{Sugar Bee} Singer Sewing Maching Cookies

This weekend I worked on an order of sugar cookies in the shape of Singer sewing machines for a woman who teaches Quilting. She has been teaching her quilting class for numerous years and for her last class ever she wanted to have these cookies made to give to her students. What a cute idea and what a way to "retire"!  After seeing that the cookie cutter resembled an antique Singer machine, I simply knew that it had to be black and I had to add a touch of bling! With a little time, energy, and pearl dust powder, I was able to create little cookie sewing machines that are sure to make the perfect farewell gift.

Aren't these SEW fun!

{Bungalow Bee} DIY: Refinishing Furniture

 

 As my due date quickly approaches my need to nest vastly increases! Thus, my husband and I have taken on many projects to prepare for the arrival of my little baby girl. First up was refinishing the dresser that was given to us by my aunt and uncle. The dresser that was given to us wasn't necessarily an unattractive piece of furniture, but the color just didn't go with the rest of our decor. Thus, we had to refinish it... and by we, I of course mean my husband, since I cannot work with the fumes that come with paint and oil-based primers. But both men and women alike can easily do this. The steps to refinishing a wood dresser are so very easy, all you need is a little time.

You will need:
Wood dresser/piece of wood furniture
100 grit sandpaper
Oil-based primer
Flat latex paint in the color of your choice
Water-based polycrylic protective finish in a clear gloss
Decorative hardware- if you plan on changing out the knobs or handles.

Start with finding a dresser at a thrift store, garage sale, or perhaps you have an existing dresser you want to refinish. My personal preference when determining a good piece of furniture to refinish is looking at the lines of the piece. I typically like clean and sleek lines that appear nice and modern. That is unless I want to do something more shabby chic.

Step 1: Take out all drawers and set on a painting cloth or newspaper, etc. Remove all knobs, handles from drawers. If the knobs or handles do not come off, tape them off with painters tape (that is only if you want to reuse the knobs or handles, if not, give them away).

Step 2: Determine what kind of surface with which you are working. Is it actually wood? Is it varnished wood or is it unfinished, etc? If you aren't working with real wood, these steps will not work. If the surface is shiny/glossy or varnished, you will need to give it a light sand using 100 grit sandpaper. If it is unfinished or has a flat paint you can skip the sanding process.

Step 3: Wipe the wood clean with a damp cloth. Let dry.

Step 4: Apply one coat of an oil-based primer to ensure that the paint sticks and no stains come through and ruin your finished product. Make sure you use a good quality brush. You don't want to have long hairs stuck in your paint from a cheap brush nor do you want to use a roller as they are known to leave little bubbles. This coat of primer doesn't have to have a perfectly even application, but just as long as the entire piece is covered then it is ready for step five.

Step 5: Using a good quality paint brush, apply two coats of a flat latex paint. Be sure to use long brush strokes going in the same direction. This will help the surface appear smoother and any visible strokes will appear more like wood grain lines as opposed to choppy brush strokes. Make sure that your first coat is completely dry before applying the second to help create a smoother finish.

Step 6: After the paint is completely dry. Apply two coats of a water-based polycrylic finish. The exact brand we used was Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic Protective Finish in Clear Gloss. You will notice that the finish goes on kind of milky, but don't worry it dries completely clear. Again, make sure the first coat is dry before applying the second.

Finally, after at least 48 hours when it is completely dry, add your decorative hardware and put your drawers back into the dresser. Now you can place your beautifully refinished piece of furniture in your home and enjoy! Just think...with a little bit of work you can take an inexpensive piece of furniture and make it look like you spent a fortune at the store.

Happy Decorating!

{Party Bee} Luck O' the Irish Printable Party Collection

Want to throw a party for a special lad or lass that has the lucky spirit of the Irish? Well new to the Sugar Bee Bungalow's printable collection is the Luck O' the Irish printable party collection. With four leaf clovers and a color palette of the Irish Flag; green, orange, and white, this collection is perfect for Irish themed birthday parties or for a St. Patrick's Day bash!

The entire collection is $20 and comes with the following:

- Invitation in 2 design options (envelope not included)
- 4 circle design tags. These are perfect for cupcake toppers, cookie tags, decorations. The uses are endless!
- Treat bags in 2 designs
- 2 water bottle label designs
- Mini candy wrappers (designed to fit Ghirardelli squares)
- "Happy __ Birthday" banner
- Large Shamrocks in 2 design patterns. These are great for on the wall, hanging decorations, centerpieces, etc.
- Shamrock decorations. Can be used by themselves or combined to create a shamrock banner.
- Coordinating patterned paper in 4 designs.

Just send me the party information (i.e. date, time, place, contact, etc.) and the name of the lucky lad or lass!

Receive the files electronically and print out as many as you need!

{Sugar Bee} Treats for an Irish Themed Birthday Party

With the start of 2012 I have tried to do less baking and sugar crafting and more resting. Especially with my baby belly getting to be the size of a basketball and causing all sorts of back and foot pain and difficulty functioning on a daily basis! But it is hard to resist creating little goodies altogether, particularly when they are for family. So of course, I created a few dozen Chocolate Covered Oreos and Chocolate Covered Nutter Butters for my mother-in-law's surprise 70th birthday party packaged with the perfect printables that went along with the Irish themed birthday party. From what I was told, they were enjoyed by all, most importantly by my mother-in-law!

Happy 70th Birthday, Mary!