DIY: Stained Canvas & Upholstered Bookshelf

Early morning painting
over coffee? Nope!

 These may not look like typical art supplies but they make for a cool project which is really simple and yields one-of-a-kind results. Layer two coffee filters together, fill with coffee grinds and wet the filters. Rub them on the canvas, let dry and repeat.

For added effect, you can drop wet grinds directly onto the canvas, let them leak into it, let sit, then brush off the dried coffee grinds. Or you can wring the wet filters out onto the canvas, and tilt the canvas so the water drips and slides over the canvas, leaving behind an interesting pattern. No two canvases will be the same. Good idea Zach!

 

 I decided to paint lyrics on the canvases and place them above each of our nightstands. The lyrics are from "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.

Zach's (pictured above) says: "I'll follow you into the park, through the jungle, through the dark, Girl I've never loved one like you. Moats and boats and waterfalls, allweyways and payphone calls. I've been everywhere with you, that's true."

and mine reads:

"Laugh until we think we'll die, barefoot on a summer night, nothing could be sweeter than with you. And in the streets we're running free, like it's only you and me. Geez, you're something to see."

They sound so random but I promise the song is really cute. Proof:

I love how rustic and worn the canvases look. You should try it!

  

 The second DIY is an upholstered bookshelf. Before with boring, cheap wood:

The steps are pretty self explanatory: Lay the bookshelf face down on the floor and remove the back. Upholster the back piece by wrapping fabric around it and stapling around the edges. Cut the extra fabric off and reattach the back to the bookshelf using a staple gun.

I love this project because it allowed me to customize my bookshelf and coordinate it with anything else that can be updated with fabric. I used another two yards of the same fabric as a tablecloth for an unattractive side table, and I can upholster my desk chair with the extra fabric.

Also, check out the cool bookends I scored at a thrift store for $3!



And, finally.....here's a sneak peek at my latest undertaking. My first article should be up on AskMissA.com by the end of this week.

 Thanks for reading, and if you haven't signed up to follow me yet, DO IT! Please and thank you :)