I want to thank Elise from Cheeky Geeks for featuring “On The Upcycle” during Geek month. This week is retro week and what a better way to celebrate than with an upcycled Kids Strawberry Shortcake Record table and chair. Be sure and check out my full tutorial on Cheeky Geeks.
Strawberry Shortcake Sunday | CheekyGeeks.
I have seen many exciting ways to upcycle old vinyl online, but the idea for me actually started when I stumbled upon an awesome shop on Etsy called ” It’s our earth” They upcycle records, and floppy discs into coasters, chip bowls and clocks just to name a few. I was shopping online for Christmas and saw a clock made from a Thin Lizzy record, my husband’s favorite band. I jumped at the chance to get it and the price was right. It hangs proudly in our living room next to our 1970 Pioneer stereo cabinet. Most importantly, he loves it!
The plaque below it says “Life is a song and love is the music”
I loved all the great upcycling ideas for small record side tables, and they looked very easy to make. It would also go nicely with the clock in our living room. I am a great lover of music and the sound of vinyl, so I scoured my collection for a record I had purchased from a dollar record bin that was damaged and unplayable.
Aerosmith is a cool band, but this record was destroyed! It was perfect for making a record table. I also had an old, weathered metal plant stand. I cleaned it and spray painted it black and allowed it to dry.
I then simply used a high heat hot glued gun to adhere the record to the plant stand.
Not only a cute living room addition, but a great functional side table!
It all started when I purchased a lovely (but very abused) chair from Goodwill for $3.99. I loved the design qualities of this chair and thought it would make a lovely restyle. I especially loved the is. Which means “ Lily flower” in French. I removed the chair seat, only to discover it broken beyond repair. I was not willing to let this chair go, and I was determined to find a replacement seat. My husband and I kept our eyes open for any broken chairs on the side of the road that we could use to salvage a seat.
For months, this chair sat and I resisted the temptation of buying a chair to salvage. Then one day, my patience paid off. My sister and I went thrift shopping one weekend and in front of the store they had free furniture. I was ecstatic! Their it was the perfect candidate, a chair missing the arms, but with a perfectly usable seat. I confirmed with the store manager that this chair was indeed “free” and loaded it into the car with the biggest smile planted on my face. I immediately removed the seat when I got the chair home and it was a perfect fit.
To read more about this project see The Broken Chair Challenge: Upcycled Black and White Damask Chair.
Now, I was left with the remnants of another chair, and did not want the all the parts of this chair to end up in the trash. It had a lovely seat back, and I had seen some lovely upcycling of chair backs into picture frames on Pinterest. I decided to give it a try. One great example of this can be found at All Things Thrifty.com
The finish on this was extremely worn. If it had not been in such poor shape, I don’t think I would have opted to paint it. By far, the most difficult and challenging aspect of this project was sawing the legs off the chair back. I used a hacksaw, but it was quite tough to do! An electric or battery operated hand saw would have worked better, but on the bright side it was at least a 500 calorie burner! Rarely can you say you burn calories crafting! Once this was completed, I sanded the area that was cut. I took the chair back outside and spray painted it black, using about two coats. I allowed the piece to dry overnight.
The next day, I chose a large photo from one of my daughter’s previous Picture People photo sessions. I measured the area and trimmed the photograph to sit inside the middle of the chair back. I used a hot glue gun to adhere the photo to the wood. I had a few craft jewels and roses that I added to the chair back to make it “pop” I originally glued a large rose to the bottom of the chair back, but decided to remove it later as you will see in the photos below. One of the smaller roses, I carefully glued to her hand in the photo, It creates an illusion that she is actually holding a rose in the photo. I think it gives the photo a bit of an extra dimension. A nice little “touch” to the project.
I decided to hang this in our bedroom which is black, white with grey wall. It was very difficult to snap an adequate photo as the flash kept reflecting off the shiny surface , but it is lovely and I am so glad I tried this!
Think of all the possibilities before you toss that old chair!
Materials:
Hot Glue Gun
Spray Paint (If you choose to paint)
Old Chair Back
Scissors
Saw (If needed)
Screw driver (if needed)
Sandpaper
My husband and I picked up this wooden cabinet many years back at a local outdoor flea market. It had two mirrored bar signs glued to the door and was a perfect “novelty” cabinet for our bar. We acquired quite a few shot glasses over time, collecting them as an inexpensive souvenirs wherever we traveled. This cabinet was a perfect way to store them.
Now that the bar has become a distant memory in our family friendly household, this cabinet sat on the floor in our spare bedroom with the shot glasses still in it increasing the chances of something getting broken. The signs began to fall off, so I decided to remove them all together. I planned to restyle this cabinet and hang it in a much safer place-Our kitchen.
I used a scraper, to remove the access glue front the door and cleaned the cabinet with a wet wipe. I removed the knob and door and set aside. The cabinet was heavily lacquered so I used a white latex sealer to prime the cabinet before getting started.
I used fabric to cover the outside of the door and glued it to the wood with Mod Podge, I then applied a thick coating of Mod Podge with a Large brush to the top of the fabric. Once dry, I trimmed the excess fabric away from the door with a pair of scissors. I painted the entire cabinet with black acrylic paint except for the inside and shelves. Once dry, I applied Mod Podge over the entire piece. I spray painted the knob white, and once everything was completely dry, I re-attached the cabinet door and knob.
I hung the cabinet in our kitchen by our table, with its much more sophisticated look, It is a great place to store our souvenir glasses!
Materials:
Wooden Cabinet
Fabric
Mod Podge
Black acrylic paint
White latex primer
White spray paint
Small and large paint brush
Scissors
Before and After:
While I was pregnant with my daughter, I started a habit of “gathering” and searching for free samples and coupons online. Becoming a mom for the first time, I was in full on thrift mode. There are many of these sites online and many of them make you jump through hoops and often times do not deliver on there promises. One of the best sites I came across and still follow today is Sample Stuff.Com. It takes the best offers on the web and shares them with you first, so you have the best chance at getting free samples, coupons and sweepstakes. They also post updates when items are no longer available. I have gotten dozens of free items including yearly magazine subscriptions to Rolling Stone, Town and Country, Family Circle, and Better Homes and Gardens, just to name a few! So why am I sharing this? It ties into this upcycle, a freebie I picked up from Oprah (yes, I said Oprah)
A while back, Oprah was giving out free Journals to go with an upcoming “Lifeclass” a self-enrichment course that required keeping a journal. I had heard of this promotion through the Sample Stuff Site. I actually was interested in taking the class, but then life got in the way of Lifeclass, (Ironic I know) and there sat an empty journal. The journal was nicely made with a strap and built-in book mark ribbon. I have wanted to carry a journal and write for sometime, and this would be perfect; However a restyle was in order…
Inside the cover and front page
I picked out some nicely patterned scrapbook paper and gathered the materials needed:
I traced the front and back covers. I decided to leave the book spine free of paper. I cut out the tracings and placed them aside. I applied Mod Podge with a foam craft brush to the front cover and gently applied the cut scrapbook paper smoothing it out with my hands. I then repeated the same for the back cover. I cut a small piece to cover the inside cover and carefully and neatly removed the 1st page.
Once the outside of the book was dry, I applied Mod Podge to the covers to add some durability when taking this journal on the go. Now I have a great recycled life journal to take with me and the best part was.. it was free!
I have a confession. I am horrible when it comes to keeping my jewelry together and organized. I am always losing earrings, and I constantly tangle my necklaces together. When I picked up this Shaker Peg Rack at a thrift shop, I planned on using it to hang “crafty”things in my crafting area. I decided against it when I realized it was more urgently needed in our bedroom for jewelry. I reached my breaking point this weekend, when I went to change my necklace only to discover a tangled mess!
I decided I would use the fabric featured on Upcycled Spaghetti Jar Lamp. I tried removing the pegs, but needed some of the hubby’s strength to remove them. He was able to loosen them and I was able to finally pop them out. My plan was to glue the pegs back on later. After pulling them out, they still fit snuggly which was great. Removing the pegs would make it easier when covering the rack with fabric, and it would appear seamless. I traced the rack surface onto the fabric with a black marker.
I cut the fabric outline with a pair of scissors. I placed the fabric aside. I applied Mod Podge to the wooden rack with a foam craft brush, I carefully applied the cut fabric to the wooden surface smoothing it out on the surface with my hands. I marked off the spot on the fabric, where the peg holes were. This way, when dry I could pierce the holes with a scissor tip without making the fabric shift and move. I placed this piece aside to dry and painted the pegs with black acrylic paint. I painted any areas not covered with fabric black. Once the paint was completely dry, I covered all the painted and fabric covered areas with another layer of Mod Podge, and glued the wooden pegs back into the holes. I used two long black screws to mount the jewelry holder to the wall.
This fabric and style looks great in our grey/neutral bedroom. You can use any fabric or color scheme you like and unfinished Shaker Peg Racks can easily be picked up at yard sales and thrift shops for a couple bucks. The perfect upcycle!
Last stop before curbside in our house has always been the basement. This poor glass table had been banished to the basement for seven years, the entire time we have lived in our house! It was pushed in a corner and with flower pots and miscellaneous basement junk stacked on top of it and covered in spider webs. My husband and I try to keep the basement clean, and clutter free, but it is not always easy. As much as we dislike our basement’s dampness, cement walls and floors, the spiders seem to love it! That’s good because they help control the other bugs crawling around down there! yuck! If any item deserved a little TLC, and a makeover it was this table! I cleaned it in our utility sink and brought it upstairs. The glass was easily removable, and the table cleaned up nicely.
I laid out the fabric, I was using on the floor and traced the glass on to the back of the fabric with a fine tipped marker. I cut the tracings with scissors, and set the fabric aside. It is amazing that a pair of curtains bought at Goodwill, and originally sold by Ikea has been used in 5 previous projects on this blog! These curtains were a great buy and I still have scrap pieces left. When I started doing this, I was shocked at the high cost of fabric. I always make sure I take a walk by the linens aisle at the thrift stores. Old bed sheets and curtains are great for furniture re-styles because of their durability and come in great patterns. You can still purchase this fabric called “Fredrika” through Ikea here. I love it! For me, Even though it is modern made, it has a 60’s flower power appeal, and I love the colorful textiles from that era.
I generously applied the Mod Podge, with a paint brush to the outside of the glass.
Then, I carefully applied the fabric to the glass, smoothing it out with my hands. I repeated this three times once for each piece of glass. I allowed the pieces to dry in front of a fan. Once dry, I applied Mod Podge over the top of the fabric to coat the surface. I applied 3 coats to each table top.
Ta da! The colorful fabric turned a dirty and dusty table bound for the junkyard, into a colorful, and fun piece! A true basement rescue!
It all started with a spaghetti Jar, a broken lamp and a upcycle idea. I found myself making a third decorative fabric covered glass jar lamp tonight. (See Decorative Lamp # 1 and #2 to read tutorials on how I make these jar lamps.) I enjoy making these because each one turns out unique and the style possibilities are endless when it comes to the different fabrics you can use.
I also had the chance to work on a few smaller projects and organizing my craft space. I decided to use the same sheet I used for Cloth Covered Galvanized Bucket. The Lamp is being displayed in a built-in vanity in our hallway that displays a special family blue vase. The light this lamp omits illuminates the vase nicely and it is pleasing to the eye as you walk up our stairs. Upon further inspection today, on a trip up to our attic, I stumbled across more of these “nightlight bulb lights” These certainly will come in handy for future luminary crafts!
I found this great cigar box during a quick walk through of a local Goodwill store. I considered it a win because I was able to get my Goodwill customer rewards card stamped (10 stamps and you save 20% off your total purchase and I only managed to spend $1.06 (with tax) I had made a previous attempt to upcycle another cigar box and the whole project went terribly wrong! I liked this box because unlike the failed project box, it was made only from wood. The other cigar box was made from wood also; However it was coated in paper. The Mod Podge adhered to areas like the lid creases and not realizing it also adhered to this “paper.” When I tried to open the lid it was glued to the box! Upon attempting to open it, the lid tore away from the box. Ouch! That’s what I’d call an Epic Fail! I swore this cigar box upcycle would be different! After all, decoupage boxes are usually fun and easy to make.
For the lid cover, I chose the John Waterhouse painting The Lady of Shalott. My plan was to line the inside of the box with Ivory Damask scrapbook paper I had on hand. First, I traced the box lid onto the back of the art print. I then traced the bottom of the box, and inside lid onto the back of the scrapbook paper. I then cut them out with scissors. I applied Mod Podge with a foam brush to the lid and carefully adhered the print to the top of the box carefully, smoothing it out with my hands. I allowed the box to dry, and repeated this process on the inside of the box using the scrapbook paper.
Once it was completely dry, I applied Mod Podge to the top and inside of the box. I decided to leave the exposed natural wood on the edges inside. I really love this box and as I always say “Now…. what shall I put in it?”
The Lady of Shalott
1888 Upcycled Cigar Box
Materials:
Art Print to Decoupage
1 Sheet of Scrapbook paper
Mod Podge
Fine tip marker
Scissors
Foam Craft Brush
It all began with three broken lamps up in our attic, and a spaghetti jar. I had an idea jump into my head one day, to upcycle these broken lamps with glass jars. I decided to produce the first of what I was hoping would be three cloth-covered decorative lamps. I was very happy with how Upcycled Spaghetti Jar Decorative Lamp turned out so I decided to move forward with lamp # 2. This time I wanted to use brightly colored fabric on the glass. I had this great pickle jar that was slightly larger than the spaghetti jar I used previously. I also had some left over fabric from a previous project called Upcycled Wooden Pedestal Bowl, and Restyled Side Table that was orange, red, yellow and black.
I cut a large piece of fabric, enough to wrap around the sides of the jar. I traced the bottom of the jar, (which would be the top of the lamp) onto the fabric with a sharpie marker, and cut it out with scissors. I applied Mod Podge to the outside of the jar, and applied the fabric carefully around it. I used twine to tie the fabric at the bottom. This actually looked great and allowed the fabric to touch the base. I then glued the rest of the fabric to the top of the lamp. I allowed this to dry and then I applied the Mod Podge over the fabric.
I love the red hue the light gives off. It was very difficult to get a picture of what the lamp actually looks like. I had to play around quite a bit with the camera settings. I have this on the fireplace mantel in our living room. Stay tuned for lamp # 3!
Upcycled Pickle Jar Lamp Pictured with Upcycled wooden Pedestal bowl. Love this fabric!
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