Trash to Treasure Archives - Page 5 of 20

Build It, game, kids art, Kids Room, Trash to Treasure, Upcycling

DIY Kids Scooter

kids scooters title

Looking for a quick and easy DIY kids toy you can make at home? Let’s make kids scooters! Hello Pretty Handy Readers I’m Jaime from That’s My Letter here to share how to make these DIY Kids Scooters using scrap wood and a few hardware bits.

My 9 year old daughter is here giving the scooter a whirl and she fits fine but it’s really my 7 year old boy who loves the scooters. (Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of him on a scooter, but you’ll have to trust me.) I would say this DIY toy is aimed at kids 8 and younger as they especially love pushing each other on the scooters!

If you happen to have a piece of 2×12 scrap wood lying around then this project was made for you. The chunky 1 1/2″ thick material is solid and sturdy and can be painted any color you choose.

Materials:

1 – 2×12 @ 11 1/4″ (must be a square, measure your 2×12 first, some are 11 1/8″w)
4 rotating casters (2″ wheels)
2 handles
jigsaw
sandpaper
drill
1 1/4″ self tapping screws
measuring tape & pencil
curved object (small paint can)
paint

Instructions: Read more

August 19, 2015/11 Comments/by Jaime Costiglio

accessories, arts and craft, clock, decor, Decorating, Home Decor, living room, Trash to Treasure, Upcycling

Make Your Own Clock Sign

Making a clock is an easy project. All you need is a flat surface that you can drill a hole into and BOOM, you can make a clock. Let’s get started and I’ll show you How to Make Your Own Clock Sign.

Materials:

Chalkboard sign (I purchased this chalkboard sign at Tuesday Morning.)
Clock mechanism
Ruler
Drill
Drill bit
Chalk
Damp rag
Vinyl lettering and numbers
Plate or circle template

Instructions:

Use a ruler to mark the center of your chalkboard sign near the top. (Center from the sides and use the same measurement down from the top for a balanced look.)

Use a plate or circle template to trace a circle for the clock face.

Disassemble the clock hands and parts. Lay them out in the order you removed them.

Insert the clock mechanism through the back of the hole. Read more

July 31, 2015/3 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

accessories, Aged, art, arts and craft, cabinet, chalk paint, Crafts, Door, Trash to Treasure, Tutorial, Upcycling

Upcycled Cabinet Door Chalkboard Art

Upcycled Cabinet Door Quote Art | Pretty Handy Girl

What do you do with an old cabinet door? Besides keep it with your wood scraps for ten years like I did (not recommended.) You can create pre-framed art! Today I have an easy Upcycled Cabinet Door Chalkboard Art project for you. If you have an old cabinet door, some paint, and a stencil, you can have yourself a unique and personalized art piece for your wall! Easy art!

Materials:

Cabinet door
Chalkboard paint
Foam brush
Sandpaper
Antiquing wax
Wax brush
Clean rag
Craft paint or chalky paint
Stencil brush
Painter’s Tape
Pencil
Stencil or cut vinyl

Optional: Stain and foam brush

Instructions:

Paint the inside panel of your cabinet door with chalkboard paint. After the paint has dried, lightly sand any imperfections. Apply a second coat, brushing the paint in the opposite direction as the first coat.

If you have an unstained cabinet door, you may want to stain it for an aged look.

Apply painter’s tape to the inside face of the cabinet door.

Paint the frame portion of the cabinet door. Allow to dry and apply a second coat of paint. Read more

July 24, 2015/9 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

art, arts and craft, Birdhouse, Build It, Crafts, decor, distressing, Do It Yourself, drill, framing, Home Decor, kreg jig, living room, nailgun, Trash to Treasure, Upcycling

DIY Feather Art

When I needed an extra piece of art for our living room gallery wall I created DIY Feather Art. You can create your own, but please purchase craft feathers, use fake feathers or paper feathers. (Per the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, it is illegal to collect feathers, nests and other anatomical parts of certain migratory birds.)

Materials:

Rustic 1×4″ boards (I used pallet wood)
Wood yardstick or lattice boards
Watered down white paint
Paint brush
Clamp
Scissors
Kreg Jig
Pocket hole screws (1.25″)
Nylon line
Small drill bit
Drill
Staple gun
1″ finish nails
Hammer or nailgun
Wood glue
Feathers
Pencil
D-ring picture hangers

Instructions:

Cut your 1×4″ boards to size (or select one board the size you want for your art background.) To connect the two boards, mark the location to drill pocket holes.

Use the Kreg Jig to drill pocket holes into the back of both boards.

Clamp the boards together and join them with 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws.

Flip the board over and paint it with watered down white paint for a white-washed look.

Mark the width of the white-washed board onto the yardstick. Cut two pieces the same length. Read more

July 6, 2015/2 Comments/by Brittany Bailey

art, arts and craft, Before and After, Build It, Crafts, kids art, Paintbrushes, painting, Trash to Treasure, Upcycling

Little Playhouse for Ollie {Mystery Thrift Off}

I love giving my boys creative freedom on projects. Frequently I let them have access to my scrap pile. Inevitably they build little houses for their stuffed animals. This little house was designed and painted by my 8 year old for Ollie (his little stuffed octopus.) I helped him build it. If you want to build a little playhouse for your child to paint, follow along.

Before we begin, I need to back up and tell you that this project is part of The Mystery Thrift Off.

#TheMysteryThriftOff is the brainchild of Lindsey from Better After. She chose a handful of people to take part in this challenge. After scouring her local thrift shops for ugly and hopeless items, she shipped off the chosen items to those of us in the challenge. I signed up—because frankly—I love a challenge. And, I love saving ugly items from the landfill. Be sure to see some of the other Mystery Thrift Off transformations at Better After and vote for your favorite.

But, when the box arrived from Lindsey, I was terrified to open it up! I mean what if she had sent me a ceramic scabies bear! Yikes. You can imagine my relief when I opened the box to reveal this dated Christmas village.

Not too bad looking is it.? Truth be told, it was falling apart and the colors were hunter green, colonial blue, mauve and fleshy tan.

I quickly pulled the three houses apart and began to transform them into A Chalkboard Arrow Sign, a Housewarming Gift Caddy and the Little Playhouse I’m going to show you today.

I began by removing some of the embellishments.

I saved them for a future project.

Next I sanded off the glue.

Here’s where you can pick up the tutorial. Start by cutting a house shape into a piece of plywood or scrap wood. Cut out a doorway (the Dremel Multi-Max worked perfect for this task.)

Flip the house shape over and attach hinges to one side of the door and the house.

Cut two pieces for the sides of the house (1″ x 4″ lumber) and a back piece the same height as the house front.

Clamp the back of the house to a solid surface and attach the sides of the house with glue and finish nails. Read more

June 12, 2015/2 Comments/by Brittany Bailey