Six Million Dollar Man Makeover Monday

     My husband loves that show.  I even got him the doll for his birthday one year (I don't think he would call it a doll).  You know, the one where you can look through his eye that works like tiny binoculars.  I wouldn't say it is my favorite show.  You all know my favorites! ;) But, I must say, when I fix things and create make-do's, it does make me hear that opening theme to that show. I can make it better than it was before.  Here are some Steve Austin make-do's that are simple fixes.

First, let's start with the Goodwill reveal.  I hadn't been there really much of the summer. But, what a score!

 

This little firkin really caught my eye.  It was only $3.  I loved the old needlework on the top.  It was definitely handmade.  I am not sure, but I think they reworked a plain firkin the make this little covered one.

There were some issues... The lid was a bit worse for wear and the wood on the firkin was REALLY scratched. The needlepoint was a bit dusty.  So, time for a little "Steve Austin Makeover"...

     So, how do you fix the scratches?  Well, I had some Antiquing Medium in Apple Butter Brown.  It is almost empty because I use it for everything.  I decided to rub it into all of the scratches.  It worked great! Yea!!!!  But, the wood lost some luster when it dried. Awwww.  So, then it was time for an appearance of my other best friend, Miss Modge Podge.  I coated the entire thing in the Matte Modge Podge (Which really still has a slight gloss to it).  That sealed the deal. I even used the MP to fix the lid.  The sides of the lid aren't perfect, but that's prim for you! Finally, I took one of those felt lint brushes (from my husband's sock drawer.  Shhh.  Don't tell him.  I put it back!) to the needlepoint.  I worked out some of the dust, and then I just used a damp cloth to finish the job.

Oh, isn't it so dear and sweet! Better than being in the musty basement of Goodwill!

The other was easy- add candles and hang!  I always wanted one of these. I think they are a prim necessity. $2!  And when I flipped it over, there was the original sticker from the store- $39! What a find!  Yippee!

 

Here are 2 last make-do ideas for you...

    First, a flag holder from an old floral frog. I have two different ones.  I love them, but I am not sure how to display them other than sitting on a shelf.  I have been seeing a lot of finials with flags poking out of them, and I love the look.  So, why couldn't this work with frogs?  This shaped frog works best because it has a center hole so that you have a more balanced effect with your flags.  My squarish one didn't work as well! I bought some $.50 flags and coffee stained them a bit.  And, well, there you go!  Easy!

      This next one requires a drill with a wide bit.  My husband did the drilling for me.  I had seen this make do idea somewhere- eBay, Pinterest, a magazine... Who knows?  You lose track when you do a lot of browsing.  SO ANYWAY, the idea is not an original one for me. I bought an old hammer from a flea market for $3.  Looks prim all by itself! I measured the diameter of one of my prim nubby candles so that Steve could select the right drill bit.
Before...

 After...

 

 So, there you have it!

     You know, we are a lot like Steve Austins.  Broken.  Not useable.  EXCEPT, by the grace of God, we are remade into something that GOD can use.  Only through HIS power, mercy, and grace.  Not on our own strength or by our own designs.  Steve Austin didn't remake himself.  Someone outside of himself had to do that. God's love and power is way beyond the technology used to fix that man. No matter how much we are broken- spiritually, emotionally, physically- we can be used by God.

Isaiah 64:8

"But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
    we are the clay, and you are our potter;
    we are all the work of your hand."

 Blessings and hugs, dear friends!  

Heather

Break it and remake it... The Six Million Dollar Man Project

     You know the old adage " If it ain't broke, don't fix it"? That phrase doesn't belong in Prim decorating, does it?  Even if something isn't broken, we sand, stain, tear, and "grungify" it. I don't know how many times I look at something and say, "Oh, that  HAS to be tea stained!"  We put on fake patches and real patches.  We stitch clumsily even though we can stitch in a straight line (Well, maybe not me, but most people.).  We put dates from the past. We put nicks into wood. We do anything to simulate dirt, use, patina from ages past even though you just bought it new at Hobby Lobby a half of an hour ago! 

     Well, I did break something and fix it (A real shocker in my household).  Ok, so you know those hollow pillar candles with the grungy little battery tea light on the inside?  They are a must-have in any primitive home.  Well, I had two sconces that I had painted black (My favorite anchor color). I distressed them, painted the one with a combing technique. I was so excited to hang them and light them up.  I had one pillar candle and needed another.  So, off I traipsed to the local craft store that carried them.  I got it home and was unwrapping it.  AND, *GASP*, it slipped from my hand about an inch about the counter and broke into several pieces.  Before I continue, I thought they were made of resin, not thin wax.  So a caveat to myself, and everyone else, is even an inch drop can kill one.  Ok, so back to the story.  

     I looked with despair at my new purchase.  I started muttering to myself, "It's okay, it's okay.  I can fix this."  I looked upon my poor broken candle like Oscar Goldman looked at the potential of making the Six Million Dollar Man "Better...than he was before."  Out came the white glue.  I hovered above my "patient" trying to decide on my best approach to piecing it back together. It didn't help that the bottom was split in two.  I finally decided to build from the bottom up.  Um, white glue was not the best choice.  It was slimy, slow to dry, and I'd move one piece and another would pop out.  Finally, I got it together.  I let it dry (trying to avoid the temptation to touch it).  After it had dried, I surveyed my work.  It was awful.  I mean, Dr. Frankenstein's project looked better.  Errr.  Now what?  

     Well, what if I rolled it in spices and my faithful friend, instant coffee?  So with a lot of Modge Podge, brown, sticky fingers, and well, a big ol' mess, I had a grungy pillar candle.  Yea!  I cleaned up my mess and then looked at the pathetically unadorned candle that I already had.  Awwwww, well that's not going to work.  So I grunged and made a mess again.  This time I was smart.  I grunged some regular tapers that didn't match my other primitive-purchased tapers.  Then, I coffee stained a few things.  Before long, I had stuff drying EVERYWHERE.  It was one of those If You Give a Moose a Muffin days (Ok, that story is really my life story, but I digress).  So, you can see in my pictures the fruit of my grungy, sticky endevours- one repaired and grunged, one grunged.  Can you spot the broken one?

     Another repair achievement I had once was repairing a yellowware bowl I'd purchased from eBay that had broken in transit. That is a story for another day, my dear readers.

Coffee Talk for Today:  What is your best "Six Million Dollar Man" restoration project.  Try to think of something that was broken and please share how you fixed it.  

Also, feel free to guess which candle is the broken one. You won't hurt my feelings if you guess correctly.  Well, not much... ;)