How to give a second life to your furniture

Sometimes we have a choice, either we need to throw away some piece of furniture or maybe it`s our chance to make something creative and unusual.

I had one strong but not good looking table. Few days I`ve been thinking what to do with it. And finally I decided to give it a new life. This is a result that I had (and have now of course) at the end.

The process was not hard. But anyway, you’ll need patience because it takes time. In my case, it took approximately one week.


From my previous experience, I knew that if a paper is used with enough quantity of PVA glue then the final construction would be as strong as wood.
 

I had an idea to cover legs of the table with something like a rope. But where I can take a paper rope? I decided to make it by myself. I took 4 toilet rolls (it`s very important to use rolls without perforation holes) and first twisted each of them so that they looked like a clew. There were 4 very big “clews”. Then I twisted two “threads” of two “clews”. It was the most boring and the hardest stage in all processes. Thus if you have a possibility to buy paper rope just do it J A cotton rope I think can be an alternative.
 

 On the second stage, I’ve used a lot of PVA to glue my “rope” on the table legs and painted it with black acrylic paint. There are few secrets here:

• It`s better to cover your table with paint before fixing “rope” with glue. This will help you in future when you will paint the legs with “rope”
• The second secret is to start with the top part of a leg. Glue the “rope” and leave it to dry. It’s more convenient to work when the end of a “rope” is fixed.
• Use PVA mixed 50/50 with water and add in this mixture your black paint. It will dry a bit longer but you’ll have almost painted table legs at once.
• Give time for table legs to dry. In my case, one night for two legs was enough. The next day I did my magic with the rest two.

 




The most wonderful part is to paint on the table with acrylic paints. These paints are drying very quickly and you will receive your masterpiece within a few hours. You can use a pen to make a sketch. Then cover your sketch with neutral color. Then make a background of your picture and voila! Just paint on it what you want. In my case, the picture is not very professional. That time I just started to learn drawing. But you can do this better!


When the painting is done, take a sponge and silver paint to cover surfaces of your table except for the top of the table of course. It will look like old silver and maybe an antique piece of art. So pity that the photo can’t show how it’s in real life to protect your work cover the table with acrylic varnish. I made 4 layers. Read the instructions of your varnish before using to be sure in all process.


When everything will be finished breathes deeply and be proud of yourself!
Hope you’ll enjoy using your new table like I do.

Posted by JanArt:)
Yours Julia Moshack

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Family And Work. How to have time here and there. My experience

The other day I read comments to one of posts and got terrified: so many work from a morning to night, not seeing family, someone abandons children on a weekend with grandmothers, and go to do orders, etc. I remember myself a few years ago, when I only began to work: round the clocks I sit at the computer, all weekend I wrote down tutorials and wrote the articles, and when orders went, then I began to work yet at nights. Even being on a vacation, I continued to work.

But once I got on the living training that compelled me fully to cut again the business hours. Training was on a quite remote theme, however at some instant a trainer said: "In the process of work and by a race after money you have no authority to forget about those, for whom you do all of it. Those, who you so try for the sake of, must be always on the first place for you ". These words opened  my eyes on my situation. Actually, only for the sake of these words I needed to come on this training.
I understood that trying to do better to the family, I do only worse. What will remember my daughter after a few years: that how cool we went at the seaside that year or that she did not see the mother that ploughed practically, that a child enjoyed in summer? Beautiful dresses/blouses or always sitting at the computer mother that worked, to make her daughter look as a doll?
Then I said myself - my family is the topmost.
How it reflected in reality:
1. I took to myself that time, when I will not work not under any circumstances - on Sunday and each evening, when daughter comes from school. This time is only for her.
2. On Saturday we, as a rule, work, but child here with us: we assign her that she helped us, or she engages in the businesses in this moment - draws, plays, reads. Thus on Saturday we do not abandon important businesses requiring an overpressure, therefore during work we communicate calmly, laugh loudly, joke. If it is needed to do something, requiring a concentration, then it only then, when daughter sleeps. Such principle allows us not to be nervous, if daughter distracts us with something, and vice versa, work merry and friendly.
3. I began to work less, but more productive. For me the always strictly taken time is on writing of posts, prosecution of tutorials and answers on a comments. This time occupies at most 2 hours in a day. All other time, if I work on orders, I do not open web-sites that does not need me for work presently.
4. To teach myself to work, not distract, I periodically include a timer (before I used him constantly).
As I use a timer. Maximal time on that it can be set - 45 minutes, minimum 5 minutes. When I only began to work with a timer, I put a timer during all day: 45 minutes on this work, 15 minutes ona break during that it is possible to have a drink of tea or getting on some other work, et cetera. You do not present how much can be done for a day! For example, I could work at once on two different orders, and quite not to get tired, because I changed the type of activity constantly. Mainly, beforehand to prepare all necessary materials and instruments on different tables and after the wearing-out of timer it is simple to pass to other business. It allows to work a ten times more productive and quicker!

5. I use helpers. As helpers for me acquaintances and relativescome forward, as a rule.
For what works it is possible to take helpers. For example, it is possible to find a helper on the dispatch of parcels to the customers, in fact it occupies lots of time - to go down on mail, stay in a turn, fill in form et cetera. By the way, helpers can become your family members are childrenwith the greatest pleasure, cadets and sisters, and can be grandmothers and grand-dads. Maybe, they only wait when you will ask them about it. For example, my daughter adores, when many colors are ordered by me, because she helps to pack every floweret in a package and clamp a package with a stapler.
6. We often speak with a husband and with a child on a theme work and joint rest. We build plans together, put aims, discuss, how these aims we will arrive at. It gives us all understanding that we are family, but not each by themselves.
7. I renounce orders and projects, if it conflicts with the 1 point of this list. All money cannot be earned, and there is a domestic peace - this is the most important. It is possible to treat  without that chic dress on a New Year, it is possible not to eat for three chocs a day, it is possible rarer to walk in restaurants, but more often to be with the native, more often to speak with them, to have a resttogether, watch films, go for a walk on the forest.
 
In this post I wanted to say that Your family –is the most expensive, what you have. You have no right to deprive the family attention for the sake of work.
Sit down and think over, how you must cut again the business hours and activity so that were with familyyou a sufficient amount of time:
- work more productive and quicker;
- leave off a clock to sit in social networking and publics;
- search helpers;
- eventually, renounce those projects that will bring to you not very much money, but will take away plenty of time.

by Estrina Kaas

- See more at: http://www.estrina.com/blog/id/64

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