Happy Trashy Tuesday! It's a Lingerie Dresser Makeover! It was time to start clearing out that garage full of junk again and finally get to a diy furniture makeover. I am VERY good at adding to the collection of junk in there. If you have not had a chance to check out some of my Trashy Tuesday posts on Dumpster Diving, then please start HERE. This wood furniture piece has been in my garage for probably over 2 years. That is probably making all of you who only have one piece at a time to work on very uncomfortable about now. But truly, with this much stuff, how is a girl supposed to choose who goes next? My friend Kim from Just South of Urban moved a couple of years ...
Tutorials
How to Find Free Furniture – 5 Easy Steps
How to Find Free Furniture - 5 Easy Steps This is an updated version of a post I ran in November 2018. I am always discovering new ways to find free and adjusting and improving my skills. Read on if you want to get the best tips on how you can find free furniture! If I were a superhero, and had only one super power, it would be to make free furniture appear and come home with me. Check out my post and you can become a Free Furniture Super Hero too! I am not a superhero, just an average suburban mom. BUT! I have managed to hone this super power and bend it to my will. If you check out my Dumpster Diving Series and THIS post on how to find Free Furniture, you can develop ...
How To Makeover a Vintage Stereo Cabinet
How to Makeover a Vintage Stereo Cabinet How many times have you seen one of these old Stereo Cabinets and just dismissed it as a worthless?I found this old Stereo Cabinet one day while out walking my dog. I really believe people put stuff out on their driveways with a free sign up because they know I will pick it up. You'll Also Love: How to Decoupage Fabric Over Painted Wood For reals. It sat in my garage for a few weeks before inspiration hit. I realized that instead of trying to restore the original turntable inside (trying to rewire something from the 1950's? WHAT was I THINKING?!!) I could remove the turntable, speakers, etc. and our current turntable fit into the metal shelving ...
How To Get The Chippy Paint Look
Get the Chippy Paint look using Debi'S Design Diary DIY Paint and a surprising little tool. I am in the process of switching from a PC to my MacBook. In that process, somehow all my before and during pictures disappeared. SIGH. Cest la vis. Use your imagination. Plain brown table, good bones, needs some love. I wanted to make a fun statement on a little piece. And, I wanted control the chip factor! To achieve the perfect chippy look, go no further than the canning section of your grocery store. That's right. You need canning wax, which is about as cheap of a tool you will ever get. It is sold in big blocks, and for a chippy project, you will use only a small amount. ...
Drawer Turned Shoe Storage
If your family is anything like mine, there are always a collection of shoes somewhere near the bottom of the stairs, or the front door. We have tried several different systems to corral the shoes, but I always disliked the massive shoe pile that would eventually build. My solution? Get a Drawer turned Shoe Storage! If you follow Trashy Tuesday, you saw this drawer I found in a dumpster a few weeks ago. It was solid, massive and just begging for wheels. I turned the drawer over, and secured the wheels with screws. I chose casters that can move in any direction, they cost a bit more, but will make the drawer far easier to use. I sanded the entire exterior smooth and painted ...
DIY Black and White Staircase
DIY Black and White Staircase .............Is Completed!! (except for the railings on the 2nd floor of my house that no one but my family can see and I am so over this project that I need a break before I can go back to painting all those 1 inch round railings.....that is next...) This post originally aired in 2014, it contains affiliate links:) I am proud to share the links because I use the products myself every day. How to paint a Black and White staircase without the Pain!! The before was carpet that looked lovely when we bought our home. Fast forward 10 years, dog, 3 children and at least 1,000,000 trips up and down the stairs. We knew we ...
Turn Trashy Books into Treasured Items
Before I share pictures and this post with you I have a disclaimer. No literature was harmed in this project. All books that were altered were not only dumpster dive finds but were the probably trash for the mind as well.....Not that they were THAT kind of trash, I go to the Dumpster not the Gutter! But don't they look gorgeous now! Painting and antiquing books that were not serving much purpose in their current state could be my new favorite project. This is the kind of project where you see Debi's Design Diary DIY Paint make magic Gold Patina and Dark and Decrepit Patina. I (painful part here) tore the spines off the books. Just like pulling off a bandage, do it all at once and it ...
How to Turn a Bookshelf into Rolling Cart
Do you have one of these? Old White Book Shelf, or Black, or whatever cheap color it was. They are literally a dime a dozen in the Dumpster World. After they have served their purpose, they are often unceremoniously thrown out with the trash. Wait! You can give that ugly old thing a new life. Turn that Cheap Bookshelf into a Vintage Industrial Rolling Cart! All you need is a little patience, Wood Filler, and a pile of Scrap wood, old fence boards, Pine Boards, or whatever you happen to have on hand. You May Also Like: How to Make Anything Look Like Real Wood My bookshelf needed some repairs and I am sure yours will too. Start by tightening the existing screws left in it. Don't worry ...
How to Make Anything Look Like Real Wood
It's here! The easiest way to learn How To Make Paint Look Like Wood. **This post is my most pinned post! It has been pinned literally millions and millions of time, thank you! Please stick around, visit my Projects Page and see what else you might like to check out and try. I enjoy sharing products I love with you and I hope you love them too. I have included links to products I recommend and have benefited from. I hope you do too! Update: Since I first wrote this post, Paint That looks Like Wood, I have used MANY different products. I still love Modern Masters products, they are top quality (but not too cheap). If you are looking to duplicate this look by using less products and ...
21 Ways to Upcycle a Chair
Happy Trashy Tuesday! Well whatever day it is...in the Spirit of Trashy Tuesday.... Over the years I have found more of one type of furniture than any other. CHAIRS! Why? I think Chairs are a conundrum for people. They can be hard to paint, or if a spindle breaks, or comes loose, it takes time and patience to fix them. You May Also Like: Two Wrongs don’t make a Right, But Black and White Chairs Make a Bench! Sometimes I find the chairs in perfectly good condition, maybe they just got separated from the pack and trying to establish their independence from the Dining Set. (Haha) At any given moment (and especially this moment) I have more chairs than I know what to do with. About half of ...
Blah Bookshelf to Ballards Knockoff
We have all seen cheap, assemble yourself-bookshelves, maybe we even have one in our home? I made mine over to look like a Ballard's knockoff! Here are the items you will need: Items needed: 4 short legs of choice, plus plates Paint of choice (I LOVE Debi's DIY 100% Natural Chalk and Clay Paint) Wax or top coat of choice Fabric of choice to go on back behind shelving Measuring tape Sharp Scissors and Box Cutter Spray Adhesive, and small rolling pin or something to smooth out fabric You May Also Like: Upcycle a Bookshelf to a Rolling Cart I purchased this basic bookshelf at my local Goodwill store for $5. I then purchased four bun feet from Home Depot for ...