A different kind of Applique

Wow has it really been a month since my last post? Time flies!

So I spent this weekend doing a different kind of applique...fabric decoupage. It's still applique in the sense that you are applying fabric on top of something, and it sure was fun!

It all started when my daughter decided she didn't want this bookcase anymore. I wonder why?

Over the last few years it had become covered in nail polish, permanent marker, lipstick, scratched, you name it. My first thought was to give it a good sanding and paint it. Then I thought about how much work that would be given how damaged it was, and I began to wish there was a way I could just cover it up. Then I thought, hmmmm people decoupage things like this with paper all the time - why not use fabric?! So I grabbed a bunch of scraps, a bottle of Mod Podge and went to town! And I LOVE it! It's now in the kitchen/hallway with my cookbooks on it.



My daughter is quite in love with it now and wishes she had it back. I told her that when she can show me that she can look after things I'll think about it:)

So since that project was a success I started to get the Mod Podge fever and was looking around for something else to fix up. I had this old cupboard that I got from a friend when she moved a few months back. (sorry, it's the only 'before' photo I could find - I was using it to hold my fabric scraps while I did the bookcase!)
It was old, black, (yes I know black is good, but this was definitely past it's prime!), banged up, broken, and covered in dirt and cobwebs (it had been in my garage) but I had kept it because it's just a good size to have and I could see the potential in it.

So after a good cleaning, I fixed the broken drawer and back and bottom of the cupboard, primed it, and spray painted it green. I also bought new knobs for it. But it still needed more! I distressed all the edges with sandpaper, and I found a piece of Anna Maria Horner Garden Party fabric that I have been saving because it's one of my favorite prints ever, measured, cut, and pulled out the Mod Podge again! Several coats of Mod Podge and spray varnish/sealer later, I have a gorgeous new cupboard in my living room! It's housing all our board games and takes up less space than the coffee table I had there before.



So you see, applique doesn't always have to involve a needle and thread!