When all else fails, Paint it!

My plastic planters are looking pretty sad these days, being that they are over a year old and have been in constant brutal sun, so I started painting them. I did a quick not so great primer coat a couple weeks ago, and when the power went out yesterday morning, I gathered my paint and sat outside.

After I got the design painted and dryed, I sprayed with clear coat. They may not last forever, but you know I like to change things up, so I may just be ready for another design when this one fades.

And another one, in progress

And finished...with bonus sunset

Mi gusta! Now another project I'm working on. I took a very tired and dirty kitchen rug, and covered it. Rugs are expensive here, these half moon rugs with plastic backing are $6! (not to mention a trip by bus to the "big city") I was recently given a pair of jeans that were too big for a friend, and thought it might be a good fabric to use. I started with a rug like this one, but with a lot of white in the pattern, and it was not getting clean.

I had some "Elmers" glue, I painted on the old rug, and smoothed the denim over, then hot glued the edges, folding them under as I went. First attempt is never the best, but I'm happy with it. I'd been wanting to play with bleach, seeing some great designs on Pinterest, so I took a piece of scrap and practiced. It wasn't going to be instant design, but it would work. After the bleach did its thing, I added some paint, and that's where I had to stop and let it all dry. 

I'll add some more bleach and paint, and I'll have a new kitchen rug! I know it wouldn't stand up in a washing machine but I don't have to worry about that, since I don't have one. And talk about trash to treasure, because I was certainly getting ready to throw it out! I'll finish it today, and share next time.

Don't know if y'all noticed these hanging on the fence in a previous post, recycled yogurt bottles, prettied up with paint, fabric, macrame and beads. And we've started putting our cameras, cords, chargers and iPhones in Tupperware, last night in front of the TV I made rice bags to go inside the Tupperware. Anything we can do to keep what's nice, nice.

Another day of sun, fun and crafting, my life on the coast of Ecuador does NOT suck. I could do this forever, so...stay tuned, the adventure continues!