Friday, March 23, 2012

Re-purposing and Using What I Have

Happy Friday!  I have a couple of things to share with you this evening.  I am still in the process of putting my sewing/craft area back together and I thought I would share with you some of the things that I am using for storage this time around.  A couple of years ago my Father in Law gave the hubs an old gun cabinet to keep the hunting rifles in.  He had bought it at a garage sale for five dollars.  Hubs used it for a couple of years but this past year he built himself some beautiful wall mounted gun cases so this cabinet was just sitting around.
The pictures above and below are the before pictures.  Well you knew that didn't you?
The above picture includes the first shelf hubs cut to fit inside.  If you sew or quilt, think fat 1/4's.
Hubs even sanded and put the primer on for me.  The inside is a very light green.  I was hoping to be able to get a picture so you could see the groves in the back of the piece.  But my area is downstairs and has florescent lights that I have yet to figure out how to take a good picture under.  And I could not figure out how to take a picture without my reflection showing up in the glass.
The knobs are from Hobby Lobby, not that you can really see how cute they are.
Top Shelf
As you can see I still have a lot of room.  I have sorted my fabric in groups.  My favorite 30's reproductions on the top shelf.  The next shelf holds the civil war fabrics I am collecting for a quilt and the rest are sorted by color or collections.
As you can see the bottom is not really a drawer.  Since I took this picture I replaced this basket with two smaller ones because the front would not close properly.  I have smaller quilting templates stored in the baskets.

I also painted an old dresser with the same black paint.  I know when I got the dresser I took a before picture but it has been a couple of years and I cannot find it.  Hubs had to do a lot of work on it.  He had to replace a couple of drawer bottoms and also a couple of the drawer runners.  But it was free, free, free!  Again the hubs gave it a good sanding for me and primed it.  These things have needed done for a while so after the floor was down he decided he needed to give me a jump start.  Again the lighting does not make for a great picture. This is also the same green behind the other piece. 
The next is a close up of the knobs that I got at Hobby Lobby.
I used Valspar Satin paint.  I have not tried the chalk paint that everyone seems to be using. This dresser holds larger pieces of fabric and some Block of the Month kits.   I still have some organizing and some wall decor that needs done.  I will try to figure out what setting on my camera I need to use for some clearer pictures of the dresser in the future.  Looking forward to my weekend and plan on visiting the Friday night link ups below.  Blessings from our house in the woods!
vif187

7 comments:

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

GReat pieces and fabulous storage. Looking good. Hugs, Marty

GennieG said...

My husband has an old gun cabinet from his grandpap that has been sitting in our garage for over 10 years now. I always thought it would look nice re-done. I may have to show him this picture to see if he'll let me do something with it. It came out great!

Rocky Creek Scotties and Rocky Creek Ramblings said...

Wow!! Brenda. These look great! I love re-purposing items instead of getting new things. You will be so pleased with the finished room.

Lynn

Unknown said...

Brenda! I am in love with your new cabinet and dresser! May I feature them on my blogs? Your gun cabinet up-do is so clever and I love the paint combination of black and white! So fresh and clean looking especially against the green walls! I think Linky tools is all fixed now so bring this great post back over and link up!
Hugs,
Deb

mrs. c said...

I think that you are one clever girl, using what you have instead of buying something else!! If you would turn off your flash you would get better photos without the reflection, just try it. Also about that chalk paint, I too have wanted to try it but it is sooo expensive so I made my own. Just looking for something to paint with it. I have read about lots of ladies that have made their own and I am guessing that by adding unsanded grout to regular paint, it becomes chalk paint. Have a great weekend!

Holly said...

You've been busy! I love what you've done! That gun cabinet is swoonable and the little cubby on the dresser adds so much character. Need to see the whole room now! Seems like when I make over a room I just leave and never use it again...seems that way with my sewing room anyway!!!!
Love it all!

Melanie said...

I love that!! Wow, what a fantastic up do! Very clever!!