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All this ottoman needs is a little TLC...The Finale

Back to my bench project... you know the one that went from a 1 day project to a 3 day project. Just to recap, first I sanded and spray painted the bench being sure to get out as many imperfections as possible. But then my Dad found the termites and I had to fill the wood and re-sand so that the paint would look even when I reapplied it to cover the wood filler. Now it is time to re-paint and create the seat cover. Here are the materials needed for this portion of the project:
-Jute Webbing to stabilize the seat (*I did not remove the old caning because I wanted the extra support)
-1/2 yard upholstery fabric
-matching Gimp to cover staples
-staple gun
-glue gun
-spray paint and supplies from this post All this ottoman needs is a little TLC...Part 1


 

1st I went outside and re-sanded, re-primed and re-painted the stool. Then I removed the plywood top and covered the bottom of the stool (under the caning) in jute webbing, making a woven pattern as I went. -Sorry there is no picture of the webbing.

2nd I placed the foam on top of the stool and covered it with my fabric. I made sure that the fabric was centered and straight before stapling anything. In order to get the fabric to pull evenly over the foam, I put a staple in the center on each of the 4 sides of the bench. The staple keeps the fabric in place as you tug your way around. Then I went to work stapling all the way around the stool. When all of the staples were in place I carefully glued the gimp all around the edge to cover my staples.

 

 

 

So now without further adieu, the finished project. A little before and after action...

 I am so proud. I wish that the lighting in this room was a little better so you could see her in all her glory! Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
 

A Little Inspiration from Abroad...

Hello from Spain! I was walking around today and suddenly I felt very inspired by the beautiful sights of Seville.I wanted to take a moment to share some of the beautiful colors, designs and unexpected inspirations that I came across this morning. And who better to share it with than my blog-family?! So here are a few inspirational photos from around this great city...

 **The wooden letters featured here were purchased (1 Euro each) at the shop pictured in the bottom left corner of the collage. I can't wait to get back to Florida to create something great with my 1 Euro find! 

I hope you like my inspiration board. I would love to see what inspires you too. Email me inspiration photos to be featured on The Not-So-Domestic Housewife!

All this ottoman needs is a little TLC...Part 2 (a set back)

After I had all of my materials together for my soon-to-be-new ottoman I was ready to get down to business. But, as with most things in life, my beloved $5 ottoman had a few surprises up its sleeve.I brought the piece to my parent's house (they are generously letting me use there garage for my bigger projects since my "cozy" apartment does not provide much crafting room-thanks Mom and Dad!) and sanded and sprayed the ottoman. Very proud of my spray painting job I showed it to my Dad who quickly noticed something I hadn't noticed during my prep work. Yes I am going to say it, any woodworker's nightmare, termites! EWWWW! I had chalked the little chips in the wood up to old age and mistreatment...boy was I wrong. When my Dad pushed on the frame of the piece a small chunk collapsed. Luckily for me they were dry wood termites and appeared to have abandoned my ottoman long ago. But the damage they left definitely needed to be fixed because the wood was soft in some places from the holes left by their feast. So it was back to Home Depot for wood filler. I purchased canned wood filler, but there is also a tube of wood filler that works just as well, depending on the size of the project. 

Here is how it went:

Step 1: Find all of the damaged places to fill. Gently push on the wood around that area to see if more wood breaks off. Clean out excess wood pieces with finger or dry paint brush.

Step 2: Apply wood filler in thin coats, using a putty knife, until it is built up to match the height of the rest of the wood. ( I actually used an old palette knife from my painting days.) Allow to dry according to package directions, on average 24 hours for best results.

Step 3: Lightly sand the wood filler to match the lines of the original piece. This was the hardest part because I wanted it to match perfectly. Use fine grit sand paper (150) for this process so that you do not over sand your reconstructed wood.

 Step 4: Once it looks like you want it you can move on to painting.

Phew...that was quite the learning experience! So now that my little set back is behind me I can actually finish this ottoman that has turned into an unexpectedly long project. Tune in next time for painting day!

All this ottoman needs is a little TLC...Part 1

Hello friends! I know it has been a long time since my last blog but I have been very busy wrapping up the school year then traveling in Spain with my hubby's job. I have had a jam packed summer so far, but I have missed my blogging! I am still abroad but I just couldn't stay away any longer. Before I left I finally finished up an ottoman that I had been putting off for months and I am finally ready to share it with all of you! 

It all started on one of my fateful trips to my favorite place...Goodwill. I saw this stool and just knew it had to be mine, even though the wicker seat was broken and there were some small dents. Nothing I couldn't fix with a little wood filler and spray paint! So here is the stool as I bought it...

The last owner had covered the broken seat with a piece of plywood. The nails were sticking out and the wood didn't fit exactly...it had to go.

 

The lines of the piece were beautiful but it needed lots of TLC.

The first order of business was to remove the old plywood and see if the seat could be salvaged. I could have replaced the wicker but it would have taken more money and woodworking skills than I had the patience for, besides I wanted to use it in the bedroom so I thought a cushion would be the best solution.

Next, I set out to Joann's to find the perfect fabric match the bedding in our master bedroom. I settled on a French blue fabric with a hint of green.

I also purchased:

3 inch foam

Jute webbing (for extra support under the ruined canning)

Iron-on fabric interfacing,

Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch Primer (white)

Rust-Oleum American Accents Satin Finish Spray in Espresso

Fine grit sand paper

Wood filler

 **The one thing that I didn't purchase is burlap to cover the webbing etc on the bottom so that it is not visible. This will be the next step when I get home.

-Then I was ready to work.