PLAYHOUSE REMODEL

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Winter break is officially over and so is my downtime.  You know what that means?  It means that I’m back at it and am so excited to share all of the details on my playhouse remodel!  I purchased THIS playhouse and was thrilled when I found out that they decided to make it in white (it only came as a dark wood before) saving me lots of time not having to paint the entire thing.  The table, door, chalkboard and roof all came as a dark gray but I gave them a good painting to brighten them up.

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Before I began assembling the playhouse, I wanted to get everything painted first.  Here is everything I used!

PAINT

  • For the door + table I used THIS paint and color.
  • I am unable to find it online but I used PPG Glidden paint in the color Antique Linen for the roof
  • I used this cheap $10 PAINTBRUSH SET
  • I also wanted to change the mailbox flag and the chalk board to try and match the roof so THIS was the spray paint I used.
  • THIS is the spray paint I used for the numbers and door handle

 

DECORATIONS + TOYS/ PLAYFOOD 

 

I made sure that before I began to paint I had a tarp to lay everything out on because painting is MESSY!  I ended up doing two coats on each piece to effectively cover the dark gray.  I let the first coat sit for a few hours before I applied the second.

Once the painting was done, it was time to assemble the playhouse and I was so excited!  I could not wait to get it all put together so that I could officially see the finished product.

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I do have one suggestion when it comes to assembling the playhouse — ALWAYS read the step that you are on AND the step that comes after.  Trust me, I learned the hard way!  For some reason these instructions don’t come with any writing, just a drawn picture of what you are supposed to do and I noticed that I was doing things incorrectly every once in a while.  For example, the big mistakes were when I would place a wood panel upside down because I wouldn’t notice that one side would have holes for screws and the other wouldn’t.  Once I would get to the next step I would see that I had drilled the entire panel in wrong and have to retrace my steps!

 I also made an AMAZON LIST dedicated just to this playhouse with some cute toy food, rug, play mixer, these wooden hooks and market bags + more!

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I finally finished everything and could not wait for the kids to see!  The hardest thing was that I had it hidden over at my parents neighbors house and needed to get it to my backyard Christmas Eve night.  Luckily my brothers and parents live close so we called in all the man power we could find and they lifted it over some walls, drove it over, and placed it perfectly on our back patio.

Christmas morning came and the kids opened every present.  I found one present left and on the box it said, “Ho ho ho!  Run to the backyard for a BIG surprise!  Love, Santa”.  The kids ran out back and were so excited.  Well, Milo was at least.  Ruck was just excited about his new Nerf guns but now he loves to play in it.  Raen is also a big fan so it was the perfect Santa gift for everyone to enjoy!

We had the best Christmas and even now the kids will be outside playing for HOURS.  I think I ended up getting the best Christmas present of all — busy + happy kids!

Paige

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DIY CLAY EARRINGS

I was surprised at how easy these earrings were to make!  In one sitting I was able to create 5 pairs.  I think that’s more earrings than I’ve had in years!

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What you will need

  • Sculpey Clay in the desired colors you want for your earrings.  You can mix clay like I did below but it is always easier if you purchase it in a color that’s pre-made.
  • Earring studs and hoops.  If you have sensitive ears then make sure you purchase them in Sterling Silver.  The studs are hidden so if you have sensitive ears but like the look of gold and want the gold hoops, that’s not a problem!  You won’t really see the silver.
  • Clay Tools – used to cut out earrings
  • Clay Sandpaper
  • Clay rolling pin or you could use a glass bottle or cup.
  • Sculpy Glue– this is used to glue the earring studs onto the clay.
  • Sculpy Glaze– I suggest using this glaze on white clay products so that your makeup doesn’t stain your earrings.
  • Pliers

The craft store didn’t have the color I was looking for so I mixed the dark brown and light pink clay to create my desired color (see below).

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* Finding clay cutters in some of the shapes that you want the earrings to be in does make it easier.  But you won’t always be able to find the exact shape you are looking for.

  1. Use your rolling pin to roll out the clay.  If you are creating a two piece earring using a hoop to connect the two, you will want to make sure that the hoop is big enough to fit around both of your clay shapes.  That being said, you also don’t want the clay to be too thin or else the earring will break!  Once you start rolling out the clay, you will see what I’m referring to.

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2. Once you have your desired shapes, make a small hole that’s wide enough to fit the gold hoop at the bottom of one of your pieces (see above photo).  You will then take your second shape (this is the one that will be hanging at the bottom of the earring) and place a hole at the top of this piece.  These holes will be used to connect the two shapes using a hoop once the clay is cooked.

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3. Place the clay shapes for your earrings on a glass baking dish.

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4.  Using the Sculpey Bake and Bond you will apply glue onto the back of your earring stud and place it at the top of your first clay shape.  Make sure when you are placing your stud, the hole is directly at the bottom.  This will allow the earring to hang evenly when you eventually attach the two pieces.

5.  Follow the instructions on the back of your Sculpey Bake and Bond bottle and bake your clay.

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6.  Let your clay cool then using your clay sandpaper, smooth the edges of your earrings.

7.  If you like the matte look on your earrings then leave them be.  If you want a little bit of gloss to keep them from getting dirty (I definitely would put it on your white earrings) then add the Sculpey Glaze.

8.  Using your gold hoops, connect the two pieces and your earrings are complete!

Paige

 

Paige ChristensenLeave a comment