05 July 2012

Making Old Cottage Gates Pretty

I like my champagne over marbles.  How about you?  Just kidding.  I  just kept my marbles in this glass until I could get around to my newest project here at the cottage.  Although now that I think about it, some champagne over marbles might be a nice touch.  If not, here's a good idea for marbles anyway.







 

This is how our gate looked pre-luminescent marble phase.


















































When we remodeled our cottage we kept the fences and the old gate just as they were because we were to cheap to change them out like that old weathered feeling.



There was no getting out of having a fence because, like everyone, we have to guard our goods.  We go to great lengths to do so as you can see.  We even have to post this sign so that folks are forewarned as to what fate may befall them lest they try to enter our yard or mess with our goods!


Seriously.  Beware of the dog because she might bring her kitty and her duck toys and take up your side of the bed.  How scary is that!  Just you beware.



Anyhow, now you know how scary our back yard is and the fence was real ugly too.  So I'm going to show you just how we took our preference for champagne over ice marbles and made our old cottage gate real purty.  First you need this drill.  Or one pretty much like this one.  

For those of you who are new to power tools or just new, as in, haven't made this mistake before, take it from me and use a practice board first if you should decide you like the idea of shooting your fence full of bright, luminescent glass marbles.  Use bits to match the size of your marbles so that they have a good tight fit.  We used three different sizes.
  

 This project was so much fun that I would recommend it even if you have a brand new, pretty gate. It will only make it prettier! Each and every marble we put in, we oooohd and aaaahd over. 


But then, we are pretty easily amused.





Don't you think hubby looks like he's having a grand time?  Okay, maybe this was more fun for me but, hey!  Fun for me is a good thing, right? 
OOOHHHHH, AHHHHHHHH.

If you should have any loose marbles (don't even say it). Just take the tip of a nail and use it to spread a tiny bit of E-6000 transparent glue in the hole before you add your marbles.  Most of them will stay tight without it but you can slam that darn gate as much or as hard as you want and those suckers won't fall out if you use this industrial glue.  I never leave home without it.  And I'm not just saying that.



How awesome is the finished product?  I think my old cottage gate is so glorious I just might do the entire fence!






 Send me a photo if you redo your gate.  I'd love to see it.  And now, because you've been so patient and attended to my entire DIY post - I think we should watch the sunset and have some champagne over marbles.  So here's to you and my newly refurbished gate.  Slainte!  Cheers to you.



I




This was our sunset at Cottage By The Sea today.  Our days and nights have been pretty cloudy lately but the clouds give off their own kind of beauty.  Old cottage gates, glorious cloud inspired sunsets over the Pacific.  We live in a beautiful world, don't we?  I'm going to sip my champagne over marbles now.  Wish you were here.  G'night.


Blessings,


Tia

9 comments:

Margaret (Peggy or Peg too) said...
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Butterfly 8)(8 Bungalow said...
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