The Finals are Here!
Prepare to be blown away!
#1 Our Summertime Retreat
by...Sassy Sites
This competition has been so much fun! Thank you Amy for all your hard work in putting the American Crafters together. It's been a blast! I decided for the final round to GO BIG! I've been wanting to do a backyard patio makeover, and I figured with summer right around the corner, this is the perfect time to enjoy LOTS of time outside! There are so many little details that went into transforming this space! First, I'm going to show you the before and after shots, so you can see the huge difference!
...........................
Here's the
BEFORE
We didn't have a ton going on back here except toys, trash, and storage.
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Here's the
AFTER
Now we have a place to eat, visit, relax, and enjoy!! It feels like an extension of the inside of our home. We recovered chairs, hung curtains, painted furniture, hung a chandelier over the table and built a cafe awning over the kitchen window.
When the day starts to heat up, we just close the burlap curtains that lead out to the yard and enjoy our new Summertime Retreat! This is a space we will enjoy for many more years to come! You can see the full tutorial of everything we did over at Sassy Sites. XOXO!!
Truely trash to treasure! Lovely makeover! Angie
Wowzer, you ladies are really stiffening up the competition! This is perfect for summer, and what a transformation! I love the burlap curtains, and the chandelier is gorgeous! A very lovely outdoor space! Alison
summertime retreat - What a fabulous transformation! I love the little touches like the curtains and the monogrammed door. Amy
#2 Kitchen Cabinet Makeover
by...Scissors & Spatulas
I cannot believe that I am here in the final round of American Crafter! Unbelievable! This has been so much fun and so nerve-racking! I've been on the edge of my seat for the past three weeks! What a talented group of ladies that I have been up against!
I knew exactly what I wanted to share for the final round, Contestants' Choice. It was just a matter of whether or not I could get it finished in time. This reveal has been a longtime coming. And I mean long time coming! My poor readers {and myself} have been waiting on this reveal for almost three months. Yes, three months! Today, I'm so excited to finally reveal to you. . .
Whew, this was a project {to say the least}. As usual, I knew exactly what I wanted the finished project to look like, but it took a lot of reading, inquiring, trials and errors to get these cabinets the way I had envisioned them. I won't lie, it was not an easy task. We hit a lot of speed bumps along the way where things didn't work as we had planned which caused major delays. Many times throughout the process I cursed and hollered that I would NEVER do this again. But now that I'm finished, I would do again in a heartbeat! I absolutely love how my new cabinets look! Now this little collage isn't going to show you much, so you'll have to head over to
my blog to see a more pictures and to get a more detailed tutorial.
{In the photo above you will see how our kitchen looked when we purchased the house (top left); after we lowered the bar, installed granite counter tops and tile back splash(top middle & right); and our most recent renovation - the painted cabinets (bottom)}
Unfortunately, new kitchen cabinets were not an option for us. I always wanted to paint them, but knew it would be quite a project which is why I waited so long. One day I made the decision to go for it and there was no turning back once I started. In a nutshell, here are the steps for re-finishing the cabinets:
- Remove cabinet hardware and doors. Clean all surfaces to remove grease and grime.
- Sand surfaces well to rough up the finish.
- Prime.
- Lightly sand to smooth any brush strokes or drips.
- Paint 2-3 coats, allowing to dry 24 hours and lightly sanding in between coats.
- Apply and wipe off glaze to give an "antique look."
On top of the painting, we also added glass doors and replaced the cabinet above the microwave with a decorative box and shelf that touched the ceiling. When we bought our house, our kitchen was plain Jane and dated. Nothing pretty, nothing special about it. We started updating it a few years ago, but it still wasn't the kitchen I dreamed of. Now it's perfect {well, I would still like a Viking range and a Sub Zero fridge haha} ! I am so happy with all of the changes we have made. Even more gratifying is knowing
we did it all ourselves! Please stop by my blog
Scissors & Spatulas to see a more detailed post about the kitchen cabinet makeover.
Good luck to Lolly Jane and Sassy Sites! You all have such great ideas and have been tough to compete against!
My mouth is agape!! Tremendous job!! Love love love!! My fave this week!! You go girl!! Angie
Okay, I am so motivated to spruce up my kitchen now! I love the glaze you used to give the antique finish. I know I'm in love--it's a whole new space! Alison
kitchen cabinet makeover - I have painted kitchen cabinets before so I know how hard it is - this is an amazing labor of love and totally changes the look of the kitchen! Amy
#3 Craft Hutch
by...Lolly Jane
For this round we wanted to showcase what Lolly Jane is all about... sprucing up your space.
We are both in the middle of moving and Kelli FINALLY has her very own craft room, {yay!} When we saw this hutch on Craigslist for $40, we knew it was a steal of a deal and the perfect storage for our this 'n that craft supplies.
Stop by our blog for the before as well as fun tips to turn a china hutch into a craft hutch!
We are so honored to be in the last round of this fun competition! Thanks for your support :)
Mason jars storing craft supplies...they might be trying to buy this judge! ;) Just kidding! But truely I love this! A classic piece turned functional!! And the jars are the icing on the cake! Angie
Wow, I wish I could score a hutch like this for my craft room! It's gorgeous. Well done, ladies! Alison
hutch - I'm obsessed with craft storage, and this is an awesome idea. It's gorgeous. Amy
You may Vote 1 Time for your Favorite
Voting ends Sunday night
Results will be up Monday Morning
