Salvaging a Basset Chest of DrawersOn a trip to the laundromat, I saw what appeared to be a chest of drawers. I pulled over and stopped so that I could get a closer look. Indeed it was a chest of drawers. Looked ugly enough. Some sort of mustard yellow puke color. All 5 drawers were there. The bottom of the chest looked as though it had been sitting in 5 inches of water. Long enough so that the lower decorative part of its foundation and bottom slat of wood had disintegrated. I opened the top drawer and it appeared brand new, albeit dusty, dirty and webby.
Upcycled Chair BenchI saw this idea in a magazine.
Upcycled StoolIn our neighbor's trash with a broken leg. Cost of project: free. I had fabric and paint and glue on hand and it looks like a new stool for my shabby chic bedroom I have been decorating. If I hadn't snatched it, it would have gone to the dump!
Dry Paint Distressed BuffetBought this vintage buffet for $60. I wanted to try out a different type of "distressed" paint look and found this interesting method called "Dry Paint Distressing".
Dresser UpcycleHere is another dresser upcycle. I picked this up for $40 at a yard sale. There were marker scribblings all over it, so I decided to paint it to go into a room I was re-decorating. It is painted to match some of the other pieces of furniture I have in the room.
Dollar Tree Cabinet UpcycleThis project cost me $1 to do! All I had to buy was the $1 decal from Dollar Tree. I got the cabinet from "loose trash" from the next door neighbor. It was in good condition but in need of some exterior improvement to "doll it up" a little!
Chair Upholstery UpcycleAnother inexpensive upholstery project and easier than my last one.
Recycled Painted TableAfter finding this bent and torn child's table, we recycled it into an adult side table.
Upcycled Wooden TableI got this table for free and upcycled it for about $5. (I already had basic supplies of paint, brushes, stain, varnish, and sandpaper. The only things I purchased was the vinyl and a small bottle of acrylic craft paint.) The top was not wood, but the legs of the table were, so I decided to do a combination of wood, paint, and vinyl for the top. It turned out rather unique!
Distressed Finish StoolThis project involves using a "wash paint" technique to make a distressed look on furniture.
Double Distressed Farmer's TableAlthough this table was already distressed, I distressed it again using the "wet" method for distressing.
Boxy to Shabby Chic CabinetThis was a boxy looking little cabinet with drawers and I wanted to upcycle it to make it look shabby chic. So this is what I did. I found the cabinet set out for trash pick up, but didn't know what it was or what to do with it. After a couple of months, we came up with this idea for storing my daughter's Bath and Body Works collection!
Re-Upholstered OttomanI found this ottoman for $7.50 at Goodwill. Then, I found the "material" (actually a curtain from Goodwill for $4.50) that went with the colors in the room where I am using the ottoman. It needed to be re-upholstered because the leather was worn and I didn't like the dark color. You can use this same procedure with reupholstering chairs if the seat is removable.
Decalicious Dresser MakeoverThis was an unwanted, inexpensive dresser someone had set out in front of their house. I took it home and decided since it was free, I could be a little adventuresome with it. And this is what my husband and I did!
Repairing an Old ChairI love this little chair, but it needed help. I sanded it, stained it with natural Minwax stain. Then I started the seat. I made the seat by using rag strips, braiding, and finally weaving.
Sew Pretty Sewing Machine RestorationAfter receiving this 1938 Singer sewing machine and cabinet from a friend, my husband and I took on the restoration project together to put our "stay-at-home during COVID 19" to good use!
Repairing A Bamboo Coffee TableLiving on an island gives you plenty of opportunities to recycle old tables, jars, plastic planter pots, and so much more. Here it is difficult to throw things away so instead we try and up-cycle them to use them in our home. The table frame is from a bamboo table that had a broken glass top. The frame is in great condition and can be used to build a new table.
Folding TV Table as a Back To School/Small Space SaverI wanted to create a dual purpose small space saver for many uses. I started with 1 item that could be used in many different ways, took up very little space, and was easy to put away when not in use. The result was using a folding TV table, as a study area, ironing board, reading nook, eating table, crafting table, and the list goes on! Here's how!
DIY Vintage Medicine CabinetOnce this cabinet was done, it had a look of unity and rusticness. I used multiple examples of form when I used multiple rectangles off the top of my head. There is at least six. Also, I used varied textures, including the textured rain glass, the metal accents in the back, and the wood's own texture.
Pallet Door Spice RackA whole new spice rack from wooden pallets. Take apart and remove nails from pallets. Let them dry for a few days, if needed. Wet wood will not sand or cut well!
Playpen Reading NookMy friend made the perfect reading nook for her daughter out of her old playpen. If you have one laying around, why not repurpose it and give your kids a fun new place to read!
Penny Table TopI had an old wood table that I was embarrassed about as the top was cracked. Most old side tables, stands, end tables get most of the wear and tear on the flat surfaces.
Porch Beverage TableBeverage table for porch or patio. Paint and/or stencil your little stepladder if you like. Mine was already painted for use as home decor.
Recovering a FootstoolMy cousin bought this old foot stool at an auction for $1. It was from an estate sale of an elderly lady friend of mine from church. She moved into assisted living. I wanted to refurbish it and keep it in order to remember her.
Hippo TableFor a child's table idea I would strongly urge you to make one great table out of two circular ones with legs, by doing this: Take the legs off one table, paint white, and set aside to dry until later. Draw and cut out the pattern of the top of a hippo head, from a bird's eye view.
Watermelon StoolSand the top so it will take the paint. If it is an unfinished stool, you may want to paint the legs. Apply acrylic paint to make it look like a watermelon.
Turn Trash Into Fully Functional Furniture...You know all the furniture that you see people have left out at the curb for trash pickup, that on the surface looks ready for demolition? With a little fix up, these pieces can be saved and used in your own home.
