Saturday morning saler: the marvels of a coat of paint

You can get a lot of things at a yard sale: from a carrot peeler, to a dog leash to a retro purse. But one of the most exciting things to stumble upon is an idea.

You pick up a crooked bird cage and imagine it as a funky chandelier or a jewelry holder. Thanks to the amazing world of Pinterest, you can find step-by-step instructions to make pretty much anything out of anything else.

It's a beautiful time to be alive.

For this week's column, I thought I'd share a couple of my upcycled projects and some of the neat things my friends have made.

Fun with leather

How often do you run into a purple leather jacket with shoulder pads so big Joan Collins would be impressed?

It's a once in a lifetime event. When I stumbled upon this elusive item, I was in love. It was miles too big for me but I just had to buy it. What did I do with this oversized tacky jacket? I ripped it apart and covered a footstool I bought at another yard sale for a dollar.

Ta-da!

After that success with upcycling leather, I went on a bit of a binge and bought old leather coats in every colour. I haven't really done much else with them except for one little gem — I turned an old leather trench coat into a Halloween costume for my then one-year-old son. 

Those are just a couple of things that I've done, but thanks to Pinterest, more people have discovered a whole new reason to yard sale.

Nothing like a coat of paint

While I am proud of my rough upholstery job and my crude leather working skills, it's my in-laws that really up the ante when it comes to refurbishing projects. Here's one before and after shot.

That idea comes courtesy of Paula Turner in Gander, who has furnished her craft room (she has a craft room!) with such crafty projects. 

For a smaller (and easier) project: this cute chalkboard was originally an old painting Jacenta Hudson of Pasadena bought at a yard sale for $2. She covered the painting with chalkboard paint and used spray paint on the frame. 

Scared of stripping

While I love old furniture, the thought of stripping off old paint is terrifying to me.

Some people say it's not so hard. I don't believe them.

But my other sister-in-law, Kathy Turner-Snook, has discovered the wonder that is chalk paint — not to be confused with black chalkboard paint. This is a mixture of plaster of Paris she adds to regular paint and covers all kinds of wonderful finds. 

With new paint, even this regular looking kitchen table is now a one-of-a-kind.

This next little nook is all thanks to yard sale finds: the dresser is repainted, the bulletin board is an old picture frame and the shelf is an old medicine cabinet.

Even the chair was a yard sale purchase. She just added some new fabric over the seat. 

Kathy's chalk paint recipe:

• Mix five tablespoons plaster of Paris with three tablespoons water
• Add about two cups of latex paint in the colour of your choice 
• Paint and bask in your craftiness!

So, if bargain hunting isn't enough of a reason to get you out at the sales this weekend, maybe Pinterest is.

If you have refurbished or upcycled yard sale finds, I'd love to see them. Email me at cherie.wheeler@cbc.ca or find me on Twitter @cheriewheeler.