What I'd do with a $200 win.

What would you do with a $150 home improvement win?

This is what I would do.

#1. Save my $50 win to add to the $150 win to add up to a $200 win. Because...

 

#2. I totally need a closet! That hangs things I mean.

Or...

#3. I totally need a shower surround. Boy do I!

Ahem... it's been... 2 + years now. I wanna soak in this deep pretty tub and not see spackle before my very eyes. And you KNOW I won't pick anything too typical. Quite honestly, my heart's desire is metal clad siding. You'd like to see a DIY metal clad siding shower surround tutorial, wouldn't you?!? :) 

Or...

#4. I'd like to buy some rad tool and go to town on some rad project! And show you how to work the tool while I'm at it. You know I'm good for that.

I'm slowly building my stock so I can hold personal workshops one day as well as more online workshops on the blog. But I'm in desperate need of new cool tools. Like this belt sander I borrowed. (drool)

So, where's this potential mini windfall coming from anyway?

Remember these? Of course you do. :)

 

 I've pushed my stairs in front of you more times than the rain has hit the lower mainland this year.

But, I have a reason today.

This little before and after won 1st place in One Project Closer's weekly before and after event this past summer. Which I've also told you about HERE.

To view the Project Closer contest win, click HERE.

And when I told you about my weekly win, I got asked where one could vote for the grand finale. 

And I'm here to announce, the voting is officially ON!

And here's the deal. If I win, I'm going to throw up a voting poll thing with a few selections and let YOU choose what I'm going to buy with the win. So, basically put, choose your DIY tutorial. :)

And just so you know, it's cool if you don't even think my project deserves your #1 vote. Why not mosey on over right now and click a vote for someone else's project you like anyway? Someone has to win so it may as well be someone you'd like to watch jump up and down all giddy like over a win. 

Not that I would do anything like that on video or anything like that. Not me. Ssssss.... what EVER. :)

Hmmm... I might even jump around in the hardware store itself.

Now wouldn't that be a sight...

... watching security drag me out.

I dunno... I kinda think today's jail garb is kinda cute...

All I can say is, if I win, I'll give it my best shot to offer up a great tutorial on some cool, slightly junky project. It's my trademark after all. :)

 Vote HERE

So... what would YOU do with a $200 home improvement win?

Award winning stairs on One Project Closer

Well now, another incredible surprised was found in my inbox this weekend.

My friends Kolein and Polly have been encouraging me to enter my projects here and there and everywhere. So I took them up on their advice. 

Remember the before and after project I told you about at One Project Closer HERE? I decided to give the contest a whirl and quickly submitted my old crate stairs before the closing registration date.

And I've been patiently curious to the outcome.

And then, the email came.

My crazy crate stairway (FJI original post HERE)  won the weekly winner contest of a 

$50 Home Depot gift card

AND a 

$100 donation in my name toward Habitat for Humanity!

EEEEEE!!!

To read more about the contest and this awesome program, click HERE.

To view the Project Closer contest win, click HERE.

But in a nutshell, One Project Closer started a before and after event in an effort to highlight the efforts of Habitat for Humanity.


One Project Closer says, "We’ve already featured one stair redo but this Before and After takes things in a totally different direction. Now her stairs practically ooze spunky personality, all on a very small budget."

ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh....

And oh yes, they have indeed featured another weekly winning stair project this summer. Know which one?

Our friend Rhoda's stairs!

Girlfriend, all I can say is, we must have 'kickin' stairs to be winning contests with them. :) Aren't they pretty?

But the fun isn't over quite yet. The grand prize draw where voters get to choose their favorite out of all the weekly winners is just around the corner. And item up for grabs is a $150 gift card the next round!  Boy would that buy a hot tool or goods to create something else cool...

I'll indeed let you know when the finale is up and running! I admit I'm VERY curious to see all the projects up for the big vote!

 So, who here still has carpet on their stairs wishing they had the nerve to do something creative with the existing wood like Rhoda and I have? What would you like to do with them?

Pssst... if we can do it, so can you. :)

The Scentsy giveaway is on until Thursday evening, midnight. 

Click the balloons to get there!

Painted wooden crate stairs

I've always loved the look of stamped numbers and logos on wooden crates.

So when the PAINT theme came up for So You Think, I had an idea I'd never seen done before. Would it work?!?

Grabbing some crate and label inspiration I had close by, I started drawing up my plan.

Sign equipment used

The drawing programs I use are CorelDraw and Signlab, alongside a vinyl cutting machine built for commercial use. I use this equipment in my vehicle lettering business, which aren't priced for novice type users. However, stencils anyone can make is all this takes.

And then I got right to work. :)  Yep, right ON the stairs.

And here's the result. 

Come on in and I'll show you around my old crate staircase! :)

The stairs were designed to appear to have been made out of old signboards and wooden stamped crates.

Some steps share one logo, looking as if a large sign was cut in half in order to create the steps.

Different ideas for treads were utilized for a fun eclectic look!

The end result is something so fun and outrageous, you can't help but smile. :) And a funny story? My two cats think there's something on the stairs so they wind themselves around each logo as they use them. :)

The very fuzzy before.

 And the very funky eclectic FUN!! after.

A wooden crate staircase is one wild way to enter this house and suits my own personal style to perfection. The more banged up and paint splattered the stairs previously were, the more authentic they appeared! My favorite splatters are from the dog after she ran through a knocked over paint spill. :)

~ Method  used: ~

Sand and vaccum the stairway as is

Latex paint with stencils - the white is leftover ceiling, the rest acrylic craft

Distress the painted stencils.

Stain - oil based I had on hand, went overtop the stencils

Varnish - satin in a spray can for wood

There was simply nothing to lose in trying out this crazy idea. The stairway can always be covered with carpet right on top of the wildness at any time.

Give your own old carpeted stairway some thought on what design may suit your own home!

If you'd like to try or feature these stairs, please link back to this post. Thank-you!

~ Update: ~

Thanks for your votes all! The crate stairs ranked a first place!

  

 Weekly winner of Before and After Contest - Sept 2010
$50 Home Depot gift certificate
One Project Closer

Featured in Flea Market Style, spring 2011

 

by Nesting Place