ELIZABETH JOAN DESIGNS

This post by Little Green Notebook on concrete counter tops was the first I had seen of its kind and I was immediately inspired. I knew right then and there that I had to do that! It’s been a little over a year since I originally saw that post and I have finally made over my kitchen counter tops. So today, I am sharing Our Experience with Ardex Concrete Counters.

Supplies
(2) Ardex Feather Finish Concrete Bags
(1) 1 Gallon Bucket
(2) 1 Quart Measuring Cups
Hand Sanding Block
Sand Paper of a Variety of Grits
(1) 4″ Putty Knife
(1) 10″ Trowel
Supplies not pictured
(1) 1″ Putty Knife
(1) 12″ Taping Knife
Plastic Drop Clothes
Painters Tape
Paint Stirrers

First, I prepped the work area by covering all surfaces except the floor with plastic drop cloths. Our house has such an open floor plan that I even walled off the kitchen with plastic in an attempt to contain the upcoming dust storm.

I also taped all along the wall and edge of the sink. This worked great for keeping a nice clean edge.

Next, 50 grit sandpaper was used to rough up the surface of the preexisting laminate counter top.

The old off-white laminate had so many flaws, it really was time for an update.

Then, I mixed up water and the concrete powder. The Ardex package calls for 2 parts powder and 1 part water. After trial and error, I concluded that 1.5 parts powder to 1 part water worked best for me.

After that, I applied the toothpaste like concoction to the counters using the trowels, 4″ and 1″ putty knives for the small spaces, and the 12″ knife and 10″ trowel for the larger areas.

Here is what it looked like during the first coat.

To mold the edges of the counter I would let the concrete mixture dry a little and form an edge with my fingers while wearing rubber gloves.

I let every coat completely dry (there were four coats total) then I hand sanded the dry concrete using 80 grit and 120 grit sand paper.

This process was A LOT of work and made a huge mess.

Finally, I used a shop vac to clean up the big grubby mess. This took forever, but I am so glad to rid our floors of little grimy footprints.

I am in love with how these counters turned out! They really are beautiful!

Please come back soon and check out the sealing process. I can’t wait to share the rest of this fun DIY with you!

* UPDATE * The Counters are Sealed! Check out the process and see a few tips and lessons I learned along the way!

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Last month we shared how to make these fun Picture Frame House Numbers over at Table & Hearth. These are super easy to whip up, only cost a few bucks, and are completely customizable. Since, we had some great feedback about this project, we are sharing it here too!

I love the look of windows used as decor and this project totally captures that feel. For this project, you will need:

• Enough photo frames to accommodate the numbers of your address
• E6000 Industrial Strength Adhesive (or something similar)
• Acrylic Paint
• Small Paint Brush
• Wax Paper
• Tape

To start, gather some basic photo frames and make sure to look for ones that have a flat side/edge. I found these 5×7 frames at the dollar store.

Next, individually print out the numbers of your address onto regular printer paper. (Need numbers or letters? Snag some for free here!)

Attach each number to one of the glass inserts from the frames with tape, being super careful not to cut yourself. We don’t want any injuries.

Once everything is all lined up, flip the glass over. You will be painting on the back of the glass so that the front has a smooth and shiny finish. Using the paint brush, fill in the numbers using the numbered paper pieces as your guide. You don’t have to have a ridiculously steady hand to paint this and the great part about using acrylic paint is that you can clean up any oopsies with a little water on a paper towel.

After the first coat was dry, I was still able to see through parts of my numbers, so I just went over it again, trying to fill in any empty spaces.

While the numbers are drying, feel free to add any hanging hardware to the backs or paint the frames themselves. Mine were a chippy cream color and I wanted them to be a little less rustic, so I used some white chalk paint to brighten them up.

Finally, run some E6000 around the inside edges of the backs of the frames and replace the glass pieces with the painted sides up. After a little curing time, your Picture Frame House Numbers will be ready to display! These would look great hanging on the porch next to the front door or inside your home as part of a vignette. They would also make a great housewarming gift and could even be modified to accommodate a name, since you can choose how many frames you would need.

Thank you for stopping by to check out this tutorial! We hope you enjoyed this project and would love to see your creativity if you try this one out.

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To accent my oldest son’s vintage airplane room, I have been searching for ideas on how to make or buy a light-weight simple aircraft to hang from the ceiling. I wasn’t having too much luck until one day I was holding a monthly swap party and a friend of mine showed up with a foam glider she was ready to part with. It was the perfect thing to make a super cheap and extremely easy hanging airplane.

First, I carefully removed the glider from the package and coated it with primer.

Next, 2 coats of blue paint that I had left over from another project were applied to the plane’s surface.

After the glider was finish drying, I punched a hole in the center with a single hole punch.

Finally, I attached the eye-hook to the ceiling, strung the plane with neutral colored thread, and hung through the eye hook and securely tied a knot. This will hopefully keep it from gliding through my son’s bedroom in the middle of the night.

My little guy was so pleased with how this turned out that he immediately requested another. I picked up the second glider at the dollar store and spray painted that one.

You really can’t beat that price for this project!

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