You can paint a rug? Really?

So the title of this post is really what you get whenever you mention this DIY project to anyone. Josh was hugely skeptical. The folks at Home Depot thought I was  nuts and frankly when I first came across the idea, I was quite unsure about it all too. But I'd read enough posts from others who have done it and  I'd seen quite a few pictures of other people who actually paint rugs to think that it wasn't THAT far fetched. Plus this rug was so old that I didn't really have much to lose. So here is my post about how I did this project.

First off, time frame. If you read my last post about 'getting it done', this project was huge lesson in that. I had made the decision that I'd like to try and paint the rug, but still added it to my 'to do' list with huge question marks (as though I was giving myself permission to not actually get to this if time ran out). Then over the weekend we had a day with nothing planned except to get some wood plugs for the bed, so I told Josh I'd pick up the stuff to do the rug as well. By that evening the rug was painted and drying. I'd say that the whole process of taping off and painting took maybe 2.5 hours? The sanding the following day took about 20 mins. So this project to totally do-able in a day.

 So here is the rug before. I was lazy and just ran a vacuum over it. I didn't bother with spot cleaning, but I guess you could do that too.

 Next is taping off your design. I watched this video on how to create Chevron stripes.  It was a good video. This dots are to remind me  where NOT to paint.

 Using an exacto knife, cut away at the parts of tape that you don't need.

 Now can you see the pattern coming through? It's ready for paint.

 So the paint I used was regular indoor latex. Sorry I can't remember the actual size, but it's not the gallon size can. It's one size down. For the pattern I did, which covers about 1/2 of the rug, I used every last drop. The rug will soak up a lot of paint. I will come back with measurements of our rug. (Ethan is sleeping right now)

 Buy the cheapest, crappiest brush you can. It will be ruined anyways. I bought a 5 pack of these cheapies, but actually only needed one. For painting, there's no real technique except for smooshing the brush every which way. Up, down, side to side in order to get good coverage. That's why you don't want to use a good brush.

 Here it is drying. The video said to pull up the tape before it was totally dry. You can see how solid the paint it. I also put a large piece of cardboard underneath, but turns out I didn't need it. You can't even tell I painted the rug from the back side as nothing seeped all the way through. That's not to say that I recommend painting without the cardboard. :)

 After the paint was dry you could really feel a difference under foot where the paint was. It had a tacky/ crunchy kind of feel. Other bloggers recommended sanding it with an orbital sander so that's what I did. Really, I just went over the paint quickly and didn't press super hard. I guess it's personal preference on how 'worn' you want it to look. Obviously the more you sand, the 'softer' it will feel under your feet too.

There you have it. A painted rug. The texture is probably what I wondered the most about before I did this project. I have to say that to walk on it after the sanding, I really don't mind it. It's not so obvious that it's painted after the sanding. At the same time, it's not so soft that I'd go rubbing my face on it either. Generally I don't tend to do that, so I'm happy with the fresh new look of our rug for Ethan's room.

Happy painting!

Just Get 'Er Done!

One of the blogs that love to follow is Young House Love. I've been following them for about 3 years now and I have to say that I've learned a lot about design and how to do everything from simple decorative jobs to major kitchen renos on a budget. The couple John and Sherry now blog for a living. They started out just blogging about their home renovations in order to keep family and friends updated. Anyway, what I love most about them is their "Get 'er done" attitude. Or at least the attitude that I perceive them to have. They will make lists of things they'd like to accomplish and the next thing you know, they are ripping stuff up, painting and suddenly it's done.

Anyway, this post is not about them. Sorry about the tangent. Since Ethan is turning 4 we've asked him if he wanted his big boy room for his birthday and he always told us no. I thought I'd have tons of time to wait before I painted the bed frame and dresser we had in the garage. Well at least that was the answer until about 3 weeks ago. One day he suddenly changed his mind. What?!?! Suddenly, we had to get and do so many things in order to have his room ready for Sept 10th. (Now do you see where I was going with the whole John and Sherry "get 'er done" thing? See? It always makes sense in my own head.) The thing about the timing was also that it coincided with my siblings all coming into town at the same time for the first time since 2010. With all the family reunions, playdates, sleepovers PLUS the DIY business going on, it's been CRAZYTOWN around here. I'm so happy to say that the major stuff is done. Here are some before and after pictures. I have to say that once we got into the "Get 'er done" mode, I started painting everything I could find. So the chair, rug and bench from the bathroom are extras.

Here are the head and foot board we got from Craigslist. They are solid wood, but the reason they were so cheap was because they didn't come with rails and if you look closely one of the finials (bobby-thingy at the top) is missing. No worries, the second finial could be removed to give the head board more emphasis. After poring over Ana White's site for the last 3 years, I felt confident we could make our own rails.

The bed rails proved to be more of a project that we thought, but thanks to Josh we were able to get it looking like a bed.

The dresser was also a Craigslist purchase and was already in use in his room since the spring. I was able to find some nice hardware from the Habitat for Humanity Restore and I'm happy that they go with the overall 'look' I was going for. We put it in the entrance way just to get a shot with nicer light and I have to say I was tempted to keep it for that spot. Hmmm...a project for next year? ;)

This chair. It came from Josh's home when he was a kid. He recovered the fabric I believe when he was in high school or something like that. You can see the original orange fabric peeking through. It used to be our computer desk chair until we got some new ones from Radical. Since then, it became a 'throw-your-clothes-on-it-instead-of-the-floor' chair in Ethan's room.

 I hadn't originally intended on painting the rug. I've read quite a few blogs with people painting rugs to get a new look. This rug was a hand-me-down from my cousin. I was also in Maddy's room at our basement suite. It's seen a lot of spills. This 'before' picture doesn't show any of those mishaps properly. I figured I had nothing to lose with trying to paint this rug AND I wanted to try and pull in more colour into Ethan's room. I may do a separate blog about how to paint a rug. It turned out to be the most rewarding because I had no expectations and it was so easy to do.

 For those of you who know our house, this is the bench/table that the kids use to climb on in order to reach the sink. The kids also use it as a drawing table when they are um...'doing their business'. Again, this was a spur of the moment decision to paint this. I already had the paint on hand from a project in our school room so one morning before a playdate, I went for it and spackled, sanded and primed. The whole playdate I couldn't wait to get home and start painting.

Here is a close up of the damage from the felt pens.

I'm extremely happy to have things ready for his big boy room. The biggest thing I learned from all these projects is that most of the time, the 'idea' of the project and all the work that is involved often can put you off doing/starting the the project. In reality, if you just start the project, they go pretty fast and the end results are very satisfying. Just Get 'Er Done is my new mantra!

 

Playland with the cousins

After Disneyland at the beginning of the summer, we were ready to by-pass Playland this year, but when we heard all the cousins were going, we couldn't resist. 

 Maddy's first time on the Swings. 

 Waiting in line to drive the cars.

 Frances was a good sport and went on the kiddie rides.

 Reese and Frances.

 'Yes! I made it out!'

 The long awaited cotton candy break.

 Ethan's first time on the mini roller coaster. I heard him scream "Weeeeeeee" the whole time.

 The new Teacups ride with the Harpers.

Park playdate with the Lee-Young cousins

Here are some photos from a reunion at Confederation Park with the Lee-Young cousins. We managed to get just a few photos because with that many kids to keep a watchful eye on and trying to catch up with one another, taking pictures was only an after thought.

 "The Lee-Young Habitat" At least that's what Frances called it.

 A shot of all the cousins' kids. Do you know how hard it is to get everyone to look and smile at the same time?

 ...this is how hard it is. Even then, I don't know that we got a 'perfect' shot. 

 The cousins "The 1st genereation"

Just had to snap this shot because it was the first time Ethan wrote his name. We'll work on it!

Family Time

The last time all the Lee-Youngs were together was back when Ethan was about 10 months old. Crazy isn't it?? It was a real treat to have some bonding time this year. Joanne from Hong Kong, Shauna from Prince George and Calvin from Toronto. With so many kids the easiest get togethers were just trips to the park or hanging out at mom and dad's place. No matter where we were, the kids found their own ways to play and interact with each other.

 Hanging out at the rental house. The kids and I spent a few nights there before the Harpers arrived to get in on some extra bonding time.

 "Hands up if you want ice cream!"

 Steveston Park. Such cuties!

 The Keva blocks were a hit. Check out the concentration during a game of "Jenga"

 Maddy and Alexis sharing in some girl talk and Po Po's pineapple popsicles.

 The youngest, Regan. 

 Mack, Maddy, Reese and Ethan. Particularly sweaty after their 'performance'.

 With big cousins Frances and Pippa at Burnaby Village Museum. The older girls are so great with the younger kids.

There's always an excuse to have ice cream when you're with the cousins.