My sister is just 3 weeks from having our nephew, while she has been off work she has been keeping her self busy researching all things for a baby boys nursery. Ash has great style and has always had her home well kept so having a new area in the home to throw her creative genius at.

Ash has recently upcycled an old wardrobe for her nursery and we think it has turned out great! So I asked her to send through some progress photos and write a blog post - she nailed it! 

My Little Boys Nursery Wardrobe 

This gem was left in our newly purchased home and just so happened to be perfect for the nursery and was the final finishing touch that really tied the room together. This was my first up cycle I have done and it was suprinsly easier than thought but still a process none the less. If I had stuck to basics and just went with the plain white without the feature of the chalk panel it could have been completed in a day easily, although I decided to get artsy and the final product was well worth it! I started off with a light sanding all over, once happy with that I used Zinsser interior & spot exterior primer-sealer stain blocker which I was told by a worker at mitre 10 can generally go straight on to any wood even if it had be varnished but to give it a light sand for best results.. WELL I wish I had sanded it more as there was one panel that had some varnish still peak through and crack the paint but luckily by the last coat of paint it was barely noticeable. 




Now for the fun part 🙄!! I purchased 500ml of Hudson chalkboard paint in black this required two coats, each drying almost instantly. I left it two hours to be safe then proceed with my chosen quote design by using a chalk marker purchased from spotlight. This was the niggly part as the lines weren't sharp and needed a lot of touching up with a wet cloth as water is the only way to remove the marker, all in all this was the longest process of the whole upcycle!! The finished product was exactly how I envisioned with the whole thing costing under $100!

You can find Ashlees instagram here: www.instagram.com/mylittlewildoneandme

Our first side table up cycle!!

It's been really hard to pick up old pieces of furniture to up-cycle in Christchurch for a reasonable price. I came across a great little occasion table off trade me from Nurse Maude which seem to have great bargains all the time (don't auction battle me).  It's summer here in New Zealand and I really want to make the most of the great weather we are having - especially because it stays warm for so long in Canterbury.



This piece was something really different for me as I had never played around with edging.  I am useless with a fine brush so decided to go for an Elmers Gold Painters pen from Bunnings, this pen is fantastic I chose the medium as I didn't need a sharp edge and could use the shape of the piece to cut in to. 



When I first saw the table I knew it deserved something classy that could be used in any space so I went straight to my Voodoo Molly Vintage paint colour swatch to choose something - Georgia my trusty colour consultant was a huge help again and we chose charcoal and damn im happy with it!! The beauty of this paint is that it hides any imperfections, so if you have a piece that you are looking at up-cycling take a look at their paint colour - they even have handy tutorials on how to use their paints (tell them Mooch Style recommended you). 



This piece needed no sanding, no touch ups just a few quick coats of the charcoal vintage paint and then down to the trimming of the gold, I SLOWLY painted the edges first and then filled in the middle.  Its really important you let the gold paint dry thoroughly before touching up as it needs time to key in.



Next time you having something like this on the go please get in touch via our Facebook page and keep us in the loop we would love to feature your product and help out with any questions you have.

DIY CHRISTMAS 

It's no secret that my family are a wild bunch of creatives, this Christmas I have noticed that we have all went over board on the deco's and some have even dabbled in DIY to make Christmas that little bit more authentic.

DIY CHRISTMAS TREE
My Step Mum is a machine on the end of a skill saw, we would spend hours making things for the home and garden when I was growing up I just loved it!


























This year she sent through some photos of a project she had on the go for the front window display of her homeware store in Te Anau.


These are such a good idea when you want to try a good DIY project for Christmas and adds some character to your home/store front.

DIY CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS 

My Sister has inherited my mums love for going overboard on the Christmas deco's.  She is pregnant at the moment so I can only imagine what her house is looking like with the extra time on her hands, her poor boyfriend is probably wrapped up nice and warm with a Christmas jumper (even though its summer here).

Ash is quite the artist so this year she has went for a DIY bobble decoration for the tree. She has put little pokemon inside them haha im sure they look super cool against her white tree.  So easy to do with a glitter jell pen.

MUMS CHRISTMAS CHIC CHRISTMAS

We are always looking for Inspiration, Pinterest is a great tool to find exactly what you are looking for and then some!

I was on a hunt for "dipped" up cycles and came across some amazing pieces from all over the world.  I especially love the black bentwood chairs.  Bent wood chairs are super hard to come by in New Zealand and when you do find them they have a hefty price tag.

Check out the Inspiring pieces I found - keep an eye on our blog and instagram because I will be rolling out one similar in the next few weeks, along with a how to!