7 Ways To Add Gold Glam To Your Space!

All that glitters...

You know the words!

Is GOLD.

Remember back to this project?

I threw some gold glitter + sand in a hurricane candle holder, and stuck a candle in it. Easy as pie!



Well, that was the tiny snowball that started an avalanche.
Since then, I have gone just a little ga ga for gold.

So, here are they are, in no particular order...

7 Ways To Add Gold Glam To Your Space!

1. Add some simple yet snazzy gold accessories.

You just need a few pieces to add some glam.

This is an arrangement by "Paint the Runway" See how easy it is? She added a gold leaf to a stack of books, with a painting (one of her fabulous paintings!) and in a matter of minutes, has a beautiful set up.



Don't have any gold accessories? Then...

2. Go spray paint something!

I really love to spray paint. I mean REALLY. In fact, I think I have an addiction could spray paint everyday.
Is there a group for that?

"Hello, my name is Christa... "

You can grab almost anything around the house and change it up with some spray paint.

Here is the primer I like to use for most of my projects. It will even adhere to plastic! It is always a good idea to rough up the surface of your item with some sand paper before spraying.



I chose this gold paint because the lady at Home Depot said it was the shiniest gold they carried. I was pleased!



Then I found an old candle holder that I've been saving for a rainy day and got down to business.

Before...


Primed...


After... Now a lovely golden glow!


I was a spray painting fiend that day and found a few more things to spray...

Before... a black jewelry hanger from IKEA.


After...


I had this cute little tray that was unfinished wood, very nice for a more beachy look, but I wanted to add a punch of glamour instead.



I added some adhesive chevron craft paper to the inside and now it's so pretty!



3. Find furniture that you can update easily (with spray paint, of course).

We found this coffee table on Craigslist and loved it. It even spins like a large lazy susan (why are they even called that?). Oops, I forgot to take before pics of when it was just bamboo coloured.



Spray painting tip: When painting larger items, use an attachment like this spray paint gun. Then your finger won't freeze in place or feel like it's falling off. You can purchase these at any hardware store.



4. Recovering furniture is easy!

If you make someone else do it that is, ha ha ha.

These are my dining room chairs. They are old and stained. I have been married for almost thirteen years now and have been meaning to recover them for, oh, twelve and a half years.



Dear Hubby happened upon a very large roll of vinyl in his parents garage. It came with their house. No one had any designs to use it and guess what colour it was, GOLD! I didn't want to see it go to waste, so we lugged it over to our garage.

One day, while I was gone, dear Hubby covered the old, ugly, blue, stained, velvet seat cushions. I'd say he did a stellar job, for having never done this before. The vinyl wasn't the easiest to pull around the corners.
Now they are like, SHAZAAM, especially in my jade coloured dining room! And, I can just wash those puppies down. Why did we wait for.ev.er?!



5. Get creative with some paint.

I like to get crafty, I like Martha Stewart, and I like to paint. So, naturally, Martha Stewart craft supplies get tested by me.



I have canvases lying around for when the inspiration grabs me. I decided to print out some block leters to use as a template for this LOVE painting.



I almost like it just with the black and white. I traced the letters I had cut out and got to painting. I used a small paintbrush for the corners and edges and then filled in the large areas with a 1 inch Purdy (my fave).



The "O" looks red, but it is really hot pink. I wish you could actually see the glitter, but I "LOVE" how it turned out!



6. Upcycle some thrifted items.

One can never have too many pillows, right? I tend to buy pillows a lot. Even if you don't know how to sew, you can do an easy transformation with some fabric, safety pins and rubber bands.

An old, obviously handmade (not in a nice way) gold sequin dress will become the covering for this pillow.



Blang! Isn't she lovely? Yup, that was all done with safety pins and rubber bands. Now, if your kiddos are gonna pillow fight with this, it obviously won't hold together. But, for a quick fix, it works! And, it only cost about $8.



Now where to put her...



I have fabric left over, and lots of options.



7. Add some hints of gold into your personal style.

The gold contagion has even spilled over into my wardrobe. The last few trips to the GW were successful.





I might have glitter in my veins.



Here is a sneak peek at our Master Bedroom in which a project is being started on, hopefully this weekend. It will be edgy and glamorous and probably gold. I can't wait to show you!



Maybe in 2 years when the gold phase has fizzled out and trends are changing, I'll be adding silver in instead. All I'll have to do is break out the spray paint, add some new accessories, and I won't be breaking the bank.

I hope you have found some inspiration here. You can update just a few things in your home for very little cost and make your space look glamorous!

~ christa jean ~

MUST. BE. CREATIVE!

{Be prepared to be bombarded with photos}
It flows from deep within, this desire to design, create, craft, decorate, transform and all other such suitable words.

What do I do when I don't have my own house to be creative in? I use my gifts elsewhere!
I helped create/update the decor in our church for this spring season.


IKEA always comes through for me. The tulip panel set is from there and the purple panels (only 5 bucks each!) we made into lighted panels. Took some ingenuity and hubby help to rig 'em up, but I'm pleased with the result!

These next few pics are from the ladies restroom.

This verse was quite a challenge to paint because the only place I could fit the projector (yes, I like to do things the easy way) was at an angle to this wall. It was quite tricky to make the curves line up.

I borrowed this idea from another church. I love that you see this little sign as you are walking out the door and it is so matter-of-fact. You ARE beautiful. Really.

Little details make all the difference. And I love fake orchids that do not die. I think I've killed 10 in the almost 12 years I've been married. Finally, my hubby got a clue and stopped buying them for me. He's the one with the green thumb, not I.

Do you recall these pretty little birdies? I said I would show you what they looked like on the wall, well, that was over a year ago. So, here ya go.

The next couple of pics are from a gal pals house.

She scored on a used couch and then re-decorated her room around it.

The lovely, funky couch! I got excited about it too and "helped" just a little. I found those pillows for her at Ross on clearance for $5.49 a piece! And, if you look really closely, you'll see a lego guy lying there. She homeschools five boys, people!

The lamps were another one of my "helps". I suggested that, because the couch sits so low, she give the illusion of some height and put lamps behind the couch. Cool lamps are not cheap, once you include buying the shades. I found these lamps for $2 a piece. Read, TWO DOLLARS! They were ugly brass, with even uglier shades, but I saw the potential. I used Krylon's "Fusion" spray paint which will adhere to anything, even plastic. Then I searched for shades. The ones I wanted were $15 at Target and I just couldn't bring myself to do it, not after spending $2 per lamp. The lamps sat at my friends house for a few weeks with no shades, poor girl. But then, HOORAY! We found shades at Ross for $6.99 each. She also put up some pretty white sheer panels and it looks FAB!

Before I sound too much like a decorating diva, let me just give you (and my blushing self) a piece of advice... always check a lamp out before you buy it at a thrift store. In my excitement, I left the store without even plugging them in. When I finally did plug them in, it was at my friend's house. And, OH, the aggravation I felt as I realized that the switches didn't work. Or work well. Now the only way she can turn them on is to plug them in each time.

Oh well, I laugh at myself!

This is me beaming because I actually made asparagus without overcooking it and it getting all mushy-nasty! And it was sooooo easy! I just melted a couple tablespoons each of butter and olive oil together in a big saucepan. Trimmed some of the woody stems off the ends of the asparagus spears. Threw the spears in to sizzle. I quickly and finely chopped some garlic in-between turning the asparagus. That's really the trick I found, don't cook them longer than say 7 minutes and turn them a lot. I added the garlic in after about 5 minutes, if you add them at the end and turn down the heat, they won't burn. I then sprinkled them with freshly ground pepper and "Real Salt" (the only kind of salt I buy) and voila! Perfecto! I also found that buying the skinny, baby looking asparagus makes them taste nicer. Maybe the huge ones are too far grown? Who knows.

Silly me, I had to take a picture of my salad also. It was so pretty. And so yummy. This recipe is from my girl Tiffany, who passed it on to me years ago and it's my go-to salad for every special event. It has a homemade poppy-seed dressing that I love.

My oldest daughter is quite crafty herself. She has been writing her own "recipes" for a few months now. Here is one of her concoctions that she made for me one sunny afternoon. Mango cubes with drizzled honey and sprinkles.

Note to self: make sure she washes her honey fingers before touching every cupboard and doorknob in the house.

I leave you with this pic of my "Kung Fu China Dolls"

It happens to be a perfect candid of what I see most days. Someone frowning at some injustice done by another sister. What the issue was, I don't even remember. But it was a big deal in the moment and I caught it on film!

Happy creating!

~ christa jean

I Am Loving This!

Here are a couple pics from The Nester of her random plate wall. The arrow is pointing out the out-of-place oval plate she saw after she took the picture.
Uh, I might have missed that.I will probably do something akin to this in my next home. I like to copy people who are brilliant (and frugal) decorators. I have no shame about this, for we all know that imitation is the greatest form of flattery!

And here she reveals her tips on how to hang them plates on the wall. Thank you, Nester! Especially from those us who get stuck in symmetrical, you've inspired us!

What are you inspired by when it comes to decor?

~christa jean

p.s. I can only seem to get the before pic to fit, but you can imagine what it looks like when she moves the oval plate to the bottom left... perfecto!

Dreaming of Decor...

My hubby and I recently went to our favourite beach for a few days. One of the reasons we love the quaint town of Cannon Beach is that it holds so many fond memories for us. Another reason is a sweet shop named "Sesame and Lilies" which never disappoints. There are rooms full of beautiful and unique household decor and furniture and just when you thought you had got to the last room, you'd find another nook full of pretties. Here are a few of the items that inspired me...

{This armoir was filled with things old and new and I loved the distressed look of it.}

{Here's me taking in the serene surroundings.
Of course, I would have a pillow with birds on it in my clutches.}


{A closer view of the ottoman covered in fabric inspired by vintage french flour sacks.}


{I want.}


{I want this too, minus the crows.}

{This was the coolest table in the whole shop and I know I can make monogrammed stools like that! Give me some fabric paint, a template, and voila!}

{A closer view of the table legs.}

{LOVE the mirror.}

{I even liked this shabby farm table.

Pair it with some wing back chairs and maybe a glitzy chandelier.

Luscious.}

When the decorating itch takes over me, I am compelled to do something, anything. So, I help decorate our church. Here is what we put up after Christmas. Thank you, IKEA (and Carter). If you look closely you can see curly, white twigs between each panel.

{ With lights!}

{Homemade lighted panel in the stairwell. The light fixtures are on my list to "help" with too.}

{The far wall. That black border around the sign? Duct tape. Yup. We have a budget ya know! And, I did not do the lettering by hand without a little cheating with an overhead projector.}

{Oh, what I could have done with this beauty with some paint and glaze! But they wanted $150 for it. WHATEVER!}

{And here's me again, strolling down the lane...

Okay, just dreaming. ;-D}

~christajean