DIY Life

Have you ever gone to a thrift store or a garage sale and seen the ugliest piece of furniture, but just knew in your heart that it could be transformed into something beautiful? Me too... sigh. Lucky for us, you and I are great DIYers that can turn yuck into fab.

Marianne Kirby picked up a plain side table at a yard sale for $5, and purchased about 1600 buttons on eBay. While waiting for the buttons to arrive, she got busy sanding and painting the little table. When she received the buttons, she applied a basic tacky glue to the tabletop, then situated the buttons in a way that pleased her eye. She let the glue dry overnight.

After the glue had fully dried, Marianne mixed and applied resin to the tabletop, allowing each layer to set before applying another, until she reached her desired amount (at least enough thickness to cover the buttons smoothly). Then, she allowed the tabletop to cure for 72 hours... and yuck turned into fab!

Since green is my favorite color, I absolutely love Marianne's new and improved side table. Of course, you can use any color buttons you wish, and arrange the buttons in a way that pleases your own eye. Just be sure to let the table top completely cure before using it.

Curbly's ModHomeEcTeacher, Shelly Leer, dropped us a line to let us know about a nifty project she designed. This upholstered nightstand cost her less than $25 to purchase and overhaul, and with attention to detail, you can do it too.

Shelly was nice enough to give us a bunch of extra photos of the makeover process. I've set them up in a gallery, below, where you can watch it all come together.

Please join me after the break for a few more notes about methods and supplies, like the name of the fabric used in the tutorial and at least one place where you can purchase it.