$33 = Fab coffee table

Tags

antique, beauty, coffee, craigslist, decoration, design, diy, elbow grease, home, interior, jacobean, minwax, style, table, thrift, thrifted, tion, vintage

As an avid thrifter, I will sneak around Craigslist every so often to see what I can find for my home. I try not to do it everyday, because I will find something everyday. Then I will buy something everyday, then before I know it… I’m a hoarder. No thank you to hoarder status.

So, a couple of weeks ago, I found this beauty listed for $20 dollars. Truth be told, she was no “beauty” as listed, but that’s why the table was for $20 and not $100, right? Love and elbow grease were needed, and I knew I was just the gal for the job.

These are the “before”(s) [these are the actual Craigslist post pictures]:

“Rusty”, “banged up”, “dirty” and “a little pathetic” would be great words to describe this piece of furniture. I still consider myself an amateur “do-it-yourself”-er, but I happen to know an expert – my dad.

I sent him pictures of the table and we talked over the phone about a plan of action:

1] Steel wool to buff out the surface rust

2] A “fine” sandpaper to prep the legs for staining

3] My choice of stain for the legs

4] Meguiar’s cleaner wax for an all over polish and protection plan, if you will

So, $13 dollars at Home Depot for the above (minus the Meguiar’s, which I had on had), and I had myself a project.

I anticipated the project to take 2 days, but once I started buffing out the surface rust, I was hooked – the rust practically melted away to reveal a shiny chrome. I was amazed (thanks dad!). This project was really coming along quickly.

(See that difference? Look left of the steel wool, then look to the immediate right)

After scrubbing down the rust, it was time to sand and stain the legs. This was a much quicker process. Here are the “before”s:

The stain I chose was Minwax “Jacobean”. It’s a dark stain, one step up from “Espresso”, and gives you the choice to layer for a deeper color. I settled on 2 coats – it was deep enough to compliment, but not compete with the black top, while still showing off it’s character and flaws (which I like very much).

So, $33 dollars later, I now have myself a fab coffee table. And, even better? The project only took me 1 day instead of the anticipated 2. Yay me! There is still deep rust that will never leave, but again, it’s those imperfections that make it real-life to me, and give the piece that unmistakable “old” stamp.

And here’s the final result:

(Note: the placemats you see are by Chilewich: http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/chilewich-table-linens-pressed-dahlia-placemat?ID=498005&cm_mmc=Google_DMA_Home_Dinnerware-_-PLA+Home+Brands+-+Dinnerware_PLA+-+Dinnerware+-+Chilewich-_-30299608709-_-mkwid_eWq5gkCC)

Nifty & Thrifty Wall Art

Tags

album, alternative, art, cave, clever, cover, creative, diy, e-6000, etsy, man, mancave, music, pictures, pinterest, record, recycle, repurpose, reuse, safe, thrift, vinyl, wall

While this is not a “how-to”, it is a little diddy that will hopefully inspire you to think about the old, but loved, stuff you have in your home and how to breathe new life into it. No, re-purposing is not a new idea, but it takes form in so many ways…

Truth be told, these vinyl record covers that you see in the above picture were not something from my childhood. I did, however, find them from a local Salvation Army for $1.00 a piece. Score! I didn’t know what I was going to do with them when I found them, but I knew they had to be mine.

Before I found these, I had pictures hanging above the crib. True, the baby was not sleeping in the crib yet, but I felt very uneasy with having picture frames above where his little head would lie. I needed a safer solution.

These vinyl record covers are light weight with no harsh edges – perfect for hanging above a crib. I’d also like to add that the wall art is one piece and is hanging from 3 different points. That way, if one “gives”, the piece is still hanging from 2 points – solid!

Lastly, it’s a totally unique piece. You can find so many different album covers to suit your tastes and design needs. This idea is great for a nursery, a big boys room, a man-cave (think ACDC, KISS, Guns n’ Roses – you get the idea), and so on. You can make it as big as you want and in any orientation you want – diagonal, horizontal, vertical. Dear God – imagine a whole wall decked out in covers. You know it’d be awesome as a backdrop in a boring office in your home.

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$8.00: (8) album covers
$3.00: hanging brackets
$0.00: on-hand glue (e-6000)

Total cost: $11.00 and 45 minutes of time

If you don’t want to make it yourself, there’s another option: https://www.etsy.com/listing/112948477/custom-vinyl-record-album-cover-wall-art

It’s going to be as good as you think

Tags

2013, beginnings, blogger, brevinsondesign, cheap, creative, diy, etsy, first blog, how to, mom, new years, pinterest, thrifting, volvo

So, here we are – on the beginning trails of 2013. While every day is a fresh start, there is something very special about a new year. It’s like rain that washes away all the “muck”. It allows us to have another go at things.

I’m on a quest to have more with less. This is not a new idea to me, as I already started the process, but I’ll be encouraging others who are looking to do the same to make it happen. For example, I’m a firm believer (along with other thrifters/creators/so-on), that you can make a big difference in any room in your home with some clever thinking, thrifting abilities and a can of your favorite colored spray paint. In this age of Pinterest (which I full-heartedly love and embrace), we are sharing ideas that are not only easy to do, but that make a huge impact on how we feel about we spend our days.

Another way I’m having more with less is to do things myself and/or with my husband. I recently bought a 1994 Volvo 850 Turbo and have started fixing it with my husband. Trust me – we are not mechanics, but with help from online forums and Google, we are turning my spotty ride into a purring kitten – one piece at a time. My favorite part about it all is not having a monthly bill for a loan on the car. I own it outright and that feels so good – kinda like when I bought my first car for a $1,000 when I was sixteen. Don’t get me wrong – new cars are nice (especially that smell and the neon-lit dashes), but for me, nothing beats having a Euro-designed car that I can actually hear running that has a boxiness to it that is unmistakeably pre-1995.

If you are interested in accepting the challenge of having more with less, then congrats to you! I’m right there with ya. If you are interested in watching how I try and tackle this feat, then please, grab a beer, take a seat and get ready for some doozies – they can’t all be winners, right? Yup – I will be posting the “oh crap!” moments, too.