Colouring Pages from Photos

Here’s a fun tool I stumbled across – use Photoshop to make a colouring page from a photo in three easy steps!

http://fototiller.com/blog/2006/06/26/coloring-pages-from-your-photos-3-easy-photoshop-steps/

Sure, you can have a little childhood throwback and make your own colouring book, but how about making some cheap yet chic wall art from a photo you’ve taken? Ooohhh, very mod!

Posted by Em

Project: making an ugly chair pretty

Disclaimer: In no way do I know what I’m doing here nor do I hold any expertise on the subject of furniture refinishing. If you want to learn how to do this sort of thing “properly”, you may want to consult additional resources.

(1) Find a fugy chair or a chair with charm that you think could use some sprucing up

(2) Remove the old seat and old fabric (you may find layers and layers of treasure, as I did here). Using pliers, remove any staples or other fastening devices from the bottom, but save the screws that were holding the old seat in place - you’ll need those again later!

(3) Give the chair a wash with soap and water to get the surface grime off and then sand the heck out of it. You should probably wear a respirator as you don’t know if any of the layers of older paint are lead-based and you might not want to breathe that stuff in. We used 100 grit sandpaper for the first round, then 180, and a final go with 220. You might want to bring in some assistance on this step if your arms get tired:

(4) Wipe down the sanded chair with mineral spirits or just a damp cloth… you want to be sure to get all the dust off, so give it a few washings. Start painting (I used an enamel spray paint in white) using thin, even strokes. You’ll have to go over each bit a few times (let dry in between) for complete coverage.

(no image – I was covered in paint)

(5) Using a layer of spray adhesive, tack the new seat pad (can be purchased from Michaels, Fabricland, etc) to the old seat base. We used a thick pad to make the chair as comfy as possible:

(6) Using a staple gun, attach the new seat fabric over top of the cushion (I used a log-cabin quilt square that I made earlier). Screw the seat back on, stand back and admire your work. Look how smart you are!!

Total Project Cost:

Chair: free (already had)

Sandpaper: $3.00 

Paint: $3.50

New cushion: $10.00

Spray adhesive: free (already had)

New fabric: $3.50

TOTAL: $20.00