Twinkle Twinkle Little Starburst

I've been in total house editing mode lately. With a year of home ownership under my belt, it feels good to finally be doing some smaller projects. I'm coming full circle and returning to where I started. 1 year later I have finally figured out what I wanted over the TV in my bedroom. I've been thinking about it for awhile, and then one day it hit me. I was in Target and saw one of those Starburst mirrors. It was elegant and sophisticated yet still interesting. The price tag though was $60. I thought about it for a second. It was actually pretty decent compared to others that I had seen, but as usual it also looked like something I could probably make myself. So, I did a little Google-tubing and found that they are actually pretty easy and inexpensive to create. This is the idea that I was going for.

Well sort of. I wasn't going for this one exactly, but you get the picture. I was so excited about this project I started working on it immediately. First I tested out the size. I was going to make a mock template out of craft paper when I noticed my front door mat. It was 32" in diameter, and though smaller than I had originally pictured actually worked out quite nicely. 

I drew out my design first. I sketched out a few different ideas, but finally settled on the one you see below. I carefully made a list of all the materials I needed. The goal was to finish this project in one night.

I made a quick sweep through Walmart and Michaels and collected everything I needed. Honestly, I still wasn't sure about a few of the pieces so I definitely bought lots of extra things just in case. 

I started with the center piece. I decided on a 6" mirror. For the frame however I had NO clue what to use. I debated several ideas from flower pot dishes, a styrofoam ring, cardboard, and even a plate at one point. I ended up using a wooden circle I found at Michaels and an embroidery ring. The ring was not large enough to reach all the way around the base so I glued down what I could and then used wood glue and filler to fill in the gap. It wasn't very big so it wasn't too bad. 

While I let the center piece dry and set, I moved on to the "burst". Now based on what I had seen I wasn't going for a really full or crowded look. First I cut out a circle using mat board as a base, and marked where all of my pieces would go to cut out the guess work. I mixed a combination of 13", 11", and 9" pieces. I decided to go with wood because for me it was the cheapest and most practical material. I found a pack of 12" sticks at Walmart for $1. The longer pieces I got from Michaels.

I started with the longest sticks first. One by one I added a dab of hot glue and secured them to the circle.

Once the long ones were set I added the shorter ones. I alternated the 11" and 9" pieces between each open space. 

And just like that...the burst was created. See, I told you this was going to be an easy project. It only took me about an hour to get all of the sticks glued down. Then I moved it into the garage to paint it. I was going for a more metal like look, so I laid down some cardboard and used Krylon Spraypaint in Metallic. 

With that out of the way, I went back to the center piece. In addition to the wooden sticks I wanted a smaller layer to fill in the gaps even more and make it a little fuller towards the center. However I didn't want to use wood. I had no idea what I was going to use in the beginning, but ended picking up floral wire. I folded the wire in half, added the hot glue, and then held it in place until it dried. I repeated the process until I covered the entire circle. 

I wanted the center piece to be a darker silver that the burst piece to create contrast. So I spray painted the wire silver and then painted the whole thing with craft paint in the color Gunmetal. 

All I had to do now was add the mirror and I was done. I added glue to the inside and set the mirror on top, then flipped the whole thing over and glued the burst piece to the back. This is the moment when I got a little happy and tried to turn it over to marvel in my handy work, but it wasn't fully dry and shifted. So I left it and let it dry overnight.

So now comes the crazy part...I'm actually making a cover for the mirror. See the thing is I already have a mirror in my room, and I thought adding this one might be a little overkill. However, I wanted the option to have it in the future if I wanted to. I found some decorative paper at Michaels and used a glue stick to attach the top ring to the paper. Glue sticks aren't the strongest adhesive so I can easily rip the paper off if and when I change my mind.

Once it dried I cut the excess around the edge and slid it on top of the mirror. 

All I had left to do now was hang it. It actually was pretty light weight based on the materials I used so I didn't need anything too heavy duty. Being that the center piece was wood, I drilled a couple of screws into the back, and made loop out of wire. I exercised the utmost caution to not go too far and let the screw hit the mirror. That would have caused full on disaster.

The final product....

*Cue the cheers* Isn't it FANCY! I love it. Not bad for 2 nights work. Easiest and cheapest project I've done in months. I would say the whole thing cost around $15. Here's what it looks like on the wall.

It goes perfectly in the space. I have a confession though. I was really into it, and then I started to write this blog post. In my efforts to find an example, I started thinking that mines is a little sparse. I feel like it needs to be fuller and more dramatic. So, in the future don't be surprised if you see it and it looks different. Honestly don't ever be surprised if anything just suddenly changes. That's pretty much how I roll around here. Until then.....It's on to the next project.

My very own island, minus the water

Surprised to see me back so soon? I wish I could say that my 6 week posting hiatus was because I was sitting on a beach somewhere, sipping beverages, and working on my tan. The reality is that I was in the midst of project and home decor madness. With the first year down, I'm happy to say that I am now moving into Phase 2. So you remember that last project that I said took a lot longer to perfect than I had planned? Well, you're about to see why. Let's rewind 6 weeks ago to the wonderful place known as my closet. I needed a place to hold some of my accessories, so I decided to build myself an island...minus the water.

I was going for a pretty substantial sized piece. My original idea and measurements were loosely based off of the Expedit bookshelf from Ikea. I wanted to be able to use their fabric bins for storage. I went with 36"w x 36"h x 16"d. With my drawing and list in hand, off to Home Depot I went. Much to my disappointment though when I realized that they don't sell 16" wide wood. The only thing that came close to that was MDF. Now there is nothing wrong with MDF and I have built plenty of things using it before. It is however not my first choice. MDF is extremely heavy,difficult to get perfectly finished edges, and it's not the best material for screws so you're pretty much stuck using glue. It was all they had, so I had to just make the best of it. I picked up what I needed and took advantage of the non-line at the cutting area. The nice man was happy to cut all of my wood for me. 

Once the whole piece was put together I knew it would be too heavy, and I would never get it up the stairs without serious injury and damage to my good wood floors. I decided it was best to assemble it upstairs. However, to cut down on the mess I painted the pieces downstairs in the garage first. I went with the color white to keep it cohesive with the rest of the shelving in the room. I gave each piece 2 coats of white paint, and hauled them all upstairs. It was quite the Saturday morning work out

Now it was time to start putting this thing together. Like I mentioned before it's best to use glue with MDF, therefore adjusting once it's dry is not an option. I took my time and did it one piece at a time.One of the hardest things actually is making sure all of your pieces sit at a 90 degree angle. You don't want furniture that's slanted and rocking a gangster lean. The best way I've found is to add glue to the piece and set it down. Then use my L ruler to make sure it sits at 90 degrees while it dries. Seems easy enough, but it definitely requires some innovation at times.

Between gluing, drying, and waiting between pieces the whole process took about a full day to finish.

Now you probably can't tell from this picture, but my carefully planned measured pieces did not all come together perfectly. I ended up having to use some scrap wood and wood filler to even out all of the gaps and edges. After the main piece I added the next layer. I wanted to incorporate a place to add a couple of trays for some smaller things, so I added 1x4 pieces to the top. At this point I was just going to paint what was left, but then somewhere on the way home from work one day I got the sudden urge to get fancy and use trim around some of the edges instead. That meant another trip to Home Depot to pick up supplies. I used wood glue and then painters tape to hold it in place while drying. 









Once the added trim was set, I brought a drop cloth upstairs and finished the rest of the painting. This is actually the hardest and most time consuming part. Trying to get perfectly smooth edges is never a fun process, especially when it comes to MDF. It absorbs paint like a sponge, and roughs back up as it dries. It was a lot of layers of thick application, light sanding, and then repeat. The final product was all worth it though.














Now here's where it gets interesting. It was time to create the top. Originally I was going to use a 2'x4' piece of plywood. Mostly because wood comes already precut in that size, and not having to cut the wood is always a plus. However, I found a spare piece from my stash in the garage. Not as big as I had originally planned, but would still work...and it was free. I grabbed the piece and painted it the same white color as the shelf.  






To decorate the top (because just leaving it white is for ordinary people) I was going to use a stencil and create a pattern. Problem#1 I could not find one that I liked or that created too much extra work. I thought about free handing a design, but I had my heart set on a stencil (don't ask me why). I did a little bit of Googling and found a few designs I liked online, then created my own stencil using card stock. To not compete with the plethora of colors already in the room, I went with gold for a nice neutral look. Problem #2  metallic paint can be a hit or miss when it comes to coverage. It depends on the formula. Sometimes it's made really nice and opaque, other times nearly translucent and you're stuck adding 10 coats. I also wasn't feeling the design either. It just wasn't doing it for me at all. I gave it a couple days thinking it would grow on me, but no such luck. 










Painting just wasn't working. It would take me forever to get the perfect look. Then I had an idea. I have recently discovered the Sharpie Paint Pens. They would give me the control of drawing, but the appearance of paint. So I picked a set up and got to work. Only problem, I still had no stencil. A few more days passed with more pondering. I really did want a stencil look but with a little more interest. So, I did a little of both. 



I reprimed and repainted the top to cover over the first botched idea. Then I created a stencil shape as my base, and traced it in a staggered pattern over the entire top. 




I didn't want them to all look the same, but did want some uniformity. I started with the center shape and free handed a design inside.



After that it was a free for all. No plan, just sketched and designed what came to me. Each day and each session adding more and more.



and more



At this point things got a little dicey. Once I decided to color in the solid gold section, the marker just wasn't giving good coverage. I was 2 seconds from going back to being discouraged. However at some point one of my pens busted. Which originally made me cuss, but it was actually a blessing in disguise. As I tried to wipe up the drips I realized it was really opaque on it's own. The leaking paint actually produced enough actual product that I could use my paint brush to fill all of the sections in. *Friggin Eureka* I kept going and going until I was done.





Finally! I thought I would never get to the end of this. I have to say I really like the way it turned out though. So now to just add the trim along the edges and I was home free. 



Once everything was complete I carried the piece upstairs and laid it on top. Volia, I was DONE! *Lots of snaps and cartwheels across the floor*





Now to put this thing to use. The plan was to add purses, and hats but for right now it's just purses. The smaller space under the top is where the trays are going to go for housing smaller items. 



View from the top. 



And with that this project is a wrap! Just to think it only took me a whole month to complete. This might be one of the longest projects to date, and not because it was difficult or hard. It was for no other reason than that I could not be satisfied with a simple top. Can you believe it?! The design took longer than the building. Go figure. I'm glad it's done though. I'll probably add a few things over time. There's plenty of unused space, so we'll see how it all pans out. Until then...it's on to the next project. 

1 year down, 29 more to go

I'm back! I know, it's been such a long time. Almost 6 weeks since my last post. I bet you thought I ran out of projects to do. (Like that will ever happen) The truth is the last project took a lot longer to perfect than I had originally anticipated, and I got the urge to complete a few others in the process. That means lots of projecting and no blogging. Don't worry though, they're coming. 

Out of everything going on, it is perfect that this post comes today. You see, On this day last year, I signed my life away on the dotted line to become a first time home owner. That's right people....today is my 1 year housiversary! Can you believe it? I can't. Time has flown by. I have to say it's been such an amazing year. I was told that you will spend the first 6 months to a year doing nothing but "house stuff", and they were not lying. As of today I am happy to say though, I have done something to every room in the house. A couple of weeks ago I finally got around to tackling the last room, the half bathroom. I kind of had an idea of what was going to happen in here, but was never really in a rush to do it...until now.

So, before we discuss the actual bathroom, let's talk projects. The first project came from an idea I saw on Pinterest. I've had it pinned for awhile, but was just waiting for the right time to use it. Basically, you fill a glass bottle with acrylic paint and move it around to coat the inside. I had all of the materials for it already so, it cost me nothing to do which was even better.

I grabbed my cheap acrylic paint and mixed 2 shades of green in a cup. Why 2 shades?, because I couldn't decided on which 1 shade I wanted. The combination though was perfect. I added a little water to the paint to make it move around a bit easier. I poured all of the paint into the bottle. Then, I tipped the bottle upside down to pour it out, turning the bottle so it would coat the sides.

After I poured all of the excess paint out of the bottle, I turn it right side up, and there you have it. Pretty easy huh. I decided to not coat the inside completely as to leave a little visual interest.

For the next project I decided to paint something. It's been such a long time, I actually miss painting canvas. For the last year it's been nothing but walls and furniture. I pulled these 9x12 canvases out of the closet. I actually had this idea for awhile, so I bought these months ago when Michaels was having a sale. My idea was to create a colorful background with a silhouette type image on top. 

First, I tackled the background. Now, my technique was a little unconventional...for an adult. I started by squirting different colors onto the canvas and then used my fingers to mix it all together. Basically, Finger painting! (I know, took it back to Kindergarten. The good ole days without cares or bills.) Sorry at the lack of pictures for this part, but my hands were covered and messy. I even made sure to stop and put my paint clothes on so I didn't ruin yet another pair of sweatpants.

After the first layer I wasn't really feeling it. The colors were looking a little dull and I had missed a few spots. So, I went in for another round. This time it turned out a lot better.

I let the whole thing dry overnight before painting on top of it. The next day I added the image. I wanted something a little fun and kitschy so, I went with the universal bathroom symbols.

I cut both pictures out and used some tape to secure them down while I traced around each one. Then, I filled them both in with black paint.

Now that the projects are done it's time to put everything together. Here's a before picture of what the bathroom looked like a month ago. 

 

And this is the after

Are you feeling it as much as I am! *Snaps in Z-formation*. 

The color I settled on was Natural Linen by Glidden. I'm actually in love with the color. It's kind of the color I was going for in my closet room. Kudos to my friend for making me go with it. The paint color took a little while to decide on. When I first moved in I was leaning towards a chocolate brown. Then one day I walked in there and brown made me think of poop. That was quickly the end of that design idea. I hate painting bathrooms so whatever color I chose was going to stay....FOREVER. On the other side of the bathroom I added the mirror. I was looking for something rectangular, but saw this while in Homegoods and really liked the frame. When I got home and held it up to the wall I actually really liked it. The decor, I went simple. I didn't want to do too much or make it too fussy. The shelves I already had. They were actually the shelves I originally used for the big picture wall in the office. As for the other items, I wanted to create a nice eclectic mix. Some of the items I had, some of the items I bought, and the rest I made. 

So, with that my house is officially a work in progress. YAY! And to those of you that are scratching your heads thinking..."Well what was it before?" Let me clarify. I guess it's always been a work in progress. I think I more so mean it feels good to be adding and editing as oppose to taking on large overhauls. It finally feels like MY home, and it feels amazing! Not soon enough either. The summer time is coming, and I can't wait to enjoy it. Oh wait, I guess that means I better get some patio furniture now. (The work never ends)

On to the next project!