If recycling is taking our rubbish and smashing it up to make
something new from it then upcycling is taking our rubbish and updating it to give it a
new lease of life. This is becoming a fashionable thing to do with many great
web sites to inspire us. One of my favourites has to be http://www.upside.ie/
I guess I have always been a bit of an upcycler – after all,
where possible Pat and I have always done our best to reuse anything we found
around the Yank’s House. We have also
been very open to collecting other peoples rubbish e.g. our kitchen cupboards
being a prime example http://ckrestoration.blogspot.ie/2012/11/the-yanks-house-kitchen.html
and reworking them to fit our needs.
So as the Yank’s House approaches completion the issue of
filling it with home comforts comes to the fore. How best can we furnish the
house on a very low budget? This question got me researching the idea of
upcycling old furniture.
I decided my first project should be a modest affair. I have
had this old chair for many years and even in its broken state I have been
reluctant to throw it away.
With a bit of help from Pat we stripped back this little
chair to it bare bones. Then Pat repaired one leg that had become detached over
the years.
I purchased a trial pot size of Autentico, Pure and natural
paint in Summer Sky. This set me back €7.50. The instructions say you can use
this paint over any other paint or varnish finish without sanding. So it is very hassle free. I gave my chair a
few coats to get a good cover.
I picked up a remnant of fabric in the sales for €3 to cover
the seat. I had some foam rescued from a broken armchair for the cushion –
upcycling at its best and Pat found a piece of timber in the shed we were able
to use. Once this new seat was screwed down onto my painted chair we were
finished.
I will let you judge for yourselves but I am very happy with
my newly upcycled bedroom chair and am itching now for a bigger project.
My
chair has cost me a total of €10.50 to update.
So now is a good time to sort out all the rubbish and see
what you have. I also keep an eye on what my friends are throwing away. You never know what you might find. There are
also web sites where people advertise items they no longer what and many will
let you just take these items away.
I am on the lookout now for a dressing table. Maybe I will
get one for free somewhere.
You can seal the paintwork with a water based sealer if the
item is going to get a lot of use e.g. tables and dressers etc. So why not have a go yourself and let us know at Yank's house how you got on.