Oh Buoy Abodes - Farm Tables

We can't quite fit a large farm table into our "charming" city apartments, but we love them nonetheless. They bring such character to a room and are super versatile. They bring a special touch to a modern, classic, or rustic space. Plus, they can be a fantastic DIY reclaimed wood project. Here's a peek at some of our favorite looks. 

Oh Buoy Abodes: Nautical Dining Chair DIY

Ever since moving into a new apartment 3x's the size of my old one (see the old place here and here), I've been doing my best to channel Martha Stewart with some DIY projects to customize our new space. This is my favorite project so far - re-covering these dining room chairs in a bold, navy & white striped fabric. I love the way it turned out, and refreshed an old set of furniture!

I was so happy when my parents offered their old dining room set to us. It was originally a hand-me-down to them at their first apartment, from a neighbor who was moving. The set had been in storage in their basement for years, and the original seat covers showed that (and a couple were missing entirely). While cleaning the chairs up, we noticed that they were made in Massachusetts!

We went with a thick foam (bought at JoAnn Fabrics) to make the seats extra comfortable. I also used outdoor fabric, which is a bit sturdier and stain resistant. A discovery we made - if you are using a light/white fabric, the green of the cushion will show through. We just added a layer of thin cotton fabric underneath, and that solved the problem.

It was a lot easier with two sets of hands - one person holds the fabric as tight as possible while the other staples. The foam smoothed over the edges perfectly using this technique. 

The finished product!

Easter Basket Inspiration

What do you like to put in your Easter baskets? We think the best baskets keep it simple. Here's a few tips for building a lovely little basket.

• Go for quality chocolates—Lindt makes the perfect gold bunny and many other delectable spring treats you can find here. 
• Adding candy do mason jars is an easy way to reduce the packaging clutter. 
• Beauty items are the perfect size to fit the basket. Here we've used nail polish from Chanel and Essie in spring colors and a deliciously tangerine EOS lip balm. 
• Don't forget a few Oh Buoy gifts your little Easter bunny will love!

Who wants to buy all that stuffing for the bottom of your basket? It's a waste of money that immediately gets thrown away. Here's how to make your own from scraps of paper you already have laying around the house! Wrapping paper scraps and even newspapers work well for this purpose. 

Cut a strip of paper about 2 inches wide.

Fold the paper in half lengthwise.

 Cut notches perpendicular to the long edge, almost all the way to the end. 

 Flip the paper around and cut notches going the other way in between each of the original notches. Remember to not cut all the way through!

 Cut the entire length of the folded edge.

 Gently pull on the ends to loosen the pieces.

 Rip or cut the long strips into smaller pieces and throw them in the basket!

Oh Buoy Boston + Etsy + Whole Foods

We helped to ring in the holiday season on Tuesday night at Whole Foods Newtonville, with a festive ornament craft, sparkling rosemary limeade, and delicious cookies & truffles (courtesy of Whole Foods). A huge thank you to everyone who came! Join us for round 2 on Sunday, December 15th from 10-11am. See you there!

 

Our new, monkey fist ornaments will be for sale soon!