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Old Door Turned into a Coat Hanger – Tuesday’s Treasures

Good morning! I had a Tuesday’s Treasures all set for you this morning, but woke up and had to type up another one to share with you. Which means no time for proofing so forgive any of my typos please. ;) This isn’t going to be the best tutorial on how to do this makeover, but I’ll try to take better pictures and explain in more detail the next time I do a project like this.

Also, John loved working on this piece and would like to start offering pieces like this on a regular basis. This particular door is not for sale, but if you would like one similar to it, please use our contact us form for a quote.

Here’s a quick overview for you. I started with this old door:

Note to self, if you want to try a project like this on your own, try to find a door without the paint on it. I probably spend 4-5 hours trying to remove 4 layers of paint. Such a pain! John added crown molding to the top and a base so it could be self standing. It’s important to note that this is an old, solid wood door, so it is really sturdy and easy to add hangers on. Although doable with a newer door, it might require additional support or finagling to make this look work. We painted it a new red by Benjamin Moore called Caliente AF-290 then added a door knob and coat hangers. Here’s how she came out and I’ve got to say… I love her!!!

Here’s a close up of the distressing and knobs we used.

Also, yesterday we posted about our Electric Fuchsia Dresser. Check it out if you missed it.

Make some time to do what you love today!
Sarah

If you like what you see, please like our facebook page to keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity.

There is a box at the top right of this page to enter your email address in to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Please sign up today!

Last but not least, let us customize a furniture piece for you. We create custom furniture for customers in upstate NY and ship throughout the US.  Send us a note with with you would like using our contact page. Or buy something that we’ve already designed from our furniture for sale page.

 

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Electric Fuchsia Dresser

If you’re a fan of FunCycled’s Facebook page, I teased you with a sneak peak of this beautiful Fuchsia dresser that we delivered this weekend. I was going to make you wait until tomorrow for Tuesday’s Treasures, but decided I just couldn’t keep it to myself any longer!!!

This dresser was for our customer, Nancy, who was looking for something small and glorious for her guest bedroom. She found this dresser, I checked it out before she bought it to make sure there wouldn’t be any surprises and then headed home with it. The funny part about this dresser was trying to pick a color. We were trying to match this bedding set that Nancy had already bought. It’s Mariah by Steve Madden.

Steve Madden Mariah King Quilt

I wanted teal at first, but that’s because I love teal. Then Nancy wanted more of a melon color. Even though you can’t see it in this picture, there are little melon colored parts of the design. After we bought the paint, both of us just thought it wasn’t right. I asked Nancy if she would trust me with pink… lol! She’s the best and let me go ahead with a bold, fun fuchsia color. I could NOT be happier with how it turned out.
I forgot to take a before picture so here’s the best that I have, I had slightly sanded it when I remembered that I needed a before picture.

I used Benjamin Moore’s Crushed Cranberries color and made it into my own chalk paint. Hand painted this beauty, then slightly glazed it and waxed it to seal it. I found the knobs at Hobby Lobby and literally gasped out loud in delight. It’s sad that new knobs can make me this happy!
Are you as excited about the after pictures as I am??? I hope so. ;) Here we go!

Continue reading Electric Fuchsia Dresser

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FunCycled’s Best of 2012

Putting together a list of the top ten posts this year brings back so many memories. Thank you to all of our customers and blog followers this year.  I can’t believe it’s only been a year since we’ve started all of this and I am so thankful for being given the gift of doing what I love every day. Sometimes I want to pinch myself to make sure this is real. God is a good!

Also, I wanted to say thank you to some special people that were an integral part in the success of FunCycled. A huge thanks to my mom for helping me so much with the kids to give me time to meet with you, paint for you and write away on this blog. Thanks to my amazing brother Jesse for designing this website for me and always challenging me to take risks, be better than the rest and open myself up to the world. Thanks to my dear friend, Jo Ann, who reads all of these posts before I hit “post” to keep me from looking like too much of an idiot. lol Thanks to my “posse” of friends, family and customers-turned-friends who get my texts and always encourage me.

So, here is a this list of best furniture projects in 2012 based on how many people viewed the pages on our website. With no surprise at all, coming in first by far…

1st Place – Vintage Teal Hutch

You can see the story behind it and how we redid it here. A huge thanks to my friend Tiffany for filling your first home with our furniture and being bold enough to order a teal hutch… which I’m completely in love with by the way. :) This hutch was also featured on Domino magazine’s facebook page.

2nd Place – Aqua and Milk Chocolate Desk 

This was actually purchased by one of our fans named Jane. Then another fan from Boston called me and asked if they could buy it from Jane. Now Kevin and Rebecca are the happy owners of this beauty. How funny, right? This desk was also featured on the Better After Blog and a blog in Iceland. Woot Woot!! You can see the story behind this piece here.

See before and after pictures here.

3rd Place – Kelly Green Dresser / Antique Red Dresser Turned Entertainment Center

They shared the same post so they have to share the same place… two in one. Both of these pieces were featured on the Better After Bog. The entertainment center was on the top of my favorites list this year. If you had seen it in person, you would think it was ready for the curb, but bringing it back to life was so much fun. Not to mention, I gained a friend named Nancy who has helped me in so many ways by giving advice and being a listening ear. Thank you Nancy for the business and friendship! Find out the story behind these pieces here.

Before:


Before:

After:

4th Place – Oh Baby! Chevron Dresser

This was my favorite chevron dresser of all the chevron pieces this year and I was thrilled to see that you all agreed! Theresa (who bought this dresser) is one sweet lady and baby CJ ;) was born in December. This dresser was waiting for him in the nursery and I’m sure it’s one of the first things he noticed when he came home from the hospital. lol Theresa is definitely a customer turned friend as well. ;) See the story behind this piece here.

5th Place – Ombre Robot Dresser

This dresser was a Christmas gift for my amazing sister Sarah… Yup, we both have the same name. Don’t judge… my parents lack creativity. ;) Just kidding! She came to live with us when she was 4 and is now all grown up. She let me do whatever I wanted as long as it included a robot for her son Calvin’s room. Some ombre, metal gears and the cutest robot on earth. Who could not love that?? This piece was also featured on the Better After blog. See the story behind this piece here.

6th Place – Orange Love Birds Cedar Chest

This surprise Christmas gift for Allie squeaked in  right before the new year, but has already made it to the top 10! Orange birds… um… who can say no to that? Demian was a delight to work with and I’m sure Allie has to be one special lady for her husband to order this from North Carolina for her. Thanks to you both! See her story here.

7th Place – Tree and a Bird Antique White and Black Dresser

I would call this one of our signature pieces… one that we were first known for. I loved this design and doing the first of many hand painted pieces. Many birds and trees later, I’m still loving this and am thrilled it made it’s way into the top 10. See her story here.

8th Place – Elegant Black Dresser

This was one of the first really beautiful pieces that I was able to work on. Before this piece, almost everything had a lot of damage or needed a ton of “love” as I would put it. This went with the bird dresser to the home of Emily and Jason. Another couple that we are happy to call friends. They have been more than kind to us and their home is beautiful… it could be in a magazine for sure! See the how-to on this makeover here.

After:

9th Place – Yellow Dresser Makeover

I was really surprised to see this piece on the list. Not because I didn’t love it, but because I did it so long ago that I almost forgot about it. You should have seen us trying to carry this beast. Lol! It came out really beautifully and it was our first furniture delivery. See more pictures here.
Before and After pictures:

After:

10th place – California Poppy Red Hutch

Last but certainly not least.

Since this hutch is still in my dining room, I’m happy to see it made it’s way into your top favorites, too. A huge thanks to my friend Lara for this piece. I love looking at it every day; it makes me want to design furniture for your home that will brighten your day, too. See the story behind this piece here.

After:

Thanks again to everyone for an amazing 2012. Here’s to 2013 with more inspiration, custom pieces for you and new friends along the way.

Sarah

Check out our furniture portfolio page for other pieces that ALMOST made it on this list.

If you like what you see, please like our facebook page to keep up to date on the newest finds, vote on colors and give your input on our creativity.

Last but not least, let us customize a furniture piece for you. We create custom furniture for customers in upstate NY and ship throughout the US.  Send us a note with with you would like using our contact page. Or buy something that we’ve already designed from our furniture for sale page.

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French Court Script Dresser Set – Tuesday’s Treasures

Happy New Year!!! I’m so thankful for all the changes that happened in 2012 and I’m even more excited about what’s ahead in 2013! We were blessed in so many ways in 2012. Thank you for your support, positive feedback, and custom orders. Here’s to new creations and more ways to give fun, new life to old, beat up furniture pieces this year.

If you are a fan of our Facebook page… you are by now, right?? If not, come join in on the fun! Well, if you are, you’ll already know that I took the week of Christmas off from custom orders. I love custom orders but we’ve been so busy that I haven’t had much time to create some pieces just for fun and try new techniques. This past week was so much fun for me and now I’m excited about getting back to our custom orders this week. If you see anything on our Upcoming Project page or have something sitting around your house, use our Contact Us form to get a quote to bring it back to life. :)

Time to share one of this week’s projects.  Here are the before pictures of both pieces.

To see steps on how to repaint furniture yourself, see our post How To Paint Furniture. We painted the outside with a beautiful dark brown paint from Behr. Then, I bought this French court script fabric that I have been dying to put on the front of dresser drawers. So, I used a TON of mod podge… just cut the fabric to size, apply the mod podge on the fronts of the dresser drawers and then lay the fabric on top of it. Be sure to rub out any air pockets or wrinkles. Then, I put another layer of mod podge over the top of the fabric. I did a second coat of mod podge and then sealed it with a poly when I applied it to the paint as well. You’ll probably have to trim the edges and I found that to be much easier after the mod podge had dried.

I also drilled new holes and applied these amazing antique glass knobs.

Are you ready for the after pictures?
Continue reading French Court Script Dresser Set – Tuesday’s Treasures

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Merry Christmas Allie

Merry Christmas Allie!!! This very special Tuesday’s Treasures has been hard to keep from you… :) Demian called us from North Carolina asking if we could custom paint a piece for his wife, Allie, for Christmas. Allie follows our blog and enjoys the designs so he thought it would be a unique gift for her this Christmas. Allie loves the bird and tree design that we’ve done on other pieces, but her favorite color is orange so we wanted to incorporate that, too. Demian saw this cedar trunk on our Upcoming Projects page.

It was pretty beat up! There was a large crack in the top that I thought made it so the top would have to be replaced. Thankfully, my amazing hubby was able to repair the top. First I painted the base a beautiful Paper White that I bought from Benjamin Moore. I added a tiny bit of grey to make the white have a more grey/white hue. If you want to see how we paint furniture, see our post How to Paint Furniture.

After the base was painted grey and the top crack was repaired by gluing. clamping and sanding it. I stained the top ebony. I love how the ebony stained soaked into the cedar. Just perfect! I hand drew out the tree and birds with a pencil first and then painted in the lines. ;) I get asked quite a bit if I use a stencil for these pieces. The answer is no… I hand draw it out.

Are you ready for after picture??
Continue reading Merry Christmas Allie

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Custom Gift Wrap Station – Tuesday’s Treasures

Hi All! If you’re anything like me this week you MAY start thinking about wrapping the presents. Maybe, just maybe… or you may wait until the night before and put everything into bags instead. I highly recommend wrapping your gifts while “watching” Napoleon Dynomite. John and I did that last year and laughed our heads off! The most fun ever!!! In the spirit of gift wrapping, I thought I would share this gift wrapping station makeover.

Before we start… remember. It’s contest time!! Whoever refers the most friends (who have never “liked” our page before) to our Facebook page will win a free antiqued door knob coat/towel hanger to be pick up at our home in Troy. If you are out of state we will ship it to you. Make sure your friends say “you” sent them by writing on our wall! This contest starts NOW and ends on Christmas day. Have fun..and play nice! :)

I’m trying to spare you all the details since it’s the busy holiday season so here’s the armoire before:

We took the doors off the front and filled in the holes from the hinges with wood filler and sanded it down level to the wood. Then, I painted the the piece using white chalk paint. You know how these armoires or TV cabinets have a thin wood back or cardboard back with a hole in it from where the back of the TV went in?? Well, this one had just that! Instead of replacing the back, our client wanted to cut costs so we used some fabric that she already had and covered the entire back with the chevron fabric. John used his handy man skills to build a bottom shelf. We used this:

We took the original shelf and attached a bottom mount drawer slides. We wanted to make sure she had a place to wrap the gifts so she could half the shelf inside until it was ready to wrap and then it would pull out to give her a space to wrap presents. We painted the inside an amazing teal that our client already had. Then, we added wooden dowels for the gift wrap and a thinner dowel for the ribbon.

Of course when our little guy saw daddy working on this… he had to be a part of the team!!

Yup, that’s red paint on his head and hand. He was helping me paint just before this project. lol

Super cute, right?? After everything was attached, we put the back on. We simply attached the fabric as we stapled the back on. So we did the top, then one side, then pulled the second side tight and stapled. It definitely takes two people, but it wasn’t hard. Just pop the bottom two front doors on for extra hidden storage space.

Continue reading Custom Gift Wrap Station – Tuesday’s Treasures

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Burlap Cabinet – Tuesday’s Treasures

Are you all ready for Christmas yet? I know, I know, it’s early December. How could you be ready yet? I feel the same way! Thankfully, my mom is taking the kiddos this Friday so I can get some shopping done. She’s full of amazingness. Is that a word? You get it. ;) If you haven’t already noticed from our Christmas Tree post, I’ve been in the mood for burlap lately. Now it’s time to add some burlap to furniture. Oh yes. I did.

I will try to make this is a quick Tuesday’s Treasures because I know how precious your time is this time of year. Tis the season to be insanely busy. This little cabinet has been used as the side table in my living room. I love how small it is and it still has storage. What a perfect combination! I redid another piece with even more storage to put in its place so I decide to revamp this one.

First. I painted it using a black Enamel. You know my favorite black paint by now don’t you? No… hmm… well, let me remind you –
Benjamin Moore Low Luster Metal and Wood Enamel.

After I painted it, I used this amazing burlap fabric with french lettering. I cut it to size and used Mod Podge to attach it to the front of the cabinet. When  I say used Mod Podge, I mean slathered it on. It was really soaked with it. Just to be sure it stayed on, I also tacked the corners using fabric tacks. The final step was to slightly distress the edges.

Are you ready for the after?
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Tuesday’s Treasures – 4 Piece Living Room Table Set

A HUGE thanks to all of you who stopped to see us at the Troy Victorian Stroll on December 2nd. It was so nice meeting you. This week I thought I would show you the before and after of a living room set that we revamped for Steve and Nancy. If you’re keeping track, you can also check out their Red Empire Dresser turned into an entertainment center and there  White Mahogany Bedroom Set.

Here are some of the before pictures of the pieces. Forgive my messy barn. :)

They weren’t in bad shape structurally, just had scratches and were worn from years of use. Nancy liked the wood top look to keep it’s country feel. We sanded each top and even though we thought it was solid pine, we found out that it was pine veneer. Sadly, I didn’t even know there was such a thing as pine veneer. Why?? We sanded through the veneer in one small spot, but thankfully it wasn’t noticeable.  After we sanded it, we stained it with, I believe, a dark walnut stain from Minwax. I did this project a long time ago so forgive me if that’s the wrong color.

Then, the base was painted using home made chalk paint made from a cream Behr paint. After painting each piece, I slightly distressed it using medium grit sand paper. Then sealed all of the pieces with Minwax Polycrylic and added new knobs.

Here are the after pictures for you.
Continue reading Tuesday’s Treasures – 4 Piece Living Room Table Set

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FunCycled at the Troy Victorian Stroll – Dec 2nd

We are going to be a vendor at the 30th annual Troy Victorian Stroll this year. On Sunday, December 2nd from 11am-5pm we will be in the Atrium. If you aren’t familiar with downtown Troy, you can pop this address into your GPS: 4 3rd Street, Troy, NY 12180. When you get to the building we may be on the 1st or 2nd floor. We will update our Facebook page on Sunday morning to let you know where we’ll be so check in there if you can find us.

I thought I would also show you a quick preview of some of the items that we will have for sale that day in case you want to wait in line like it’s Black Friday morning. lol

$550 Antique Solid Wood Red Hutch
Size: 44 inches wide x 18 inches deep x 68 inches high

$295- Antique White Dresser with Original Detailing
Size: 30 inches wide x 17 inches deep by 40 1/2 inches deep


Custom Home Decor
$195 Photo Frame from Antique Windows (photos by Sandy Pratt)
Each picture is 8×10 inches so the approximate window size is 26 inches wide 34 inched high. We can also redo just the frame to your choice of color and you can insert the pictures you would like for $95.

$25 Each Reclaimed Wood Wall Hangers
Wood color and size varies slightly based on the reclaimed wood used. These are roughly 6-7 inches wide by 9-10 inches high. Each hanger has two swivel loop hangers on the back to hang each piece on the wall. 

Option 1: Natural Burlap with Distressed Pale Aqua Door Plate and Crystal Knob

Option 2: Reclaimed Aged Wood with Distressed Red Door Plate and Crystal Knob

Option 3: Silver and Natural Canvas behind Distressed Brown Door Plate and Crystal Knob

Option 4: Red Burlap and Distressed Pale Aqua Door Plate and Crystal Knob

$25 Flur-de-lis Cast Iron Hangers with Burlap on Reclaimed Wood 
Wood color and size varies slightly based on the reclaimed wood used. These are roughly 6-7 inches wide by 9-10 inches high. Each hanger has two swivel loop hangers on the back to hang each piece on the wall. 

Option 1: Burlap with french lettering

Option 2: Natural Burlap

We will also have Christmas ornaments and other decor items. If you would like us to put anything on hold for you to pick up at the show, please use our Contact Us form to let us know what you would like.

Have an awesome week! We look forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Sarah

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Antique Windows with Photos by Sandy Pratt

Hi All! I’m so excited to share this new, fun home decor item that we have for sale. We now offer Home Decor items on our website using reclaimed woods, natural fabrics and OF COURSE fun color. You can check them out here.

When John and I were vendors at the Waterford Canal Festival this summer, I found out that Sandy Pratt(who I knew was the manager of the Fossil store) is also an amazing photographer. Fossil watches are my weakness! ;) Don’t judge me. lol We chatted that day and I really loved her eye for seeing the beauty in the shambles, finding bright colors mixed worn textures, and of course the rustic “feel” of her photography. You can see all of her photography on her website woodsandwhimsy.com.

A Facebook friend, Joyce, reached out to us because she had some old windows from her cabin on Cossayuna Lake. Thank you, Joyce!! We gladly said that we would love to get them from her. I couldn’t help but think that Sandy’s photos would work perfectly with these windows. Here it is!

Each window pane is 8×10 inches! Sandy worked with me every so graciously to offer you these photos at a great price. Her  8×10 prints are usually $20 unframed and between $50-$75 framed!! This set is only $195. We used a cardboard backing that is screwed into the back of the window so it can be easily unscrewed to update with new photos from Sandy in years to come or any photos for that matter (family pictures??). There are large 50lb hangers on the back to easily hang it on the wall.

We currently have 4 of these available and can make the window frame any color you would prefer. The one in the picture above is painted a light Spanish olive green and has been lightly distressed. Since that picture doesn’t do Sandy’s photos justice, here are some close ups of the picture. You can click on any of them to enlarge it. They can all be viewed on her website Woods and Whimsy. Or you can order other prints on her Etsy page: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WOODSandWHIMSY

I can’t thank Sandy enough for letting me add her photos to our pieces. They are perfect!! If you would like to order one of our window frames, please email me at sarah@funcycled.com or use our Contact Us page. If you haven’t already checked it out, make sure you take a peak at our Home Decor page, too!!

Have a great week and remember that we will be at the Troy Victorian Stroll on Sunday, December 2nd,  from 11am to 5pm. Look forward to seeing you there!

Remember… if you want to stay “in the know” please like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/funcycled You’ll see designs from the people who inspire me, be the first to know when new pieces are available, and just enjoy life with us! Get each of our new projects emailed to you when you enter your email address in the box at the top right side of this page.

Happy Redesigns!
Sarah

Psalm 119:105  Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.