Between The Sheets Blog

Between the Sheets Blog - life's little luxuries, like BTS lingerie & loungewear, play in style

You are here: Home / Archives for DIY

DIY – installing hooks for hanging baskets

by // Leave a Comment

It took a long time to find a spot for hanging baskets somewhere in the garden and the new patio area felt like the perfect spot. I debated adding them to the shed but wanted something bigger and felt they would dwarf a smaller structure. In general I’m not a big annual flower person beyond the cutting garden, they are too high maintenance and we have a lot of projects and work so I prefer perennials. I’ve even been looking for the perfect perennials that do well in containers to reduce the amount of work in those, so these supertunia and superbell hanging baskets are the exception.

Cast iron hooks

We’ve got a few repeated themes throughout the house and gardens both to keep things consistent but also to keep the space cohesive. Here I found 12” cast iron hooks that would extend far enough out to accommodate the basket size we were looking for. I marked the hole placement and Josh followed and installed them. Notice the mess of maple seeds in our gutters, that’s only one spring of seed drop! We cleaned it as part of this project.

Josh on ladder holding screwdriver about to finish installing a cast iron hook. Patio in background on the right, garden and shed in background on the left
Josh on ladder holding drill about to finish installing a cast iron hook.
newly installed black cast iron hooks on white posts supporting a patio with patio furniture and dogs on right and garden on the left

Hanging Baskets

Keeping them watered and fertilized ensured continuous blooms. They are still blooming as we go into fall and hummingbirds are visiting daily!

a conical wicker hanging basket with purple and white flowers hanging from black cast iron hook on white wood post
a conical wicker hanging basket with purple and white flowers hanging from black cast iron hook on white wood post with angled view of home and white door behind
a conical wicker hanging basket with purple and white flowers hanging from black cast iron hook on white wood post with view of patio behind
Wooden raised bed garden beds with green foliage and white stone in foreground. a row of conical wicker hanging baskets with purple and white flowers hanging from black cast iron hooks on white posts supporting a patio in background
a row of conical wicker hanging baskets with purple and white flowers hanging from black cast iron hooks on white posts supporting a patio
a row of conical wicker hanging baskets with purple and white flowers hanging from black cast iron hooks on white posts supporting a patio in background. Grass lawn and rock wall are in foreground

Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it.

Rumi

Get inspired to do it yourself with more projects in our DIY series.

Follow our journey in growing and share in our experience and lessons learned from nature with more posts from In the Garden

DIY – recaning and reupholstering vintage cane chairs

by // Leave a Comment

I got these vintage chairs on marketplace a few years ago for only $5 each. They were wobbly and needed new cushions and cane but they are the perfect height for sitting at a sewing machine so I held onto them and finally got around to finishing as we pulled the final space together.

Here’s a step by step on how I went about breathing new life into these vintage chairs

Removing cane and cushions

First thing to prep them for paint was removing cushions and damaged cane. One chair the cane wasn’t damaged but it still had to come off bc I knew matching new and old would be nearly impossible so off it all came. A steamer helped loosed the glue and a flat head screw driver to lift spline and help with removing the fabric from cushion. Since the seats had been repaired over the years it needed a new plywood base as well so I only had to remove one seat cushion cover to make a template. This and removing cane was the most tedious part of this project.

A hand with various tools removing old fabric from the seat cushion on concrete floor
Seat cushions are removed from vintage chairs that sit on concrete floor in garage.
Recaning and reupholstering vintage cane chairs. Removing old fabric from the seat cushion
Several seat cushions are stacked in the floor. Layla holds one of the cushions vertically showing the bottom covering.
Wood seat base with fabric and foam cushioning removed sits on concrete floor with a pair of pliers. Old fabric from cushion lies on floor.
A brown wooden chair is shown with the focus on the seat back with damaged cane.
Several brown wooden chairs are shown with cane and seats removed.
Close up of wooden chair with cane and seat removed.

Painting

Before painting we glued and checked all the fasteners to make sure the final result was stable. I didn’t want to risk popping off the wheels and not being able to get them back on so I just taped those off. I used the same enamel paint on these as on our floor trim in the studio space. I painted them at a different time though and the temps/humidity meant these may not have cured as nicely. (In hindsight it might’ve been worth trying a chemical stripper before painting.)

A brown wooden chair frame is shown upside down on a concrete floor with metal clamps holding glues pieces in place.
Three brown wooden chair frames are shown on a concrete floor with metal clamps holding glued pieces in place.
Three brown wooden chair frames are shown on a concrete floor. Stacks of fabric bolts, staked cardboard, a garment rack, and other materials are in the background of the garage.
Two wooden chairs are lined up on cardboard on the grass next to the BTS studio. Layla uses a paint sprayer to paint black
Four wooden chairs are lined up on cardboard on the grass next to the BTS studio. Layla uses a paint sprayer to paint black
Four black wooden chairs are lined up on cardboard on concrete floor inside a garage for paint to dry fully
A black painted wooden chair frame has a roll of caning material resting on it.

Recaning

There are two types of caning- hand woven and spline. Hand woven is basically holes on a chair seat or back and you weave the pattern, spline caning is what these chairs have and it involves cutting and sheet of cane and inserting it using spline and glue. To size this you have to measure the channel the spline is inserted into and then order accordingly.

Cut to size and Soak spline and cane to soften it.

Line it up with chair and use wedges to press it into channel and hold it in place

Use chisel and hammer to trim cane

Insert spine using wood glue into the channel and a mallet to hammer it in without shifting the cane. Actually relatively easy

Let it dry and the cane tightens and glue holds cane and spline in place

Black painted wooden chair frames lined up on studio floor section of caning.
Two black painted wooden chair frames lined up on studio floor section of caning.
Cane and spline for recaning chairs soaks in a large plastic tub, on floor of studio
New cane is added to back of black painted wooden chair frame using wedges.
New cane is added to back of black painted wooden chair frame using wedges
New cane is added to back of black painted wooden chair frame using wedges and excess cane is cut
New cane is added to back of black painted wooden chair frame using wedges. Chair is shown laying on its back on tile floor. New cane is stretched across the seat back.
Black wooden chair is laying on its back on a patterned carpet. New cane has been inserted into the seat back and excess cane has been trimed from edges.
New cane is added to back of black painted wooden chair frame using wedges. One black chair frame is on the floor on its side. A second chair has cane inserted in the chair back. View faces towards studio bathroom
Black chair frame has new cane fully installed with spline attaached.
Image shows before and after images of recaned chairs. Top shows black painted chair with new cane back. Bottom of image shows brown wood chair with broken caning, prior to refurbishment

New seats & cushions

To fix the seat cushions we started from the plywood base and cut 4 new ones using the old seat as a template. Dry fit to make sure it works

Then k carefully seal ripped the old seat cushion to make a pattern for new cover.

Or this I am using an old set of curtains as material for the new seat cushions (cutting on the floor since our cutting table had not arrived yet)

Also cut new foam for the seats and test fitted this once before getting it right and cutting and assembling all 4

Next step was stapling the fabric to base and adding dust cover to that, then securing it to the seat with screws.

Two black chair frames with new cane backs are shown. Old fabric covering from chair seat rests on chairs.
Black chair frame with new cane back is shown. A newly cut chair seat base made from plywood is dry fit in the chair frame.
Old chair cover is set on a piece of pattern paper. Pattern weights hold the fabric on the paper. A pair of scissors and a marking tool set on the paper
Using the old seat cushion a pattern is created for a replacement cover. A wooden table with various tools and pattern paper is shown.
Using the old seat cushion a pattern is created for a replacement cover. A wooden table with various tools and pattern paper is shown.
Using the old seat cushion a pattern is created for a replacement cover. A wooden table with various tools and pattern paper is shown.
Using the old seat cushion a pattern is created for a replacement cover. Seat cushion foam is stacked on a sewing machine table
Using the old seat cushion a pattern is created for a replacement cover. The pattern is laid out on the floor, on top of a piece of fabric, held with pattern weights
Using the old seat cushion a pattern is created for a replacement cover. The pattern is laid out on the floor, on top of a piece of fabric, held with pattern weights
A newly covered seat cushion sets on a sewing table in the BTS studio.
Newly covered cushion is fit into a newly repainted black chair frame. Chair sits on tile floor in BTS studio with back facing a row of sewing machines
Using the old seat cushion a pattern is created for a replacement cover. The cover is wrapped around a pieces of foam and affixed to a new wooden seat base. A stack of newly covered chair bases sits on the floor, next to a chair frame.
Final recaned and reupholstered chair sits on a brown tiled floor in the BTS studio. White walls and a portion of a sewing machine table can be seen.
Final recaned and reupholstered chair sits on a brown tiled floor in the BTS studio. A row of industrial sewing machines sets behind.

Final result

From start to finish these look like totally new chairs and match the details of the space perfectly. The new storage hutch in the coffee bar area is also black with pale cane and it really ties the look of the space together to have these details echoed throughout the space.

An image of brown colored wooden chairs from before recaning and refurbishment sitting on concrete floor in garage.
Final recaned and reupholstered chair sits on a brown tiled floor in the BTS studio. White walls and a portion of a sewing machine table can be seen.
Four final recaned and reupholstered chairs sit on a brown tiled floor in the BTS studio. Industrial sewing machines can be seen in the sides and background.

decorating with vintage – marble table with cast iron base

by // Leave a Comment

a hydrangea and black flower arrangement on a black cast iron table with white marble top with black ceiling fan and lights of patio above

Marble and cast iron pieces like this sell for thousands new but I was lucky enough to find the components for this Project for less than a hundred each at an auction and marketplace. We already have a bluestone and cast iron dining table in the house and I have been wanting a space to add a table like this, and the patio gives us the perfect sheltered spot for something this beautiful to live outdoors year round.

a round white marble table with grey veins, and a white ironstone pitcher with gilded stripe and washbowl filled with limelight hydrangeas and dark purple amaranth. On the table a stack of black coasters.
a round white marble table with white ironstone pitcher and washbowl filled with limelight hydrangeas and dark purple amaranth. On the table a dark black beauty dahlia, purple amaranth, and coral love lies bleeding amaranth draping over the edge of the table
a round white marble table with grey veins, and a white ironstone pitcher with gilded stripe and washbowl filled with dried hydrangeas surrounded by grey/white woven bistro chairs and more grey wood patio furniture in background
a round white marble table with grey veins and black case iron base on right, topped with a white ironstone pitcher with gilded stripe and washbowl filled with dried hydrangeas. The table is surrounded by grey/white woven bistro chairs and on the left there is a grey wood adirondack chair with black and white blanket and throw pillow
a nighttime scene with lighting just from sconces illuminates a round white marble table with grey veins, and a white ironstone pitcher with gilded stripe and washbowl filled with dried hydrangeas surrounded by grey/white woven bistro chairs and more grey wood patio furniture in background

Cast iron base – refinishing and sealing

I have used loctite rust neutralizer before on our cast iron planters, and this time I used it to refinish this cast iron base. First I started with wire sanding using a wire drill brush to knock off any finish and take down some of the rust. The product goes on and sort of foams when it encounters rust. When it dries down it forms a beautiful eggshell finish. With the rust being neutralized the surface now appears black.

Update *I treated both the top and underside and since this stays outside year round in a covered area its still looking good years later.

a round white marble table with grey veins and a rusty cast iron base on a gravel patio with grey wood patio furniture surrounding
Layla crouched on lawn painting the table base on tarp in the lawn with backlit forest behind
cast iron table base half black and half white painted with loctite rust neutralizer, hands holding a tupperware of white liquid and paint brush
upside down cast iron base on towel with top still white from being treated with loctite curing under covered patio with garden in background
the underside of cast iron table base where the loctite has dried and is now black and brown with no signs of rust

Refinishing marble

Refinishing the marble for this table happened at the same time as the vanity for the studio space. I ordered wet sanding discs online and started with a rougher disc moving towards the finer disc. It’s hard to see what is happening since wet sanding makes a slurry, and my first go at this was just on the vanity top and I didn’t stay long enough at each sanding level so I had to redo it.

There is also a need to keep the slurry going/wet that I got a better handle of on the second attempt. I think this would have been easier with an angle grinder because hovering above the drill made this a bit challenging but for a small surface area it worked.

Temper your expectations because this won’t remove deep stains but it will bring back brightness and luster. It will also take many more rounds of sanding to get a high shine, but I wanted a satin/matte finish that would hide imperfections.

Finally when the marble has fully dried you use a sealer and the surface will need regular cleaning and treatment to stay resistant. You will still need to clean up spills as marble is porous and prone to stains.

a white marble coffee table with wood base on gravel in front of green vegetable gasrden and forest in far background
a photo of a dirty white marble table top with orange stain and discolored white surface
a round white marble table top and rectangular white marble counter with sink/drain hole on a towel and moving blanket on gravel in front of vegetable garden
Layla using a drill with wet sander on rectangular white marble counter. a round white marble table top, in front of vegetable garden and shed in background

Bluestone foundation

Sitting on gravel alone we knew mice and critters would nest underneath and it wouldn’t stay level, so we found this blue stone slab to match the ones at the door ways and along the stacked stone wall for underneath. We carefully leveled it before placing the finished table on top.

a gravel patio with grey gravel and grey patio furniture a square of gravel cleared
a different angle view of gravel patio with grey gravel and grey patio furniture a square of gravel cleared now set with bluestone
a different angle view of gravel patio with grey gravel and grey patio furniture a square of gravel cleared now set with bluestone and treated black cast iron table base

Through the seasons

The piece has been on our patio for over a year, I added a vintage ironstone pitcher and bowl as a vase and flowers out here last even longer in the house, I suspect bc of the more natural change in temps and breeze. We eat out here when the weather is nice and use this spot to take a rest when gardening, the table often holds baskets of our harvests before we bring them in for the day. It’s beautiful and durable and all it took was a little cleaning up and ingenuity to pair the top and base.

a round white marble table with grey veins and black case iron base on right, topped with a white ironstone pitcher with gilded stripe and washbowl full of yellow daffodils with orange cups. Next to the table is grey/white woven bistro chairs and a fluffy tan pomeranian on the gravel below
a round white marble table with grey veins and black case iron base on right, topped with a white ironstone pitcher with gilded stripe and washbowl filled with fluffy white peony blooms. The table is surrounded by grey/white woven bistro chairs and one with a grey, black, white blanket
a white ironstone pitcher and washbasin full of peony blooms in shades of pink, white, and fuchsia on top of a marble table with grey veins
a top view of round white marble table and a bowl of dark red cherries and yellow/red rainier cherries, a dibble bar, and empty ironstone pitcher with gold stripe. Background is gravel and grey/white bistro seats
a round white marble table with grey veins and black case iron base on right, topped with a white ironstone pitcher with gilded stripe and washbowl filled with tall cosmos blooms in shades of pink and fuchsia. there is a straw sunhat, empty cup of coffee and blue spray bottle on the table in front of the vase, and a grey/white woven bistro chairs, one with a grey, black, white blanket

Want to see more ideas for home decorating with thrifted or vintage pieces? Find designer Layla’s series Decorating with Vintage

Shop Layla’s vintage finds Homespice Vintage

About

Between the Sheets Inc – purveyors of luxury lingerie, designer loungewear, and luxurious lifestyle products brings you a blog about our brands, collections, and life’s simple luxuries.

Press

Archives

Categories