Upcycled Birdcage Light- Not Just For The Birds Anymore

One of my favorite finds at the thrift store is birdcages. There are so many different things that you can do with them.  This one initially  had been a wedding envelope holder, but was perfect for what I had planned.

Great Deal at 3.99

Items Needed: 

You will need a light. This one is pieces I had left over from a .99 light I had used the glass pieces from for the Upcycled Silver Plated Spoons Plant Hanger.

A small lamp shade that attaches to your light bulb, as well as any other decor you want to add.

Directions:

1. First dissassemble the light socket if using an old light, unless you are using a store bought candelabra or edison type and unscrew the cord.

On mine I had already cut the cord to reduce the length. 

2. Next feed your cord through your decorative hardware that you may be using if needed, then through the birdcage. You are now ready to reattach your socket.

3. To make sure that my decorative hardware stayed in place, I hot glued it to the top of the birdcage.

4. Then reconnect the top to the bottom of socket. I painted my lamp socket to a hammered brown color also. Make sure that when you reattach your socket to the cord that you put the bottom piece on first before rewiring the socket.

5. Then add your lamp shade. I chose a lampshade that clipped to my light bulb. Although, I think an Edison bulb would look great here.

• Thrift Store Bird Cage                       $3.99
• Thrift Store Light (on hand)               $  .00

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• TOTAL OF TODAY’S PROJECT              $3.99

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Kitchen Remodeling Project Day 2 by Junkin4Humanity

Kitchen Remodeling Project Day 2

Tonight I want to finish up our kitchen project. Yesterday we got the wallpaper hung. Although, I never thought I would ever hang wallpaper again. Today I started painting the walls a lighter color over top of the light green walls. Don't get me wrong, I love the color of green, but this color had to been given to the person who painted this room. No one would have bought this on purpose, mismatched paint or not. I went with a white with beige undertones on the wall and it's amazing how much it brightened the room. 

On the other wall I needed to take care of the 2 holes that were hidden behind a unsightly curtain and paint the wall as well. I opted for a contrasting color above the uppers that complimented the wallpaper.

As far as the holes, I decided to go with a handmade creation. I found 2 mirrors (.99) in my "shed stash" along with some silver forks (bag for $1.00) I had. I flattened the forks out and bent the tines and hot glued them to the glass.

I then took a board that originally came from a dresser drawer bottom (donated). It was an antique newspaper that had been pressed onto the board years ago. I then placed the mirrors on top, measured my wall openings and cut to fit.

The plaques were hung over the holes and I also added chicken wire and a chalkboard sign (leftover from previous projects). I love to be able to change the bible verses their each day. It also helps us to learn them as well.

On this wall I took a old rod iron plate holder ($2.50) and painted it to go with my "metalware" look. I love all the old tins and brasses.

The curtain ($2.00) I searched high and low for at the thrift stores. I needed something with the colors of all the metalware that I had. This was the closest thing I could find but unfortunately was a panel, not a valance. I hate to sew so I took burlap (roll $3.00) and drew them up to make it more aesthetic. Then hot glued old vintage hardware (shed stash)  to the burlap.

Before and After's

.99 cent Thrift Store Canoe Picture

Miscellaneous Metalware (.49-2.00)

Starting on the Den Tomorrow's Blog!

• 2 mirrors                                                         $  .99
• silver forks (bag for $1.00)                           $1.00

• dresser drawer bottom (donated)                $  .00

•  chalkboard sign (leftover from projects)     $  .00

• old rod iron plate holder                                $2.50

• burlap (roll)                                                     $3.00

• Thrift Store Canoe Picture                           $ .99

• Miscellaneous Metalware (.49-2.00)          $6.00

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• TOTAL OF TODAY’S PROJECT              $14.48

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What To Do With Leftover Paint

My daughter came up to see me last week and we had a field day running to thrift stores and antique malls. I never realized I lived within minutes of the top 5 places in Ohio to do either one. That just made my day. Some of my daughters dabbled in a project here or there, but never seemed to take off with it like I have...I think the word is "addiction", so its probably just as well. But this day was different and I wanted to share with you what just a few hours and some leftover paint can do for a thrift store find of a chair and basket. We first found this chair and even though it needed some updating, it had good bones.

I let my daughter dig through some of my mismatched paint that was mixed with other mis matched paint and she began to paint away. It was so much fun doing something with her that I love so much! She decided on a blue and green paint that I had mixed together and had it and painted and distressed it within the hour.

We then took a basket which we also got that day and just dry brushed white paint randomly to match it up with the chair for a corner she wanted in her house.

The last thing she bought was a carpenter box at the antique mall. To some it may have just been a boring box, but to us it was a palette. 

She decided on white paint and we picked out hardware from my boxes of treasures and applied them.

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Not only is shopping for treasures fun, but upcycling them and staging them are as well. Within no time she had a couple of new items to decorate her home with in just a short time.

• Thrift Store Chair                  $   .99
• Spray Paint (on hand  )          $   .00
• Project Paint (on hand)          $   .00
• basket (thriftstore)                $   .99
• Carpenter Box                       $10.00

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• TOTAL OF TODAY’S PROJECT    $11.98

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Uptown Farm Table

Nothing is more important than the dining room table. It is a place that we are supposed to come together, communicate, share and listen.

 Here are some dinner statistics to chew on:

• Children not eating dinner with their families are 61 percent more likely to use alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs;
• Children who eat dinner with their families nightly are 20 percent less likely to drink, smoke, or use illegal drugs;
• Teens who share frequent family dinners are less likely to have sex at young ages, participate in fights, or be suspended from school;
• Teens who eat dinner with their families are at lower risk for thoughts of suicide;
• Children who eat with their families are more likely to eat healthier foods and more balanced meals; and
• Family dining improves communication and family connections.

So even though my blog is not about statistics, it is astounding that the table is more than just important. But, the dining room table doesn't have to be expensive to achieve the above results.

Our furniture is an expression of our family. There is so many different types of looks and decor and for each family it is different. I want to share with you a table that I found at the local thrift store and refurbished for my daughter. It just goes to show you, a lot of cash doesn't have to be spent to get the look that your family desires.

I will never understand why anyone would give up a solid wood piece of furniture. Yes, its definitely seen better days, but there is a beautiful surface under those years of abuse. So I guess I am thankful to those who don't choose to redo their wood treasures, or I wouldn't have anything to blog about. 

I basically started with alot of sanding. The tabletop did not take too long and the legs thankfully had not much lacquer still remaining. Even so, I took  a shortcut to sanding and spray painted the legs with basic white spray paint. The spray paint seems to stick easier to the lacquer and  the latex paint adheres to the spray paint very well.

The chairs were leftover from my next door neighbor's yard sale. She had them stored in the garage for years. They are solid early 1950's chairs that like the table, were stored and just forgotten about. 

As sometimes I do when I am so into a project I did not take pictures of every step. But here is one I took only minutes after sanding the tabletop. Within a few minutes you begin to see the raw wood that is just waiting to come out.

After much deliberation with a another daughter, who always helps me out on paint choices. We searched the internet for the right color's and decided on a nice "green distressed" farm table with black accent to set it off. We then added a provincial stain to keep it authentic to a Farm Style Table.

We then painted the chairs with the same black accent. This allowed the dark maple color on the back of the chairs to stay their original color and give them a nice contrast with the table.  

All in all, this was a  a large project that I enjoyed seeing the final result. It's also very satisfying knowing that while my daughter and her family sit at their custom made table that I had a hand in, they can share their day as they come together and I can somehow be part of that. 

• Thrift Store Table                     $11.00
• Spray Paint (dollar store)            $1.00
• Project Paint (on hand)                  .00
• 4 Chairs (leftover yardsale)            .00

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• TOTAL OF TODAY’S PROJECT     $12.00

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Bar Stools Get A Step Up

I have a friend who always calls me after their annual yard sale. She gives me items that I pass on to my ministries and to whomever may need the items that they have left over. This year as I was going through the items she gave to me,  I came across these wonderful bar stools. I couldn't believe that no one bought them and they were leftover from the sale. There was nothing wrong with them that a little TLC couldn't fix.

After a little upholstery paint, (yes they make upholstery paint), they look as good as new. I found the paint at an outlet store for .99 cents. I then polished up the chrome with some steel wool and "good as new"!

• Paint (onhand)                        $.99
• bar stools                        (donated)

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• TOTAL OF TODAY’S PROJECT    $.99

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Related articles

• Burlap & Bar Stools Pt. 2 (figuringoutfabulous.wordpress.com)
• Kitchen Bar Stools: Sitting in Style (inmanteam.wordpress.com)

Queen Size Headboard Turned Into A Coat Rack

Yesterday while shopping at the thrift store with my daughter we came across this wonderful Queen headboard. I loved the color as well as the style. I knew that with railings gone that most people would just pass it by, but still I took no chances and snatched it up. I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but how could I pass it up for .09 cents.

When we got it home, I started digging through my covenanted boxes of old hardware and then I knew...Coat Rack.

I started out by taking off the legs first. Next I distressed it with a hand sander, then added hardware. Last step I took some antiquing paint and brushed it over the areas I had distressed.

Not too bad for a hour's work for the finished product. A new coat rack for about .25 cents.

• Paint (onhand)                        $.00
• Headboard from thrift store      $.09
• Hardware (3 x $1.00 yard sale)  $3.00

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• TOTAL OF TODAY’S PROJECT    $3.09 

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Did You Think Of This? New Ways to Recycle

When we speak of upcycling or recycling, most of us think of repainting or restoring something. Sometimes just merely using something for another use is another great way of recycling. During my trip to area thrift stores I found many ways of reusing vintage and antique items as they already were.

A Rake As A Hook

A Sled As A Shelf

A Floor Shelf Hung On Wall

A Vintage Iron Board As A Table

A Vintage Hat As A Pendant Light

Silverplate Forks As Note Holders

An Old Suitcase As A Medicine Cabinet

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Vintage Lamp Takes a Trip from Drab to Worldly

I love going to the Thrift Store. There is nothing else that gets my more excited. Finding that one "peculiur piece that needed a makeover. Then as I was working around the house and realized I had some vintage pieces of my fiance's who needed me just as much.

Today, I came across this light. Never paid much attention to it until I was replacing the cabinet that it was sitting on with a upcycled piece I got from the thrift store. I soon realized as I was staging my new cabinet that this light had been overlooked.

The lampshade was one of the old shades that had the fabric glued onto the plastic shade. So I decided to use the existing shade and take the outer fabric piece off.

I decided that I wanted a different look for it, something that would be a focal point and began rummaging through my finds. I came across an atlas that I had gotten at the neighborhood thriftstore for .25. I knew right then that was the answer. 

After carefully cutting pictures from the atlas I neatly glued them onto the lamp shade. I couldn't be happier about the outcome.

• Vintage Light (onhand)           $.00
• Atlas from thrift store             $.25                

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• TOTAL OF TODAY’S PROJECT    $.25 

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New View For Vintage Windows

I recently came across some old windows for a great deal. I drove 2 hours with my grandson to pick them up and drag all 35 of them home. When I arrived I was looking at some small town history right in front of me. The stories those windows could have told. Some were in bad shape, others not as bad. But what they all had was character. I couldn't wait to bring them home and begin to let my imagination run wild. Here are some of the windows and the pictures of my creativity for a few of them.

Many looked like this, a little run down, It just needed some TLC and to be Reloved.

Window Board for Photos & Chalkboard

Vintage Broyhill married to Vintage Window to give a new interesting look for both.

At Fourth of July I was inspired and made an outdoor flag Wall Art for the Front Porch. I used the handle from the flag as a decoration down the left side and added some stars to the outer part of the window.

Vintage window with legs from a thrift store table give this vintage window a leg up.

I love stained glass, but it is so expensive. I decided to use stain paint and made my own faux stained glass and added vintage hardware for effect. 

More Stained Glass effect.

I had several of these size windows they were perfect for making chalkboards. With available photo holders for the top or your favorite picture.

More chalkboards.

Wipe Off / Corkboard Vintage Window

After many projects I decided to use up the leftover windows that I had and made a greenhouse that I plan on utilizing next summer to start plants and for an herb garden.

• 35 windows                                     $50.00
• Hardware from flea markets appx       $1.00 ea                
• Various thrift store end tables            $2.00

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•  TOTAL OF TODAY’S PROJECT     appx $8.00 each