Finally getting at my REDOs
One of the best parts of REDO-ing OLD junk has to be saving it from a landfill and the fun of trying to repurpose into a NEW item and making it go GREEN.
My original post about my June Junking finds is here, Junking Post.
I'm still working a few items there; the pedestal table will be an entire post on its own.
Now to the shelves and cabinet.
FIRST an American saying…"ugly as a sow's ear."
Second, an old Danish saying, "Every sow thinks her little piggy is beautiful."
Well here is a a few sow's ears and three little piggies in all their before and after.
I confess this first one, the three tiered shelf
sat on my front porch in all of its puke-pink glory for two months.
Finally hubby said, "When ARE you going to do something with that?"
The problem was not just the color, but its substantial proportions 29" Tall by 25" wide.
As a metal shelf goes its huge!
I originally planned to paint it dark green or barn red and use it for garden stuff,
but we didn't really have a large wall space in the sheds or in the garage.
So, when it came to painting it, I just began with emptying cans of ivory and white on it---yes, just plain old satin spray paint to cover that pink. I could not fathom brushing it with anything else.
NEXT!
This little cabinet, I got for $4 at a thrift store…shallow shelves and glass windows
and that awful mahogany cherry stain from the 90's.
I knew the bleed-through under fresh paint would be hideous.
What could I use that for?
I thought of the box of nail polish bottles, I had cluttering up my bookshelf.
But, how to keep them on the shallow shelves?
I imagined myself knocking an entire row off, while trying to remove one.
Honestly that cherry mahogany is nasty!
NEXT!
The before picture of this one…
Just your standard 50's gold metal bathroom shelf,
sprayed black, and sprayed sorta white.
Basically ugly, but functional.
LET'S BEGIN!
The two metal shelves I simply sprayed and sprayed and sprayed, white and ivory. I exclusively use satin paint; durable enough to wash off, and basically has very little shine.
Sealing, waxing is just not my thing, nor is daubing a million surfaces with a brush.
A 'do-over' is an easy fix over a sprayed satin base, and perfect for glazing too.
Wow, this looks MUCH better! My little piggy is beautiful.
I'm staging this outside, because I still have no place to immediately hang this. It may temporarily move to the shipping/quasi craft space. But one can dream!
Lots of shelf space on this piece.
With some of my favorite kitchen pieces---if I had wall space!
The cool white goes well with my blue and white Copenhagen porcelain
and my grandmother's blue glass birds.
Maybe when the kitchen is redone, there will be a place for this
or by the UGLY coffeepot, for my mugs and cups. HMMMM!
NEXT the other sow's ear, a potential jewelry display?
Basically ugly, but functional.
TIP: I always flip my items over and paint the bottoms first---it avoids drips on the surface that shows.
A lightbulb went off in my HEAD! NEW IDEA!
Since Grandbaby has taken over my dresser, now all my jewelry is hidden and then I don't' use it!
HOW about this for a REDO!
I'm showing this sitting UPSIDE DOWN---but I am planning on
hanging it on the wall after the bedroom remodel.
Then the bottom shelf rim can hold more earrings and give room to hang necklaces on little hooks.
I'm considering bending the back rim of the bottom shelf forward
to give more clearance for hanging items.
I'm totally loving this idea, I'm sure I will grab something and walk out the door
looking gorgeous because of this little REDO piggy project!
I wear clip earrings and vintage jewelry---Now, I can stage for the seasons from my collections.
This will be my late Summer, going into Fall assortment.
The towel bar is perfect for keeping bracelets sorted.
Total cost for this project $3 plus paint, and maybe some hooks later.
Now, I need to look for a vintage frame to NEW pin station!
NOW the wooden cabinet. And those shallow shelves.
I cut two pieces of NEW beaded wood molding-Michaels $2.49- to fit. See above the goose girl.
Pounding and gluing that skinny wood was tricky. Hubby finally started up the compressor and
(brad) nail-gunned it. The mahogany wood was so hard that nailing just didn't' work.
After a light sanding, I painted two coats of white primer and 2 coats of white satin enamel, and stopped. I may glaze this later with dusty blue or add another coat of white and distress. I did not weather the finish--yet, as the jury is still out---on its final destination and finish.
I re-attached the original hardware..even the magnetic catch
and filled the shelves with all my nail polish.
And added my grandmother's lavender glass birds, my little goose girl box, and a few bottles. Later to be replaced with my small perfume bottles, and maybe another strip of molding!
And now, no fear of knocking all those bottles off those two shelves with the molding.
See how neatly they are tucked away behind the decorative trim molding.
Total cost for this cabinet, $6.49 + paint.
Hubby said, "I really like that!" And, he basically doesn't like anything I do with OLD stuff.
Thanks for stopping by and I would love to hear from you!
Sandi
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All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions or posts. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle
