Tinker Around

Welcome to my blog. It is full of basic projects and tutorials for things that I have done and feel like others out there would benefit from learning too. Be sure to take time to leave me a comment. Thanx, Pam

Friday, March 7, 2014

From Headboard/Footboard to Bench

This entry is going to show you how easy it is to take a headboard and footboard and turn it into a bench.  So... mainly, there will be lots of photos.  By now, you should know that I am a visual person... hope you are too.


First, purchase a headboard at a yard sale or flee market.  IF you are lucky, you will get a matching footboard.  IF you are REALLY lucky, you will get them both for $20.


You can see here how the footboard was cut down for the arms.  The footboard base was pulled out and put across the front.  Then some old 2x4's were used for support bars.


Then, it gets a seat put on $10.  This is held together with lots of screws and some wood glue.  


Last, spackle up the holes and any imperfections, let it dry, give it a gentle sanding, and put on a couple of coats of paint with primer.  


I went to get a cushion that would fit the bench, and they didn't make them the right length and depth.  So, the next best thing is a body pillow for $9.99 at Garden Ridge.  I know, it looks really fluffy, but they usually smoosh down over time.  Then, a quick run to Anna's Linens and I purchase another curtain panel that matches my living room for $15.


Ok... now I could have left this without the cushion, but that is not very comfy for folks to sit for very long.  The whole purpose of this is that it sits inside the front entry and is carried into the front room for extra seating for our Bible Study Group and family get togethers.


I didn't realize how important this part was til later...can you see how wide and long I left it?  I knew that it would puff up some, and that would make it smaller all around.


These are lined curtains, and that makes them thicker, but they still sew up just like anything else.  Start with one seam down the length.  I didn't cut anything off of the sides, just trimmed it in length.


On the picture above, at the top left, I put a pin.  Then, I take the seam from the right and flatten both out and pin them together.  


Fold that long seam out flat, no reason to run the presser foot over a bunch of fabric and lining if you can split it out flat.


This shows it a bit better.  Then, take a seam across that entire short end.  


This shows it seamed up.  


I went ahead and turned it and stuffed the pillow inside to try it on for size.  


The corners are really pointed, and I didn't like that at all.  So, I am off to box the corners.  Do you know how to do that?


It is just a seam across the triangle at the corner.


It will look like this when it is finished.


I think that a three to four inch pocket will be deep enough.


Ok, here we are again, wrong side out.  There is the corner.  I am going to take that and fold it open so that the seam... oh, just see the next picture...


Fold it flat, measure down for the depth...


Take the seam.  Do it again on the other corner.  Remember the other end is still open, we made a giant pillow case.  


Time to do something with this other end.  Sold that seam open just like you did on the other end, BUT... only sew in about six inches from each side.  You need enough room to box the corners, but if you pillow is as large and fluffy as mine... you need all that other area to stuff the pillow in.


This end looks a bit different than the other end because of the curtain being hemmed.  But you can see where I came in just a bit on each side and then "boxed" the corners again.  Boxing the corners is also how you take a flat tote bag and make a bottom where it can stand up instead of laying flat.  IF you are interested in a tutorial on those for shopping bags, just post a comment below and I will work one up.


Turn it part way and start stuffing in the pillow as you finish turning it.  What a chore... this is gonna be tight!


I finally get it in, but it doesn't look so good.  It takes me crawling around on the floor and pushing and pulling a bit to get it all squared around inside.


Now, how bout those corners!!!  Don't those look so much better that the pointy ones that we had to start with?


The area that I left open for stuffing will get pinned and hand sewn shut.


Hmmm... nope, don't care for it.  Sorry, it is just way too fluffy still.  


Buttons!  That is what it needs, some tacking with buttons.  That will smoosh it down and make it flatter... I hope!


Have you ever sewn with a button and the knot keeps popping through the fabric?  I came up with a way to keep that from happening here.  Well, maybe others have done it before, I dunno...anyway, it worked.  I took a really long length of thread and folded it in half, and then in half again.  I don't wanna go through this pillow any more than I have to, so I am doing the equivalent of four threads at one time.  Thread the need leaving the loop at the long end and slip on a small button...


 Take the needle and go back through the loop and pull it up tight... just stay with me, I think you will understand.


Now, this button is my "knot" on the underside of the pillow.  I will run the thread through the pillow and out through the top seat area, then through a large button and back down through the pillow.  I go back and forth a couple of times, pulling it very tight to make a "tufted" area.



You can see here, the bottom button that acts as the "knot".


Here is the top button on the other side.  This is almost impossible to do by yourself with a pillow this large.  I got the longest needle I had and then called a friend to come over and hold it as smooshed flat as she could while I did the hand sewing of the buttons.  These buttons are not so cute, but that is fine with me for now.  I can always go back and tack another button on over the top of these if I see something on sale sometime.


Remember when I said that I left the fabric longer and wider than it needed to be?  Look how much it all drew up once it was stuffed with that pillow.  Now, we have already sat on it a couple of times, and it is very comfortable.  You know how after sleeping on your bed pillow for a bit it gets all flat and you have to fluff it.  I am still counting on that to happen with this, and then it should fit the bench just right.  All in all, I am very happy with it.  

A very special thanx to Linda and Phil.  Linda is one of my shopping friends and puts up with me turning down lots of "deals" before I settle on "the" piece that I want.  And Phil, he is love of Linda's life.  They are retired and do lots of shopping and exploring together.  He is actually the one that made my drawings and thoughts into reality.  So, thank you both!!!

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Fossil Rim and Dinosaur Park... Antique Shopping

Hey, gotta share some pictures from our latest outing.  I kidnapped my husband and we went to Glen Rose, Texas for the day.  So... let the pictures begin.


We left Garland around seven on Saturday morning.  Yes, I had my coffee on the road and woke up as we went along.  I am NOT an early riser!  But, hubby is and so it works out fine.  This group of pictures just goes to show the fog that morning.  Unreal...



As thick and dense as the fog was, when it cleared the day was gorgeous!  It got to the mid 80's.  That was Saturday, and as I type this up on Sunday... I can hear the sleet hitting the windows here.  Gotta love our Texas weather!!!


First stop, Fossil Rim.  What a beautiful day to take a three or four hour drive with the windows down!  Because it is prime time and a weekend, the price was $23.95 and the feed was $8.  Worth every penny of it, this was so much fun. This link will keep you up to date of closings due to weather, pricing, and other things going on at the reserve.  http://www.fossilrim.org/


Some animals were more shy than others.  As you will see below, you just have to wait... most of them will come over to the car.







You just can't look away for too long, the animals might be on their way into your vehicle when you turn back around.


Carry a wet washrag in a large ziplock, or a couple of them.  You WILL get slimmed!!!  You really don't wanna use baby wipes cause of the taste it will give the animals.  We would just wipe off on some napkins that we happened to have in the car.




This next set of pictures... oh how cool!  An ostrich!







This guy was aggressive!!!  I was so glad that I had the bag secured between my legs.  He just kept coming back.  Hubby finally had to just slowly drive away.  I think that was the area that we used the most food.  Speaking of the bag of food... we had leftovers and gave it to another family that was just starting the tour.  They give you about 2/3 a lunch bag of it for $8. 




I heard that you have some food for me?


The baby spotted dear, they never came over.


To see so many of these signs is sad... it tells you that lots of folks have ventured outside of their vehicles!


His friends must have sent him over.  Surprised hubby!  


When you get to the 1/2 way point, you can wash your hands in a sink with soap and water!!!  There are also restrooms and a petting zoo area there.



It was so bright out, that seeing through the camera phone... well, most of either the animal or I am missing!  Oh well, we got some.


Large turtle.  This thing was huge!!!  He was fenced, so I couldn't get close to him at all... bummer.


This is how hubby "poses" with the animals.  He's so cute!  Oh, which one?  Hubby or the goat?  Well,...


The gift shop had some severe fire damage and would not be opened for another week.  That is ok, we don't need to purchase more stuff that is just gonna sit around the house.  Photos are great and really all we needed!  Though, I did press a penny.


Plan to eat lunch at the half way point.  The food is good and the prices are too!  We got a burger and split it.  Then one soft drink (free refil) and a cold Gatorade.  Oh, the burger came with fried, they were so-so... the burger made up for it!



The rest of the trip if the opposite trails that you drove across coming in.  This time, you get a second chance to see everything again... except for the ostrich.  We didn't see them a second time.   


How graceful, to see these run was so neat.  You did have to be very patient and just wait for one to come to the car.  Also, when they are done, they are done.  This one didn't even visit the other side of the car.


My Mother's favorite animal was the giraffe.


The zebra came to both sides and were not shy, and were patient with us!




Ewww... can we say toothbrush dude?


Feeding time and glad they are behind that fence.



Couldn't get to the Rhinos either.  This one had been rolling in a mud pit.


There were just a few of these.

What a morning!  That was great!  I think that it would be beautiful to got back in the Spring, when everything is lush and green.  But, you have to remember the Texas heat can be bad.  It was the mid 80's when we left and a lot of the animals where chillin' in the shade of the trees.  So, I would say to get there early like we did so that you get the most interaction with the animals.

NEXT... we went up the road to the Dinosaur Park.  There are two, Dinosaur World and Dinosaur Valley State Park.  http://www.glenrosetexas.net/dinosaur-valley-state-park.html  Also, they are within just miles of each other.  

Here are just a few pictures that we got while there.  It got hot when we were hiking.  We got lost on the trails and a guy from England actually helped us find our way out.  But, it was fun, the scenery is beautiful!  If you can just take one hike... go the blue trail (the high one, not the low one! that is when we got lost!) and when you see the yellow trail turn left and take it to the TOP!  It is a walk, but so pretty!  Coming back down, when you see the turn that shows both the yellow and blue arrows, go down and to the right!!!  Anyway... here are the pictures we took on our phones.


There are tons of folks wading in the stream, my camera phone deletes out moving objects.  I was able to get a lot of them out!



On the way to the top...







This is at the top... so enjoy the breeze, cause you gotta make your way all the way back down now.  I do think that some of the other views on the way up are almost as pretty.  There are also benches at the top to sit and rest a bit. 


Thank you my dear hubby for a fantastic day!!!

We also did some fun shopping at a few antique shops... Was great to meet the owners, we had a blast visiting with them.  So, please stop in at these two shops that are close by in Rainbow, Texas.  Tell the ladies there that I said "Hello!"

The shops...

American Country Mall... Connie, 254-897-2049  and  Rainbow Station... Nancy, 254-396-1722.  Both are in Rainbow, Texas right there on Highway 67.  Lovely folks!  Wanna go back with my painting students in the late Spring.  

Ok... that is all for now.  I will be back in a few weeks.  Stay safe, stay warm, and be blessed!  Be sure to say a prayer for God to bless all the small business owners!  I know that I for one appreciate my customers and covet any prayers that I can get. - Pam