{Giveaway #2: Custom Photo Backdrop...ANA from Knock Off Wood & My Latest Project}

{Giveaway is now CLOSED}

Just a reminder, we will be announcing the winner tomorrow for Jamie's cute photo memory game, I wish I could win it.

So for my giveaway the photographer had to pick something photography-ish so I chose my favorite photo backdrop, the LEMON DROP from mine and Brooke's SUGAR DROP SHOPPE. I handcrafted it with love...FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER, unless you find pins in it, then I didn't make it.
This backdrop is valued at over $75 and will be the perfect compliment to any photo. This backdrop measures 5 feet x 7.5 feet and has a loop at the top to hang from a photo stand as well as finished edges. You don't have to be a professional to use this...just drape it over a chair or lay it on the floor. You could also make some darn cute pillows out of it. Now is the time to shoot some cute pictures of the kids. I can't wait to send this one out!

To enter this giveaway and the upcoming giveaways on our blog, all you have to do is leave a comment on the giveaway post.

For EXTRA entries, feel free to do any or all of the following and leave a separate comment for each one:
*Become a follower of the Crafting Chicks blog
*Become a fan of Crafting Chicks on Facebook
*Add a button or a link on your blog (button code on right sidebar)

If you did these things already, you can do 4 separate comments on this post.
Please get your entries in by midnight MST on Friday APRIL 23, 2010 to qualify for this giveaway. The winner will be announced on Saturday April 24, 2010.

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OK and onto my favorite project.....so for those of you who missed it. Ana from Knock Off Wood so generously featured the play kitchen I built, on her AMAZING site last Sunday. If you haven't ever been there you MUST check it out. I could easily say that it changed my life a couple of months ago when Cousin Brooke introduced it to me. So her site is full of DETAILED and EASY building plans of all sorts of great furniture from places like Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware, and West Elm. I didn't know ANYTHING about wood or nail guns before I started this project a couple months ago. Even Better, she posts plans EVERY DAY! I don't know how she does it, but thousands of people who visit her site daily would agree that she's an inspiration. So Ana, as a small thank you, we are giving you one of the photo backdrops of your choice for free.
SO HERE'S THE DETAILED GUEST POST......p.s. her comments make me sound WAY cooler than I really am.
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I BUILT IT! Kirsten from Crafting Chicks Amazing Play Kitchen

Happy Sunday! We have a guest today!

As you take a second to look through and read Kirsten's guest post, remember to breathe. The first time I saw these photos, I was absolutely stunned. Oh, the power of our minds and our creativity - it far surpasses my expectations. Make sure you also visit Kirsten at Crafting Chicks, her blog is equally amazing. Kirsten, I know you are going to inspire more play kitchens. But I wouldn't be surprised if you also inspire big girl kitchens too - I want one!

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I am so incredibly honored to be a guest here with Ana and all of you!! I have loved seeing all the bragging boards and all the projects from the readers. I was DYING when I first saw Ana's site, and couldn't wait to start my first project. I had so much fun building this play kitchen. My hubby was pretty impressed too. This was my first project and definitely not my last. I would say that I am a crafter by nature, and have ALWAYS wanted to build things with wood and nails and power tools. Ana has made is SOOOOO possible for ANYBODY to build and I will be forever indebted to her!
So I have 4 kids 6 and under, and found the time to make this. I am telling you that not because I am supermom, but because it's really doable. I had to work on it in really small snippets so this wasn't a weekend project, but worked on it over about a month and a half.

I think the biggest thing I learned was that building is NOT hard, all you need is the right tools, and some dudes at Home Depot that are willing to spend an hour or so with you at the saw, which I did. I didn't know ANYTHING about the different woods or power tools.

{ANA WANTS THE DETAILS}so here goes...

{MATERIALS}: I decided to use cabinet-grade hardwood plywood because it was on sale for $23.00 (a promo) for a 4'x8' piece-so much cheaper than the pre cut pine boards, and I figured if I was going to the trouble, might as well make it super sturdy. I'm pretty sure we will be passing this down to the great great great grandkids. I'm also pretty sure if someone broke into my house, it would really do some damage if I chucked it at them.

When choosing your piece, make sure you don't get one from the top of the pile because they are usually a little warped. Go 5 or 6 down. I ended up using a full 4'x8' sheet of cabinet-grade hardwood plywood and then a small piece of another sheet, and took home the leftovers. I also used about a half a sheet of primed bead board ($19.00) for the back pieces. So the total for the wood used was about $40.00.
{TOOLS}: I went out and bought a nail gun off of Craigslist for $60, it was daring but paid off, it's a beauty. Since it was used, I took it to the local building supply store and they put the ok on it. They also informed me that it's SUPER important to put 5-6 drops of oil in your gun EACH time you use it. It was really surreal when I brought it home, I felt a little more powerful than I normally do. For you newbies, as I was just a couple months ago, I bought the 15 gauge, 2" angled finish nails ($13.00-shown above) and used about 1/2 of them.
{TOOLS} I also used a drill/screwdriver for the hardware and for the beginning of the sink hole and the faucet hole, and then widened that hole with my mom's Bosch saber/jigsaw-super handy. By doing all my cuts at Home Depot, I got away without using a scroll saw or any other power tool! YEA! WARNING: Don't try and drill a hole with the jigsaw, you might cut your hand off, not that I tried or anything.

{ASSEMBLY} Putting it together was really a cinch especially with a nail gun. I put each piece together in an hour or two. Although nailing the bead board to the back was kind of a beast. It was chipping a little bit, it worked, but I think screws might have been a better idea. If I was to do it over again, I would have labeled each board as it was cut at Home Depot, that would have saved me some time and remeasuring.

{SANDING & PAINT FINISH}: After the assembly, I sanded the whole thing down with an orbital sander, super handy but not necessary. I painted with a regular paint brush then sanded it down with an orbital sander again. I then ended up retouching and painting another layer with a wide sponge brush that gave it a nice smooth finish. I sanded that coat down with the finest grit sand paper for a nice finished look, then sprayed the whole thing with aerosol clear, satin protective finish.
{ACCESSORIES}: If I'm being honest, I would have to say that the hardest part (and the part that took the longest) for me was picking out the paint color, and the right accessories because I can't sleep at night until I get the best deal and the cutest crud. So here's the information:

PAINT COLOR ($6.00): I had them color match from the cover of this book Handmade Home that was on the shelf at Lowe's..it was just enough blue with just enough green. I chose one gallon of Valspare paint ($23.00) and used not even 1/4th of the can, and will use the rest on my laundry room.

HARWARE: The clear diamondy oven knobs did not come from Anthropology but from Hobby Lobby for $2.50 each (50% off sale). In my searchings I learned that they were by far the cheapest for that type of knob. ($10.00 total)

The silver handles on the oven, the towel rack, and the fridge are 8" and 12" pulls from Ikea. I think they were $5.99 and $7.99 for each pair. ($14.00 total)


THE FAUCET: I got this from ebay for $3.50.......plus SHIPPING, which ended up at ($13.50). If you search for bar faucets, and the brand Price Pfister, you will find some mini faucets that are perfect for play kitchens.

THE SINK: I got it at a second hand store for $1.00. It's a stainless steel and I think it is a dog bowl, but the lip on the edge was perfect to hold it in there, you could also use a brownie pan or another size pan. My little Q really likes to take it in and out so I didn't fasten it down so she could have her fun.
MIRRORS: Also from Ikea was the mirrors, two on each side. This just might be Q's favorite part of the whole thing. They were also from Ikea and they were $4.99 for a four pack. They have these cool, spongy adhesive stickers, 4 for each mirror, that really seal it in place. Later I may add some hooks under those mirrors on the fridge for her necklaces, I think she would like that.

POTS AND PANS: IKEA, for the set of 4 it was ($10.00).
PLEXIGLASS & FASTENERS: I bought this at Home Depot, and it was ($4.00) and it was an 11x14" piece. I'm not going to lie, the oven door was tough. In fact, that was my least favorite part of the project. It was a balancing act getting the oven door to lay flat and my nails kept shooting out the side. I used a lot of wood putty on that, don't look too closely. Those fasteners were ($2.00) and are for mirrors. I decided not to router the oven door and just put the plexiglass on the back, it worked well. Also, I ended up not needing a closure for the oven door because it rubs a little on one side and holds fine without one.
HINGES: I used 2 pairs of 2 1/2" hinges on the fridge and a pair of 2" hinges on the oven. Each pair was about ($2.00).
MAGNETS: I added a magnet/metal piece set ($.79 at Home Depot) so the fridge would close nicely. Each door has a metal piece and they both fasten to the same magnet.


STOVE BURNERS: On the flip side of those burners-three 5"soccer balls and a basketball painted gray, all from Roberts crafts ($.79 each). It's the closest thing to burners I could find without cutting my own. They are glued on with E6000 glue.
Here's the sink without the curtain and the tension rod. That front piece hides the bowl of the sink and the faucet hardware nicely.
THE CURTAIN: This was a really fun part. The curtain is on a tension rod (that my hubby jimmy rigged to make smaller).
QUICK CURTAIN MINI TUTORIAL: I got these fabrics from my favorite place to go pick out material, Quilter's Haven. All their fabrics are super up to date and the nicest lady that worked there let me bounce ideas off her and gave me great ruffle tips, seriously she was so nice.

In case you were wondering, and it's not rocket science, but the ruffles are sewn to a heavier duty fabric so it hangs straight, and is then looped around the top. The dimensions of the fabric pieces (before any sewing) are as follows (if only I could whip up a diagram like Ana, that would really come in handy right about here):

• Main Cream-colored piece: 15.5" wide 17.5" long with 1/2" seam allowances. The circumference of the loop at the top is 4" with 1/2" seam allowance.
• The colorful fabric at the top was sewn on after the three ruffles, and about 1/2" over the top of the pink ruffle.
• The dimensions of each ruffle before sewing: 10.5"x22"
• To sew each ruffle put fabric backside down and horizontal, and bring the bottom up so the colorful sides are together and sew with 1/4" seam allowance, turn inside out, then sew again along top, the ends are still open and now you have a long tube.
• Fold the ends in and sew the ends closed.
• (now to prepare for gathering the fabric) Do two rows of basting stitch (long stitch) 1/4" from the top and about 1/4" apart and leave long tails of thread on each end.
• After you do this pull the thread lightly until the fabric gather evenly across the fabric
• Then pin the ruffle to the main piece, and sew a regular stitch between the two basting stitches.
• Pull the basting stitches out after it is properly sewn in place, leaving the main stitch, slick!
• The bottom of each ruffle hangs about 3/4" over the ruffle beneath it. The fabric over the loop (white, green, blue colored) is sewn over the pink ruffle about 1/2"
• The blue pom pom row is sewn right where the top of the pink fabric and the colorful loop fabric join.
• The bottom ruffle hangs about and inch below the main piece of fabric.
• The edges and bottom of each ruffle hang free. Whew that was probably a little confusing, got it?
  

So for the grand total and it's even on the more expensive end of making it yourself, but it's still impressive for a completely custom job. And let's be honest, these do-it yourself kitchens would beat the Pottery Barn kitchens in a fight any day:

• Paint: $6
• Wood: $40
• Knobs: $10
• Handles: $14
• Faucet: $13.50
• Hinges: $6
• Material and pom poms: $12.00
• Tension Rod: $3
• Stove top burners: $3.20
• Nails: $4.50
• Sand Paper & Glue: $10
• Flower Scrubber: free
• Mirrors: $5

Grand Total Is: $127.20

And even more importantly, there's a whole new wealth of knowledge nestled cozily in my head: Priceless!!

Thanks Ana for all of your hard work, you've really made a difference in the world.

Happy Crafting Ladies!