"Hello? Would You Like This?"

Anyone who has known me for any time at all, understands my affinity for trash. Not literal garbage, but those little gems that people put at the curb that have so much life in them that I just can't leave them. Rescuing these treasures isn't a new occupation. I have a beautiful set of copper bowls that I retrieved out of a neighbors trash nearly 40 years ago that are still hanging in my kitchen

That's why people call me with questions like "Hello? Would you like this?" Rarely do I say no! And that's how I happened to come into possession of this beautiful little dresser. My friend said that it had belonged to her uncle, and had been sitting in the garage for a LONG time being used for storing garage stuff. She had had enough of it and it was going to be disposed of if I didn't want it. Well, HELLO!! Of COURSE I wanted it!! Luckily my daughter was here with her minivan and volunteered to go up and get it. Yay!!

It was so sturdy, and I always find it amazing how roomy these old dressers are. Not as big as new ones on the outside, but huge on the inside. I loved the "original" green color, which wasn't the original color, but a coat someone had put on in the 60's I would guess from the shade. The house I grew up in was actually this same mint green for several years. (That one was for free. You're welcome!) I had intended to just strip the top and stain it, but the paint was a mess and there was some water damage on the side, so the more I looked at it, the clearer it became that the whole thing needed to be made over. 

First step, strip the top.

Sometimes I'm really happy that previous owners didn't go to the trouble of properly preparing the wood before finishing. It doesn't always work out well, but this time it put a smile on my face!! Didn't take any time at all for the old paint to peel off and what was underneath was pristine! The one part of the piece you'd expect to be all beaten up, and there wasn't a mark on it!!

Didn't get so lucky with one side and a bit on the front. A little veneer damage could't be re glued, but I found a way around it.

Did a little painting and distressing after the repairs were all done.

Here's a little tip. One of my favorite places in the world is the mis-tint bin at the local hardware store. You can find some truly ugly colors there, but there are also some beautiful shades that people simply didn't want. I came up with a quart can of really high quality paint for $2.50. SCORE!! I've been able to use it on a few projects now, but the top got so crudded up that it would no longer close tightly. 

So, out comes the trusty canning jar. I've used this method several times to store left over paint and it works great. Just don't drop it!!

I used the original hardware. Just stripped the old paint off of them as well (Another tip: Drop any paint covered metal "stuff" in boiling water and let it simmer a bit. The paint peels right off!) Gave them a little spray paint and scuffed them up. 

Voila!!

This project took me about a week, and much of that was dry time. But now it smells fresh and looks great. Looking forward to seeing it in it's new space!

You have made him for a little while 

lower than the angels;

You have crowned him with 

glory and honor,

And have appointed him over 

the works of Your hands;

Hebrews 2:7

Other Family Junk

Resurrection Upcycle

How Did Resurrection Begin?

Recreating old things is nothing new in our family. My dad was a "horse trader" from way back, and I inherited the love of a challenge to get stuff cheap and make it cool. I have a little too much nervous energy for my own good, and I love to create. A good mix? Some would say "lethal mix". But it keeps things fun.

We've lived in our current home for 11 years. Longer than any other place. After moving all over the country, courtesy of the military and the airline business, we landed in the Midwest and settled in for what we thought would be a short stay. When we tied our past record of 9 years, it became obvious that we weren't going anywhere anytime soon! The appearance of the basement space made that clear too!

My better half hates basements. I happen to love them, as long as they're dry. It's a great place to keep "stuff".  Yes, they have to be cleared out from time to time, but the stuff can just reside there, out of everyone's way, waiting to be put to use. I started re-creating junk out of and appreciation for old things and the desire to keep things out of landfills. Amazing what people put at the curb for the trash collectors to pick up. We also had a lot of left over resources from past home improvement projects, so the challenge started with "what can I put together for free from the stuff stored in my favorite room? The basement! And since I love old worn out stuff, I happened on ways to make brand new things look like they'd been around a long time. Magic!

I don't use any particular process to achieve the look. I've never used chalk paint, and have never seen anything done in chalk that really looks old. Don't get me wrong, the things are beautiful, but they look like newer things trying to look like they have a history, or old things that HAD a history made over to look old again, but better, but the history is all gone. Just my opinion. So, I use what I have on hand; mix my own colors from paint left over from other projects, sand it, beat it with an old dog chain, drag it around the garage floor, poke it with forks.......... You get my drift? Whatever it takes to get the look I'm after.

This business may get huge. It may go nowhere. And that's fine. Because all Resurrection Upcycle is about it keeping me busy and out of trouble. And creating less trash. The hippie in me screams for release!!

Here's an example of things rescued from the trash (literally) and made not to look old, in this case, but certainly beautiful again.

I pulled up to visit my mom, and right in front of me, sitting outside of a dumpster, I saw these:

There were three of them. And they sat there for weeks before I finally figured out how to get them into my car. Which warrants an explanation: I drive a small car, so I'm pretty much limited to small projects. And since I seem to be a chair junkie it works. 

So, I got them in the car and drug them home. And they turned into this:

In Welsh, this says "Please have a seat!"

These are a beautiful eggplant color. 

Of course, there was a lot that came in between, but the end result was 3 VERY sturdy, very comfortable, very aesthetically pleasing chairs that have gone on to their forever homes. 

Keep your eyes open for other projects coming soon, complete with pictures of the resurrection process!

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink or whatsoever ye do, 

do ALL to the glory of God."

I Cor. 10:31

Resurrection Upcycle

Other family junk!