Before and After-Antique Chair

BEFORE

This antique chair was in the bulk of stuff that I got a couple of months ago. I got a ton of stuff for twenty bucks so I guess you could say that this cost me about 3 bucks! One arm needed to be repaired and all the joints needed a little wood glue but that was easy. :) 

After many hours of cutting, stapling, hammering and even some blood(good thing I got that tetanus shot!)..................Here it is...

AFTER

I just love how it turned out! 

I was able to reuse all the original tack strip. My sister helped me pull it off. So much fun for her that I don't think she will ever help me again! Putting it back on was even harder! NOTE: If you are going to attempt this plan for several hours. 

This is going in my living room. The husband wants me to sell it, which I guess is a compliment, he thinks we could sell it easily. But, NOPE it's all mine! 

Remembering the lesson I learned from the couch I used the old material for a pattern. But I did learn a couple other lessons....

LESSON: When working with a pattern make sure everything is going in the same direction. On the first try, the top was perfect but after cutting the seat out the pattern was facing backwards! AHHHHHHH. Had to go back to the store because I didn't have enough. 

LESSON: When using the old material make sure you check the direction and then flip the material over to trace the pattern. When I got more material I started tracing it and realized I was making the same mistake. But because I was tracing on the pattern side I had pencil marks going through part of the material I needed to use!AHHHHHHHH again. I'm sure there is a special pencil or something but I don't have one. 

Hope these help.

Before and After- Love Seat For 2

BEFORE

This little couch I found at a yard sale in Vegas. It was solid and had so much potential! So it came home with me. I didn't start it for a while because I was scared. This was my first attempt at reupholstering something "big". Taking the material off was much harder than I thought! And removing staples, OH MY HECK!!!    

Lesson#1 When removing the old material take pictures along the way, it will really help you figure out how to put the new stuff on!

Lesson #2 Again when removing the old material try to keep it in its original shape. You will NEED this as a pattern. 

I learned both these lessons the hard way. I basically reupholstered the couch from scratch! I got a little excited removing the material and I didn't care about cutting and tearing it. I regretted that in the end!

AFTER

Here she is! What do you think?

Cute ribbon detail on the back. 

I'm selling her. So if you are interested or know of anyone that is let me know. I'm posting it on craig's list today. 

Vegas-Before and After Dresser

This dresser belongs to Allison, another friend of my sister. It's a beautiful old piece. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It's going in her son's room that she is doing with a nautical theme.

BEFORE

As they say, "It has great bones"

AFTER

She just wanted a really dark stain. I love staining wood because all it does is darken the natural wood. So you are left with the beautiful patterns in the wood. Some areas always end up darker than others and I just love it!!

I think this piece was made out of three different types of wood. As you can see the sides are different than the drawers. I think it just adds to the beauty. 

(Of course, my dad thinks it's a crime to paint real wood, so when I do this he is happy. 

Can't you just picture it in a nautical room!

Yummy

Vegas-Before and After Small Buffet

Sheri's Grandma's Buffet

Sorry, the "after" pictures were done at night so the light is not the best. 

Painted with an Antique White from Valspar and Black top painted, also Valspar. 

I know this may sound funny but every time I go to Vegas to work I go to Lowe's because it is right by my mom's house. But at home there is only a Home Depot, that I love very dearly! So I always feel like I'm cheating on them when I go to Lowe's. I know, it's crazy!

After painted it I distressed it and did just a little black glaze over the distressed areas. 

The handles and hinges are the original ones but they were gold so I used mt fav Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint to give them that finishing touch. The knobs she had already purchased. They are a great deep red crystal knob. They are perfect for her New-Old piece.

Here's a tip I learned: If the inside of the furniture is still in good condition, I never paint it. But if it is very old I will put a clear liner in it. This one didn't need that! But the old dressers I have finished I will line them. I have seen some really great ones done with all kinds of patterns. You can have a lot of fun with it!

Vegas- Before and After Red Chair

This is my sister's friend's chair. While I was in Vegas I refinished this chair and a small buffet that was her Grandmother's. I was so excited to do the chair because she wanted it RED! And I had really been wanting to do something in red. 

These pictures were taken at night in my mom's front yard so I'm sorry if you cannot see the color to well. 

I know you can't tell in the pictures but I heavily distressed the red and then did an antique black glaze all over the chair. I love how it turned out! I hope she is happy too! 

Brandy's Dresser

New Stenciled Dresser

My neighbor gave me this dresser forever ago. They had no need for it anymore. So it sat in my garage for a long time. I could not decide what I wanted to do with it. My sister needed a new dresser and since her birthday is coming up we refinished it together.

It was that 1970's brown color, of course, I forgot to take before pics!! The handles were a goldish color. At first my sister didn't want to keep the handles but with a little spray paint they look beautiful with it. 

LOVE this stencil pattern. I picked it up at Home Depot. I want to stencil my bedroom walls. That is going to be a big job but look how it turned out on the dresser! Can't wait to use it again! 

Vanity

Here she is.......The Vanity

I cannot find the before pictures of this desk anywhere! But it's an antique that I picked up at a yard sale that was falling apart. Gorilla Wood Glue is my friend! I have pictures of the repairs somewhere! It was missing several handles so I added all new ones.  

 The vanity seat, I showed you in another post, I added a great perfume bottle from The Graphic Fairy's site.

 I also used two other images from her site. 

 Don't you love the old fashioned dress forms.

 I put a plastic coating over the burlap to protect it from make-up! 

I added the material and plastic covering to the top to hide the ugly old cracked leather/vinyl stuff that they used to put on old desks. 

 Don't you want to just sit at it and play dress-up!!!!

Toy Box Crate

I went to this really great yard sale and made a killing! I got 3 old headboards, an antique chair, a small bookcase, a matching headboard and footboard and this crate for 25 bucks!!! 

This crate has a lid, but not attached. No bottom, but awesome potential!

This cart thingy actually was free at the same yard sale. It's veneer, but the wheels on the bottom were in perfect condition so I took it home.

I cut off the feet of the crate, added a bottom and then added the wheels to the bottom. 

And here he is......My son's new toy box. I think I might adds some graphics to it. 

Don't you love the hardware!!!

Before and After- Vanity Seat

Another yard sale find. The pink had to go. I'm putting this with a desk and mirror that I found at a yard sale. I will show those pictures when it is finished.

It was a painful process getting it all off!

But here it is! Recovered in Burlap.

I add white upholstery tacks on the edge for detail and added support.

My fav...Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint for the legs.

This is my first re-upholstery, I'm happy with how it turned out!  

By-the-way....this was done with all hot glue and some staples :)