Operation Home

Okay, so it’s no secret that I’m a Pinterest Fan-atic (remember that show on MTV?). Seriously, if I could meet Pinterest in human form, I’m sure I’d freak the heck out and morph into a screechy, swooning, mother-of-all groupies. And ask for an autograph. Which I would then craft into some DIY Pinterest artwork that would be hung on the ceiling of my bedroom. Or maybe in the hallway. The ceiling would be weird.

So, anyways, I try out stuff that I’ve pinned all the time. Mainly to see if it actually works or is just sheer baloney. So, I thought I would start sharing my experiences in a segment called (dah-dah-dah-DAH!): Pinterest Review.

So, my most recent pinterest experience isn’t home-related. But it could be if washable linens were affected. So here I go. It all began here:

Meet pants…

Meet butter…

A few days ago, while I was innocently retrieving an item from our fridge, Miss Butter over here decided to make a run for it. She flung herself from her chilly abode, and apparently decided to go all “spring break” on the way down, tossing her top off for all the world to see. And she landed face-down. Right on my pants. Ugh. Just pathetic.

I was in a rush at the time, so I simply dabbed at the area with a damp rag and went about my business. Once I finally slowed down enough to get my head on straight, I looked down and realized that Miss Butter had left quite the impression…

Oil stain. No, SET oil stain. Bummer. Then, I remembered that I’d pinned something about using white chalk to remove oil stains from fabric. So, I checked my board and realized that not only had I pinned it, but I’d pinned the exact same pin TWICE. Whoops! I wish they’d come up with a filter for that. Anyways, the original source stated that chalk mainly works to absorb the oil on fresh stains, not set stains. Bummer again. But, since I had nothing to lose, I decided to try it anyways.

I simply rubbed the chalk over the entire stain…

Which left this…

I know. It’s kind of boob-like. I blame Miss Butter and her topless ways. Anyways, after chalking-it-up, I washed the pants in cold water with an extra rinse, then allowed the pants to air-dry. Which left this…

Better. But still there. So, I gave it another go. This time, I really rubbed the chalk firmly into the fabric. Really embedded it in there. Which left this…

Thankfully, my “art” was a bit more G-rated this time. I pictured more of this…

Or this…

I decided to let the pants sit overnight with the chalk to see if it would absorb any additional oil. The next day, I washed them again. Cold water. Extra rinse. Air-dry.

And guess what??

It worked. Well, mostly….

There’s still a faint oil spot on the pocket. I had to search for it, though, so it’s definitely not plainly obvious. And it was the worst part of the stain. All-in-all, I have to say I’m impressed. This was a SET grease stain. And the chalk helped remove most of it.

So, my thoughts are… If this worked this well on a set grease stain, then it must be great for fresh, still-wet stains. So, I unloaded all of my remaining white chalk and placed it here…

In a shot glass in our kitchen cabinet. Easily accessible. Because stains happen. Daily, for me almost. And the next time, I want to be prepared to give the chalk a go in a fresher setting.

So, I’m rating this Pinterest Review: Chalk vs. Grease Stains as a win for the chalk!!

Have any of you guys ever tried this? Any other tips? I’ve heard that cornstarch or baking soda can be used on fresh stains as well? Anybody tried these before? I’d love to hear your experiences.

So, remember when I finally found our mid-century dresser? I mentioned how it desperately needed to be styled? Well, I decided that a tray to corral some of my decor items was just what the doctor ordered. Several months ago, I found this guy for around fourteen bucks at Tar-jay.

More than I’d usually spend on a tray, but I’d been looking for some time and was tired of coming up empty-handed. So, I just grabbed it and ran to the register. Once I got home, I placed it on the dresser and accessorized it… but decided it was a little blah on its own.

So, I raided my fabric supply and found this remnant….

It’s a 1/4 yard that I picked up for 99 cents at Walmart a while back. I set the fabric inside the tray, added a few vases and such, then left it all like that to make sure I was completely gung-ho before enlisting any permanent changes. Honestly, I loved the fabric+tray combo immediately. The fabric brought just the interest I was looking for, the colors were great in the room, and the retro-ish print totally meshed with our mid-century dresser (his name is Drex for any newbies to the blog). My plan was to Mod Podge the fabric to the bottom of the tray. But then I got lazy, and nothing happened for several months.

Last week, I saw that Katie over at Bower Power completed an adorable Mod Podged fabric inlay mirror, and I thought, “if she can get ‘er done (and she has 1.5 kids more than me), then so can I!”. So, last weekend I got off my tush and did it. I pretty much used the same technique as Katie did (with a few changes due to some small obstacles), which was as follows…

First, I assembled my materials…

Tray, fabric (not shown), Mod Podge, sponge brush, plate, razor blade.

I began by applying Mod Podge to the bottom of the tray. And stop. The Mod Podge started beading up and acting like it wasn’t adhering. I realized pretty quickly that the surface of the tray was too glossy for the Mod Podge as it was. So, I grabbed a damp paper towel and quickly removed all of the Mod Podge. Then, I used my vinegar/water cleaner and thoroughly cleaned my tray. Next, I busted out a liquid deglosser and applied it to the bottom of the tray to rough it up a smidge.

Once the deglosser dried, with my fingers crossed in a haze of determination, I applied the Mod Podge once again.

This time it went on like a champ. Nice and even. No beading. Woo-hoo! Once the bottom of my tray was coated, I pressed my fabric into the bottom of my tray and smoothed it out until it was nice and flat.

Next came the razor blade.

I used it to gently score the fabric over and over along the crease until it was cut all the way through. The corners were a little challenging because the fabric wanted to lift up each time my razor got close to the corner. I pressed the tips of a closed pair of scissors right up into the corner so that I could hold the fabric down while I sliced into the corner as closely as possible. Then, I finished off the corner with a snip of my scissors.

Next it was clean-up time…

I used a lint roller to pick up any fuzz or strings that had accumulated during the trimming process. I also snipped any rogue strings along the edges with my scissors so the the edges looked as clean as possible. Then, I applied another coat of Mod Podge over top to seal in the fabric and help prevent future stains.

Which left this…

I just love it. It really gives Drex a bit of pizazz. Plus, if I ever tire of the print, I can simply Mod Podge something else over it or spray-paint the entire tray a bold color. Nothing is forever when spray-paint’s in the house, my friends.

So now for this side of the room I’ve still gotta find/make some art to hang above Drex. I have an idea for a DIY piece, but need to get a large canvas first. I also want to replace the wicker chair with something sleeker. Maybe some sort of tufted linen slipper chair with clean lines?? Just an idea. I’m sure things’ll change depending on what I find. In any case, I’m slowly but surely getting there.

So, anyways that’s my tray! I hope everyone has a great weekend!! 🙂