From This Day Forward...

Ruffledblog.com, one of my most favorite online wedding sites, hosted a competition recently, and asked readers to enter using a re-purposed vintage item suitable for a wedding. My creative juices got flowing, as I tried to think of something that hadn't yet been used as an entry. Ah ha! What else, but a chair?

As a self-professed chair rescuer, I began my search for the "perfect" one to use. It had to be sturdy, have great design lines, and have an area to display engagement or wedding photos. I found one for $10 at our local ministry. We already had the paint and glaze, and I found the plants that I needed at Lowe's. I just needed some TIME in the midst of my sweet, often crazy life, to get it finished!

Here's how it all came together...

First, I removed the chair's seat cushion, by loosening the screws from the bottom. 

A couple of thin coats of blue latex paint, went on next with a sponge brush. 

Shorty after the last coat, I rubbed on antiquing glaze with a cotton cloth, removing any excess.

Rubbing the cloth firmly over the areas I wanted to hi-light, helped to expose the stained wood underneath. The pretty, blue chair was being transformed, right before my eyes!

After the paint dried, I lined the chair seat opening with a remnant of window screen, attaching it to the chair's frame with large tacks, then trimmed the excess with scissors. You could also use burlap here instead.

In went the potting soil to fill the lined area. All the sun-tolerant perennials were nestled into the soil, with the longer ones spilling out over the sides. A couple of brown dragonfly napkins rings, were tucked in front for interest. 

I attached our 18 year-old wedding pictures to the cane seat back, using wooden clothes pins. 

My vintage, Polaroid camera, even got a chance to shine.

 

Here, I grouped the chair with some other things that would look great at a wedding.

Tip: A chair placed on a sloping area of your yard, will not sit level without rocks under one or more of its legs. I know what it was, I was drawn to the daffodils in this area.

A special thanks to Ruffled, for their approach to engagements and weddings. The couples and artists featured on their site, let go of pre-conceived, typically stiff wedding expectations, and choose to approach the day instead, with such artistic freshness. 

What I could have done 18 years ago on my wedding day, with such inspiration! I would have definitely LOST the hoop I carried on my forearm like a purse! And the halo headpiece, puffy sleeves, and pink fluid-filled fountain, wouldn't be my first choices either.

I had a great time just getting to relive our special day through this project, even if our pictures will always look like this. We've come a long way, Baby!