Recently, I decided I needed a couple of things to make my artistic endeavors more convenient, comfortable and organized. The first thing I found was a tutorial on how to make a colored pencil carousel. It was the perfect thing, so I went shopping with hubby at Lowes and we came home with all the materials for making it. Fast forward a couple of days and voila!... I have this wonderfully organized object.
It is basically a plastic lazy susan with PVC couplers glued in circle patterns. Some foam is used to raise up the center sections. This may not have been cheaper than buying something similar, but it was BETTER than anything that was even remotely close to it. It is perfect for the way I use my pencils.
I also decided I needed some sort of art desk. I wasn't going to just go buy something new for this purpose. For one thing, they are expensive and most "art desks" are not very sturdy. We went shopping at the local thrift store and found this for $10.
I also decided I needed some sort of art desk. I wasn't going to just go buy something new for this purpose. For one thing, they are expensive and most "art desks" are not very sturdy. We went shopping at the local thrift store and found this for $10.
Dirty, beat up, banged up, but very sturdy, with some storage possibilities....and it rolls on casters, so I can easily change my mind about where it resides. Thought about painting it first, but my daughter encouraged me to skip all that and get on with my art, so here's what we did:
I found the perfect fabric in my stash (someone's cast off curtains) and did just a bit of cutting and serging to make it work. Jim cut the plexiglass top to perfectly fit the desk top (he's SO handy for stuff like that!) and I was all set. How lucky am I that we already had this piece of plexi sitting around, still with it's protective paper on it, ready to be used? Hubby said a piece that big would have cost us about $50, so even if I'd had to do that, the desk would still only have cost me $60 and it is so perfect for my needs! But since I didn't have to buy the plexi, I still only have $10 in the project. I'm happy working at this desk that is perfect for afternoon light, plus I put new "daylight" bulbs in a couple of lamps I already had and there is plenty of light available for my art. I already have put lots of things on the upper and lower shelves and I am using this desk every single day.
I may decide to get ambitious and paint this thing some day, but it's tucked away in a private area of the house (spare room) that isn't seen by most visitors, so it's not any high priority. It's clean and functional and makes me smile;)
I may decide to get ambitious and paint this thing some day, but it's tucked away in a private area of the house (spare room) that isn't seen by most visitors, so it's not any high priority. It's clean and functional and makes me smile;)