All in Upcycle
But when I attached the table to the base I was at a loss. So I came up with the idea of using wood cleats. These cleats attached to the apron and then to the tabletop using wood screws… no oversized holes and washer and no hardware that allowed the wood to expand and contract… so 7 years later my table was wavy!
I had this old bench I made back when farmhouse was cool. I made it out of some reclaimed beams and finished it with milk paint, distressed it and waxed. Well, it just wasn’t doing it for my anymore… so time for a furniture flip! Or let’s upcycle this bench into a more modern and textured piece!
One mans junk is another man’s treasure. Recycle, reuse, repurpose…. or like I like to call it Upcycle! When I was first starting out making stuff I did a lot of upcycles. I thought of them as cheap learning experiences. You can usually find cheap pieces on the street, a garage sale, Facebook marketplace or Goodwill. And since they are cheap, if you totally mess them up it isn’t that big of a deal.
This month’s challenge is an UPCYCLE challenge. An upcycle is basically recycling a piece and giving it new life or using it and adding on or taking away from it to give it a new purpose. I used to do a lot of these when I was first starting out. It is a lot of fun to head to a garage sale or thrift store find something that doesn’t look so good and make it AWESOME again. Here are a few pics of some of my favorite past upcycles.
So I got a DM on Instagram that said, “Hi there! I have a unique project I need some help on.” And my reply was, “Howdy!!! I like unique projects!!!” We talked a little about time frames and availability, AND THEN she said “Oh awesome!!! I’d love to support another female entrepreneur!!” And the rest is pretty much history.
Every time you make a piece you always end up with scraps! And I hate throwing away scraps. So I am always looking at ways to utilize them in some way. Recently I built some DIY Modern Deck Chairs that I absolutely love! And while building them I had to cut this cool angle on the side pieces and was left with some triangles. I knew when I started the DIY Modern Deck Chairs that I wanted to build a side table to go with them to set your drinks and whatever on, but didn't have a plan until I saw these scraps!!!
Sometimes I question if doing this business is worth it. The long hours, the wondering where the next job will come from, the not so glamorous wardrobe that I wear all the time, the messy hair/no makeup look..... and then I sit down and review all the things I built in 2017. Yes, yes, yes it was all worth it!!! I can't believe I get to and was able to make so many awesome things!!!!
Okay, so as promised another #tbt post!!!! This is actually a post that I started a long time ago and never finished. It has some really good info on refinishing for that distressed farmhouse finish. Hope you enjoy!
I snagged these cool looking tables from a Facebook group that sells things for only $15 each. I loved that they had wood and metal. Two of my favorite things!
Have some old wood lying around?
It seems these days we all have been collecting pallets or other wood with the desire to make something awesome. But deciding what to make can sometimes be difficult. My process to solve this problem is just stare!!! Stare at the wood until something comes to me. Sometimes this can feel like a waste of time, but I think of it as the creative journey. And then if nothing comes to me, I just start cutting and then the magic just happens. Or my inspiration comes out of need for my house or for someone else.
