Paint Dipped & Gold Speckled Terra Cotta Pots

I love finding new ways to decorate terra cotta pots, mostly because they’re inexpensive and I always have several on-hand. Due to my succulent obsession, I always have a use for them. Today I’ll show you how to make paint dipped and gold speckled terra cotta pots using a few products that I absolutely love.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Plaid®. All opinions are my own.

Project Supplies:

• FolkArt® Outdoor™ Acrylic Paint (I used the colors Lawn, Gulf Coast, and Cabana)
• Plaid Liquid Leaf® in “Brass”
• Terra Cotta Pots
• Stencil Paintbrush
• Plastic Bowls
• Painter’s Tape
• Plastic Bags
• Rubber Gloves
• Plastic Cups

FolkArt Outdoor Acrylic Paint is a self-sealing, weather-resistant, and fade-resistant formula which dries to a durable satin finish. It’s perfect for small outdoor projects like this.

How to Make Paint-Dipped & Gold-Speckled Terra Cotta Pots

Step 1

First, clean your terra cotta pot and stick some painter’s tape inside the pot, covering the hole at the bottom.

Step 2

Next, fill plastic bowls with each paint color you plan on using. Dip your pot into the bowl and then pick it up and let it drip for a few seconds. Place it on top of a plastic cup to dry. This allows the paint to drip rather than pooling around the bottom as it dries.

Step 3

After your paint has dried, flip it upside down and cover the unpainted portion with a plastic bag and attach it using painter’s tape, lining the tape up with the paint line.

Step 4

Then, dip a stencil brush into your Liquid Leaf. I used a stencil brush because this technique works best with a stiff-bristled brush. (You could even use a toothbrush.) Be sure to wear rubber gloves! Hold the brush several inches away from your pot and run your finger over the bristles quickly, which will flick paint onto the pot. Repeat until you get the amount of coverage you like. Allow to dry.

After the liquid leaf has dried, remove the plastic bag and tape, add a plant, and you’re done!

For more ideas and inspiration, connect with Plaid on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

You can also connect with me here:

Thanks for visiting!

-Erin

The post Paint Dipped & Gold Speckled Terra Cotta Pots appeared first on Erin Spain.

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How To Remove Water Stain Circles from Wood Furniture

We’ve collected some great tips for removing water stain circles from wood furniture. We’ve got a clear cut choice of which tip works best for us, but try them all and decide for yourself.

We enjoy entertaining guests and even if you set coasters and napkins out, drinks will end up being left on wood furniture. Our dining room table is perfect for the small room and is a piece of furniture given to us by Laura’s grandmother. It’s not an antique but we treasure where it came from as well as how it functions and looks. We also have a nice piece from Design Within Reach that is the perfect height to set drinks on.

Unfortunately both pieces of furniture have been marred wet drinks and before we invest in having it re-finished we searched online for other alternatives to remove the water stain circles.

The most common remedies that required the least amount of investment of time and money we found were:

1. Toothpaste technique
2. Mayonnaise and Ashes
3. Baking soda and water (or toothpaste)

We thought we’d give all three a try and here are the results.

Toothpaste Technique

A white toothpaste is required for this so leave the gels in the bathroom. We have Sensodyne handy so we dabbed a bit of that directly on the water stain ring. You don’t need much at all. Some people recommend letting it sit for awhile but because this works via abrasion and not water extraction we went to work on the stain after only a couple minutes.

We were amazed! As we gently rubbed the toothpaste along the line of the stain we saw it immediately disappear or lighten. You don’t need to scrub very hard or for very long to see results. In fact scrubbing to long and outside the area of the stain could cause an even larger mark as it wears away the finish and top layer of wood.

Mayonnaise and Ashes 

We heard much about this technique but to be honest neither of us smoke and therefore didn’t have ashes easily available. Cigarette ashes seem to be the ash of choice to be mixed in mayonnaise.

Apparently this technique relies on the mayonnaise somehow extracting the remaining water from the table as well as light abrasion due to the ashes.

We tried the mayonnaise sans ashes anyway and to our surprise it also worked! We let the mayonnaise sit for 3 hours but some recommend sitting it overnight. As we wiped the mayonnaise off the water stain was definitely less noticeable and we didn’t do any scrubbing as we had done with the toothpaste.

The water stains in this table have been there for at least 9 months so we thought it unlikely that there was any moisture to extract at all from from the table.

Baking Soda and Water

We mixed a 2-1 ratio of baking soda and water in a small metal bowl then proceeded to use a rag to gently scrub along the water mark line. Again the stain quickly started to recede. Not as dramatically as with the other two techniques but it definitely made a difference.

We experienced with a bit more baking soda for a thicker rub but that didn’t seem to do much to help. As with the toothpaste it doesn’t take much to see a difference.

Conclusions

In our opinion all 3 of these techniques work but the standout to us was the toothpaste technique. Next time we’d like to try a baking soda/toothpaste mixture as well as mix some ashes with the mayonnaise to see if the results are even better.

We’ll still have to polish and refinish the table to bring it back to it’s original luster but for now we are happy with at least regaining a table with much lighter stains.

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Deck Makeover with Leisure Made Furniture

One of my favorite things about blogging is all of the interesting, creative, and talented people I’ve had the opportunity to meet. One of those people happens to be my friend Samantha Patillo, a fellow Atlanta maker who designs outdoor furniture for her company, Leisure Made. Since I’ve been working on sprucing up our deck for quite some time, Samantha was kind enough to send me some pieces from their new line and I love them.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Leisure Made.

First, check out our deck before. (So sad.) This is actually embarrassing to even show you, because this is how it sat for about 2 years.

Now, here it is after.

The thing I love about Leisure Made is that they have stylish and well-designed pieces but at an affordable price point. I chose the Draper Collection for our deck, with tan fabric (there are 4 fabric color choices). I love the modern, clean lines, and the quality is great. It also coordinates well with the dining table I built a few years ago. (Details on that here.) These pieces will be sold online at major retailers such as The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target, Amazon, etc., and can be shipped nationwide. They are also available on the Leisure Made website.

I’ll link the accessories at the bottom of this post.

The little shelf hanging on the exterior wall was a project I did for one of The Home Depot Do-It-Herself Workshops a couple years ago. It was a serving station but I removed the little fold-down “door” so now it’s just a shelf. You can find the full tutorial here.

Here I am doing my best fashion blogger pose, enjoying the finished deck for the first time before an evening out.

For more info, you can connect with Leisure Made on Instagram. Be sure to connect with me over there too, as I share a lot of behind the scenes stuff (and random nonsense) on my Instagram stories.

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Thanks for visiting!

-Erin

The post Deck Makeover with Leisure Made Furniture appeared first on Erin Spain.

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How to Inspect Your Heating and Cooling System

This post was brought to you by Lennox.  Innovation never felt so good. Contact your local Lennox dealer today to learn more about the precise and efficient HVAC products Lennox offers.

A well functioning heating and cooling system makes a huge impact on your quality of life. When your home is too hot or too cold, everything you do at home will suffer. Here’s how to make sure your HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) system is up to the task of heating and cooling your home.

Evaluate Your Equipment

The average lifespan of a home furnace and air conditioner is about 15 to 20 years. That doesn’t mean your appliance will stop working after 20 years, but once you hit two decades of service, you may want to start looking into a more efficient system. The Energy Star label began appearing on products about 20 years ago, and if your furnace or air conditioner doesn’t have this label, it may be cost effective for you to replace your equipment.

Most homeowners identify an issue with their HVAC system when the temperature in their home starts to drop or doesn’t warm up properly. You can prevent most problems before they start by performing regular maintenance on your system. It’s best to inspect your furnace and AC unit at least twice a year to ensure they are in good working order.

Inspect Your Furnace and Air Conditioner Filter 

The number one maintenance issue for HVAC systems is not changing the system filter. Some homes only require this a few times a year, but under heavy use and in a busy home with pets, you should check it more frequently during times when your air conditioning or furnace is in use. Filters are easy to replace and make a tremendous difference when evaluating the performance of your system.

There are many options for filters that range from filters inside the home filter grill (ceiling or wall), to high efficient filters that are installed at the unit or the return air duct. Before poking around in your system, make sure the power to it is turned off. Shut off the gas and gently vacuum the areas inside of your furnace that you can reach. Look to remove all dust, dirt, and cobwebs. Next, change the filter. These can be purchased online or from your local Lennox dealer depending on your furnace manufacturer

Invest in a Good Thermostat

An easy to use thermostat is the key to comfortable living. If you understand how to set a schedule and adjust your thermostat to your ideal temperature, then you’ll gain the most out of your HVAC system. Setting the temperature to 70 degrees all summer is a waste of energy and will minimize the life of your air conditioner. A thermostat that is properly set will operate around the times you are home and will need very little adjusting once you’ve got it dialed in.

Ultra smart thermostats such as the Lennox iComfort® S30 are connected to an app on your mobile device and allow you to monitor your HVAC system remotely. This thermostat can also connect with your Amazon Echo device and can be voice controlled.

Other features include the Smart Away™ Mode which syncs with your smart phone’s GPS so the thermostat knows when you are home and away to adjust your HVAC settings accordingly.

Another feature is setting the “Feels Like™” temperature. It takes into account the temperature as well as the humidity and sets the thermostat so it feels like the setting you want. The “Perfect Temp” setting lets you set the ideal temperature and your system will adjust your heating and cooling to maintain the setting year round.

For those who suffer from allergies, a built-in “Allergen Defender” monitors the air quality and pollen levels of your local zip code and automatically turns the fan on to clean your home’s air when outdoor levels are high.

It’s these seamless types of features that make having an ultra smart thermostat well worth it.

The best HVAC system is one you don’t notice, but just because it is out of sight, don’t forget to keep an eye on it. Set reminders in your calendar to check your filters and if something seems off, call in your local Lennox dealer to check things out.

 

This post was brought to you by Lennox. Innovation never felt so good.

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