Wooden Tool Box Transformed to "Roll Top Style" Desk! (Upcycled)

* This project is from "the vault."A project I made 

several years back, and only just rediscover photos of. 

This red beauty, started out life as a very weather beaten, and worn, discarded wooden tool box (see photos below)!  It found its way to my doorstep one fateful day, and I welcomed it in. Offering it a place to live in the garage, until I could develop a plan to recreate it, and give it new glory. It already had a lot of history and character, it just needed a new use, and maybe a paint job!  Once I acquired four shabby vintage table legs, I knew what to do with my wooden tool box. 

Step #1. I made a wooden frame with 1"x 4" boards, cut to size the same size as the dimensions of the bottom of the tool box. I essentially made two side pieces, a front and back, wood glued, and screwed them together (I tend to use drywall screws for most of my projects).  

Step #2. One at a time, I then placed a table leg in each corner. Top of leg flush to top of frame, and wood glued it on contact points, and screwed it in place from the outside of the wooden frame. I used two 2" drywall screws on each side of the frame corners to hold the leg in place, at the same time reinforcing the wooden frame itself.  

Step #3. To reinforce the legs' stability, to hold up to the weight of the heavy tool box (which will later be mounted on top of the frame), I took 1"x 2" boards and cut two to 1" longer than the space between each side's table legs. And cut one 1" longer the the space between the back side table legs. I then measured and marked, roughly 8" down from the top of each table leg, on the inside of all side table legs, and on the inside of the back table legs (*this step can be hard to visualize, reference the photos below, for visual aid). At the marks I used a router  to rout out spaces on each side leg, just slightly larger than the 1" x 2" board that I would be inserting in each space, to form table leg supports. I routered out each space to a depth of 1/2".  Placing wood glue on the end of each board support piece, I then inserted each board end in place, in the routered out space, tapping on the outside of each table leg with a rubber mallet as needed, to assure a snug and secure fit. Using large clamps, I clamped each side of table and table back legs tightly together, keeping pressure on support board joins until wood glue was fully dry. 

Step #4. After all legs, and leg support boards were firmly attached. I placed the tool box on top of the frame. Attached the frame to the bottom of the tool box, by using wood glue, again at contact points, and two 2" drywall screws, to screw from the inside of the box, in each corner, down into the top of each table leg (photo below, side-view, shows assembly of desk well). 

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Step #5. Once project is assembled, I painted desk with red exterior barn paint. And attached metal plumbing/venting hanging strapping, with small nails, to front side edges (as pictured), and open tool box front edge, for rustic accent. 

Step #6. Final step of project is to finish the inside. I lined the inside bottom of the desk with cork. Attached, with small nails, vintage metal farm equipment parts on the interior of each desktop side, as railing to hold pens and pencils. And lastly attached chicken-wire at the interior of desktop back, with galvanized staples, evenly spaced along all wire edges. Bottom edge, was then covered with, cut to size vintage farm grange yardstick, nailed in place with small finishing nails.  Clothes pins were then used, to make the chicken-wire serve as a message board. 

 

This desk was given to MaryJane Butters, 

as a birthday gift. And was later featured in 

the MaryJane's Farm magazine. 

Mail Organizer - Mid Century Modern - Vintage Napkin Holder (Upcycled)

This mid century modern, geometric, mail organizer is very functional and eye catching. Works great to keep my tabletops/office/work space cleared of clutter and nicely organized. See pictures below, to see how this project was upcycled. 

Before: 

Pink dingy plastic, this vintage 1950's napkin holder had seen better days, and  more functional times. After having spent the last ten years in one storage box or another, I decided to revamp it, and give it a new life and new function. 

After a good cleaning, and several coats of  Rust-Oleum paint, it was ready to start a fresh!  

After:

This item is for sale on Etsy! "Click Here" to see it now. 

Mid Century Modern Buffet - (Upcycled) From Trashed Dresser

This cute, functional, and stylish "mid century modern" buffet did not always look this way. In fact it was until recently a very ordinary old and very beige dresser.  When it came my way, it was dirty, chipped, missing a few drawers, and broken and battered.  It was headed for the trash, but took a detour to my house instead. It looked much as the dresser pictured below.

Before:

But given a good wash, sanding, and a few coats of paint (inside and out) to accent and create new style. Drawer pulls traded out for new shiny chrome. And drawers shuffled around to make good use of the space left by missing and broken drawers.  A basket added. All adds up to, upcycling in action! A new life and new job, was given this much used piece of furniture.

This mid century modern buffet is ready to be shown off! 

After:

What old and/or discarded furniture do you have that you could upcycle?!

 

Tray "Hand-Me-Down" to Fabulous Retro Tray/Side Table (Upcycle)

This adorable retro tray/tray table, did not start out this way. 

See below for what it looked like originally, and step-by-step photos! 

The Before:

Starting with a hand-me-down tray, nice and not too shabby actually (I like maps!), I decided to revamp it instead of sticking with its dark and serious self. 

First step, was to lightly sand, and prime. 

Next I applied a water-based glossy white paint that I got on discount at our local home improvement store (marked down to $2.50 - total score! )

After the paint dried, I freehand sketched floppy free flowers in pencil (you can freehand it, trace, or use a stencil, whatever you are comfortable with) all over the tray, top and all sides. 

Then, using a a gray paint of the same water-based, glossy, finish,  I painted all the free space around the flowers.

Final step, is to freehand outline, with black paint, or artist's permanent pen, all flowers. And then seal tray with several coats of high quality sealant or varnish. I love to use Waterborne Polyurethane for most of my projects.

I set my finished tray on a vintage Boy Scout camp stool, to finish its transformation into a one of a kind side table.

Homemade Chocolate Filled Organic Free-Range Easter Egg

To make this (which I made for my mother for Easter), I used one of our free-range chicken eggs. I washed it, punctured the top with a large needle, and the bottom with a small pin. Inserted a toothpick into the large hole, and mix/scrambled the egg inside. Then, using a straw, I blew on the small hole end, until the egg drained out the large hole. I then washed the egg again, and ran water through the egg, and blew it out again, until egg was clean inside and out. Let it dry, and then lightly dapple stained the outside of the shell with all natural food coloring, blue and yellow, and let it dry.

I melted natural baking chocolate in a pan, adding honey, vanilla, and clarified butter, and salt, to taste (use can also melt as a substitute, chocolate chips or your favorite chocolate bar). While chocolate is still liquid, funnel a small amount of the chocolate into the egg through the large hole (I poured it through the straw). Let this cool and harden, while keeping the rest of the chocolate, in the pan, melted. Once chocolate in egg is hard, pour in remaining chocolate, slowly rotating angle of egg as you pour, to coat all sides evenly, until egg is full as desired. Let cool and harden all the way. I sped this process up by placing egg in the refrigerator.

The final step was to use a glue gun to glue jute string, a jute bow, and a velvet flower to the outside, top, of the egg. Covering all signs of the large hole in the egg, and serving as an egg hanger. 

Cowgirl Vest

What You’ll Need:

Denim vest

Lace valance

Assorted lace trims

Sewing machine (optional) 

Needle and thread 

Scissors

Pins

1. Cut the valence length so that it is roughly 2” longer than the vest’s width. Fold raw valance edge onto itself twice, and stitch. This should finish all edges and make valance the same length as the vest’s width.

2. Pin top of valance to inside of vest hem, with roughly 1/2” overlap, stitch. Turn right side out.

3. Hand stitch lace trim to pockets and across back of shoulders. 

Cowgirl Purses from Cowboy Boots (Upcycle)

Traditional Method/What You’ll Need:

Cowboy/cowgirl boot 

Scissors

Awl-in-one leather sewing tool

Glover ‘s needle

Hemp, jute, or leather cording (fine enough to fit through needle)

Glue gun 

Assorted lace, fringe, yoyos, buttons, bangles, etc.

“D” ring belt (for purse strap)

Two pairs of pliers

1. Cut top of boot off, trim if needed.

2. Open boot top, press flat, so that upper boot loops are at each side.

3. Punch and stitch along bottom edge with awl/needle.

4. Make strap by removing one “D” ring from belt (use pliers to bend loop open and slide off). Fold opposite end of belt up, to look like other and glue into loop. Insert “D” ring on newly finished loop and through one leather boot loop, bend closed. Bend open remaining free “D” ring, slip through last free leather boot loop, bend closed (Note: if boots don’t have leather loops, stitch “D” rings using same method as used to stitch purse bottom shut).

5. Embellish using glue gun.

Quick & Easy Method/What You’ll Need:

Cowboy/cowgirl boot

Scissors

Drill

1/4” Spade bit

2x4 Wood scrap 

Glover ‘s needle or doll needle 

Hemp (fine enough to fit through needle)

Glue gun 

Assorted lace, fringe, yoyos, buttons, bangles, etc.

“D” ring belt (for purse strap)

Two pairs of pliers

1. Cut top of boot off, trim if needed.

2. Open boot top, press flat, so that upper boot loops are at each side.

3. Insert 2x4 in open boot end, as drill bit stopper. Drill matching holes around boot edge, rotating boot leather as needed.

4. Use hemp and needle to easily sew edges together.

5. Make strap by removing one “D” ring from belt (use pliers to bend loop open and slide off). Fold opposite end of belt up, to look like other and glue into loop. Insert “D” ring on newly finished loop and through one leather boot loop, bend closed. Bend open remaining free “D” ring, slip through last free leather boot loop, bend closed (Note: if boots don’t have leather loops, stitch “D” rings using same method as used to stitch purse bottom shut).

6. Embellish using glue gun.

*Note: other embossed  boot scraps can be used as pocket (see photo).