one. Continue in this fashion alternating between large and small filigree findings until you have 9 large and 9 small connected by bicone and pearl components.

4. After the last filigree finding, use a bicone and pearl component to connect the necklace to the other end of the clasp.

5. Cover your work surface with newspaper and stretch the necklace out on the paper. Before you start gluing, lay out the earrings and buttons in the order you want them on your necklace. Keep in mind you will use two for each finding, one for the front and one for the back. Use the larger findings for the larger earrings and buttons.

6. Glue the earrings and buttons to the findings using Quick Grip. It is helpful to glue both sides of the filigree finding at the same time, sandwiching the finding between an earring and a button. Let dry. Now put on your little black dress and take your glitzy revamp out for a night on the town!

Bijou Bonanza: Look for grab bags of broken jewelry at the flea market. For just a few dollars you can get all the earrings for this project and some inspiration for your next!

Something Old Something New Keepsake Box

Dress up a cigar box with flea market gems like an old strand of pearls and a swatch from a beaded gown.

When we are looking for creative inspiration, we just head to the flea market! On a recent trip, all it took was seeing a booth filled with scraps and appliques from old wedding dresses to get the ideas flowing. One cigar box, a broken necklace, and dozens of vintage beads later, we found ourselves creating a jewelry box featuring something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.

Flea Market Materials
1 Wooden cigar box
1 Dupioni wedding dress scrap
1 Beaded lace wedding veil scrap
44 Pearl beads from broken necklace
1 Broken necklace (Ours had pearls and chain.)
1 Murano glass heart charm, white and silver
4 15mm Resin beads, peach
5 6mm Vintage faceted beads, blue and gold
8 5mm Faceted glass beads, peach

Supplies
8½ in. x 11 in. Heavy cardstock
10 Straight pins
1/3 yd. 6 oz poly batting
1/3 yd. Silk dupioni, blue
1 yd. Rosebud trim, pink and blue
4 ft. Wrights velvet ribbon, 5/8 in. wide, celadon
4 ft. 1/8 in. Polyester ribbon, olive
40 5mm Freshwater pearl nugget beads, light blue
2 spools Thread, pink, celadon
20 in. 28-ga. Wire, copper
7 4mm Bicone crystals, peach
6 4mm Bicone crystals, crystal
60 Seed beads, gold
3 5½ in. x 5½ in. Gold leafing sheets
Gold leaf adhesive
Gold leaf sealer

Tools & Supplies
4¾ in. Flat head nails
Beacon Adhesives Quick Grip glue
4 Binder clips
Wire cutters
Chain-nose pliers
Scotch tape
Scissors
Ruler
X-Acto knife
Pencil
Sewing needle (thin enough to go through the pearls)
Craft paintbrush
Hammer

Instructions:
1. Start by making a pillow to line the jewelry box. To do this, cut a piece of the cardstock to fit inside the bottom of the box using the X-Acto knife and ruler. Use the scissors to cut a piece of poly batting the same size as the cardstock. Sandwich the batting between the wedding dress fabric and the cardstock. Cut the wedding dress fabric one inch larger on each side. Wrap the fabric up and around the batting and cardstock, folding the corners like a wrapped present. Use the Quick Grip glue to adhere the fabric to the cardstock. Set the pillow insert in the box.

2. To pad the lid, create a tufted pillow top on a piece of cardstock. Use the same technique as the pillow insert to cover the cardstock with batting and the blue silk dupioni (but don't glue yet). Lay the wedding veil scrap over the padded blue lid so the lace lies in an interesting way. Trim the lace 1½ inches larger on each side and fold the ends under. Secure the fabric and lace to the cardstock with a binder clip on each side.

3. To tuft the pillow top, draw a grid of nine equally spaced dots on the underside of the cardstock. Feed one bicone and one vintage gold bead onto a straight pin and, starting from the lace side of the pillow top and using the grid on the other side as a guide, push the pin through the padding into the center dot of the grid. Use the chain-nose pliers to grab the pointy end of the pin from the underside of the pillow top. Pull the beaded pinhead tight so the fabric tufts. Bend the pin 90 degrees flat against the underside of the pillow top and secure to the cardstock with tape. 

4. Repeat to tuft the four outer corners of the grid. For the four remaining dots of the grid, use the same technique, but feed one crystal bicone and one peach faceted bead onto each straight pin. Next, remove the binder clips from the pillow top and use the Quick Grip glue to adhere the fabric to the underside of the cardstock. Glue the tufted pillow top to the lid of the cigar box with a generous amount of Quick Grip. Hold in place for a few minutes while the glue dries. Glue a strip of thin olive ribbon under the tufted lid around the top of the box.

5. To gold leaf the sides of the box, paint them with the gold leaf adhesive and the craft paintbrush. Let the adhesive set for one hour. It will remain tacky. Apply the gold leaf sheets and brush away the excess with a dry paintbrush. If any spots remain uncovered, place a scrap of gold leaf sheet onto them and press, then brush away any excess. Finish it with a coat of gold leaf sealer. Let dry for 30 minutes.
6. To make feet for the jewelry box, use the hammer and nails to attach the four large peach resin beads to the bottom of the box at each corner.

7. To create the beaded ribbon embellishment, lay the rose bud trim over the celadon ribbon and pin one end into place. Using the pink thread and thin sewing needle, sew up through a rose on the trim, add one pearl, and then one gold seed bead. Go around the seed bead and sew back through the pearl, the rose, and the ribbon. When you come back up, go between the roses and add a blue freshwater nugget, then sew back through the ribbon. Repeat until you have beaded 24 inches of ribbon or enough to go around the cigar box. Glue the beaded ribbon around the box with the seam in the back.

8. Use the wire cutters to cut a piece of the broken pearl and chain necklace the length of the box plus 2 inches. Sew the ends to the beaded trim at the front corners of the box using the pink thread. Sew the center of the chain to the center of the ribbon to create swags. Use the chain-nose pliers to hook the heart charm through a center link in the chain between the swags.

9. To craft a white flower for the top of the jewelry box, lay the wedding dress scrap over the lace wedding veil scrap and cut them into a 5-inch diameter circle. To create the beaded stamens, cut an 8-inch piece of copper wire and fold it in half. Feed five gold seed beads onto the wire, then one peach faceted bead, one pearl, and one bicone bead. Bend the wire around the bicone and feed it back through the pearl, then snip the end. Repeat on the other end of the wire. Then make a second set of beaded stamens. Twist the folded ends together and place in the center of the layered fabric circle. Pinch the fabric around the wire to form a flower shape, then tie the pinched end tightly with a piece of thin olive ribbon. Tie a pretty bow with the velvet celadon ribbon around the pinched end. Finally, sew the flower onto the lid with the celadon thread.

Big Box Store: If you can't find the right cigar box at the flea market, try your local tobacconist. They usually sell empty boxes for a dollar or two. And they smell great!

Midas Touch: If a gold leafing kit is just outside your budget, use gold spray paint instead. Just do it as the first step.