Farmhouse Wooden Table Riser DIY

 

I wanted to do a diy farmhouse table riser. 

I have seen wooden risers used on counter tops and dining room tables, and I knew that I wanted one. People use them to give height to a centerpiece. I’ve seen them used to add levels to a food buffet. I’ve even seen smaller wooden risers used on kitchen counters to hold dish soap and lotion.

Looking in my garage, I found some scrap lumber that I thought I could use.  I dropped by Lowe's and bought two packages of finials, pre-fitted with screws. They're the same kind of finials that I used for my diy lanterns. I think the finials were $2.98 for a pack of two. 

Materials

So, my main materials are a piece of scrap wood as my base and the finials, which will be the legs of this table riser.

Besides that, you'll need sandpaper if you want to kind of rough up or distress the riser once you're finished painting.   

Easiest DIY Farmhouse Table Riser Video

https://youtu.be/cDigz4APw4c

I found my inspiration table top riser on Pinterest. If you don’t already know, Pinterest is a great resource for home décor ideas. I constantly refer to it when I’m looking for inspiration.

I'd wanted to make a wooden table riser for a long time. I was thinking that it had to be a simple diy, right? I mean, the parts are just a piece of wood and four legs. Not a problem at all!

Prep

My base had a few splinters and some of the edges were a little scraggly, so I needed to take care of that.  I gave the base a light sanding to make sure I got rid of all the splinters. Next, I drilled four shallow starter holes in the bottom of the wood.  This made it easy to screw in the finials.

Once you do that you're pretty much on your way home.  I painted everything in Waverly Inspirations Chalk Paint Ultra Matte Finish in white. To add a little interest, I made a single 3-inch wide stripe down the middle of the riser using Rust-oleum Chalked Paint in chiffon cream.  

I have been using Waverly for so many of my projects. It’s a great buy! I am so glad I found this chalk paint!  Don't sleep on Waverly guys! I tell you, once I discovered it, I find myself reaching for it more and more. I'm going to link a video where I compare Waverly to a couple of other chalk paints that I've used.

Waverly Chalk Paint vs. Rust-oleum Chalked Paint Video

https://youtu.be/XN9htn6yq3Q

In my video, you will see how Waverly stacks up against some of the more popular chalk paints out there. I think it's a good product for the price.

I hope this inspires you to try this simple diy.

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Decorating a Table With Blue and White Porcelain / Blue Willow Tea Party

 

I accepted a challenge from a fellow YouTuber who asked that I pull out some of my blue and white chinoiserie and decorate a tablescape.

I'm a big collector of blue and white porcelain, so I was definitely up for this challenge!

What Is A Vignette?

I decided to create a vignette on my kitchen counter. What's a vignette? 

In home decor, a vignette refers to a small area staged to create a theme. That's the best way I can describe it. It could be in the corner of a room, in the entryway, on a table. You get the picture.

I knew exactly which blue and white pieces I was going to use. Well, I knew that I was going to incorporate one piece in particular--my Blue Willow teapot. From there, I would have to search my stash to see what I could find.

I envisioned a Blue Willow tea party theme.

What You Need For A Blue Willow Tea Party

Here's what I used:

Blue Willow tea pot - thrifted

Blue Willow mug - thrifted

Blue Willow saucers - thrifted

White wooden tray - thrifted and upcycled

Pink and white gingham napkins

Faux tulips and bud vase

The tray that I used had previously been brown. I painted it white and spray painted the handles gold. Made a world of difference!

The Blue Willow teapot is so adorable!  I thrifted it a couple of weeks ago for four bucks. It's electric, but the detachable cord is missing. I gave it a really good scrubbing with a soapy steel wool pad because it had a lot of caffeine stains. But it's so cute! I absolutely love it!

Here is a similar teapot (not electric) that I found online:

I found a mug from the Blue Willow family that I forgot I had thrifted. This was a nice surprise!

Then I remembered that I had a few Blue Willow saucers from a previous thrift haul. Bonus!  

I threw in some pink and white gingham napkins that I used for my Easter table. There is

little bunny on one side, so I just flipped them over to hide the bunny.

A few pink tulips in a bud vase, and that's that!

Tea is served!

I love that I was able to use so many of my thrifted Blue Willow pieces!

 

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Why Goodwill Prices Vary From Store to Store

 

Thrifting tip: Goodwill Industries was founded in Boston, MA in 1902. I love the stores, but did you know that prices vary significantly from store to store?

I went to two different Goodwill stores within 15 miles of each other and I certainly noticed the pricing was different.

Each store offered the usual "color of the week" discount, but when picking through the merchandise, I quickly determined that glassware and clothing was a tad more expensive one from store to the other. I'm talking like regular glassware costing $1 more! Sweaters and blouses were $1 higher. Significant!

According to its website, each Goodwill store is autonomous, thus allowing it to set prices based on its local community.  I guess that explains it!

Overall, the finds at Goodwill are still worth checking out.

Pre-pandemic, you could find me at Goodwill at least once a week. It's a great place for unique one-of-a-kind finds, like home decor and clothing. Vintage fashion from the 80's is very popular and you'll find racks and racks at Goodwill.

Are the 80's vintage? Geez, I'm getting old!

Necklace: Thrifted

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$5 Thrift Chair Makeover

 

Welcome back to Life on Greenwood.  I found a really sturdy-looking chair at the thrift store that I thought would be perfect for a makeover.

So, this is a five dollar thrift makeover on a chair that I got from Goodwill. This was my first thrift purchase and my first makeover for 2021. I was so excited!  This chair had great bones, so I thought, you know what, I’m gonna see if I can freshen her up a little bit!

My plan was to do a replacement chair cover. I set out to replace the cover to the cushion without removing the existing cover. I do this sometimes when I’m not sure what’s going on under all the layers of fabric or when I just want to get the project over and done with.  Seriously!

Clean and Prep

Before I started painting, I noticed that the chair had a stale odor. You know that smell that some old furniture has?  Yeah.  I must say that I gave the chair a thorough cleaning with mild soap and water. When I first brought it into the house, hubby was really going crazy, so I sprayed it with Lysol and then left it in the garage for a few weeks. I also sprayed it with insect repellent.  I can't take any chances!

How to Upholster a Chair Cushion

I had several pieces of fabric in my stash so I chose a piece that I thrifted a couple years ago.  If you have never upholstered a chair before, it's quite easy.  

Here's how to do it! Cut a piece of fabric that's at least 3 inches wider than needed on each side. You can cut away the excess later if necessary. Lay the fabric on the floor (right side down).  Place the cushion face down on the fabric.  Pulling the fabric up over the cushion, put a few staples on one side. 

Pull the fabric very taut and staple the fabric on the opposite side.  Repeat the process on the remaining sides. It’s important to remember to pull the fabric tight so that there is no sagging. And that’s it!

A Little Paint

I used Americana Decor chalky finish paint in white to finish the chair frame. No sanding required!  This is some great chalk paint!  Last year I did a few paint comparison videos and included a sample of Americana Decor. I was quite pleased with the coverage. I ended up using three coats of paint for this project.

Conclusion

This was so easy! Like I say, don't sleep on the thrift store!  You never know what you will find.  I knew I liked the bones of this chair. It was made of really sturdy stuff.  All I needed to do was remove six screws to get the cushion off.  Once I figured out how to put it back on, everything came together so nicely. I love it!

So, that’s my five dollar chair makeover! I hope that you find something that you can take away from this project.

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Confessions of a Thrift-Addict

These are the confessions of a thrift-addict.

I want to share some of the changes that I went through as a result of being on lockdown due to the pandemic. I hope everyone is doing well. 

How it Started

I was ( and still am) on lockdown, but I noticed some of my buddies on YouTube were already out there thrifting and shopping at other stores.  They were going places and I had not left my house in months.

I gotta tell you it was not easy. I have to take a deep breath every time I think about it. I'm doing better now, but I have to tell you it was really, really hard!

The Thrill of the Thrift

I'm used to going thrifting at least once a week -- sometimes twice a week. Sometimes I'm thrifting for myself. Sometimes I'm thrifting for resale.  Sometimes I'm there just because I love to be in that kind of environment.

But I must confess that it is really hard when you're so dependent on just being in a thrift store. I don't know about you, but I get such a rush when I'm planning a trip to the thrift store! I get there and I'm super excited about being there!  And I'm just hoping that I'm going to find something.

Sometimes you know you're not going to find anything, but it's the thrill of being in that space and just touching things!

Yeah, I'm dependent on that thrill. I'm always looking for that next big find. It's such a rush just going through the store, aisle by aisle, rack by rack, slowly touching things. I'm getting chills just thinking about it!

I saw that some of my fellow social media creators and thrifters in other states had already gone out shopping while I was home waiting for stores to open in my area. I wanted to get out there too! I was chomping at the bit!

I am emotionally dependent on thrifting. I don't know if that's a bad thing.  

 Are There Symptoms

I guess if you're bringing stuff into your home and you're constantly going out and spending your last dime on things that you really don't need but you "just have to have", then that could be a bad thing.  I don't think I have gotten to that point yet.

Hiding my thrift finds

I store my finds in my car until I can safely sneak them inside without hubby noticing.  Sometimes that could be days or weeks later.  I then squirrel them away in the garage and later into the laundry room where I can clean everything. Whew! The life of a thrifter ain't easy! Who can relate?

I don't just pick up stuff on the regular.  I know I've picked up stuff and thought,  "I like this, but do I really need it?" 

I enjoy thrifting so much! 

I think I did kind of go through a withdrawal of sorts when I was stuck at home and my thrift stores were closed. Did I get the shakes? Did I get sweaty palms or pull out my hair?  Did I start grinding my teeth? Was I pacing the floor and going to the door and just looking out?

 No, I didn't do all that. But yeah, I did go through some kind of a withdrawal from not being able to go thrifting. I admit that I felt a little antsy.

Thrifting is Up Close and Personal

I kept thinking about what it would be like when I made my return to the store for the first time after being in lockdown for so long. Would the store be clean? Would it be safe to be around other thrifters?

Thrifting is up front, close and personal. Touching items is a big part of the thrifting experience for me.  I have to touch everything!  When I'm thrifting, I'm going to pick up that picture. I'm going to pick up a bowl. I want to touch a sweater or a coat. I have to look at things. I want to touch things when I'm at a thrift store.  

Just the thought of putting on protective gloves and a mask and going into the thrift store during the pandemic was overwhelming. Couple that with the anxiety of bringing thrifted items into my home, and I was fit to be tied. Cleaning and sanitizing my thrift finds had taken on a whole new meaning.

Yeah, these are the confession of a thrift-addict

During the lockdown, I didn't shop at any online thrift stores like some of my fellow drifters did. Some resellers went to online sites to buy thrifted goods in order to sustain their way of life. Their situations may be a little different than mine. 

If you're a full-time reseller and you make your living from thrifting, you have to find inventory wherever you can. And that explains why I saw several thrift haul videos of folks who were frequenting online thrift stores. I'm a part-time reseller and for the most part I go thrifting for personal reasons, so I am not financially dependent on thrifting.

Funny story, but I started picking through my inventory that I had set aside to resell and it felt a little like thrifting.  I saw a pair of walking shoes in my stash that I had listed on Poshmark that I may take out and wear. Essentially, I went thrifting in my own thrift pile! 

Conclusion

I can empathize with anybody who was feeling anxious about not being able to go to the thrift store.  I certainly understand.

I kind of rode the wave and now I think my thrift withdrawal is on the downside.  Happily, thrift stores have opened up again and I've done a little shopping!

I don't think I'll ever get over being a thrift-addict. 

But I'm going to be okay.

Disclosure: Links may contain affiliates. When you buy through one of our links we will receive a commission. This is at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Life on Greenwood and allowing me to continue to bring you valuable content.

 

How To Decorate a Pink and White Easter Tablescape

Welcome back to Life on Greenwood! I'm putting together a little tablescape for Easter. I don't usually display a lot of Easter décor, but this year I wanted to decorate a table. No, I’m not expecting company for dinner. Is anybody these days?

What I Used

So, I’ll be adding a few things that I recently purchased from Marshalls. The napkins are pink and white gingham with a cute little bunny looking straight at me.  They come in a pack of four.  I’m also using four miniature ceramic bowls that also have little bunnies on them. They are so adorable! They come two to a pack and I think they were like $4.99. 

The plates that I’ll be using are from thrift days gone by. I’ll be incorporating an enormous pink and white ceramic egg, which when open, resembles a cookie jar. I guess it could be used for cookies or other goodies. This was a Marshalls purchase for $9.99. It’s so pretty!

Using Thrift Finds to Decorate

Let me say that the majority of the décor on my dining room table is thrifted. The set itself was a Craigslist find that I painted a little while ago. Since painting the table white, the colors of my dinnerware and other décor really comes to life! When the table was a dark cherry, my table runners always seemed to clash. When I go back and look at old videos of the table, I wonder why I waited so long to paint it!

I anchored a garland table runner with two large white ceramic teapots. These teapots were second-hand purchases. I used them as flower vessels and filled them with pink tulips and hydrangeas.  

My pink chargers had been brown in a previous life. They too were upcycled thrift finds too. Love it!

Conclusion

I am so happy with this the way this turned out! I’m loving the pinks! Do you set a table or decorate your home for Easter?

There are so many second-hand finds in this tablescape!  It really makes me happy that I can reuse things and give them new life! I hope this gives you a little inspiration for your Easter tablescape!

Disclosure: Links may contain affiliates. When you buy through one of our links we will receive a commission. This is at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Life on Greenwood and allowing me to continue to bring you valuable content.