Project #2: It Continues

Yesterday I went to town on this hunk o' junk of a bench. After getting denied from a few more jobs and going through a few more unsuccessful interviews,  I needed a little power sander therapy.

I stripped that baby down, applied some wood fill and gorilla glue where the wood was splitting:

Don't mind the bricks, they are to help the glue bond to the wood. Once I took the bench down to the bones, I realizes it needed a lot more help than I thought. Good thing I didn't pay $15 for it.

Now that I've:
1. Sanded
2. Applied wood fill & glue
3. Sanded some more

I Can:
1. Prime
2. Paint
3. Apply a clear coat so the paint doesn't stick

Beaten, Battered & Bruised Bench: Project #2

I bought this stool off of Craigslist for $5. The girl thought that it was worth $15 but I convinced her that $5 was much more reasonable- just look at the condition its in!

Scratched, chipped, worn, used, grandma material, smelly, musty, etc. You name it, this bench has got it. It's going to require a lot of TLC to give it a new life. 

I'm debating on whether to paint the wood white or black. My two last pieces have been white and I just stumbled upon some black spray paint here at the house...options, options options. What do you think will sell more quickly? 

And look at all this beautiful fabric I have to choose from! I have no idea which one I'll use. If I paint the bench black I'll use the black/gray fabric. If I paint it white, well, then I have a ton of options.

What a Bust!

Remember that 'customer' who was passionate about her custom made chair?
Take a guess, she either:

1. Followed through with the idea and paid top dollar for the chair
2. Wanted to negotiate but still was interested
3. Dropped off the face of the planet

If you guessed the later you're correct, unfortunately. I was so excited for nothing!  I found the perfect chair for her on Craigslist, talked the guy down and was ready to buy. She can find someone else to make a stupid dalmatian chair for her, be my guest.

The Chair Started it All

I bought this chair on Craigslist and it sparked a sensation!

But more on that later. So I purchased this chair a little scuffed and stark white. Blinding white. It was very boring to say the least. So, I went to Home Depot and bought Rustoleum Antiquing glaze, and added black paint to the glaze, courtesy of AllThingsThrifty.com. This look gave the chair an amazing distressed look; it makes the nooks and crannies really stand out. You're looking at the final product, which is currently for sale on Craigslist right now.

So someone saw this chair on Craigslist and didn't want this chair per say, but she liked my talent. She asked me to create a custom piece for her, a chair to her liking with a few requirements and a lot of wiggle room for creativity. I'm running wild with the possibilities, I'm so excited! I feel that this is such an honor. Already, people like my work enough to ask for custom items! I hope this works out. This chair needs to pay for my unfortunate parking ticket. 

What to do with all this Inventory?

Once I Start I Just Can't Stop


I got so excited with all of my thrift store deals that I may have gotten carried away. In addition to the table, I may have bought two vintage golf bags, a rough looking antique chair for $8 after much haggling, a beautiful looking accent chair, small bench and cabinet. Uh oh. I think I may be in over my head. With all these extremely reasonably priced thrift stores right around the corner and the convenience of Craigslist, it's hard to not to buy. Don't worry, I have my Excel spreadsheet to keep me in line. Better get to work to make some profit!

How it All Began: Project #1 - Table Takeover

 The Dilemma

Before graduation, I had been warned that finding a job was going to be difficult. I thought that I would be an exception, and that in no time I would be sitting on a cushy salary with benefits in a cramped LA office. It's now been three months since I walked across that stage to receive my diploma and three months of relentlessly trying to find work with no success. I heard the horror stories but I never imagined how frustrating this process would be. Sitting at home, spending hours on Monster.com, followed by Pintrest and watching HGTV all day long is not what I envisioned for myself in post-grad life.

The Solution

But then it occurred to me: what if put these 'wasted' hours obsession with DIY projects to use? Not only to occupy my hands which have been pulling out hair in frustration but to make some cash on the side to support my unemployed self? As soon as I got the idea, I was immediately off to work.

Project One: End Table

I went shopping at local thrift stores and found a place that had more than reasonable prices. This table was only $3 and I was thrilled it would fit in my tiny Mazda!

Steps:

1. Stripped and sanded with power sander
2. Primed (two coats)
3. Sanded by hand
4. Painted (two coats)
5. Stencil design on top (took forever!)
6. Spray on clear sealant coat

And after all that hard work....

 

Ta Da! Now for sale and couldn't be more proud.