amiss{dot}org » quick fix

Fire pit before and after

Jessica — Thu, 27 May 2010 15:52:24 +0000

My firepit sat out all winter uncovered and looked like a pile of junk this spring. I took pity on it with two colors of high-heat spray paint: black and copper. After several coats, the result is a new two-tone fire pit! Of course, after I finished and the paint had dried, I read the fine print on the cans that said not to spray paint anything that comes into direct contact with flames. So it’ll be interesting to see how the fire pit fares when we next use it. In the meantime, I have a very shiny fire pit in my back yard!

Before

After!

Quick paper-wrapped votive holder

Jessica — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 22:25:36 +0000

I often receive votive holders as wedding favors, but they sometimes have stickers bearing the bride and groom’s names, or ribbon in the wedding colors that in no way matches my decor.

I gave the one pictured below, which was from my cousin’s wedding, a quick makeover by wrapping it in textured brown wrapping paper and securing with tape.

The difference a tablecloth makes

Jessica — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:58:22 +0000

When I lived in Chicago, I had a little studio apartment that I painted five different colors (orange, lime, yellow, periwinkle, and dark green), and I was very into contemporary, trendy furniture. I intensely loved my two-tone wood table that I bought at a funky store that used to be in Water Tower Place. Unfortunately, even though the size is great for my entry area, the table looks out of place with my more traditional and cozy furniture.

I’ve been thinking about replacing the table, but I decided to see how it would look covered. I used a tablecloth handed down from someone to cover the table, and instantly, it looks appropriate in the living room – a little more grown up. And it cost me $0!