50's Blond Sewing Box Gets Re-deaux

I came across this sewing box from the 50's. It was stained "Blond" which was very typical of 50's furniture. I saw the potential to reinvent this piece into an end table with lots of storage so I took off repurposing it. Here's how I did it:

I took off the knobs and began the sanding process to remove the finish.

Love my Black & Decker Mouse Sander!

Once everything was sanded, I used KILZ 2 tinted primer to get started.

I chose to paint it black and white so I painted the body with Eggshell Black from the Home Depot.

After two coats of paint, the body was done.

In order to turn this into an end table, I needed to add legs. I found these very 50's style legs at a yard sale and went onto priming & painting mode.

Notice the plates that hold on the legs. You can put the legs in straight (example on right) or at the angle (example on left) you often see in 50's style furniture.

I used Zinsser 1-2-3 Spray Primer on the legs since you can paint right over the finish without sanding at all! Great step saver. Notice I covered the leg tips with tape so I could repaint them silver later on to match the knobs.

Here are the legs painted and ready to do the tips.

I took the knobs and screwed them into a piece of wood to hold them while I painted them.

I used Rust-oleum bright silver metallic finish (Can't see the cap color in the picture but it is silver!).

I sprayed the knobs and the end caps of the legs and let everything dry while I gave the drawer fronts two coats of white paint.

Here is the finished product!

BEFORE

AFTER

If you find an interesting piece but can't use it as is, consider repurposing it by adding to it and changing its purpose! 

A Sentimental Journey for Old Neckties

My sidekick fondly remembers her father wearing a necktie every day to go to work. He had quite a few neckties and when he passed away there were so many of them that I decided to abscond with them and do something crafty. I took a pair of ladder back chairs and wove the neckties into the seats. They flank the fireplace and are a constant reminder of him. The granddaughters who were born after he died have no memory of him. I made each of the girls a special little chair with their Grandfather's neckties as well. If you have neckties from a loved one, why not preserve his memory by turning them into a chair or stool?

Here are the basics for this project:

I see these little stools at yard sales often but the caning is usually shot. 

I got this one for this tutorial.

Pick the item you are going to use (chair, stool, etc) and give it a makeover if it is needed. 

I gave mine a coat of black spray paint since the blue wasn't going to work for me.

Weaving the ties is easy once you do a little prep work. 

Cut the fat end off the ties you will be using.

Start by sewing the first tie to itself on the underside of your stool or chair. 

(Sorry the picture isn't great!)

Next, sew each tie to the previous tie. 

Sew a few ties to each other and wrap them around and around until the top is covered. Squish them together a little and be sure you pull them tight as you wrap them around.

Once the top is covered, bring the last tie underneath, 

around the corner and up to the top to begin the weave. 

Over, under, over, under until you reach the edge.

Flip the stool over and weave the bottom as well. 

This will give you two layers of woven ties and make it more sturdy.

Be sure to pull the ties tight as you go and squish them together so the weave is tight.

Finally, when you reach the end and all the rows of ties are squished together, slip the end of the tie into the opening at the corner of the underside and hide the end. I put a couple of stitches there to keep it in place.

The finished product is useful, and if you've used the ties of a loved one, 

it can hold great sentimental value as well.

Lane ® Acclaim 2 Tier Table

As I've mentioned before, I have a passion for mid-century modern furniture, specifically, Lane ® Acclaim Tables. The Acclaim series of furniture from the 1960's was made in Altavista, Virginia. Its dove tail detail is timeless and the two-tier end tables are automatically associated with mid-century design. 

Here's the journey of reclaiming one I found!

I started by using a lift off varnish remover to get back to the raw wood. 

I painted on the varnish remover and let it sit as directed.

I used a plastic drywall knife to scrape the varnish remover off.

After all the varnish remover was taken off, I used OOOO steel wool to smooth the surface.

Next, I added the stain. I used a Min-wax cherry stain.

 Finally, I applied a satin finish paste wax.

The results are just beautiful, don't you think? 

Once again, a Lane ® Acclaim table back to its original beauty!

Lane ® is a registered trademark of The Lane Company, Inc., Altavista, VA, USA.                                         This post has not been authorized or endorsed by The Lane Company.