Trash to Treasure Decorating

Transformation Tuesday

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:44:00 +0000

In 1992, I was pregnant with our first baby, and I decided it was time to upgrade from the castoff couch that we had inherited from my parents. So, we purchased a sleeper sofa in the ever-so-popular country blue color. Later, I wished I had chosen something more neutral since we ended up keeping the sofa much longer than I had anticipated. Two summers ago, when it was 16 years old, I decided to reupholster it rather than replace it, since we had two teenage boys and I didn't want to purchase a new one just to have it covered in pizza sauce and spilled soda. If you live in an all boy kingdom like I do, you'll know my distress.

So I was faced with the dilemma of figuring out how to bring the old sofa into a new millennium on the cheap. The old blue recliner lives in the family room now, thank goodness.

When my hubby and sons were off on a fishing trip, I headed to the nearest Mill's End Textile store for fabric. I ended up finding it for just $3 per yard and since it took about 10 yards to do, the whole couch at $30 was less than I'd spend on one of those bunchy looking pre-made furniture covers.

I sewed and stapled and tugged until the sofa looked like this:

That makeover prompted others, of course. Who ever starts a makeover project without it turning into a much bigger one? I'll share other phases of the makeover in future posts.

How about you? Do you have a piece of furniture that you just have to stick with for some reason, but you really hate it? Reupholstering is much easier than you think.

What Would You Do Wednesday

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:45:00 +0000

I saw these Tiffany style lamps at an antique shop and it made me thing of WWYD Wednesday on T2T. Oh, I know some of you are huge fans of Tiffany style, but it's not really my style (please forgive me). So it got me thinking, what if I owned a lamp this this? How could I change it to fit a different style?

Today on WWYD, I'm wondering what you'd do if you found such a lamp at a resale shop? Would you buy it and use it as is? Or would you change it somehow? Maybe you're an expert and you know that it would absolutely destroy the value of it. We want your input too, since sometimes us trash to treasure people get a little carried away and ruin stuff for good. Think painted antique dressers and you know what I mean.

Tell us in the comments section below what you'd do with a Tiffany lamp. I'll choose my favorite idea and post the name of the winner next week. Feel free to include a link to your blog or website in your comments.

Photo of the Week

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:21:00 +0000

I took this photo at the camp where my husband works (and I assist as a volunteer). It's been a stressful week for me, and sometimes I need to remind myself that peace exists, even in the very place that leads to much of my turmoil.

Be blessed and find peace today.

Summer Update Friday Blog Party

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:21:00 +0000

We've landed smack dab in the middle of Summer, if you measure according to Memorial Day and Labor Day. So let's have a party!

For today's Follow Friday Blog Party, share what you've been doing this summer...projects, vacation, whatever has kept you occupied for the first 6 weeks of summer bliss.

Follow Friday Blog Hop

Blog Hop Instructions:

Be sure to link to a specific blog post not your home page so that we can find your fab projects and posts easier.
Please include a link to the site and mention on your blog post that you're linking up to T2T OR Mention on your twitter account that you're linking up to Trash to Treasure for the blog hop and include a hyperlink to this post. If you tweet a link please mention my twitter name: @trash2treas in your tweet.
You can even get the code and paste the blog hop on your own blog if you'd like these very same ideas posted for your readers.

Mary Kay Hutch Makeover

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 03:08:00 +0000

Today's Transformation Tuesday makeover comes from a reader who is in a different type of makeover business; she does beauty makeovers. Shauna is a regular reader of the Trash to Treasure blog, and she sent me a link to photos of her project. She needed some sort of cabinet just for her Mary Kay business supplies, so she set out for her local thrift store hoping and praying she would find just the right thing.

Wouldn't you know it, she did find just the right thing and right in her price range. Of course it needed some trash to treasure TLC, but she knew that was no obstacle when the price was perfect at just $20.

Shauna's hutch started out like this.

I think the wear on the drawer was just a little more trash than treasure for Shauna's taste. So she got to work. She sanded and prepped...

This is how it looked after her husband helped her sand it a little.

Of course, she chose a color that would set off her business supplies perfectly. Mary Kay is all about pink, so why not paint the cabinet pink?

After all that work, it turned out really cute.

I think the black trim really adds something. Shuana splurged a little on the new hardware, but in my opinion, it's worth it.

All said, this project was under $50 with the paint, hutch, and hardware. Thanks for sharing your great project Shauna. We love it!

For all of my readers, if you have T2T projects and don't have your own blog or website, I'd love to feature your project for you. Just drop me an e-mail and tell me what trash to treasure transformation project has you just itching to share it with someone.

Thursday - Low Cost T2T

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:00:00 +0000

Quick and Simple

This quick and simple T2T idea wasn't exactly trash to begin with, but it was a clearance item that needed help. After Christmas, a local department store had its decorations marked 75% off and I picked up some decorative words. They were around $1.00 each. I brought them home and hung them on the wall, but I thought they were a little bit gaudy for my taste. They were silver with silver glitter on the fronts.

You'll have to trust my description because I can't seem to find the before pictures. I must have deleted them or filed them in a place I can't find. Anyway, when I had out the spray paint for my chandelier makeover, I decided to give my sparkled words a spritz of paint to tone down the glitz a little.

They still have some sparkle, but now they're more platinum than silver. Words and monograms are all over the place. Next time you see one that doesn't suit your taste, why not consider the possibility of spray paint?

Deck Makeover Finale

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 03:44:00 +0000

Earlier this summer, I showed how we took our deck from the front and recycled the wood to build a little back yard retreat. Now, I'm excited to show you the finale of the deck project. We had a hodgepodge of older furniture that was beginning to show signs of rust. Plus, it didn't really match with the brand new bistro set I purchased this summer, so I've been taking my trashy furniture and turning it to treasure.

One of the old chairs.

Dated colors and a rust issue.

And a table to match...

Plus another table that doesn't match...

So, I took the table apart.

And used a wire brush on the rust.And then I spread everything out in the yard and primed it all with a new Rust-Oleum product called Ultra Cover 2X Coverage. I used a rust-colored primer on everything.

Priming in progress...

While the paint was drying, I decided it was the perfect day to finally get the deck stained. When we re-used the lumber, we turned each board over. There were a few drips from the old stain that showed on the edges and I sanded those off with my palm sander. A few weeks back, I also gave the wood a good cleaning with a commercial deck wash.

Ready for staining.

I gave the wood two coats of semi-transparent oil-based Thompson's WaterSeal Deck and House Stain in the premixed shade of "Sierra Brown". It took less than a gallon to coat it all twice. It soaked up the first coat quickly since the wood is well aged, so I decided it needed the 2nd coat. Now the water beads up nicely when it rains!

While that was drying, I went back to the furniture to give it all a coat of Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover 2X satin spray paint in a brown shade called Espresso. It matched the color of my new brown wicker set. The paint really did coat well and I highly recommend it for your next paint project.

A finished chair on the newly refinished deck. I love the rich color of the wood. I replaced the chair cushion with a new tan one. I forgot to take a before picture of the old cushion. Just imagine 90's hunter green and burgundy stripe.

The table after its makeover.

The brand new chair that I'm trying to make everything else fit with.

And now for the reveal....drum-roll please...

The plastic chairs are beige and I left them as they were since they matched the existing umbrella and the plain beige chair pad on the newly painted brown chair.

This has become my back yard retreat. I work with my laptop, read, and just relax. It's my favorite new office! Here's a panoramic view from my favorite chair:

My husband is still working on resurfacing the steps next to the deck. For that matter, we haven't yet added a second set of steps to the deck, but who cares? I can enjoy it right now. It's quickly becoming the favorite place for parents to wait while I'm giving piano lessons too.

With the 2X Ultra Cover paint, I was able to coat two chairs, the side table, the big table, and a footrest with just three cans and around $11.

I've linked up this project to:
Frugal MomX3 for the Backyard Oasis Link Party

Follow Friday

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 04:31:00 +0000

Happy 4th of July! I'm so grateful to those who have given their lives for our independence and for those who continue to fight for our freedom. Some time ago, I wrote and recorded this song. I thought I'd share it again with you today.

Praying for our soldiers and their families!

For the Follow Friday link party this week, show what you've whipped up this summer, especially any projects related to celebrating your patriotism. I have flags all over the place in my house and I love Americana decor! This week, your projects don't need to be all decorating related. Feel free to link up blog posts celebrating our freedom as well as those celebrating our soldiers too.

Follow Friday Blog Hop

Blog Hop Instructions:

Be sure to link to a specific blog post not your home page so that we can find your fab projects and posts easier.
Please include a link to the site and mention on your blog post that you're linking up to T2T OR Mention on your twitter account that you're linking up to Trash to Treasure for the blog hop and include a hyperlink to this post. If you tweet a link please mention my twitter name: @trash2treas in your tweet. (note the change in the twitter address from previous weeks. Can you believe I had my OWN address wrong?)
You can even get the code and paste the blog hop on your own blog if you'd like these very same ideas posted for your readers.

Did you miss me?

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:27:00 +0000

It's been a whole week since I posted something! I was speaking for a group of 3rd and 4th graders at camp for a week and then had to speak at a women's tea, so I had to be disciplined with my priorities and unplug for a few days. But this week, I've been working on some fun trash to treasure projects that I'll share with you next week. In the meantime, I hope you're finding some time to be inspired and creative this summer.

Stop back tomorrow for the 4th of July link party on the Follow Friday blog hop.

Shoppers, What Would You Do

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:42:00 +0000

Last week on WWYD Wednesday, I asked what you would do with a "practice bomb" that I saw at an antiques store. I liked Sam's idea of leaving it as it was, but I also think it would be fun to make it into something like a floor lamp or a plant stand. Imagine it with a big Boston fern on top, or a funky lamp shade. It's about 4 feet tall, so it has great possibility! Strange, but fun. And wouldn't it be terrific as a lamp in a room with the airplane propellers from a previous WWYD post.

This week, I want you to imagine you're walking through an antiques shop and you see this display. What jumps out at you and what would you do with it?

How to Participate

You leave your idea(s) below in the comments, and next week I'll name a winning idea.
Add a link to your blog or a specific post if you'd like us to check out your site or if you want us to see an example of your great idea.

Muse Monday

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 22:07:00 +0000

Inspiration for your creative muse from what I see through my lens. One of my back yard trash to treasure yard sale finds.

Follow Friday & Watering Can Feature

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:06:00 +0000

On last week's What Would You Do, I promised that I would give you some watering can ideas. So while you're thinking of your favorite post to link up to the Follow Friday blog hop, here's some watering can inspiration.

We'll start with the more obvious use. I bought this old watering can at a yard sale and planted flowers in it.

I also picked up this snowman painted watering can at a yard sale. It was already painted, but the paint is flaking a little, so I'll eventually have to repaint.

And then there's this unusual "watering can". It's really an old oil can, but I filled it with flowers and put it on the chair shelf that hangs by my front door.

I'll wrap up the watering can ideas with short DIY project. First, a little background...When I was younger, I had a cute teddy bear lamp. Do you remember the ones where the lamp went right through the back of the teddy bear? Eventually, the bear got really grubby, but there was nothing wrong with the lamp part. So I did a little surgery and cut the bear off the lamp (I know, you're thankful I didn't take pictures of the poor little bear being extracted from the pole). Here's what I ended up with.

I stored it away for someday use. I had a watering can planter stored away too and one day, inspiration struck. The opening in the planter was just big enough to fit the base of the lamp.

Then I rummaged through my craft stash and slipped a mini wreath over the top.

I added a pillar candle ring...

...and topped it off with a simple shade. You could add a much prettier shade if you were creative.

If you don't have a watering can planter, or an old teddy bear lamp you can take apart, you can always make your own watering can lamp in the same way I made my lantern lamp by using a clamp-on lamp kit.

What inspired you this week? We want to know what you're blogging about, so join the Friday Blog Hop and link up your posts below.

Follow Friday Blog Hop

Blog Hop Instructions:

Be sure to link to a specific blog post not your home page so that we can find your fab projects and posts easier.
Please include a link to the site and mention on your blog post that you're linking up to T2T OR Mention on your twitter account that you're linking up to Trash to Treasure for the blog hop and include a hyperlink to this post. If you tweet a link please mention my twitter name: @trash2treas in your tweet. (note the change in the twitter address from previous weeks. Can you believe I had my OWN address wrong?)
You can even get the code and paste the blog hop on your own blog if you'd like these very same ideas posted for your readers.

WWYD Wednesday

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:42:00 +0000

This Post is The Bomb

(see why below)

Trash to Treasure Decorating has been online for 9 months now, and I'm constantly adding elements to the site, making changes and tweaking. One of my desires is for you, my reader, to know what to expect from the site. I try to keep posts as related to trash to treasure as possible. But I also want to inspire your creativity, to motivate you to try something you've never thought of attempting before. You really can DIY!

I've decided to organize the blog according to daily themes. We already have WWYD Wednesday and Follow Friday, but now I've added three other themes. Now, lest you think I'm going to overload your poor inbox with daily messages, no worries. I know I won't be blogging daily. But, as I come up with projects, tutorials and pictures, I'll post them on themed days.

New Trash to Treasure Features

Muse Monday—Inspire your creativity
Transformation Tuesday—Before and after projects
WWYD Wednesday—What would you do with this?
Thrifty Thursday—Low cost T2T ideas
Follow Friday—Blog hop for T2T friends

Today, for What Would You Do Wednesday, I have something a little unusual. I saw this at an antique shop and wondered, "What would someone do with that thing?"

Yes, that's right. It's a bomb. Is it even legal to own this? Seriously, I wonder.

If you saw it in a shop would it catch your attention? Would you have an idea for how to use it? Inside or outside, tell me how you'd use an old bomb for decoration.

I've decided not to use the Linky Tools for this feature this time since it's been a little temperamental lately. Just leave your idea in the comments below and feel free to leave a link to your blog.

How to Participate

You leave your idea(s) below in the comments, and next week I'll name a winning idea.
Add a link to your blog or a specific post if you'd like us to check out your site or if you want us to see an example of your great idea.

Yard Sale Chandelier Makeover

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 03:54:00 +0000

I'm so excited to share my latest project with you because I'm thrilled with how it turned out, and with how little it cost me. When we moved into our house, we had a ceiling fan over our dining table. Our house is old, and that means it's one big trash to treasure project in action.

This is now the fixture looked when we were moving in 4 years ago. The whole room eventually got a paint and curtain makeover too.

It was quite dated, with an antique brass finish, yellowed fluted glass, and woven cane blades. So I gave it a makeover with new globes, a coat of paint, and fan blades that I picked up at a thrift sale. But I never really liked having it over the table. You know, the wind cooling our hot food, the dust...So, I suggested to my husband that we move it to the living room side of the area where the lighting was always dim due to an absence of a ceiling fixture.

But before I could move the fan, I had to find something to replace the light over the dining table. I solved that problem a few weeks ago while I was at the Woodbury, MN city wide sales. Towards the end of the shopping day on Saturday, sellers were slashing prices and giving away goodies when I spotted a chandelier at a sale. I couldn't find the price tag, so I asked the owner for the price and she said, "It's yours if you want to just take it." I restrained myself from doing any cartwheels right there and hauled my treasure to the van.

I thought the shiny gold was outdated, at least for my taste, but I figured I could solve that with some paint. (My apologies to any readers who LOVE shiny gold). It was heavy duty with good detail on the scrolling, so I knew it was the perfect fit.

To refinish the light, I first removed the plastic parts that looked like candle stems. They just slid off the top and I set them aside.

I coated the whole thing in dark primer, just to be sure I had a good bond. After that, I coated it all in black spray paint. Nothing fancy, just the cheapest I could find. Then, I got creative.

In the past, I've done some faux patina or bronze looking finishes with metallic craft paints. But this time, I hunted through my stash of spray paints and found some copper and one that looked like platinum. Both were metallic finishes. I used those to airbrush some highlights onto the black finish.

I kept spritzing with the spray paint until I was satisfied with the finish. Actually, the word "satisfied" doesn't describe it well. I was ecstatic!

The metallic paint reflects light, which is why it looks silver in the picture above and darker in the one below.

Close-up of the platinum/coppery finish.

Once it all dried, my hubby hooked it up to the wiring over my table and secured it to the ceiling. I just love the transformation. And since I already owned all but one can of paint, and one electrical junction box, the whole project cost under $5. My hubby had the wiring on hand left over from other projects to wire in the fan.

Now that's a transformation I can live with!

As you can see, the entire dining area has undergone some transforming over the past 4 years. Below, you can see how the fan fits in its new location over the seating area.

I guess the glow from all those lights makes it a little difficult to see the finish of the fan.

I'm glad it was a rainy day and my hubby had some time to do an indoor project! And I'm so glad we were able to do it with almost no cost. Another point on the yard sale treasure scoreboard.

I'm linking up this week to these fabulous blogs:

Just Something I Whipped Up at DillyDally And Flitter

Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch Anti-Procrastination Tuesday on New Nostalgia Transform Tuesday at the Pumpkin Patch

Letting the Creative Juices Flow Linky Party

The Project Parade at the DIY Showoff

Trash to Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented

What Would You Do with a Watering Can?

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:02:00 +0000

For today's What Would You Do Wednesday, I'm asking, "What would you do with an old watering can?" I saw this one at an antique store, but I didn't buy it because I already own several. Next week, I'll show you what I've done with mine (both indoor and outdoor projects), but this week, I can't wait to hear your creative ideas on WWYD.

Photo by Trash to Treasure Decorating

It's summer and everyone is busy, so I'm not surprised that we didn't have any ideas posted last week for toilet paper crafts. This week, I decided to choose something more summery, so my readers can implement the ideas right away. it's the season of watering cans and gardens.

What Would You Do With This?

Here's how to participate:

You leave your idea(s) below on the link list and next week, I'll go back in and edit to name a winning idea.
Add your name at the end of your idea (optional). Example: I would paint it green and add yellow polka-dots. Then add glitter and sequins. From Michelle Rayburn.
Add a link to your blog or a specific post if you'd like us to check out your site or if you want us to see an example of your great idea.

Flag Day is Next Week

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 05:55:00 +0000

Over the weekend, I featured two flags that my son is auctioning for his missions trip. Since flag day is coming on Monday, I thought I would search the web for other ideas for displaying the flag in non-traditional ways, trash to treasure style. Plus, I'll feature a few of my own that I've made.

First, I found this picture of a flag painted on an old window.

Photo from the forum on iGarden Web

Then I found a flag on Home and Garden TV that was made from old bats and balls.

Photo from HGTV

I made the flag in the next picture myself from a cupboard door that I bought at a thrift shop for $1. I primed it and then painted on the stripes.

Photo property of Trash to Treasure Decorating

And I made this one by sewing a quilt to fit behind and old window.

Photo property of Trash to Treasure Decorating

This one, I made using a flag pillow sham. No sewing involved, I just stapled it on the back.

Photo property of Trash to Treasure Decorating

This flag is painted on wavy tin. I'd love to make one like it someday!

Photo from Cackleberry Cottage

However you display it, I love the American flag! I hope you put yours out this week.

One more thing, in my search, I found this Pottery Barn flag for $129. I have to admit, I like the rustic look of the one my son made and by using recycled wood, his is nowhere near $129. That's the beaut of Trash to Treasure!

Image from Pottery Barn

Flag by Dallas Rayburn (see blog post)

Flag Auction for Missions Trip

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:30:00 +0000

My son who has just finished his junior year in high school is going to Bolivia on a missions trip this summer. He's raising funds for the trip, but he also has a few other expenses for which he is responsible. When he found out how much a passport was going to cost him, he decided he would like to make a couple of items in his shop classes to sell to raise money towards the passport.

He scrounged around our stack of wood scraps and came up with these flag designs. I love the trash to treasure concept in taking pieces that might have ended up on the kindling pile and turning them into something both patriotic and decorative. I guess he's caught the artsy bug too!

I love the "tattered" ends! Makes me think of a battle flag that still proudly waves.

I offered to "auction" the pieces off on my Trash to Treasure blog for him as a means to raise his funds for his passport. I've decided to host a silent auction where bidders send their bid via e-mail to me and the artwork will go to the highest bidder. After the auction close, I'll notify the winning bidder and then send a Paypal invoice for the winning bid amount plus postage. Just like an E-bay auction, payments will be handled securely by Paypal and then I'll ship the item(s). See the details below.

This is the small flag. It is crafted of weathered wood and pieces of lathe strips. The back is covered in thin plywood painted black and it comes with 2 sawtooth hangers attached. The small flag measures 19.5 inches wide by 12 inches tall. It is painted with a wash of red, white and blue and sprayed with a coat of clear Krylon for protection. This items weighs 2 lbs, 8 oz.

The colors are very muted, as though weathered which means the blue is more of a faded blue-gray. The red is a faded, pinkish red. They can be hung outdoors or indoors.

The large flag is painted in the same colors and constructed of the same weathered wood and lathe strips. The back is made of a thin plywood painted black and this also includes two sawtooth hangers on the back. The large flag measures 37.5 inches wide by 25 inches tall. It weighs 10 lbs.

You can see from the top picture how they compare in size to one another.

Photo of back side of small flag (large flag in background)

Flag Auction Guidelines

Bidding opens on Thursday, June 3 at 6:30 pm Central Time and closes on Thursday, June 10 at 6:30 pm.

There are 2 flags up for silent auction. One large flag and one small.

My son has established a reasonable minimum price for accepted bids and we reserve the right to close the auction without naming a winning bidder if this reserve price is not met in the bids we receive. If this happens, I will announce it on the blog and re-open the auction for consideration of higher bids.

Bids should be sent via e-mail to Michelle Rayburn (click link here) with Flag Auction Bid in the subject line. Please specify whether it is for the large flag, the small flag, or the pair of flags. Include your name and e-mail address in your bid.

I will ship to the 48 states only. I'm sorry, it's just too costly to ship elsewhere. Buyer will be responsible for the following S & H cost which has been calculated using online UPS postage calculators:

Cost for large flag is $17 (UPS Ground)
The small is $11 (Priority Mail)
Combined is $20 (UPS Ground)

If you are local to New Auburn, WI, you have the option of picking up the item.

For your sense of security, I have a 100% positive rating on E-Bay. Check out my rating for a reference here.

The winning bidder (if you bid on the pair) or bidders (if highest bids are separate items) will receive an e-mail from me with an invoice linking to Paypal where you can complete your payment.

If you have any questions, feel free to send an e-mail to me (Michelle). Thanks for taking the time to look at my son's artwork today!

Michelle

Toilet Paper- What Would You Do?

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 04:32:00 +0000

I have 46 minutes left in Wednesday, so I'd better get this blog post up on the double. Those Monday holidays sort of confuse my weeks. It feels like Tuesday today!

On today's WWYD, I'm featuring toilet paper. What clever project have you made that used toilet paper? Or what cute ideas have you seen? Use the whole roll, use parts of it, or use it as a paper mache...any way you use toilet paper to make some sort of decor.

And don't forget the cardboard tube. I know some of you have some very creative decorating project that recycle the tube.

Remember my fall pumpkin made from a roll of toilet paper? Get the full tutorial here.

I found this classy cast paper project on Art from the Attic. Wouldn't this magnolia be terrific matted and framed?

Photo by Art from the Attic

These days, a roll of TP isn't much more than 50 cents, so it makes the perfect budget-friendly project ingredient.

Ready to share your idea with us?

Here's how:

You leave your idea(s) below on the link list and next week, I'll go back in and edit to name a winning idea.
Add your name at the end of your idea (optional). Example: I would paint it green and add yellow polka-dots. Then add glitter and sequins. From Michelle Rayburn.
Add a link to your blog or a specific post if you'd like us to check out your site or if you want us to see an example of your great idea.

Memorial Weekend Friday Blog Hop

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:34:00 +0000

Did you miss WWYD Wednesday this week? It will be back next week. I got a little busy with landscaping, gardening, and catching up on things after our deck makeover.

What are you doing for Memorial Weekend? Have you created a project or a special blog post in memory of someone special? We'd love to have you share your links on the Follow Friday Blog Hop below.

Also, check out my free download of the song I wrote called "Pray for the Soldiers" . For the free download, just right click on the link on the music page on my website and then save the MP3 file. I'm so thankful for those who have given up so much to protect our country! I was finishing up some planting the other night and ran inside to get the flag to add to the front yard. I have a dawn to dusk spotlight on it, so even when I'm sitting inside at night, I can see my flag as reminder of the great country we live in.

Follow Friday Blog Hop

Blog Hop Instructions:

Be sure to link to a specific blog post not your home page so that we can find your fab projects and posts easier.
Please include a link to the site and mention on your blog post that you're linking up to T2T OR Mention on your twitter account that you're linking up to Trash to Treasure for the blog hop and include a hyperlink to this post. If you tweet a link please mention my twitter name: @trashtotreas in your tweet.
You can even get the code and paste the blog hop on your own blog if you'd like these very same ideas posted for your readers.

With the new Linky Tool (formerly called MckLinky) you'll be able to add a thumbnail of your project if you have a picture on your post, or upload a pic from your computer.

Recycled Deck

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Tue, 25 May 2010 05:30:00 +0000

I've recently extended my trash to treasure projects beyond just decorating. In some ways it's decorating because it has everything to do with the curb appeal of my home. And it has everything to do with how I feel about my house.

When we purchased our house, it had this 12 by 16 foot deck on the front. It had nothing special about it. The railings were plain and it functioned mostly as a means of getting us into the front door.

As you can see, our home is a little unusual. It was once a church with an attached parsonage. But I think the deck on the front really kept the ranch part looking like it belonged in a past decade.

We seldom sat on the deck because it offered no privacy from the cars going by or the gas station just kitty-corner to us. So all winter I shoveled snow off it and put chairs out for looks in the summer. But since it's on the south side, the sun baked us and the yellow jackets wouldn't leave us alone on the few occasions we tried sitting out there.

This spring, when I was longing for something in the back yard where we had just a plain cement steps, I came up with the brainy idea of recycling our deck by taking it down and using the lumber to build a deck on the back side.

Kinda plain. And no place to sit and enjoy the shade.

So, I talked my handy hubby into tearing off the front deck to recycle it for the back.

Lovely, huh? This is what happens when a wife gets a bright idea. The next challenge was to figure out how to build a smaller replacement "deck" and connect it to the sidewalk while also managing the slope.

I designed the brick part and my hubby helped get it all installed. The above photo was when it was 90% finished. All it needed was the hand rails.

All done! We bought new treated lumber for this project. (BTW, I took the picture at dusk and the weird glow by the door is the security light). Now, for the recycled deck in the back.

First, my hubby started framing it in.

We decided to leave the existing steps in place and build the new deck alongside with a small step up. Eventually, the old cement steps will get a stone facade treatment mortared on.

Before the last board was on, I started putting furniture on the deck. I couldn't wait! When the last board was on, my hubby sat down to admire his work. Or take a nap.

He flipped all the boards to the side that wasn't stained. I'll eventually stain the deck with some sort of water sealer. And we'll be rerouting that down spout so it goes under the deck as soon as we get supplies.

I'm so thrilled with both the front and the back now! And by recycling the one deck, the whole project cost less than half of what it would have. Now, I'm hoping to find some "new" patio furniture at a thrift sale. And you can see some of the stones on the right bottom corner that will eventually be fitted and mortared onto the cement steps. But, I'll let my hubby rest a little before starting that project!

I'm linking up this week to:

The Before and After Party at The Inspired Room
Trash to Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented

Office Chair Mat Project- Designed by My Son

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Fri, 21 May 2010 04:58:00 +0000

My Trash 2 Treasure Teen

Every so often, there comes a moment in a trash to treasure decorator's life when someone in her household grasps the wonder of the thrill of a great T2T project. That moment when she isn't the only one who stands back and admires a project, but when she is instead the one admiring the work of one of her offspring. And the feeling of pride when that offspring is her 15-year-old son who has come up with his own trash to treasure project is nearly impossible to put into words.

Recently, my son cleaned his room. I know, wonders never cease. He was of course motivated by the stipulation that he would not receive another allowance until he cleaned it and kept it that way for 7 days. After he finished cleaning, he was in there with the door closed for quite some time, until he asked me to come see what he had made.

He'd unearthed an outdated poster-sized calendar of vintage cars and he didn't want to throw it away. But he also knew I wouldn't want him to tape them all over his walls. So he came up with a trash to treasure idea. He chose 5 favorite calendar pictures, cut them all down in size and laid them out on the floor. Then, he put his clear office mat over the top.

The little points on the back side poked right into the paper (those are the dots you see in the pics), which was about as thick as magazine paper. It's held in place without glue or tape and it can be changed out any time. I was so proud and I wished I'd come up with the idea!

Just think of all of the things you could recycle this way besides the calendar pictures. Wrapping paper, fabric, posters...there are all sorts of possibilities! If you have other ideas, feel free to share them in the comments below.

It all starts with an office chair mat like this one from Office Depot:

Add a little of your own creativity, and you've got yourself a terrific office makeover. Thanks Austin for using your creativity and letting me share your idea on my site. You've done your T2T mama proud.

Now, it's your turn to share your ideas.

Follow Friday Blog Hop

What did you whip up this week? Or what did you find in your basement or at a thrift shop that's just waiting to be redecorated.

Blog Hop Instructions:

Be sure to link to a specific blog post not your home page so that we can find your fab projects easier.
Please include a link to the site and mention on your blog post that you're linking up to T2T OR Mention on your twitter account that you're linking up to Trash to Treasure for the blog hop and include a hyperlink to this post. If you tweet a link please mention my twitter name: @trashtotreas in your tweet.
You can even get the code and paste the blog hop on your own blog if you'd like these very same ideas posted for your readers.

With the new Linky Tool (formerly called MckLinky) you'll be able to add a thumbnail of your project if you have a picture on your post, or upload a pic from your computer.

WWYD Wednesday

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Wed, 19 May 2010 16:41:00 +0000

It's WWYD Wednesday already! Congrats to Mallie for the winning idea last week on what to do with an airplane propeller.

I know, I haven't shared any yard sale finds with you yet, but you'll have to remain in suspense for another day or two. I hope you took the time to enter the iPhone giveaway sponsored by Garage Sales Tracker. In the meantime, what would you do with this?

I saw this old stove at an antique store and wondered what my readers would do with it. I'm not sure the firebrick inside is up to code, so I have my doubts about turning it into a working wood burning stove.

The top part of the stove.

The bottom part of the stove.

My father-in-law has a similar type of old stove that he says I could have if I'd like. However, I'm not sure what I would do with it just yet. I have a spot in my dining room where I could probably make room to have it on display, but it's very heavy. And it's so big, that I'd like to have it serve more of a purpose than just sitting on display.

So readers, what would you do? How can you turn an old stove from trash to treasure?

Link Up Your Idea

Here's how the WWYD list works.

You leave your idea(s) below on the link list and next week, I'll go back in and edit to name a winning idea.
Add your name at the end of your idea (optional). Example: I would paint it green and add yellow polka-dots. Then add glitter and sequins. From Michelle Rayburn.
Add a link to your blog or a specific post if you'd like us to check out your site or if you want us to see an example of your great idea.

Friday Blog Hop

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Fri, 14 May 2010 03:08:00 +0000

Bright and early Friday morning, I'm heading over to the Twin Cities for the village of Woodbury's annual city wide garage sales. My teen sons and I will spend two days hunting for treasure. What more could I ask for? It's my Mother's Day treat to spend this time with my boys doing what we love to do.

I'm bringing my camera along and a pocket of cash and I can't wait to find things to feature on future Trash to Treasure posts. Woodbury is about an hour and 45 minutes away, so how does a person go about locating the best sales for treasure?

First I searched the Internet and found out which gas stations will have a directory list of sales for purchase. It lists the sales that are participating in the Lions Club annual sales this weekend. I also discovered a few on Craigslist. But there is a brand new site on the web that had others and if you're into trash to treasure decorating, you might find this tool helpful. Since it's still new, I only found a couple of the hundreds of Woodbury sales listed on the tracker. But that's sure to change as the site grows!

Garage Sales Tracker is a site for listing garage sales and it offers you the ability to advertise garage sales on the internet. It also features tools that allow prospective buyers to more easily find garage sales. And the best news? It's FREE.

That means you can search for free and list your sale for free! And now, Garage Sales Tracker is offering an application for your iPhone so you can easily search for a sale in your area.

Follow Friday Blog Hop

In honor of my bargain hunting excursion today, I'd love to see the bargains you've discovered lately. What trash to treasure finds have you added to your collection?

Blog Hop Instructions:

Be sure to link to a specific blog post not your home page so that we can find your fab projects easier.
Please mention somewhere on your blog post OR on your twitter account that you're linking up to Trash to Treasure for the blog hop and include a hyperlink to this post. (If you tweet a link please include my twitter name: @trashtotreas)
You can even get the code and paste the blog hop on your own blog if you'd like these very same ideas posted for your readers.

With the new Linky Tool (formerly called MckLinky) you'll be able to add a thumbnail of your project if you have a picture on your post, or upload a pic from your computer.

Propellers- What Would You Do With It?

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:47:00 +0000

It's another What Would You Do With This Wednesday. I had a terrible time deciding on a winning idea from last week's WWYD, so this time, I declared them all winners. Great ideas for the rusty tub! I received an e-mail from a reader who thought this was likely a wood ash bin. Another reader said it might be a copper boiler. Thanks for the comments and ideas.

I snapped a picture of this week's WWYD at a junk/ antique shop. It was out in the yard with lots of other stuff, which you can see from the photo. This shop had several sets of airplane propellers in the yard and I wondered, "What would my readers do with this?"

So, what would you do with airplane propellers? Could you turn it from trash to decorating treasure? Each set had at least one that was bent or damaged (Side trip: it made me hope that the pilot in each case was okay).

Link Up Your Idea

Here's how the WWYD list works.

You leave your idea(s) below on the link list and next week, I'll go back in and edit to name a winning idea.
Add your name at the end of your idea (optional). Example: I would paint it green and add yellow polka-dots. Then add glitter and sequins. From Michelle Rayburn.
Add a link to your blog or a specific post if you'd like us to check out your site or if you want us to see an example of your great idea.

The purpose of WWYD is to share great ideas, but also to network with other bloggers, so I love those blog links!

Dark Glaze Faux Finish

michelle@michellerayburn.com (Michelle Rayburn) — Tue, 11 May 2010 04:05:00 +0000

Recently, I showed you how I faux finished two large cabinets in a white glaze. I got on a glazing roll and did some other furniture. This time, dark wood grain glaze. I have a set of end tables and lamps that we received as a wedding gift in 1989, and I decided it was time to update. Besides, the finish was in rough shape.

I think it looks a lot better on this picture that it did in person. The lamp has a brassy base that has become discolored. Again, making it look outdated.

There are faded and worn spots on top of this table.

I started off by priming everything in order to make sure the paint and glaze would stick without scraping right back off. I suggest a Zinsser or Kilz type of primer that is made for nonporous surfaces.

After the primer dried well, I coated both pieces (and the lamp base) with a base color. In this case, I chose a pecan colored latex satin paint because I wanted it to have reddish brown cast.

These doors are from another project, but they show what the base color looked like. Once the base coat dried, it was time to mix up the glaze. I used a DutchBoy glaze that had instructions for mixing 4 parts glaze with 1 part latex paint. I used a dark coffee colored satin latex paint for the glaze color.

Once the glaze was mixed, I painted it on but made sure I worked only in small areas at a time so that it wouldn't begin to dry before I could wipe some off. Yes, I did mean to say wipe some off. Using a damp rag (a cotton cloth diaper type rag), I wiped off some of the glaze after I painted it on.

If you wipe off too much, you can always add some back on with the brush.

The wiping must be very light and gentle for this to work. Otherwise, you'll wipe too much off. Also, whenever possible, it's best to wipe with the grain since it will help add some new grain.

The lighter areas on the finished door are the areas where I wiped off more with the damp rag.

Once the paint dried well, I coated the whole thing in a polyurethane to protect it and to bring out the shine. If you want to get rid of all brush stroke grooves, it's best to let everything dry well, then sand with a very find grain auto grit sand paper and do the poly coat. Then sand lightly again and coat with a Minwax paste finishing wax. This will give it the smoothest possible waterproof finish. While all of this isn't necessary, it does give your pieces a professional looking surface.

I love the transformation!

I'm linking this post to these fabulous blogs this week: