Rocking Chair Hack

Welcome back to another version of the Crazy Hacker! Yes, I have been known to hack apart communion tables for parts and now I have used my hacking skills to turn parts of an old rocking chair into two useful home decor projects. I started to take the chair apart to reupholster but when I got it down to its bones, it was really not worth repairing. 

So I did what any good repurposer does and looked for what could be saved!  I saw potential in the back and a brace as seen below:

I primed with grey primer since the wood is red and I wasn't sure what color I would be using so in case I decided to go light, I did not want red bleed through to the final product.  I found an awesome fabric remnant and decided to go blue!

I covered a piece of Luan with the fabric to create a pin board and then added a leftover wood piece from a mantel to make a shelf. Because the back angled out from the wall we added pegs to the back to make the shelf sit level. This got snapped up pretty quickly!

The brace got turned into a cute little towel rack just by adding a dowel. 

So before throwing out a broken chair, check under its hood for parts! You just might be surprised at how you can save something that might have sentimental value to you and you'll do us all a favor and keep it out of the dump.

He has a purpose for our brokenness as well. It is for His glory to be shown when we come through trials and suffering and even better….it is for our renewal and to create our dependence on Him. You can stand up to anything if you bow your will to Him.

Isaiah 14:24

"The LORD Almighty has sworn, Surely as I have planned so it will be and as I have purposed, so it will stand" 

Always being renewed,

Steampunk Door Decor

I hope everyone's Labor Day is full of fun and labor, the good kind. I am working on a little outdoor project as we speak but I thought I'd take a break while my power tools recharge and show you something new that I added to the Dining Room. Sometimes you have big spaces that need to be filled and sometimes you need something unique to put there.

We had saved all of the old hardware from our garage doors when we replaced them ourselves. Yes we  not only saved about $400 per door and but we got some awesome vintage looking pulleys, springs etc. in the process.

Well, I finally got around to using at least one of them. You might recognize my door from my TV stand mash-up. Once I got my new credenza, the door went to the basement until I decided I wanted to use it in my house some other way.

I was moving my pulleys for about the fiftieth time when I finally said to myself....."Will you do something with one of these for Pete's sake?" Now who is Pete we don't know but he lives somewhere in this house because I do a lot of projects in his name. I have yet to see him but I like how he motivates me.

 

Onward. 

This is how the wall started out. 

 Kinda boring except for that awesome artwork by my son.

I think it is always good to show the mess that our projects create lest you think I have the perfect home. I know this sounds like crazy talk to my family and friends who KNOW I do not have a perfect home and knew that this stayed like this for, say... about a week. 

Husband=patience of Job.

 I think it might have been worth it....

I love the vintage industrial vibe that it has and it only cost about $12. It makes a much bigger impact and in my opinion, it beats the usual things that get hung on the wall.

Come back tomorrow to see how this was done and maybe this will get you thinking of some new and different ways to add decor to YOUR walls.

I hope your Labor Day produces something grand!

Always being renewed,

Please see the link party page to see where I link arms with those blissfully beautiful bloggers that host every week. So gracious they are along with these other sweet ladies!

Read more at http://diyshowoff.com/2013/04/01/that-diy-party-10/#xgMAcRCgRocl5vmh.99       

 

 

Fire Pit.....from trash hell!

Disclaimer: Linseed Oil and Polyurethane  are flammable so you should not use this as a fire pit, ever again! Don't worry, you will find way more uses for it so you won't want to burn it!

Sometimes you need to go to the pits of hell to make a junk rescue.

Forgive me if I use the word "hell" a lot in this post....I am not trying to be a potty mouth but it has something to do with fire, a pit, and the lengths we sometimes go to get good junk. Sometimes we go through hell to get it, sometimes we say "what the....?" once we get home because either we don't have room or we have absolutely no idea why we grabbed this piece that just five minutes ago had the angels singing.

For this piece of junk, the angels sang when it got nabbed early on trash day morning and put in my car in the fall. Yes, I leave for work early on trash day to go "sidewalk" shopping. I cannot tell you how well my day went after I nabbed this. 

Simple joys, I tell ya'.

I was just chomping at the bit to work on it but I figured I better just wait until it was spring/summer so I could actually use it right away. I had visions of a vertical garden or lighting or.....who knows. I was having visions is all I can say with confidence.

So this past week I got to it and I am all giggly in love with the finished product.

So let me lead you to the Mecca of Rusty Restoration! I think I am mixing religions.... all you need is Boiled Linseed Oil and outdoor Poly (I used Helmsman Indoor/Outdoor Polyurethane).

Wait for a time period when you are going to have at least 2-3 days of sun. 

Start with your rusty piece of goodness

Yes, I saved the lid too...you never know



Do not scrape the rust unless there are large obvious flaking. 

If you want to use this indoors, you can just Poly right now and it will look more like this finish, just a bit darker.

Using a chip brush, apply your Linseed oil on all surfaces; front, back and edges to seal the rust.  Let dry in the sun until completely dry to the touch. Mine only took about a day.

Again using a chip brush, apply your Helmsman outdoor poly to one side and let dry.
Once dry, turn over and finish polying the other side, don't forget the sides. I used Satin because I still wanted it to be rustic. If I wanted new, I'd a bought me one at the local Targey, right. Don't buy new when you can re-purpose is my mantra. (I think I have now added Hindu)

a good before and after comparison.

Now the only difficult thing is figuring out which way you are going to use it....

I really want to figure out how to make it into a hanging light fixture for my kitchen. I will keep you updated on that one. Hopefully I won't be saying "what the...". I have a feeling I am going to need all the help from above when I attempt that bad boy.

I think the top is going to be made into that vertical garden I had originally had visions about. 

It is already oiled and sealed and ready to go... let the singing begin!

Always being renewed,

Please see the link party page to see where I link arms with those blissfully beautiful bloggers that host every week. So gracious they are along with these other sweet ladies!

Read more at http://diyshowoff.com/2013/04/01/that-diy-party-10/#xgMAcRCgRocl5vmh.99