Shabby Chic Bird Key Makeover

Hello, lovelies! I am terribly sorry for my absence this month, but I have been on Spring Break for the past two weeks. So,  I have been super busy working. I was able to get a job for the spring and summer at a beautiful greenhouse/garden shop in my hometown. But, I did not take pictures of it. Shame on me!

I do have a quick project to share with all of you though. I mentioned this project in one of my previous posts from this month: March Craft Projects.  What I originally intended to do was to recreate the Refurbished Key Portrait Tutorial  from Amy's blog Mod Podge Rocks:

However, I have yet to find a pretty frame that I am happy with.  So, for now I have just given my rot iron bird key a shabby chic makeover.  Here is a close up of the the finished product:

 Here is a shot of my shabby chic bulletin board and my key:

I decided to hang this key above my shabby chic inspired bulletin board that I made last year.  I hope you like it!  I used Apple Barrel Ivory White Gloss Paint that I purchased for under $2 at Wal-Mart.  I used a dry brush technique to give the key a shabby chic feel.

I absolutely can't wait to display this in my apartment one day.  I hope you are all doing well!! Leave me a comment below and tell me what craft projects you are working on this month.

Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest:  Owl Enthusiast 

Love,

Here's to Beginings.

Hello!  My name is Stacy, and I am a craftaholic.  I decided to start posting my crafting adventures on this blog, because I would love to have an archive of the before and after processes of each of my projects.  Also, I want to start sharing my projects with others interested in crafts like you. 

I have been very inspired by the shabby chic trend after discovering Pinterest last year.  I just love the idea of taking something old or vintage and sprucing it up to give it a new life. When I was at a local flea market last weekend, I could not resist buying a vintage gold mirror.  It was only $15 which is pretty much a steal for a decent sized mirror. I have been hunting for a somewhat ornate and cheap mirror for a while, so I was thrilled to find this one:

This is not a great picture, because it was taken while the mirror was still in my trunk.  But can't you just see the potential?

Naturally, I wanted to give this mirror a shabby chic makeover.  I have been inspired by many of the ornate mirrors that I have seen on Pinterest such as this gorgeous one:

So, I went to Walmart, and I purchased a bottle of Apple Barrel gloss craft paint in Deep Purple for about $3.  The painting process was definitely a long one! It took about 30mins for each coat to dry, and I ended up having to apply at least 5 coats to cover up the gold.  At first, I thought I had ruined the mirror, because the paint was just going on in streaks—it was barley covering the gold.  But, the more coats I applied; the better it began to look.  The details took the longest to cover, but it was worth all of the effort.  I just love the finished product:

I recently got engaged, and I will be moving into an apartment with my fiancé very soon.  I cannot wait to make this mirror a centerpiece in our bedroom!  This project was definitely worth my $18.

Thanks for reading!  Here are some links to things I discussed throughout this blog:

1. Blue ornate mirror featured from Pinterest: Celebrating Everyday Life
2. Follow me on my Pinterest:  OwlEnthusiast

Love,