- 2 days ago
Join Donna (from @FunkyjunkinteriorsNet ) she takes you on a journey through her favorite projects with Hometalk. From unexpected upcycles, to furniture makeovers and outdoor decor, she'll share the stories behind each creation and why they're special to her in this exclusive, Member's Only content!
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ABOUT HOMETALK: Welcome to Hometalk! We are the world's largest DIY community, dedicated to helping you transform your home with budget-friendly ideas, clever hacks, and genius decor projects.
📱 FOLLOW US:
FACEBOOK → https://www.facebook.com/Hometalk
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Hi Home Talkers! I'm Donna with Funky Junk Interiors where I have been blogging
00:04about upcycled projects for nearly 20 years. Welcome to my workshop where it
00:09all begins. It's been such a pleasure sharing so many projects with Home Talk
00:13over the years, ranging from simple weekend projects to some pretty wild
00:17transformations. So today I have a treat. I thought I would share five of my
00:22favorite projects that all share one recipe. They need to function well, they
00:28need to look good and be easy to make. So let's start. For this project I wanted to
00:33transform a painted dresser into one with a woodsy look with some special twists.
00:39This one turned into a piece of art and also got the job done without stripping
00:44any paint. Don't like stripping paint? Gather up some yardsticks for this
00:49amazing wood look hack. The dresser holding a TV in my bedroom really needed a
00:54makeover. With chips in the paint and a painted drawer I gave up on stripping I
00:59put my new brainstorm to work. The long overdue bulging drawers were emptied of
01:04memorabilia which will find a new home. Then they were cleaned and removed. After
01:10taking down all the TV components from the top I gave the dresser a good clean
01:14inside and out with hot soapy water then allowed it to dry. Reaching for coal black
01:19by Fusion Mineral Paint I used a small paint brush to paint moldings and tighter
01:23areas. I like to get the paint on quickly then use long end-to-end rolls for the
01:29smoothest finish possible. The hardware off the drawers were removed then the
01:34drawer fronts were lightly sanded. After taping the sides of each drawer the
01:38drawer fronts and sides up to the paint were painted in coal black as well.
01:42Remember my failed paint stripping attempt? Here's what I did instead. I arranged some
01:48cedar strips and yardsticks across the front of the drawers
01:50taking note where I wanted the yardstick words positioned.
01:54Marking a line on one side of the boards I cut the boards with a miter saw
01:58then measured each drawer and cut the rest of the wood strips to fit.
02:02All the boards got a light sand then were arranged on each drawer.
02:06Reaching for some heavy-duty glue sticks made for woodworking
02:09I hot glued each strip onto the drawer fronts working quickly before the glue
02:14cooled off. While I did love the raw wood look I decided to paint the drawer
02:18fronts with Tough Coat by Fusion Mineral Paint.
02:21This product makes wood more wipeable and gives the wood tone a little more
02:25depth. To chime in with a rustic vibe I selected
02:29random hardware pieces to attach to the drawer fronts for a unique twist.
02:33And my once very tired tv stand is now a wood look dresser that I didn't have to
02:39strip. I hope this inspires you to rethink
02:41an old dresser you don't want to strip and flip it into a woodsy wonder
02:45thanks to a few boards and yardsticks. Next up is my file cabinet tool organizer.
02:51I wanted some garden tools near the front of the house
02:53but this stored so many more that I thought it would
02:56and it looks absolutely gorgeous. Search for an old file cabinet to try this
03:02fabulous storage hack. I first gave the file cabinet a good clean
03:06inside and out. While I waited for it to dry I cleared the garden tool area by
03:11removing all the tools, sweeping the walls and floor, then washing down the
03:15walls and filling in any holes. The file cabinet was propped onto two
03:20boards then painted in Fusion Mineral Paints Ash using a velour roller.
03:24I also painted a little wooden table I had on hand
03:27in the same color to create a little more extra storage for what I had in mind.
03:32A bundle of cedar strips was picked up from my local hardware store.
03:36One strip was used to measure the width of the cabinet, then I bundled about five at a
03:40time to cut all at once. Using a super heavy duty hot glue stick
03:44meant for wood, I applied hot glue to the back side of one strip
03:48then installed it along the top of the cabinet from left to right.
03:52Reaching for some hooks from a dollar store I spray painted them black
03:55then once dry I straightened the hooks with pliers so they weren't so angled.
04:00The hooks were screwed along the top of the file cabinet directly onto the wood strips.
04:04Since the two rows of hooks were a bit too long side by side,
04:08I staggered them which worked out great. After positioning the cabinet into place
04:12against the wall, I gathered a few longer reclaimed wood planks to create a wall protection cover.
04:18Measuring the highest point of the tallest tool, I raised the planks to at least that level,
04:23attaching them to the wall with screws arranged in a random style.
04:27I then loaded up all the hooks with my hand garden tools.
04:30The little black bench was used to house a weed bucket and crate filled with garden gloves.
04:35The wall shelf was restocked with all our car essentials.
04:39And my now totally revamped garage storage space is not only so much more organized,
04:44it looks like a million bucks too. Can you even believe that's a grubby old file cabinet underneath?
04:50The cabinet holds so many garden tools which makes the perfect storage bin if your space needs to be condensed.
04:58These party tray stepping stones are absolutely wild. Everyone said they're going to break,
05:05but not only did they not break, they are outstanding. They are so thick, so beautiful,
05:10and they make the garden so much more functional without getting your feet dirty.
05:16You'll want to start saving those party size takeout containers when you see how easily they can help
05:21enhance your garden. I'm gathering two larger and two smaller party trays then removing the lids.
05:28The trays are being dry-footed on the ground of a small container vegetable garden where I think
05:33they will be perfect. I'm pouring a little olive oil into each pan then spreading it around using
05:39some paper until the bottoms and a little along the sides are well coated. Reaching for some bagged
05:45concrete that dries overnight, I'm shoveling some into a five gallon bucket then mixing it with water
05:50until I reach a thick pudding consistency. You'll want to be sure to wear eye, mouth, and hand protection
05:57for this step. You'll also want to be diligent to rinse the concrete off the tools in between using them
06:03so the concrete doesn't harden on them. I'm now adding some mixed concrete into the smaller trays,
06:08filling them up until they are full, then leveling the concrete with a small trowel.
06:14Next up, I'm mixing a larger batch of concrete to add to the larger trays, filling them up at least
06:19two to three inches thick, then troweling them smooth as well. In hindsight, I think a slightly
06:25wetter mix leaves you with a smoother finish when they are done. I am leaving the trays outdoors
06:30overnight to cure. The next day the concrete looks really dry, so I'm testing a form by pulling away the
06:36sides to check. It looks good. I'm now removing all the trays by gently pulling on the sides of each
06:43tray, then flipping each concrete slab on top of my hand while gently setting them down onto some
06:49cardboard to protect them. I'm now brushing off any loose concrete that may be remaining while admiring
06:55all those impressive edge details. I also noticed that none of the trays crap during removal, which
07:01means they are reusable if you wish to make more to match. Now each concrete stone is being positioned in
07:07the vegetable garden, then shuffled around until I decide exactly where I want each one to go. Once
07:13positioned, I'm placing a carpenter's level on top of each stone, then leveling them by scooping some soil
07:19underneath. And I am now the proud owner of a custom stepping stone garden path I can use to navigate
07:26right through my vegetable garden without stepping on any soil. More times than not, I'm generally barefoot
07:32when I check in on the garden, so this will come in handy keeping my feet much cleaner. However, it
07:37also
07:38keeps shoes cleaner too, especially when it happens to be raining. The stones are positioned perfectly
07:43and comfortably, so I don't have to make an effort to reach each one. I think the shapes make the
07:49garden
07:49look even more quaint and unique, so much more than simple round or square that you buy at stores.
07:55I hope this inspires you to consider collecting a few party trays to try making a few of your own
08:00stepping stones since they are so easy to make.
08:06I am so smitten with this coat hook plant stand. Oh my goodness! It transformed a simple sitting area
08:14into one that invites you in. You want to sit down right away and enjoy with a special way to
08:20emphasize
08:21what it's being used for. Today I'm going to flip a super cool old coat hook into something really neat
08:27for
08:28a porch or patio. I have a really nice seating area in the backyard, but it's kind of boring and
08:34I don't
08:34want to drill anything into the stucco wall, so here's what I'm going to do instead. Since the stand
08:40had a few years of layered gunk on it, I gave it a good scrub along with two plant hanging
08:45brackets.
08:45I also used simple green cleaner which helped to remove older grime. My original plans were to repaint
08:52this piece, but after looking at the two-tone patina I couldn't do it. So I'm going to work with
08:57what is,
08:58but I am going to protect it. The stand then got a gentle scuff sand to remove any rough edges
09:04while
09:04still protecting the original patina. I wanted the stand to have one more detail to chime in with my
09:10given theme. I reached for an old cheese crate lid that I had previously stained on one side. I stenciled
09:17on a cafe sign using fusion mineral paint in coal black. However, any cute sign to suit your theme
09:23can be picked up from the dollar store or even amazon. The brackets were also touched up where
09:28needed. I then removed two of the stand hooks on opposite sides then screwed on the two plant stand
09:35hooks positioned at two different levels. The bottom of the stand was pre-drilled with holes
09:40on all four sides to make installation easier. I drilled a hole on top of the cafe sign,
09:46then attached it to one of the plant stand hooks with a screw. My sitting area then got a reshuffle
09:52to decide where to place everything. The stand was then attached to the wooden patio through the bottom
09:58holes. Then out came the plants. To further protect the stand I painted on some outdoor weather protectant,
10:05then wiped off the excess where I knew it wouldn't stick. I also gave the front and back of the
10:10cafe sign a coat.
10:13I cannot believe how just a few added plants really made this outdoor sitting area so much more
10:19inviting. The height of the stand helped to stagger the plants and the sign positively begs you to sit
10:25yourself down for a spell and enjoy a relaxing beverage oil. I hope this inspires you to watch for old
10:32coat hook stands to make a cute plant stand with a sign of your own. Where would you put yours?
10:39This flower for my garden made out of ceiling fan blades turned out so unexpected and that was thanks
10:46to using two different ceiling fan blades that gave them a really special 3D look. Don't throw out those
10:52old ceiling fan blades until you try this. After selecting some white ceiling fan blades I arranged two
11:01different styles around the perimeter of a small wooden cutting board facing good side down.
11:20You can paint these fan blades any color you wish but since I love white and neutrals I'm going to
11:26keep
11:26them white because I like white flowers especially daisies. Choosing the white side of four flat laying
11:32blades I pre-drilled holes on the backs then attached them to the cutting board with screws.
11:46I then held the blades against the fence to pick the best spot to hang them. Flipping the works good
11:52side up I inserted a screw in the middle of the cutting board then attached the blades to the fence.
12:01Reaching for four other blades still attached to hardware I attached them to the fence with screws
12:07in between the other blades which gave them a really cool lifted effect.
12:17I then screwed some wide black headed screws around the perimeter of the cutting board.
12:30I nearly covered the entire cutting board with screws for added texture until I had a new brainstorm.
12:37Some twine was knotted to one screw then I looped the twine from screw to screw mimicking a string art
12:42project.
12:48I then snooped through my shed and found an old chunk of water hose. The hose was positioned at the
12:54head of the flower then attached to the fence with a screw. I then looped the hose with some whimsical
13:00twists eventually ending with the hose facing down as if it was growing from the ground.
13:05I made sure the curves were nice and smooth and that the screws didn't dig into the hose too tightly
13:11for a truly free-form look. I then reached for some other items that I felt may resemble interesting
13:17leaves. Some green license plates were attached randomly along the hose to complete the look. To finish
13:23things off I reached for some wood protectant and painted any of the cut ceiling fan areas that may
13:29weather quickly. Then I arranged the cable reel potting bench with some herbs and pots to complete
13:35this whimsical garden area. The ceiling fan flower pops with interest and fun creating such a unique eye
13:41grab. It emphasizes the garden theme while adding whimsy and charm. And I love how the license plate
13:48leaves marry the quirky coffee can graphics adding color and interest. I hope this inspires you to pull
13:54out a few ceiling fan blades to create some whimsy in your own garden this summer.
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