Bargain Bench Makeover Part II

You may remember last week, I left off with this picture of the bench I am making over by repainting and adding a cushioned seat:

So after removing the hardware, painting and measuring a piece of foam for the seat, I went to work with my fabric and upholstery nails (available at most hardware stores: cost 97 cents), starting at the back of the bench. I folded over the edge the material to have a smooth edge, and nailed upholstery nails at each end and in the center.  I used a yard of fabric at a cost of $3.97.

Because the upholstery nails are short (probably ¾ inch), it was easier to make a pilot hole for the upholstery nail using a regular nail, which was a lot easier to hold onto and hammer into the wood. Don’t make the pilot hole too deep…stop hammering just after the nail begins to hold. 

After the pilot hole was made, I simply removed the nail, gathered up my fabric, poked the upholstery nail through the fabric, then lined it up with my pilot hole and tapped it in.  I repeated this process around all the inside of the bench seat, making sure the nails were set well inside the lip of the bench to be sure the lid would close smoothly. 

As I was working, I realized I would have to change the color of the hardware because I didn’t feel the brass was going to go well with the new color.  Since I was going for a beachy look, I decided to paint the hardware white, which would add a nice pop on the sides and tie in to the white in the fabric.  I probably used 25 cents worth of spray paint on the hardware.  I even painted the faces of the screws by pushing them through the newspaper so they would be upright.

When the paint finally dried (takes a while here in Florida!), I reattached the hardware are stood back to admire my latest project!

Total cost of this project was $29.94.  I feel the need to add a little something to this project, so you may see this bench again!

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Bargain Bench Makeover Part I

I picked up this bench a few months ago at one of my favorite thrift stores. Cost me $9.00. I’ve been using it in our laundry room to hold our beach bags and beach towels. Since we try to make it to the beach at least once a week, it’s handy to have all those items in one place for a quick getaway!

First I removed the hardware which I stored in a Ziploc bag for safekeeping. Hate having to look for a missing screw!  Then I sanded the bench lightly with a fine grain sandpaper, wiping it down with a rag as I went to remove the dust.  I needed a clean surface to be sure the paint would adhere properly. 

The spray paint I chose is called Sunrise/Matte, which is a paint and primer in one.  I wanted something to brighten up the laundry room’s sandy colored walls and white trim.  In order to avoid dripping, I kept flipping the bench so the surface I painted would be flat or horizontal to the ground.  Each side took 2  coats to cover smoothly.  I used a can and a half of spray paint for a cost of about $6.00.

If you’re wondering why I didn’t spray paint the top of the bench, it’s because I had something else in mind for that!  I wanted to make a cushioned bench seat, so I measured and cut a piece of foam rubber to fit on the top.  I had this foam from an old mattress we had. I save everything…you never know! My guess the cost to buy a piece like this would be about $10.

Come back next Wednesday to see how I finished this up!

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More Blue Ikat Print and Floral Pillows and Runners

Anne has found another great blue ikat fabric along with a contemporary floral. Each one is available on its own as a pillow cover, or combined as a table runner!

Visit our shop on Etsy

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Bargain Bathroom Stool: A DIY Thrift Store Furniture Makeover

This week we'll show you how Anne created a neat seat for her bathroom. The total, including materials, was just $7.00!

Here's the blog post she wrote for us:

I found this stool at my local Goodwill for $3.99. It was quite sturdy so I made an executive decision to invest in it. It just needed a makeover so it would look fresh and new in my bathroom!

I cleaned the base with soap and water to remove the dirt and grunge. Then I used a screwdriver to remove the yucky rubber gasket that was used to support the staples holding the old fabric to the stool.

The gasket pretty much fell apart as I worked, so I used a small cat's paw to remove any tacks that were left behind. I also pulled off the old rubber feet since they were dried out and cracked. I picked up a replacement set of 4 for $1.99!

I didn't bother to take off the old cover since the fabric was still in good shape and would make a nice sturdy base for the  material I was going to use to recover the stool. So I took the stool outside and spray painted it with a primer and then a paint called satin green apple. I let the paint dry between coats and checked to make sure I had covered all edges. The cost of the paint in this step was less than $1.00!

After the paint dried thoroughly I put on the new rubber feet. Then it was time to work on the material for the seat. I had a small leftover piece of one of our most popular fabrics. I laid it out on the floor to check that it'd be big enough to cover the seat.

Then I went to work with my staple gun. I stapled as close to the metal underside of the stool as I could, carefully gathering and stapling material as I traveled around the base of the stool.

This is what it looked like after I finished stapling around the base. It reminds me of a flower!

Because I didn't want to see the  metal band around the base of the stool I continued to staple the material on the inner part of the metal band, again gathering material as I went along, particularly at the top of the legs of the stool to create a puffy look.

Once that was done I trimmed away all the excess material from the underside.

I stood the stool upright to check that my work was neat and clean. I was very happy with it!

Now, for about $7.00 and an hour's work (not including paint drying time), I have a one-of-a-kind bathroom stool!

Like this fabric? We have a few items left in our shop that feature this print.

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Squirrels!

There is a little joke in my family about how much my husband loves squirrels. It started off when I asked him to trap and relocate the squirrels invading our garden, rather than other methods of removal. He wound up getting (and wearing!) an FBI most wanted list of squirrels, and other squirrel gifts over the years.

So when Anne found this squirrel print fabric, she knew she just had to get it!

There must be other squirrel lovers out there, so now you too can own a squirrel printed table runner. And if you're not into squirrels all the time, it reverses to some seasonal orange oak leaves.

View all squirrel stuff in the Best Bet Design shop

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Quick & Easy Fall Table Decor

Switching out your table decor for fall can be quick and easy. Here are two simple options.

Buy a few real or faux mini pumpkins (around $1 each) and combine them with a bowl of treats like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Although it's unlikely any will be left by the time Halloween rolls around, they will serve as functional decor!

Use a bouquet of real or fake sunflowers to decorate your table. I paired mine with one of my favorite candle scents, ginger peach.

Shop all table runners

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Fall Home Decor in the Best Bet Design Shop

As summer cools down into fall, you may find yourself wanting to refresh your home decor to match. We recently stocked the shop with some new fall table runners. Many of them are reversible, so you'll get two autumn looks in one piece.

This one in particular reminds me of autumn leaves with all of the rich red, orange, and yellow tones:

I also like the look of our marsala, mustard, aqua, and celery floral prints for fall:

Shop all autumn decor

Shop all table runners

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Marsala and Mustard Floral Prints for Fall Home Decor

It all started with a custom order. We made an odd sized table runner and a table cloth for a customer because she loved this mustard and marsala floral print on a cream background.

We've continued to sell lots of table runners and pillow covers in the print. Anne picked up a few more yards of the fabric last week. It is great for fall, with the reds and yellows, but the floral helps keep a summer touch.

Shop marsala and mustard floral print items

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Blue Ikat Prints on Table Runners and Pillow Covers

Ikat is a dying process that results in a blurry pattern. It's found throughout the world, but especially in Asia and India. Ikat has been very popular this year, found everywhere from chairs by Ballard Design to clothing. You can read more about it on Wikipedia.

The blue ikat fabric we use is called Bali Yacht and these table runners have sold out time and time again. I can see why; it's a beautiful blend of blues!

blue ikat table runner

blue ikat pillow cover

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Mums & Asters Floral Printed Table Runner for Fall

It's still technically summer and Labor Day has yet to come, but when the calendar turns to September we usually start thinking about fall.

This mums and asters printed fabric on a brown background is a great way to transition to the new season. The florals are a nice reminder of summer, but the tones are definitely autumnal hues.

This particular runner is reversible with a subtle floral print on the back.

View this fall floral table runner on Etsy

Browse all of our table runners

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