Made with my two hands: upcycle

Showing posts with label upcycle. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Wow look at my $5 chair

My gorgeous new chair. All finished

The back - before shot

On Saturday after rugby I stopped at the Op Shop (charity shop) in Rangiora called "The free shop". I got a linen jacket (which you may see later in spring - I have thoughts in my head about remodelling it for my cousin and great friend - Kerryn - wedding) and I got a chair for $5. There were three of the chairs there, but the others had big cracks or bits missing or were wobbly. I can't fix those things, I can only titivate stuff. So I picked one that was solid and could see the potential.

Around our dining table we have an eclectic mix of chairs. One is an original chair from the Earnslaw steam ship. (I worked on that boat years ago, as hostess, kitchen hand and in the school holidays I dressed as a dragon and did kids entertainment). One is a very expensive handmade, turns into kitchen stepladder, chair from a maker up near Motueka where my parents live. The one I am sitting on while typing I got from the dump shop for $2 and is bog standard, find it everywhere in NZ chair. The fourth was a chair for $1 from the Amberley recycle centre. It is an old school chair and quite raggy. Good to pull out when we need an extra but could do with being retired.

I had been on the lookout for a new chair for ages. I found it on Saturday. I forgot to take before photos and had already started some sanding when I dashed to get my camera. It required A LOT of sanding. Took me about two hours as some could be done with the machine but lots of fiddly bits had to be done by hand. I sanded with 60 grit to get all the muck off. Then I sanded with 180 grit. Then I have put on two coats of polyurethane. And I love it!!! It looks like a new chair and for $5. Thrilled, Pleased, Proud, have to show everyone who comes into the house.

I am also trying to action on the things I get. Rather than park them in the garage and think about redoing them in a years time. So am thrilled that this was purchased on the Saturday and finished on Tuesday.

Before - sanding had just started

I sometimes link to these places

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Upcycle drawers to Lego station

The messy room

The tidy room - thanks Lego Station

Well this has got to be the longest DIY project in ages.

It all started as I remodeled Jakob's room last year. As part of that I gave him new storage as I was sick of the stuff on the floor. But over the last few months I have realised (maybe from the number of times I have had to get him to tidy his room) that it just was not working for him.

He likes to sort Lego and keep it like that. He wants to keep all the things he has just made -actually made up. And I was sick and tired of not being able to walk in his room or vacumn.

I was sick of asking him to tidy up and looked at it from another angle - I had not provided him with what he needed for the way he played.

In the garage was a set of drawers that Aaron had remodeled when he was in his early teens. It had been painted white and he hand sanded and stripped it and polished it up. But it was looking tired.

There were a few glitches on the way - I did think this project would be done in a couple of days. But the first time I started polyethylene to finish it looked terrible!! I had hand sanded and it just was not enough. Then I hand sanded again, then I gave up and used machines!!

There is one more thing that needs to be added. The top is going to have a Lego baseboard glued to it so that his pieces can be built on it and not move.

I love that this has now been upcycled / recycled twice. That is really good use of resources without spending money.

The drawers before

Hand sanding - never again!!

big mistake - looking worse after the first layer of polyurethane

Put dividers into the middle drawer - good for sorting Lego - also added new handles

Put wheels on so it can move from room to room to play with

Finally finished after more sanding and 4 layers of polyurethane

The boys doing the big inspection. Lots of discussion and excitement

In Situ

Lego in the new Lego Station, no more lego on the floor.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Refashion an Op Shop find

This weekend I physically exhausted myself in the garden (did not take long!!! - a couple of hours each day), which left me with heaps of time to sit and sew for relaxation.

Inspired by my recent finish of a recycled quilt I went through the stack of unfinished projects by my machine. There was a dress I had bought about a month ago from a Save the Children Op Shop in Christchurch.

I am not very good at sewing clothes for myself from scratch, but if something fits I know I can generally make it look better.

One of the things that really bug me about ladies clothes is NO POCKETS - why why why. Yes I carry a handbag but it is so handy to have pockets. And why was there no fastening at the waist? - so it gaped - no dome or button or anything.

So I made a new collar, new sleeve end, stitched a pocket into the waistband but floats externally, shortened the length and added some bias, added a $1 belt also from the Op Shop and presto - A new outfit that I am thrilled with.

I wore it to church today and heaps of people commented on it.
$10 dress
$1 belt
$5.50 fat quarter of green and black flower material from quilters quarters in Rangiora