DIY Gold Chevron Computer Case

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When I purchased my Macbook Pro, I bought a black case (this one). It was thrilling for a while but then lost its sex appeal... as with any good teen movie, it was time for a makeover! Thanks to a random purchase of some Gold Leaf paint on my last trip to Home Depot, we were ready to rummmmmmmble (hear: daaaa bulls)!

What you need:

• Computer Case (Any will work! I used this one but anything that fits your computer will be jusssst fine)
• Masking Tape / Painter's Tape
• Gold Leafing
• Paint Brushes

What you do:

1. Remove the case from your computer. Be sure to paint your computer case and not your actual computer. Seriously. 

2. Tape your design on the case. I went with a slightly off-center chevron stripe. Be sure to wrap the tape around the edges to make sure you get everything!

3. Paint! Shake up the gold leafing first, then stir it a bit with the brush. Slowly spread the leafing paint around the designated area.
*Note: Depending on the material of your computer case, you should end up with some really neat crinkling of the paint, which is what creates the typical crinkly-leaf look that most gold-leaf-covered items have (though, for the record, painting silver hoop earrings did not produce the same effect. I suspect that painting metal allows the paint to dry much more smoothly).

4. Remove the tape. The active chemicals in this gold leafing paint dry quite quickly (even in 15 minutes). Check the paint with a towel or finger to be sure it's dry, then begin peeling the tape off on one of the ends, just in case it's not fully dry.

And... Voila!

 

Stains! Stains! Stains!

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Don't worry.  I did it on purpose.  

A few weeks ago, I spotted a wooden "T" at Hobby Lobby for 99 cents. Given that my mom's kitchen is needing a little something on the wall (in a small spot the same size as the wooden letter) -- and given that "T" is the initial for our last name -- I grabbed it, deciding I'd figure out what to do with it later.

"Later" was today. Using old wood stain from one of my parents' projects a few years back, I stained the wood in my garage...

Of course, my coffee was nearby... on a pedestal...

And so began the staining.  Notice my gloves switched from pink to blue?  The moment I began, I was promptly warned that the pink gloves are "special" and the blue gloves are for "crafts."  Okay.  Blue, it is.

I used an old dish washing sponge to apply the stain. After waiting for 5 minutes, I wiped it off (most of it was already pretty deep into the wood) with a paper towel. Here's what the stain looked like by the time I was finished...

I'm glad the woodgrain is so visible... but was hoping the overall color would be darker because I was planning to layer white paint over the stain and distress it, allowing a dark color to show through.  I'm still debating whether or not to add another layer of stain before using the paint.  When I get to that tomorrow, I'll let you know how it works out. :)

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Once I was ready for a break (and the fumes had gotten to my head - seriously, wood stain is pretty intense, so I kind of mean that), I walked around to the backyard to find this...

My father sitting on the hammock, smoking a cigar, while his best friend sat nearby.  

Seriously, it looks like my dog is modeling.  

Oh, what's that?  You want me to zoom in?  

    

See? She's modeling. Blue steel.

"Smile!"

See you tomorrow!