I admit that I am not very talented in the arts and crafts. I can get by with macaroni pictures or helping a child glue foam shapes on paper, but when it comes to taking a furniture find and turning it in to something fabulous, well, it will probably wind up looking like that macaroni picture. Still, that doesn’t give me the excuse to buy new when I can redo (or at least get a talented friend or family member to do it.)
One simple project I completed with the help of my oldest child was to redo an old college trunk. To give it new life, we covered it with a patterned contact paper, black swirls on a background of white. It now looks modern, fits in with our decor, and is useful for storing blankets and guest sheets.
Another project involved painting over old pine bookcases in a bright white. My husband gets all of the credit for that one. He used a satin finish, and the bookcases have new life in our daughter’s room to hold her collection of books, toys and snow globes.
I tell you this to encourage you, in case you are craft challenged like me. There are still simple changes that will turn something old into something new and fresh. If you aren’t sure how to get started, search the internet for furniture hacks, read decor magazines (browse or borrow them for free from the library), and watch design shows to get some ideas.
You can even redo small items, such as by using a small stack of colorful books as a stand to display a group of candles or overturn an old wooden crate and top it with a small pillow for use as a footstool or ottoman.
Today, why not look around at something old that you have in your home and see if it can be redone to solve a problem or to become something unique and special in your home.