Did you recently see a well loved mini van pulled over on the side of the Highway, a woman in skirt and heels, risking life and limb to pick up a filthy pile of wood planks? Did you think "that woman is nuts", or that poor woman, "look a load of wood fell out of her minivan and she has nice clothes on, and now has to get all dirty to pick them up". ......Well, that woman was moi! I found the planks through a hot tip I had received from a friend and client. Email comes in, just prior to running my car pool to dance, "pile of wood planks off Hwy 4", on gravel, enough room to pull over and pick up". My heart started beating like I was gearing up for a race. You never know, someone ...
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 ...
Master Bathroom Makeover How To Paint a Sub Floor
Master Bathroom Makeover How To Paint a Sub Floor And...I had ZERO budget. You got that right. ZERO budget to makeover of my Master Bathroom. I wanted a Farm House look and I had to get very creative with everything I had on hand. Paints, glazes, and the biggest conundrum of all, what to do with the floor when we pulled up that awful carpet. The first thing I did was make those "what was I thinking" bright yellow walls disappear. I painted them in Sherwin Williams Repose Grey. (Which I had quite a bit of from another project). **Update, since this post writing I no longer use CeCe paints. Some of the colors and products I used are no longer available. I have found ...
How to Makeover Vintage Buffet to Boho Buffet
How to Makeover a Vintage Buffet to a Boho Buffet Boho look. Layered and chippy. Drippy and Free. Oh how I love you! This look is so easy to achieve! Have you seen this look around the internet? Probably the most awesome examples of this look comes from DIY Paint Retailers Dionne Woods of The Turquoise Iris and Quitta Allen of All Shabbed Out. These two ladies create magic with DIY Paint, and this is one of my favorite looks they create. I have always wanted to make over one of these BIG Vintage Buffets, but the price tag on obtaining one for a makeover did not fit into my FREE budget. With all my snooping around Dumpsters and Free Furniture I find, you would think I would ...
Spray it Don’t Say it. Spray Paint Leather That Is.
Spray it Don't Say it. Spray Paint Leather that is. Did you know you can spray paint leather??? This Silver Chair once resided in a woman's house who sadly, smoked three packs of cigarettes a day, for at least 30 years, as long as she lived in the house, with the windows shut! My neighbor gave them to me, when said aunt passed away. I diligently cleaned with almost a gallon of TSP (not joking), and then the process began. I Painted the frame in a lovely Antique White, then glazed with a mix of Glaze and Coffee Bean Craft Paint. The Upholstery got a makeover with Paint! Yes, you can spray paint Leather, just go really, really slowly. As in, ONE LIGHT COAT at a time, and build up to ...
Dumpster Nightstand Makeover
Dumpster Nightstand Makeover This post contains affiliate links. I am extremely opinionated, so you won't have any problem seeing that all the opinions are my own. I practice what I preach, and every product I recommend I love. It's not what you think. A one night nightstand. I am just not that kind of girl. I like to Dumpster Dive at night sometimes, but when I do pick something up. I am committed to it for the long haul. Truly. My junk stays in my garage for months at a time before I decide I am going to try "change it". This Nightstand was found quite a while ago. It was the early morning hours when we met. It didn't look like it had been around the block too many ...
Trashy Tuesday Clean Out the Garage
Trashy Tuesday Clean Out the Garage Did you know that nature abhors a Vacuum? It's a true principle. And your garage, well at least my garage, abhors being empty. Trust me, if you are needing to clean your garage out and are having a hard time parting with your junk, just trust in the junk cycle of life. Get rid of your stuff and better stuff will come around. I JUST cleaned my garage and side yard out again. AGAIN If you have been around here awhile, you may feel like this post is a repeat. Rest assured, it is brand spanking new. I have posted several posts on my accomplishments of Garage side yard cleaning and even a Video way back before there were even Smart ...