Repurpose Student Desk

  We have been so busy with so many things since our last post. Lots of traveling, pickin, buying and repurposing!  I am glad to be back and share some things we have rescued, repurposed and sold. Sometimes I get a great item with big plans on how to repurpose, then I get sidetracked and don't get it done. Well this past fall I decided to get some of those pieces done.The first piece was a HoHum pine desk. I knew this piece was not desirable as is, so I really needed to get creative. I first cut the top in two at the drawer side. Then I took the end legs off the left side. I then attached the legs upside down to the back of top. In the before and after pictures you can understand what I did. I then stained it cherry and varnished it. Now a useful storage piece that sold quickly.Hope someone will try this, it was fun.

Get ready for fun outdoors!

Now is a good time to scavenger Thrift Shops and Garage Sales for items you can recycle or repurpose for use in your outdoor living.
Recently a friend gave me a rickety childs table. The legs were in bad shape but the top was OK. I remembered I had gotten a old porcelain covered iron base last summer.I took the top off the kids table, painted it white and attached it to the old base. I think it will work very well on the patio to hold our ice tea dispenser. I'm sure it will serve other purposes also. As you can see it is cute and was repurposed very easily. Later I may stenscel a design on the top when I have time.

Featured at GROW NEBRASKA Conference

April 22 was a very exciting day for us. Our web site http://www.finefurniturecaresecrets.com/ was featured by Nebraska Business Coaching LLC. at the GROW NEBRASKA Marke Teck Conference in Lincoln, Nebraska. 

Keynote speaker was Chris Russell, manager of the Google data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Chris gave an interesting talk on how Google products can help a business grow.

In all there were two sessions given by each of the eleven speakers. My favorite was Connie Hancock's very informative session on photography and description of products for eCommerce sites. Connie had much to offer from her 30 years of experience as Extention Educator at University of Nebraska Lincoln.
This conference was a great place to network and learn.

Thanks Cori and Kelli of Nebraska Business Coaching LLC for showcasing my web site, I'm honored!

Do WHAT...with my old purse?

This repurposing project should be a snap
for every one of you ladies. Who doesn't
 have a closet full of purses stashed away?
 Well, here's a really charming way to
use one or two to create an attention
grabbing lamp. Yes I said lamp! Choose
 a purse that kinda fits your color scheme
 in the room. These are great for little girls
 room or your Guest bedroom. Nice to
 display Grandma's keepsakes. First I cut a
hole in the back/bottom of the purse for
the cord to go thru. Next I hot glued the
 lamp to the inside bottom of the purse.
The rest is up to your imagination! Decorate the shade with bow, fringe or beads. Take a pair of dress gloves, fancy hanky,beads,pins, glasses or other vanity items and arrange in purse. The cute little purse picture frame came from Hobby Lobby clearance.
Arrangements could be changed to match holidays or seasons.
Cool funky gift too!

Please leave a comment if you like this post.

TO PAINT OR NOT TO PAINT

Years ago when I first started to rescue furniture,

I thought it was a sin to paint a piece of furniture

and cover the beautiful grain.We spent many years

 stripping and refinishing hundreds of pieces of

furniture in our shop. But alas, over time I realized

that some pieces could only be rescued by painting.

  A few weeks ago I got a vanity at an auction for

$20.00. The price was great but condition of the piece

was awful. The good thing beside the price was that the

inside of the drawers were very clean.

  Any way after asessing the condition, I decided the

best way to make it useable would be to paint it. I thought it could be made charming for a little girls room.

  I glued all the loose joints and drawer glides. I spent some time hand sanding the entire piece. Next I wiped it off with a tac rag to remove all sanding dust particles and applied a coat of KILZ primer.

  To add charm and sparkle, I stenciled flowers, bird, butterfly and bees

to the top. Then I added some gold free stroke accents.

  As you can see it turned out nice.

  I sold it to a Grandma who was getting it as a gift for her Grand daughter.

  When they came to pick it up, the look on the little girls face told it all.  SWEET!

Please leave a comment if you like this post....THANKS

HAPPY ST PATRICKS DAY

THIS WEEK ENDS FIND AT THE LOCAL SPRING FLEA MARKET
I COLLECT IRISH STUFF, SO WAS HAPPY TO GET ANOTHER POST CARD FOR MY COLLECTION
WISHING YOU ALL IRISH BLESSINGS

WEEK END BARGAIN FIND

Here is an absolutely beautifuly done hand embroidered

 picture I got at an estate auction for only $2.00!! Yes you still can  find a treasure for very little. It was very dirty and the frame was really beat up. I would say it is probably is from the 1950's. I very carefully hand washed it and flat dried it.
While it was drying I touched up the frame with brown liquid shoe polish. Let that dry and then re assembled back to original.
 I appreciate the love and care that went into this
kind of handy work and I especially love birds. I have included  a close up of an area so you can see the exquisit
quality. I have proudly displayed it in my sewing room.

Please leave a comment if you like this post.....Thanks

POSSIBILITIES

Even if you have a small amount of free time, you can still enjoy the rewards of re purposing a found item.
Start by gathering your supplies and tools first. Then you will have a head start for when you decide to work on a project.Work in short increments as you have time. You'll soon see your project done.
Start with a small project that can be quickly finished. Then graduate to more extensive projects.
 After you have done a few projects, you will begin to see more and more possibilities to fill your home with your personal re purposed touch.
For the beginner, here is a very simple project. Purchase several plate hangers at a craft store.

Look around your home or visit a Thrift Store for some unusual plates of diffrent sizes. Choose several pictures of family member, pets or a theme to go with your decor. Cut the pictures to fit the plate. I use spray glue on back of picture to hold picture to plate and then embelish with gold paint,  glitter pens or jewels. Let dry. Place in plate hanger, hang and admire!

This is a great project for kids or as a gift. Makes a neat Wedding gift. Makes inexpensive seasonal decor.

Remember the more unique the plate, the greater the possibilities.

Here are some examples.
I got these plates at Goodwill for $.50

                                                                    A family picture.
                                                            

Odie a family pet.

A picture from a magazine.

 Here is the same picture in two diffrent plates to show you how you can create a diffrent mood by the plate you choose. I love Victorian, so I make this type of plate for a gift.Choose what you love.

Please comment.....THANKS

WINTER SUNSET IN NEBRASKA

                                                   Looking out my kitchen window!

Dual Purpose!

Today I went out for a break with a friend.

When I got in her car ,she gave me this sweet

china coffee cup she got at Goodwill. 

 As I began to thank her she said 

 "Oh that's not all, here's something

to put in the cup. to my surprise it was a

round red pin cushion.
 She plopped it in the cup and said 

" there now you have no excuse

 for not knowing where your pins and needles are!

This is for people who need everything

to have a dual purpose." Oops! I guess that's me.

 We had a good laugh.

Anyway, isn't it a clever idea ?

What  a great anytime, spur of the moment gift.

I LOVE IT. Thanks Jean.

Please leave a comment.... Thanks

Beat The Winter Blaaaaahs

As with everyone I am sick of the weather. I live in the central plains where winters are tough. We have had two blizzards, two ice storms and three or four snow storms. Temperatures were anywhere from 32 degree below zero to 25 degree above zero. WHAT did you say about global warming?!!       I am just going to show you a couple picture of the road after they spent three days getting it open. This is in town! You get the picture!                     No pun intended.

Usually, I spend the time on projects and planning Spring yard work. Today the sun was shining and the temp was 32, so I decided to visit the three Thrift Shops and two Junk Shops. I keep my eye out for ideas, bargains and things I collect. At every stop I usually see several people I know, so these trips are sort of a social event. I always see one gal that looks for designer clothes, so I get the scoop on whats hot in used clothing. One friend is always looking for jewelry, hoping to find a sleeper!

 ( That's antique people's jargon for an item unnoticed to be of worth.) Then there is this one guy that is always there getting figurines and glassware. He gives us all the latest gossip of the town! Fun! Sometimes I visit with the Ebay lady looking for anything unusual.

                                                                                                                                                                   Things I got:  Five foot roll of rusty stars -great craft component.

                       Two books of clip art - can use that on my blog maybe
                       or card making.

                       Two childrens books - good for grand kids
                       A large china hutch from the 1950's - Hubby can paint it
                       this spring.  (then I'll  repurpose it).

                       A large pottery pot for flowers on patio.

If you haven't ever done this, then you should, it's really an adventure!

Fine furniture needs TLC...wipe up spills

Our dinning tables takes some of the worst beating of any item in our homes. So they need extra TLC. All spills sould be wiped up imediately. Then the area should be wiped with a damp cloth to remove any residue left that might eventually harm the surface. Don't use harsh cleaners or abrasives. Always wipe with a dry cloth anytime you use a damp cloth on wood. Follow with a protective coat of Lemon Oil Beeswax.
Do not use solvents,alcohol, nail polish or nail polish remover around wood furniture surfaces as these will eat clear thru the finish. The only way to fix the damage is to refinish the top which could be costly. Such damage could also reduce the value of Antiques.

Happy Valentines Day

As you all know I love vintage stuff, so I thought I would share some vintage Valentines. They are nice to have and useful for many creative projects.So charming and sentimental!

MOISTURIZE YOUR FURNITURE

Winter time is a great time to add a little TLC to your wood furniture, especially Antiques. Fine Furniture Care Secrets Lemon Oil Beeswax will add moisture and protection needed from harsh winter temprature and moisture changes. Lemon Oil Beeswax can also be applied to bottom of drawers in cabinets to bring added moisture to a piece.

Visit www.finefurniturecaresecrets.com to purchase the finest Lemon Oil Beeswax on the market!

Think outside the box!

Here's a great idea to use an old item for an entirely new use. I recently visited a thrift zshop where I saw high on a shelf an old wicker picnic basket. My eye kept being drawn to it.I thought "well coolers have sure replaced the picnic basket!" It was like new though and very nice. Finally I just couldn"t resist. I ask to see it and the price. After a lot of fenaglin the lady got it down. She thought a while and said "how about $6.00?" Cheap enough, so I got it. On the way home the wheels begin to turn. I stopped by the hardware store an got 4 - 6 inch oak legs with attachment plates. Once home I washed the basket inside and out with sanitizing wash. Then I stained and varnished the legs to match the wicker color of the basket. After these dried I attached them to the 4 corners of the bottom of the basket. I though the top needed enhanced, so I rooted around in my piles of paper goods. Shortely I found a cool deco picture. I glued that to the lid and outlined it with a wide permanent marker to enhance the deco look.Unbelieveable, now I have an impressive place to keep my Country Living magazines. Wallah! Picnic Basket to Storage Basket! Sturdy enough to hold a lamp.

                                           Could be used in the bathroom or kids room.
                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Tell  your Friends about us. 
 If you like this post, Please leave a comment.......THANKS

We welcome your wood furniture questions and comments

We welcome your comments and questions!
We will gladly answer your questions on solving wood finish problems on antiques or fine wood furniture.