Lantern Turned Lamp

Here are a couple of ideas in one. First, in the foreground you see a lamp that I made from an old lantern. To make it into a lamp, I used one of those kits found at craft stores that are made to clamp onto a basket. Lamp Kit Sample I clamped it onto the metal ring on top of this old lantern instead.

The second trash to treasure idea is in the background. I've taken a discarded oak cupboard door and painted strips and faux finished it to look like an aged flag.

Recycling Windows into Art Displays

I bought this old window at a yard sale and then created quilt panels to fit behind the panes. The quilt panels are just fronts with no quilt batting or hand quilting, so for the quilter, it's an easy project! And if your quilt panel isn't quite the right size, just add a border until it is the right size to fill the frame.

To attach the quilt panels to the window, I used a sturdy tape, but you could use a staple gun, tacky glue, or hot glue, depending on how permanent you want it to be. To finish off the display, I added a rake head affixed with a nail in the center of the window sash and hung dried flowers and garden tools from the rake. The sign above the window was also a yard sale find.

I'm participating in the "I Made it Without My Hubby" link party at:


Trash to Treasure Decorating www.trashtotreasuredecorating.com

An Old Chair Turned Shelf

Do you have chairs that aren't fit for sitting on anymore? Why not remove the legs and cut the seat down and make it a shelf. The picture below is one used for outdoor decoration and I sprayed it with crackle paint, then I embellished with recycled junk. And indoor chair has many possibilities too!

I hung my chair by drilling straight through with a big wood screw. Shh...don't tell my hubby it's straight through the siding too. You could hang yours with a picture bracket, but beware in high wind if you hang it outside. It could blow off the wall during the night and wake you from a deep sleep thinking you had an intruder. You can see the ramifications of that problem...

Note: The seat was removed and replaced with a board, so only the top of the original chair was used. But you could use the chair seat and saw it off to be a little shorter in depth.

I'm linking this post up to Mustard See Creations for Furniture Feature Friday. Check out Miss Mustard Seed's blog for some great ideas!

Kitchen Table Turned Coffee Table

This antique table was in rough shape when I inherited it. After attempting to wood putty the dry rotted edge and unsuccessfully beef up the legs, I put it in storage.After all, it had no boards anymore and it wasn't quite right for a kitchen table. A friend noticed it in my storage area and suggested it would make a great coffee table. She was right! I sawed off the legs between joints in the decorative legs and then reattached them closer to the corners. The damaged edge add to the charm as a coffee table.

At well over a square yard, it's perfect for playing games, serving snacks, and for extra eating space for groups of teenagers who gather around on the floor. I also slid an old trunk underneath for extra storage.

A Tool Chest Dresser Makeover

Today's trash to treasure tip comes from reader and freelance writer Becky Tidberg. Becky purchased a dresser for $5 at a garage sale. She painted it with high-gloss red paint, took off the old hardware and put on a 2' length of steel L-bracket. Then she added cool racing stickers and now it looks just like a car shop tool box. A great kids room makeover idea!

Photo by Becky Tidberg

Send Your Ideas

Have a trash to treasure decorating idea to share with my readers?

Send your ideas and photos attachments to Michelle's E-mail . If we use your idea on the blog, we'll give credit to you and post a link on your name back to your blog or website as a thank you.

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Luggage

Ideas for using old luggage from the web at robojunker.com




















Photo from robojunker.com

Using Old Windows as Frames

Here's an idea for using an old window for a wall decoration. I created a quilt that fits behind the window.

Trash to Treasure Launches

Trash to Treasure Decorating is just launched! Come back soon for ideas, photos, and links to all the best trash to treasure resources.