Saturday, October 15, 2011

Free on the Curb Crafting Cabinet

I'm pretty darn in love with my new cabinet!  Not just because it was free, either!!!!  Check out this before:
My new Junkin' partner-in-crime Debra and I spotted this thing on the side of the road while on our way to JoAnn's.  It was HEAVY and I'm outta shape!!!  I looked for any males in the neighbor hood who might be out raking leaves, etc., but none were to be found.  We rolled up our sleeves and managed to heft it into the back of my mini van.  Yes, I drive one of those dreadful things now.  I knew instantly that I wanted to make that plastic mirror (?) into a chalkboard.  
a peek at the inside.

SO many times, I've picked up the chalkboard paint in Lowes and then placed it back on the shelf.... I'm too cheap!  Then I found a recipe online for  Do It Yourself Chalkboard paint!  Boo to the YEAH!  The recipe actually called for unsanded grout.  None of my stops for the day sold the stuff, so I'd heard that Plaster of Paris worked too, and since Meijer carries it, that's what I went with.  So here's the recipe:
1 cup flat paint + 2 Tablespoons Plaster of Paris.
Stir, paint, lightly sand, paint again.  Wa la!  A chalk board!!

Also, the tutorials I read on the chalkboard paint using unsanded grout said it was really lumpy.  Mine wasn't lumpy at all!  And the good thing is, that whole big carton only cost me $2.99 and should last me for the rest of my life!!
 Now for the other side.... where there must have been another beauty of a plastic mirror, but it got stolen cuz someone needed one....  I'm sure that cabinet sat out for awhile, the top seemed like it had been rained out, hailed on, snowed on.....  anyways, fabric was the obvious choice to cover up that space.
As I dug through my stash, nothing seemed quite right, so I just went with a plain black and white pinstripe.  I had bought this years ago for my mom to sew me an outfit and since it's completely and totally out of style now and she still hasn't made it, well it's getting repurposed.  I measured, cut,
and stapled in to the inside.

One thing I'm giddy about, is the drawer fits my 12 x 12 scrapbooking paper perfectly!!!!  I never really had a good way of storing that stuff and was just about to break down and break my frugal rules and buy a scrapbook paper storage thingy-ma-bobber.  Phew, good thing I didn't!
And there you have it!  My kids love to write on the chalkboard side while I'm working at my desk.  Only problem I need a solution to now is all that chalk dust ALL OVER my gray wood floors!!!!!  HELP!! 


(To see the before and after of the chevron shelf above the cabinet, click here).


<a href="http://jeana-marie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Anything Goes Link Party" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QaPMmdk-vEyfdD63Np-MyBxxsXKoS3DoW2dZIngRUHCjq8GOxWylxBamRI-PDsNOcDxs2LXxXJrd22fVezPVhmVDbVJVmvIrCOEcgv1LV00BfYJ-iYeEujdZSOhZRXlkZtaVym7Ih19v/s1600/anything-goes.jpg"/></a>

Tip Junkie handmade projects

Funky Junk's Sat Nite Special

13 comments:

  1. I can't help you with the chalk dust, but I can tell you what a great job you did on this! Love the Chalkboard and Pinstrip!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love it! What a great makeover!! Maybe try those chalk pens from Michael, they are less messy :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Absolutely love the upcycle, and thank you for sharing the recipe for chalkboard paint. I thought I was the only blogger who hadn't tried it yet because of the expense!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love it!! it turned out really nice..I would love for you to share at my "Anything Goes Link Party"http://jeana-marie.blogspot.com/2011/10/anything-goes-link-party.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. so fabulous and useful now! who throws things like that away... really???

    ReplyDelete
  6. Woohoo! A cheap chalk paint recipe. I have so many ideas for this!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a great piece. You did good, Girl!

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a fun workspace! I wish I could find something roadside! You are very creative and this turned out awesome! Thanks for the DIY chalkboard paint recipe! I love ways to save money!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a great chalkboard paint and renew a curb side cupboard post. I am working on a similar project and I loved seeing your completed one - and what a bonus to have drawers inside. If you don't mind I am going to put a link to my (future) post on making chalk paint and another (future) post on renewing a curb side cupboard.
    - Joy

    ReplyDelete
  10. Awesome redo! I am at a loss with the chalk on the floors myself. Ours gets on the carpet. I just vacuum vacuum vacuum...sigh! (wink) Anyways, great job lady!

    ReplyDelete

Comments - Next best thing to chocolate! :) Please let me know you visited!