I thought these drawers would make a great little shelving unit! You can create storage space by simply stacking and combining drawers in new ways. This is an great project, because you can make it as simple or as involved as you want. If you come across a nice set of drawers, all they might need is a new paint color. Then, they can be stacked and arranged into a unique modular shelving system.

Since I only had two drawers to work with, I decided to slightly alter the form of each of them to add more character to my shelf. I planned to add feet to the larger drawer to lift it off the ground and  make it look less ‘drawer-like.’ I also wanted to create a specific place for a plant to grow on my shelf and decided to build a secure spot for a flower pot in the smaller drawer. I drew some quick sketches (above right) and then got to work!

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After fiddling around with the broken pieces of this dinning chair, I discovered a simple way to recombine them into a nice little ’squatting’ stool.

I find that when working with materials  that have been previously cut and shaped, the easiest way to discover what you can do is to make 3-D sketches. By this, I mean holding the pieces in your hand, putting some together, taking others apart, and propping them against one another. That is exactly how I developed my 3-D ’sketch’ (image above right) to turn this trashed chair into a brand new stool.

After setting my goal for the piece, I began figuring out how it would all come together Continue reading »

Over the past year, I have accumulated more than a few pieces of luggage from the trash. Recently, I came upon a beautiful blue suitcase only to discover it was pregnant with an equally as lovely mini-suitcase. With suitcases reproducing at such a rapid rate, I figured it was time I found some ways to reuse all this discarded luggage.

With my summer vegetables on their very last legs, I have been thinking about how to continue growing vegetables into the  colder winter months. In my search for a solution, I discovered cold frames, which are essentially tiny greenhouses (image on right). With limited space in my apartment, I thought it would be great to make a portable cold frame from an object built to travel…the suitcase.

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Do you have a piece of furniture that’s a little drab? Don’t just dive into stripping and painting without a plan! Why not test out a few ways to refinish it on paper . . . things always go a bit smoother with a little planning.

If you have access to a digital camera and printer, this can be a super easy task. If you don’t, all it takes to start planning out new colors or fabrics is a little drawing Continue reading »