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restore a rusty metal bathroom shelf

Restore a Rusty Metal Bathroom Shelf for $5

This project idea was hatched when we had to remove the metal bathroom shelf above the toilet to prepare for installing new flooring in my parents’ bathroom. By doing so, it became clear that the silver metal had seen better days. The bathroom shelf was really rusted in places, especially along the shelf poles. In all honesty, it looked like it needed to be thrown away and replaced.  However, it’s not unusual for an over-the-toilet metal shelf unit to cost…

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Crayon Coasters

Transform metal coasters into Usable coasters

Whoever thought it was a good idea to give coasters a metal lining did not test their product before marketing it. I must be one of the few fools to buy them without realizing how awful these coasters would actually work. I just thought they looked nice. However, if there is any condensation that drips down onto these metal-lined coasters, the coaster will get stuck to the cup, and will rise with the cup when it is picked up. But…

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Sand and Refinishing Table

Refinishing an old wood table

Today I assisted in refinishing an old wooden table that my mother in law wanted to modernize for the grandkids’ play room. We used an electric sander to remove the shiny varnish from the entire piece of furniture, and then wiped off the dust thoroughly with a damp rag. Then we used a mini roller and painted the top with gray chalk paint and wiped it to give it a distressed look before it fully dried. For the sides and…

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Patio Table Bird Feeder

Winter patio idea

We have a nice view of our patio table in the winter. Just sitting out there not being used… Well, what if it could become a beautiful focal point of the yard as a bird/squirrel hot spot, great for nature-watching while helping the local wildlife get through the cold days? Just add some fallen branches, the bottom of an old planter, and bird seed. Now we wait to be discovered… Thanks for this idea goes to my father in law!…

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Tree recycling plans

One of our smaller trees didn’t make it in our backyard this year, so my husband cut it down. Ever attempting to think of DIY/RRR projects, I dragged it into our garage with a plan to make something out of it. I’m still not sure what, but I read that tree trunks need months to dry out so that’s what I’m allowing it to do this winter. In the meantime, I am researching how I’ll debark it and make into…

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How to Make an L-Shaped Couch from an Old Mattress

How to Make an L-Shaped Couch from an Old Mattress

This is a project that I completed a couple of years ago when we bought a new mattress and I didn’t want to throw away the old one. We needed a couch (and a bed) in the basement, so I did some googling and found instructions on how to make a sofa from a mattress. 8 hours and $10 of supplies later, we had our new l-shaped couch: Since it was made from a queen mattress, it is also comfortable…

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What to do with that old pumpkin after Halloween

Feed your backyard nature! ? When we made our three jack o lanterns, we tried to get as much out of it as possible. I made three kinds of baked pumpkin seeds. And we decorated our porch for Halloween. But why just leave them rotting after the sugar buzz has worn off? We moved ours to the backyard, sprinkled bird seed inside, and watched the nature enjoy. It turns out the deer liked it even more than the birds! think…

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When Hand Sewing Is Worth It

When hand sewing is worth it

Sometimes it’s worth it to fix up an item rather than trashing it. When you’re able to use things longer, you naturally are able to buy fewer things. With clothes, bedding, and fabrics, that’s when a little hand sewing comes in “handy!” I am not a seamstress by any means. In fact, I’m not great at sewing in general. But it only takes a couple of hours to learn a few simple hand stitches. I know this because I took…

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Old sock = simple rag

My husband is really hard on his socks. When they get a hole, they get a new life as a rag at our house. I love keeping these handy in the kitchen and bathrooms for wiping counters and cleaning up messes. It cuts down on how many paper towels we’re using. I used to just leave the sock as us to use as a rag, but my daughter refused to use them because they looked like socks and that did…

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Cheap upgrade for air vents

Ever since we replaced our cream colored carpeting for honey strand bamboo flooring, my husband has hated our white air vents. To him, they stick out like sore thumbs around the rooms. But at that time, we researched the price of new wood air vents-and we stopped looking. It was definitely cost prohibitive, and that was how we felt when I was still working. ($20-40 per air vent) So, in keeping with my plan to show my husband that we…

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