Upcycled China Cabinet – Unwanted to Amazing!

I’ve got a good one to show you today! We’re always thinking of ways to turn cast offs into something desirable, aren’t we? Garage sale finds, Goodwill castoffs, hand-me-downs, Aunt Clara’s dusty old china cabinet… A while ago we bought this china cabinet at an estate sale. We paid $97. It’s an Ethan Allen, so I knew it had good bones and it reminded me of my mother. LOL For some reason I acquaint Ethan Allen with my mom. No idea why. Maybe because it’s from her era. Here is DH strapping everything down we go that day. It was the last day of the estate sale, so I got this china cabinet CHEAP. I got a couple of other things too. I felt like I had won the jackpot. This thing was sitting in the living room of the house of someone who had gone on, and the kids … Read more

New Pop-Up ESCAPE ROOM on Facebook – DIY DECOR

COME LEARN SOME STUFF Since I mentor furniture flippers, accumulating staging props to use in photos for listings can be a big issue. So I like to help with every area of the flipping process to help members save money and increase profits. We can make our own decor and save $ – our bottom line isn’t only affected by the profit we make on a piece of furniture, but also on our expenses. So, the more staging decor we acquire easily and cheaply, the better.   NEW POP-UP GROUP ON FACEBOOK THE ESCAPE ROOM – DIY Staging Decor is open and ready for you. You can click the  name and it will take you there so you can sign up and reserve your spot. It’s going to be fun! I’m busily working on projects to share with you. It starts September 28, but you can join in on the … Read more

Growing Your Redesign Skills

Have You “Arrived” Yet? “You don’t know what you don’t know.” AND… “The  more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know.” Have you considered taking a class or joining a group that will help you become a better artist? Specifically…a furniture artist.   Finding Your Tribe I have created a membership for aspiring artists that teaches all things furniture flipping (redesign and marketing). It’s called Furniture Flipping Blueprint because it’s a step-by-step 24/7/365 online manual. Those who join FFB also join my FB group, Furniture Flipping Blueprint PRO where we exchange ideas and challenge one another to grow our skills. Along with group membership, some of us meet up once a year to work on our furniture redesign skills. There’s nothing like being in a learning group that challenges and inspires. We have a group like that and you are invited to join us. You can go to … Read more

Sometimes it’s the little things that grab attention…

Have you tried dry brushing? Sometimes a little tweek to your redesign plan can grab attention and set your piece apart from the hundreds advertised online. Here’s a very short video to show you one piece that got an update fetching a pretty penny from a discerning customer. I especially like techniques that are NOT expensive that are EASY. If you like tips and prefer them by video, check out my video tips series.  >>> Blessings, my creative friend.

Dye Stain, Java Gel & Water-based Stain Comparison

Adding a Bit of Pizazz I have a lot to share with you today – and I’m using several different products and several different methods and techniques to try them out and let you know what I’ve learned or discovered. NOTE: Most products listed are affiliate links.   So here we go. First up: Let’s look at the differences between three different General Finishes stains: Java Gel (my personal favorite), regular water-based stain, and dye stains. If you’ve not used General Finishes dye stains, order some and check them out. They are water-based and super easy to work with. So here’s the deets: After prepping the piece, I painted the body in Loganberry from Chalky Chicks and topcoated it with matte CrystaLac water-based polyurethane. I left some of the wood parts that were had a nice grain and spiffed them up with Wise Owl Lemon Verbena salve, a gift from … Read more

Upcycled Antique Window Wall Decor

NOTE: All red hyperlinks are affiliate links for your convenience.*   UPCYCLING AN OLD WINDOW I found an old window (click site for window repalcements) at a salvage warehouse and thought it would make a good addition to my living room walls. The only problem was it was old, dirty and falling apart. But I had a plan which is solar tinting as suggested by the professionals. I could see it all spiffed up and shiny new even though it looked like this: I paid $12 for it and asked DH to load it up. He shook his head and took it home for me. See, DH can’t envision like I can, so he often wonders how I can make something like this look good enough to use for decor. Fortunately he’s willing to help and has knowledge from past experience that helps me transform a piece. Reglazing The old … Read more

A Bit of Couch Table Glitz

Every time I flip a piece of furniture, I wish I could find a permanent spot for it in my own home. I think this is common for anyone who turns an old out-dated piece into art. We put our heart and soul into it throughout the creative process. It’s something that you must experience before you understand. It’s even hard to see it go out the door when it sells. You feel like a piece of yourself is leaving. Of course the cash in hand is great as is the thought that someone else will enjoy your creation. But still. It’s an emotional moment. I find it quite funny that we would get so attached to a “thing”. But it’s true. A piece of ourselves goes out the door each time. Here is the before. We got it from our favorite shop in Door County here in Wisconsin. We … Read more

Darbi the Guest Master Night Stand – I Got to Keep This One!

A Night Stand Named Darbi Occasionally I get to keep one of my projects. It’s super hard for me to watch my pieces go out the door when I sell them, but I comfort myself when I look down at my hand holding the cash! LOL This one came from a consignment shop we visit every couple of months. I thought it perfectly fit my daughter’s description of a side table she was looking for and the $12 price tag fit the bill too. But of course, “Best laid plans of mice and men,” as it turned out it was too tall. So sad for them, yay for me! It now sits next to our guest master king size bed. Find out more here which bed you can also use in order to have a great night’s sleep.   Here it is before:   White is a Fave of Mine … Read more

Can Furniture Become a Piece of Art?

  #sponsored ART- noun plural noun: arts; plural noun: the arts 1. The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be works produced by human creative skill and imagination. creative activity resulting in the production of paintings, drawings, or sculpture. 2. The various branches of creative activity, such as painting, music, literature, and dance.   The 10 Foot Amish Table Had to Go For years we ate as a family of 17 at a 10 foot Amish made oak table with 4 leaves and claw feet. It suited our purpose, but when we went from a huge brood to an empty nest, that table became obsolete. We bought it in Shipshewana, an Amish town in Indiana for half the price anywhere else. Isn’t it funny how a treasure can turn into an albarross when it … Read more

Antique Door Hall Tree Part 2 – The Seat

#sponsored The Second Part of My Upcycled Hall Tree Project. First I painted a door for the back drop of my hall tree. See it here: Antique Door Hall Tree Part 1. Now I’m showing you the seat part I’ve attached. It was an antique radio base that I found at an antiques estate sale. The Before   MATERIALS (RED indicates affiliate links for your convenience) Old Fashioned Milk Paint Snow White Old Fashioned Milk Paint Marigold Yellow Old Fashioned Milk Paint Salem Red Scotts Rags General Finishes Gray Gel Stain General Finishes Gel Top Coat – Wipe On Polyvine Wax Finish Flat Varnish Renaissance Innovations Paint Brush   Thinking Outside the Box Since it has a flat back, there are few uses it could be upcycled for – it’s a perfect fit for a hall tree. I cleaned and sanded it, then white washed it with Snow White Old … Read more

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