end table made into pet bed Archives

How To Make a Comfortable Pet Bed — More Tips

April 16, 2015 By irisabbey

We transformed another end table into a pet bed. It’s been a while since I discussed our previous ones like the Peacock Pet Bed and the Red Flannel Pet Bed. I thought I’d review the steps and include some new tips.

Zinsser Shellac went down first, followed by Paris Grey from the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint line. I neglected to get a “Before” photo, but you can get an idea from the interior wood. I liked the wood grain that appeared through the paint. That’d be important in the Dark Wax phase.

Springtime is here in Florida, so David and I painted outdoors as sunlight dappled our work area. We put down 2-3 coats of Emperor’s’ Silk, occasionally dipping our brush in a cup of water because we were running low on paint. But we finished the job with about a tablespoon to spare.

We used a printed burlap from JoAnn’s for the interior. I measured the diameter of the floor and planned to tie twine between a pencil and a marker to draw my circle. David intervened and used a fancy compass. Either way will work. Here’s the bottom, not yet glued.

I tried a new technique to cut straight lines in my burlap and highly recommend it. Pull out a single thread all the way across your piece to create a straight cutting line that won’t fray. I found this technique at Melanie and Stephanie’s site 2IY.

Gravity! Tip the end table on its side when it’s time to lay down the fabric on the inside wall. Let gravity assist you and not fight you. Work in sections and keep rotating the end table. I used Elmer’s Glue and, after I ran out, Mod Podge directly on the wood and carefully pressed down the burlap. I used an exacto-knife to cut the overage, and added more glue/Mod Podge along the edges.

I left my work table for a few minutes and came back to find Starbuck testing out the pet bed. I shooed her away because this will belong to someone else’s pet.

End Table to Pet Bed

I brushed on Annie Sloan’s Clear Wax, wiped it off. Dark Wax followed: applied and wiped off. I really like the rich tone the Dark Wax gives to Emperor’s Silk and the way it enhances the carvings and wood grain.

David finished the piece by putting down faux tacks along the edge of the circular burlap. Next, we staged our kitties near the pet bed. We used food as a lure. Fortunately, none of them wanted to enter the pet bed and nestle into the Petco cushion. They just wanted food.

Avonlea Antiques and Design Gallery is hosting a Spring Parking Lot Sale this Saturday, April 18. We’ll have a tent outside. This beautiful pet bed, suitable for a cat or small dog, will be available in the tent. Our booth inside Avonlea is loaded with treasures. Currently we are offering a 15% sale on everything in Booth #76.

Stop by. We’d love to see you.

Ann Marie and David

Featured at:

Participating in:

ModMixButtonsmall2-1 unnamed-8 furniture-feature-fridays-copy-300x133

Iris Abbey’s All-Star Posts

December 29, 2014 By irisabbey

Happy New Year!

Looking at the activities we’ve undertaken this year and the projects we’ve completed — well, it just takes my breath away. We continue to learn about estate sales and thrift stores, cleaning, appraising, painting, stenciing, gilding and becoming vendors at Avonlea Antique Mall. I am so grateful for the encouragement you’ve provided along the way.

I started my blog posts in November 2013 but summer ushered in a gap because of family medical crises. So, I’ve decided to share Iris Abbey’s 10 All Star Posts, the most popular ones, since I began my blog. Just click the title to go to any post.

1. How to Preserve Boxwood, Parts 1 and 2

My finished product looked a bit wilder than the carefully manicured store-bought kind, but I like it here with my dad’s photo and my handblown glass ball from our trip to Venice.

2. French Empire Commode

We transformed this Baker Beauty by hand painting her with Annie Sloan’s Paris Grey and Graphite on the exterior and stenciling a gold medallion in each drawer.

3. Aunt Marie’s 1953 Lane Cedar Chest

I was thrilled to honor my Aunt Marie’s memory by updating her cedar chest with chalk paint and a Royal Design stencil.

4. Serpentine Chest

This 1940s Serpentine Chest, formerly a banged up mahogany piece from someone’s storage unit, is gorgeous. David devoted months on this because it was his first piece that we intended to sell. Of course, this was a pre-retirement project and it needed a lot of work. I painted the exterior Annie Sloan Paris Grey with Old White trim, and the interior doors Louis Blue with surprise stencils inside.

5. Victorian Chairs

We stumbled upon 2 Victorian chairs at an estate sale and promptly grabbed them. They’re in above-average shape for their age — they were originally built in the 1860s. Our cat, Boston, seems satisfied, and I still intend to paint that functioning Grandmother Clock in the background.

6. Verdigris Cherubs

My first attempt at creating the illusion of verdigris with the cherubs David bought for $5 (total) at an estate sale: I used a combination of Annie Sloan’s Louis Blue, Antibes Green, and Old White. David made sure they sat on the table for Christmas dinner.

My Grandmother and Grandfather in their 1913 wedding portrait. Painted cherub candles sit on Grandma's tray, along with some of her jewelry. She was a dressmaker, and the ribbon belonged to her. The teddy bear is made from a suit belonging to their deceased son, Joe. — My Grandmother and Grandfather in their 1913 wedding portrait. Painted cherub candles sit on Grandma’s tray, along with some of her jewelry. She was a dressmaker, and the ribbon belonged to her. The teddy bear is made from a suit belonging to their deceased son, Joe.

7. DIY Holiday Decorations

In November I went a little craft crazy and whipped up a variety of items that. I now love Paper Cone Wreaths.

8. Old Ochre Pet Bed

We made 2 pet beds and both made this list. We removed the doors off one and I painted it with Annie Sloan Old Ochre. David upholstered the interior and laid down faux tacks. Then, as the pièce de résistance, I stenciled a gold peacock in the center and feather tips at each corner.

9. A Chance to Paint Fabric and Cane

I found this chair at an estate sale after David went off on his own. I sat down to wait and ahhhhh! Quite comfortable, especially with a lumbar pillow. How could I walk away? It gave me practice painting fabric and cane. I used Annie Sloan’s Arles on the cushions and a combo of Versailles and Olive on the wood so it matched our living room rug. Did I mention? We have 4 cats. Boston and Pepper appear here.

10. Emperor’s Silk Pet Bed

This second pet bed sold in a flash. We kept the doors on and painted it Annie Sloan’s Emperor’s Silk after running into trouble with Old White and the dark wood. David and I struggled with the interior fabric after the flannel proved particularly floppy to work with. He took care of the faux tacking and our son, Michael, shined up the hardware, while Starbuck struck a pose.

We hope you enjoyed this year’s journey. We certainly did. Thanks again to all who visit. An even bigger thank-you bouquet goes to those of you who leave comments. We love comments. So many lovely people welcomed us in this, our first, year. We look forward to the 2015 and wish you a heartfelt, joyous New Year.

Ann Marie and David

Vintage End Table Converted to Luxurious Pet Bed

November 11, 2014 By irisabbey

My son and I rescued another end table from an estate sale. Solid wood and weighing around a hernia, we found ourselves drawn to its intriguing carvings. Unlike our earlier pet bed converted from an end table, we decided to leave the doors on because of the eternal pet debate: when company visits, should you close up your pet’s sleep space if you are able? Or should you leave it out because your pet is part of the family? I see it as a personal preference. This should have been a quick job but we ran into obstacles at every turn. It was very dirty. Every job begins with a thorough scrubbing using Simple Green cleaning solution. Inside and out, with sponge and a clear water rinse. A pet’s home should be pristine. Zinsser Shellac came next, exterior and interior, followed by a couple of coats of Annie Sloan’s Old White. We planned to have a white pet bed, but the dark wood and oils kept bleeding through.

We shellacked again over the Old White and opted for a stronger color: Emperor’s Silk, a striking red.

Once painted, David waxed the top. Big Red Flag: he forgot to put down the Clear Wax first; he just spread Dark Wax directly on the paint which darkened the piece far too much. Frustrated, he brought it to me and asked what was wrong. Luckily, I knew a simple solution to this problem. I simply erased the Dark Wax using Clear Wax. The technique is to dip a cloth into some Clear Wax that you’ve put on a palette and go to town. Over and over again until your cloth is brown with Dark Wax. I love Emperor’s Silk and it looks terrifically opulent with Dark Wax, but I always start with Clear Wax. Next, I chose the wrong fabric for the upholstery. The red and white flannel matched the Emperor’s Silk but lacked the stiffness to make the fabric manageable. It took lots of time and patience to get the seams right and everything glued into place. But it looked like snug little home once I finished. Kind of like a logger’s warm flannel shirt. Red Pet Bed 1 Let’s just skip to the end. David nailed in the faux tacks to glitz it up and we added a new, cushy pet bed. Unfortunately we forgot to take an updated photo of the tacks outlining the flannel on the doors. The Dark Wax really emphasized the exterior carvings, and we used Rub N’ Buff on the hardware. We carted the Luxurious Pet Bed to our shop at Avonlea Antique Mall and, within 48 hours, it went home to a lucky kitty or pup — just not this curious kitty. Her name is Starbuck and unlike this table she will be staying with us.