Handyman Ash

I've been a little bit crafty and a little bit handy lately, if I do say so myself, doing a little woodwork and sanding and blinging. I don't do it often, but when the idea strikes, you just have to go with it. I love how the two projects turned out, but I'm pretty sure I've hit my quota for the year.

So without further ado, some good before and after shots.

Project 1: Bulletin Board Remix

I've wanted a bulletin board for a while now, but they're really pretty ugly by themselves. So I thought I could do something to make one a little bit cooler. A little bit more fun. And I love it. It makes me happy just to look at it.

Step 1. Buy one of these.

Then resize six sheets of fun and happy scrapbook paper and glue on.

And be sure to cover up your measuring mistakes with a fancy ribbon. Done.

Project 2: Mirror Revamp

My parents have had this mirror for an eternity, and over the years it has gotten quite beaten and battered. A lot of the decorative trim was broken off and it was kind of a sad eyesore, so I decided I could give it a new life. This is the picture I took before I totally destroyed all of the trim. (I'll admit it was a little bit fun, being so destructive.)

Trim gone.

Sliver-generating edges sanded down.

Wood painted and bling added. (I thought I had a picture of the whole thing, but I guess it's a blogger fail. You get the idea.) I initially thought I would just leave it plain white, but in the end it was just not doing it for me. It needed something else. And the sparkles were just the thing. I should take a lesson from Anna. She's known this for years: when in doubt, add more glitz.