Miniature Vintage "Iron" Bed

 Most miniatures take a lot of patience.  This particular miniature, while it seems easy now that it's finished, took a lot of patience.  The beginning of it has been in the works in my head for months.  I wanted a vintage metal bed for my cottage.  The bedroom is an attic room and a normal sized bed is just too big and takes up the whole room.  I needed to make it.  I've tried on a few occasions to use glue, or fancy metal glue, and even once tried to get my husband to help fuse pieces together.  I felt like I was thinking too much about it.  So I let the project sit.  Until yesterday when a picture popped up on my Instagram feed and gave me the courage and the patience I needed to begin,,, again.  

For the metal head board and foot boards I used some wires left over from Chinese food take out boxes that my sister saved for me.   I used two wires for each end.  One of them the complete wire and the other I cut up into a second bar on the frame and three pieces as rungs.  

I am an avid Elmer's Wood Glue user so I got out my old faithful glue.  I don't know if it helped, but an IG mini-maker said once to sprinkle with baking soda also so I did that too.  Please see below.  Also, I didn't take a ton of pictures along the way because I truly didn't think it would work.  As Julia Child would say "I didn't have the courage of my convictions."

This picture also shows a piece of balsa wood that I wound up not using.  I instead used good old cardboard.  

Here is my piece.  Taped down, glued and powdered with baking soda.  I gave them plenty of time to dry (maybe an hour lol).  One of them wound up totally falling apart.  I knew I needed to use reinforcements... literally.

As you can see in the pic above, the wire has little feet.  I used a couple of layers of cardboard and stuck and glued the feet into the layers but not all the way through. 

I then used cross stitch floss where the metal was glued together.  I placed a dollop of glue then the end of a piece of floss and let it dry.  I then put more glue and carefully wound the string around and crisscross finally gluing the end of the string.  I let these dry and then began to paint.  So far they have held together well.

It's not perfect but that's the whole point.  I want this to look like a very old bed.  

I used brown and orange paint to make the frame look rusted and aged.  

  

I have one layer of lace trim for the dust ruffle here.

And here I have added another ruffle layer for depth and color.  And I also made a mattress this morning that I LOVE!

It's not totally complete yet.  But isn't it lovely???  The pink velvet throw needs work.  It might not stay unless I can tame it.  

If you like this bed semi-tutorial, please share to Pinterest below. 

Thanks so stopping by!!  XOXO

Summer Sheets Make Me Feel Fine

So I ask you... is there anything better than sliding your tired body between a set of cool, clean, crisp,  bed sheets after a hot summer day?  I think not!  To lift that flat sheet above your head while making up the bed and daylight comes shining right through.  I have a few that I can plainly see the windows in my room through.  Fabulous I tell you.  You can have your 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton, I'll take my oldies that came from other people across Tennessee and beyond.

I will tell you that if you go the vintage sheet route, I am pretty sure it is a sin if the flat sheet actually matches the fitted sheet.  Or the pillowcases for that matter.  One of my sisters says that it would drive her bananas if her bedding didn't all match.  HAHOOEY I say!  Nothing matches on my bed... except for the Mr. and Mrs.

The best places to find vintage bed sheets are at yard sales, estate sales and thrift stores.  Most of the time at yard sales you will only find the flat sheet.  And at the thrift stores you are more likely to find matching sets that include the fitted, flat sheet and pillowcases, if you are lucky.  Sometimes they do have separates that you can dig through and maybe come up with a pair.  I recommend finding yourself a good, soft, neutral color fitted sheet that anything will go with.  Then, let the hunt begin for poppies and cabbage rose filled top sheets! 

I have made something for you.  It is a printable cheat sheet for bedding.  Just right click and print the picture below or copy and paste with my permission.  Keep it with you when you are out on the hunt flipping through sheets on a garage sale table.  Some sheets will have the tag that says Twin, Full or Queen, but some will not.  They will only have measurements of the sheet.  And you will look so smart to know exactly what size you need.  You may fall in love with your new sheets now. 

I only hope that you are lucky enough to have a clothesline to hang them on. 

These are a few of my favorite things... fa sho!