As mentioned on the home page, for reuse ideas try searching Pinterest or Google using reuse, repurpose or upcycling as search words or check out my Pinterest boards:
Trash to Treasure This page is dedicated to before and after shots of projects. I had a few earlier projects, but I was so excited to jump in and get started that I forgot to take before photos. lol I love the time right before bulk pick up trash days when my neighbors set out all kinds of good things! The majority of these finish projects were donated to HALO (Helping Animals Live On) Thrift Boutique.
Tip: Old English Scratch Cover can bring scratched and dingy wood furniture back to life. It might take a couple coats, but it will easily transform curbside finds. Check out pictures of these beautiful finds after it has been used.
Tip #2: Once pressed board and veneer furniture gets wet and even worn, when you go to paint it with a brush it will create lines or bumps that can't be sanded down for a smooth finish. Two things to try to mask the unevenness are using a paint roller to add texture or a crackle glaze. See pictures below with the roller used on the coffee table and crackle glaze on a nightstand (this was in pretty bad shape, so it still isn't great around the edges, but the top/sides/drawers are much improved).
Before: This table had water damage with the pressed board that made it no longer align on the edges. After spray painting it a nice aqua color, I found a table runner at Goodwill and was able to cover the damaged area.
After:
Before:
After: This curbside find just needed some paint to make it feel new and beachy.
Dog/Cat Bed with Headboard: Towards the bottom of the page are dog/cat beds made from drawers. I went to make another one, but my blue cushion was too short. The solution? Make a padded headboard in the back to fill in the gap!
Message Center: Added cork board that I found at the thrift store and three drawer pulls to this curbside drawer to make a place to post messages and hang rubber bands, car keys, etc.
Storage Drawers and Crate: You can store toys, books, linens, pillows, etc. in these old drawers and crate. Two of the drawers I used legs from a broken chair and the bun feet and little legs I found at The Salvation Army.
Plant Stand from Old Drawers and Scrap Legs
Before:
After: Simply repainting this curbside find makes a huge impact.
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After:
Before: If you have or find a chair with a broken spindle(s) in the back, it can easily be cut off and made into a stool!
After: If you don't have foam and material to add to the top, you could always sand the top down (making sure where you cut off the back is even with the seat) and paint it.
Before: My neighbor had this rocking chair out by the curb with a free sign.
After: First time at using furniture tacks to upholster. I left the sides painted vinyl, but I was able to get the front and back done with limited DIY skills.
Before: My parents moved into a new house and these were left by the previous owners in the back yard.
After:
Before: I found these drawers with the background paper already in place.
After: Drawer shelves. One drawer had nail polish spilled on the front, so I painted it and the second one I left the original wood finish.
Before:
After: Added some of the found wood left over from the windowsill project (another project below) to these curbside finds. I also tried out the pop tabs as picture hanger idea.
Made this shelf from some scrap pieces and two of my favorite handle/knobs that I found in bulk pickup items. I added the same tabs to the back for easy hanging.
Before: Two curbside finds.
After: I sure have been able to do a lot of projects with the donated turquoise paint and I still have 3/4 a gallon left! :-)
Before: A neighbor had a garage sale and put this by the curb after the sale with a Free sign.
After: Just added some paint to spruce this up and give it more character/interest.
Before: A neighbor's Craiglist free posting snagged me these four items.
After: The top and corner of this nightstand was really beat up, so I added cloth to the top.
I kept these make overs to put in my guest room and in my side yard. The finish on the table top appeared after sanding the top. I liked the distressed look, so I just added polyurethane to the top! The legs and chair I couldn't match exactly with the paint on hand, but I tried to make the finished distressed to go with it.
Before: These curbside finds needed some wood glue, paint (could have used stain, but I had donated paint on hand), and material from Goodwill to redo the seats.
After:
Before: These curbside finds just needed a coat of stain, some wood glue for a few pieces of unwinding bamboo, and two $5 Walmart cushion (the photo bomber is my dog Callie).
After:
Before: This desk just needed sanded, a new coat of paint, and a piece of wood to fix the gap between the first and second drawer.
After:
Before: These chairs were missing pieces and one had a busted leg at the top. I combined the pieces into one good chair (the rest of the pieces will show up in other projects!). I couldn't refinish the wood as it was a veneer, so I painted it.
After:
Before: Before mid-makeover picture of drawers and parts from the extra chair above. All of these were curbside finds. Special thanks to Jennifer Johnson for the free paint!
After:
Completed storage drawers with wheels underneath. These can be used for under the bed storage, in a closet or displayed in a room with books, toys, blankets, etc. inside.
Dog Bed
Footstools
Shelf
Before: Plain Windowsills. I found some old, weathered gray siding and had enough to make some rustic windowsills for all my windows, except for in the Master Bedroom (I'll have to be on the lookout for another curbside find for that room!).
After:
Update: I found another piece of wood sitting out for bulk pickup to use for my last windowsill. It doesn't have the edge to it like the other boards, but it has weathered paint that I like.
Before: Donated wheels and found cushion. Looked online to get ideas for a new project.
After: A Bookstool! Books were donated by Treasures 4 Teachers and my neighbor Ben. Finished project went to Treasures 4 Teachers.