Category Archives: DIY and Upcycling

Summer Camp Project Blitz Day 2: Grandfather Clock UpCycle

Yesterday was a busy day!  Got up early and cleaned out the “Lazy Susan”.  Yikes!  That was long over due.  After that I ate breakie, wrote my post, spray painted a magazine rack to give it new life, spray painted some very dated candle holders that I bought at a garage sale for $3, drilled earring holes and spray painted an old spoon rack ($3) to upcycle into a jewelry holder, started to put together some cedar deck chairs that we have not had put together since we moved here in 2008, emptied the dishwasher, washed the covers for the cedar chairs (X2 loads), made supper, went to Mitchell, Manitoba to pick-up what will be my new dining room china cabinet (thank-you Kijiji), and finished my main project…..the grandfather clock upcycle.   However, before heading to bed, I did a few hours research to see if I could identify these oriental tiles that were found in our basement rafters. I learned that they are Chinese Mohang Game pieces, so I took pictures and wrote a comprehensive email to a guy that will give us an evaluation via email.  Whew! What a long day!

(PS If you click on any image in my posts, it will automatically take you to a slide show with enlarged images.)

Spray painted candle holders
Old Spoon Rack turned Jewelry Holder

Grandfather Clock Upcycle:  Before Shots

I don’t usually spent this much on an upcycle project, but when I saw this clock on Kijiji, I just had to get it.  I paid $60 for it and had to purchase rope molding ($11), wire mesh ($2) and floral backing ($1).  I had all of the other supplies on hand.  For me this is an expensive upcycle.  I usually only purchase items under $40 unless it is something that I have an actual need for (like my new/old china cabinet for $170).   The joy in doing upcycling projects (aside from the dramatic before and after ~ of course) is usually the satisfaction in knowing that an item was literally one step from the garbage before I salvaged it.  I love taking something old, worn and outdated and creating something of value that is visually appealing.

BEFORE: Grandfather Clock

Grandfather Clock Upcycle:  Get’r Done!

  1. Remove the clock components, decorative top  and doors.
  2. Wash cabinet down with TSP and/or lightly sand to ensure the paint will adhere.
  3. Use clean water to rinse off the TSP and let dry.
  4. Using the existing top panel of the back (behind clock face) as a template, cut a new backing from scrap wood.  (The original had a circle cut out of the back.)
  5. Measure out the base of the top portion and cut a piece of scrap wood to fit in the bottom over the hole that held the “chains” for the original clock.
  6. Use old pallet wood to make shelves for the bottom portion of the cabinet.
  7. Use old 3/4″ square molding (or something) to make little wood slats to sit along the inside walls of the bottom portion of the clock, for the shelves to sit on. This was a bit tricky as you need to make sure that the wood pieces are installed completely level. I ended up using a 2 X6 scrap piece of wood that was 10″ long as a template/marker for my shelves.  I just stood it on end on the bottom of the cabinet, flat against the side of the cabinet. I laid the wood piece on top of the wood (but not so snuggly that I couldn’t remove the 2 X 6 after) and then used the nail gun to attach the slat to the side. I then repeated the process on the other side. I placed the bottom shelf on the slats (level – nice!) and set the 10″ board on top of that shelf and repeated the steps for the next shelf. It worked well.
  8. I primed and painted the rope molding and shelves.
  9. Primed and painted the entire cabinet…inside, outside and back.  I later decided to paint the interior of the top blue. I bought a small container at Home Depot for $1 as it was mistint.  (I use lots of mistints).
  10. Placed floral backing on the bottom portion of the cupboard.  (Love that – who would know I got it from Dollarama!)
  11. Attached the rope molding with wood glue and held it in place with clamps until it was firmly attached.
  12. Re-attach the decorative top portion of the cabinet as well as the door for the top.  I was leaving the bottom door off of the final piece.
  13. I did one final coat on the exterior of the cabinet to make the rope molding look like it was part of the original piece.
  14. During dry times, I had spray painted the hinges and handle for the top door and then replaced the glass with wire mesh.  It is pretty easy to cut the mesh using tin snips, but make sure you wear heavy work gloves as the ends are sharp.
AFTER: Curio Cabinet

Grandfather Clock Upcycle Project:  Status Complete

Last year when the kids were at summer camp, I made my husband show me how to properly use some of his power tools and how to install wall plugs for hanging items.  I am so grateful for that bit of knowledge.  I am a bit of a “go getter” and I hated having to wait for my husband’s help.  He always use to say “Why do your projects always become my projects?”  I get that.  I would decide to do a project and would end up needing my husband to part of the job.  I knew that it was frustrating for him, but even more so for me.  I didn’t want to wait for him to do and I hated that I could not do it myself.  I still have lots to learn and by no means is my work without error, but I am getting much better at working through a project on my own.  For this project, I had to get my husband to help me staple the screen on the back of the door, I just didn’t have the strength to staple in the little space that was available to me. He also helped with a stripped screw.  Other than that, I did it all by myself.  Yay!

My plan for this clock was to upcycle it and then resell it.  Now I am not sure.  I know I should not have found my own personal items to put display inside for the photo of the finished product, but it just seemed to need a little something to stage it. Now that my own things are inside, I am not sure whether I am ready to part with this little gem or not.  Maybe I will post it, but be firm on my price…that way I can keep it if I don’t get what I want for it.

Well, back to work.  I still have lots on my list for the week and time is ticking.

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DIY Front Entrance Make-Over

Well, the kids are off to camp and I am up to my neck in projects.  Yesterday was productive, but I didn’t get nearly as much done as I had hoped.  I had some errands to do and was meeting some friends from work for lunch and an Ikea shopping trip.  We are re-designing our staff room at work and so we thought we would go and look at some tables and chairs for our newly created space.  So, yesterday seemed to be gone in a heart beat.  I got up, showered, ate, wrote my post, met the gals from work, did my own errands and got home just in time to give my husband a big kiss before he left for work.  I had a quick dinner and then set to work on my “to do” list.  I had a very productive evening, but none of my projects are ready to post, so I thought I would share one of our accomplishments from last year’s summer camp week.

Front Door and Entrance Before Shots

Our home is an Arts and Crafts style home that was built in 1921.  When we purchased the home there was an aluminum screen door on the front which we both hated.   Issue number two was our crazy front entrance.  Once inside the house, the entry consists of a narrow hallway with two little alcoves along the left wall.  Both are recessed about 12″.  Of course, this is not deep enough for an actual front entrance closet, so in the first one, we installed an antique wall mount table and in the second we put up hooks to accommodate the coats and backpacks.  However, the reality was that the entrance was a complete eye-sore and I hated it, despite all the beautiful woodwork and charm. (A few of these shots are a bit dark, not sure why, but it will give you an idea of what we were dealing with.)

aluminum screen door
Entry hallway
First alcove on the left
Before: Exposed coat storage in 2nd alcove (this actually looks better than usual as clutter is minimal with the kids at camp!)

Project Number 1:  Replace the Screen Door

Well, we found a door (at The Old House Revival Company) that would fit the oversized opening and my husband installed it during summer camp week 2012. This ended up being a pretty major project that kept him busy for a couple of days. He sanded it roughly, but we really wanted it to show all of its age and wear, so I just stained over what wasn’t sanded off. We love the finished product and the “slam” of the wood on wood when the door closes….it seems to take you back in time. Of course, this project was not nearly as easy as it sounds. Tim had to cut down the door to fit, and it was lots of work to get it to hang and close properly in the existing door jam. He also had to install a screen as the door did not come with one.  All in all, I love the change and it seems to fit better with the era and style of our house.

vintage wood screen door

Project Number 2A:  Install an Antique Solid Oak Door on 2nd Alcove

We found an antique oak door on Kijiji that only needed to be trimmed down slightly to fit the space.  It was quite a bit of work to sand and stain it, but I think the finished result is good and it matches well with our existing woodwork.  The door we purchased had 9 panes of beveled glass at the top.  In addition to the two alcoves, the hallway is banked with 4 French Style doors, each with 15 panes of beveled glass. Although the glass would have matched okay, I wanted a bit of a different look and it was important to hide the contents of the closet (or it would defeat the whole purpose of installing a door.)  We also had to install a plate to cover the deadbolt that was previously installed in the door.  The black hardware is different than the other hardware in the house, but I think it still works okay.

Project Number 2B:  Faux Tin Tiles

I decided to try to create the look of tin tiles in lieu of the glass panes.  I found a tutorial on Pinterest and used it as a guide to create my own faux tin tiles for the door.  The tiles were made using aluminum foil baking sheets that I purchased at Dollarama. Basically, I used one of the free patterns offered with the tutorial and etched it onto the aluminum foil squares I had previously cut to size.  I used an embossing tool to do the etching.  I then used a combo of brown and white shoe polish to distress each of the 9 pieces.

tin tilesall 9 tin tiles

 

 

 

 

 

 

The New Entry Gallery

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DIY ~ “Upcycled” End Tables

Yesterday was a great day!  I got my post written early and had enough time to finish up a little “upcycling” project that I had on the go.  Repurposing and upcycling are two of my deepest passions, but unfortunately those projects can be time-consuming and as a working mom I don’t have the time or energy to do much of it during the school year.  When summer arrives, creative projects are always at the top of my list.  I absolutely thrive on thinking outside of the box and love trying to create something great out of a piece that might otherwise be deemed trash.  In fact, if you were to walk through our home you would find that very few pieces were purchased new, directly from a retail store.  Many were bought on Kijiji, at garage sales and few were even picked up from back lane “dumpster diving”.  No, I am not too proud to say that…” trash to treasure projects” generally give me the greatest satisfaction.  Such is the case with today’s project.

Upcycled End Tables: Step 1 ~ Spray Paint

Okay, first off, I can’t believe I didn’t take a before picture.  I always do and in fact, was sure I had until I sat down to write this post.  So sorry, but I will try to explain without the visual.  I bought two metal end tables off of Kijiji.  The lady was advertizing them @ two for $10, but when I got there she confessed that she had broken the glass top of one and in the end reduced the price down to $8 for both tables.  (I actually was not going to use the glass for the project so it really didn’t matter to me except for the fact that it had a nice bevelled edge that could have been used for another project.)  All in all it was a great purchase.  In this photo, you can see the structure of the table (minus the glass top).  At this point, I had already sprayed the metal legs with one coat flat black spray paint.
end table

spray paint

 

Now imagine the structure above, with speckled paint on it.  The original colour was a little bit more greenish grey, but had speckles similar to the cap in the picture.

 

 

 

 

Upcycled End Tables: Step 2 ~ Sanding

Last summer, my neighbour spotted an old pallet by the BFI bin in the back lane.  She helped me drag it home and it has been awaiting repurposing ever since.  Finally, a use for it!  I got out the belt sander and began to remove the layers of grime and graffiti.

free pallet

As you can see, the pallet was in pretty rough shape.  I decided to sand it while it was still nailed together.  It seemed like a good idea, as the boards were stable and easier to sand.  Once sanded, I took the circular saw and ran the saw along the edges of the top boards, just inside the rows of nails (and the 2 X 4’s below that were holding the top planks).  Removing pallet nails is not an easy task, so I just basically cut off the rows of nails along both ends and down the middle, being careful not to cut into the plank below that they were nailed into.  For the purpose of this project, the resulting planks would still be long enough to meet my needs.

Upcycled End Tables: Step 3 ~ Final Cuts of the Table Top Boards 

The next thing I did was take my planks and stack them into two piles of 4.  I would need 4 planks for each table top and wanted them to be cut to the same size.  I placed each pile on the mitre saw, one at a time and made a fresh-cut along one end of the planks to ensure it was nice and straight. I then turned the stack and measured 20 1/2 inches from the fresh-cut end, ensuring that all of the planks were lined up perfectly.  I cut them at the 20 1/2 inch mark, and with the 4 planks stacked firmly together, all 4 pieces were cut completely “square” and to the exact same length.  I repeated this process with the other stack of 4 boards.  Following that, I used the mouse sander to ensure that all of the boards had a smooth finish on the tops and all of the edges.  I was not concerned with chips or gouges in the wood because I was going for a worn rustic look anyway.

Upcycled End Tables: Step 4 ~ Building the Frame and Top

I found some old 1 X 2’s int he basement from a previous project and used them to make a frame that would sit around the square top of the metal table.  Think picture frame.  I measured the outside edge of the black metal top at 17″ per side.  The 17″ would become my inside cut on my mitred corners of my frame.  I measured out 20″ lengths of 1 X 2’s and then proceeded to cut my boards with a 17″ inside frame length.  Basically, my plan was to build a frame around the existing top and then nail my planks to the wooded frame that would sit snuggly along the outside of the square metal table base.

Once the frames were made, I nailed my planks to the tops. I set some really large bolts between each plank to ensure the spaces between the planks would be a consistent size.

bottom of table top

You can see from the picture, that the frame was made out of scrap wood as well.  This is the under side of the table tops.  The frame on the bottom simply sits on top of the metal tables with the metal square on top of the base fitting snuggly inside the frame I built.

both table tops

Upcycled End Tables: Step 5 ~ Staining the Table Tops

I found an old tin of stain that I have used for many previous projects and generously applied it to the tops, sides and between the planks of the table top.  I love the way it looks so old and rustic.  We gave it a quick coat of spray urethane and VOILA!  Two new end tables for our front porch.

stained table top

 

What I Love About Upcycling

In all honesty, it’s a bit of a rush for me.  I picked up these tables for $8 ($4 each) and had all of the other materials on hand.  The pallet was a dumpster dive treasure and so of course it was free.  This project was no more than a few hours work and I would rate it as very easy.  The best part is the finished product provides us with little tables that are literally one of a kind.  When something turns out well, it gives me a true sense of accomplishment.  One of my favourite bloggers is Becky from Beyond the Picket Fence.  She is a mom and teacher like me, and best of all she has awesome ideas for DIY and upcycling projects.  Check-out her blog and be inspired!

I come from very humble beginnings and learned at a young age how to stretch a dollar. I think that my ability to find a good deal, coupled with my knack for seeing potential in what others might deem trash, makes upcycling both fun and rewarding.  Even when a project doesn’t quite go as well as I had hoped, my biggest loss is usually time not money, but because I enjoy the process, I take each failure in stride and try to learn something that can help me become more successful in future projects.

Check-out the mini slide show of the finished project!

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