Yardstick Stool

When KariAnne of Thistlewood Farm found a whole bunch of yardsticks at a thrift store, she brought them home and made a list of all the ways she might use them. First project on her list was making this fun yardstick stool.

All it took was a cute, chippy red footstool she already had and some of those yardsticks to make a bench with tons of character. I adore that yardstick topped seat-I can think of so many fun places to use this! It’s perfect for back to school decor, Christmas, Valentine’s Day….too cute!

Visit Thistlewood Farm to see how KariAnne made this stool.

By Kimm | Filed under Benches, Furniture | Tags: curbside find, curbside finds, dumpster dive, dumpster diving, footstool, hand me down, numbers, recycled, red, refab, refabbed, repurpose, repurposed, revamp, roadside rescue, secondhand find, stepstool, thrift store, trash to treasure, trash to treasures, upcycle, upcycled, yardstick

October 31, 2012October 30, 2012

Harvest Sign from Cabinet Door

Ashley from Dirt Stains and Paint scored a whole pile of cabinet doors that were advertised for FREE on Craigslist. She loved the lines and narrow size of this door, and knew she could turn it into something fun.

With a little help from spray paint and vinyl letters that Ashley already had on hand, the plain cabinet door became another lovely sign of fall at her house (literally!). I really like the harvest gold color that she used for the sign. And it’s definitely something that she can incorporate just about anywhere in her house-on a wall, mantel, shelf, or even the porch.

If you’d like to see the steps Ashley took to make this sign, go on over to Dirt Stains and Paint.

By Kimm | Filed under Decor, Recycled, Wall Decor | Tags: autumn, cabinet door, cupboard doors, curbside find, curbside finds, dumpster dive, dumpster diving, fall, fall decor, hand me down, recycled, refab, refabbed, repurpose, repurposed, revamp, roadside rescue, seasonal decor, secondhand find, signs, thrift store, trash to treasure, trash to treasures, upcycle, upcycled, vinyl lettering

October 30, 2012October 29, 2012

DIY Scrap Wood Wall

Brittany, known on her blog as the Pretty Handy Girl, had a pile of pallets and wood scraps lying around in her workshop. She also had a blank wall in the bonus room/art studio that she’s renovating at her house. Brittany figured out how to use up all that extra wood to turn a blank wall into a gorgeous focal point.

The eclectic mix of painted and unpainted boards with interesting, weathered patinas looks just amazing. I think it was a great idea to add a few boards that jut out from the wall, making ledges for displaying artwork and collectibles.

Do you have any old or extra wood lying around? Find out how to make a scrap wood wall of your own at Pretty Handy Girl.

By Kimm | Filed under Decor, Wall Decor | Tags: curbside find, curbside finds, dumpster dive, dumpster diving, hand me down, pallet project, pallet wall, pallet wood, pallets, recycled, refab, refabbed, repurpose, repurposed, revamp, roadside rescue, scrap wood, secondhand find, thrift store, trash to treasure, trash to treasures, upcycle, upcycled, wall treatments, weathered wood

October 30, 2012October 29, 2012

Patio Table Makeover

Serena of Thrift Diving found this patio table next to the trash on the military base where she works. Even though it was drab and abandoned, Serena was confident that she could transform it.

Back at home, she gave it a fresh coat of paint and a brand new, decorative design. The flower motif is very pretty, and perfect for al fresco dining! The blue and white stripes around the edge were a great idea, too.

Serena has lots of pictures at Thrift Diving of the supplies she used and the steps she took to give this table a complete makeover.

By Kimm | Filed under Furniture, Tables | Tags: chalk paint, curbside find, curbside finds, dumpster dive, dumpster diving, hand me down, outdoor dining, outdoor furniture, patio furniture, recycled, refab, refabbed, repurpose, repurposed, revamp, roadside rescue, secondhand find, thrift store, trash to treasure, trash to treasures, upcycle, upcycled

October 29, 2012October 29, 2012

Corkboard Calendar

Over at Inspiration Cafe, Sherry tells us that she got this plain corkboard for free when she was shopping at a garage sale. She brought it home and turned it into the perfect calendar and organization station for her family.

Painting the frame and adding calendar squares really dressed up the original basic board. And the addition of clothespins to the board? Pure genius! Now things can go on and off the board without any sharp pushpins dropping off onto the floor. This board should definitely help a busy family stay organized.

Sherry offers a detailed tutorial on how she made this calendar board at Inspiration Cafe.

October 29, 2012October 29, 2012

Starbucks Frappuccino Craft Caddy

Jess, also known as Daydream Mom, bought a four pack of Starbuck’s Frappuccinos one day and thought “Hey, this caddy could be used for something!” She upcycled the glass bottles and cardboard carrying case into a handy craft caddy.

Now Jess has the perfect place to store craft supplies in a container that’s easy to carry around the house to any spot where she wants to work. I love the fun colors that she used to dress up the bottles and box. You’ll be impressed when you find out what she used to cover the cardboard.

Hop over to Daydream Mom to see the tutorial for making this cute caddy.

October 28, 2012October 27, 2012

Play Kitchen from a Nightstand

Jenna at SAS Interiors was trying to figure out a way to make a little kitchen for her two year old daughter, who loves to play with pretend food. So when Grandma showed up with this old nightstand-a thrift store night stand, Jenna knew she could turn it into the perfect spot for her daughter to play.

With a little inspiration from Pinterest and a lot of her own creativity, Jenna completely transformed that old dresser into the cutest little kitchenette ever! I adore the darling orange trim and the fun of an oven drawer.

You can check out all the fun details and how-to’s of this project at SAS Interiors.

By Kimm | Filed under Furniture, Recycled | Tags: children, children's toys, curbside find, curbside finds, dumpster dive, dumpster diving, hand me down, kids toys, playroom, recycled, refab, refabbed, repurpose, repurposed, revamp, roadside rescue, secondhand find, thrift store, trash to treasure, trash to treasures, upcycle, upcycled

October 28, 2012October 27, 2012

Dining Room Table from Reclaimed Wood

Amy, from Buffalo Roam, had just moved into her new house and had a big hole where the dining table should be. Luckily, her husband is handy and decided to build them a new one. The source of the heavy-duty tabletop is pretty awesome: it is made from three planks of apple wood that came out of the old Santa Fe rail road box cars that carried wine.

Some of the really cool things about using reclaimed wood for a project like this is that it’s age gives it such a gorgeous patina, and there are authentic details (like stamped labels from the boxes) that give the tabletop extra character.

Check out the building process for this table at Buffalo Roam.

By Kimm | Filed under Furniture, Tables | Tags: curbside find, curbside finds, dining table, dumpster dive, dumpster diving, hand me down, reclaimed wood, recycled, recycled wood, refab, refabbed, repurpose, repurposed, revamp, roadside rescue, secondhand find, table, thrift store, trash to treasure, trash to treasures, upcycle, upcycled