I'm not sure how many of you have a wee little dog...did I say
that out loud?! Wee little "person/king" in your home?
We have Elmo! Our black shi-poo!
that out loud?! Wee little "person/king" in your home?
We have Elmo! Our black shi-poo!
Elmo sleeps up on our bed with us...like the King that he is!
and growls at Rainy (our other special dog) when she even attempts to get up there too!
Elmo has a problem though....
Every three-four times he jumps up onto our bed, he bangs his back feet on the
steel bedframe and I cringe!
Sooooo.
I made him a wee step stool this week!
and growls at Rainy (our other special dog) when she even attempts to get up there too!
Elmo has a problem though....
Every three-four times he jumps up onto our bed, he bangs his back feet on the
steel bedframe and I cringe!
Sooooo.
I made him a wee step stool this week!
I absolutely adore it!
It has sentimental value as well for two reasons.
My husband made it way back (way, way back...hahahaha!) in Grade 8!
and, it was chewed up in one corner by our beloved chocolate lab "Molly" years ago.
I decided this would be the perfect stepping stool for Elmo!
and a great way to preserve a special past.
Here's how the project progressed to the above point...
It has sentimental value as well for two reasons.
My husband made it way back (way, way back...hahahaha!) in Grade 8!
and, it was chewed up in one corner by our beloved chocolate lab "Molly" years ago.
I decided this would be the perfect stepping stool for Elmo!
and a great way to preserve a special past.
Here's how the project progressed to the above point...
It was extremely battered as you can see and well used over the years, wouldn't you say?
Here's a view of that knarly mess Molly made of the corner, above and underneath...and actually, I had started sanding this so you didn't even see how horrid it really was!
I used Minwax Wood Filler...for the first time and it was relatively painless. You just put a golfball sized glob into the dish, then add 1cm of the mix from the tube and stir it up, then slather it on. I can't quite figure out how to clean the dish to reuse it...but there's always cream cheese containers right?!
Did I say slather?
Did I say slather?
This did take a little longer than what the can said it would,
but I doubt they knew I'd be using it so liberally!
but I doubt they knew I'd be using it so liberally!
This was after the 2nd application had been sanded.
I still had to put one more thin layer on to even it up and sand again.
Then it was ready for some paint!
I still had to put one more thin layer on to even it up and sand again.
Then it was ready for some paint!
Not the best photo of the blue colour because it is greyish, but I forgot to
take a photo at this phase in proper lighting!
This is my base colour.
After this I did two coats of homemade chalk paint I learned how to make from
my friend Maureen at It's All Connected, who learned how from
Sherri at No Minimalist Here!
I really enjoyed using the chalk paint...it was so easy to work with!
I then distressed my step around the edges down to the blue in spots and
down to the wood in little bits.
I used a Graphics Fairy image of a dog like Elmo sitting
in a vintage shoe!
I agonized over this part...would I do it in black & white, sepia or colour?
take a photo at this phase in proper lighting!
This is my base colour.
After this I did two coats of homemade chalk paint I learned how to make from
my friend Maureen at It's All Connected, who learned how from
Sherri at No Minimalist Here!
I really enjoyed using the chalk paint...it was so easy to work with!
I then distressed my step around the edges down to the blue in spots and
down to the wood in little bits.
I used a Graphics Fairy image of a dog like Elmo sitting
in a vintage shoe!
I agonized over this part...would I do it in black & white, sepia or colour?
In the end, sepia won because the blue in the shoe really clashed
with the blue I wanted to sand down to and the black & white
seemed too stark for our bedroom.
My words "Le Chien Etape" mean "The Dog's Step"
(hahaha...it looks so much nicer in french!)
and I played around on picnik to get the font I wanted.
with the blue I wanted to sand down to and the black & white
seemed too stark for our bedroom.
My words "Le Chien Etape" mean "The Dog's Step"
(hahaha...it looks so much nicer in french!)
and I played around on picnik to get the font I wanted.
Now...if you look very closely...you'll see I had to paint the words on.
Yup...I rubbed too hard and the wording image came off in parts!
And then, part of the picture rubbed off at the bottom in the instep.
Trouble, trouble, trouble...
That's when I pulled out some acrylic crafting paints (walnut & angel flesh...
do angels have flesh?) and my paintbrushes and got to work.
I think you'd have to know it was there to realize the flaws...but maybe I'm
just looking through my "hey! I like it" eyes.
Oh...also...I sprayed my project with a clear diamond finish spraypaint
rather than wax...I figured...if Elmo's jumping on it, the wax
may be ruined and not be durable enough.
Yup...I rubbed too hard and the wording image came off in parts!
And then, part of the picture rubbed off at the bottom in the instep.
Trouble, trouble, trouble...
That's when I pulled out some acrylic crafting paints (walnut & angel flesh...
do angels have flesh?) and my paintbrushes and got to work.
I think you'd have to know it was there to realize the flaws...but maybe I'm
just looking through my "hey! I like it" eyes.
Oh...also...I sprayed my project with a clear diamond finish spraypaint
rather than wax...I figured...if Elmo's jumping on it, the wax
may be ruined and not be durable enough.
I hope you've enjoyed reading about my
trials & tribulations with this project as much as I enjoyed all the progress between
before & after!
Thanks to the Graphics Fairy for her awesome images!
Now I just have to see if Elmo will use it!
xo
trials & tribulations with this project as much as I enjoyed all the progress between
before & after!
Thanks to the Graphics Fairy for her awesome images!
Now I just have to see if Elmo will use it!
xo
(I was not paid to speak about Minwax...I just liked it!)
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