I am undeniably euphoric about shopping yard sales, thrift stores, consignment shops and the like. It’s such a thrill to find other peoples unwanted items and transform the pieces into new treasures.
My favorite things to find are old dressers, desks, or end tables. I absolutely love refinishing them with a personalized spin to mimic the décor and personality of the person I am making the item for. It’s so fulfilling to see the delighted look on the faces of the receiver when they see how the piece matches their décor or fits some aspect of their personality.
They usually become a bit overwhelmed with gratitude when the see the detail in the piece and realize how much energy must’ve gone into creating this unique treasure that now belongs to them.
These are some photos of some of my recent pieces.
My all-time favorite piece was a sweet little dresser I made for a newborn boy. I painted “Cat in the Hat’s” all over it in various places, doing various activities. It turned out so amazingly adorable! Sadly, I never got any photos of it, and his family moved away before I got a new camera. I guess I’ll just have to make another one.
I’m really anxious to tackle my next project which will be a bedside end-table personalized for a young guitarist dear to my heart. I’m searching right now for just the right furniture piece, but as soon as I find it I’ll jump right in and get to these ideas flowing from my imagination to reality.
This one will be fun because it’ll be the first one I’ve done using actual parts of something else to create it. My plan? I’m going to use real guitar parts in various, strategic places on the furniture piece—even the actual strings! I cannot wait to see the finished product!
Of course there will photo’s when I get it complete… now if I could only find the perfect end-table!
I hope these photos encourage you to try your hand at creating something special for yourself or someone you love. Post a comment and let us know about your endeavors.
Have a Happy Day! –Dina
Blue Jeans and Chocolate 