February 16, 2008

a fun project



I forgot to post pictures of Jonah's Christmas present this year. It began as a $20 garage sale table with peeling paint and mis-matched train tracks. Chris jokes that this was Jonah's present, but Mom's pride and joy. I did spend a lot of hours on it, but it was fun having something artistic to do, plus I love taking things that look ugly and making them look better. Once we decided how to arrange the tracks on the table, I began by staining all the tracks so that they would be the same color--it took a few trys and a few mistakes to get it right. Then I painted the landscape on the table top and tacked all the pieces down with screws. I varnished everything to protect it from a crazy 2 year-old and so far it's held up. Chris was in charge of reinforcing the wobbly table. He and my dad did a great job of making it look so much better and sturdy. My dad tested the table out by jumping on it, so I think it's going to hold up =) They sanded it and then painted it black and that was the final touch! Hopefully it will last through many kids! Grandma and Grandpa Rapp supplied some of the tracks and the buildings along with the infamous "Thomas" Engine which is battery operated. Jonah sure loves this and will play with it for years to come.

10 comments:

Jen Giorgis said...

Looks great Mandy, these boys and their trains. Kimball also got a train set for christmas and is always playing with it. So fun!!!

Allison said...

Mandi - Good job with the project! It looks awesome! My girls are such "girly girls" right now - baby dolls, dress-ups, etc. that I forget about things like train tracks, cars, etc. :-) Wow, baby #3 coming soon! We're so excited for you.

Matt, Rachel, Madden and Halle said...

So fun! Madden just got back into his trains again. He plays for hours every day! Thank goodness for that!

Court and Britt said...

that turned out SO CUTE!! way to go, I don't think I could have come up with that on my own.

kat and jason said...

that is so cute---way to go!! i love getting a cheap bargain then spending lots and lots of time fixing it up... it's fun huh. looks good!

Tiffany said...

Wow, that is so cute! You are so crafty, good job! I swear, you and Tara make me feel so un-artsy. :) You are such a cute mom!

thepainterfamily said...

oh man! this is absolutely STUNNING! Totally going to be an heirloom! details like staining the track just are over the top! you couldn't buy anything so beautiful! way to go mandi! ...i want one too!

Natalie N said...

Wow! What a great price for a train table. You did a SUPER job, and it looks so professional. Nice work! You're an inspiration to us all. :)

S&J Jones Family said...

So cute! You did a really great job! I'm sure Jonah LOVES it!

Nick Scott Family said...

I am Whitney Woolley's sister-in-law and I found your blog through her site. I LOVE LOVE LOVE your little boy's room. I've been looking to do something similar and just wanted to know where you bought your original bedding from for your boy's room (it is darling) and I can't believe you made your crib one (impressive)!!! What are your colors you painted on the top of the wall as well? If you could, would you email me at kscott@btjd.com? Thanks so much and good job on their room. It really is so darling.