My checkerboard bar stool and swing :)

16 years ago

I posted about these on the post about what we were working on the other week.

I FINALLY completed everything that I wanted to for the checkerboard bar stool yesterday! You can't read it but in the white stripe around the board I wrote, Live Laugh and Love over and over with little tiny black hearts between each word. I painted everything and then rubbed with stain to make it look old and sanded the edges a bit. The checker pieces are bottle caps. :) And I painted a box up to sort of coordinate to keep the caps in when the game is not in use :)

And I threw in a quick photo of my swing. I have been working on covering the cushions. They were white and green striped and I found this fabric and covered them. It's been a long process because the cushions are part of the frame with this thing so I had to do buttonholes and everything for the screws to fit through. I also repainted the swing because the frame was looking dirty and rough.

When it's nicer out, I hope to take more photos of the front porch. It's just really dreary today. It just started raining after I took these!

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Comments (7)

paintingfool
16 years ago
Sweets, I love it!! I want to do something similar for the grandchildren. They have just learned to play checkers and love beating me. And the swing - it is so funny that so many of us have had that particular swing. I gave mine away because the canopy finally tore and the seats were worn through. I wanted to cover it too but couldn't figure out how to get the seats off since they were attached to the frame. You did a really great job.

Since I retired last summer - I have lulled away my time by sitting in my swing with my husband. I absolutely love it and I bet the neighbors think I have nothing else to do since we are always on that swing. But nothing beats sitting there watching the birds - with the exception of painting while I am out there.
sweets98
Original Author
16 years ago
I took the canopy off for painting and decided it no longer matched so it's off for now. It makes the porch look a LOT bigger!

If you get underneath or behind the swing, there are little cut outs where the screws fit in to the frame. They are the star headed screws so you have to have the right tools, but you can remove the screws. I just sat and brainstormed up how to fix the cushions. They weren't in bad shape, I just hated them! LOL I'm not that great of a sewer either but it worked out! I did tell DH that if anything happens this time, I would like a new seat! The frame is sturdy enough and he should be able to drill holes and screw boards to the swing :)

In the last month, I got a new table for the porch, fixed the swing, DH bought a new grill and I added a bunch of my "pretties" for decorations. The next thing is a new rug! I got the one we have from MIL when she was tossing it. It's worked for several years but I want a new color! Too much green! I want a tan, I think. Something neutral and it will really pull the tan out of the plaid in the swing cushions :)
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anjabee
16 years ago
Leslie! I love your checkerboard game! Can't believe how quick you are with getting things done. I have to talk about them for a month before I finally get started. ha I guess I just have to work myself up to it. I like the bottle caps. Still haven't decided what I'm making mine out of. Mine will be on stone out in the elements so need to do something that will hold up. I think I see a pretty bowling ball peaking out thru the slats of your porch.

I love your swing! You did a fantastic job on it. I like that green color better than the other and you had a good match with your fabric. I know you are going to enjoy it now that it's more to your liking.

I think yards and houses are always a work in progress so little changes here and there as you go make a big difference. We always have to budget and save our money to do things so we are finally getting vinyl fence estimates this week so we'll have some privacy in our back yard. You don't know how many years I've been waiting for that!! ha Then we can get started on beds and things back there.
Sorry went off on a tangent there. But really...a great job on all your things. ~Anj
luvstocraft
16 years ago
Great idea for the checkerboard table. You did a really nice painting job on it too. ;o)

Your sweet looks brand new! Nice job on it too, and Anj is right--you are fast!

Luvs
craftylady-2006
16 years ago
Wow, I love your checkerboard stool. The painted bottlecaps for the pieces are just darling. Excellent idea and work.
sweets98
Original Author
16 years ago
Oh, gosh, I don't feel fast! LOL I think I have had the stool sitting in the house for the last two months telling myself that I need to paint it. I just started out planning to paint it and leave it at that! Then the checkerboard idea came about a month ago. The stool was red so I just painted the top blue and then got hung up again. Then I did the squares and stopped again. It wouldn't be so bad if we didn't live in a mobile home and had limited space. I get too many projects going and then get backed up! I start them for innocent reasons, though. Like I'm waiting for this piece to dry so if I base coat that...

Now I have a few signs that I keep thinking about making. I need to dig a few pieces off the scrap pile but it rained yesterday and ruined that. I'm now working on trying to pretty up (if it's possible) the area beside the shed where we end up storing stuff and it doesn't look so nice. :)
diarich
16 years ago
WoW! You have been busy!!!
It all looks wonderful!
Diana