Category Archives: Man Cave Game Room

Margarita Bar Towel

Feeling Crafty, home decor, Man Cave Game Room, rainy day project, Stitches and Sewing, wedding ideas Leave a comment

Ok, so I’m going to blame Frank for this. Was it his fault? No, I never said that, I just said I was going to blame him.

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So, you ask how was this his fault? I bought him a shirt for the rehearsal dinner. (In case you didn’t know, youngest son is getting hitched in June) and I asked him to try it on. Several times I asked him to try it on…. I got an XL because I loved the shirt, and they didn’t have a large. I’m pretty handy with the sewing machine, and I figured I could just take it in some. Problem was, he wouldn’t try it on while I was available to mark it. Long Story short, he tried it on alone, told me it was really big, and I took it upon myself to take it in, sans measurements. Needless to say I took it in too much! Ugh! A perfectly good, Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville Shirt, too small!!

After blaming him relentlessly, and a good nights sleep. INSPIRATION!! Bar towels for the Margarita bar at the rehearsal dinner. GENUIS….

Supplies needed:

One super cool Magaritaville Shirt (made too small) or any other print you’re fond of

Colored bar towels to match fabric (mine were 16″x19″)

Simplicity pattern #1483 (make sure you get these on sale)

Sewing machine and some time to kill

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So early this morning, scissors in hand, I chopped up what was left of the shirt, removed the super cool buttons (they say Margaritaville on them) and began redeeming my sewing confidence. I did use a pattern, Simplicity #1483, since I really didn’t want to screw this up. This pattern retails for $17.95, but if you watch for your local fabric/craft store sales, they will go on sale for 5/$5.00.

I picked this one up months ago during one of those sales, and finally used it on this project.

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I may have spent a little too much time attempting to get the coolest parts of the fabric strategically  placed. Could of probably gotten another set of tops, but I tend to fuss over details.

Worked out OK, I got five tops, and the package of bar towels came with five!

The tissue pattern made it easy to see placement over the prints.

You could totally do this without a pattern, in fact next time I will improvise the front flap into a curved or squared shape instead of the point.

Just make a newspaper square about 8 1/2″ X 4 1/2″ for the base, a 5″ wide middle piece, and 6 1/2 x 4″ flap.

The overall size approx 9″ x 9″.

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When cutting them out, I did utilize the sleeves (the already hemmed edge) for the bottoms of a couple of the towel tops.

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If you are using an obvious one way print, be sure to cut one side upside down. Because after you sew them together, the “flap” needs to be upside down so its right side up when finished.

Sew according to directions, right sides together. leaving the bottom open. Turn and press a hem along the bottom edge (some were already done) and stitch that down.

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The pattern calls for velcro on the flap to attach, but I opted for a button/buttonhole option. The buttons from the shirt were cool, and since my “Opal” does them automatically, why not?

Next step, I removed the hem from one of the short sides of the bar towel. (to reduce bulk) and gathered along that edge.

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Another of Opal’s super cool attachments, is this automatic ruffler. Made gathering the towels super easy and fast.

Next, I just put the gathered edge of the towel inside the top, the pattern calls for it to be sewn along the bottom edge, but my towels seemed long (I didn’t trim to 13″) so I put them all the way into the square portion. Pinned the corners and across the top, then topstitched across and down each side to secure the towel inside.

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Final step, I sewed the buttons on, going through the front and the towel, but not the back of the topper. (that made it pucker, and I didn’t like how that looked)

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There they are… Margaritaville Bar towels, ready for the Margarita Bar at the Rehearsal Dinner!

So when you screw up, pretend like you meant to, and look for inspiration to cover it up!

Enjoy,

Debbie

Chalkboard Cornhole Game

Chalkboard Inspirations, Feeling Crafty, Man Cave Game Room, Outdoor and Garden, rainy day project, Uncategorized, wedding ideas 2 Comments

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Well, as promised…. another chalkboard project is wrapping up. Cornhole (Bean Bag) game for the rehearsal dinner.

The lovely bride’s mother requested some yard games for the rehearsal dinner, and we were all too happy to oblige.

I’ve wanted one of these for camping and what better reason than a June Wedding, to kick us into gear.

I really can’t take credit for the boards except that I insisted hubby build them to specifications.

Lucky for me, he’s quite handy and lets me boss him around.

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He’s construction, I’m design, we work well together.

I looked online at the DIY network, and found the correct dimensions, and simple enough plans to construct the boards.

http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/structures/how-to-build-a-regulation-cornhole-set

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I couldn’t decide on a paint design, so since I’m all about the chalkboard lately, that seemed like a perfect finish.

We stained the sides and legs with a golden oak finish, and I painted the tops with two thin coats of chalkboard paint.

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They turned out wonderful! The legs fold under for storage and transport.

Next, you need some corn bags. I guess in the south the bags are filled with corn, elsewhere beans. Who knew?

Just be sure not to leave them out in the rain, the corn will expand and mold!

There is a specific size and weight for the bags. They are supposed to be 6″ x 6″ in size and weigh exactly 16 oz.

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So I cut the fabric into 7″ squares, and used my serger to close 3 of the 4 sides with a 1/2′” seam all around.

If you don’t have a serger, just sew them front sides together and turn them out.

Fill the bags with the proper amount of corn (I used a food scale with the bag set on it) and slipstitch the opening closed.

A good source for the corn was the new Tractor Supply store. I got 50# of feed corn for $12. bucks!

It made 6 full sets of bags, way more than I needed, but I think they’ll be great gifts.

A tip for filling and sewing the bags closed was pinning the open end horizontally to hold the corn inside, while I serged it closed.

This kept the kernels from spilling out and losing the proper weight, and also prevented them from getting under the needles of the machine.

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I did some in burlap too. And two different camping motifs!

I also made a storage bag for the corn bags with leftover fabric and cording. And added a pocket to hold the chalk!

Sadly, I didn’t get enough photos to make this post truly user-friendly, but I think you get the idea.

Psst, I had him make two sets of boards so I get to keep one for camping!

In case you’re not familiar with the rules of the Game, It’s really quite simple!

You play similar to horseshoes, tossing the bags from either side into the hole.

Generally tournament play is teams of two people, opposite each other at the top of the boards.

The boards are placed 27 feet apart facing each other.

(Be sure someone sober measures before you start!)

Bag in the hole scores 3 pts.

Bag on the board 1 pt.

First person/team to 21 pts. Wins!

Now, play responsibly and be sure to use good sportsmanship at all times.

Enjoy!

Debbie

My First Chalkboard Project

Chalkboard Inspirations, Feeling Crafty, home decor, Man Cave Game Room, Outdoor and Garden, rainy day project, wedding ideas 1 Comment

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Hello my crafty friends, I know it’s been a while since we last spoke. But we all know how quickly time runs away from us.

So, let’s see if I remember how to get this posted.

My new obsession is chalkboard stuff. I had to create an entire pinterest board to all the great ideas I’ve been seen.

Well, I decided I wanted one for the front of my fireplace, but it needed to be big.

Like 36″ x 33″ big.

Supplies needed: a board (did I mention mine is big?)

Chalkboard paint and a roller (I cheated, no roller pan, just poured some paint on and rolled it out)

Chalk, Chalk markers, stencils, and/or good penmanship

 So I put hubby to work cutting a big piece of board, and had him round the corners.

Also had him put a heavy-duty hanger on the back, since I will remove it from its perch to change the message often.

If you are going to put it where youngen’s will be using it, try hanging it with mirror clips

It will be flush on the wall and not “wiggle” when they write on it.

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I also got some chalk, chalk markers, and stencils (options are good, considering this is a new adventure)

I’m not thrilled with my writing skills, but hopefully they will improve with some practice.

That’s the beauty of a chalkboard, right? I can erase it and start over.

So, a couple of tips I found online: be sure to do two thin coats of the chalkboard paint

on your board and let it dry at least 24 hours between each coat.

Be sure to wait another 36 hours before you write on it.

The paint is kinda “soft” and if you write on it too soon, those overeager messages will be imbedded forever.

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It’s recommended that you “season” your board before you start using it. So, I took some super cheap plain white chalk and rubbed it all over the board.

Easy enough, but I recommend doing this outside, since it left a lot of dust!

Cover your entire board, and then wipe it off, repeat. I used about 5 sticks of chalk, and did it three complete times.

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it really does give it a nice “used” look, and smooths out the surface before you begin creating your masterpiece.

For lettering, I used a yardstick to keep myself somewhat straight. It’s a little harder than I anticipated.

Kudos to those school teachers who have perfect vertical penmanship!

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We’re planning a June Wedding, and since I’m the Mother of the Groom, guess what the rehearsal dinner theme is….??

Stay tuned for more projects!

Enjoy!

Debbie

Too Cool Pool Stools

Feeling Crafty, Man Cave Game Room Leave a comment

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I think I fell asleep watching Flea Market Flip or Junk Gypsies… and the next morning I spotted a couple of plain, wooden stools on our local “needs” Facebook page, and felt the need to “fix “them up. Besides she only wanted $10 for the pair, how bad could they come out?

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They came as basic as you could get, still had a little lunch spilled on the tops. So sanding commenced once the food was removed. These have a particularly tough shiny coating on them that if you don’t get it all off, the new paint won’t stick or will be different sheen. It’s a really good upper body workout, and by the time I was done, I gave myself 60 mins activity on my fitbit!

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Started with the legs, taped the bottom to keep a clean edge. Not sure why because its underneath the top, but seemed like the right thing to do?

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Think the gloss black was the perfect choice for the legs, classic style.

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The red on top is the same color as the accent wall in the game room. Wish I had extra, but alas, had to ask the hardware store to mix another batch. Its called rhubarb and dries much darker. You can use any color combination that matches or compliments your room.

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I used a couple 3″ wooden circles to outline the pool balls. I base painted them with pearl sheen white and used a quarter to draw the number circles.

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I thought they look good, but not great? It seemed like something was missing? Oh yeah, gold! since we have a loosely based 49er color scheme in the game room, I needed to add some gold.

So I painted the band around with metallic gold. Sparky!!

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Viola!! Red, Gold and black, Pool table inspired, too cool pool stools, for the Game room!!

You never know where inspiration and opportunity will combine….keep your creative eye out!!

Enjoy!

Debbie

Twenty Dollar Whiskey Bottle Lamp

Feeling Crafty, Man Cave Game Room, Outdoor and Garden Leave a comment

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What game room isn’t complete without a whiskey bottle lamp, I ask you? And if you could make it for under twenty bucks, even better! So last week at work, (I work in a major grocery store) I was holding a rather large bottle of whiskey for a customer, and while admiring the size, shape and price, thought to myself; self, you could make a nice lamp out of that. But since I’m more of a vodka drinker, and hubby is a beer chugger, I had to find a willing whiskey drinker to go halfsies on that bottle. No shortage there, in fact, he had a smaller one empty to boot! You could certainly use any bottle, once you’ve emptied it. Perhaps a favorite wine, spirit, or reminder from the trip to Vegas?

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Items you will need:

Empty bottle, washed and dry

Bottle lamp kit

Lampshade (if you’re still not wearing it)

electrical tape

screwdriver

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You can see by my receipt, I paid about 15 bucks total on the shade and bottle kit. (no drilling necessary if you use one of these) and the bottle could be from the trash. I’m sure if you ask around there’s a whiskey drinker in every circle of friends, as well as the local pub.

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Follow the directions in the package to assemble the socket. Pull the cord through the bottom hole, separate it and tie a knot so it won’t pull back down. Attach to the side screws and tighten with a screwdriver.

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Place the socket into the casing and tighten the fittings so they’re secure. I used the pour spout to hold it in place, just snipped the bottom out so the screw would fit all the way down. Most of the kits come with different size stoppers, but the neck on this bottle was too big for them.

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I decided to tape around the connection, for two reasons. First, to make the socket super stable, and secondly to continue the black up like the original bottle neck was sealed. Since my lampshade wasn’t going to cover it entirely, seemed like the best way to “finish” it off.

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The shade had a harp inside that just rests on the socket, snugged it down, put in a lightbulb, plugged it in……..

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Taa Daa!!! instant Man Cave worthy lighting!! I think I’m going to do a solar version for the patio, and I guess you noticed the soap/lotion dispenser too. Well that took about 30 seconds to make. Just wash out the bottle, and insert a pump. The screw threads are universal, and I found the black pumps online at about a dollar a piece.

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So, I’ved added a solar option, gotta take one camping right? Solar light, $5 bucks, bottle free, and some small river stones from the dollar store a buck! Think it’ll get a lot of use this year!

As always never let your imagination go stale, keep on creating.

Enjoy,

Debbie