HO HO Hold On!

What a transformation!

With a complete makeover in Santa’s workshop,

this little sled is as cute as can be and sure

to live a jolly life for many years to come!

 

Remember the days when it was fun to go outside and play in the snow until your cheeks and toes went numb?  Those were the days!  Was there anything better than growing up near a good sledding hill?  Whether it was on a toboggan, a sled with skis, saucer, or a big piece of cardboard, the anticipation would mount while you waited your turn to ride the hill. No matter if you made it all the way to the bottom or crashed and tumbled part way down, the ride was exhilarating!

photo copyright of Charles Schulz

 

On one of my recent adventures, I was rooting around in a dusty old garage and there, leaning up against a wall was this dry, frail-looking, little sled.  I loved it!  It instantly took my memory for a long ride back to the sledding fun we had had as kids.  

 When I rescued this little guy it was rough, dried out, and its red, faded paint looked so sad.   So off to Santa’s workshop it went.  Off came the rotting nylon rope.  Then this little orphan got a good cleaning and sanding with fine-grade sandpaper.  Ahh, that’s better!

Next a repair was made where screws that were too big had split the wood.  DIY Tip: It’s always best to first drill a hole that is slightly smaller in diameter than the screw you will be using.  This will prevent the wood from splitting when you insert the screw.  After I removed the screws, I glued and clamped the area and let it dry overnight before drilling holes and re-inserting screws.

A coat of pretty, red paint brought the handrails to life again!  I was very careful not to get paint on the wood that was to be stained.

Now for my favorite part of this project. . .the stain.  Not that I love to stain, but the dry wood literally soaked up the dark walnut stain and the transformation was instantaneous!  Look at the beautiful wood grain.  I was thrilled with the result!  

Just a little bit of brown glaze over the red paint and a light sanding on the edges gave it a nice vintage look.

And at last, the finishing touch. . .a new jute rope. 

This little guy was a Reclaimed Treasure indeed!

The little sled is now awaiting adoption into a new family who will love it as much as I have.   Wouldn’t it look great next to a fireplace, on a front porch, or used as a prop to sit the little ones on it for holiday pictures?

Here's a link to the Craigslist ad

http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/atq/3449890023.html 

Do you have a favorite winter-time memory?  I'd love to hear about it!

My gate is always open,  Jeri 

The Little Blue Box - Quick & Easy

I love the distressed look!

This was my first “reclaimed” project.  I found this kind of beat up, dirty, little wooden box 8"x5"x12" and immediately got a visual picture in my mind of it being used as a cute container to store or display things.  

A good power washing left it nice and clean and I decided to leave the nails sticking out of the top to give it some character.

DIY tip:  If you're going to power wash anything wooden, be sure to let it dry a couple of days before sanding, paintng, or staining.

Next I gave it a coat of a pretty, turquoise blue paint and let it dry for 24 hours.  Latex paint actually dries quicker than this but I like to make sure it’s  really dry before glazing.

To achieve the aged look, I dipped a clean, cotton cloth into my can of Olympic Burned Raisin color glaze and working in small sections, used long, wiping strokes to apply a thin coat of glaze. I immediately wiped off just the excess glaze with a clean, damp cloth.  Take off as much as you want to achieve the look you like.  I let the glaze color pool a bit more in the corner sections, on the edges, and around the nail heads to give it a more aged look.

Oh, and be sure to wear rubber gloves for this step :)

After the glaze dried for 24 hours I used a fine grade sand paper to sand the areas I wanted to look distressed.  Not too much, just until the wood showed through.

Hmm, I liked the box but was thinking

 it needed a little PIZZAZZ!  

Luckily, I found a medium sized glass door knob

in my stash and chose a big, shiny 

silver bolt to secure it.  

Wow! This was exactly what it needed!