Repurposed Living

 On the hunt for a good deal! That's my motto and something I've gotten pretty good at. Most of my home has been furnished by thrift store finds. I'm lucky in that here in San Antonio I can always find some pretty neat things. 
But Be Careful...a cluttered home is a direct effect from hanging out at thrift stores for too long. 
Anytime I have an empty space in my home I run right over knowing I'll find some sort of treasure. This time it was a chair. I wanted a little reading nook, cozy and inexpensive. Sure enough, I found a wooden folding chair. Only 6 bucks! This is perfect because I get to make it my own.

All the materials I needed:

·       Foam paint brush

·       Old towel

·       Fine grit sandpaper

·     Dark walnut oil-based stain (Minwax from Lowes)

I've been preparing this space for a while. Adding pieces slowly, but surely. I already have a mantle I stained and want to make sure the chair is the same color.  The first thing I have to do is sand the chair a bit.  Easy peasy, not too much!
After sanding the chair I like to wipe it off completely.  The staining part is easy to. Just make sure to do this outside if possible and try not to get it on your clothes. I say this, but I always make a mess. I used a foam brush to paint the stain on the chair. I've used regular brushes and even rags but I like the sponge brush the best.  It's probably best to stain the chair in sections, however me being me I don't wait. I give the whole chair one good coat and let it sit over-night.  Letting the stain really soak in helps me decide if I need another coat or not.  Again I'm impatient, so I'm satisfied with just the one coat.

I put my new piece in the corner, toss a blanket on it and my empty space isn't so empty anymore! This little project only cost me $6 for the chair, $5 dollars for the stain and $1 for the foam brush. TWELVE DOLLARS! 


Written By: The Treasure Finder, Hannah Caterina