We had this awful pink bathroom tile from the 50s in our house and I was convinced painting it would just peel off in a month. Got a quote for ripping it out and retiling - almost $3,000 for one tiny bathroom. So I figured what the heck, tried that bonding primer and tile paint kit from the hardware store for around 60 bucks total. That was 8 months ago and it still looks fine, even with three kids splashing water everywhere. No chipping or peeling yet, just had to be really careful with the prep work and wait the full 72 hours before using the shower. Has anyone else tried this on floor tile or is that pushing it too far?
I finally crossed the 200 mark on upcycled jars after about 18 months of saving and repurposing. Some people say it's impressive because you're keeping that much glass out of landfills, but others argue that just painting a jar and calling it a pencil holder doesn't count as real upcycling. I've got a shelf full of plain mason jars holding dry beans in my pantry, plus a few fancy ones with twine and lace that I gave as gifts. My sister thinks I'm hoarding, but my neighbor says every jar saved is a win. Do you guys track your numbers or just focus on how cool the final project looks?
I was cleaning out my garage last Saturday and dropped a jar of pickled beets on the concrete. The glass shattered but the metal lid and rubber seal were totally fine. Has anyone else used old jar lids as coasters or to keep screws organized on a workbench?
So I started saving these jars like 4 months ago thinking I'd use them for a few Christmas gifts or some pantry storage. But yesterday I actually counted them sitting in my basement and there were 50 of them staring back at me. I've only turned maybe 6 into actual things like a coin holder and a tiny herb planter. Is there a point where hoarding potential upcycles just becomes hoarding or am I overthinking this?
My neighbor who's been a cook for 30 years saw me scrubbing my skillet and just laughed, said the whole 'no soap ever' thing is outdated since modern dish soap doesn't eat the seasoning. Now I'm wondering how much time I wasted scraping burnt stuff off with salt when a little Dawn would have done the job in half the time. Anyone else stubbornly stick to an old rule for way too long?
Do you guys think it's better to upcycle old jars into storage containers and vases like I've been doing, or should we be trying to send them back for actual recycling since that uses less energy, what's your take on this after hitting a milestone number like that?
Everyone online says to sand pallets down fast with a belt sander to save time. I set mine to a coarse grit and went at it. Ended up gouging deep grooves into the wood that I couldn't sand out by hand. Learned the hard way that old pallet wood is softer than you think and needs a lighter touch or a hand plane instead. Has anyone else had success with a different tool for cleaning up pallet wood?
For years I thought chalk paint was just a gimmick for DIY blogs. But last month I tried Annie Sloan's chalk paint on a beat up oak nightstand I found at a garage sale in Tulsa, and I didn't even need to sand it. It covered that ugly orange stain in two coats and looks like a legit piece now. Did you have to seal yours with wax or did you just leave it as is?
Saw a video about cutting old tees into produce bags. Thought it was dumb. Tried it with a worn out shirt from Goodwill. Used it for apples at the store yesterday. Cashier even commented. Has anyone else tried this with different fabrics?
I took this beat-up MDF dresser from a garage sale in Akron and hacked it down to just the top two drawers. After 3 coats of teal paint and some new knobs from the Habitat ReStore, it looks like a built-in for my herbs on the windowsill. The whole thing cost me like $12 and maybe 2 hours of my Saturday. Has anyone else repurposed a piece of furniture for plants instead of tossing it?
I was about to toss a pair of ripped Levi's from 2019 when I saw a TikTok where a girl cut the legs off and stitched the bottom into a basket shape for holding remotes. It hit me that I had 3 more pairs in the donate pile that could do the same thing, saving me $12 on fabric bins from Target. Anyone else find a random video that totally changed how you see your old clothes?
Bought a pack of those expensive silicone zip ties from a hardware store. Thought they'd be great for organizing my craft supplies. First time I used them to bundle old paintbrushes they stretched out and got loose. Now my drawer is a mess again and I'm back to using free bread bag clips. Anyone else find a better way to keep small tools sorted?
I dropped $50 on a heat gun to strip old paint off a thrifted nightstand, and it worked great on the flat parts but scorched the detailed edges. On the flip side, my buddy swears by sanding only and says heat guns just waste money on small projects. Anyone else find heat guns either save or burn you on painted furniture jobs?
I used to take old pasta jars, slap a coat of acrylic paint on them, and call it a day. My sister visited last month and said they looked like a 5 year old made them, which stung but she wasn't wrong lol. So I started sanding the glass first, using chalk paint instead, and adding a simple twine wrap around the neck. Now they actually look like something you'd buy at Target for $12 each. Has anyone else gotten harsh feedback that forced you to up your game?
Picked up a set of six wool dryer balls at the thrift store for $3 and my clothes come out softer and way less static than with the liquid stuff... has anyone else made the switch and noticed their towels actually absorb water better now?
My grandmother's dresser from the 70s finally split a drawer joint last weekend when I was moving it across the room. I ended up using some wood glue and clamps to hold it together, but it got me wondering how people used to patch up furniture before all these modern adhesives existed. Has anyone here had luck with old school methods like dowels or biscuits on particle board?
I finally counted all the basil and mint I've got growing in those old jars on my windowsill and realized I've saved about 15 bucks on new pots plus kept all that glass out of the trash, has anyone else found a better lid drainage method than just poking holes?
I picked up this beat up solid oak dresser off Facebook Marketplace for $40 a few weeks ago. The finish was all scratched and water stained on top, so I figured I'd try to make it look nice again. At first I was gonna just sand it smooth and paint it white like everyone does. But then I started digging into how nice the wood grain actually was underneath all that damage. So I went with stripping it instead, used Citristrip and spent about 5 hours over two days getting the old varnish off. It came out way better than I expected, that golden oak color with some mineral oil on it looks really warm and natural. Now I'm second guessing if I should have painted it after all since paint hides a lot of sins with dents and scratches. Has anyone else gone back and forth between paint and stain on an older piece, and which way did you end up going?
I knocked over a big ceramic mug last Tuesday and it cracked right down the middle. Instead of throwing it out, I glued the pieces back together with some strong epoxy and left a gap at the top. I filled the bottom with small rocks and threw some soil in there, now I have basil growing out of a broken mug. The crack gives it a weird look, kind of like chipped teeth, but my plants are thriving. Has anyone else fixed broken dishes to use as planters?
I used to think buying a pack of microfiber cloths was the only way to go, you know, for cleaning houses. But last Tuesday I was at the goodwill in my neighborhood and heard this college girl telling her friend she just cuts up old t-shirts for dusting and mopping. I thought about it for a second and realized I have like 20 ratty tees sitting in my basement that never get worn. So I tried it on my own windows and it worked way better than paper towels, plus it is totally free. Has anyone else found a good way to prep them so they dont leave lint everywhere?
Everyone always says turning old windows into picture frames or greenhouse panels is a no-brainer for saving on heat loss. But I dug into the actual R-values of those single-pane windows from the 50s after I put one in my own workshop shed last spring. Found a study from a building science blog that said a single-pane window has an R-value around 0.9, while even basic double-pane stuff from Home Depot runs about R-3. So that old window I hung up is basically like having a hole in the wall for warmth. My gas bill went up $22 the month after I installed it compared to the same month the year before. I get the appeal of using old windows for decor or a cold frame for seedlings, but for actual living space insulation? I think the hype is way overblown unless you pair them with a storm window or something. Has anyone else actually tracked their utility costs after an upcycle like this?
I had this beat up dresser from a thrift store sitting in my garage for like a year. Finally got sick of looking at it and decided to chop the legs down to counter height, sand it, and add a cheap butcher block top from Home Depot. The difference between the chipped up brown mess before and what I have now is night and day - it took me about two weekends total. I also stuck some hooks on the side for hanging pots and pans. Anyone else done something similar with old furniture in their kitchen?
Picked up one of those rubber strap jar openers from the hardware store last month. Thought it'd be great for upcycling old pickle jars into storage containers. Thing slipped on the first try, barely grabbed the lid. My old dish towel works way better and costs nothing. Anyone else find those tools useless?
Found this solid wood dresser from the 70s at a thrift store in Portland for $40. Spent two weekends sanding it down, and the whole drawer bottom just crumbled when I lifted it. Has anyone else had older furniture fail like that even when the outside looks fine?
I found a beat up wooden dresser on the curb for free and spent Saturday cutting out the middle drawer space and adding a shelf for pots. After sealing it with outdoor polyurethane, it now holds 6 of my herbs on the porch. Has anyone tried making furniture work for plants without it rotting out?