Sometimes it takes being challenged to see something through a different lens. It's time for another International Bloggers Club challenge and this month the theme is Iron. This one had me stumped for days until I remembered something deep in my stash that I've never found a use for. I married it with another item that has been collecting dust in the workshop and we now have a unique wrought iron door knocker barrel stave flower pot holder (whew, say that five times fast). I have it hanging on the gate in our yard and couldn't be happier with the results.

Wrought Iron Barrel Stave Flower Pot Holder

I've had the Fleur De Lis wrought iron door knocker in a box for so long that I don't remember when or where I got it. I'm a sucker for anything with French flair so it's no surprise that I bought it. But the door knocker didn't suit the style of the exterior of our home so it was never used for it's intended purpose. One never to get rid of ornamental iron works, I knew someday I'd find a purpose for it.

Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way. ~Edward de Bono

I'm so glad that someday has finally arrived, thanks to our iron challenge this month.

If you're new here and haven't heard of the International Bloggers Club, we are a group of friends from around the globe who come together every month to share a themed DIY project. You'll find links to my friend's iron inspired projects at the bottom of this post.

We have members from Spain, South Africa, Australia, the USA, and here in Canada. I'm from a hamlet east of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. We are situated in the Canadian Prairies and just a 4-5 hour drive from the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

For our silk or linen challenge, I shared my No Sew Tailored Bed Skirt For Adjustable Beds. The month prior for our leather challenge, I shared How To Beautify A Footstool With Embossed Leather.

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. At no cost to you, we receive a small commission if you make a purchase.

It's been at least a couple of years since Mr. Frugalista brought home the wine or whiskey barrel staves pictured below. The intention was to turn them into a stool or plant stand but that never happened and instead, they've been collecting dust in the workshop.

Wondering how I could marry the ornamental iron door knocker and the oak barrel staves, inspiration finally struck. But first I needed a metal flower pot.

The plan was to find a flower pot to fit inside the metal bob or ring of the door knocker. The problem was when flowers were inserted inside the flower pot, the ornate details of the door knocker were hidden. On to plan B.

I found the turquoise metal flower pot with fence hanger hook (pictured above) at the dollar store. The hanger was perfect to bend around the door knocker ring so the flower pot would hang lower. But the pretty blue flower pot was too shiny and new for the rustic charm I was going for. So I got busy with layers of paint and aged it.

You can see how nicely the iron door knocker, wine barrel staves, and metal flower pot work together to make an iron door knocker barrel stave flower pot holder.

...and I love how it looks hanging on our back gate.

Here's how I did it...

Glazed oak wine barrel staves

While I love the natural wood on the oak staves, the wrought iron door knocker looked lost against the dark wood. The option was either paint the door knocker or the barrel staves and I chose the later. First I sanded the wood staves to remove the glossy finish.

Next, I brushed the staves with a whitewash glaze, brushing both across and up and down each section to get the glaze deep into the wood grain. I let it sit for a couple of minutes before wiping the excess with a lint-free rag.

You can see the process in the photo below between the natural wood staves and the whitewashed staves. See how the glaze nestled into the grain of the wood?

How to age dollar store metal flower pots

While I loved the pretty turquoise color of the metal flower pot, it didn't have the rustic charm I wanted for my flower pot fence hanger.

My intention was to paint a faux galvanized metal finish on the flower pot so it would match the galvanized iron hoops on the barrel staves. I wanted some of the pretty turquoise color to peek through the painted layers. I started by painting dark gray chalk paint in random brush strokes with a chip brush.

I used the products below to achieve the aged galvanized patina on the flower pot.

A big difference between the flower pot before and after, right?

I applied the remaining layers of paint with a chip brush and dabbed with a lint-free rag to remove some of the paint.

Layer One - Hurricane Gray chalk paint (Dixie Belle)
Layer Two - Metallic Silver paint (Modern Masters)
Layer Three - Pewter Gray chalk paint (FAT)
Layer Four - Copper Primer, Metallic Copper paint, and Green Patina (Modern Masters)
Layer Five - Blackened Bronze Metallic Surfaces (Sophisticated Finishes)
Layer Six - Wicker White Multi-Surface craft paint (Folk Art)

Assembling the flower pot holder

Assembling it was super quick and easy. First I attached the door knocker to the barrel staves with 3/4-inch wood screws. I dabbed some blackened bronze and copper primer paint onto the screw heads with an art brush to match the wrought iron.

Next, I bent the fence hanger on the flower pot over the door knocker ring. I attached a D-ring picture hanger hook onto the back of the barrel staves and it was ready to hang with pretty pink petunias.

I'm not going to lie, part of me wonders if I should have left the metal flower pot untouched. The juxtaposition between the rustic door knocker and whitewashed staves with a pop of turquoise might have been quite pretty. What would have been your preference?

I'd love to hear in the comment section below or if you have any questions about this project, press the Contact Me button at the top of the blog to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

Other Wrought Iron OR Planter Inspiration

Rustic Garden Tool Holder With Planter
Repurposed 5-Panel Door Flower Planter
Wrought Iron Plant Stand Makeover
Vintage Wrought Iron Nesting Tables
Repurposed Hurricane Candle Holder To DIY Bistro Dining Set

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.

Please join me by clicking the links below to visit my friend's iron inspired projects.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Back in the Fall, we purchased a new mattress with an adjustable reclining base. Oh, how I love the recline feature! But what I didn't realize was that a traditional bed skirt that lays between the mattress and box spring wouldn't work. Because the top of the base reclines, so too does the dust ruffle on the skirt. Skirts for this style of bed can have a hefty price tag so instead, I modified a standard bed skirt into a no-sew tailored bed skirt for an adjustable bed.

No Sew Tailored Bed Skirt For Adjustable Beds

Not only did I save a lot of money but it took less than thirty minutes to make with no sewing machine required. But what I also love about this modified bed skirt is that when it's time to wash it, you don't have to lift a heavy mattress to take it off. Reclining bed or not, what's not to love about that?

The bed's been skirtless since last Fall because getting to this project kept being put on the back burner. When I learned that this months challenge for my friends and I in the Int'l Bloggers Club was creating a project with silk or linen, it was just the motivation I needed to finally cover our naked bed.

If you're new here and haven't heard of the International Bloggers Club, we are a group of friends from around the globe who come together every month to share a themed DIY project. Links to my friend's silk or linen projects are included at the bottom of this post.

Last month the theme was leather where I breathed new life into a curvy thrift store footstool with a gorgeous embossed leather hide.

This is the modified tailored bed skirt with the adjustable base in the flat position.

And here it is with the adjustable base at a recline. See how the modified bed skirt doesn't move with the base?

One of the reasons we purchased the adjustable bed is so it can be kept at a slight incline because both Mr. Frugalista and I suffer from acid reflux. It's a nuisance to have to readjust the incline every night before going to bed. Hence the reason I needed a bed skirt that didn't move up with the adjustable bed.

We also chose an adjustable bed because I LOVE to read in bed. My favorite way to start the day is grabbing a coffee, opening the blinds on our large bedroom window and snuggling back in bed with a good book while enjoying the view of our backyard. Oftentimes I am distracted by the chirping of birds or the shenanigans of our neighborhood squirrels. We have these little tiny birds (have no clue what they are) that will chase the squirrels as they run along our fence. Who needs a television in the bedroom when nature can provide so much entertainment.

This is what I used to make it

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience so you can see what products I used or recommend to make this project. See my full disclosure policy.

Modifying a standard bed skirt is so easy because it requires no sewing. I found my grey queen size pleated bed skirt for $19.99 at Walmart. The color matched the lighter grey in our duvet cover perfectly.

To modify the standard bed skirt you'll need 3/4-inch self-adhesive velcro. We used approximately 22-feet for a queen size bed. Bonus, we found ours in a clearance bin for $2 per package - the regular price was $6.

Here's how I did it...

See what I mean when I say that the platform on the top of the adjustable base reclines and a regular skirt would lift right along with it?

Wash and cut a standard bed skirt

First, wash the bed skirt and dry on the low heat setting. I didn't iron mine at this point - or any point for that matter and we'll talk about that further down in the post.

Remove the middle fabric of the skirt by cutting along the seam of the dust ruffle with sharp fabric scissors.

Reclining bed skirts come with a six-inch border around the dust ruffle that lays on top of the platform and hangs over the frame on the part that reclines. I can see that shifting around and being a total nuisance. Instead, I didn't bother with a border and secured mine with velcro.

Velcro fasteners on the bed skirt

With the wrong side of the skirt facing towards you, attach the fuzzy side of the velcro to the top edge of the bed skirt. Press firmly with your fingers for good adhesion. You may want to dab a little hot glue every so often if you find it isn't holding firmly onto the fabric.

Attach the hooked side of the velcro along the top edge of the reclining base as pictured below. Press firmly with your fingers for good adhesion.

Starting at one corner attach the skirt and that's all there is to it. How quick and easy was that!

To iron or not to iron, that is the question

And my answer is always HELL NO! This Mama will find any excuse to avoid ironing. I used my handy portable fabric steamer and drapery tool attachment to steam out the wrinkles.

How easy was that? And for around $25 compared to upwards of $140 for a tailored adjustable bed skirt, I couldn't be happier.

But my modified bed skirt would work for any bed with a box spring. The fact that you can just tear it off when it needs to be washed without having to lift a heavy mattress is all the motivation I need. What about you?

Whenever I post pictures of the bedroom I'm always asked about some of the elements in the room so I've included links should you be wondering too. Like the Stenciled Wall behind the bed or our 3-Panel Door Headboard. I also made the Dollar Store Birdhouses displayed on the top of the headboard and the night table is an Inexpensive Box Store Table Makeover.

If you have any questions about this no-sew bed skirt, please leave them in the comment section below or press the Contact Me button at the top of the blog to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.

Please join me by clicking the links below to visit my friend's silk or linen inspired projects...

Minimal Water Colour Abstract Linen Painting by Northern Feeling

How To Make A Silky Bohemian Dreamcatcher by A Crafty Mix

DIY Pin Cushion Made With Linen by Faeries & Fauna

Footstools are perfect to practice chalk painting furniture and trying upholstery for the first time. They are far less intimidating than a large piece of furniture and they don't take a lot of time to finish. My curvy embossed leather footstool took under two hours to complete and most of that time was waiting for paint to dry.

I should have titled this post the footstool that ran me dry because I used the last drop of paint in the jar, the last drop of clear coat, the last large piece of leather hide, the last strand of decorative trim, and the very last glue stick in my stash.

How To Beautify A Curvy Embossed Leather Footstool

Today I'm joining my friends in the Int'l Bloggers Club where our challenge this month is to create something with leather. I knew my small curvy thrifty footstool would be the perfect candidate to use the last piece of embossed leather hide leftover from the Art Deco Headboard Bench.

If you're new here and haven't heard of the International Bloggers Club, we are a group of friends from around the globe who come together every month to share a themed DIY project. Links to my friend's leather projects are included at the bottom of this post. The last month that I participated in the challenge the theme was Valentines Day where I made a Burlap Ribbon Heart Wreath.

To truly appreciate this makeover you have to see what the footstool looked like when I bought it for $8 at Goodwill.

A big difference between the before and after, right?

Let's take a closer look at that lovely gold crushed velvet velour that was on the top. Um yeah, that just has to go.

So much prettier with this gorgeous floral embossed leather hide - look at those lovely details!

It's the perfect size footstool to pair with a small chair like the French Provincial Chair that used to be gold stripes until I painted the fabric white.

Whenever I stage photos with the table in the photo above, I always get asked about it. You can find that makeover here in my White Stacked Book Table post.

So here's how I did it...

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this makeover. See my full disclosure policy.

Prepping the footstool for paint and upholstery

First things first are removing the seat and prepping the wood base for paint. First I cleaned the wood with a liquid deglosser which helps with topcoat adhesion. Next, I lightly sanded the wood with 150-grit sandpaper to give the primer some bite. I probably went overboard with both the deglosser and sanding but I'd rather err on the side of caution.

Because I knew the tannins in the wood would cause paint bleed, I primed the footstool with a stain blocking primer.

Painting and protecting the footstool base

I painted the base with two coats of Buttercream chalk paint with my favorite round paintbrush, sanding between coats with 220-grit sandpaper to a smooth finish. Once the second coat dried, I distressed along the edges of those curvy cabriole legs with sandpaper.

Knowing this little footstool may suffer some wear and tear, instead of my usual wax finish I applied a more durable clear coat, applied with the same round paintbrush. I love this stuff because it gives a beautiful matte finish like wax.

Replacing the old fabric with embossed leather

Well, that was the easiest fabric removal I’ve ever done. Who upholsters furniture with nails and tacks?

Lucky for me there wasn't a staple insight but if you're not as lucky, these inexpensive upholstery tools are a must. No more bandaids!

I only had one piece of embossed leather hide just barely large enough to upholster the footstool, so there was no room for error. You can find the floral embossed leather hide at The Leather Hide Store.

Upholstery Step 1:

Always start in the center and work your way out, stopping about 2-3 inches from the corner. Work on the opposite side, pulling the fabric taut as you work and repeat on all four sides.

I prefer using a pneumatic staple gun because it's so much faster but an electric or handheld upholstery stapler will do the job too.

Upholstery Step 2:

Pull the fabric point on each corner into the center (as pictured below) and tack a staple to hold it flat.

Upholstery Step 3:

Fold the point on each corner up and staple in place. You can see in the photo below that there is a lot of bulk in the folds because of the thickness of the leather. I'm in no way suggesting my way of folding the corners is the proper way of doing it when working with a thicker fabric like leather. Because I don't plan on selling this footstool, I wasn't too concerned about it being perfect.

If I had a larger piece of leather hide to work with, I would have sewn the corners much like I did HERE.

When I reattached the seat I wasn't fond of the small gap between the base and the seat (which was there with the old fabric too). To hide it I hot glued some decorative gimp braid trim along the edge.

I like how it dresses up the footstool a little bit.

The upholstery, including the braid trim, took less than 30 minutes. The most time-consuming part of this makeover was waiting for product to dry. If you're new to upholstery I would not suggest you start with leather because it is much easier to fold the corners with fabric.

If you have any questions about this makeover, please leave them in the comment section below or press the Contact Me button at the top of the blog to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

So what do you think? You'll be seeing this pretty little footstool in future posts as I plan on using it as a photo prop.

Please join me by clicking the links below to visit my friend's Leather inspired projects...

An InLinkz Link-up

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.

I'm happy to be joining my friend's in the Int'l Bloggers Club to share our first DIY project of 2019. This month the theme is Love Is In The Air where we hope to inspire you with Valentine ideas. I have to admit, I'm not one who decorates the house for Valentine's Day but I always enjoy a seasonal wreath for the front door. In December I made two tabletop Christmas trees with red burlap ribbon. When I had some leftover, I saved it to make a DIY burlap ribbon Valentine wreath for our door.

Red Burlap Ribbon DIY Valentine Wreath

If you're new around here and haven't heard of the Int'l Bloggers Club, we are a group of friends from around the globe who come together every month to share a themed DIY project. Links to my friend's Valentine inspired projects are included at the bottom of this post. In November, our last project of 2018, the theme was Christmas where I shared a Christmas Junk Angel made from a repurposed thrift store metal shelf.

This Valentine's project is a great craft to do while watching television. I made mine while binge-watching the new season of Grace and Frankie on Netflix.

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend to make this wreath. See my full disclosure policy. Pictured below are some of the supplies I used to make the wreath, minus the narrow heart ribbon.

For This Project You Will Need:

1 1/2 Spools 1" Red Burlap Ribbon (not an affiliate link)
1 Spool 7/8" Red & White Polka Dot Ribbon
Heart Shape Wreath Form OR Bendable Craft Wire
Wire Cutters
Needle Nose Pliers
Fabric Scissors
Large and Small Pearl Craft Beads
Metal Heart Pendant Charm
Small Jewelry Jump Ring
Clear Jewelry Cord
Hot Glue Gun
Colonial Red Spray Paint (optional)

How to make a burlap ribbon Valentine wreath

First, you'll need a wreath form. You can use a ready-made heart shape metal form or make one like I did.

DIY metal wreath form

I used a grapevine heart for my template and traced the shape on a whiteboard.

You could repurpose a wire clothes hanger or use bendable craft wire like I did. Starting on the bottom point of the wreath, bend the wire over the heart template, holding it in place with tape as you work (pictured below). Twist the ends of the wire together with needle nose pliers and cut the excess with wire cutters.

This step is optional but to help conceal the metal wreath form from peeking through the ribbon, I painted it first with Colonial Red Rustoleum spray paint.

Cut the ribbon for the wreath

Here's where you may want to set yourself up in front of the television. Cut both the burlap ribbon and red & white accent ribbon in 9-inch strips.

I used one 3 yard spool of 7/8-inch accent ribbon and 1 1/2 spools of 10 yard 1-inch burlap ribbon. The accent ribbon isn't wired because it was all I had on hand but my preference would be wired.

Add the ribbon onto the wreath

Embrace the burlap fray! Tie the strips of burlap ribbon around the entire wreath, fraying the ends as you work.

Tie eight accent ribbons spaced evenly around the wreath and with sharp scissors make a V cut on each end.

Tip: Fold the tails of the ribbon in half and cut diagonally towards the bottom of the ribbon. 

Embellish bottom of the wreath with heart charm

In my stash of craft supplies, I had some metal heart charms leftover from another project to embellish the bottom of the wreath. I also had a couple of costume jewelry bracelets that I never wear and took them apart to salvage the small pearl beads.

Tie clear jewelry cord onto metal heart charm. Thread the jewelry cord through three small pearl beads, one large pearl bead, and three more small beads. Tie the cord onto a small jewelry jump ring. Open the jump ring with jewelry needle nose pliers and slip the jump ring onto the bottom of the metal wreath form and close tight.

This is optional but with one strand of red & white ribbon make a rosette to accent the bottom of the wreath (as pictured above). If you've never made a rosette you can find a detailed tutorial here in my see drop cloth rosette pillow post.

Pearl trim around the wreath

Following the center of the ribbon and spaced evenly around the wreath, glue leftover pearls with a hot glue gun. A pearl costume jewelry necklace would look lovely too.

That's it, you're done and hopefully caught up on some of your favorite shows.

Here's another DIY Valentine's Wreath idea that is so quick and easy to make using a scarf.

Please join me and visit the links below to see my friend's Valentine inspired projects...

An InLinkz Link-up

I share my projects at these fabulous link parties.