Decoupage a Small Table Top Class

Decoupage A Small Table Top

Sunday February 3, 2013

3pm

This class will give you a chance to learn how to artfully and skillfully add decoupage onto a small side or coffee table. Decoupage, done with colorful maps or papers, adds character and personal touch to a piece of furniture.  Kristina will teach you some simple techniques that will make decoupage easier and more successful.

Cost-  $50-75 Sliding Scale

Bring your own side or coffee table, approximate size 24x24x24, or buy one from us for this class for 10% off.

All maps, paper, brushes, Mod Podge included.  But if you have a special item you want to add on, bring it along as well.

There won't be time in this class to paint the table as well, but you can join the next Paint Party, on February 13th, where you can sample several different CeCe Caldwell's Paints, and work on finishing your table.  Or come back anytime and use the Craft-In area to complete your project.

Call the store, or send an email now to reserve your space in the Decoupage Class, and come add some flair to your latest coffee table.

Zebra Chairs

Furniture has history.  History that is often unknown to a shopper or buyer.  But every now and then you come across a piece of furniture that offers you a glimpse into its past.  These freshly reupholstered Zebra Chairs have quite a history that they shared only when the Funky Junk employees began to dive a little deeper under their surface.

The chairs came to Funky Junk as a sturdy, but worn set. They had incredibly dirty flowered seats that were hard to imagine ever looked beautiful.

But the Funky Junk team knew that with a little work and care, this set could shine again.

So they took the seats off the wood, and began to peel away the flowered layer of fabric.  They expected to find the padding of the seat, but instead, they found...

...another layer of fabric!  Blue pineapple fabric.  These chairs had already been reupholstered once! The flowers had been used to simply cover up these unsightly pineapples.

So, with Kristina, Ricky, and Kitty all working on the set, the pineapples began to peel away as well.

They pulled out the old staples holding the pineapples on, one by one, and slowly began to see yet another layer underneath!  The oldest original fabric- a bright solid red.

The team was so absorbed with amazement that these chairs had three layers of fabric on them, they failed to get a picture of the red covering!

Underneath the red layer was the original stuffing, which consisted of hay and wood shavings! 

Once all the chair seats had been cleaned up a bit, the team began the process of fitting the new batting in and covering it with the new fabric choice.  A modern and fresh print.

They made sure each seat was properly stapled and finished off each bottom with broadcloth.

Finally, the wood was polished with Liquid Gold. The end product turned out to be spectacular, adding a layer of modern history to these well used chairs.

The Funky Junk upholstering superstars dove deep into the past of the flower chairs and came out with a new respect for reupholstery!  With their staple guns and funky fabric they can tackle any project Funky Junk throws at them!

Life's So Sweet

The work Funky Junk does adds a lot to the local community.  And now Kristina and David's Upcycling skills are spreading to local businesses all around town.  Over the next few weeks here at the Funky Junk blog we will be showcasing some of the custom pieces that Funky Junk is doing for businesses around Ithaca.

Welcome to Life's So Sweet!  

This locally owned and operated chocolate shop originated in Trumansburg, NY as the dream of Darlynne, and her mother, also Darlynne.  After years of selling their truffles and treats online, the chocolatiers opened a shop in Trumansburg in 2008.  Then, just last year Life's So Sweet came to Ithaca as one of the winner's of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance's Race For Space. 

Now Funky Junk is helping Darlynne decorate her store with Funky Fresh style.

This custom upcycled cabinet was painted in CeCe Caldwell's Simply White, lightly distressed, and perfected with candy pink hardware knobs.

The cabinet brings an old-fashioned feel to the shop, and is where Darlynne keeps her seasonal and holiday creations. She is happy that this cabinet "looks good" because it's also "the first thing you see when you come in," says Darlynne. 

Darlynne and her husband did much of the hard work of getting the new shop ready to open.  They built some of their own display tables and refurbished a lot of counters from Finger Lakes Reuse Center.  But Darlynne admits having the cabinet done custom to their preferences was "so much nicer."  She goes on to say "it was so worth it to have Funky Junk do it!"

Darlynne is so pleased with this Funky Fresh furniture that she is working with Kristina and David to get a few more of Funky Junk's Upcycled pieces into her store.



This cabinet is just one example of Funky Junk's beautiful and functional custom work.  Stop by Life's So Sweet to see how perfectly it fits in to the shop.  And sample a chocolate treat while you're there to make your life So much Sweeter!

Darlynne and the chocolate cabinet!

You can find out more about Darlynne and her chocolate world at the Life's So Sweet website.

Fix-Up Friday- Part 7

Things they are a changin' at Funky Junk Island!  

Remember that dark room with blue posts and a severely sad and broken drop-ceiling?

Funky Junk Island is swiftly dropping the old facade and becoming a much brighter place...

 Ricky and Dan transformed the ugly drop-ceiling into simply a ceiling with industrial flair.

That's a massive pile of broken ceiling pieces!

 David is spending his days painting and painting, and slowly the blue is disappearing and a fresh coat of white covers all the walls.

Floor painting is next!

Another immeasurably valuable step is cleaning! The layers of dirt and grime are beginning to peel off the floors and walls and a new vibrant space is shaping up.

The left side of the floor in this picture is vacuumed, the right is not. What a difference dust can make!

Maybe most important of all, the new shop now has a microwave and a box of hot chocolate, ready to energize the crew and keep Funky Junk Island swirling with daily transformations!

Stay tuned for Fix-Up Friday -Part 8- so much more to come!

Pittsburgh Gray Bedroom

This stylish dresser, and the matching wardrobe in the set, went through several incarnations before realizing their true sophisticated potential.

Originally, the dresser looked like this.  

The wardrobe mirror was cracked, but the rest of the piece was sturdy and solid.

The two were not entirely unattractive, but they sat in Funky Junk for months, unable to catch the eye of any nice shopper.

Finally, Funky Junk decided to take matters into their own hands, and in an extensive group effort, Ricky, Kitty, and Dan reworked the set from top to bottom, with Kristina's vision leading the way.

CeCe Caldwell's Pittsburgh Gray painted easily onto the wooden surfaces, and covered up all the blemishes and scratches.

Once the Pittsburgh Gray had settled in, the crew began executing Kristina's vision for the whole piece. They highlighted some of the trim and drawer pull areas red. Unfortunately this red did not turn out as beautiful as expected.  The team rethought the project and began to cover up the red with a cooler color, a deep blue.  This too, failed to impress.  With a final attempt to create subtle beauty without a carnival feel, the team went for a fully modern style.  

The complimentary color became black, and the mirror on the wardrobe became a chalkboard.  Both pieces were topped off with satin finish and light distressing.

 The crew took off the old hardware, filled the holes and chose new, metal drawer pulls.

Now, both pieces in the set are available and ready to add modern and sophisticated beauty to your bedroom.  Gracing the front windows of Funky Junk on the Commons, we're sure they will finally catch the eye of all you nice shoppers out there!

Dresser Day Workshop

Everyone needs a place to put their clothes.  Why not make yours a place to put your creativity too!
Turning worn out old dressers into upcycled eye-candy is no short process.  That's why Funky Junk is here to teach you how to Do It Yourself.

Dresser Day is a five hour workshop designed to teach you the process of upcycling a whole dresser.  From prep to paint to finishing, David will guide you through the ins and outs of how to handle a large project, and how to do it well.

Upcoming Dates for Dresser Day Workshop

January 26th, 2013  10am- 3pm

February 24th, 2013  10am- 3pm

Teacher: David West

Cost-  $80-100 Sliding Scale

There will be a break for lunch- Bring your own or plan to stop by one of the Common’s eateries.

You can bring your own dresser or buy one at Funky Junk for 10% off!

If you have a dresser you plan to use for the class, but need some help getting it to or from the Commons, Funky Junk will pick it up and drop it off for the class at half the cost of the regular delivery fee. 

Some older dressers may need repair work.  There are many repairs that David can make on a dresser, and a few he cannot.  Repair work will be an added fee.

Call ahead to check in with David to discuss possible repair work or arrange deliveries when you sign up for the class.

Using CeCe Caldwell's All Natural Paints and Finishes, learn how to Upcycle a whole dresser in this extended workshop.